Violent Femmes - Le Enfantes du Rock n Roll

In the Fall of 1987 I found myself in my new home, the Sunset dorms at Humboldt State University.  I've talked about it here and there around the Relics, what it amounted to me that first year was a hell of a lot women, liquor, drugs and very little studying.  So much for my first foray into responsible adulthood.  If I could do it all over again, I would study a hell of a lot more and take my education more seriously.  Obviously that can't be done, but rather than be full of regrets, I can be satisfied with the fact that some of the best people I've ever met in my life was during that time and I got a different kind of education, for the purposes of this post, an education in music.  I was so confident in what I knew about music when I first got to Humboldt, but it was quickly evident I didn't know shit.  I met this girl named Linda, who I was very hot for, but long story short, we messed around for a little bit, but she eventually chose another guy over me, my close pal Jeremy.  In that little bit of time we did spend together she managed to blow me away with a band called the Violent Femmes.  I was this hardcore guy, so at first listen they seemed a little "faggy" to me, but it didn't take long for them to grow on me and realize that they had more balls than most of the bands I considered hard.  I could really relate to these guys.  Eventually I was listening to them all the time and to this day they remain one of my favorite bands.  God they have so much charisma and the song writing is just out of this world (and talk about unsung bass player, Brian Ritchie is a fucking beast.  Picked up this bootleg a while back, and if you think they're good in the studio, live they turn the knob up to 11.  So much fucking energy.  This is yet another instance where, instead of devoting so much of life to liquor and dope, I wish had taken a few minutes of my time, to hunt down these bands and see them live.  This here decent audience recording was of their first show in Rome, Italy long about 1983... Links gone, don't want to be pissin' anyone off (better to be pissed off than pissed on, unless you're into the shit). Here's a live vid from the same year...just a taste

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJUtlnn4KDg&w=560&h=315]

Joy Division - The Marble Index bootleg CD

Happy New Year imaginary audience. I can remember some really bad years, so even though this year wasn't particularly mind blowing, I am grateful. I don't put forth a lot of effort in life and am satisfied with pretty much taking what I can get. Shit happens sometimes that is out of our control, but I've found that the quality of life that you have is for the most part in your hands (short of being born into some crappy situation in life). This place is as good as it gets for me other than being happy for the family and friends around me. In 2014 I did manage to discover a few electronica related blogs that are worth of mention. I highly recommend you check out Electro Body Music and very much recommend Gorish. Other than that I suppose, a tall glass of sparkling soda and a wide cup of coffee to you all in 2015. Can't believe I've never posted any Joy Division, perfect for those moments of apathy and self-loathing. My buddy Dougie Grime turned me onto them in 1987, at the time he said that I looked like the singer. I really felt these guys back then wallowing in my own teenaged depression and nothing goes better with a dark mood than dark music. The epitome of post=punk and perhaps the first coldwave band???  If you don't know this band, then you should and this is a perfect place to start. Written on the jacket is, "unobtainable session tracks and live recordings" and I couldn't agree more.  The candle was burning at both ends for singer Ian Curtis, who of course hung himself in 1980, live fast die young baby.  Crank this puppy up, grab your favorite razor blade and start cutting designs into your flesh, live it up a little bit... Colony (Bbc Maida Vale Studios London 26.09.79) Komakino (Britannia Row Studios London 18.-30.03.80) As You Said (Incubation 2) (Britannia Row Studios London 18.-30.03.80) Shadowplay (Arrow Studios Manchester 03.-04.05.78) Interzone (Arrow Studios Manchester 03.-04.05.78) The Drawback (Arrow Studios Manchester 03.-04.05.78) Atmosphere (Cargo Studios Rochdale 10.-11.79) Dead Souls (Cargo Studios Rochdale 10.-11.79) Insight (Eden Studios London 04.03.79) Glass (Eden Studios London 04.03.79) Ice Age (Eden Studios London 04.03.79) She's Lost Control (Strawberry Studios Stockport 03.80) Ceremony (Tj Davidson's Rehearsal Studios Manchester 28.04.80) In A Lonely Place (Tj Davidson's Rehearsal Studios Manchester 28.04.80) Candidate (Pennine Sound Studios Oldham 04.06.79) The Only Mistake (Pennine Sound Studios Oldham 04.06.79) Chance (Atmosphere) (Pennine Sound Studios Oldham 04.06.79) Autosuggestion (Live In London 02.08.79) I Remember Nothing (Live In Bournemouth 02.11.79) Atrocity Exhibition (Live In Manchester 13.07.79, Wrong Date On Cover) EDIT:  The links are long gone, thanx to the copyright wars (I might be persuaded to upload to YT if asked).  Here's a cool live set...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnchmyoAm2E]

Movment - Broken Down CD

Been so preoccupied with my own release, practically locked up in a room, that I've neglected those occasional email from bands, requesting that I give their shit a spin. Listening to this band Movment, I was left kicking myself that I didn't give them a listen as soon as they hit me up and missed the release day for the CD, November 17th. Actually, it was Jack of the Distort the Scene label that served me up this sweet dish and when I wrote back I told him, "Movment take me back in their post-punk-ness to the 80s, ala Joy Division or maybe even Sonic Youth, without being some lame band trying to copy that vibe. A modern band that comes to mind is the Thermals (most specifically the tune "Never Listen To Me")." Coldwave? What a perfect band to break me into doing reviews again. Out of Mullingar, Ireland this is their bio from their WEBSITE, "Following a break of several years, Movment have created a collection of songs that contain all the elements of their previous musical incarnations while still including all that is good about modern rock music. On one level the songs use a simple set of instruments – Drums, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals. It also combines all the elements that make contemporary music’s fusion with technology so compelling. Raw, intense, engaging, and real, their alternative rock influenced sound is created with guitars, electronics, hard sounding rhythms and experiments with sound. Lineup: Martin Kelly – Vocals, Drums Kevin Kelly – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards Writing and recording music is much more involved now for artists. Movment use technology & instruments to produce their sound. Where this leads going forward, time will tell." The very first thing that struck me was the vocals. I don't know if it's his skill as a vocalist or the effects on the vocals...it's probably both, sort of a dreamy, murky quality, he pleads the listener. The music itself is fairly minimal, no freaky shit or unnecessary noodling, these guys focus their melodies and rhythms on being ultra catchy. Catchy in this sort of dark or brooding way, it's not depressing, but it's definitely not rainbows and unicorns. This is like the soundtrack to one of Shakespeare's tragedies. I like that it's just two guys too, three of them would be too much talent...hahaha. Seriously though, these guys tear up their instruments and I dig that there's "technology" in the mix, shit it's hard to believe it's just two minds at work here. The hit is the tune "Driven" I'm assuming, as that's the single, but all these songs are hits, there isn't a dud from beginning to end. As I said, this thing is released by Distort The Scene, so start there if you want to take my word for it that these guys definitely know what the fuck they're doing, but "digital copies of the album are in most online digital stores including iTunes, CD Baby, 7 Digital, and Amazon Music." Get the jump on it too my fellow Americans, because this isn't due to be released until 2015 in Europe.... You can listen to all the tunes at Soundcloud or Bandcamp...

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3936520520 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small] ..and because these guys mean business and really have their shit together, they have a killer vid for the tune "Driven"...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02nJCNLJStg&w=420&h=315]

Heroic Struggles - I'm Life

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBGMbjgD6TU&w=560&h=315] I may have posted this vid in the form of a Youtube link, but it has since died or been removed. I take a holistic approach (sometimes linear) and as is often the case, have come full circle. I love this song and the whole vibe, everything about it just screams LA post-punk of the absolute finest. Back then I was in the habit of recording random videos that I'd run across and being so stoked when I got this one. It satisfied my inner self pitying new waver. It's Heroic Struggles doing "I'm Life" (I think that's the title of the tune, from what Peter Ivers says at the beginning) and as far as I can tell this was a short lived project that morphed into the band Outer Circle. The guy at Systems of Romance has their self titled 12" up for your listening pleasure and the comments are worth reading to get a little intel on the band. It's some far out stuff, unfortunately their next release is more polished and not weird enough for me. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUOEjyPFrmo&w=560&h=315] If you're into this kind of stuff check out this extensive homemade LA post-punk comp at Scavenged Luxury. On a side note, the vid is from New Wave Theatre, which was a cable access show that played back in the early 80's, hosted by a very interesting guy, Peter Ivers

Unter Den Linden - The Lost Tapes

My buddy Bjorn did me a solid (not the first time either), because he knows I really dig his old band Unter Den Linden, and set me up with their "Lost Tapes". We've done UDL before HERE, along with his current band Pilleemandjoonks. PDJ, Who are very much worth mentioning, as I put it previously, "some pretty modern almost poppy stuff that is really soulful and I’m a sucker for anything that’s got a saxophone in it." Here's a couple of the most recent tunes from them... "Krigaren" [audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Krigaren-Pilleemandjoonks.mp3"][/audio] "Lynch, David" [audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Lynch-David-Pilleemandjoonks.mp3"][/audio] I really like Bjorn's voice in both PDJ an UDL.  If you haven't heard of Unter Den Linden and you refuse to go to that previous post, as Peter at KBD put it in his posting of their Motstand i lader 7", "One of the best swedish HC bands ever. Way underrated or maybe just forgotten because they refused to wear the punk “uniform”?" This time around we have a nice selection of live stuff from the almost 5 years the original band was around, there's two hardcore styled tunes (tracks 4 and 6), the rest are mostly post-punk-ish, Joy Division-esque (a band I have read them compared to) type stuff.  But this is not Joy Division, they were contemporaries, and there was this sound back in the early 80s that bands are still trying to duplicate.  I asked Bjorn to give me a lowdown on the recordings... * Att döda ett barn (to kill a child) From May 24 1980 ,Malmö our 7th show * Vända inåt ( Introvert) same as above * Arabenrein ver 1 and Crim Passionell From Nov. 26 1982 Tvärreds Bygdegård (far out in the bush). These songs are unique. We played them only once except for that we made a new arr. of arabenrein for our second album (Utom våra liv; Except for our Lives) *Acceleration + The radiator from Apr 8 Club Zig-zag; Lund * Starfighters + Kicks from March 2 1985 K.O.B Berlin Germany. one of our last shows. We played only 5 or 6 after this one. Then we broke up.

The first two tunes are these long jams, that do not bore, and for not being around for a long time at that point, the band is really together, these guys aren't weak on their instruments.  I'm not usually a long song guy, but I think these two are my favorite on the whole tape.  All the songs rip though on here and, as I said, if you're more of a hardcore type guy, check out tracks 4 and 6.  All in all a very enjoyable tape...

Kickar Starfighters Radiatorn Acceleration (Lund) Crim Passionell Arabenrein ver 1 Vända Inåt Att döda ett barn

Classic Ruins / Throwing Muses split flexi 7"

Not sure if I'm repeating myself, but fuck it if I am...nothing wrong with saying the same thing twice. Back in the 90's when Seinfeld was airing, fresh and new, I would watch it every week like clockwork, planning my night around it. My wife at the time encouraged it. There was 3 sometimes 4, of us blue collar guys who would get together on Thursday nights (I believe it was), to watch it.  Pretty much the same routine every week. We would arrive at one guys house early in the evening, have a couple of your finer type beers (Sierra Nevada was one) and get stoned, usually Mexican dirt weed. Then we'd go out to eat at any one of a number of restaurants/breweries in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. A couple more beers and bellies full with some decent chow, we'd head back to my buddy's house. Another joint and some ice cream, we were ready for Seinfeld at 9. Everything's funnier when you're stoned, but that show was so well written that even in my later sober days, I still found it funnier than all get out. My current wife (and last, I'm done if this one doesn't work out), is a big fan of Seinfeld and I think the both of us have seen every episode many many times.  I just love how the story was woven together, never political, but always making a social statement.  A lot of people I know disagree, and that's okay.  The episode above was hilarious...wonder if Michael Richards will outlive his racist tirade. Looking backwards again, this time a little further, this record is solidly a part of my college experience.  I had a blast in college, maybe too much so, if I had to do it over again, I'd have partied less and studied more, oh well.  But... So wonderful being exposed to  and making lifelong friends with characters from all over the state and even the country.  Music was a huge part of that experience.  My Bro Sang, in particular, turned me onto all kinds of cool tunes.  The Throwing Muses "Fish" would be a prime example of one of his magnificent suggestions.  Just got this flexi, (paid way to much for it actually), which is the TMs first release according to the sources I checked.  It came with the Great Recipes for Hard Times #2, a Boston fanzine  from Oct. 1986.  It's a split, with the 1st band being Classic Ruins doing "How Do You Know?", a tune originally by a band called the Lyres (I know nothing about them), and I'll be damned if that isn't a pretty killer tune in itself.  Kind of a Johnny Cash-esque vibe.  The TMs tune, I already knew I loved, with it's dual vocal harmonies, poetic lyrics, treble-y guitar and military drum beat.  My prayers were answered though, when I listened to it, and it turns out it's different version from the one I was familiar with.

"Have a fish nailed To a cross On my apartment wall It sings to me with glassy eyes And quotes from Kafka It sings to me An eel is squirming on my couch He’s talking up a storm I’m laughing at his face He slithers down across the floor I’m laughing I Have a man It follows my hips with his hands Don’t worry (I’m laughing) Dance in the road (I have a man) And it explodes (It follows my lips with his melting eyes) Don’t worry Dance in the road Fellow turns a fishy eye from the counter I feel at his hand Stalking in the grey The girl behind the counter Sees a fin (school) An eel slithers to the chalkboard It writes 1 plus 1 plus 2 plus 3 plus 4 plus 5 plus 6 plus 6 plus 6 plus 6 plus 6 plus 6 Don’t worry Dance in the road And it explodes Don’t worry Dance in the road The house is reeling I’m kneeling by the tub Lonely is as lonely does Lonely is an eyesore The feeling describes itself I Have a man It follows my hips with his hands I’m laughing At a man It follows my lips with his melting eyes Don’t worry Dance in the road And it explodes Don’t worry Dance in the road Eye... I’m painting his eye in the middle of the floor Fish is frozen in my living room Stares out of a block of ice With one melting eye... eye... eye... (Whoo!) Aced it Sick"

One of the most beautiful songs ever written.  It's a flexi so not the best quality, but my rips aren't audiophile style anyway.  Give it a listen.  Good stuff Maynard...

Classic Ruins - How Do You Know? Throwing Muses - Fish The version of "Fish" that I had been listening to for all these years, was from the 4AD Records compilation called Lonely Is An Eyesore (the title of which is from a lyric in "Fish").  Not sure if it's still in print or not, well worth picking up as there is all kinds of great songs on it, but you can listen to it a place called Urban Aspirines. Here's that version... Fish Another equally good comp, Doctor Death's Volume 1, has yet another version of the song (this may actually be the same as the one on the flexi...you be the judge). Have a feeling this one is way out of print, so find yourself a used copy or give it a listen at a pretty killer blog called Systems of Romance. Let me know if you think it's the same version as on the flexi... Fish

The Underlings - Vice Squad 7"

EDIT: Had this tucked away in another post (back when I would make these gigantic ungainly rambling dinosaur posts) and decided to give it, it's proper place as a post of it's own...it's that fucking good...it is. Well my man, "Dead" Ed Cole outdid himself, yet again, and sent me the lastest output from his band The Underlings, their "Vice Squad" 7". No finer way to a music lover's heart than to send him vinyl, you guys who have done that for me know that (thanks again guys). Now I posted The Underlings a while back in the form of their, Operational Excellence cd and that is some pretty damn good stuff, but this 7" takes it to a whole other level. The cover art is on fucking fire, I stole that scan from the artist, Sean Aaberg, at his Flickr. Marbled purple wax, beautiful, with an insert. But the music, damn. What you get is one unbelievable catchy, slower one, with two kinda speedy punk things, borderering on hardcore. This is a must have for you guys and it was put out by another old Humboldt buddy, James "the Beast" Forbes (I made the Beast part up because he is such a stud), on his own Meth Bog Records. I think you can get it from that site or definitely directly from him, checks/money orders to J Forbes, $5.50 ppd at 515 Silva Ave., Eureka, Ca. 95503. I'll give you one tune, which was tough to pick just one, but I really want this thing to sell the fuck out. Check the catchy, slower one, The Underlings - Vice Squad http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2095380033/size=medium/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/

Nonagon - The Last Hyrdronaut EP

It's time for some Nonagon again...visited with them March of last year with their People Live Everywhere EP. Back then I had this to say, "These guys don’t fuck around when it comes to their music and play their instruments like they go to sleep with them every night. The music is furious but it’s not angry at all." I stand by those statements and second them on this latest release, it seems like they've spent some time sharpening their blades. He's the blurb from their page, "Nonagon is a raucous, three-piece, music concern from Chicago that’s been playing together since the early-to-mid aughts. We play a collection of loud, short songs with varied time signatures and unconventional hooks." It goes on to say, "We occasionally find ourselves compared to the likes of Fugazi, Jawbox, Naked Raygun, Drive Like Jehu, The Jesus Lizard, etc… all of which is deeply flattering but makes some sense given our influences and vintage." I've never met John (Vox, Guitar), who has been my contact for the band these two times, but I have tremendous respect for him, the band and the label. He sent me a note in between albums talking about this new label that they and another band, The Austerity Program (whom I have yet to hear) had come up with, Controlled Burn Records, as the label they were, Hydra Head, on went kaput. Shouldering that burden to further your creative output is commendable. Speaking of commendable, this EP is a masterpiece, in everything except it's not long enough.  This is proof again that the Midwest (Chicago) is on fucking fire musically. Let's begin at my usual starting point, I'll be damned if we don't have another killer piece of art for a cover, at the hands of Robert (Bass, Vox).  It's almost as though it's telling you that the music is that of a doomed man.  The band though is not doomed, they are very much alive and kicking.  Kicking hard like Tony's (Drums) bass drum, that shit is all over the place.  I've had drummers tell me that when checking out other drummers, the first thing they do is see what their doing with their kick...Tony knows how to use his kick.  Robert's right there with him on the bass, noodling up and down those fat ass strings, making fat ass sound.  As far as John, I can't tell what I like better his guitar or his voice, lets just call it a toss up.  He knows the perfect times to either play a chord or pluck a sting and even though the music isn't hyper fast grindcore/power violence, he is playing a hell of a lot of notes.  I just love the vocals, like I said before, not angry, more pleading, like a man making his peace before getting eaten by sharks. You can catch these guys at their Web Site, their Facebook, or their Bandcamp. I believe the album is already available digitally, but you can pre-order, for a 10/22 release, at their label Controlled Burn Records. My absolute favorite tune, John really belts it out, is called "Elvis"... [audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Nonagon-The-Last-Hydronaut-04-Elvis.mp3"][/audio]

...a couple more via Soundcloud...

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/110844842" params="" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/112298375" params="" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

Melt Banana - Fetch LP

It looks like one of my absolute favorite bands, Melt-Banana, are coming out with a new record October 1st.  Was a little concerned when I heard the concept, just Yako (Vox) and Agata (Guitars) on this one, no Rika (Bass) (all the reading I did on this thing came up with no answers as to what happened to her) and no one playing drums.  This is something akin to the previous album with just Yako and Agata as Melt-Banana Lite.  I'm one who has a hard time accepting change, especially when it comes to an incarnation I was totally content with and the band has struck out in new territory here.  Yako's voice is still very recognizable and Agata's sound is still there somewhat, with the addition of heavy synth type noodlings and drum machine mayhem.  Overall, I'd say that this is a little more catchy than most of their stuff and isn't quite so balls to the wall, but that doesn't mean they don't get loose though.  As with anything compose by these two, they are heavy on the originality.  You can stream the whole album at Spin Magazine, of all places.  As I said this thing becomes a physical entity on October 1st, a good starting place to get it would be at their label, A-Zap, but you may want to wait a bit for it to hit distributors a little closer to home.  They are supporting this with a US tour, check out the dates at Revolver USA. Below is the taste they gave the world prior to the Spin thing...

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/109110803" params="" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

Post Honeymoon - Second Skin LP/CD

Got this in my inbox a while back and even though they never responded to my email (I get that a lot, must be a part of being me thing), still thought this band was well worth sharing.  One thing that's nice about doing these reviews is getting exposed to music in areas I normally wouldn't explore and getting turned onto to talented folks all over the world. Post Honeymoon are a duo out of Chicago and for just being two people, keys and percussion essentially, they have a very sophisticated sound, that right from the getgo is very infectious.  Here's the PR, "On sophomore record, Second Skin, the married pair eschew guitars in favor of hip-hop and dub arrangements that swirl seamlessly with Rachel’s keyboard chops and Nick Cave-esque vocals and Nick’s monster hits of the kit. Think Hammond organ, Clavichord and Melotron over Timbaland-meets-James Murphy MPC grooves, steered by primal drumming." I could really leave it at that, that's a hell of a good description and paints a beautiful picture of what's going on here, but I can't stop there, I like the sound of my own voice too much.  Speaking of voices, Rachel's vocals sound kinda like a mix of Siouxsie and Fionna Apple (If you don't like her shame on you), of course with a twist...almost lounge-like, or cabaret, in a Billy Holiday kind of way.  Sometimes with bands, lyrically you feel like the words just arbitrary, and you're better off just listening to the sound of a persons voice, which in this case you could do with how good Rachel's voice is, but the words here are important and add a whole dimension's worth of depth.   Rachel's keys, or synth or whatever, are all over the place, she uses a wide range of sounds and melodies that sometimes are danceable, other times take you away on a trip or you're just left pondering and reflecting.  Nicks drumming (does he do the drum machine parts too or is it one of those earl 80's electronic drum kits), is absolutely perfect, it provides the ground from which the flower springs forth and blossoms.  His rhythms are all over the place too, stylistically he seems to be able to set whatever mood he pleases.  The overall music could best be describes as eerie. like a jazz funeral, but not depressing.  As I implied though, the songs do not all sound the same , there is some variety here that keeps things really interesting.  One of my favorites is this hip hoppy one that they both sing on... http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3668319012/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/t=7/transparent=true/ Their release says, "for fans of: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sharon Van Etten, the Kills, Metric, Nick Cave, Grimes, Local Natives, Austra, Bat for Lashes, Anika." Can you here that in this tune?  Not familiar with some of those acts, but of the ones I do know, I like PH a hell of a lot more. They are on an even par with Nick Cave and that's saying a lot when you consider a vet like Cave.  This is a band that probably with the right exposure, could be big in the charts type of scene, but they're different enough to stay out of the pop circles.  They have a decent amount of web presence with an aptly named website, Post Honeymoon, and also have a Facebook, Twitter, and a Tumblr. The album is chock full of great songs, there isn't a bad one on the whole thing, a rarity that. Give it a listen... http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3668319012/size=medium/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/

[vimeo 72009767 w=500 h=281]

Post Honeymoon - Kid With a Gun (Official Video) from Post Honeymoon on Vimeo.

The Creatures - Miss the Girl 7"

Don't think I've been that angry since I used to have my drink on.  Surprised I didn't get my ass kicked more often...I really deserved it, it's like they say...stupidity should be painful.

My Gramps sent me a couple of jokes (it just tickles me that he uses email)...

It was mealtime during an airline flight. 'Would you like dinner?' , the flight attendant asked John, seated in front, 'What are my choices?' John asked. 'Yes or no,' she replied.

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ' Do these turkeys get any bigger?' The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead...'

Didn't get into the Creatures (Siouxsie and drummer Budgie) until a few years after I got into Siouxsie and the Banshees in the mid 80's. There was this girl named Anna who was a long time LA punk scenester (she dated Rene from the Iconoclast and one of the older brother crowd of punks from my high school, Norman) and I will forever be thankful for her getting me into Siouxsie and the Mob (UK). She was over 21 so it was real common for us high school punks to go over to her apartment to hang out and drink beer. Great person, I wish I was still in touch with her and hope that whatever she is doing she is happy.  We've done S&tB at least once here at MR and I mentioned that one of the best shows I had ever been to, was seeing them in 1987 (I was in a complete and total state of awe, completely forgot about the hottie I was with...wonder what she's doing today too).   The Creatures first found their way in my speakers, around that time, buy way of another friend, this one from college, Dawn.  My fondest moments with Dawn (I had a long running crush on her) were cleaning her dorm room (that she shared with another long time friend, Cathy) in all hours of the night, with the assistance of some of the finest speed Humboldt had to offer.  Last I spoke to Dawn she was a lawyer in Washington DC while Clinton was president and told me she didn't blame Monica as he was a real stud.  Cathy I wore out my welcome with about 10 years ago when I was drinking REAL heavy, and would pull the classic drunk maneuver and call at all hours of the night to boo hoo about how miserable life was.  So sadly both those friends too are just memories and all I can do is hope that they found happiness in life.  Anyway Dawn was a huge Siouxsie fan (looked like her a little bit) and I dubbed a shit ton of S&tB stuff that she had, onto cassettes as a result (I have very few S&tB LPs, just a shit ton of 7"s).  Dawn suggested I look into the Creatures and I quickly found their "Feast" album used at People's Records there in Arcata.  Very tribal sounding stuff, as you would expect with music centered around drums and vocals.  Budgie is an eclectic drummer, while Siouxsie is a dreamy singer so it works well. Pretty much what you get though is a more artsy S&tB. Miss the Girl Hot Springs in the Snow

 

The Creatures with John Cale.. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE3kOFu3a00&w=420&h=315]

Real old (77-8?) S&tB shit... [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo4B-WrsDoM&w=420&h=315]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO70K6yx8zo&w=420&h=315]

Iowa Beef Experience - Jubilix 7"

Got busy with the Holidays, specifically Xmas so it's been quiet at the Relics.  Got my son here, getting to spend our first Christmas together in 10 years (we spend summers together).  He wanted a white Christmas, which ended up happening in a light spitting kinda way, but on the Wednesday before, we had a blizzard so there was a good deal of snow on the ground.  He keeps me up to date with the rap/hip-hop scene as that's his musical direction although I caught him singing a Frank Sinatra tune, which goes to show that he likes a mixed bag like his old man. Don't know what movie this is, wish I did, but damn they can do some things with CGI. I know a lot of people hate the whole computer animation thing.  Really appreciate all forms of special effects and/or animation, it's art right? With the Christmas you get bombarded with shit tons of "classics", but of note is all those old killer stop/action animation movies.  Love that stuff and not just because of reminding me of my childhood, but I can just groove to the skill and artistry. Another one of those ones added to the fold, solely for the artwork, not ever having heard of the band. Talk about Rosie the Rivetter. I can't begin to repeat myself enough when I talk about how important cover art is to a record.  You could tack this to the wall, never listen to the record and get enjoyment out of it.  In this case the wax doesn't disappoint either, AmRep, Touch & Go worship to the extreme.  A Killdozer meets Jesus Lizard-ish vibe was my first thought.  This is where punk ended up for those who never lost the ability to be snotty and noisy.  There is a Steve Albini connection and this was released on Sympathy For the Record Industry in 1991...it's all there set in it's setting...hahaha.  Their album Personalien is really good, maybe better than these two tunes.  I had a link to it on some now dead blog but the link is gone, as well it should (I suppose) as you can support the band (I assume) by getting it from iTunes (the Tao of music industry these days). The two tunes on this 7" aren't there for now so here they are, for now. Jubilix Nitro Burning Funny Cow

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19c6A5REddY&w=420&h=315]

For shit's and grins, found their first 7" on the fucking tube as well... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqUOJdDU5PY]

The B-52s - Studio Jam bootleg CD

Was fooled by THIS VIDEO, thumbs up to the CGI masters, so I had to find the real Bruce Lee again. God I was such a fan of his growing up, even though he'd been dead for a few years before I ever saw one of his flicks.  My buddy Kevin Amos and I used to "train" together as kids, hand to hand, nunchuka, sword, staff, whatever.  They were showing other Chinese stuff on what was called Kung Fu Theater, classics like "Master of the Flying Guillotine" and "The One Armed Boxer".  Go figure that these days two of my favorite actors are Jet Li and Jackie Chan. The flick they did together The Forbidden Kingdom was masterful and the fight scene that features them pitted against each other is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The white kid (whose probably 30) did a great job.  I should have been the white (err, mutt) kid in that. My buddy over at Fugitive Equilibrium, mentioned him and his place several times over the years, a master of the written word and a living database for extreme music, always has something going on.  Another one of the few bloggers left, check my blogroll if you don't believe me.  FE is the real deal though and has been the cause for several purchases of my own.  I've had this one tagged to mention for some time now, so it's one of his older posts, but never-the-less an over-the-top piece of ear candy. This time around he takes u on a journey to a band called Subsistencia. Take a minute to marvel at the fabric of woven words he has in homage to the band. Then just to give you a taste here, you can get the whole thing there... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2OdJ38rcIg] This here was just one of those things that had to be done. Everywhere you go the link is dead, there was a copy originally at Viva Les Bootlegs, an invaluable site, but the links are dead. What good is art if can't be experienced.  There is a "vid" on utube that has the whole recording HERE thanx to Viacobra23, but my program for ripping off of utube would not work. Would have been a bummer anyway because I would have had to convert, edit and tag it anyway. So I contacted said utuber and we got something worked out. This is one of the best live recordings ever of a one of kind band, long before they got too popped out and got lost in a sea of bad music.  Did my 52's schtick, a while back, but wanted to add that I lost interest in what the band was doing in probably about 1984 or so...they had become so poppily-polished that the rawness that attracted me to them in the first place was completely gone. This is an utterly out-fucking-standing recording of the band pretty early on in the game (1978?). Go to Viva Les bootlegs to get more info in the post and comments, plus they have several other B-52's bootlegs (and a shit ton of other stuff, if the links aren't dead, but you can request re-ups I assume). Planet Claire 52 Girls 6060-842 Devil In My Car Hero Worship Lava Running Around Dance This Mess Around Rock Lobster Private Idaho Strobe Light [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcGO_E3IWcY] Here's a very early vid (1978)... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UabP68g6cm8]

Joe 4 - Enola Gay 10"

Got this one in the mail clear from Zagreb, Croatia (it went DHL to some sorting center in Wichita, Kansas and then here by way of USPS...in other words it's traveled more than I have). Cool as all get out that Josip (one of the band members) sent this beauty to me.  10" oddness, cool ass graphics, a trippy poster, a digital download code (as seems to be the standard these days), rock solid tunes on what appears to be a little thicker vinyl than usual (not quite 180g) and only 250 of these gems made.  Josip sent me their BIO, conveniently in PDF format. Apparently this thing has connections all over the place...a Croatian band, on a label out of Luxemborg (Whosbrain Records), mixed in San Francisco and mastered in Chicago. Music wise this struck me right away as something that could very well have been released on Touch & Go or Amphetamine Reptile. In their bio they're compared Jesus Lizard, Janitor Joe (I've got them cued to post in the near future), Shellac, Tar (gonna post them too), and Johnboy. The bio goes on to say, "Songs emphasize the percussion and rhythm while guitar and bass lines are braided within and around the lock-step drumming and tortured/drill-sergeant vocals are sardonically delivered over the resulting melee. Lyrically, the songs deal with the impulsive nature of the individual and are concisely worded as repetitive haiku poetry." I don't think I can say it any better than that, and I would have never in my life found a way to insert the word "haiku" (Japanese syllabic poetry) and make it work. All I know (in a euphemistic way) is that I dug these guys from the get go. It's compelling music with a jazz sophistication and really 10"s is not enough. At under 20 minutes Enola Gay leaves you wondering what's next up their sleeves, but I guess that's going to be a wait and see kinda thing. My bet is that these guys are going to be releasing some more stuff, based on the momentum they've defined with these 5 tunes. My understanding is that the best place to get this thing from these guys is at their Bandcamp, available on vinyl or cd and as I said comes with a digital download. I usually like to post up something live from utoob, just to give you that live vibe, but according to Josip, "We are not really handsome guys, so we avoid being filmed or documented on photos too!" Gotta dig that (reminds me of when I got shit faced one night and joined a biker club called the UMF, the Ugly Mother Fuckers, but that's another story). Anyway, one of my favorite tunes (they're ALL good)... His Profile

...and something different this time, I'm embedding the Bandcamp player so you can listen to the whole thing, right here at the Relics

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=3290264392/size=grande/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/

The Shirks - Cry Cry Cry 7"

Another one that I got from Alex over at Grave Mistake Records.  I strongly encourage to go over to that place, he's got a shit load of a wide variety of music and the prices would make even the most miserly happy.  He sent me about 6 records, the first two I listened to, I loved and posted, but the second two did nothing for me.  I don't want to review something I don't dig.  I figure a group of guys gets together, practices regularly, probably plays shows, releases music and in general supports and celebrates the creative process.  I'm not going to fuck with that, the fact that I don't dig them could just be me and who am I to say they suck.  I do make exceptions of course and once in a while in a turrets tantrum will blurt out "THIS SUCKS", but that's usually reserved for music that is a part of the machine, not the DIY platform.  I've been in bands practicing in some shit hole, sweating away, trying to scrape cash together to release stuff and hoping that whoever is promoting a show might ask you to play...I respect that and am not going to take that away from anyone (and really what's my opinion worth).  (So with that my opinion) Anyway, long story short, The Shirks, most definitely DO NOT suck.  A relatively unassuming cover hides a rager of a band.  Having this record sent to me was like a gift from the music Gods and I would stack it up against anything I have in my collection representing 40+ years of music.  I asked Alex if he had any backround on em...

"i think they started maybe 5 or so years ago, cry cry cry is their 4th 7", they also have singles on BIG NECK, WINDIAN, and a self released one I believe. We are doing a 12" for them this fall! Frontman Al was in Rip-off Records band THE PROBLEMATICS and other members have logged time in various DC area bands over the years."

This band, I gotta say, rips shit apart.  The songs are catchy, like pop punk, but there's nothing pop about these guys.  This has that early punk feel with a hardcore garage edge.  I notice people saying this a lot in other reviews but this band may have an old vibe, but this stuff is fresh and is definitely brand spanking new.  They take an old sound, add their take on the subject and turn it up to "11".  The singer reminds me of someone New York-y, don't ask me who, but he shreds through the songs like nobody's business.  Snotty, but he doesn't take all day doing it, there's no time for that.  The rhythm section too feels like they're going a hundred miles an hour but you can hear every sweet chord change.  The record almost goes by too quick and leaves you ready for more.  SOLID!!!  You can read a really accurate review/description and pick this bad boy up from Grave Mistake records, HERE. In the meantime here's a taste... Cry Cry Cry

LIVE!!! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0G4qvJDh2c&w=420&h=315]

Death On The Radio - Death Rock 45 7"

Got this long anticipated piece of wax in the mail the other day (the lady who delivers the mail is a cousin, but I'm sure she gets sick and tired of me harassing her about packages).  I mentioned these guys/gal a while back in September of 2011 and I was already worshiping at their altar, prior to any proper release. I may be accused of bias, because as I mentioned back then, the bass player is an old junior high school buddy of mine, Lee Powers. But there is absolutely no bias, this band is rock fucking solid and they don't fuck around. I asked Lee to do a little write up... "Death on the Radio formed about a year ago back then we had a different guitar player and drummer they wanted to do something else so we parted ways ... Mary and I are the only members left from that incarnation we picked up Roger Delong for a Halloween show with the white trash debutantes and the fagz oc and we kept him cause he's got a great style that's all his own. After that show we picked up Danny Dorman on guitar( original bass player for Circle One , Wasted Youth and the Livingstons , still plays with aggression sometimes ) and thus the new Death on the Radio was formed. Our first show together was with the Mau Maus on New Years eve at the redwood bar in Downtown La, we had to play after them which was tough and great all at the same time. There is some video up on YouTube from that show and we did an interview with punk globe magazine that night and also an interview with 3 quick questions with Ian Missman." My buddy Mike beat me to the punch on reviewing this record over at his always awesome Strange Reaction. He's spot on with his review. The band seems to be pretty hot in LA right now from what I can tell (1500 miles away) and they no doubt deserve it, because these two tunes are like an ice coffee when it's 115 degrees outside. If you don't have a turntable (sadly most people don't, these are the days we live in) this record would be a reason to go out and fucking get one...seriously. To say that this band has a good singer is a profound understatement. Mary (Lee's wife) can do the hardcore hollering or the soulful singing. My first thought was of comparing her to Wendy O. who was an out of this world singer, but that would just conjure up images of boobies and whipped cream...that's not what Mary's about and I don't think you'd see Lee in a tutu (Ritchie Stotts). Maybe if you did some gene manipulation and you crossed Wendy O. with Pat Benatar with Joan Jet...yeah that sounds good.  With a singer like that who can really belt out the tunes, you have to have a band that can rock out on their own and they certainly do (I wanna sing for this band). Not sure where to put them, kind of a hard rockin, metal-y, post punk kind of thing. The simple fact is that the tunes keep you engaged from beginning to end with great verses and choruses that hook you right in. There's quite a few vids on youtube to select from including an early one with that first lineup Lee was talking about, along with a lady banging on the the timbales (kinda dug that). At this time the only way you can pick up this bad boy is by getting in touch with the band on their Facebook. For now, I tried something new and just ripped you shortened samples of the tunes to listen to, cuz I want this to sell the fuck out... Life On The Line Pleasure and Pain

...turns out they have live vids of both these tunes...

"Life On The Line"

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

"Pleasure and Pain"

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

Motocaster - The Buddha 7"

I was talking to an old buddy of mine the other day and it really hit me how sophisticated he is spirtually.  Not a complicated kind of sophistication or a dogmatic kind of organized religion type of thing, more of connection to the world around him.  I've struggled with that all my life, a feeling of disconnectedness.  As I've gotten older I think things make more sense and I've found my niche, but as Charles Manson said, "maybe I haven't done enough".  I have this uneasy feeling about where I stand in the world and with the world being what it is maybe I don't want any part of it.  I go through the motions with my rituals for experiencing the sacred, but sometimes, the temple comes crashing down.  Lots of little things become big things and then I end up despising the human race of which I am inescapably a part of.  What can bring me back down to earth is thoughts of the almost infinite vastness of the universe, and this world is just a speck.  And on this planet of over 6 billion people I, and everyone else individually, are just specks on that speck.  What goes on is really meaningless, unless I'm dead, I will still get up in the morning, inhale and exhale, and go on about my day.  Mustard Relics is my sanity, my ritual, my way of feeling connected. The Addams Family, one of my all time favorite shows as a kid...had a huge crush on Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones who was married to that idiot Aaron Spelling back in the 50's). About the time that the show was wrapping up in '66, one of the greatest songs ever written came out. The Stones did not fuck around when they wrote this one... The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black (Ready Steady Go - May 27, 1966) ...and sure as shit everybody and his brother has covered it.  Not sure if anyone ever came close to the original and some versions really suck balls, but these guys did something insane with it... The Animals - Paint It Black ...this live version would have been incredible to see as so many of the acts at the Monterey Pop Festival would have been... Eric Burdon and the Animals - Paint It Black (Monterey 1967) ...Eric Burdon must have really loved the tune, this is a 14 minute jam done with WAR... Eric Burdon and War - Paint It Black ...the definitive female punk rock version, maybe my favorite... The Avengers - Paint It Black ...the Las Vegas version... Chris Farlowe- Paint It Black ...in French... Marie Laforet - Paint It Black ...in Italian (very beautiful)... Caterina Caselli - Paint it Black ...what do you want, I like Ministry ever since they had Gibby from the Butthole Surfers do a song, they do good putting their spin on the tune... Ministry - Paint It Black ...I'm not a Marilyn Manson fan, but this is interesting (from "Repo the Genetic Opera", a flick I wanted to see but the wife vetoed)... Marilyn Manson - Paint It Black ...you go Blackie Lawless... W.A.S.P. - Paint it Black From 1993, outta Raliegh, NC where my boy is living, the first release from this short lived, under appreciated band.  The first tune just blows me away, a perfect song from begining to end, but unfortunately that's it.  The second one is a karaoke cover, too much like the original to be interesting and the third is a free love jam that is as uninteresting as the cover...a waste of vinyl really.  But that first tune, DAMN!

 

The Buddha Green Tambourine Motorolla Greens If you can try to find their only full length "Stay Loaded" it's supposed to be more of the kickass variety of sameness.  Couldn't find that for download when I did a quick search, but for some related stuff, including this 7" check out Wilfully Obscure. Here's the vid for the tune off the "Stay Loaded" LP (they were big enough to have made the MTV cut...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQfhVx4Zork&w=420&h=315]