Monday, June 22, 2009

PVC2 (PUT YOU IN THE PICTURE SINGLE)

Well, since I posted Zoom #1 tonight, I figured I may as well post the equally great Zoom #2 for you. PVC2 was a scottish punk band who resurged from the ashes of one-time promising teenybop band Slik, whose songs a very different repertoire, with the typically 1970's soft and glam rock and like-Bay City Rollers songs. From early to almost-late 1976, the band was very popular in Britain, but the emergence of punk stopped all the prominence of the bands who established some time ago. The Slik album was unsuccessful, like the last singles, released until 1977. That year, then bassist Jim McGinlay departed, and got replaced by Russell Webb, who recently dropped university in Glasgow. The band continued performing like Slik, but changed abruptly of style, naming themselves as PVC2 and beginning to play punk rock.
During the last days of Slik or the first of PVC2, Ure joined for brief time The Rich Kids, band founded by original Sex Pistols bassist, Glen Matlock, but wasn't so interested and departed shortly afterwards to dedicate time to PVC2. After the release of the EP, Ure quit and moved to London to rejoin The Rich Kids, re-recording the "Put You In The Picture" song in the album Ghosts Of Princes In Towers, released in August 1978. Late that year, the band stopped, and split up officially in mid-1979, when Ure was recently an Ultravox member (he joined in April of that year).
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ZOOM RECORDS 1977
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1. PUT YOU IN THE PICTURE
2. DERANGED AND FREE
3. PAIN
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SF UNDERGROUND (V/A SINGLE)

Top notch comp single on the great Subterranean Records label. For me , my favorites are No Alternative, and the tools. Give it a listen and see what you think. I'll see if I can find some links for some info on the bands. I'll leave them at the bottom. Just like last time when I posted the Hard Wark single there's not much info out there on the Tools, so I'm not going to kill myself trying to find some. Enjoy!
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REFERENCES - NO ALTERNATIVE MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/noalternativerules FLIPPER MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/flipper THE VKTMS MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/vktms
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SUBTERRANEAN RECORDS 1979
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1. NO ALTERNATIVE- JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN
2. FLIPPER-EARTHWORM
3. TOOLS- ASEXUALITY IN THE 80'S
4. VKTMS-BALLAD OF PINCUSHION SMITH
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***DOWNLOAD***

DISGUISE (HEY BABY)

Once again there's not much info out there on this record. I love both tracks so I wanted to include it on my site. The only two places that had any info at all are the great Beat for two and Killed by death blogs. Both of which posted this great record well before me. I believe Disguise were from Hartlepool U.K. . They formed around 1976 and signed to Chiswick in 1977. As the story goes it took a year for the label to release the record, that in combination with a lack of interest from the public, I'm guessing ultimately led to their demise. Band members were,Peter Scott, Jimmy Mckenna and Alan Geoffrey.
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REFERENCES - BEAT FOR TWO http://beatfortwo.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html KILLED BY DEATH http://www.kbdrecords.com/2006/07/17/disguise-hey-baby-7/
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CHISWICK RECORDS 1978
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1. HEY BABY
2. JUVENILE DELINQUENT
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE VALVES (ROBOT LOVE SINGLE)

For Adolf's only has always been a popular tune amongst my circle. It's a great punk sing along. I found this info over at www. punk 77.co.UK, a real wealth of great information. Go check it out. The Valves, like so many bands at the time, kinda collided with punk and adapting their brand of Hot Rods/ Feelgoods high energy rock'n'roll act rode on its surf. Originally a progressive cum pub band Angel Easy roughed up the vocals and roughed up the guitars. As Dee Robot in the punk 77 says "... the people who were booking gigs at the time, didn’t know who the fuck was who!"
Having attracted a small following in their native Edinburgh a gig supporting Tom Robinson led to them being signed by Zoom Records on a 1 year contract. They immediately changed their name to The Valves.
Everybody (that mattered) liked them and bought the records. Quite a bit of envy around that they were the first in Edinburgh to get vinyl-ised. Nobody ever thought they were punks – too hairy, too pub-rock – Nazareth on speed. Robin Saunders 2001
Within 4 months they had released 2 singles on Zoom the classic Robot Love / For Adolfs Only and the Tarzan Of The Kings Road / Ain't No Surf In Portobello. While the former was a bona fide 24 carat punk classic the latter a more R&B surf affair that must have certainly confused any fan base they may have had from the first single. Together the singles notched up sales of over 22,000 with very little promotion from Zoom.
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REFERENCES - PUNK 77.CO.uk http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/valves.htm
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ZOOM RECORDS 1977
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1. ROBOT LOVE
2. FOR ADOLF'S ONLY
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE CHRONICS (TEST TUBE BABY SINGLE)

TestTube Baby is the winner on this record, but timing in under two minutes Calling All Cardinals is a cool track in it's own right. I found this info at Clepunk.com there's lot's of great info there, go check it out. The link is below. Right before Dan, Dave, Bill and Tim formed the Chronics, Dave and Bill were in the Nuclear Ants with Mark Nolan and Brady Burnett. Dan was the drummer of Oil Can Harry and Tim was the sound man for OCH. In early '77, inspired by the Sex Pistols, Dave, Dan and Bill met at Bill's house for a game of riffs. After the first triplet, something clicked. "Let's do this a lot", they chimed in unison, "all we need is a bass player". Searching high and low they eventually begged Tim to pick up the bass and join. He gave in. After 3 months of rehearsal (2 months and 29 days more than the public deserved) they hit the road for a gig in Youngstown followed by a stint in the Motor City and then back to the Pirates Cove in Clevo, opening for the likes of Raven Slaughter and hanging out with Johnny Dromette. About that time, former member of Cookie (band Dave and Dan were in '68 to '70) Rick Perez had become a successful Cleveland lawyer and got a few of his lawyer buds to throw in some dough and pay for a recording session at Suma Recording giving birth to Nuclear Record #1 Calling All Cardinals/Test Tube Baby (2000 copies were pressed). On the recording Ron Pirtle played bass on Test Tube Baby and Brady Burnett played drums with Dan DiDonato on percussion on Calling All Cardinals. Sending copies overseas, the record got to #11 in the Netherlands and also hit the charts in Germany. At Tri-C Chronics made a lip-synch video for Test Tube Baby. They also played Henneseys, opened for Ubu at the Pirates Cove, and played at Major Chords in Columbus with the Pagans. Writing tunes with social commentary and popability, Chronics untimely demise came in the summer of '79 following a scuffle at a wedding party between Bill and Dan. At the time, interest in the 45 release had reached L.A., but the band had to decline offers for gigs there. BANDOLOGY:Bill Elliot - Nuclear Ants/ Wild Giraffes post Chronics Bill died of a heart attack a few years back.Dave Deluca - Cookie/Nails/Cookie 2/Nuclear Ants/Mixed Garbage(in Engand where Dave was residing for a bit) Post Chronics = Clocks, Lonesome Cowboy Dave/ESO (present)Tim Dorman - Harbor High School Band/LA Pistons post ChronicsDan 3 DiDonato - The Queebys/the Ravens/Cookie/the Premiers/ Hard Sauce (from Columbus with Jamie Lyons of "Little Bit O Soul" fame)/Nails/Spencer Thompson /Oil Can Harry/post Chronics = (in LA) Phil & the Blanks/Little Girls/Davey Wayne and the Smoothies/Jill Blavk/Mr. Lucky/Grotto/the Weeb (in Ashtabula)/Los Lobidos (95/96)
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REFERENCES - CLEPUNK.COM http://clepunk.com/bands/chronics/index.htm
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NUCLEAR RECORDS 1978
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1. TEST TUBE BABY
2. CALLING ALL CARDINALS
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***DOWNLOAD***

Sunday, June 21, 2009

APB (SHOOT YOU DOWN SINGLE)

I must admit, I never heard APB's first record,(although I would like to) and for the most part the whole funk thing really doesn't do anything for me. But, I always thought Talk To Me was a great track. At times when I'm listening to it I can hear bands like the Buzzcocks and the Cigarette's shining loudly through. If you go to their site, if it's still available, they have a new cd re released 20th anniversary edition of 'Something to believe in' with a 2nd disc of previously unreleased live tracks and studio recordings. In March 2006 Young American also released the complete BBC sessions cd, which features all the John Peel sessions fron the early 80s.
Having reformed in 2006 and following their return to the New York metro area apb now release 'three' a new 14 track cd on their own Red River Records. APB formed in 1979 in the small rural town of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Ignoring their remote location the band took inspiration from the punk do it yourself ethic of the burgeoning independent music scene. With a hard-working approach to writing, rehearsing and performing, George Cheyne (drums), Glenn Roberts (guitar) and Iain Slater (bass, vocals) became an exciting young band.
Meanwhile in Aberdeen, a small independent record company called Oily had started to release records and they were impressed enough by the band's live shows to finance a single in 1981.
The song was "Chain Reaction", which had long been a crowd-pleaser at gigs. It was basically a two and a half minute punk/pop song with fuzzy distorted guitar and Scottish inflected vocals, but already the band was evolving with a sparser and more rhythmical sound. The directness and power of Gang of Four, the funk and grooves of George Clinton, the inspiration of the Clash and the simple pop melodies of Buzzcocks, were all filtered through three teenagers from Aberdeenshire and came out as an infectious, rhythm-driven assault on ears and feet.
The change in sound first became evident with their second single for Oily, "I'd Like To Shoot You Down"
The track was well received at the time and gradually sold out its initial first pressing, with some copies finding their way to New York City. Some of NYC's hippest club DJ's rated the track and soon it became a firm favourite on the dance floor. Unaware of the poplularity of "Shoot" in the USA the band and Oily were busy pushing their third seven-inch release "Palace Filled With Love" (1982).
With its rhythm track holding a stronger funk groove and tuneful lyrics drenched in irony, the song attracted numerous plays on the legendary John Peel radio show. Soon after the band travelled to London to record their first BBC session for Peel. He was full of enthusiasm for the band and gave their next single "Rainy Day" (1982) a lot of airtime.
BBC Maidavale recording session for John Peel show.
In the summer of '82, the band invited friend Nick Jones to join as percussionist to add an extra dimension to the sound and as a four piece they recorded a second session for Peel.
In the autumn of the same year Mark Beaven of AAM, New York City made contact with Oily to enquire about the availability of APB to fill in as late replacements on a small tour of the East Coast of America, for a band that had cancelled due to illness. The band and Oily were taken aback at first but obviously jumped at the chance. When they arrived in New York they were amazed to hear their tracks played on college radio and in hip clubs such as Danceteria, Berlin and the Mudd Club. The tour went well and with the backing of Mark Beaven would turn out to be the first of 12 visits over the next 7 years.
Nick Jones, Glenn Roberts, George Cheyne and Iain Slater at the Mudd Club, Manhattan
APB's fifth release "One day" (1983) was recorded at Plaza Sound in Radio City and would be their final release on Oily. London independent label Albion were now interested in the band. For their first release they decided on an EP comprising "Danceability Parts I & 2", the Peel session track "Crazy Grey" and the hard to find singles "Palace Filled With Love" and "Rainy Day".
By the time the record was released Nick Jones decided to leave and pursue a different path. As a direct replacement Aberdeen clubland icon Mikey Craighead was drafted in. The band's sixth single "What Kind of Girl" (1984) came out on Albion in the UK and "Sleeping Bag Records" in theUSA. It was recorded at Unique in Manhattan, home of the electro/hip-hop hit-makers Arthur Baker and John Robie. The track became a firm live favourite and received lots of radio play, especially on WLIR/WDRE on Long Island. By now US tours were becoming more extensive and audiences were increasing with the Ritz in Manhattan being a regular headlining spot.
APB's seventh release was "Summer Love" (1985) on their own Red River Label, quickly followed by the classic "Something to Believe In" (1985). By now, the band had released eight singles, many of which were hard to find and were only available on import in the USA. At this point Link records of Manhattan released the much sought after compilation of the singles as a first LP release simply called "Something to Believe In" (1985).
Having already employed the use of keyboards in their previous three singles, the band decided to add a permanent keyboard player to the line-up, in the form of Neil Innes, making his debut on the ninth single "Open Your Eyes" (1986). This track came from a month-long session at Planet Studio in Edinburgh for a first UK LP "Cure For the Blues" (1986), to be released later in the year on Link in the US. Meanwhile the "Something to Believe In" LP came out on Red River in the UK, finally making all the elusive early singles available on one delicious slice of vinyl.
Soon after this Neil Innes left the band and Bruce Clark was invited to play bass guitar. This line up performed two tours in the USA and released two singles recorded at Quantum Studios, Jersey City, the billboard dancefloor chart hit "When I Feel This Way" (1988) and "Funk Invective" (1988) both produced by Andy Wallace.
There were to be no further releases for the band. A final tour of the USA was undertaken in winter 1989, with the band reverting to its original three-piece formation of George, Glenn and Iain.
More than 20 years later, songs such as "Shoot You Down", "Rainy Day", "What Kind Of Girl", "Summer Love" and "Something to Believe In" still retain a freshness, honesty and vitality. They are classic 80's tracks from one of the few bands to successfully marry punk with funk and come out not sounding contrived or manufactured.

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REFERENCES - APB'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE http://apbtheband.com/ APB'S MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/apbtheband
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OILY RECORDS 1981
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1. SHOOT YOU DOWN
2. TALK TO ME
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE FEEDERZ (JESUS SINGLE)

Up now is an excellent punk blast from the Feederz, Although the lyrics may be offensive to some, the shrill screams and evil single E string Guitar on Jesus and Avon Lady, make this a must own. The Feederz were from Arizona. They are infamous for their song Jesus Entering from the Rear which featured on Alternative Tentacles' Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation.
Formed in 1977 by Frank Discussion and Clear Bob (Dan Clark). Art Nouveau (John Vivier) later joining the group as their drummer. Before performing publicly, the Feederz issued a press release which the local media mistook as a terrorist communique. At their first show, Frank Discussion caused a panic by firing blanks from an AR-15 assault rifle into the audience. In 1980, the band released their first recording, a 4-song EP Jesus.
In 1982, Frank Discussion wrote "Bored With School", a diatribe against school and work posing as an announcement from the Arizona Department of Education, and distributed five thousand copies to local high schools. He fled Arizona to escape arrest for this incident and settled in San Francisco.
In 1984, Discussion reformed the Feederz with Mark Roderick and D.H. Peligro, with whom he recorded Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss?. In Situationist style, the album sleeve was covered in sandpaper. In 1986, Teachers In Space was released with Jayed Scotti replacing Peligro on drums. Drummer Jayed Scotti was art partners with Winston Smith and created album art for bands such as the Dead Kennedys, MDC, and Crucifucks. The cover of Teachers in Space featured a photo of the Challenger disaster. Later in the decade, Discussion again disbanded the Feederz.
They reformed in 2002 and released Vandalism: Beautiful as a Rock in a Cop's Face. This lineup included Ben Wah on drums and Denmark Vesey playing bass, both from Seattle. They toured throughout 2003.
Rumors persist that Frank Discussion now spends much of his time in Southern Mexico, moving among the EZLN (Zapatistas) and the Oaxacan based APPO who are in open revolt against the Mexican government. He has been expanding on the discipline of antistasiology (the study of resistance), an area of study he helped develop in the early 2000s. Mr. Discussion is also thought to be working on a movie entitled "Amor y Saqueo" (Love and Looting) which he describes as a "charming tale of a young girl who finds happiness through wholesale destruction, theft, sabotage and, of course, looting." It is unknown whether the film will be shot in the United States, Mexico or both.
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REFERENCES - WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feederz FEEDERZ WEBSITE http://www.feederz.com/index2.html
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PLACEBO RECORDS 1983
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1. JESUS
2. STOP YOUR KILLING ME
3. AVON LADY
4. TERRORIST
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***DOWNLOAD***

Thursday, June 18, 2009

PUNCTURE (MUCKY PUP SINGLE)

The two sides of this record sound so different that if I didn't know better I would think that it's two different bands. The A side sounds like a drunken punk sing a long with great video game sounding synthesisers all through it. And the B side is a more strait forward pub/punk rock n roll tune. Small Wonder made an excellent choice for their first release!!!
Puncture was founded in the summer of 1976, they were a Islington, London based, four-piece combo that consisted of Paul McCallum (guitar/vocals), Steve Counsel (bass/vocals), Jak Stafford (guitar/vocals) and "The Fabulous" Marty Truss (drums). Their influences ranged from early The Who, The Kinks, Small Faces, through to Roxy Music, David Bowie, blues, rhythm and blues, and The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
Their first major gig was in November 1976, at Fulham Town Hall in London a week after an early gig by The Clash. Various personnel changes ensued, with Jak Stafford leaving to join prominent punk band X-Ray Spex, as Jak Airport. A brief tenure with guitarist Eric Electroid (aka Kenny) saw them move on to pastures new, with the recruitment of band member Anthony Keen on synthesizer and keyboards.
In October 1977 they released a single called Mucky Pup/Can't Rock N Roll (in a Council Flat), the first release (Small One) for the Small Wonder Records label, based in Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London. 2,000 copies of the single sold out, prompting Small Wonder Records to press another 1,000 singles."Mucky Pup" gained lots of airplay at various punk gigs throughout 1977 and the B-side, "Can't Rock N Roll (In A Council Flat) was played on the John Peel Show, with favourable comments from the man himself! They continued to play various gigs around London, notably at the punk club "The Roxy" in Covent Garden, supporting The Wasps and "The Man In The Moon" in Kings Road, Chelsea, supporting The Fruit Eating Bears. They continued gigging until January 1978, culminating in their farewell gig on 20 January 1978 at the Basement Club in Covent Garden, London.
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REFERENCES - WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puncture_(band)
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SMALL WONDER RECORDS 1977
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1.MUCKY PUP
2. CAN'T ROCK & ROLL (IN A COUNCIL FLAT)
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***DOWNLOAD***

THE RINGS (I WANNA BE FREE)

In true Chiswick fashion, we have here another 1977 pub/punk rock stomper. It may be a little light on the lyrics, but that never bothered me, It's still a cool record. The Rings were formed by Twink (real name John Alder) veteran of many psychedelic bands including Tomorrow and The Pink Fairies. While primarily a drummer he took on the role of front man in the band while Alan Lee Shaw played guitar and wrote the songs. Songs at the time included a mix of originals and Fairies numbers. Rod Latter played drums (later to join the Adverts). The band was completed by Dennis Stow on bass. A one off deal with Chiswick brought the excellent single I Wanna Be Free / Automobile in May 1977. Band played all the usual 'toilets' like the 100 Club and Roxy. "When your health is so shot that you don't look at the bar for fear your liver might explode, an ex hippy and pink fairy fronting a ...new wave band is not even funny. Twink and his band juggle superb old Fairies numbers with transparent new songs: 'Chelsea 77', 'Teenage Rebel...Are the boys surprised the audience scream for a bucket when they round off the set with 'I Wanna Get High' Which bus to Woodstock mate." Live Music Machine Sounds 28.6.77 Jane Suck
Soon after, depending on what version you believe Twink either supposedly tired of being gobbed at or was ousted by the band as the incoming replacement for Dennis Stow, Robert Crash and the rest formed The Maniacs almost overnight in August 1977 minus any
hippies. The truth is probably somewhere in between if this quote from a live
review is anything to go by: ..."a fine band. Except for the singer...Most of the set he
spent at the back of the stage trying to evade the gobbing...surely within
reason one should take it? He didn't."
Twink kept The Rings going for a while calling on old Fairies cohorts and even playing the Mont Marsan Punk Festival on the same bill as The Maniacs. A follow up single was announced in
Sounds 22.10.77 as being called Psychedelic Didgerdoo and the precursor to an album ! It never happened at least not as The Rings.
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REFERENCES - THE RINGS http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/rings.htm
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CHISWICK RECORDS 1977
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1. I WANNA BE FREE
2. AUTOMOBILE
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***DOWNLOAD***

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

THE MIRACLE WORKERS (1,000 MICROGRAMS OF)

Like my last post, the Miracle Workers are never far from my turntable when I'm in the mood for some great garage music. And like the last post this is a return visit for these guys. One day I may post the Inside Out lp as well. This is What TrouserPress.com had to say about them. As the Pacific Northwest entry in garage-rock's second coming, Portland, Oregon's Miracle Workers looked no further than their own backyard for initial inspiration. Rather than the more psychedelic meanderings of their peers, the original five-piece lineup stomped and snarled through layers of fuzz much like local deities the Sonics and the Wailers. Both of the Miracle Workers' early EPs boast a heartening percentage of originals — not a majority, mind you, but they were playing to an audience that considered the use of strings manufactured after '66 heretical — that easily outstrip the group's covers in both songwriting and energy. Tracks from each (as well as a slew of previously unreleased treasures) are collected on Moxie's Revenge.
A little more reserved on its 1985 full-length bow, the quintet still scores big, keeping the songs short, the guitars distorted and Gerry Mohr's snotty adolescent blurt mixed high. Voxx supremo Greg Shaw's production, while not state-of-the-art (even by these standards) is more sympathetic than their earlier, lower-budget efforts.
As the '80s drew to a close, the Miracle Workers stepped outside their garage (minus a member), checked their watches not once but twice and stepped firmly forward...into the '70s.
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REFERENCES- TROUSERPRESS http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=miracle_workers
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SOUNDS INTERESTING RECORDS 1984
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1. HANG UP
2. TO MANY PEOPLE
3. CHANGE IN STYLE
4. WAITING
5. LIES LIES
6. YOU KNOCK ME OUT
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***DOWNLOAD***

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

THE STOMACHMOUTHS (SOMETHING WEIRD)

This is one of my favorite garage records of all time. This lp showcases the Stomachmouths at the top of their game. When the Stomachmouths began playing vintage American teen music in Stockholm 1983, they had no European predecessors. There had been a few new wave-era bands in Britain and Sweden that covered a Nuggets tune or two, but for those bands it was always part of something else. None of them had gone the whole nine yards and stripped away all alien elements from 1960s punk, like the Stomachmouths. The 1980s garage scene was created and has to be understood as a complete immersion in American pop culture from the 1950s and pre-hippie 1960s. It wasn’t about heavy fuzz guitars or tattoos, it wasn’t about wearing leopard skin pants and proclaiming a “revolution”. Everything like that just had to go. It wasn’t a retro scene either, because nothing like this had ever existed in Scandinavia. In this pure garage scene the Stomachmouths were undoubtedly kings. They were the best live band, they had been around the longest, they had the most developed sense for the right moves and attitude. Musically the band was top-notch, with no loose ends or weak links. Few would challenge the notion that the Stomachmouths spearheaded this scene because they took it so seriously, like a mission.
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GOT TO HURRY RECORDS 1986
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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

THE 99TH FLOOR

The 99th floor is a series of my own home made compilations. It started as something that I put together for a few Friends. I only ever made 1 volume, I had it for download previously on this site. Anyway, I decided to continue the series, I compiled 3 more volumes, but instead of putting them on disc, I'm going to post them here. The files are rather large, each comp has about thirty or so songs on it. They should take a little time for you to download but, it will be worth your effort. I have always been a huge fan of 60's music. I think along with the late 70's to the early 80's, It's one of the best periods in music. At least for my taste. On these comps you'll find bands you may no but maybe a not so popular song from them, Some rare stuff, and so not so rare stuff. In a nut shell, these are some of my favorite 60's tunes. From my collection to yours, check out The 99th Floor. Please feel free to leave comments. Enjoy!!!
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VOLUME # ONE
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VOLUME # TWO
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VOLUME # THREE
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VOLUME # FOUR