Isaac Hayes 8/20/42 – 8/10/2008 R.I.P.

I know I'm late in reporting this. Just showing my appreciation.



Wiki Link

The Magnetic Fields: Holiday

Holiday is the record which introduced me to The Magnetic Fields. There was something about their unconventional take on 80's style pop songs. Such use of ukulele, banjo's, accordion, cello's and Marxophone really made their music stand out. Well, that and Stephin Merritt's vocals.

The Magnetic Fields hail from New York and was originally Stephin's studio project. During the early stages of the groups formation, he played all instruments with exception of additional help from Claudia Gonson.

I've been on a big kick lately with their records. It's especially nice to know they still exist. Most groups in this vein, if you will, tend to be broken up, dead, etc by now. At least the groups & performers I enjoy.

Like most music, I have some fond memories with this record. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.


Holiday



1. BBC Radiophonic Workshop – 0:22
2. Desert Island – 3:34
3. Deep Sea Diving Suit – 2:05
4. Strange Powers – 2:41
5. Torn Green Velvet Eyes – 4:22
6. The Flowers She Sent and the Flowers She Said She Sent – 2:26
7. Swinging London – 2:35
8. In My Secret Place – 1:41
9. Sad Little Moon – 2:12
10. The Trouble I've Been Looking For – 2:23
11. Sugar World – 3:19
12. All You Ever Do Is Walk Away – 2:06
13. In My Car – 2:57
14. Take Ecstasy with Me – 3:30

The Pop Group: Y

This is the debut LP, Y from the Bristol, England post-punk act The Pop Group.

The Pop Group existed for just a short period of time from 1978 to 1980. They went through a few line up changes before signing to Rough Trade, which released their sophomore release For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder?

During the Rough Trade era, they shared managers with The Slits. Both bands, at this time, were doing their take on more funk and dub reggae influence while remaining very noisy, jazz influenced, etc.

This record is for anyone who enjoys this period of music from the U.K. Highly recommended.

Y



1. She Is Beyond Good and Evil – 3:23 (CD only: not on the original '79 vinyl album)
2. Thief of Fire – 4:35
3. Snow Girl – 3:21
4. Blood Money – 2:57
5. We Are Time – 6:29
6. Savage Sea – 3:02
7. Words Disobey Me – 3:26
8. Don't Call Me Pain – 5:35
9. The Boys from Brazil – 4:16
10. Don't Sell Your Dreams – 6:40

Swans: Filth + Self Titled EP

The only Swans era I really put forth effort to listen to was their first 3 or 4yrs of existence. I was much more of a fan of the violent and abrasiveness of their music, which can be seen up until their 3rd of 4th release. Their sound started to take a departure and eventually becoming something more of pop music afterward.

Rising from the ashes of the New York No Wave scene in the late 70's/early 80's, Swans made it's mark rather quick.

The live shows were violent in ways of their presence, physical activity with the audience and the volume. It had been reported that some members of the audience would throw up from how unsettling the volume was. And of course, cops were always called.

Anyone fan of The Birthday Party, early Cop Shoot Cop would appreciate this release. It features the debut self titled EP, which had been added once it was re-released in 1990.

Hypnotic and repetitive chords, thick and heavy bass, driving and very thundering percussion all topped with vulgar lyrical content.

Not bad.

Filth + Self Titled EP



1. Stay Here – 5:44
2. Big Strong Boss – 3:07
3. Blackout – 3:49
4. Power for Power – 6:03
5. Freak – 1:15
6. Right Wrong – 4:48
7. Thank You – 3:56
8. Weakling – 5:30
9. Gang – 3:20
10. Swans Live at the Kitchen, N.Y.C. 1982/3 - 24:18†

†The additional track on the 1990 re-release contained a live set from New York City containing the tracks "Strip/Burn", "Heatsheet", "Blackout", "Clay Man" "Stay Here" and "Weakling"

Disco Inferno: Technicolour

I just recently discovered this group this year. At first the name really turned me off. The last thing I wanted to hear was something disco oriented in this day and age. No offense to any of you Disco fans out there. I can respect it, but shit. This is 2008 and I think we got the genre covered. Will I eat my words one day? Doubt it.

Disco Inferno is a group from Essex, England. They released 5 LP's and a mess of singles and EP's.

Technicolour was Disco Inferno's final LP on Rough Trade. Their Wiki page mentions that they formed in late 80's and ended in 96. Heavily influenced by Joy Division and other post punk groups that came from England.

Samples, electronics, some pop elements, fun guitar effects and 100% British sounding.

I like. I think you might, too.

Technicolour



All tracks written by Ian Crause, Paul Wilmott, and Rob Whatley.

1. Technicolour – 3:37
2. Things Move Fast – 3:02
3. I'm Still in Love – 2:10
4. Sleight of Hand – 3:59
5. Don't You Know – 4:48
6. It's a Kid's World – 4:30 * Sample: Iggy Pop, "Lust for Life"
7. When the Story Breaks – 3:11
8. Can't See Through It – 3:53
9. Over and Over – 3:51

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

Boredoms: Boretronix 2

Summer of 1993, phony01 bought Pop Tatari on cd and brought it to the local coffee shop/show venue/teenage loitering club I volunteered at. At this point, I already really enjoyed a lot of extreme music of some form or another, but I never heard anything like Boredoms.

The cd cleared out most of the room, but half of us stuck around and enjoyed what we were listening to. Much of it was pretty comical and cartoonish then from out of no where very violent or degrading on the ears in some way. Usually a hi pitched tone for minutes.

Lucky for phony01, he was able to see BO during that release at Lalapalooza. His report on the show was that "they played everything live as how you would hear it on cd." Knowing that gave me more respect for them and was intrigued.

This is a rare cassette that was released in 1989, just a few years prior to the Pop Tatari release. Only 100 existed. I think this cassette has some great material on it. Even if it is a little low fi, the energy of Boredoms will always stand out on whatever they do.

Boretronix 2



There is no track listing for this release

Camberwell Now: All's Well

Camberwell Now formed in 1982 after This Heat disbanded. Their drummer/vocalist Charles Hayward, bassist and vocalist Trefor Goronwy (who replaced Gareth Williams in This Heat when he quit), and This Heat's old sound technician Stephen Rickard rounded the bill. Stephen is noted as bringing the studio to the live show.

I was introduced to Camberwell Now from a friend this year. He was giving me a ride to my old practice space to pick up some equipment when he played "Daddy Needs a Throne" in his car. Needless to say, I was blown away.

Me: "Who's this?"

Friend: "Camberwell Now. The drummer and bassist of This Heat's band afterwards."

Me: "Damn.....sick."

This record is, essentially, everything they released. Which was one full length entitled The Ghost Trade, two 12" EPs and some tracks for a magazine and some compilations. There's some tracks missing on this collection/reissue, but I'm uncertain as to what they are.

Like This Heat, there is a lot of studio trickery, use of electronics, intricate bass lines and musicianship. Very impressive stuff.

All's Well

Part 1

Part 2



Below is the track listing along with release title/credits

Meridian
1 Cutty Sark (2:48)
Bass, Tambourine - Charles Bullen
2 Pearl Divers (3:31)
3 Spirit Of Dunkirk (2:39)
4 Resplash (7:55)

5 Daddy Needs A Throne (3:24)

The Ghost Trade
6 Working Nights (7:45)
7 Sitcom (4:40)
Voice - Mary Philips
8 Wheat Futures (6:14)
9 Speculative Fiction (6:11)
10 Green Lantern (3:16)
11 The Ghost Trade (11:14)
Voice - Polly Edmett

Greenfingers
12 Greenfingers (5:52)
13 Mystery Of The Fence (3:11)
14 Know How (3:44)
15 Element Unknown (1:35)

Can: Tago Mago

Music critic Piero Scaruffi wrote, "With just one album, Can pioneered several genres that would become popular in the 1990s: industrial music, noise-rock, trip-hop and post-rock."



I would see the record covers at stores growing up as a teen, but had no idea what the band was going for. In magazines, many performers, groups, etc I loved would site Can, especially this release, as a major influence. When I was traveling through out mainland Europe six and seven years ago, friends would play their albums.

"You must hear them. They're simply amazing.." my friend Simon said."They're my all time favorite."

Tago Mago was Can's second LP. This record featured Kenji"Damo"Suzuki on vocals, which replaced Malcolm Mooney after he had a break down. It should also be noted that Tago Mago was recorded in castle Schloss Nörvenich in Cologne, Germany.

If you taken an interest or note to any of the music prior to this posting, you should do the same with this release/group. A definite favorite and still to this day refreshing to the ears.

Tago Mago

Part 1

Part 2




All songs written by Karoli, Czukay, Liebezeit, Schmidt and Suzuki

1. Paperhouse - 7:29
2. Mushroom - 4:08
3. Oh Yeah - 7:22
4. Halleluhwah – 18:32
5. Aumgn – 17:22
6. Peking O - 11:35
7. Bring Me Coffee or Tea - 6:47