Brian request...

Your wish is my command Brother, found it on utoob, apparently "Dudes" (1987) has never been released on DVD/Blue Ray, so this guy ripped it from VHS...Lee Ving and FLEA! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vimepjmaaqg]

How about this, CHiPs (1985)..."I dig pain!"

[video width="480" height="360" mp4="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/CHiPs-Battle-Of-The-Bands.-Pain-Rooftop-Scene-1.mp4"][/video]

And this one, Miami Vice (1986)...Suicidal Tendencies "Institutionalized"

[video width="540" height="360" mp4="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Suicidal-Tendencies-Playing-Institutionalized-at-Miami-Vice-1986.mp4"][/video]

The Day My Kid Went Punk

The 80's were an interesting era, so much plastic, so much aerosol, you could redesign yourself with a can of hairspray.  This ABC Afterschool Special aired the year I graduated from high school, unbeknownst to me (I didn't watch too much TV at the time), I only just discovered it.  Didn't watch the whole thing, kinda skipped through, but apparently this young lads romp into punk rock was based on attention seeking, his family just wasn't making him feel special.  At this point in my life I pretty much completely subscribed to the Crass-ism that punk was dead.  Looking back and I guess it's true today, the music we listen to plays such a big role in our cultural identity.  Societies kneejerk reaction is always on the outside looking and in this case it's comical and pathetic...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEptCSLhgfk]

Tom Thum

When man himself is the instrument and talent just oozes out of his pores...

[video width="640" height="360" mp4="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Beatbox-brilliance-Tom-Thum-at-TEDxSydney.mp4"][/video]

Tyrranicide - Hiding Under White demo cassette

Even the Beatles are celebrating in the streets with the death of the Iron Lady. Hats off to her as so much of what I listened to in the early 80s would not have existed without her.  She was something to bitch about but I'm sure if she hadn't of been there we would have found something else to bitch about.  We're all just bitches.

You know on top of being a burnout, I'm a little mental, or as one of my internet buddies called me, neurotic. I have to state that every once in a while for people who deal with me, like the warning label on a bottle of pills. In this internet age, I'm still getting used to email as a means of communication. I do much better in person, still not great and still mental, but at least I can read tone, facial expressions and body language. When I send out an email, it's like an invitation and if I don't hear back right away, I start second guessing myself. Well why haven't they written back, did I piss them off, am I being a pest, am I asking too much, etc. Then I'm driven, almost forced by cosmic forces to write back and apologize without knowing what I'm apologizing for. I don't take into account that a person has a life full of goings on, and they get to things as they get to it, pretty much like I do. Hmph...mental. I don't think I'll ever get it.

Here's something to get mental over, let every asshole in the world have access to where you're at and what flowers you have planted in the pot out front over at Show My Street. It seems cute, but big brother really is watching you. I'm in the country enough though, that they don't give you a street view, it's just that birdseye, satellite deal. My internet buddy Sean of the famed, yet deceased, Damaging Noise blog (he has experienced my neurosis) turned me onto some classic mid-80s metal (m/) the other day, by a band I had never heard of, thought I'd share their bitchen-ness... Samhain - Plague Of Messiah While on a metal tip (the main band in this post was as metal as it gets), discovered this Russian forum called Metal Area...tons of listening to bands that you would have otherwise never heard of (or maybe you're in the know and I should say that I would never have heard of). Tons of shitty stuff too, but it's worth it to go through and do some listening. Here's some highlights of my wanderings.. Moss - The Bleeding Years Heaving Sun - Solar Flare Blastpoint Blade of the Ripper - Cast Me In The Fire Ahhh, yes, Tyrranicide (the mid 80's bay area one), been searching for this one forever and finally found it at the above site...I only wish I had this cassette. The last band I was in, Grout, had the pleasure of having Ty on bass, who had, several years earlier, been the bass player for Tyrranicide. Our drummer Steve and Ty were from the fabulous town of Pleasanton. I was told back then that Ty had been in the aforementioned band, but that meant nothing to me and until the other day I had never listened to them. Ty was an incredible bass player and a solid human being, never had a bad word to say about anyone. I left Humboldt before he did, and as we all did, he settled down, had a family and last I heard, is a chef in Napa. Tyrranicide is your proto-typical, mid 80's, thrash/speed metal band, with political lyrics and heavy shredability. Nate at the legendary True Punk & Metal blog had the demo up (and I know it gets old saying this) but the link is dead. Of Tyrranicide he says, "they were writing social/political songs, playing with punk bands, while still waving the flag of long hairism." I'll leave it at that and give you a chance to listen... Hiding Under White Summoned To Die Facing Reality Epilogue Cripple's Revenge

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NulLhq4JfYU]

Omar Souleyman - Leh Jani

A buddy of mine put this one up on FB and I was completely blown away. Omar Souleyman is the shit. Just love the singing and noodling music, reminds me of the stuff my Mom was listening to in the late 60s, early 70s, going to the Intersection in the Rampart district of LA. Times were different then. Upon reflection, it makes me angry, the religious extremists of the world, the fundamentalists, the religious right, fascist theologians...this is the dilemma of the present and the bane of the future across the world. I love seeing people freely enjoying their music, celebrating, dancing (and I'll be damned if that shoulder dance thing in this vid is not the coolest move ever).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgRUHIeaKOk]

Lewis Dimmick - This Music: Pieces On Heavy Metal Punk Rock & Hardcore Punk book

My third book review up for ya, the first punk rock memories, the second being a European hardcore biography and this time it's a New York hardcore (plus) collection of recollections and poems. My buddy Freddy over at Wardance Records put this thing out and was kind enough to send me a copy. I have to thank him first and foremost, because this was one hell of an enjoyable read. Written by Lewis Dimmick of Our Gang (check out their discography and bio at Stormy's epic Blogged and Quartered site) and most recently of My Rifle (check out my epic [hahaha] review of their Self Titled 7"). I really like this guy Lewis, just based on his music and most definitely on his book.  Even though I haven't actually met him, I can really relate to his insights and figure his friends must really value their friendship.  He's just a year or two younger than me, so we're about the same age, grew up in the same era, enjoy writing (he's the real deal of course, I'm just dabbling) and have a love for music that inspired us to play music.  It's interesting, that we were on different coasts but the scenes weren't so different.  The way he puts it, "The audience is beside themselves; they are in a state of rapture; they, in their individual awkwardness, attempt with their bodies to illustrate the music; their movements celebrate the self; they dance like asylum inmates; they improvise a response."  A guy who's been there can intimately identify with that.  You can tell he was there experiencing these moments with all of his senses, taking it in not just physically but spiritually.  It came to be a part of what defined him, who he hung out with and his responses to life.  On a side note, I like too that he was a long hair in a scene dominated by bald heads.  He wasn't just observing, collecting data, but a part of what was going on, taking it all in.  Talking about Roger Miret of Agnostic Front, "I was intrigued by his street look, his street existence.  I never thought I would inhabit a world where tattoos are as common as white underwear.  Today even pop stars look like punk rockers, but punk rockers that have undergone the full spa treatment."  The book is a quick read, which left me wanting more.  I'm just a junkie when it comes to something like this, I can't get enough...so I read it again, this time paying a little more attention to the details. Once I started reading it, there was no way I was going to put it down, leafing through the pages was as easy as eating ice cream on a hot summer day.  And then you end up sitting back and reflecting on your own similar experiences.  GREAT fucking book.  The artwork for the cover, is pretty snappy and punctuates the whole vibe.  This thing is available now for pre-order and will start shipping out on April 22nd.  You can get it at Wardance Records.  Thanx Freddy and Lewis for a fantastic read.

The Smunn / Logan 5 - LP

[gallery ids="8733,8732" type="rectangular"]

Time for a real kick in the ass. Back in about July of last year, I had the great honor of reviewing some killer shit in the form of the band, Zebras (if you missed that, get your ass back there and give them a spin). Well Vincent, who plays in Zebras (and also Those Poor Bastards, a band I hope to feature here at some point), sent me a message the other day and told me that he had been involved in an industrial type band about 10 years ago and that they were starting to do some shit again. They go by the name The Smunn, aka Logan 5 (or is it Logan 5 aka The Smunn).  Here's what he had to say, "The First album was released on vinyl in 2001 but most of the original copies were destroyed. Since we are starting to do shows again this is available on vinyl again. Only 200 available and selling it for only $7.00.  The other download is for the other two EPs and a couple demos. Tracks 1, 2, 3, 10, 11 are from the 2002 EP "Only To Reptiles". Tracks 4-9 are from the 2004 EP "As We Become The Smunn". This was the last thing recorded before the project was abandoned. Tracks 12 & 13 are from the first demo tape "Germ Warfare" (2000) and Track 14 is a 1999 version of a song that was re-recorded for the self titled LP.  All of this stuff was recorded on an 8-track cassette recorder and went straight from the tape to the vinyl / cds."  They have a Bandcamp where you can listen to all their recorded stuff and pick up that LP, for, as Vincent said, a measly $7.  There's also a Facebook page where you can follow current events and chat with the band...I have been using that function.  In fact I was telling Vincent, that I had been listening to over 4 decades of Industrial music, in it's many forms/sub-genres, over the past two weeks worth of nights and weekends (my old lady works nights and weekends).  I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but I have impeccable taste and I would stack these guys up against any of those bands, putting them smack dab into those four decades.  They have a variety of sounds and while they are definitely industrial in general, they could also find themselves in several of the sub-genres.  There's that harsh angry kind of stuff you might find on SPK's "Auto Da Fe" and then there's that danceable almost techno kind of thing.  In my explorations, that danceable stuff is called EBM or Electronic Body Music. Regardless of what they're doing, it's done extremely well...these guys are no apprentices, they're masters... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFnFEK7HP8k&w=790&h=593]

Pig Heart Transplant / Blue Sabbath Black Cheer split 7"

In 1993 after I graduated from college I was working for Casa de Que Pasa in the evenings and Lindquist Landscaping during the day (a lot of good my degrees in Religious Studies and Philosophy were doing me, right?).  One involved free beer and Mexican food, and the other hard labor, speed/weed and beer for the long drive home. I remember being very stoked when one of the other laborers showed me this little trick.  In being a laborer you have to earn right and privileges.   Man when I was young I was a real stud when it came to manual labor, it was nothing to kick a shovel and swing a pick all day long.  We'd have wheelbarrow races with loads of rock or concrete.  Tom Lindquist didn't have a skid loader back then and never rented that or a concrete pump so everything was done by wheel barrow.  He told me that the only two things you REALLY need in the landscape construction business is a wheel barrow and a round point shovel, you could marginally do everything with those two tools.  Of course now at 44 I have herniated and bulging discs, and constant back pain but what the hell, that's part of being invincible and young.  I didn't think much of burning all those brain cells when I was young either and now can barely remember what I did yesterday. My latest musical discovery comes in the form of the Free Music Archive. A septic ton of listening to be found there, in all genres, a guy could spend weeks listening to all the tunes they have. Still on an industrial tip, I ended up at FMA, by way of the band Drums Like Machine Guns. Still a little under-educated on the various sub-genres of industrial music, but I'd say they fit somewhere in there. Shirt but sweet craziness... Drums Like Machine Guns - Big Titties and Bellies Found myself in a Japanese mood there for a minute the other day and ended up listening to this little bit of punk rock sweetness.  From their 1980 Sakhalin Smile LP... The Stalin - ロマンチスト Some downright dark and dirty stuff for you here from roundabout 2008.  New discoveries for me going hand in hand with my recent explorations into the industrial realm.  I guess technically this is a sub-genre of industrial, called dark ambient.  Pretty perfect name for what it sounds like.  Payed a little too much for it, 3 bucks less than it's going for on Discogs, which isn't too bad, and besides it's a rarity, with only 300 copies being pressed.  When you say you enjoy something like this it sounds odd, because enjoyment sorta implies happiness and this is not happy or joyful music (is it even music?).  A serial killer enjoys killing.  Dark ambient right.  What it might sound like as your soul travels to hell.  Blue Sabbath Black Cheer and Pig Heart Transplant are very similar sounding, a grinding, gurgling feedback kind of thing, with some blood curdling screaming/growling.  Nothing real complex here, no hooks, no noodling, just  wall of sound but at the same time I have no idea how they're making the sounds that they do.  PHT has the guitarist of Iron Long doing something a little different here.  Ten minutes of your time to listen to these two tracks, which may intrigue or seem like an eternity, I'll leave that up to you... Pig Heart Transplant - Crawling Through Hell Blue Sabbath Black Cheer - Untitled EDIT:  You can get this at Discogs (for about 4 bucks at the moment)...

Luis Moreno - This Is Me CD

Stumbled upon (or however it's done in this new facebook world we're lving in) an old buddy of mine from high school, Luis Moreno. The great diaspora that occurs after a class graduates, sent him to of all places, New York (not sure if that's where he went right away, but that's where he is now, about as far away form Burbank as you can get and sttill be in the US. The group of guys that Luis hung out with, "the Mad Hatters" were known for their interest in the Beatles, Bruce Springstein and Charles Manson (ever heard Manson's music...interesting, I'll have to post a 7" I have). Anyway Luis has continued his musical endeavors and just released a CD of his own music. You can give some short samples a listen and pick that up at his CD Baby page. Really cool singer/songwriter type stuff, the kind that is very easy to sit back and groove to.  Luis is such a down to earth a guy and it really is reflected in his music...that laid back emotion.  It's cool to see these creative guys doing their thing and spreading the joy so to speak.  Kinda jealous of all the imaginative people that I grew up with putting themselves out there.  Anyway, like I said, there's short samples of all the tunes at the CD Baby site and also you can pick up a copy from there too.  Here's an example of one of those samples... Thought of You

1984

Nineteen Eighty Four was a good year...9th grade, Luther Burbank Junior High.  Miss Harley swore that we looked stoned in this picture.  Bob, the drummer for Lack Of Interest, also the guy behind Deep Six Records is in there too.  In case you don't know me I'm the hesher 4th from the right.  Jack Purvis, another hesher, is 2nd from the right, that's the only other name my burnt out brain can remember from this pic.  Being a library assistant was a sweet job, you put away books for a couple of minutes and chill the rest of the period.  9th grade, the top of the heap at our junior high, not knowing that I would instantly and insufferably be flung to the bottom of the heap the following year at Burbank High.  King shit.  I was voted "friendliest" that year, because you know despite all the wrong I have done in my life, I'm a pretty nice guy.  Gilbert Bautista was my best friend and partner in crime.  We grew apart in high school, he ended up with the stoner gangsters, while I ended up punk rock.  Rode my skateboard back and forth, the 20 or so blocks to school.  Got my first job, with a paycheck, that year cleaning out bird cages at a pet shop.  The aviaries were the worst because you had to get inside with the birds and while you were cleaning up shit, they would shit on you.  Before I got the job I would get stoned at the park with the other stoners on the way home.  Saw Venom, Slayer and Exodus that year with my elementary school chum Roy Miyake (last I heard was at a Buddhist Monastery in San Fransisco).  One of my greatest shows ever, but I've told that story. I was going to lots of concerts around this time, my Mom's effort to educate me.  The Universal Amphatheater was a great venue for bigger concerts, not a bad seat in the house.  Saw Return to Forever, Bo Didley, Hank Williams Jr., Willie Nelson, Kansas, Joan Baez, Pete Seger (and what was left of the Weavers...a group that had been blacklisted by McCarthy).  My two favorite bands at the time were Venom (or maybe Slayer) and Crass, go figure, I've never made sense.  There were two record stores that were a short bus ride away, one in North Hollywood and another in Glendale  Didn't have a girlfriend that year, I don't think I was even digging on anyone in particular, but two of my best friends were girls, Bonnie and Mindi (they ended up going to the other high school in Burbank so we lost touch).  Outside of school I played AYSO soccer as I had done since I was 5.  My knee blew up playing soccer in high school on my 16th birthday...that was the end of my soccer career (I wasn't that good anyway, too slow...short legs).  My life at home was cool, being raised by a single Mom who didn't really care what I did, as long as my grades were decent and I wasn't getting in trouble for anything.  Life was pretty good.  I was old enough to know the world was crazy place and stupid enough to think I knew everything.  Little did I know, life would turn out the way it did.  Anyway, here's some tunes that could sorta be my soundtrack to 1984 and wherever possible I've tried to include demo or live versions...what were you doing in 1984? Crass - What a Shame Slayer - Chemical Warfare MDC - John Wayne Was a Nazi Venom - Angel Dust Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus Dead Kennedys - Bleed For Me G.I.S.M. - ABC Weapons 45 Grave - Black Cross The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Manic Depression BLACK SABBATH - Electric Funeral

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Hot Head

A quick interlude before I review some killer releases from the almighty Wardance Records. My bro Jefe posted the video bellow at his place and it just blew me away...thought I'd share that potential blown-away-ed-ness with my other homies. Always heard of Captain Beefheart but never took the time to aquaint myself with his music or the man himself. YOU probably are several steps ahead of me on that, I grew up sheltered, but I ended up spending several hours watching all kinds of videos related to the gentleman...from live sets to his appearances on the Letterman show. Fucking love this song... EDIT:Unfortunately the video is gone from you-fucking-tube, for whatever reason (use your imagination...sad, really), but there's still the audio...oh well [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esYPohsVi34]

Dead Can Cance - The Host Of Seraphim

My old buddy Sang recorded this at the show this past Sunday at the Greek in Berkley, jealous that him and another old buddy Alex got to see them. Out of this world beautiful...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LQXwhqlhYs&w=560&h=315]

...a hiatus

My good buddy Darryl (hard to find a friend that sees eye to eye with you politically and religiously in my neck of the woods) and my Son Liam in the middle.  While my son is here visiting, for the next two weeks or so, the Relics will be on hiatus, but don't forget about us, you would be missed.  Just because I don't like to post without some music to listen to, here's some Hiatus while I'm on a hiatus... Hiatus-Careful Consumption

Babes in Toyland - Dust Cake Boy b/w Spit to See the Shine 7"

You know ever since I shared my email on the side there I've started to get lots of emails related to this place...go figure (so far no serious spammers). Most of it is bands and labels wanting reviews, which I think is cool (my buddy Erich does not...hahahah). I take that back, I don't mind if it's a grass roots DIY type of thing, sort of in the spirit of what I, myself, am doing with this place. Apparently though it's not just music lovers that stop by once in a while, I got this email the other day...

Hello, I just found mustard-relics.com on my search for relatable sites, and I believe it is a great fit! I am looking to secure a link on mustard-relics.com for my site, GunSafeStore.com --- In exchange for this link, we'd be willing to offer you fresh new content for your site in the form of a well-written and researched article by one of our professional writers, or a one-time monetary contribution, or even both. Please let me know what you think, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

So what the implication here is that along with my bullshit rants about my own past/present/future and a profound love of music, you can also count on Mustard Relics for your gun safe needs. I do own several guns, mostly in anticipation of the inevitable zombie apocalypse, so a gun safe might be warranted, especially with grandkids around and the high crime rate here in the middle of nowhere (somebody might steal my shit). I wondered though if I could trade an ad for a gun safe big enough to put my records in, now that would make sense.

Babes In Toyland hit the scene in 1989 with this their first single and at that time I was not impressed.  I was too busy with the advent of power violence and grindcore.  The guys who were involved with the college radio station were though if memory serves.  I got this 7" not to long ago, and listening to it now, I think it rocks the fuck out.  The rambling style on the first tune, takes you for a ride while the dirge of a second tune, leaves you wanting to lean back and listen.  Wiki sez they were associated with the Riot Grrrl thing, but that "Babes in Toyland never associated themselves with the movement" (that made for an interesting tangent, I'd heard of Riot Grrrl but never looked into it...interesting).  In case you didn't know, good music can be performed by women and/or men.  Pretty fat sound for a three piece, I'm always impressed by that... Dust Cake Boy Spit To See The Shine

...a sweet live version of that first tune from a must see documentary (1991 The Year That Punk Broke)... [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y6NHbiWbps&w=420&h=315]

I guess front-woman Kat Bjelland went on to be in another band that had several releases called Katastrophy Wife...in the words of some utube commentator "more intense insane screams from the rockin' Kat Bjelland." [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djzIz0zE8fE&w=790&h=596]

Destroy Nate Allen - With Our Powers Combined CD

Another review for ya, this time outta Portland.  Still waiting for the disc to come in the mail for the "official" review but I dig this one enough to get the ball rolling.  This is what they have to say for themselves... Hi. My name's Nate. My wife Tessa and I play in Portland, OR (USA) based interactive, sing-a-long, folk punk duo Destroy Nate Allen. I came across your site via your Underlings post. I was wondering if you would be interested in reviewing our new full length album, With Our Powers Combined, for Mustard Relics? With Our Powers Combined features Gnarboots (Asian Man Records) as our backing band and is a dangerously catchy, high energy doses of honest, theatrical big band rock n' roll guaranteed to leave you full of smiles, excitement and contagious joy. Below is the information about our release: Musical Treats:

Stream / Download / Share the single: "We Talk Occasionally On The Internet"

Full Album Stream (for review only):  With Our Powers Combined

About With Our Powers Combined:

Since 2007, married couple Nate and Tessa Allen joined forces as "Destroy Nate Allen" an interactive, sing-a-long, folk punk band. In these five years, they have set foot in forty-eight states, released six full length albums, and played over 700 shows. Their process has allowed them to do (almost) everything in their power to show people a good time with simply two voices and a guitar.

Destroy Nate Allen decided to try something different for their seventh full length, With Our Powers Combined. They asked Gnarboots (Asian Man Records: former members of Link 80 + Shinobu) to add a full band dose of crazy - and it worked!

With Our Powers Combined features DNA’s fun captured in a whole new and stunning form. The album was fan funded via kickstarter album pre-orders, and was then recorded to 2” tape by Jack Shirley (Comadre) at The Atomic Garden (Classics of Love, Joyce Manor, Broadway Calls).

“We have a blast traveling together and playing rock n’ roll, but we’ve had trouble capturing our live energy so we asked our friends for help,” stated Nate. “We flew to the Bay Area and tracked fifteen songs in three days. We were able bring in a horn section (SKA!!!!) to pull off wild concepts that went beyond the scope of our traditional stripped down approach. We are proud of the album and we can’t wait to show everyone!”

Destroy Nate Allen plan to be on tour the better part of 2012 supporting the release. They’ll probably be in your town soon. You can pre-order the full length on destroynateallen.com. - Jeremiah Hayden & Garrett Potter

Album Cover and Press Photo:

www.destroynateallen.com/press

Tour Dates:

www.destroynateallen.com/shows

Links:

http://destroynateallen.com

http://facebook.com/destroynateallen

http://twitter/dstrynateallen

http://highendurancerecords.com

I don't know what else to say Nate's done a good job giving you the lowdown, but being the virtual blabbermouth that I am, just gotta say something.  Punk snottiness is oozing out of every nostril on this one.  Nate's vocals remind me of Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes, while Tessa's remind me of Alice Bag...quite the duo.  The music is not complex but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable, in fact it gives you more aural energy to get down with the comedy you get in the lyrics.  I get the feeling this pair would be a barrel of laughs to hang out with.  Had a tough time picking out just a few for sampling but I'd say these are my faves.  The "hit" is obviously "We Talk Occasionally On The Internet" as it should be.  I love the organ accompaniment, but the lyrics are just perfect.  How many friends do I have that I used to do all kinds of shit with and now the miles that separate limit contact to the phone or the internet.  Or many are out there that I consider friends but all we've ever done is communicate through the internet.   Anyway, give this a listen, see if you can pick it up and check the tour dates to see if maybe you can't see these two live. Chick Flick We Talk Occassionally On The Internet I Need To Know

 

The Thunder Gods - 2 7"s

A movie I meant to see but haven't (to see SLJ ploy his craft or maybe just to see Christina Ricci scantily clad)... My old bro Shawn took up where a previous post stepped off and kicked down with some more crucial "Paint It Black" covers... The Unseen - Paint It Black Anti Nowhere League - Paint It Black Another very cool cover by a band I might make half the topic of a post at some point,  courtesey of Shawn as well (do you remember the orignal,)... wesley willis fiasco - girls on film My friend Mindi from junior high was big time into Duran Duran as so many girls my age back then were in the mid 80s.  Must have been around 85 because I had my license, she asked if I would escort her to go see them as they were signing autographs at Licorice Pizza somewhere in the valley (Van Nuys?).  So we go there several hours early with me in my self imposed punk rockness and there are already hundreds of mostly teenage girls there.  We wait for probably 3 hours and by that time there is probably 1000 people and we are packed like sardines on the sidewalk.  It was suffocatingly uncomfortable, but anything for a friend right.  The band has supposedly arrived and the throng is apparently inching in the direction of the store.  All of a sudden Mindi says "we gotta get outta here, I can't breath".  Sure as shit she looks like hell, but I ask her "are you sure", I mean we've been waiting for hours and the band's here now.  She says that she's gotta get outta there, so I shove my way through the horde and make a path to daylight.  So in my life filled with woulda, coulda, shoulda...I almost got to meet Duran Duran ( a few years earlier at the same store I got to meet Motorhead, but I think I've shared that before). A Rudimentary Peni trucker's hat I saw on ebay...you know you want one.  I have that image tattooed inside my bicep and now it's in this form.  I hope at least the band is getting royalties off this abomination.  Speaking of punk rock being bought and sold out, ran across this very early Clash (their first?) demo from Polydor Studios, London, December 1976, that I thought I'd share...great stuff Career Opportunities White Riot Janie Jones London's Burning 1977

 

Speaking of that early style of snotty punk rock-ness, got this little gem no too long ago. There is this one seller on ebay (obviously a record store owner from the western New York area) that sells a variety of 7"ers, the starting bids are always $.50, and he combines dirt cheap shipping. I pick up probably around 20 records a month from him and in general I limit myself to $3 bucks for each record. I figure unless something is highly collectible or you've heard of it/must have it, 3 bucks is what a mystery buy is worth. Got this one for $.50 so I figure I scored even if it sucked.  This does not suck though.  Released 20 years after that Clash demo and it's got that same raw punky enthusiasm.  This trio from Rochester, NY has some well written, catchy tunes with a rough edge to 'em....pogo-able. Soul Crusher On My Mind (Like An Aneurysm)

 

More of the same here, I think this one (1994) came before the one up there (1995).

 

Who Cares? You Better Learn To Like It

...searched high and low for more downloadable stuff from these guys (this is their first 7" of two others and an LP...the band was very short lived actually) but came up with very little I think these are all from the LP, more good stuff...

She's Better Dead Skeleton Boy Your Skull

 

Cocteau Twins - Live 1982

Courtesy of my old bro Sang...a voice like this is not only a gift but a treasure.  These early clips of this out of this world band blow me away...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpEnWKfEHl0&w=420&h=315]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc9kxgZeSf4&w=420&h=315]

Strange Country - various artists CD

We've already established that I'm a little burnt out, maybe not so much so that in conversation with a person they aren't saying to themselves "damn this guy's a really burnt out". But memories are an odd thing, when I try to dig them up, it's easy to find the worst 10 or so, they haunt me, but those casual everyday events, all the good times escape me. Most of my memories though include me drinking, doing drugs or some combination of the two, invariably part of the reason I've forgotten so many events (they were burnt up), and then doing something else.  So get high and drunk and go to a concert, get high and drunk go to a party or get high and drunk and do whatever.  Wish I had more than that. My buddy Bjorn kicked down another Pilleemandjoonks tune from their live set the did back in 2005...love this band... Pillemandjoonks - This Town

Traffic jams here in Northwest Kansas usually are the result of some agricultural piece of equipment, some farmer/rancher tooling along (moseying) in his pickup truck or some grandma too scared to go over 40 in her town car. Being a born and raised city jerk, these types of scenarios at times can lead to road rage. I'm not a speed demon or anything, it's just that I think all vehicles should go the posted speed limit. If it says 65 and we all go 65 things should proceed in an orderly fashion and we should arrive at our destinations safe and sound, and in a reasonable amount of time. The other day I was redeemed. I was in Hays a town that can probably pat itself on the back and say that it is no longer a big town, but is a very small city. It's where we go for supplies every pay day weekend. Anyway so I find myself behind a few vehicles behind a farmer in a truck going 20 in a 35 zone. The two cars in front of my are enraged trying to pass this guy and finally after a couple of miles are able to do so as it goes from one to two lanes. I've had the luxury of being behind the people with the road rage this time so rather than being enraged myself I've been entertained. I casually pass the guy thinking he's either damn rude or totally clueless, but this time no sweat off my back. Sure enough though as I'm watching him in my rear view mirror, sort of in awe of how slow he's driving through the middle of town, and a cop pulls him over. I thought to myself finally, after all those times of being stuck behind someone, they finally get pulled over for being too slow.

The title says it all here and pretty much sold me on buying it in the first place. Pick out any synonym for strange (hold on I'll do it for you)... aberrant, abnormal, astonishing, astounding, atypical, bizarre, curious, different, eccentric, erratic, exceptional, extraordinary, fantastic, far-out, funny, idiosyncratic, ignorant, inexperienced, irregular, marvelous, mystifying, new, newfangled, odd, oddball, off, offbeat, out-of-the-way, outlandish, peculiar, perplexing, quaint, queer, rare, remarkable, singular, unaccountable, unaccustomed, uncanny, uncommon, unheard of, unseasoned, unusual, weird, wonderful ...this is what you get as far as these tunes. They're all country, although it's a stretch in some places, twangy...yes, hokey...yes, storytelling ballads...yes. But this is nothing like the lameass pop country you get today. The newer tunes don't feel out of place either with the few classic artists represented. You really should listen to the likes of Porter Wagoner, Johnny Cash (a live tune even), Willie Nelson and the maestro Hank Williams Sr, but take a few minutes to give those unknowns (to me) a listen to like Calexico, the Handsome Family and Smog. There's even a Sparklehorse (you can find other stuff of theirs around here) tune. Apparently there is a series of these compilations, the other one that comes to mind is "Strange Folk", which I wouldn't mind having.  Anyway...all in all this is a great listen, so do just that, give it a listen. All the tunes

 

Calexico - Ballad of Cable Hogue The Handsome Family - So Much Wine Porter Wagoner - The Rubber Room Sparklehorse - Spirit Ditch Johnny Cash - The Long Black Veil [Live] Hank Williams - Ramblin' Man Just on a side note...this is one of those things that's still available and I've tried to stray away from posting stuff that you can still get new.  EDIT: I went ahead and deleted most of the tunes, the rest are for sampling...go out an buy the CD. In this day and age, with the collapse of Megaupload and the Gestapo tactics of Mediafire at the hands of our government and ultimately the Record Industry, sharing music is just plain risky. I've always though of this place as somewhere you can come to give stuff a listen and then go out and try to find your own copies, but it would be idealistic to think that's what's really going on. I've done the best I can to make this place our little secret, but not allowing it to be included in the search engines, so when you type "Strange Country" you aren't gonna end up here. Of course that's not enough to keep this place free of abuse but what can I do. I think of what I'm doing as something I did back in the 80's, everyone did, making compilation cassettes for my friends to listen to. I know when I got those cassettes, I would search out the bands that stuck out in my mind and buy their stuff. I never meant to take money out of a musician's pocket. So if you like this Strange Country thing, go out and get you a copy, Johnny Cash's kids might get a nickle for your trouble.

RIP Adam MCA Yauch

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvFcMu-AvZs&w=420&h=315] Thanx for 30+ years of tearing shit up, you will be missed.

Wild Fields - Manhattan Here We Come EP

Mentioned these guys (and gals) briefly in another post.  My buddy Bjorn (that I've never actually met) outta Sweden turned me onto them, his daughter is the singer.  Kinda cool how being a musician sometimes gets passed down to the next generation (my son has mental health problems, addiction and compassion for the innocent to look forward to).  Wild Fields is a departure for me as I would put them more in the pop, soft rock realm.  I don't explore music so much by genre as to it's inherent enjoyability these days though.  Good singing, good musicianship, and a good vibe, it's not all distortion and primal grunts anymore.  This music you listen to with your lady in a happy place, not by yourself lamenting your lot in life.  It's innocent and playful. The singer's voice reminds me a lot of Peggy Martinez from my Humboldt days with Drilling For Mom and Barking Dogma. I don't know how long they've been at it, but their newest release is just a few months old.  They have a Soundcloud, a Myspace, a Facebook, and a Youtube, so access to their music is definitely there. I wish them success, happiness and the opportunity to bring their music to more people. Here's a couple of tunes I ripped for you, but you can get all their music from the Soundcloud site... Where The Lights Shine Dirt On These Streets

...this one's my favorite, kind of a punk/power pop feel, reminds of the band X...

Major Failure

...a live tune... [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agl09ASVTz8&w=560&h=315]

Their first (of many?) official vid...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf-zsHehr3Q&w=560&h=315]