Neil Young: Trans

This is a pretty fun record. Very different from his previous releases, this record features Young on Vocoder, synth and electronic percussion.

According to the Wikipedia entry:

Neil Young found that when using a vocoder when communicating to his son (who was born with cerebral palsy), he was able to elicit a better response. The emotional power of this experiment shows in the lyrics, particularly in the track "Transformer Man" with the lines "So many things still left to do / But we haven't made it yet."

At time of release, which was 1982, many reviews thought very poorly of it. Some fans thought he was mocking the current day music. I'm not too positive as to why he decided to release an album as such. Regardless, it's worth checking out if you enjoy electronic music. Especially with a Vocoder.

Trans



1. Little Thing Called Love – 3:13
2. Computer Age – 5:24
3. We R in Control – 3:31
4. Transformer Man – 3:23
5. Computer Cowboy (AKA Syscrusher) – 4:13
6. Hold on to Your Love – 3:28
7. Sample and Hold – 8:03
8. Mr. Soul – 3:19
9. Like an Inca – 9:46

Men's Recovery Project: Frank Talk About Humans CD

This was originally a 3x7" release on Vinyl Communications. It was released about a year later as a CD with many extra remixes/tracks/random shit.

Sam McPheters and Neil Burke were both previously in a hXc group from NY called Born Against. They relocated to Richmond, VA and eventually disbanded. There was several incarnations of groups featuring members of Born Against. MRP had to be my favorite.

The main difference between MRP and BA was mostly the fact that it was a 2 peice originally, used whatever random cheap keyboards, synths, samplers, sequencers they could get their hands on and write 10 to 20 + songs at a time. If you check out their discography, it's quite extensive and much of it is out of print.

Sam(vocals) always had a sharp wit and sense of humor. This only became more extreme and off the wall as MRP existed. Prior hXc fans felt alienated and some just flat out offended by what they thought was absurd, ridiculous or just terrible.

I fucking loved it.

Their first show in Richmond MRP opened for Avail, which at the time was a huge hXc/anthemy"sing along chorus" style band from VA, too. When the lights on the stage came on, a woman walking from the left towards the center stage then off to the right held up a sign, as if in a boxing match, that read"Next up, Men's Recovery Project." She then exited.

At that moment, a figure at both left and right of the stage wearing boxes on their heads with amateurish faces drawn on it arrive, looking at the other. They then ran towards one another, smacked into each other and walked off. Then the lady arrives again, this time with a sign reading"This has been Men's Recovery Project."

Several, several other tales of MRP, but we'll save them for another entry.

Enjoy.

Frank Talk About Humans

Part 1

Part 2



1. Clark In My Car
2. Homo?
3. Slap On Some Pants
4. They Found My Naked Body By The River
5. All Music Is Shit To God
6. Frank Talk About Mutants
7. Problem?
8. Domestic Phone Call
9. Explanation Of Head Troubles
10. Smokin' That Magic Rock
11. Eating Contest
12. Ugly Interracial Couple
13. Frank Talk About Mutants, Also
14. Frank Talk About Mutants (Carl Cullins Remix)
15. Smokin' That Magic Rock (Zionist Remix)
16. Explanation Of Head Troubles (Empirically Verifiable Science Remix)
17. All Music Is Shit To God (Ed Powers Tribal Remix)
18. Homo? (Neighborhood Plumbing Remix)
19. Domestic Phone Call (Exhausted Engineer Remix)
20. Explanation Of Head Troubles (Children's Problem Remix)
21. Eating Contest (Parisian Remix)
22. Domestic Phone Call (Plastic Fruit Cups Remix)
23. Problem? (Owner's Remix)
24. Slap On Some Pants (Trail Mix Remix)
25. Domestic Phone Call (Special Remix)
26. All Music Is Shit To God (Fuck You Remix)
27. Domestic Phone Call (Artificial Leg Remix)
28. Frank Talk About Mutants (Marshall Glickman Remix)
29. Smokin' That Magic Rock (John Wilcox Remix)
30. All Music Is Shit To God (DNA Sequencer Failure Remix)
31. Domestic Phone Call (Inflatable Remix)
32. Slap On Some Pants (Halftime Remix)
33. Eating Contest (Emergency Remix)
34. Explanation Of Head Troubles (Empowerment Pants Remix)
35. Encompass
36. Slap On Some Pants (Trouble Remix)
37. Domestic Phone Call (Cookout Fluid Remix)
38. Homo? ("They Ain't Suing Nobody" Remix)
39. Domestic Phone Call (Negro Remix)
40. Frank Talk About Mutants (Arnold Clausen Remix)
41. Domestic Phone Call (Wankle-Rotary Engine Remix)
42. All Music Is Shit To God (Monoroid Remix)
43. Explanation Of Head Troubles (Malfunction Remix)
44. Slap On Some Pants (Waste Of Resources Remix)
45. Older Men

R.I.P. George Carlin

I just found out this morning that George Carlin died of a heart attack in California at the age of 71.

George was one of my all time favorite comedians. Right up there with Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Red Fox, etc. He always found ways to make the public think forward and for themselves. Not what an institution demands them to. I am certainly glad I had the chance to see him perform live.

He will be missed.

1937 - 2008

R.I.P.

Ancestors: Neptune With Fire

I just discovered this band recently and really love their debut LP on Tee Pee Records Neptune With Fire.

Ancestors is a psych/progressive/doom metal band from L.A. They formed in 2006 as a three piece slowly adding 2 more members.

This release features only two tracks both of which are pretty long. The first clocks in at 16:46 and the second at 21:38. So you can imagine that with all the sub genre references given, these are pretty epic songs.

Give this a try. If you're a fan of all or any of the Doom Metal sub genres, you'll love this...I would hope.

Neptune With Fire



1. Orcus' Avarice - 16:46
2. Neptune With Fire - 21:38

MUXTAPE MONDAY

Tacos Mix Tape #11

Now you make one.

CNN's "Crossfire" featuring Frank Zappa / 1986

I couldn't resist.

Tribute To Flexi-pop: Vol.1 & 2

Flexi-pop was a magazine that existed in the early 80's. The magazine came with singles, even whole tapes or albums, presenting the "new wave" of modern music. So far there are at least ten "Tribute to Flexi-pop" compilations and ten "Return of Flexi-pop." Each one contains a regular CD length of tracks. Also see the "None Night of Flexi-pop", "New Wave Complex", "Shockwaves" and "Tribute to Some Bizarre" compilations.

I have learned that these comps are not linked to the Flexi-pop magazine in any way besides the use of the name of the magazine. Evidently, the intent was to pay tribute to the spirit of the sounds highlighted by Flexi-pop in the early 80s. These compilations came to be during the late 90's with file P2P file share programs.

These two here are probably some of the best available. Shortly after a few were created, many more people became involved and wanted to contribute to the cause. Knowing this now makes sense to me as to why they became a little further detached from what the earlier compilations sounded like.

Very minimal yet timeless electronic music. Give it a try if that speaks to you.

Vol.1



1. The Vyllies - Give Me A Name
2. Ceramic Hello - Gestures
3. Snowy Red - Never Alive
4. Neon - Dark Age
5. Njurmännen - Stadvisan
6. Indians In Moskow - Singing In French
7. Pink Industry - Time For a Chance
8. Polyphonic Size - Mode
9. Stephen Spera - Sound Of The Crowd
10. Die Radierer - Angriff Auf´s Schlaraffenland
11. ZSKA - Keinen Teddybär
12. El Aviador - Dro - La Chica De Plexiglas
13. Fjose - Nobody Is Like You
14. The Wake - Patrol
15. Doppler Effect - Tim
16. Silvia - Zuerst Ich
17. Nine Circles - What Is There Left
18. Soft Cell - Metro MRX

Vol.2



1. The Metronomes - Ballad Of The Metronome
2. Rational Youth - I Want To See The Light
3. Das Kabinette - The Cabinet
4. The Misz - Even Bad Times Are Good
5. Surplus Stock - Let´s Kill Each Other
6. El Aviador Dro - El Ultimo Asalto A La Bastilla
7. R Steven Moore - What Are You Looking At
8. Träneninvasion - Sentimental
9. x-Quadrat - Kauf Dir Die Freiheit
10. Metamorphus Nex - Die Idee
11. Die Gesunden - Die Gesunden Kommen
12. Christoph Glowalla - Erde
13. Cheiron - Land After Life
14. U Bahn x - Young Hearts Of Erurope
15. Mythos - Robot Secret Agents
16. uv-Pop - No Songs Tomorrow
17. The Actor - Deutsches Mädchen
18. Pink Industry - State Of Grace

UPDATE: Iggy Pop, This Heat, Silver Apples and Amon Düül II available again

I am adding new links for the Iggy Pop, This Heat, Silver Apples & Amon Düül II records. Just select their respected articles and go from there.

Also, you may notice that I have added some links to the right. Please take the time to view their pages when convenient. I'm sure you can find something of interest.

If anyone has any requests, feel free to contact.

Public Image Limited Interviews

A few weeks back I posted a P.I.L. record entitled Flowers of Romance, which happens to be one of my favorite records by them.

In the posting, I mentioned that I enjoyed the banters of Lydon and co. on television. Most people get turned off and I admit, he can be a little over baring at times. Mostly because I think he just doesn't appear to take things seriously. Or, at least not taking the interview serious.

Below are some of the best moments of P.I.L. live on television. I suggest checking them out.

John Lydon and Keith Levene on the Tom Snyder Show 1980

Part 1



Part 2



P.I.L. performing live followed by interview on a British show called "Check It Out"



And finally, PIL on American Bandstand 1980

Naked City: Torture Garden

This band was basically a composition workshop. When I stopped writing for the band, we broke up. Compositionally the challenge I set for myself was to see how much I could come up with given the limitations of the simple sax, guitar, keyboard, bass, drums format. - John Zorn

As mentioned in prior posts, I took a liking to extreme music. Something about growing up in middle America, bored adolescence and over all frustration with a small town that I grew up in.

At some point, a friend of mine in 92 introduced me to Naked City. Knowing that I enjoyed fast, brutal sounds, he thought Torture Garden would be an interesting listen for me, to say the least.

In 1988, Naked City was born. Featuring Zorn on saxophone, Bill Frisell on guitars, Fred Frith on bass, Wayne Horvitz on keys, Joey Baron on drums and occasional vocals from Yamatsuka Eye, Bob Dorough, and later Mike Patton.

In the early 80's, Zorn established himself with the New York downtown musical movement. Although he primarily was playing jazz, he had a respect for brutal hardcore and metal. Such appreciation of hardcore bands like Agnostic Front and Napalm Death, along with his other influences, experimented with compositional form and cover versions.

What you would expect from a Naked City release would be Jazz then at a moments notice, pure white noise, then to Country then to Grindcore or Death Metal. The compositions were so tight and flat out brilliant in my eyes.

Along with this brutality, it became signature of Zorn to use very disturbing imagery. One album cover depicted a live execution of a young woman in Asia being hacked, sliced and mutilated by the general public. Of course, the poor woman was conscience. Another cover shows a severed head from an autopsy and another, a mob style killing showing the victim face down on the pavement in his own pool of blood. Perfect for the sound of Naked City, if you ask me.

This record is a crazy roller coaster of genre mash ups. Give it a listen. Its fun!

Torture Garden



1. Blood Is Thin - 1:04
2. Demon Sanctuary - 0:42
3. Thrash Jazz Assassin - 0:49
4. Dead Spot - 0:35
5. Bonehead - 0:56
6. Speedball - 0:40
7. Blood Duster - 0:18
8. Pile Driver - 0:38
9. Shangkuan Ling-Feng - 1:19
10. Numbskull - 0:32
11. Perfume of a Critic's Burning Flesh - 0:29
12. Jazz Snob Eat Shit - 0:28
13. The Prestigitator - 0:48
14. No Reason To Believe - 0:28
15. Hellraiser - 0:42
16. Torture Garden - 0:40
17. Slan - 0:26
18. Hammerhead - 0:12
19. The Ways of Pain - 0:36
20. The Noose - 0:13
21. Sack of Shit - 0:49
22. Blunt Instrument - 0:56
23. Osaka Bondage - 1:18
24. Igneous Ejaculation - 0:25
25. Shallow Grave - 0:43
26. Ujaku - 0:32
27. Kaoru - 0:55
28. Dead Dread - 0:49
29. Billy Liar - 0:15
30. Victims of Torture - 0:27
31. Speedfreaks - 0:52
32. New Jersey Scum Swamp - 0:44
33. S & M Sniper - 0:17
34. Pigfucker - 0:27
35. Cairo Chop Shop - 0:26
36. Fuck the Facts - 0:15
37. Obeah Man - 0:21
38. Facelifter - 1:00
39. N.Y. Flat Top Box - 0:46
40. Whiplash - 0:23
41. The Blade - 0:43
42. Gob of Spit - 0:23

DJ Screw: Codeine Fiend

Here's a mixtape by the late Robert Earl Davis, better known as Dj Screw from the Screwed Up Click.

DJ Screw was known for pioneering the Chopped and Screwed movement, which at the time of this release, as with many others, was only really known in Houston, TX and the south in general. P2P programs such as Napster in the late 90's is what brought his underground cassettes worldwide. This gave him much attention and respect by hip hop artists and fans alike.

This release is one of several hundred cassettes released by DJ Screw. You can still purchase many of them at Screwed Up Records And Tapes.

Codeine Fiend

Throbbing Gristle: Best Of....Vol.1

Throbbing Gristle would have to be, in my opinion, one the best Industrial/Experimental groups ever to exist. Even if they started out as performance art, what they became was something very amazing and special.

Sure, others may care less about them. Often turned off by the mixed messages and imagery used live such as pornography and Nazi concentration camps, TG's purpose was actually to explore the darker side of human nature. The obsessive sides of human conditioning, rather than play pretty pop music. And, of course, this aesthetic gave them a notorious rep.



In highschool, a close friend of mine who was much into obscure and electronic music introduced me to them. He had a few cassettes and would play them often in his car during a late night some weekend. Always nice and disturbing.

Over time, I could see how TG influenced many groups to come. By improvising live, creating multiple versions of a "studio" song, prolonging songs beyond it's normal time frame to multiple live releases documenting their progression over the years like document files.

If you have never given TG a try, this is a good release to start to check out. A must have.

Best Of....Vol.1

Side A

Side B



All songs by Genesis P-Orridge, Peter Christopherson, Cosey Fanni Tutti & Chris Carter

Side A

1. (untitled) - 1:13
2. (untitled) - 2:24
3. (untitled) - 0:56
4. (untitled) - 1:45
5. (untitled) - 15:37
6. (untitled) - 1:45
7. (untitled) - 1:13
8. (untitled) - 3:06
9. (untitled) - 1:13
10. (untitled) - 1:01
11. (untitled) - 9:09
12. (untitled) - 6:39
13. (untitled) - 0:27

Side B

1. (untitled) - 1:00
2. (untitled) - 0:40
3. (untitled) - 10:30
4. (untitled) - 1:13
5. Very Friendly (Part 1) - 11:55
6. Very Friendly (Part 2) - 10:13
7. We Hate You Little Girls - 2:47
8. We Hate You Little Girls - 2:50
9. American Magician Talking - 1:01
10. New Mama"/"Look Out Joe - 2:59