Saturday, December 5, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Here's a Christmas present for you. There's really no rhyme or reason to this, other than I was looking through my records and theses songs happen to jump out at me. I hope you and your families have a great holiday season.
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Frank
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1. The Jets--Paper Girl
2. The Headboys--The Shape of things to come
3. The Toasters--Teenage Tease
4. The Crowd-- Living in Madrid
5. The Metros--In With The Crowd
6. Sincere Americans--Contact
7. Elton Motello--Victim of Time
8. 999--Lets Face It
9. Fast Cars--Cry
10. The Acceclerators--Radio Blues
11. Squad--Flasher
12. Scream--Screaming
13. Buzz and The Gang--Hearts Waiting
14. The Reaction--Talk Talk Talk Talk
15. Blondie--Picture this
16. Flys--Fortunes
17. Close Lobsters--Let's make some plans
18. The Knack--That's what the little girls do
19. Utopia--I Just Want to Touch You
20. Posies--Under Easy
21. 3--Swan Street
22. Hot Dates--The heart of You
23. The Rattlers--I Wont be Your Victim
24. The A's--Words
25. The Outlets--Not too Late
26. Post Raisin Band- Pink Lincoln
27. K-tels--I hate music
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Merry Christmas

Thursday, November 26, 2009

THE JONESES (JONESTOWN SINGLE)

Excellent first release from the Joneses. Criminals in my car is one of my favorite punk tunes. Pill box from the Somebody got their head kicked in comp is great too. I never liked much else after that. The Joneses formed as the Southern California Punk movement found new life at the beaches: Venice, Hermosa &
Long Beach. After 1978-79, this 2nd generation of Los Angelean punk-rockers filled the breach caused by the demise or
major label contract-signing of Hollywood punk role models The Weirdos, X and The Germs. Drawing from influences as
diverse as Hank Williams and The Hollywood Brats, the Joneses arrival on the scene heralded much that was to follow in
coming years. They were years ahead of their time in appearance and sound: both were the aftermath of a high-speed,
head-on collision between an Exile-era Stones and The New York Dolls - with The Ramones riding shotgun and The
Clash being pulled behind in a trailer. This, while surfers at the beaches finally cut their hair, only to chase and curse
The Joneses and their ilk, yelling: "punk rock faggots!" and suchlike.
The Joneses first seven-inch, 45 rpm single was "Criminals in My Car" b/w "Jonestown." Less
than 1,000 copies were pressed. They next released a pair of songs, "Graveyard Rock" and
"Pillbox," on the seminal 1982 SoCal Punk, 1st BYO Records compilation, "Someone Got Their Head
Kicked In." "Pillbox" has been critically acclaimed as one of founder and sole permanent member, Jeff
Drake's, finest moments. "Pillbox" presaged many of the best of Drake's songs that were to follow. At it's
finest, Drake's songwriting combined wicked hooks and melody with a world-weary, intelligent humor. His dirty Les Paul
Jr. guitar, whining vocals and lean-though-potent instrumentation, started early references to the Joneses as "The
Heartbreakers, West."
The EP "Criminals" was the Joneses next released recording.
Another essential L.A. punk rock compilation, "Hell Comes to Your House, Volume 2," included the three
Joneses tracks: "I'm Bad," "She's So Filthy," "Black Cat Bone."
The Joneses were voted "Best Live Band" in the 1985 L.A. Weekly Readers' Poll. Arguably the best-loved
incarnation of the Joneses, the 1985-86 line-up included, in addition to Drake, three ex- or future-ex members of The
Mau-Mau's: Scott Franklin (the Cramps), Paul Black (L.A.Guns) and Johnnie Sage (Christian Death).
A full-length LP, "Keeping Up With The Joneses" was ultimately released. Unfortunately, as most critics
noted, the version of the band that Drake assembled for the record was second-rate compared with previous
incarnations. Furthermore, any mere recording of the Joneses material could never capture the tumultuous on-the-edge
live performances of the Joneses at their peak. Their reputation was made and maintained on the barely controlled
chaos of these shows. Bulky Steve Olson, rock-steady on bass; the whirling and twirling John James; Johnnie Sage
careening around on -- sometimes falling off of -- the stage, never missing one of his G-string bending notes; and always,
in the eye of this storm, Reverend Jeff Drake himself, regaling hundreds in his audience with wry humor and a deadserious
slide guitar.
In any case, the Joneses moment to break big had passed. Bands like Guns 'n Roses and L.A. Guns tried to use the
Joneses singular look and sound as a template. To it they added guitar-hero pyrotechnics, self-serious lyrics and vocals,
and a general excess of self-indulgence. What band from that time -- so close on the heels of the explosive Clash and
Sex Pistols -- what band could cover Paul McCartney and Wings and still respect itself in the morning? To these bands,
it was as if punk never happened. Their hair-metal music, it must be noted, while ridiculously profitable, was reminiscent
of nothing if not mid-1970's Progressive rock. Prog-rock and it's attendant excesses caused punk to happen. The
innovative collision of punk and blues that Drake and his Joneses perfected could not be duplicated by many would-be
imitators.
It is commonly said that The Joneses were too far ahead of their time. Because of it, they were overlooked by the staid,
conservative Corporation for Rock and Roll Recording and Profit-Making, Inc.
"Criminal History," released by "Sympathy for the Record Industry" 2/29/2000, is a 20 track
retrospective of the Joneses recorded material.
As of this writing, Jeff Drake is a professor in northern California, Scott "Chopper" Franklin recently retired
from the Cramps, Paul Black is a father in Hollywood and plays shows with "Paul Black's L.A. Guns" around
the world and Johnnie Sage graduated from nursing school as an R.N. in 2007.
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REFERENCES - WIKIBIN.ORG http://wikibin.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=6834
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SELF RELEASED ?? LABEL DOESN'T SAY 1982
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1. JONESTOWN
2. CRIMINALS IN MY CAR
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE PSYCLONE RANGERS (SWING,BABY,SWING E.P)

I always thought that if I went to hell someday, that these guys would certainly be on the jukebox. The first time I saw them live The Devil May Care either was about to be released or had just been released. It was at the Funhouse in South side Bethlehem P.A. Anyway, They were really loud but not distorted. They were a wall of swirling, sonic power. I had never heard them before but, It was easy to get lost in their chanting evil sound. I came away very impressed. I saw them a few times after that and they were never quite that good again but, they will always have a special place in my head for that show. For my money The Devil May Care and this single are their best records. I love the great cover of the Beat Happenings Bad Seeds. The story of the Psyclone Rangers starts at Moravia College, outside Allentown, about 60 miles northeast of Philadelphia. There, potential English professor Jonathan Valania had just gotten tired of academic life. He started hanging out in the area clubs.
Well, the two area clubs. One was The Funhouse, the resident college hipster club. The Funhouse was a rundown bar with a strange Hawaiian motif and a torpedo hanging from the ceiling. The place occasionally featured live music, as did the Four G's, the other local dive, inhabited mostly by Vietnam veterans.
The biggest group of the area, the Original Sins, had gotten some national recognition during the '80s, but they had petered out by that time. Nonetheless, Valania had a vision of leading a band who played basic, stripped-down garage punk-rock.
Fortunately, Valania had friends with musical leaning. Scot Danzer played a bit of guitar. Jamie Knerr, whom Valania knew since the second grade, played drums. So they formed a band and practiced in one of the many abandoned warehouses in town, at least before the roof caved in from the snow. They played the Funhouse, the Four G's and traveled to New York and even Philadelphia to gig.
Like any good indie-rock band, they had sent tapes to Sub Pop, Caroline and Top Llama (home of the Young Fresh Fellows). All to no avail.
A break came through a College Music Journal showcase in New York. The band was playing on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. to about 10 people. One of them was a writer for the CMJ. After the show, he and Valania started talking. Turned out, the writer knew someone starting a label and looking for new bands.
“Uh-huh” thought Valania, “Another case of 'I know somebody who knows somebody.'” But Valania thought 'what-the-hell' and gave the guy a tape to pass along and promptly forgot about the exchange.
The band fell apart shortly after the gig, due to lack of interest from both within the band and from the world at large. Valania had returned to writing about amusement parks and bowling alleys for assorted trade journals. Danzer picked up some work as a freelancer cameraman. Bassist P.R. Behler returned to unemployment and Knerr returned to social work. For all intents and purposes, the Psyclone Rangers were but the glory day tales of four responsible young adults slipping into middle age.
Dave Allen wasn't informed of this fact, however, when he called Valania. Allen was impressed with the tape and wanted to see the band play. When he showed up in Allentown, the foursome got him good and drunk and then played a rocking showcase at the Four G's.
Allentown agreed to sign them and soon sent airplane tickets and hired a producer, Dave Ogilvie. That was impressive, Valania remembered. He called Ogilvie the “Phil Spector of Grunge.” At the time, Ogilvie was being courted by Motley Crue, but Ogilvie too was intrigued by the Rangers and told the motley crew to wait.
Still, the band was skeptical. On the plane ride out, the Rangers talked about how the deal could fall through at anytime. On the first day there, though, when they ran into members of Sonic Youth at a coffee shop, they knew they were in the big-time.
All they had to do was make an album. The band moved into the studio, a big old building that was an anchor factory in the 19th century. Allen and Ogilvie set up residence in the Phoenix, a pink-colored hotel with a spacious courtyard. The band became so smitten with the place (or got tired of sleeping in an anchor factory) that they started crashing in Dave and Dave's rooms.
Not that they had much time to sleep. For three days, they did nothing but drink beer and record. Mostly they did their own material, but also covered Gun Club's “For the Sake of Ivy,” Dream Syndicate's “Halloween,” and the Modern Lovers' “I'm Straight.”
When they were done, they picked the best 12 songs and made the album, Feel Nice. In 1995 they release the follow up titled The Devil May Care, and then in 1996 the E.P Beatin' On The Bat Pole. I have to admit after that I'm not sure what happened to them. (Updated 5/5/12)
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REFERENCES - Joab Jackson article http://www.joabj.com/Music/9310PsycloneRangers.html
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SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY 1993
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1. I WANNA BE JACK KENNEDY
2. HONEY CUMS HOME
3. BAD SEEDS
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***DOWNLOAD***

AGONY COLUMN (LOVE IN THE HEAD SINGLE)

Once again, there's not much info out there on this band. Agony Column was from Leeds England. they put out three singles, this being the second. The first single All worked out came out in 1979, and their last, (love is a) Blanket Expression, was the final which came out in 1982. How long they were out before and after that is unknown to me. Love in the head also shows up on the classic through the Back Door comp. As usual any additional info anyone may have is always appreciated.
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BACK DOOR RECORDS 1980
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1. LOVE IN THE HEAD
2. FREE OF LOVE
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***DOWNLOAD***

BROKEN BONES (DECAPITATED SINGLE)

Classic British punk record here with certainly one of the most memorable guitar intros. I was kind of surprised when I read that this charted at #10. You'll have to forgive me, I'm from America where mainstream radio never gives things like this a chance. Broken Bones were formed by guitarist Tony "Bones" Roberts in 1983 after he left Discharge. The original lineup was Tony's brother Tezz (also a former member of Discharge) on bass, Nobby as the vocalist and drummer Bazz. Their first single release was the January 1984 "Decapitated". The follow up single "Crucifix" was released in May of 1984. Tezz left the band to join U.K.Subs and friend and roadie Oddy took over on bass. This new line-up recorded the bands first album "Dem Bones", and toured Europe & USA.
Oddy then left to join Conflict, and Tezz resumed bass playing duties, and the F.O.A.D. album was released.
The band then had several line-up changes with Nobby leaving to live in America and Tezz once more departing. Oddy returned to play bass and sing. The band released the "Seeing Thru My Eyes" ep with this 3-piece line-up. Eventually the band ground to a halt.
Bones reformed the band with a new line up of Cliff on drums, Quiv on vocals and Darren "Thrasher" Harris (of Exit Condition) on bass. This is where the band took a more metal turn with their music, releasing "Losing Control". Two more albums were to follow with the 12 inch release "Religion is Responsible" and another album "Stitched Up". After these albums release, the band's touring and recording fell into remission.
In 1998 Broken Bones reformed. Bones as ever on guitar, Quiv still on vocal, Oddy returned to his old berth on bass, and Dave on drums.They released their first studio album in 8 years, "Without Conscience" in 2001 and in 2004, they released "Time For Anger, Not Justice". Both albums bring the band back to their roots as they play the brand of hardcore they're most well known for. They still gig and tour regularly to this day. They were the last band to play before 2006's ill-fated British Invasion concert in San Bernardino was shut down.
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FALL OUT RECORDS 1983
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1. DECAPITATED
2. PROBLEM
3. LIQUIDATED BRAINS
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

SHARP KIDDIE (TIME AGAIN SINGLE)

Great single by a pretty mysterious band. I searched for quite a while and came up empty. They sound quite a bit like the Jam, which for me is a good thing because they're one of my favorite bands. They have another great track on the Takin' A Detour comp, and a track on a Jam tribute album. None of the releases have any info about the band and neither does the Detour website. I remember I bought this from Detour when it first came out. You used to be able to listen to their releases before you bought them. I wish they still had that. If you have any info Please share.
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DETOUR RECORDS - 1995
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1. TIME AGAIN
2. SO YOU SAY YOU LOVE ME
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE FLYS (LOVE AND A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL)

This is probably my favorite record by the Flys but, you really cant go wrong with any of their singles. Livin in the sticks, and Name dropping finish a close second.The Flys formed in Coventry, England in the mid-'70s, and consisted of singer/guitarist Neil O'Connor (whose sister Hazel later had her own solo singing career), guitarist David Freeman, bassist Joe Hughes, and drummer Pete King. The band recorded a demo in 1977 that failed to attract much attention from record companies, so they formed their own Lama label and put out an EP, Bunch of Five, around the end of the year. That caught the fancy of EMI, which signed them up in a hurry and put out the EP's "Love and a Molotov Cocktail" as a single. The full-length Waikiki Beach Refugees appeared in 1978, featuring a tightly constructed set of mod-pop tunes that unfortunately preceded the full-fledged mod revival spearheaded by the Jam just a few months later. Several Flys singles appeared in early 1979, culminating in the release of Own; intraband quarreling had led to King's departure and the arrival of Graham Deakin, the former drummer of John Entwistle's Ox. A move to Parlophone Records did little to salve the bickering, and the Flys broke up in 1980. O'Connor joined his sister Hazel's band and then took his skills behind the scenes as a producer, arranger, and engineer; Freeman performed on Alison Moyet's Raindancing album, played briefly with Roddy Radiation and the Tearjerkers, and then formed The Lover Speaks with Hughes; Pete King went on to join After the Fire before his untimely death at age 26.
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REFERENCES - ALLMUSIC http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:h9fpxqy5ldse~T1
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EMI RECORDS 1977
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1. LOVE AND A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL
2. CAN I CRASH HERE
3. CIVILIZATION
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***DOWNLOAD***

CHRIS STAMEY AND THE DB'S (I THOUGHT) YOU WANTED TO KNOW

"Formed in 1978 in Winston-Salem, NC, the original lineup of the band featured Chris Stamey (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Gene Holder (bass), and Will Rigby (drums). All three members had spent time in Stamey's legendary group, the Sneakers, a group he co-founded with Mitch Easter. After relocating to New York, the dB's released their debut single, "(I Thought) You Wanted to Know," for Stamey's Car label. The 45 does not feature the band at all; it was recorded by Chris and Richard Lloyd (who wrote it) before Chris started the band. "If and When" on the other side is the first track to feature the band. Guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Peter Holsapple, who had worked with Stamey in the band Rittenhouse Square in the early '70s, joined the band by the end of 1978. Holsapple and Stamey shared the songwriting chores during the band's early years. The dB's were unable to secure a U.S. recording contract, so they signed to the British Albion label. They released two albums on Albion: Stands for Decibels (1981) and Repercussion (1982). Both records received rave reviews but little sales. Stamey left in 1983 to resume a solo career. Rick Wagner was added on bass but was replaced shortly by Jeff Beninato. With Holsapple fronting the group, they signed to Bearsville in 1984 and released Like This, a more conventional jangle pop album with strong country leanings. Bearsville's internal problems doomed the album despite its obvious hit potential. They eventually left to sign with I.R.S. Records in 1987, where they released The Sound of Music. The album managed to break the Top 200 and college radio support was strong. The dB's received some crucial exposure when they opened for R.E.M. on their Document tour in the end of 1987, but by the end of 1988, the band decided to break up.
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REFERENCES - DB'S. COM http://www.thedbs.com/discography/singles.html ALLMUSIC http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?sql=11:difrxqe5ld6e WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dB
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CAR RECORDS 1978
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1. (I THOUGHT ) YOU WANTED TO KNOW
2. IF AND WHEN
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***DOWNLOAD***

CRUSHSTORY (PRESSURE BUILDING E.P)

I always thought this sounded like that pop punk band that was around in the 90's called Zoinks. The first track, Pressure building has a different feel to it. It's a catchy tune that does remind me a bit of Elvis Costello. I think its the organ. I must admit I wasn't aware they put out an album. I just bought one . I guess better late than never. Go check them out. Crushstory formed in February 1997 as a project between two guitar playing songwriters, Jim Bowers and Zac Damon, in Reno Nevada. The band played its final show in May 2002, also in Reno. In between they played all over the western United States and in Japan. The band is survived by three 7" singles and one full-length album, "A+ Electric." The album was recorded in the winter of 1999-2000 and was released in February 2001. It's a warm-sounding mid-fi analog recording that many reviewers compared to Big Star, XTC, The Jam, and Elvis Costello.
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REFERENCES - MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/crushstory 702 RECORDS.COM http://www.702records.com/crushstory
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702 RECORDS 1998
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1. PRESSURE BUILDING
2. SPOOK-OUT
3. TRIAL AND ERROR
4. CRACK THE WHIP
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***DOWNLOAD***

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

MINOR THREAT (MINOR THREAT EP)

This is one of my all time favorite hardcore singles and definitely my favorite Minor Threat record. I had to include it on my site, and since I'm posting a few hardcore records, I thought this would be a good time. I think mine is a second pressing. This information is from the Dischord website, go check it out. When their former band, The Teen Idles, broke up, Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson decided to form a new band with Ian on vocals. In 1980 they started playing with Lyle Preslar, who sang for the Extorts and wanted to switch to guitar. Lyle introduced them to Brian Baker who started playing bass in November and the band played its first show a month later. Minor Threat and SOA were part of a small wave of new kids and bands in DC, many of whom were not into drugs and alcohol. Some of the bands made mention of this in their lyrics, and Minor Threat’s song "Straight Edge" coined the phrase that is now used to describe a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle. The band played regularly but broke up at the end of the summer of 1981 when Lyle left DC to go to college. Six months later, dissatisfaction with school and a sense of unfinished business prompted Lyle to drop out and Minor Threat reformed in April '82. That fall, Steve Hansgen joined to play bass while Brian moved to second guitar and the band recorded and toured as a five piece until June '83. Minor Threat played a few more shows as a four piece that summer, but they were not getting along. They were unable to agree on the direction of the music, and ended up spending more time arguing than playing in the practice space. Faced with this dilemma, the members decided that it would be better for all involved to shut it down. Ian went on to form Embrace, Egg Hunt, Fugazi and the Evens. Jeff later played in Three and the High Back Chairs. Lyle played in Samhain and Brian formed Dag Nasty and currently plays guitar in Bad Religion.
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REFERENCES - DISCHORD RECORDS 1981
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1. FILLER
2. I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT
3. SEEING RED
4. STRAIGHT EDGE
5. SMALL MAN, BIG MOUTH
6. SCREAMING AT A WALL
7. BOTTLED VIOLENCE
8. MINOR THREAT
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***DOWNLOAD***

FIX MY HEAD (EMPTY SLOGANS EP)

This record smokes!! Blistering fast with great vocals. They sound like Negative Approach on crack. Fuck yeah!! "Empty Slogans" is the second release from Oakland's Fix My Head. Founded by vocalist Matt McDonald (Scurvy Dogs, Rumor 39), around 2006. You can pick this up from No Options records. Go pick this up, I highly recomend it..
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REFERENCES - NO OPTIONS RECORDS MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/nooptionsrecords MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/fixmyheadhc MYSPACE BLOG http://blogs.myspace.com/fixmyheadhc FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fix-My-Head/37859446636
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NO OPTIONS RECORDS 2009
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1. FED UP
2. OIL SLICK
3. SWIRLING VORTEX
4. FIX MY HEAD
5. NATURAL CAUSES
6. EMPTY SLOGANS
7. WTF
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***DOWNLOAD***

WOLFPACK (BLOODSTAINED DREAMS SINGLE)

To me, these guys sound allot like Discharge, with a hint of metal. I believe this is their first record. A brutal release, enjoy!!Wolfpack were a Swedish hardcore band, formed in 1995. Their lineup has included members of Asta Kask, To What End?, Today's Overdose, Cosa Nostra, Anti Cimex, Obscure Infinity and Harlequin. Their music was a groundbreaking mix of Swedish hardcore punk and death metal that paved the way for bands such as Tragedy.[citation needed] Singer Jonsson was forced to leave the band in 1998, and they recruited singer Micke. At around the same time, they changed their name from Wolfpack to Wolfbrigade, to avoid association with a Swedish neo-Nazi prison gang who shared that name. In 2002, drummer Frank left and was replaced by Dadde. The band split up in 2004 because of lack of motivation and Micke needing surgery for vocal chord problems. Four of the members started a new group, Today's Overdose.
On January 7, 2007, Wolfbrigade announced on their Myspace profile that they were reuniting. They have a new bass player, Johan, who also plays in Today's Overdose. The band released a comeback album, Prey To The World, in June 2007.
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REFERENCES - WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfbrigade MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/wolfbrigadetheband
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FERAL WARD RECORDS 1995
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1. MIST OF MORPHEUS
2. BLOODSTAINED DREAMS
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***DOWNLOAD***

DEADFALL (KEEP TELLING YOURSELF IT'S OKAY E.P)

By request, I'm going to post a few hardcore records. This is a return visit for the excellent Bay area band Deadfall. Oddly enough the band members come from PERU, BELARUS (former soviet union) and Brighton, Michigan. They formed sometime around 98 and have a number of great records to their credit. Go support em!!
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REFERENCES - TANKCRIMES RECORDS http://www.tankcrimes.com/catalog/ MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/deadfallsf
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TANKCRIMES RECORDS 2006
1. COUNTING
2. EVACUATION PLAN
3. SEIZE THE DAY
4. WHAT A BOGUS
5. ONE MANS DOG
6. IT'S OKAY
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***DOWNLOAD***

Thursday, October 29, 2009

INFLATABLE BOY CLAMS SINGLE

Well this is it for now, as promised 9 singles. in no particular order and for no particular reason. My Halloween treat to you. Last up, I leave you with a very strange single that seems to grow on you with every listen. It's certainly worthy of being the closer. From San Francisco, this all girl outfit released this one and only double 7" containing 5 songs on Subterranean Records label in 1981. My favorite is definitely I'm sorry but, Skeletons has grown on me as well over the years. Enjoy and !!!!!!!HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!
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REFERENCES - INFLATABLE BOY CLAMS .COM http://inflatableboyclams.com/
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SUBTERRANEAN RECORDS 1981
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1. SKELETONS
2. SNOTELEKS
3. MARIN
4. I'M SORRY
5. BOYSTOWN
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE CORPSE GRINDERS (RITES 4 WHITES SINGLE)

The Corpse Grinders were formed by bassist Arthur "Killer" Kane and guitarist Rick Rivets, high school pals who founded the New York Dolls in 1970 or so (Rivets was subsequently replaced by Sylvain Sylvain before the Dolls really took off). After the Dolls, Rivets went on to form the Brats. The Corpse Grinders have been described as "primitive glam punk in the vein of early New York Dolls and the Voidoids; an essential chapter in the history of N.Y.C. punk rock" (All Music Guide) and "a trivial footnote to New York's new wave underground... a useless hard rock group" (Trouser Press).
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WHIPLASH RECORDS 1978
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1. RITES 4 WHITES
2. MENTAL MORON
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE MISFITS (HORROR BUSINESS)

I'm not going into a lot of detail here, I'm sure your all very aware of the Misfits story. I kind of shy away from them cause to be honest, the high record prices and overly obsessive fans kind of turn me off. But, with that said you cant deny their greatness. This is from the original Plan 9 single on yellow vinyl with haunted house story insert. I also have the first press Bullet single in the Better Dead On Red second press sleeve. If you go to misfits central there's a story on how they were mated together. Anyway, it's guaranteed original, purchased at Vintage Vinyl in Irvington N.J. years ago. I mention this to let any interested parties know that I could be persuaded to trade these records for Punk/Powerpop records of similar value. Email me. Founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey by singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig, The Misfits had a fluctuating lineup during its first six years with Danzig and bassist Jerry Only as the only consistent members. During this time they released several EPs and singles and, with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The Misfits disbanded in 1983
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REFERENCES - WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misfits_(band)
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PLAN 9 RECORDS 1979
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1. HORROR BUSINESS
2. TEENAGERS FROM MARS
3. CHILDREN IN HEAT
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***DOWNLOAD***

JOHN TRUBEE (BLIND MANS PENIS SINGLE)

I'm posting this for the flip side of this record. This single has hung around my collection for a quite a long time because for some reason, I find A Call To A Motel funny, and its just weird enough to include in my Halloween celebration. In 1976 John Trubee was at home in Princeton New Jersey and while reading the back pages of the Midnight Globe which is a magazine sorta like the National Enquirer. In the back pages there was a little classified music add that said "send your lyrics to Nashville and make 20,000 dollars royalties". Even when he was 19 years old he realized that was a scam and it was just some sort of ridiculous come-on. So as a joke he sat down on my dead grandfathers typewriter and typed out the most obnoxious obscene idiotic lyrics he could think of off the top of his head and talked about Stevie Wonder's private parts as well as stream of consciousness weird stuff. Sent it to Nashville. He thought they'd send him a letter back telling him that he was crazy, really that’s really what he wanted originally. But they sent him a letter back saying “We would like to record this, please remit 79 dollars 95 cents and we will record it for you”.
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REFERENCES - MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/johntrubee
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THE ONLY LABEL IN THE WORLD 1986
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1. BLIND MANS PENIS
2. MOTEL RESERVATION
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***DOWNLOAD***

SUGAR SHACK (YOU DONT MEAN SHIT TO ME SINGLE)

I know from previous experience, there's very limited info out there on these guys. But I like this record cover (and record) and it fits my theme at the moment so enjoy. Sugar Shack started some time around 1992. Based in Houston they have a number of great records to their credit. I posted the lp get out of my world a while back so if you like this , you might want to check that out as well. Sound wise, these guys hit hard like a punk band while at the same time they maintain a slick garage groove. lOVE IT!!!
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ESTRUS RECORDS 1995
1. YOU DON'T MEAN SHIT TO ME
2. QUINTANA
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE CRYPTICS (YOU'RE EVIL SINGLE)

I was looking for a cool primitive sounding Garage pounder to post and this jumped into my hand. For my money, Your Evil is the standout song here. I like the way the sound gets real full during the chorus. As always I included the whole record so you can decide for yourself. I couldn't find a whole lot on this band, except that they're from Montreal, Quebec Canada, which I already new from the back of the record. If you have any info that you would like to share please feel free.
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PRIMITIVE RECORDS 1992
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1. YOU'RE EVIL
2. BACK TO ME
3. RICORDAMI
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ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN (IT'S ALL MOVING FASTER/THE COOLEST LITTLE MONSTER)

I posted Electric Frankensteins first single some time ago. There's more info and links on that post so go check it out. All of the early records from these guys are blistering slabs of full speed ahead Punk Rock. I thought this was a great single to post for Halloween. Enjoy!!The punk revival quintet Electric Frankenstein comprised singer Steve Miller, guitarists Jim Foster and Sal Canzonieri, bassist Donato Canzonieri and drummer Rob Sefcik. Formed in New York during the mid-1990s, the group first garnered attention with a series of singles on indie labels including Demolition Derby, Frisbee, Get Hip and Estrus, also making any number of compilation appearances; their first full-length, Electric Frankenstein Conquers the World, followed in 1996. A year later, Electric Frankenstein returned with Sick Songs and The Time Is Now; Listen Up Baby and Spare Parts appeared in 1998, and the group's prolific output continued in 1999 with How to Make a Monster. Dawn of Electric Frankenstein, an album featuring a collection of bands that influenced Electric Frankenstein followed a year later; another studio effort Annie's Grave and Touch Me I'm Electric both appeared in early 2001.
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REFERENCES - ALLMUSIC http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:09fixqqhld6e
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FRISBEE RECORDS 1995
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1. IT'S ALL MOVING FASTER
2. ZACHERLE'S "THE COOLEST LITTLE MONSTER"
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***DOWNLOAD***

PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES (ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH SINGLE)

Definitely one of the more eye popping punk single covers, and a great record to go with it. You cant go wrong with any of the early material from these guy's, but I'm quite sure you know that. I believe the cover is taken from the late 70's cult classic horror film called Zombie. Brighton, England punk survivors Peter and the Test Tube Babies formed in 1978; soon debuting on the Vaultage 1978 compilation, the group — singer Peter Bywaters, guitarist Derek "Del" Greening, bassist Chris "Trapper" Marchant and drummer Nicholas "Ogs" Loizides — nevertheless did not issue their first proper single "Banned from the Pubs" until 1982, firmly establishing their tongue-in-cheek approach with the follow-up "Run Like Hell." Subsequent singles including "Zombie Creeping Flesh" and "The Jinx" preceded the 1983 release of the Test Tubes' first full-length effort, Pissed and Proud; The Mating Sounds of South American Frogs appeared just weeks later, topping the UK indie charts. 1986's Soberphobia was the Test Tubes' first American release, but the group was silent for the remainder of the decade, finally resurfacing in the early 1990s with little-heard efforts including Cringe and The $hit Factory. Eighteen years after the group's inception, co-founders Trapper and Ogs left the lineup following the completion of 1995's Supermodels; bassist A.D. and drummer Rum signed on for 1998's Alien Pubduction, followed two years later by The Final Nail.
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REFERENCES - ALLMUSIC http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:j9fexqw5ldte~T1 MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/peterandthetesttubebabies OFFICIAL SITE http://www.testtubebabies.co.uk/
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TRAPPER RECORDS 1983
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1. ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH
2. NO INVITATION
3. SMASH AND GRAB (STUDIO VERSION)
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***DOWNLOAD***

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

DEAD KENNEDYS (HALLOWEEN SINGLE)

Happy Halloween, I'm going to post 9 singles in Honor of my favorite holiday. A couple of them really don't directly relate but I feel they capture the spirit. First up is the one of my all time favorite bands. I remember I bought this single when it first came out at the mall,(yes the mall) I believe I was 11 or 12 years old. I really played the shit out of it. My favorite song was the flip side but the A side deals with the theme so I thought this would be a perfect time to post it. If your interested in information on the Kennedys check out my previous post on them Enjoy!! Halloween" (B-side "Saturday Night Holocaust") is the seventh and final single by the Dead Kennedys. It was released in December of 1982 on Alternative Tentacles. The lyrics use the metaphor of a Halloween party to address the theme of human responses to nonconformity.The song is from the band's second album, Plastic Surgery Disasters.
"Saturday Night Holocaust" is a song comparing drug-filled disco culture in the 70's and early 80's to cabaret culture in Nazi Germany, namely in the case of the apathy towards the governments actions. It ends with a modern version of the Nazi's persecution of the cabaret, and can in some ways be seen as a sort of companion to "California Über Alles" ("a Hitler youth in a jogging suit smiling face branded round his arm" can be seen as a re-appearance of the hippie-nazis of the aforementioned song).
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REFERENCES - WIKIPEDIA
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ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES RECORDS 1982
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1. HALLOWEEN !
2. SATURDAY NIGHT HOLOCAUST
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***DOWNLOAD***

Saturday, October 17, 2009

THE SOUND (JEOPARDY LP)

Most people categorize the The Sound as a Post Punk band, so I guess I'll go with that but, when you listen to this record, I'll think you'll agree they were much more. My personal favorites on this are Heartland and, Resistance. They're probably the more upbeat tracks here. The rest of the album is much darker and equally great. I guess it depends what mood I'm in. If you haven't heard this classic yet? Check it out! Many different disc's are for sale, that you can buy here http://www.resonancestore.com/renascent/music/2. The Sound formed in South London in 1979, shortly after a band called the Outsiders dissolved. It isn't a very well-distributed fact, but the Outsiders' 1977 LP Calling on Youth was the first self-released British punk LP, issued roughly four months after Buzzcocks' infamous Spiral Scratch 7". Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Adrian Borland led the Outsiders though a couple of other releases, but the band sputtered out three years after their 1976 formation. Bassist Graham Bailey (aka Graham Green), who had joined the band in time for their final recordings, followed Borland into the new group with a drummer named Michael Dudley and a saxophonist/clarinetist/keyboardist named Bi Marshall.Fittingly enough, Borland's motivation to cut ties to the punk movement mirrored that of original Buzzcocks member Howard Devoto, who left his own band after Spiral Scratch. Like Devoto, who had gone on to pioneer yet another field called post-punk with Magazine, Borland looked around, saw all the bands who played straight-ahead chug-chug-chug rock & roll, and decided that the tired blueprint was in need of a little more depth and variation; atmospheres, tensions, and unfamiliar twists on the interplay between the instruments would be needed. Lyrics were another thing. Not content with simply railing against the government or grunting and yelping about trivial matters to merely keep a song moving, Borland became one of the few post-punk songwriters whose lyric sheets were truly worth ingesting and analyzing. Former Outsider Adrian Janes aided the cause, remaining involved with Borland in a behind-the-scenes manner, writing some of the band's lyrics with his former bandmate. The Sound made their first recordings in the living room of the Borland family home, with Adrian's supportive father Bob acting as recording engineer. As demonstrated on Propaganda, a posthumous release from 1999 that collects these sessions, the band was gradually — not so drastically and suddenly — leaving the Stooges/Velvets axis and applying touches that would be developed into something all their own. They received their first break of sorts from Stephen Budd, an early supporter since the Outsiders days, who had recorded and released some material by Bailey and Borland's electronically inclined side project, Second Layer. Budd's label, Tortch-R, made a small profit from a Second Layer release, so he opted to put it right back into the Sound's first release. Budd also became the band's manager, booking studio time for them with Nick Robbins in Elephant Studios and finding places for the band to gig.The first release made a humble impression. Physical World was reviewed positively in the NME by Paul Morley, and DJ John Peel took minor interest, playing it a couple times during his influential BBC program. Though the Sound hadn't the will to pine for a major label deal, the WEA-affiliated Korova label (home of Echo & the Bunnymen) came knocking when they found out the band was going back into the studio to make a full album. Korova heard the rough mixes of the album and a deal was made. Regardless of the label's involvement, Jeopardy was recorded cheaply, and upon its release was reviewed extremely favorably by all the important outlets. Reviews in the NME, Sounds, and Melody Maker gave it five stars. Rightfully likened to the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes, and Joy Division. Korova tried to push the Sound into recording something more radio-friendly and they responded by recording All Fall Down (1982), a harsh, discordant and distinctly uncommercial electro album, and were almost immediately dropped.
With their major label days at an end The Sound signed to Statik, a medium-sized independent label, and released a mini-album Shock of Daylight, their fourth album Heads and Hearts (1985) and their fifth, the powerful In the Hothouse (1986), a double live album recorded over the course of two nights in August 1985 at the London Marquee.
Statik went into liquidation, and left The Sound without an outlet for their music. Borland fell prey to a malignant mental illness and was diagnosed as suffering from paranoid, schizophrenic, manic depression. The group stayed together long enough to release a sixth album, Thunder Up (1987)
A European tour to promote Thunder Up in November 1987, however, ended in disaster when Borland had a breakdown during the first date in Vitoria, Spain at a venue called The End
Adrian saw this as an omen, following a long obsession with Jim Morrison and The Doors, all subsequent dates were cancelled.
The band took a short break and played a few final lack luster gigs in Holland to fulfill contractual obligations. Mike Dudley decided to leave the band shortly afterwards and the group quit a few weeks later in early 1988.
Adrian Borland began a solo career and recorded five low-key albums but continued to be plagued by mental illness.As he put the finishing touches to his last album Harmony and Destruction Adrian began to show symptoms of illness again. He died on the early morning of April 26th 1999 after throwing himself in front of a train at Wimbledon Station.
Mike Dudley has now retired from music.
Graham Bailey moved to America in 1992 and has retired from music.
Colvin Mayers died from an Aids-related illness on Boxing Day 1993.

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REFERENCES - MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/thesounduk ALLMUSIC http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kpfrxq95ldse~T1 TROUSERPRESS http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=sound WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound
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KOROVA RECORDS 1980
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***DOWNLOAD***

Saturday, October 3, 2009

THE LOONS (IN THE PAST / FASE OUT OF PHASE SINGLE)

Excellent Garage/psych record. From everything that I've heard from these guys, this single which I believe is their fourth, is my favorite. THE LOONS were formed in San Diego, California in late 1995. The band’s line-up features lead singer Mike Stax (ex-Tell-Tale Hearts, Crawdaddys, Hoods), bass player Anja Diabolik (previously of the Diaboliks and Thee Cherylinas), guitarists Marc Schroeder and Chris Marsteller, and drummer Mike Kamoo. This uniquely, multi-national line-up creates a distinctive sound combining the hard, kinetic drive of European freakbeat with the psychotic melodic cool of California’s Sunset Strip circa ‘66. While the Loons draw heavy inspiration from groups like the Pretty Things, the Yardbirds and Love, they are also fiercely original in their approach, creating their own uniquely intense songs rather than opting to be ’60 garage jukeboxes. Their first album, LOVE’S DEAD LEAVES, was produced by Ebbot Lundberg of Sweden’s Soundtrack of Our Lives. The Orange County Weekly hailed it as a “masterpiece”, describing the Loons as “a blast furnace of an art-driven garage band ... This music teems with the dementia of such bona fide American whackos as Arthur Lee, Sky Saxon, Sean Bonniwell and Roky Erickson.
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REFERENCES - MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/theloons
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THERMIONIC RECORDS 1997
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1. IN THE PAST
2. FACE OUT OF PHASE
3. KNOCK KNOCK
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE WASPS (TEENAGE TREATS SINGLE)

Teenage Treats is an excellent 77 punk record. She made magic is my favorite out of the two. If you go to the Punk 77.com site, there's allot of info on The Wasps and a great interview with Gary Wellman. I recommend you go check it out. There's also a disc called Punkryonics for purchase which is where this info comes from. Go pick it up. Formed in February 1976 The Wasps were one of London’s earliest punk bands. They were regulars at The Roxy, The Bridge House etc. and soon built a large following. One of the first punk bands to tour nationally, in true punk rock style they managed to get themselves banned from many provincial towns following a particularly memorable gig at Shrewsbury Civic Centre in May 1977. Forced to play behind a barricade of stacked chairs, the security men sustained injuries trying to keep fans off the stage. Fireworks were thrown by the audience, one causing the drummer Rich’s shirt to catch fire. Soon people were diving off the balcony onto the crowd below and lots of fights broke out. The local newspaper reported that the gig had put a strain on the casualty department of the local hospital and the council branded The Wasps as "depraved" and started the ban.
In November 1977 their first single ‘Teenage Treats’ was released on the 4-Play label. Reviewed in the NME as "great single" by Bob Geldof, the single is vintage ’77 punk rock and now highly collectable.
A month later, The Wasps appeared on the ‘Live At The Vortex’ album. Recorded in October ’77 their track ‘Can’t Wait ‘Till ‘78’ was chosen as the lead track for a split single with Mean Streets who included a young Gary Numan!
In mid ’78 the band played a gig at The Bells in Kings Cross, London. During their set a fan was set upon by over zealous bouncers who thought he’d let off a firework, beat him up and he consequently died.
A change of management saw Jesse go to the USA. In New York he guested with The Ramones at CBGBs and in Los Angeles stayed with Sharon Osborne. Having met several major labels Stateside Jesses realised that the tactic was to sign the ‘new wave’ bands then bury them. Not for him! He headed home.
Back in the UK the band signed to RCA. ‘Rubber Cars’ was released to much acclaim and a TV company wanted to make an animated series based upon the band. Suddenly The Wasps were hot property and former managers filed writs causing RCA to pull the plug on ‘Rubber Cars’, despite it being RCA’s biggest selling single of the week!
The disappointment and the legal problems caused the band to split.
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REFERENCES - THE PUNKRYONICS LINER NOTES AND PUNK 77.COM http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/wasps.htm
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4 PLAY RECORDS 1977
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE GAS (INGNORE ME SINGLE)

The Gas were a great three piece from England. They released a number of singles and two lps. Most of their records were on Polydor but, their second lp was released on the Good Vibrations label which, I guess led some to believe they were Irish. From a sound standpoint they vary, mostly teetering between Punk and Mod. In my opinion I always thought they sounded allot like the Clash. Ignore me is a great track but I must tell you my favorite stuff from these guys lies on their first LP Emotional Warfare which, I have full intentions of posting one day. My Friend John, told me once, his Friend Jack Rabid (who writes the Big Takeover Magazine) got to see The Gas live on tour with I believe he said The Ruts. Anyway he told him they were a great live band. Lucky guy!! I couldn't find much of anything as far as info out there on these guys, so if you have any please feel free to share with us.
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POLYDOR RECORDS 1981
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1. IGNORE ME
2. DO IT, DON'T TELL ME!
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE BOYS (SHE'S ALL MINE / I'M NOT SATISFIED SINGLE)

This is the first single from Lincoln Nebraska's The Boys. I read a very small number of these had a picture sleeve. Unfortunately, mine isn't one of them. For you viewing pleasure I found a picture of it on the web and included it with the download. I'm not Satisfied is a classic, and hands down my favorite track on this record. I love the way the lead guitar follows in the back through the entire song. It's hard to believe this was from 1975. I posted their second single as well some time back if your interested.
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OUTRAGE RECORDS 1975
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1. (SHE'S MY GIRL) SHE'S ALL MINE
2. I'M NOT SATISFIED
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE FUZZTONES (BAD NEWS TRAVELS FAST SINGLE)

This is the debut single from one of the all time Garage greats. I found This bio on the very cool Fuzztones official site. Go check it out. I don't believe they predated the entire Garage revival scene. For one off the top of my head I believe The Lyers were around in the 70's . But anyway I thought this was a great piece on them so I used it. The Fuzztones have certainly achieved legendary status as cult faves during their almost 30 year career. Their fiery brand of Garage-Psych Punk pre-dated the entire "Garage Revival" of the 1980's and has influenced hundreds of groups, from The Hives to The Horrors. Born in the summer of 1980 in the bowels of NYC's Lower East Side, The Fuzztones were soon regulars at legendary NYC hotspots such as CBGB, and the Mudd Club. By utilizing the fuzzbox (an antiquated effects pedal used by many 60's groups to achieve overly distorted "psychedelic" guitar sounds), the band created a raunchy sound they referred to as "Grunge"...(On their 1984 debut single, "Bad News Travels Fast", lead guitarist Elan Portnoy is credited as playing "lead grunge", at least a decade before the Seattle Grunge Invasion), and the band was nicknamed "The Gurus of Garage Grunge." Complete with paisley and leather attire, genuine human bone necklaces, The Fuzztones influenced the fashions of musicians as diverse as the Hoodoo Gurus (who also modified the Fuzztones infamous skull and crossed Vox Phantom guitars logo for use on one of their album covers) to Ian Astbury and Marc Almond (who aped The Fuzztones by wearing black turtlenecks with bone necklaces) to the Dwarves, whose X-rated logo was stolen from the Fuzztones "Lysergic Ejaculations" cover. Finland's platinum selling rockers, 69 Eyes, and German superstars Die Artze even sport Fuzztones t-shirts in their promo photos! The band's classic video for "Ward 81" even inspired the legendary Ramones, whose "Psychotherapy" video copies several scenes directly from the Fuzztones' masterpiece, as did the glitter-rock docu-film "Velvet Goldmine"! The band's first European tour in 1985, a 3 month onslaught of England, Wales, Scotland, Germany and Italy, firmly established the band with a dedicated, and avid following that continues to this day! Their 1985 debut studio LP, "Lysergic Emanations" has achieved major cult status, and has been released by 3 different labels over the last 16 years, the combined sales of which has assured gold record status! The Fuzztones have toured Europe fervently since 1985, and have headlined major venues in Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Wales, Scotland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Portugal, Denmark and Finland, as well as Canada, Israel, Prague, Serbia, Croatia and Mexico. During their illustrious 30 year career they have appeared on 78 vinyl and CD releases, including at least 15 albums, countless singles, and compilations, not to mention 5 videos, several television and radio appearances, and countless major press articles (NME, Sounds, Melody Maker, Rockerilla, Hit Parade, US,and more). They were the only band involved in the 80's "Garage Revival" to obtain a major label record deal (RCA). Since then they have released 3 singles, and 4 albums:"SALT FOR ZOMBIES," (2003) on Tribal Stomp (CD) and Misty Lane (LP), "LSD-25" (2005) on Get Back, "HORNY AS HELL" (2008) on Electrique Mudd (Unique) and No Fun (USA), and finally "LYSERGIC LEGACY," a "Best of" compilation on Cleopatra Records, that was released this year (2009). Get Back Records also re-released several classic Fuzztones albums in 2005, and Rolling Stone magazine included a Fuzztones track on a CD called "Fuzz-Tones," which was included with a 2007 issue.The Fuzztones were among the advertised headliners of the Little Steven Underground Garage Festival in 2004, which featured 42 bands, including The Strokes, NY Dolls, Iggy & The Stooges, Bo Diddley, Nancy Sinatra, and the Pretty Things. More recently they've headlined the Purple Weekend Festival in Leon, Spain, and the Stag-o-Lee Festival in Beverungen, Germany. They also co-headlined the Ink 'n' Iron Festival in Los Angeles with the legendary Sonics in 2009. The band will be headlining a televised segment of Rockpalast on October 10th (2009) and will be entering the recording studio soon. Plans are in motion to release their next studio album in 2010 in time to celebrate their 30 year anniversary. Meanwhile, a second Fuzztones tribute album, "Fuzztones Illegitimate Spawn 2," featuring 50 bands from around the world, will be released in October on England's Twist Records.
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REFERENCES - FUZZTONES .NET http://www.fuzztones.net/ FUZZTONES MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/thefuzztones WIKIPEDIA http://www.myspace.com/thefuzztones OFFICIAL PARE OF RUDI PROTRUDI http://www.rudiprotrudi.com/
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MIDNIGHT / ZULU RECORDS 1984
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1. BAD NEWS TRAVLES FAST
2. BRAND NEW MAN
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Thursday, October 1, 2009

ZOUNDS (WAR / SUBVERT SINGLE)

This is my favorite release from the Crass record label. In my opinion, Subvert is the strongest of the three. However, Can't cheat karma, is a great track as well. Enjoy!!! Zounds formed in 1977 from loose jamming sessions around the Reading area. Originally they were part of the cassette culture movement, releasing material on the F**k Off Records tape label, and were also involved in the squatting and free festival scene. The name of the band is derived from the old English minced oath coined by William Shakespeare: "zounds", which is a contraction of "God's wounds" - i.e. the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ - formerly used as a mildly blasphemous oath.
The band formed around the nucleus of Steve Lake in Reading, Berkshire and evolved from a number of jamming sessions with other musicians and friends, taking in influences from the Velvet Underground to the Sex Pistols. The band began performing gigs in 1977/78 with a line-up of Steve Lake (Vocals/Bass), Steve Burch (Guitar) and Jimmy Lacey (Drums) adopting the name 'Zounds', chosen from a dictionary by Burch. Soon Burch left the group and was replaced by Joseph Lawrence. After this the band slowly became more politicized due to troubles with police and unfolding events of the cold war, and became more and more involved with free festivals, alongside The Mob who they developed a close association with.
The band met up with fellow anarchists Crass when, legend has it, their van broke down on the road. They made their way to nearby Dial House, where Crass were based, who helped them with repairs. The two bands became friends, and although musically very divergent, they shared many common political views. After undergoing several line-up changes Zounds shortly afterwards released their first EP, Can't Cheat Karma, on the Crass Records label (although drummer Joseph was replaced for the recording by a session drummer) in 1981. The EP featured possibly their most well known track "Subvert", a call to arms against the grind of daily life. The release of this EP and association with Crass led to an increase in the bands profile in the embryonic Anarcho Punk scene, touring with both Crass and the Poison Girls as well as performing several squat gigs in West Berlin.
The band released their first album The Curse of Zounds on Rough Trade Records in 1981, recording and mixing the LP within five days. The cover art, by anarchist artist Clifford Harper, featured a painting of fire fighters apparently trying to put out a blaze at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. However, the picture continued onto the back cover, which showed that in fact they are spraying the fire with petrol, thus feeding it. The band released three more singles on Rough Trade, Demystification (a psychedelia influenced track backed with "Great White Hunter"), Dancing and More Trouble Coming Every Day as well Le Vache Qui Rit (initially intended for a split EP with The Mob for an anti-draft benefit in Belgium)
The band split up in late 1982, Steve Lake disaffected with the Anarchist music scene in general and the band worn out from touring. Bass player and vocalist Steve Lake and guitarist Laurence Wood continued to work together for a while as The World Service, whilst drummer Josef Porta went on to join the The Mob and later Blyth Power. Lake continued work as a solo artist, and Zounds occasionally reform for benefit gigs with a line-up augmented by Protag (formerly of Instant Automatons, Alternative TV and Blyth Power) and drummer Stick (previously of DIRT, Doom and Extreme Noise Terror). A remixed version of the bands song "This Land" was released in 2001 as a CD single benefit for the McLibel support campaign. In 2005 the Go All The Way EP was released with tracks from an aborted second album, with tracks commenting on the USA's War on Terror.
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REFERENCES - WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zounds ZOUNDS HOME PAGE http://www.zoundsonline.co.uk/
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CRASS RECORDS 1980
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1. WAR
2. SUBVERT
3. CANT CHEAT KARMA
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***DOWNLOAD***

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

THE MOD FUN (HANGIN AROUND SINGLE)

This is my favorite record from the Mod Fun, It's a solid 60's influenced garage/psych/pop single. The Mod Fun started playing music together as childhood friends in early 1979, and initially called their band Rage. They counted a lot of FM radio rock and early punk among their influences, before their approach to music was revitalized when they discovered The Jam in 1982. Mod Fun wrote and recorded their first original songs in 1982-83 and released them on cassette only. Initially, there was a 4-track recording of four songs entitled "If You Are New" and later, a collection called Release For The Mates. The first collection "If You Are New" was produced by Steve Peer of the New York/New Jersey act TV Toy. During this time, Mod Fun also started performing frequently in the New York/New Jersey area. In fact they played their first club date on January 12, 1983 at the infamous "DIRT" club in Bloomfield, New Jersey. During the band's introduction that night, the club's owner, Johnny Dirt, made it a point to tell the crowd that the band members were only 15 years old.
In 1984 they released their first single, "I Am With You" b/w "Happy Feeling" on their own label, New Records. Playing frequently at such New York City clubs as CBGB, The Dive and R.T. Firefly, Mod Fun signed a record deal with NYC's Midnight Records. They released their first album, 90 Wardour Street in 1985. Their live shows were high energy (sometimes reckless) spectacles, which have been said to have influenced many people who saw them to start bands of their own.
On the strength of their first releases, Mod Fun set out on their first United States tour in spring 1985, playing concerts from New York City to Los Angeles to San Francisco. With the bulk of their performances taking place in California, the band carved a niche in the Paisley Underground scene popularized by bands such as The Bangles and The Three O'Clock. After returning from the tour, the band had a falling out with Midnight Records and released a three-song EP on their own Makin' Tyme label entitled "Hangin' Round". Shortly after the release of "Hangin' Round" they signed with New York City's Cryptovision Records. They recorded material for a single (Mary Goes 'Round b/w Grounded) and a second album, Dorothy's Dream.
In spring 1986, Mod Fun (who had taken to referring to themselves as The Mod Fun) set out for their second US tour, which brought them to many more cities than their previous tour. It was during that second tour that Dorothy's Dream was released. After returning from the second tour, Mod Fun played in the local area, including at a sold-out show at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey. They were featured in many local, national and international articles, and were in talks with local musicians/producers such as Richard Barone of The Bongos and Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones about producing their next recordings. It has been said that Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys were fans, and were interested in working with them.
In spring 1987, Mod Fun set out on a European tour that brought them to such places as Bern, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Rimini, Florence and San Marino, Italy and Hamburg and Berlin, Germany. Tensions caused the band to break up after their final show in Berlin. Soon thereafter, Mick and Bobby formed Crocodile Shop.
In 1995, Get Hip Records released a retrospective of most of the band's recorded output (omitting the Midnight Records recordings because of legal issues), called Past Forward. In 2004, Get Hip reissued the CD, and Mod Fun played a reunion show at The Saint in Asbury Park, New Jersey. This inspired Mod Fun to continue on where they left off. Since then, Mod Fun has played extensively in the New York/New Jersey area, as well as Philadelphia, Nashville, Baltimore and Chicago.
In 2007 the band released a new CD on their Makin' Tyme label called Now...and Again. A double-length CD with ten new original songs and ten re-recorded classics from their 1980s catalog, it also includes a live version of "I Believe" recorded at their July 2006 show at CBGB. As of 2009, Mod Fun was writing new material and playing extensively in the New York City area.
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REFERENCES - WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mod_Fun
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MAKING TYME RECORDS 1986
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1. I BELIEVE
2. YOU'VE BEEN HANGIN ROUND
3. ACTION TYME
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***DOWNLOAD***