WHAT FUCKED YOU?

Re-up: Mystery Guru:

2010-01-17T03:25:00.000-08:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED BACK ON APRIL 10, 2007
Here's a big treat for fans of Acid Mothers Temple. This is AMT-CD 001, a solo electric guitar improvisation from AMT leader, Makoto Kawabata. Two tracks are presented here, "Mai Sagarisi Negai" & "Amou No Shibuki". Both are excellent explorations in swelling drones, wild harmonics, and feedback frenzy...mind expanding stuff. This is an extremely RARE item...only 100 ever made (!) and likely never to be re-pressed.

ONCE MORE

Sweet Hearts:

2010-01-15T18:30:00.001-08:00

Sweet little ep from the short-lived, but highly influential foursome Tiger Trap. SOUR GRASS clocks in at only a little over the 12 minute mark but it could be some of the brightest 12 minutes of your morning.

Hey Jones, remember this one?

Ear~opener:

2010-01-12T04:43:00.001-08:00

Chances are if you are any kind of fan of jazz at all, then you are familiar with the name McCoy Tyner. Perhaps you are used to seeing his name listed as a sideman to one of the most illustrious quartets in all of jazz history. So you may have not followed his career path closely from the time that he left that sideman gig. Now is the time to correct that situation my friends with his mind blowing live album, ENLIGHTENMENT. If performance is the key word to a great live jazz album, then this one delivers in spades with pulse-shredding bass, gut-busting drumming, soul-shattering saxophone, and some of the most intense piano playing you'll ever hear! A lot has been written about spiritual jazz music and I won't get into all that here right now, but when listening to this record, it's not hard to imagine these four souls reaching a higher plane of cosmic intensity during these extended jams.

SAY WOW!

Lovin' The Night:

2010-01-12T04:13:00.001-08:00

Yep...this is the 1981 full-length debut by Motley Crue; without a doubt one of my favorite albums as a kid, but one that totally confused me, and still confounds me a bit to this day. When I was younger, most of the confusion stemmed from the title. I would ask my friends "Too Fast For Love? What does that mean?" (Hey, what can I say? I had a sheltered upbringing!) then my friends would look at me and say "...oooh...y'know (wink wink)." and clueless, I would reply "Oooooooh...yea, sure...I get it...pretty fast...yep." But the real weirdness came from the really strange production...it sounds really dirty and scummy, yea...it's early Motley Crue, but this retained a great level of hunger, stupidity, and naivety that the band would surely lose upon getting their hard-earned fame. The cowbell alone on the album warrants a whole thesis... just..what? Why is it mixed so loudly on some parts? And the way that Tommy Lee utilizes it is SO FUCKING RANDOM at times that it's just ridiculous! There's even moments of OVERDUBBED COWBELL on here...i repeat: OVERDUBBED COWBELL. That means that one of two things must have happened during the recording of this album.

#1) Tommy Lee *really* wanted to emphasize that cowbell's ring and thought that the song deserved that special something to make it stand out...(yea, i know, we're dangerously close to crossing the line into SNL skit territory here)...but there's a deeper level of insanity when comparing "more cowbell" to "double tracked cowbell"! ~~~Aarrggh!!! How does genius like this go unnoticed in the annals of history for so long?

#2) Having completed the first cowbell track, Tommy was so wasted that he recorded it twice, then decided to go score more dope and hookers and the task of deleting one of those tracks was left to the engineer who was way too busy scoring his own groupies and blow. Thus, the track ("Public Enemy #1" if you must now) remained untouched in all it's out-belled glory.

Okay, this is a killer album of pop hooks, big crazy choruses, sleazy guitar and a total glammed out attitude owing lots to the New York Dolls, The Stooges, T. Rex. I could go into more critical observations regarding the music but I'll just let my 12 year old self let you all know that simply, this "rules."

THE LOUDER THE BETTER

By the way, tracks 1-9 are the original album.
Tracks 10-13 are the bonus tracks, most of them lackluster- except for the killer Crue version of The Raspberries' "Tonight."

Mini~Mean:

2010-01-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

Chicago in the 90's was infamous for sprouting out all kinds of bands with members that looked like your everyday indie man, complete with no name clothing, a mellow attitude, and at least one member with all black clothes and wire rimmed glasses. But once they got on stage and plugged into some sort of noise rock rage,they were capable of destroying. Collossamite fit the bill when their full length ECONOMY OF MOTION was released upon earholes back in 1998. They featured member of Dazzling Killmen but Collossamite goes for a more streamlined approach, using space and sparse tangles of guitar chords, dizzying time signatures, and a general loose and disturbed atmosphere.

FOR YOUR INNER SKRONK

Pecori Lesson:

2009-12-31T23:32:00.000-08:00

Oh, I don't know...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009 ::: END IT ALL ~~~!

2009-12-29T05:42:00.000-08:00

Probably my most listened to albums of the past year....
in no particular order.

KOPERNIK ~ s/t
FUNERAL MIST ~ Maranatha
M. WARD ~ POST-WAR
CARETAKER ~ Persistent Repetition of Phrases
TRUE WIDOW ~ s/t
GLORIOR BELII ~ Meet Us At The Southern Sign
TROUM ~ Sigqan
AHAB ~ Call of the Wretched Sea
HARVEY MILK ~ Life...the Best Game In Town
JOHN COLTRANE ~ Crescent
JUN TOGAWA ~ Self Select Best and Rare 1979-2008

What about you?

Personal Problems:

2009-12-29T05:27:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine wrote to me with a request (that I'll post soon), but his e-mail mentioned this great band called the Dazzling Killmen; who I had been wanting to post here for a long time. If "math rock" was ever considered geeky and frail, then these guys brought the muscle to the game! Manic power on display here from the chunky, taunt rhythms to the mangled overbearing guitar chords...it also healps that the whole band plays tighter than a mosquito's asshole. The singer sounds like he's about to lose his mind every time he opens his mouth. You can feel the tension gripping his jaws as he spits forth his venom. Quite possibly one of the most domestically violent musical experiences to ever creep out of the 90's underground noise-rock scene...yea, i hate that term also, but too plastered right now to care much about it.

Take a listen, a personal favorite and just the thing to turn onto in these times of turbulent trouble.

FACE OF COLLAPSE

Re-post: Damn Fine Coffee

2009-12-29T05:24:00.000-08:00

Hail...I'm not out of commision yet...posting has been sporadic this year...
i know, i know. Will have some more time in the upcoming months so expect a possible barrage!

Re-up by request!

Re-post ~ Trippin' Out:

2009-10-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

Good old Anonymous wrote:

Please re-post Are You Shakesperienced, or i'll go crazy and drive to the crack in the earth!

Get Shakesperienced Again! (Link Fixed!)

Through The Red Frame:

2009-10-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while a record comes along that exists in it's own space of time. It cares not for genre pigeonholes or attention seeking status; it just pops up, does what it does, and slowly creeps into your corner and life and stays.

I've been living with this KOPERNIK album for years and it still has a powerful affect on me. It's a perfectly realized, concise vision of what benefits the careful listener can gain by exposure to true meaningful sound.

There are elements of electronic, chamber music, post rock, ambient, but those elements are more like tiny fragments. It's almost as if the Kopernik duo took some records back to their laboratory and dissected each one into tiny molecular pieces and chose not the pieces themselves, but the DNA from those pieces to structure one hell of a beautiful album. There is a very minimal approach to each number here; simple and subtle. Yet, this stuff is quite complex in how it is harmonically composed. Themes are quietly and purposefully stated, they are never overblown, yet those themes are lush in texture, space, and colour. Sometimes, I imagine these pieces more as work on a frame, rather than the picture itself. A work around the details of the outer edge; an open sided boundary to put the art in context rather than category. One may be able to discover cinematic themes here as well...and here is where the observant listener can pinpoint a big difference between ideas of "soundtrack" and "cinema."

Kopernik is an underrated album full of a slow blooming wonder; and one whose beauty is revealed through multiple listens.

SHALL WE?

Dark Force:

2009-10-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

For people who have a spark of curiosity about the legendary music of Miles Davis, knowing where to begin the search can be a frustrating issue. With a back catalogue as vast as a small continent, figuring out where to start and where to go can be tricky; especially considering the many phases of Miles' long and adventurous career. He spawned many followers and imitators and made many enemies along the way. a larger than life figure who would dominate the jazz scene for decades and whose music still holds power and brilliance even to this day.

AGHARTA is a savage snarling primal beast of an album who has dipped his entire body in some kind of hallucinogenic potion and is dealing out tarot cards while ringing up the devil on a direct line. Seriously, some of this music on AGHARTA is so intense that it is frightening. It's beyond the ideas played out in BITCHES BREW and it's certainly nowhere near the funk of James Brown or Funkadelic. It's like the party in funk music has been overshadowed by a dark strange force that has got your ears in a stranglehold. The music on these nights has ripped open a little hole in the fabric of the serenity and little pockets of hell are seeping out.

The direction in music on this night in Osaka, Japan on February 1st, 1975 is dirty and hungry and just doesn't give a damn what you think! The drums flow like a river of blood and only stop to let the organ make a few stabs into the air, the it's back to the onslaught. When it's time for their solo the guitars creep up like distant radio waves transmitted from an outer space swamp. The bass slides around and stalks you like a panther, and the trumpet seems to scream and pitch out a fierce cry that rallies the troops to continue. When you've finally gotten to the last 20 minutes of Agharta, you find yourself floating restlessly in that undersea world pictured on the back cover. You've somehow survived the night, but you'll never be the same again.

DISC ONE (afternoon performance)

DISC TWO (evening performance)

*This is a classic EPIC album! One of my all time favorites! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!*

A Strange Perversion:

2009-10-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

I've been home sick the past few days with a cold and the SLAVES brand of feverish, swooning, dark DOORS worship has been fitting along nicely with my under-the-weatherness. Spiraling guitar lines, tense minimal compositions, and a semi-creepy, semi-sensual feeling.

GET SICK!

Job For A Cowboy:

2009-09-09T05:35:00.001-07:00

When is the last time you could consider a goth band to be truly "baddass?" Well, if you ran into any of the members of Fields Of The Nephilim you might know what I'm talking about. Taking the melancholy, somber tone of early British gothic rock and merging it with a low-slung Ennio Morricone kind of vibe, Nephilim (as they were later known as) were masters of fusing two perfect worlds together to create their own mysterious landscape. It didn't hurt that they had a killer dusty cowboy image that turned more than a few heads. Let's face it, while most bands of this ilk were more interested in hiding in the shadows, these guys stood in the light and just oozed cool.

DAWNRAZOR (great title!) was their first proper full-length album and it's a scorcher from start to finish. The majority of it is quite upbeat and full of a bristling crackling energy. The guitars chime with a melodic clean tone and show a lot of subtlety in the attack. The bass rumbles along and anchors the songs with cold finesse as the drums (which, at times sound somewhat hampered by an 80's production) build up tasteful tension and release. The vocals are truly great; a rugged, coarse and throaty concoction that fits the direction and sound of this band so well.

***In fact, as I'm listening to this again right now, parallels between Joy Division are almost impossible to disregard. Certainly, both bands were totally different entities, but I can't help but to notice how their visions seem to converge in on each other's shade.

Creaky soundscapes that evoke images of wild western towns in the grip of outlaw vigilantes, forgotten men telling spectre tales under a bone white moon with nothing but a bottle of whiskey and all the time in the world, cow skulls on the road and footprints in the dust.

...DAWNRAZOR.

GO WEST

Telepathic With The Diseased:

2009-09-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

A crushing cornerstone of Finnish doom, Unholy's THE SECOND RING OF POWER album showcases a band working on an almost telepathic level to bring out a murky mystical musical vision that is both crushing and haunting. The sound is dark, ominous, and quite versatile for this particular style. The key elements are all in place...plodding rythyms, heavy guitars, and (for the most part) slooooow tempos. But Unholy's knack for creative songwriting prevails and they continually pop in little touches that keep the album in a consistent flow of (downward?) motion. Monotone, droning female vocals, wispy keyboard accents, mid-paced sections, a violin here and there, and even moments that border on psyche freak out(!) all add up to not just a great set of songs, but a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Atmosphere seems to be a key element in setting apart a good doom record from a great one; and Unholy have captured an obscure, cultic feel that serves the purpose well. There is a beauty amongst the desolation set by the pounding pace and one could even imagine nightblossiming flowers blooming amidst the sonic carnage on display here.

A perfect album for the upcoming autumn chill.

TO THE NIGHT

LOVER SOULS UNITE:

2009-09-07T05:40:00.000-07:00

The hyper kinetic atomic pop punk rock of Judy And Mary has been long heralded on this site. Their songs swing into life fusing all the best elements of bubblegum pop, twisted heavy punked-out guitars, and plenty of off-kilter melody. Their beginnings were rather humble, but as they hit their stride they ushered in a new era of Japanese pop music from the late 80's on into the 90's. Although now broken up, they left behind a legacy of influential albums and some amazingly catchy music that didn't just cross boundaries, it fused them seamlessly into a patchwork audio net of bright colourful musical expression.

As testament to the band's power, there is a newly released JUDY AND MARY 15TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE ALBUM in which fifteen Japanese artists and bands pay their respect to the gods (and goddess) of JAM! Truthfully, I was not familiar with most of the artists on this compilation but have been pleasantly surprised to get this and enjoy the interpretations of these great songs. Some stick closer to the original, others add their own unique elements...including a rather noisy, disjointed version of "ミュージックファイター" (Music Fighter) by an artist known simply as Midori; whose cut comes across like a polite version of early Boredoms. Mihimaru GT throw in a trip hop rendition of "Over Drive" that includes this super goofy hip hop breakdown complete with horrible scratching and Auto-tune...in other words...awesome! Puffy is no doubt the biggest name on here and they turn in a surprisingly grungy and loose version of "Motto."

Did you read that? Yes, Puffy covering Judy And Mary!

Somewhere...a J-Pop fan just wet themselves.

GET THIS RIGHT NOW!

Come Back Jacko, All Is Forgiven:

2009-09-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

There have been plenty of WTF moments for the loyal WFY followers of this site; and here's another one of those rare items to grace the pile. There's plenty to get excited about from the cover image alone...the goofy name (E-COUSINS?), the bling-bling style of lettering, and, oh yea, two Filipino Elvis impersonators! If that doesn' t excite you enough already, then I only need to point you to the track listing and let you know that there is a song on here called......

(wait for it)

...ELVIS ON TERRORISM!

Which contains a soul-stirring response as to what the Pelvis himself would do if he were here to combat liberty-scoffing terrorists! Well, I hate to give it away, but both Renelvis and Buddy Castillo seem to think that he would..."sing forever to win the war on terrorism!" Brilliant E-COUSINS, aren't they? Not only that, but they also decided to incorporate a rapping intro on the second track "Elvis Still Number One" which segways (incredibly) into a jumble of hit songs dropped into the lyrics. "Elvis Is Alive" is another great slow jam in which someone forgot to turn down the attempted Beatle-esque backup singers in the mix. it doesn't seem to help much as someone whispers mysteriously "Elvissss.....isss...aliiiiivvve...!"

Well, if you haven't already hit the download link by now, then I question why you would even lurk on this site.

HAIL TO THE KING(S)

Sympathy For The Big Legends:

2009-09-06T03:20:00.000-07:00

Japan's kings of boozy biker blues sludge rock GEDO are presented here on a double live volume set from 1974 called KYONETSU NO MACHIDA POLICE. GEDO was well known as being a strong band that played the hell out of festivals all over Japan back in the 60's and 70's. While most bands of this era were concerned about enlightening the soul amidst growing political and social change, this particular group seemed more interested in the non-stop party. This is a gang who seemed to disregard most of the typical 60's hippy-drippy mystical stuff for a more meat & potatoes (or should I say "fish and rice") approach to rock and roll. It's all about losing your mind and having a good time with these guys.

The first disc starts off rather inexplicably with a spoken intro that lasts for over 8 minutes. Within this opening monologue there are jokes, band introductions, and a few bits that have been censored. Once the music finally begins, it's with a melancholy folky tune. The balladry continues for 5 songs. Then after a short interlude (which one assumes the band are plugging in and turning up) they launch into a primitive groove that features all the good elements of Grand Funk Railroad, Sabbath, and The Rolling Stones. Although there are some tendencies to lay on the jams here, GEDO rarely crosses the line into psychedelic material (although some cuts on disc two see the band flying their freak flag a little bit); choosing rather to stick close to the basic rock and roll template...keeping it loud, proud. Good times all around, then!

BYE BYE BRAIN CELLS!

Disc One - February 23, 1974

Disc Two - September 08, 1974

Artsy Astronauts:

2009-09-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

Trip Shakespeare, a long defunct Minneapolis-based American rock band was granted a permanent place in the early bunkers of my musical memory due to hearing their strange "Tool Master of Brainard" song repeatedly on the college radio station that I tuned into late at night. What a great song, full of glammed up guitars, a pounding rhythm section, and that unique Trip Shakespeare vocal approach that fused baroque harmonies with a decidedly goofy slant. I already posted that album back over here (oops-link is dead now. I'll repost if there is a request), so now it's time to get into their 1990 platter Across The Universe. This album carries the same trademark sounds that I have loved from this group, but this time the song craft has been sharpened a bit; revealing a bit more layered approach both in production and composition. The jangly songs are played harder, the sweet songs are sweeter, and the goofy element certainly comes into play on tracks like "The Nail" and "The Slacks" (whose lyric concept is so ridiculous that it boggles my mind that it was even recorded in a semi-serious manner). Personally, I find the more tuneful songs here to be most potent. Both "Gone, Gone, Gone" and "Late" are pristine examples of T.S.'s literary take on lyric writing and compelling and somewhat mysterious storytelling that grab the imagination while the sheer hook of the tune just drives the song deeper into the brain.

As I wrote in the previous post of this Trip Shakespeare, their music seemed to have it's own singular vision which I have never heard duplicated. Sure, the basic template is a big pop sound... T- Rex, XTC, Big Star, Posies are names that may come to mind; maybe even a little bit of Cheap trick in there. But in place of cool rockers playing this stuff, imagine the local college Poetry Club or Paisley Appreciation Society jamming it out. Yeah...corny, for sure; but a lot of fun.

SPACE OUT

Manic Spanic:

2009-09-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

With a barrage of fast picking razor sharp melodic guitar lines, the father and son team of the Spanic Boys (Tom and Ian, respectively) seemed to have made a dent in some alternative music circles in the late 80's. I recall reading glowing reviews as a youngster in various magazines. Listening to these 12 tracks, the boy's reverential mastery of old Rockabilly is evident; as is their talent for double-lead vocal harmonies, and a clear concise approach to writing hook-laden songs!

I listened to this quite a bit this Summer and tracks like the rollicking "Too Bad, So Sad" and the minimal gallop of "Lonely Man" just seemed to make my drives pleasant as hell.

RIDE ON

Great Scots!

2009-09-05T05:09:00.001-07:00

To announce my return from holiday in a rather festive style, here comes APB! Those of you who may have been alive and kicking in the mid 80's music scene in upstate New York may have been keen on this Scottish trio who seemed to have developed a good following in that particular region due to some key DJ's granting praise and support. And support and praise where due; because this forgotten album rules with it's sparse, skeletal funk arrangement, jagged guitar lines, and a healthy dose of New Wave danceability, APB simply seemed to push all the right buttons in this game. Shame that they were never really the big deal in global popularity seeing as just about every one of these numbers on this re-released 20th anniversary edition of their Something To Believe In record absolutely kills. Think the musical muscle of Boys Don't Cry era The Cure, Franz Ferdinand, or a less political Gang Of Four; mix in the discriminating songwriting power of early U2 or Talk Talk and you've got yourself a great record brimming with an urgent manic energy yet classy enough to hold it together with style.

YOU WILL BELIEVE!

APB one (original album + bonus cuts)

APB two (various live songs + a few demos)

Where's Jay?

2009-08-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hey, WTF-ites...Jay's been on holidaze and will be b a c k soon!
Don't cry.

International Man Of Amoré:

2009-06-18T07:00:00.001-07:00

This one will hopefully appeal to anybody who dug the Exquisite Dogshit compilation I posted awhile back. It was originally posted back in July 19, 2007. Check HERE (the megaupload link still seems to be functional). For those of you who have already downloaded that set and have lived and laughed with it for awhile; the name of Tony Fabbris should be nothing new to you. His rousing politically-charged anthems signal a new, brave tomorrow; where freedom fighters charge ahead in the name of democracy as his tracks "God Bless New York" blaze out of the red white and blue stereo speakers on the battlefield.

Well, here is the entire Tony Fabbris recording entitled LOVE AND INSPIRATIONAL SONGS INTERNATIONAL. It's a rousing set of tunes among them are the already mentioned future anthem "God Bless New York" as well as "The Berlin Wall" (also featured on the E.D. comp.).........BUT WAIT--THERE'S MORE!!!!! Tony is not just a man with social justice and anti-terrorist tunes in his repertoire; he's also got love on the mind. Special lady...special lady...all the good stuff gets juiced up and stuck in the head.

Hell, there is even a FUCKING KARAOKE TRACK on here; just i case you want to bust out your own hot rendition of "The Berlin Wall" at your next fret party. Can't go wrong with this.

Not only that, but the man has moves. Do you know word went through my mind the second I discovered his videos on youtube? SCORE!

Somebody Slipped Me A Mickey:

2009-06-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Quick question:

Where do Tom Waits, The Replacements, James Taylor, Yma Sumac, Los Lobos, Bonnie Raitt, Syd Straw, Natalie Merchant, Michael Stipe, Sinead O'Conner, Buster Poindexter and Sun Ra all get together to express their love for vintage songs made popular by Walt Disney films?

Well, the answer is the STAY AWAKE compilation (originally released in 1988).

Thanks to visionary Hal Willner for giving us such a strange, delightful, and disturbing record.

Mind-boggling, on a few levels...even tho' it has it's pitfalls.

You Decide.

And...

2009-06-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

a few re-posting requests:

GOLDEN's self-titled disc

and

MAN-Z is back!

***If you have not seen the MAN-Z videos yet, I suggest you travel to the original post and take a good long look.

Up There, Out There:

2009-06-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

The wonderful sounds of Earth's own magnetosphere, captured here by American radio hobbyist Stephen P. McGreevy, are blissful tones of shimmering harmonic radiance and weird nocturnal whistles. Stephen is a bonafide VLF expert/nerd and likes to share his recording experiences with those interested (just check his website for more geek-out info). These field recordings contain lots of crackle and hiss and are most certainly an amateur affair, but it all adds to the sheer charm and pleasure of the experience.

Allow yourself to get lost within these blissful late-night waves.

Spectral Sound

Cabaret Slot:

2009-06-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

The year is 1967 and you don't have much else to do, really. So you enter a recording booth with a handful of semi-sweet songs and lay them down to tape and walk away, visit a cat, sample some coq au vin, and then casually go back to the lounge set. You're name is Sandie Shaw.

Please?

I Love My Face:

2009-05-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Another monstrous slab of jerky paranoid punk. Like a geek with muscles, NOMEANSNO burst through your mind with raging fast paced bass lines that pound into your cranium, guitar that guts your soul, and insane drumming that gouges eyeballs left and right. Black Flag meets Minutemen? Lots of classick cuts on this one..."It's Catching Up", "Two LIps, Two Lungs And One Tongue", "All Lies", and the weird "Rags And Bones" which seems to incorporate some sort of pseudo-hillbilly rap. You think Lil Wayne was checking out WRONG back in '89?

WRONG!

XBY REQUESTX:

2009-05-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

re-up of NOMEANSNO's essential THE DAY EVERYTHING BECAME NOTHING alburm is HERE

and a smattering of chocolat ~ HENRY and her mini A LA MODE cd can be found bundled together in THIS spot.

Low Times:

2009-05-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Life Without Buildings were a short-lived, post New Wave-esque band who managed to document their great sound with this sole studio album. The musical output rendered here is quite good; with a decidedly underhanded bass-led sound, the band whip through their tunes with style and confidence. Each line seems well thought out and is a good example of a band working within the "sum equals it's parts" practice. The vocals on this one will probably be a make-it-or- break-it factor for some. Sue Tomkins waifishly belts out her words as if she was reading from her journal. Most of her lyrics are spoken in soft Scottish tones and she is fond of repetition within the music's seductive rhythms. Taken with the group's sparse "skeletal Smiths" sound, the vocals add a unique, quivering, frail touch.

AQUIRE

Everything You Wanted To Know About Jun Togawa (But Were Afraid To Ask):

2009-04-11T04:26:00.000-07:00

Like falling comets or aligned planetary bodies, once in a sacred while, a singer comes along who not only displays an amazing, life-changing voice--one that stops you dead in your tracks and takes hold of your soul for life; but also possesses a complex personality which is ripe with mystery, expression, and such a strong and pure natural beauty that a cosmic balance takes place where the artist's musical output becomes simultaneously intertwined with her life and the two run into one long blood flow. Please meet Jun Togawa.

Her musical career has been long and fruitful, but has mostly stayed within the context of her native home country of Japan. Even here, she is something of a cult hero. One quick browse through Youtube and one can get a glimpse of her artistic contributions to Japan's fledgling 80's music scene. Her songs musical content stayed pretty close to the norm of the times: keyboards, synthetic drum sounds here and there, bubbly bass lines, etc. Above all of this, Jun's voice rages and pushes forth with an intent that is both sweet, naive, and utterly sinister. One cannot avoid a feeling of strange currents in the air when her piercing cries set forth or her whispers, which have the power to poke tiny holes in the senses, invade the atmosphere. It would be enough to hear her angelic devils exorcising themselves through song to make me satisfied for life; but the extra golden points come from the fact that not only is she an amazing singer, but her personality is so free and riveting that I feel she deserves to be recognized as a national, NAY, universal treasure!

This is the SELF SELECT BEST & RARE 1979-2008 album and it's a a huge collection of music; three separate cd's with stuff ranging from her solo works, some jaw-droppingly intense live songs, as well as music recorded with a few of her other bands (Yapoos, Guernica, etc) and Jun's vocal range is so varied on some of these tracks. When I say "vocal range" what I feel I should be saying is "personality range" for it seems as if she takes the music, turns it into an outfit, slips it on, then oozes her own demons and vice and sweat and tears through it all to merge into one beautiful beast. Some cuts here float along with a distinctly festival-like feeling...one can picture swinging paper lanterns swaying in the breeze on a summer's night drinking party, other songs are far darker...slightly camouflaged by a subtle pop audio canvas and then to suddenly have Miss Togawa's dramatic words slash through the party with venom and bite. Still other songs presented here on this stellar collection reflect to the listener like a woman lying on a bed, surrounded by blurred photos of the same man, sticking bananas in her eyes...God I love that photo. Hell, if you haven't already started downloading at least one of these discs by now after reading this and seeing these amazing photographs I've posted...then there is no hope here for you, friend. Hell, I forgot to mention that there is a rare cover song here of Jun Togawa working through The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale"!

She has stood on her own for many years, gone through lots of personal hell (too much to really post here) and collaborated with and impressive group of colleagues (Haruomi Hosono and Otomo Yoshihide to name a few), and she has been a beacon of inspiration to a large group of artists. I'm proud to present this here and I hope you will enjoy this powerful body of work.

VIVA JUN TOGAWA!

LEGEND OF TOGAWA DISC I

LEGEND OF TOGAWA DISC II

LEGEND OF TOGAWA DISC III

Sweet Times:

2009-04-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Two quick single from very popular j-pop singer Chara who possesses one of the most unique voices...simple and childlike yet very sultry and somewhat bluesy. The music on these two singles are heavy on the light pop. LEMON CANDY is a certified pop classic that will get stuck in your head no matter how much Japanese you understand. The CHARA + YUKI single was a one off released back in 1999 which paired Chara with Judy And Mary's lead singer, Yuki. This song is really hard to take with a really funny/bad rapping part and overall a weird song that doesn't suit either singer and they both sound strangely out of tune and straining their voices. BUT...the song has steel pan drums in it. Weird.

Both are Here.

More Chara and JAM coming soon...well...if you want.

JAWS:

2009-04-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Japanese dub group DRY & HEAVY get the remix treatment from dub master KING JAMMY and the results are a satisfying swirling journey into some deep dark summertime dub. Perfect soundtrack to the upcoming April days.

IT BITES

Hanoi Rocketh Me Tonyte:

2009-04-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

There's so much I could write about Hanoi Rocks... what a great band! Full of sleaze and dripping with that trash/glamour image that they seem to sport so well in their heyday. I also loved the fact that this band retained a sense of mystery and myth. Their songs are kick-up anthems of wasted days, girls, booze, yet written with incredible style. They were never afraid to incorporate elements like reggae, surf, rockabilly, yet gel them together into one highly impressive body of work. They always seemed to unfortunately get lumped in together with bands like Poison (whom they obviously influenced) but Hanoi Rocks were so much more than a goofy hair metal band.

I was unsure of which album to post here first, but we'll start with this masterpiece BACK TO MYSTERY CITY to get the ball rolling. Tons of great songs on here, some classics, and a few really weird ones. For fans of New York Dolls, the first Motley Crue album (TOO FAST FOR LOVE, i.e. the good one) and I even hear a little bit of The Clash in here as well.

ROCK NOW!

MESSAGE FROM YOUR ASS~MASTAH:

2009-04-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

Guess what, people:
I found another 60 copies of "THE A CAPELLA CANTATA" cd in my barn in death valley. These are the last remaining copies of the original (and only) pressing of 500 copies of this album.
Contact me nondor@gmail.com
to buy one. They're 20$ each.

JEEZUS==stop looking at this and just GET GET GET you consumer mole!
http://www.myspace.com/n0nd0rn3va1
HAIL<<<<<

Blurt up:

2009-03-27T07:19:00.001-07:00

Go ahead, let it all out--it's fucking Friday night. Scream, skewer your guts, pick a flower, exterminate the neighbors, empty out your gullet, relieve thyself, spew chunks, get crunk, evolve, worship your god, devise a plan, lose control, scratch and sniff, play dead, eat shit and live, draw blood, eat the crayons, walk the line, gleam the cube, shave, slave, save...do it all and do it now...it's BORBETOMAGUS time.

WORK ON WHAT HAS BEEN SPOILED (1981)

Repost~Tribulations:

2009-03-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Had a request for a repost for this one, so I hope you enjoy.

SURPRISE YOUR PIG

Die Trying:

2009-03-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

Might as well begin by dropping a truckload of names: KISS, Devo...shall I just stop there at that perplexing crossroad? For it is there that you will find Jesters Of Destiny and their 1986 album FUN AT THE FUNERAL. Chocked with insanely good hooks, pop rock and roll over the rainbow...plus some tasteful keyboard flourishes. This would all be hoo-dee-hoo if it were not for this groups knack for penning some ultra-catchy melodies and superb pop hooks. The hard rock riffs are present too; always sticking out with a slightly jokey appeal...and therein lies the rub: it's no joke. This is masterfully crafted new wave hard rock (notice that there was no slash in between those two genres...simply because the Jesters Of Destiny wiped out that conundrum when they produced this excellent set of songs). Just listen to the opening track, one of my favorite songs of all time, "Digging That Grave", a monsterous slab of simple rocking guitar, swanky keyboard lines, and clever lyrics that rip through your soul! Or how about "Happy Times"...one of the most perfect 80's songs that sums it all up in a classic style...I could see this being featured on any John Hughes movies in my head. In short, Jester Of Destiny should have been huge...but they were criminally overlooked and underheard, (and maybe misunderstood) forever.

Alternative metal, hard rock, new wave, say hello to the new best unheard album that will serve it's residence in the clogged space between your ears...you know...where all that grey matter has been seeping out lately.

PLEASE AND THANK YOU

Tracks 1-11 are the original album.

Tracks 12-18 are bonus cuts.

The Jesters Of Destiny cover of Sabbath's "Electric Funeral" was posted here.

By the way, if you like this album (and how could ANY fan of new wave and/or hard rock not?) then I'd like to point you to an interesting write up from one of the band members on this site, which is run by the label that reissued this stellar collection a few years ago (which it seems, at this point in time, has gone out of print).

The Main Course:

2009-03-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

EDITIONS is a collection of After Dinner's first album and a handful of live tracks. Essential listening for those interested in Japan's early 80's blend of baroque pop, prog, traditional Japanese music, and some electronic improv. This is highly regarded as being one of Japan's landmark new wave/experimental groups. The lead singer HACO, has lead a promising solo career since After Dinner's disbanding. I posted one of her solo records over yonder and the other After Dinner record was posted long time ago right here.

However, EDITIONS remains my favorite After Dinner release. The charming beauty of Haco's voice holds a special allure to me, and I am constantly amazed how they amassed an array of different styles and sounds and managed to gel them into one coherent piece of stunning art. The live material here (tracks 10-18 are especially impressive)!

Pure Alchemy! (Link Updated)

2009-03-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

When my old band toured Japan back in 2002, we were told that one of the bands opening up for us was this really great group called 54-71 (in Japanese, Goju Yon Nanaju Ichi) and that we should be very happy with their live performance. Well, the singer came out with old school boxing headgear on and their drummer had a 3 piece drum set and was sporting a nice Hawaiian shirt so already they were great. Their sound is all rhythm; everything is wound tight. The bass and drums are fine-tuned in their precision and the guitar lines are skeletal...clean and clear. Now here comes their singer...what is this? He is rapping...I think he's rapping. He's kind of wheezing...is he okay? This is great, this is sad, this is even greater. A head-scratchingly excellent group that has apparently garnered some stateside recognition due to their opening slot for a Deerhoof tour (among others). This is a really interesting album (entitled UNTITLED) and showcases 54-71 as the minimalist adventurers that they are.

By the way, anyone who knows me knows that I am completely inept when it comes to video games (my old roomates laughed in delight as I could not jump over some kind of magic mushroom things in a Mario Brothers game years ago), but at the time of hearing this record, I was introduced to Parapa The Rapper and I could not help but draw some kind of comparison between 54-71 and that animated hip-hop dog. Of course, you'd have to add in a little bit of Chicago post rock circa 1997 to seal the deal. Think June Of 44 or Slint....now consider both Parapa and those bands intertwined. Perplexed?

This should be heard and discussed. Don't leave the comments box all dusty on this one.

54-71

One Wong Move:

2009-03-07T05:10:00.000-08:00

UNMEI NO TSUBASA, the 2001 album by Hong Kong mega-starlet remains as one of the standout sue in no small part to the first track "光之翼" which starts of with a simple, dreamy little riff and then explodes into a prickly, distorted, and ultra-catchy pop chorus. So good that you will be singing along in Cantonese in no time. The remainder of the album holds more sway in the typical Faye Wong sound, combing together strands of Chinese folk, French pop, and even a little bit of four-on-the-floor techno into one long musical braid.

By the way, some small confusion on my part, I also have this cd title listed as Faye Wong - SUPER BEST. But I am not sure if this was one specifically renamed for the Japanese market or some other clever marketing scheme/derivative manipulation.

Oh well...

Drown In Sound:

2009-03-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

I must have been around 15 years old when my friend Derek visited my house one day. I was in my room probably burning incense or trying to record some guitar music on one of my homemade multi boom-box recording systems I had set up. Derek was older than me and would come over once in a while to show me a few guitar techniques...blah blah blah. He shows me a cassette tape that he picked up for a quarter at a garage sale and tells me that I should check it out. The cover looks really wacky and distills a sci-fi 70's TRON kind of hokiness that's hard to fake. Intrigued, I played it in my headphones while going to sleep that night. Hence began the audio journey with TOMITA and his classic piece of electronic music, THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

Swirling waves of weird tones and crisp synthesizers zooming and swirling all around... Random bleeping and blooping of alien computers sunken below the depths of a sunless watery tomb. Distant voices carried along on analogue arcs of wonder. I was lost in some kind of strange deep dream long before I even fell asleep.

Eventually, I had to return the tape to Derek, but I somehow ended up scoring a few other Tomita recordings (on CD this time) but I never forgot about how this particular album stood out for me. It is a cinematic, exciting, confusing, beautifully lush listening experience...(far more so than any of the multi boom-box audio experiments that were going on in my old bedroom, at least).

Immerse yourself in cosmic appreciation for the almighty Isao Tomita and you too can make the claim:

I Survived The Bermuda Triangle!

Chop Chop:

2009-03-05T05:49:00.000-08:00

Need a quick fix of raw, unproduced gore-grind? This compilation will fit your all your unnatural cravings, dear cretin. Not only does GORELAND feature loads of grunts, squeals, shrieks, and "I can still sing while I'm puking" vocal styles; but it also features maniacal drumming (both human and machine), gnarly horror movie samples, and a fair amount of impressive riffs. Fidelity varies from track to track so adjust your mind accordingly. I can't exactly explain the appeal of this stuff, but sometimes you just need a good blasting to clear away all the bullshit.

1. Lymphatic Phlegm - Chronic Nephrolithiasis Followed By Perinephritic Suppuration
2. Decomposing Serenity - Bubbles Of Blood
3. Microphallus - Evelyn Corbin (Victim # 10)
4. The County Medical Examiners - Vitreous Humor
5. Feculent Goretomb - Chronic Evacuation Of Semi-Digested Aliments
6. Oxidised Razor - Anal Carnage
7. Last Days Of Humanity - Suppurated Sublimisation
8. Autophagia - Syringa Necrose Your Cerebral With
9. Blue Holocaust - The Fifth Cord
10. Cativeiro - The Great Hidden Power Of A Decaying Torso
11. Disgorge (Mex) - Excremential Lust
12. Rompeprop - Dislocated Purple Stoma
13. Pigsty - Deviant In Your Bath
14. Gruesome Stuff Relish - El Duce Inn Massacre
15. Reek Of Shits - The Oversalted Menses
16. Haemorrhage - Obnoxious (Surgeon Of The Dead)
17. Mincing Fury And Guttural Clamour Of The Queer Decay - Confinement
18. Butcher Abc - Dozen Of Dismembered Torsos
19. Ghoul - Ghoulhunter
20. Grossmember - Mind Collapse System
21. Luteous - Grinding Flesh
22. Noisecore Freak - Harsh Bedwire
23. Dysmenorrheic Hemorrhage - Delicate Punctured Organ
24. Amoebic Dysentery - Masturbatory Mastication
25. Gross - Bred By The Dead
26. Spineless - Ode To Gore (Part 4)
27. Meatknife - Fingered And Fistfucked
28. Fuck The Facts - The Burning Side

Eat the Beat

Ugh!:

2009-03-03T06:07:00.001-08:00

Let me spray it out in the open: I love CHUMBAWAMBA! From every album that I have heard, I have been impressed. Hey, I can dig the pop bands with the occasional anarchist slant. I decided to drop this gem of an album, 1995's SWINGIN' WITH RAYMOND tonight because, well...first of all, I had it in the stack of stuff to eventually post anyway; and also, because the great song "Ugh! Your Ugly New Houses!" blurted into my headphones on my 1 & 1/2 hour commute to work this morning and I took it as a divine sign from Raymond, himself.

This is an album cut from two cloths. The first half is all folky acoustic songs (done very well), part two of this excellent is more of an amplified affair. Really great songwriting all around..not too be missed!

LOVE/HATE

Sean Combs...his hair:

2009-02-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

Similiarly-monickered rappers be damned...there is only one Puffy! Universally adored for their cute factor and based on their pure love of unadulterated pop (Did you ever stop to think about that word "unadulterated"?) they could never make a wrong move back in the glory daze. Thank to genius producers and songwriters who knew the advantages for ripping off their influences (The Osmonds, The Beatles, The Who, just to name a few). For those not living in Japan, Puffy has, within the past 5-7 years reinvented themselves as refined, mature songsmiths on these shores...although I suspect that (due to the popularity of that television show I hear they once had in the States) they have tried to retain their unabashed pop princess status; which is somewhat confusing for them I would assume.

But...here is the best of the best..the ultimate PUFFY collexion! All the hits and singles and all the sugar-stuffed, candy-munching, day-glo-sporting, Roger Daltrey-aping, guitar rigging, harmony stealing, burger loving, goo-goo-eyed, bass-bumping, power chord-shuffling, sweatband-hoisting, rug-cutting, hair-frying, fruit-flipping,. brain-frying genius!

Your life does not add up without it!

WORSHIP!

My Lub Life:

2009-02-28T06:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight, in my drunken state, I got a new post all ripped and ready and then realized that I had already posted it back in November 2007...sheesh! So I regrouped, checked the W.F.Y. files and decided to counter-attack with some long lost candy pop from the crush-worthy Helen Love. We will crush her because we love her!

She love us too, apparently.

Real Rock:

2009-02-28T06:10:00.001-08:00

What to write about Sam Rivers, one of the almighty last standing giants of the free jazz movement? The word "genius" usually gets thrown around in the same sentence as his name by free jazz fans so lets just put it at that, shall we? Lots of Sam's music from the 70's remains unreleased on cd format (amazing recordings such as THE QUEST, PARAGON, THE TUBA TRIOS). This album, CRYSTALS, was originally recorded in 1974 and was devised as sort of a big band ensemble for free jazz musicians (along the lines of Coltrane's ASCENSION or the majority of Sun Ra's later works). What CRYSTALS does showcase is some fiery playing, some exhausting moments of sonic power, and some wild compositional skills. In other words: a blowout!

RECEIVE!

It's Lee's World:

2009-02-26T05:21:00.000-08:00

1993 compilation containing a slew of Tuscon, Arizona independent bands. Lots of variety here with sounds ranging from quirky indie rock to twee pop and even a few moderately heavier bands doing some goofy down-tuned stuff. The highlights would have to be Malignus Youth (who I wrote extensively about here) and the gonzo rock stylings of Zero Tolderance Task Force. Also a plus: great cover art!

EARL'S FAMILY BOMBERS

1. Slow Run 2. Green Corn

LONELY TROJANS

3. Nothing Is Random 4. Speedway

THE FELLS

5. Pretend 6. Tabouli

CAITLIN & THE STICKPONIES

7. Sweetheart

DENNIS MITCHELL & THE WILSONS

8. Tension

AL PERRY & THE CATTLE

9. Losing Hand

SKINNERBOX

10. Whisper Parade

MONDO GUANO

11. Don't Look At Me 12. Shopping Cart

ZERO TOLERANCE TASK FORCE

13. American Bleed-A-Thon

14. While You Were Out Fighting

FUZZ

15. Diffused 16. Drill

FEAST UPON CACTUS THORNS

17. Gonzo

SLO-DELUXE

18. Vanilla Ice In Hell

MALIGNUS YOUTH

19. Shadows 20. I. U. T. Y. (Live)

BLOOD SPASM

21. As In Life 22, We Got Cactus

It's a dry dry dry dry dry dry dry world

Shomething Is Shqueezing My Shkull:

2009-02-26T04:54:00.000-08:00

This is an album called FUKAMIDORI by a band called AJICO. This band was formed by Kenichi Asai who was the singer/vocalist for Blankey Jet City (a well known Japanese band from the Kansai region) was on the verge of breaking up. Since he had some down time, he got together some players and recruited the always impressive singer UA to handle most of the vocal duties. Up to this point in time, UA had released a string of successful albums (which I will also be posting here soon). Her singing style is very unique, childlike, sensual, warm and throaty and at times could be compared to a cross between Allison from Cranes and Sade.

FUKAMIDORI's sound is steeped in a stripped down, haunting organic beauty, with sparse arrangements that perfectly frame UA's rich croon. Hints of modern rock, shoegaze, and spooky jazz coalesce into a great album that reveals more upon each listen. AJICO also released a live album but seems to have been dormant for many years so probably safe to assume that they are disbanded, although UA continues to produce amazing solo records (and act). More UA coming soon, but for now, sink your toes into this deep, deep green . . . . . .

Pass It On

Jeezus...:

2009-02-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

You know, I am pretty open-minded when it comes to music and I'm interested in concepts that span beyond my brain cells but once in a while you come across something so fucked that it cannot really be rationalized to the point of good or bad.

Case in point: CRUX OF THE MOSH, the album by Chesapeake, Ohio's Torn Flesh. Where to start on this one? Well, this is thrashy punk with a pretty obvious amateur slant to the whole proceedings...we're not quite in "The Shaggs of thrashdom" here, but one listen and you'll see what I mean. Pretty sloppy musicianship (not necessarily a bad thing in some cases...), really bad singing (think Mall Punk with a nasal infection and absolutely NO sense of rhythmic timing), and to top it off...hilariously misguided lyrics. Correction: hilariously misguided Christian-oriented lyrics! Oh joy.

Here's a sample from their humble tune entitled "Gay Rights?"

The world is full of men lusting men

Gay isn't happy when it's a sin.

Free sex has got it's price to pay

God still loves you but in a different way.

If you want gay right - YOU GOT 'EM!

You have the right to repent!

You have the right to confess your sins...

The tune goes on to proclaim:

It's your choice to be gay or not...

But if you choose gay you'll end up mighty hot...yow!

Now, one could go on to state how this is paranoid homophobic rambling...but you don't even have to...you know why? Because the fact of how BAD it all is overshadows any of it's other shortcomings. The blatant goofiness of the sentiment is almost forgivable, considering.

Later in the album, the attempted epic feel of "Innocent Eyes" is sabotaged by incompetent playing, half-assed emotion, and ludicrous lyrics sung in an even more ludicrous voice:

Children are playing on the street,

running and screaming in bare feet.

Children are learning in Sunday School,

all about Jesus and the golden rule...

Children happy and safe in bed,

Mom and Dad are happily wed.

Happy baby is being spoon fed,

patted on the back and placed into bed.

Kids spend money at a movie flick,

a comedy or drama - whatever they pick.

Twinkle twinkle, you're a movie star...

until you get dumped out of someones car.

Please keep in mind that no matter how inane these words may seem when read, imagine how even more ridiculous is sounds when these lyrics are growled by a really awful singer who is accompanied by a fifth rate gang of wannabe Punks for Christ trying to make it sound all emotional and heavy and deeeeep.

I could go on and on...like about the track where some member of the band imitates a dog barking, silly samples, a punked-out rendition of "Happy Birthday", or how the band seemingly love the title of their album so much they they see it fit to repeat it throughout the length of the recording at a slowed down speed that surely must have reflected their sense of "Gee, this studio technology is great...we can even slow down the tone of our voices...Killer!"

Download. Listen. Drink. Laugh. Burp.

Paging Mr. Aube...You Have A Call At The Front Disc.

2009-02-18T05:15:00.000-08:00

As promised, the remix project/tribute album to AUBE's seminal single-source noise/ambient album PAGES FROM THE BOOK. According to the liner notes, each artist was sent the sound sources ranging from 10 second loops to 4 minute drones and then given free reign to mangle, strangle, confangle their own twisted take on an already twisted, brilliant idea. The list of contributors is long and impressive. Hell, even Nakajima-san shows up to remix his own work.

Disc One:

Brume, The Remote Viewer, Sirconical, Supermassive, Pefkin, Vir,

Princess Dragonmom, Merzbow, Flutter, Persona, Wheaton Research, Monera, Hood

Disc Two:

Aube, Coeurl, Totemplow, v/vm, Briane Lavelle, Supermassive, Steward,

Disco Operating System, Wheaton Research, Phosphene, Drekka, Volcano The Bear

LINK ReMOOved. Click HERE, FRIENDS!

Word! the Holy Word, That Is...

2009-02-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

Praise be to Aube, sonic shapeshifter of all single source sound generated noise recordings. Did anyone manage to pick up the awesome EMBERS album I posted a while back? Hmmm...comments were typically low on the WFY HQ for such an amazing piece of art. Pissy-tissy...your loss. Better grab ahold of PAGES FROM THE BOOK while you can. This time, Nakajima-san worked with only pages of the Bible to create the soundscapes therein. That's right...all the sounds/noises/disturbances were created solely from pages of the Grrrreatest Story Ever Told! Whether those pages were brushed, tapped, slapped or ripped is Aube's business. Feel the organic fury...bow down to thee one true (noise) god! Is this noise? If so, someone needs to create the Trinity of figureheads for this stuff...it was done for jazz...Coltrane the Father, Ayler was the Holy Ghost, who was the the son? Actually if I had to ride that ladder, Sun Ra would notably be the Father, but...AUBE has got to be the Holy Ghost of Japanese noise...the man hardly gets a mention. Pure genius...but also probably in a different class altogether than say Hijokaidan or Incapacitants, Merzbow, etc. AUBE's frame of mind simply seems more...focused and steely. More cold and calculated.

Anyone have a time machine or any other low-cost method to travel back in time? I want to revisit the night I witnessed AUBE blowing the crowd at Cafe Independents in Kyoto...opening up for Whitehouse! Lucky nights....lucky nights....

Can I get a witness?

Tomorrow: the AUBE Pages From The Book covers album....yes!

Need To Bleed:

2009-02-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

Can't think of a better way top start of the new week with a rare little Roky Erickson treat. This cd contains a batch of unreleased music...most of it live, a few acoustic renditions, some spoken word piece here and there, and the standout being an unheard composition "Realize You're My Sweet Brown Angel Eyes" which is classic Roky material...all sweet and warm melodies with a muscular rhythm line. There's even a track here called "Bumblebee Zombie" which sounds like it might be a rehearsal recording. All killer stuff. And although it has been wonderful to see Roky's profile rise in the past years due to his health increasing; I still can't help but wish he would grow his damn beard out again.

TRACKLIST:

1) Bloody Hammer (studio acoustic '76)

2) Miss Elude (studio acoustic '76)

3) Haunt (studio acoustic '76)

4) Laughing (studio acoustic '76)

5) You Don't Love Me Yet (studio acoustic '76)

6) Creature With The Atom Brain (Live '80)

7) I Think Of Demons (Live '80)

8) Two Headed Dog (Live '80)

9) Bumblebee Zombie (Live '76)

10) Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play (Live '77)

11) Mine Mine Mind (Live '77)

12) Things That Go Bump In The Night (Live '76)

13) Here Today...Gone Tomorrow (Spoken Word '80)

14) Realize You're My Sweet Brown Angel Eyes (studio - date unknown)

15) Love To See You Bleed (Spoken Word '80)

16) Please Don't Kill My Baby (Live '78)

Oh, by the way, did you ever hear about Roky's short-lived rap project?

I think it was called MC Bloody Hammer. Oh--hahahah

FOR ROKY FANS!

9 And You:

2009-02-14T23:06:00.000-08:00

The first time I was visiting Japan. I was more than ready to hit some of the local record stores and see what could be uncovered. Walking up to one of the massive Tower Records, I noticed a cd on the front display rack that immediately caught my eye. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the brand new Takako Minekawa album! I had been a fan of her since the Roomic Cube recording. This was back in '98 or so and my head was buzzing with all sorts of Shibuya-cum-Paris kitsch pop. Takako takes a deliberately more electronic approach to that sound and oozes a cold warmth into her songwriting process. Admittedly, this style doesn't really get me all ga-ga anymore these days; but I was pleasantly pleased how well FUN9 has stood the test of time (well...it's been less than 10 years since it was released, but nonetheless...). The second song "Plash" is probably worth the download. It's all ultra grooved out with fuzzy distorted synth madness and a weird robotic rhythm flushed out with big production values (much more so than her previous albums) and Takako's sweet childlike singing pinning it all down.

Have Fun(k)

Whirled Peas:

2009-02-14T06:21:00.001-08:00

I could go on forever about The Dead Milkmen. About how they were always unfairly lumped into a "punk" genre (probably thanks to their most popular single "Punk Rock Girl), or about the psychoanalytical aspects of songs sung by Joe or Rodney, or about how this band seemed like one of the first semi-outsider bands to emerge as underground MTV cult heroes in the 80's and lead a wave of influence that really never caught up with them. And how odd it was that this band of jokesters ended up on the Disney-funded Hollywood Records in the 90's (!!!) and created the album known as SOUL ROTATION.

Now, this record was blasted when it was released and it kind of became the "lost DM album" after Hollywood just shat all over it (did they treat Stryper the same way? God forbid.) and let it go out of print 2 days after it was officially released. To be honest, I don't remember being terribly impressed with SOUL ROTATION when first released. It didn't contain the same gross-out ands slapstick sense of humor that previous DM releases had offered. The production was certainly more polished than I was expecting; and the basic feel was just more...well...it just didn't smell like other Dead Milkmen albums that I had known. However, it has become one of those recordings that has meant more to me as time goes on. There are subtle hints at genius scattered throughout these tracks even though at times it sounds like the DM boys are kind of clutching at straws to make an impact in one of those "Hey--we take ourselves seriously as artists, too." scenarios. But overall it works.

I like this album...plus Joe sings more songs on this one.

HEAR IT

Strung Up & Out:

2009-02-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

When I figured it was about time that I began posting some new material here on these dusty blogger pages, I had to choose between starting again with a bang or a whimper. My answer came to me each night as I settled into bed and found myself constantly returning to one of my ultimate favorite late-night records of all time. A record called HARD AGAIN by Scott Tuma.

Scott Tuma is of of those artists that has an uncanny ability to craft a truly unique sound full of msytery, power, and sheer unpretentious beauty. Using the acoustic guitar as the main instrument, these pieces are more like sketches of songs than actual songs...remnants from a faded sketchbook of ideas. The notes drift and hang in the air....tangling themselves up in smoke and creeping through mirrors of the mind. In short, this is music made up of memories. When I lie in bed and listen to these haunting compositions floating in and out of my head, I picture walking through a carnival ground, long after closing time...maybe the sun is about to rise and all the carneys are involved in the last minute revelry before closing out. Someone is strumming a banjo behind the big tent, there's a dwarf learning how to drink absinthe, a ballerina is winding down her toy soldier dance before the dawn... or better yet, these are the sounds of the morning after the carnival has left town. There's not much left on the grounds except for a few ropes, bits of trash, and sounds....sounds on the wind of the previous night's frolic. Echoes and spirits entangled within the fabric and patches of the breeze. There is a melody there somewhere, but only the fragments remain. It's all left up to the inner ear to connect the dots.

I could go on and on, but I simply ask you to take some time and breathe and live with this sound. Americana? Ambient? Both and whatever...life-changing album.

HERE

Jesus Told Me To Share:

2009-02-14T05:25:00.000-08:00

First things first...gotta get this repost out of the way.

Had more than a few requests for this mammoth live

MAGMA set..and who could blame them? This is deep.

Last chance, people. Hope this makes someone happy.

PART ONE.

PART TWO..

PART THREE...

POSTING WILL RESUME

2009-02-09T06:56:00.001-08:00

Stay tuned.

re~post: Kill Your Idols

2008-07-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

BY REQUEST! Originally posted on March 23, 2007

Long before American Idol and Youtube launched the parade of humiliation as public consumption, most celebrities' flaws and embarrassing moments were rarely on display for people to gawk at. But, thanks to this hilarious historical collection of audio bloopers, the heroes of the past can finally be degraded with the rest of them!
There are many, many highlights to this 2cd set, but a few personal favorites include:

*John Wayne's drunken speech to a college ROTC group on the subject of patriotism.
*Orson Welles fussing with audio engineers over his spoken endorsement of battered codfish products.
*Elizabeth Taylor flubbing her lines again and again on a rare General Hospital television appearance
*Jerry Lewis' hilarious prank calls. One of which involves the comedian torturing a caller who has phoned up Jerry's telethon (and thinking he's talking to a secretary).
*Tommy Lasorda's non stop slew of profanity.
*Famed band leader Buddy Rich verbally biting the heads off his entire crew. Ouch!
*the infamous studio conversation with the band The Troggs, that inspired the movie Spinal Tap.
*Paul Anka going nuclear about his staff's wardrobe.
*Elvis Presley hamming it up.
*Casey Kasem's infamous radio flub the "doggie death dedication"...a classic!

If you're a fan of bloopers, prank calls, flubbed lines, and just good old fashioned profanity (by the truckload), then do yourself a favor and hear it all for yourself now. You may never feel the same way about your beloved screen stars of old.

DISC ONE
John Wayne/Jack Palance/Zsa Zsa Gabor/Col. Harland Sanders/Orson Welles/Mickey Rooney/William Shatner/Louis Nye/Carol Burnett/Tim Conway/Elizabeth Taylor/Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis/Jerry Lewis/Peter Sellers/Jonathan Winters/Richard Pryor/Marlon Brando/Elvis Presley/Lionel Barrymore/Don Messick & June Foray/Tom Brokaw/Mike Tyson/Rich "Goose" Gossage/ABC Annouincers/Earl Weaver/Tommy Lasorda/Lee Eila

DISC TWO
Bing Crosby/Billie Holiday/Julie London/Ray Charles/Buddy Rich/Freddie Hubbard/Sammy Davis Jr with Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin/The Troggs/The Beach Boys/Elvis Presley/Casey Kasem/Barry White/Paul Anka/Sky Saxon

INFORMATIVE LINER NOTES HERE (helps with the jokes to know the context to some of these recordings.

re~repost: Hamster

2008-07-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Quite a few requests for this one to be reposted and this is the third time around. Certainly worth the wait, I hope. I hope to get some other requests posted soon. Delays, delays, delays.

c'mere

By the way---more Chocolat has been posted elsewhere on this blog. Search and ye shall find.

Re-post: Tribulations

2008-06-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

Few requests for this one lately.

Surprise Your Pig

To the GODZ:

2008-04-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

A massive three disc live MAGMA set comprising the immortal trilogy.
Beyond Essential! You're welcome.
Trilogie Theusz Hamtaahk (Disc 1)

Trilogie Theusz Hamtaahk (Disc 2 : Wurdah Itah)

Trilogie Theusz Hamtaahk (III° mouvement : Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh))

Re-post~the bee's knees:

2008-04-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in reposting this one...
By request, the Godfathers Of Change double disc tribute to The Smiths.

ONE DISC
and
THE OTHER

Repost mania!

2008-04-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

ESP SUMMER HERE

SWEDISH ROOTS HERE

Get Bent!!!

2008-03-26T04:19:00.000-07:00

Hard to know where to begin with this one...as if something so out of my grasp could even begin to be rationalized with mere words. Might as well start with the basics. Discovered in a bargain bin...purchased strictly out of curiosity (for a measly 500 yen!)...came packaged with a cd, dvd, and a batch of strange stickers. An epic story of utterly brilliant/ridiculous/absurd/genius. So so catchy..so so stupid...so so...fucked.

My suggestion is to watch the videos I have uploaded from the dvd before you decide to download the cd...
You will understand.
You will succumb.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Man-Z.

Man's Inhumanity to Man:

2008-03-20T03:38:00.000-07:00

The name is enough to conjure up a hushed reverence reserved for the holy of holies...akin to an unspoken sense of awe when greeted face to face by a celestial presence. An almost mythical entity that in it's time, spewed forth volcanic chunks of skullfuckingly heavy sound that shattered through genres and ripped through barriers of musical mental confinement. Good god, that statement alone should have you curious. Do as thou wilt - but be warned, once you have been touched by the scalding hot white noise hands, brushed by the burnt fingertips of free-jazz skronk, bruised by the violet shades of translucent atmosphere, battered by the relentless psychic assault, and kissed these venomous, ragged, torn lips...you will know that you have come face to face with god itself...and it's name was Ladio Bolocko.

PART ONE
PART TWO

7188 That's My Number:

2008-03-20T00:24:00.000-07:00

This Japanese power trio dishes out a slab of killer modern rock combining the hookiness of punkier bands like Ramones or The Clash with the sharp knottiness of more angular heroes such as...say, Shellac. Excellent songwriting with a nice balance of stipped down basics and touches of flair (god, that sounds like a jean jacket description). Go!Go!7188 stands as a quality band worth discovering..it has been making my after dinner dish washing time all the more bearable.

Go! Go! Get GYOTAKU

Re-post: Chuck Norse

2008-03-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

ENSLAVED ~ FROST

Definitely one of my all time favorite metal bands ever (although, I have not been very excited about most of their output after the Monumension album). Enslaved's early records evoke that gorgeously raw, yet savagely graceful black metal sound that (as the inside cover states) is Viking Metal. Folk melodies buried under walls of blazing buzz saw guitars (that are playing some of the weirdest, fastest, yet strangely angular and catchy riffs ever!), frantic drums pounding and bashing away with lots of weird fills and jazzy post-rock interludes, dazzling bass that drives every note forward with precision.

The thing that sets Enslaved apart from their counterparts (and probably the factor that has given them incredible longevity in scene where bands debut and vanish in record time), is the fact that they write some damn good songs! Their sense of timing is infused with sheer brilliance and astounding creativity within the melodies, structure, timing, and presentation of this awe-inspiring album.

TALL COOL ONE

Equinox Rox:

2008-03-19T23:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring Equinox Day!

Shall we celebrate this occasion by bidding farewell to winter with the 2004 Bathos album by the almighty forest-dwelling Finnish doom curiosity known as Aarni?

WE SHALL!

And shall we welcome the springtime Sakura by blasting the pop masterwork Jet CD from Japan's longstanding queens of mighty melody machine?

YUP YUP

The repost:

2008-03-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

As a few of you may have noticed, there have been few recent posts lately. This is is no small part due to an insane schedule that has left me with not much causal free time on my hands. This blog is not dead...

In the meantime, a few requests for reposts..sorry for the delay.

CRUCIAL YOUTH - The Posi Machine

SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS - Stone Crazy

SUN RA - Reflections In Blue

BARNES & BARNES - Voobaha

Stay Tuned...

Lightning Strikes Twice:

2008-01-20T05:45:00.000-08:00

A lot of people really enjoyed the last Asa-Chang and Junray post and here is another amazing example of the wondrously weird world of these Japanese players. Tsu Gi Ne Pu is an extended ep that has a bit more of a laid back feeling than their Jun Ray Song Chang album. Every song here drips with crazy creativity...dabbling in frequencies unknown to any other group; and settling in this really unusual vibe that embraces the subtle power and beauty of the human voice, exotica, tablas, and Star Trek samples!

Rekkomendeed

Italians (still) do it better:

2008-01-20T05:04:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I posted some rare Italian rock here. This particular album comes from 1974 and is presented by a talented group performing under the name Quella Vecchia Locanda. The album is called Il Tempo Della Gioia and is a stellar collection of classical inspired prog-rock that brims and bubbles with inspired flourishes at every turn. What sets this album apart from most other Italian rock albums of the era is the heavy inclusion of almost all acoustic instrumentation. Hear it for yourself: violin, flute, piccolo, string bass, acoustic piano, harpsichord, drums, acoustic guitar. There are a few electric instruments used: guitar, keyboards, etc. but the emphasis remains on classical arrangements and fantastic interplay among the acoustic players.

Also--dig the crazy "I'm on acid in the Italian red light district" artwork.

Seize it!

Damn fine coffee...

2008-01-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

Despite having a fairly ridiculous band name/album title, Metal Flake Mother's one and only full-length album is a treat for those who like weird pop songs with hooks and a slightly quirky and creepy edge. The music contained within the reels of Beyond The Java Sea is full of unconventional melodies and creative arrangements; utilizing a surf guitar sound...full of that "round" rockabilly tone and dripping with reverb. When listening to this great cd, it becomes apparent that perhaps Metal Flake Mother was influenced by Pixies in both their guitar sound and their songwriting approach...and it works wonders! because everyone has heard many bands that try to ape the Pixies style; but Metal Flake Mother pulls it off by adding plenty of their own personality and elements that make them a band on their own. The singer's vocals are great...flamboyant, tuneful, slightly off-kilter, but never over the top; aways staying to the respectful range of the song. Beyond the Java Sea is a record that I have grown intimate with over the years and remains one of my favorite albums. Discover for yourself what all the fuss is about...look past the band name, album title, and the dreadful cover art, and discover a secret masterpiece.

Drink Up

Dark Days:

2008-01-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

A dark, epic journey in symphonic pagan metal from this American trio (not the German medieval metal band of the same name). Layers of gothic melody sweeping through these stellar compositions; with a distinct focus on a cold atmosphere and quite a bit of variation. There are five tracks with the total playing time of 44 minutes and Corvus Corax take their time; allowing these songs to unfold at a slow pace, but filling each moment with elements of beauty, blackness, and more than a few grand moment of astounding surprises. The Atavistic Triad is a monster of an album...sadly under appreciated and a document to a band ahead of their time.

Open the Portal

Eggsperimental:

2007-11-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

Don Cherry ~ Orient...a live recording of two separate Don Cherry performances in Paris, 1971. One of which features madman Han Bennink on drums and percussion. This album has so many different moods and feelings that it's kind of hard to write about it properly. Things start off quite nice with a spooky rolling piano vamp and then suddenly...BAM! you're thrust into a white hot free jazz blowout with pounding cymbals, pots and pans, trumpet blaring and all kind of freakoutedness. The piece shifts suddenly again with chanted mantras and vocal acrobatics and some kinds of unusual vocal drone effect. This is one of the tracks where the vocals are utilized quite interestingly...other times on this disc ("Togetherness" for example) are less impressive as Cherry tries to get the audience to join along with his flat singing. It only seems to make it worse when he peppers his coaxing with corny lines ("God made all children to love to sing").

Never a dull moment in Paris '71, I suppose.

Booyah!

1989 Was Fine:

2007-11-24T06:39:00.000-08:00

Second album from Japan's Haco-led avant-baroque ensemble After Dinner. Their music is at turns, beautiful, startling, off balance, and brimming with quirky atmosphere. Unique melodies interlaced within wonderful compositions. The music on Paradise Of Replica utilizes a wide array of instruments to create a complex and sometimes surprising setting. Tracks 1-9 are the original album with 10-13 being bonus tracks of remixes by Pascal Plantinga, Terre Thaemlitz, Skist, and Joshua McKay.

Paradise Awaits

For The Love of The Love God:

2007-11-24T05:06:00.000-08:00

Tape/manipulation/dadaist/junk/aggravated/assault/machines/men
/blood/whiskey/spilled/console/well/damn/samples/laughter/whipsaw/
turntable/bass/loops/scotchtape/gurgle/eq/red/ropes/congo/carpal/
tunnel/edit/pretty/f'ed/up/

*Features members of Steelpole Bathtub

Experience!

Third Eye Scream:

2007-11-24T04:46:00.000-08:00

Released in 1998, Beneath The Surface was a compilation that served as a quirky little snapshot of some of the more adventurous underground American hip hop artists on the West Coast. These artists vary in style and technique, but they seem to share a common sense of mutual inspiration to create some interesting stuff.

Hazy, hallucinagenic background music serves as a canvas for these off-kilter rhymes that are as ridiculous as they are revolutionary. Sitars, Vibraphones, Native American hand drums collide with new age spoken word electro-proggy beats. Despite many shades of variety, the excellent production pretty much boosts this whole album to a solid level of coherence and a convincing listening experience. Plus there's a freaky 9 minute track on here called "Farmers Market Of The Beast" that features a guy named All Deadly Jizzm. That's exciting!

01. Beneath The Surface - Alien Nation
02. When The Sun Took A Day Off And The Moon Stood Still - Freestyle Fellowship
03. Who's Keeping Time? - Xololanxinco, Blackbyrd, Rakaa Iriscience, St. Mark 9:23
04. Hazerdous Curves - Sesquipedalien/DJ Mindframe
05. Night And Day - Xololanxinco, 2Mex, Circus
06. Sunny Side Up - Ellay Khule & DK Toon
07. Line Postin' In Pedro - Brothers Manifesto
08. Farmers Market of the Beast - Xololanxinco/All Deadly Jizzm/Radio Inactive/Shap
09. BustMustJustUs - Ellay Khule, 2Mex, Wreccless, Drez
10. Subterranean Service - Global Phlowtations
11. For Her Soul, Slowly, Solely - H.I.M.N.L., Tylana
12. (In)sense - Onomatopoeia
13. You Are In My Clutches - P.E.A.C.E., Kutmasta Kurt
14. To The Turn Of The Earth - Global Phlowtations/Awol One

Beneath the surface and at times, beyond belief.

GO gettit

sing song sung

2007-11-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what happened to Emma from UK shoegaze rockers Lush? She now fronts this nice little group called Sing Sing. Kinda pretty, kinda cute, kinda breezy pop done with a nod to 60's and 70's jangly stuff. Decent songwriting and swell hooks.

This is a batch file with their Joy Of Sing Sing full length bundled together with their 2 singles.

Fetch!

Let's JAM again:

2007-11-23T01:46:00.000-08:00

I know a few of you have e-mailed and asked for more JAM ~ so here's another blast of frenzied punky pop from the colorful Judy And Mary. The Power Source was originally released in 1997 and was kind of their breakthrough album; spawning quite a few hit singles in Japan and making them massive stars on the music scene.

Recommended for those who like a little bit of bite with their candy-coated pop.

GO FORTH

The Numbers Game:

2007-11-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone, this is a big one.

The Conet Project is a massive 4 cd set of spooky shortwave radio transmissions reportedly used by underground sources during war times and beyond. I won't go into any details here, since there is wealth of deep information to be found on the web regarding this intriguing practice. For starters, try here and here.

This set has been re-issued quite a few times (I bought mine as a first pressing about 9 years ago) but has now sadly vanished again. This is pretty disheartening news considering that this is one of the most important documents of recorded audio/art of the century. It is, truly, a set of sounds that pulls you into a secret and mysterious web and sticks in your mind forever. Once you have set foot into the cryptic world of The Conet Project, you'll never forget it.

Those who appreciate the power of a good mystery should wait no further. Immerse your senses in the chilling secret world of Shortwave Numbers Stations.

Weird, spooky, gorgeous, unerving...and completely essential listening

Disc One is here.
Disc Two is here.
Disc Three is here.
Disc Four is here.

Salmo Sax Appeal:

2007-11-17T04:37:00.000-08:00

Although not a well known name within the Japanese Improv scene, sax player Katsura Yamauchi has been honing his craft for well over a decade and is known to be a close comrade/collaborator with Otomo Yoshihide. Yamauchi even went so far as to title one of his pieces after his friend (see Oncorhynchus Otomo).

Released in 2003 on the tiny Salmo Fishing Association label, Salmo Sax is a quiet marvel of solo sax improvisations. Yamauchi displays a unique touch within these pieces and his playing radiates with fluid runs and thoughtful musical phrasing.

Salmo Sax

Kurtain call:

2007-11-17T03:58:00.000-08:00

Where were we? Oh yes, rocking out with Kurt; a powerful German band who combine the chaotic sound of early 90's bands (such as Born Against, Assfactor 4, to name a few) with a super tight punch and a knack for writing some keen songs. Ahhh...listening to Schesaplana takes me back to a time where every little 7" record came in a manilla envelope and featured a landscape picture somewhere within the artwork. Does anyone else remember the word "angular" was being thrown around constantly in those times?

Rocking, passionate & powerful stuff here.

Schesaplana

Re-post: Lumanians Unite!

2007-11-13T04:44:00.000-08:00

I'm not gone for much longer...things are hibernating to the side and will hatch soon. For now, here's a requested re-posting of this classic Barnes and Barnes album.

VOOBAHA!

Lost Boys (part 1):

2007-10-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

The first volume of Essential Collection Of 80's New Wave from these Japanese jokesters is solid compilation of choice cuts which reflects some of the duo's more alternative roots and like their Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 albums, this one features a few decidedly non-new wave tracks (unless you consider Napalm Death new wave???) But it's all in good fun.

Excellent track listing...dig in:

01. SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK - Love Missile F1-11
02. JOHN FOXX - Underpass
03. VIRGIN PRUNES - Baby Turns Blue (7" version)
04. THE FALL - Bingo Master's Breakout
05. ALTERNATIVE TV - Action Time Vision
06. SOFT CELL - Bedsitter
07. CLASSIC NOUVEAUX - Inside Outside
08. CHRISTIAN DEATH - Spiritual Cramp
09. PSYCHIC TV - God Star
10. COIL - The Anal Staircase
11. INTO A CIRCLE - Evergreen
12. ZODIAC MINDWARP AND THE LOVE REACTION - Prime Mover
13. HOLGER HILLER - Johnny (du lump)
14. SUICIDE - Ghost Rider
15. NAPALM DEATH - Deciever
16. DJ ROMAN PORSCHE - I Feel Love

PARTY?

Lost Boys (part 2):

2007-10-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the next installment by the goofy Japanese tag team DJ Roman Porsche. Judging from their album covers, they aren't ones to take themselves too seriously; but their music selection is damn near impeccable.

This is their second volume of Essential Collection Of 80's New Wave and as usual, it contain a healthy chunk of rare and unknown music from that time period. This particular set is especially unique because it features all Japanese New Wave stuff (Boredoms...New Wave? What? oh hmm..yea? Okay). Most of these bands I had never heard of but there are some real gems here (as well as some real head-scratchers)...oh and AN EXCLUSIVE RUINS TRACK.

01. SOFT BALLET - Body To Body(インディーズヴァージョン)
02. 空手バカボン - おおもうけバカボン
03. 黒木香 - 時からの誕生
04. 戸川純 - さよならを教えて
05. RUINS - Epigonen (remix)
06. SALON MUSIC - Spending Silent Night
07. 立花ハジメ + HOLGER HILLER - Replicant J.B. (remix edit version)
08. 極虎一家 - 激!! 極虎一家なめんなよ!
09. 本田恭章 - 0909 -ワクワク-させて
10. MADAME EDWARDA - Princess Reta
11. phew - 終曲 -フィナーレ-
12. ZELDA - エスケイプ
13. 泯比佐子 & KLINA-MEN - 肉体の天使
14. BOREDOMS - Hamaiian Disco Bollocks
15. おぼたけし, 森みどり - 行け行け飛雄馬「劇場版」
16. ロマンポルシェ。- 解剖室

01. SOFT BALLET - Body To Body
02. KARATE BAKABON - Omoke Bakabon
03. KUROKI KAORI - Tokikara No Tanjo
04. JUN TOGAWA - Sayonnara o Oshiete
05. RUINS - Epigonen (remix)
06. SALON MUSIC - Spending Silent Night
07. TACHIBANA HAJIME + HOLGER HILLER - Replicant J.B. (remix edit version)
08. GOKUTORA IKKA - Gekki! Gokutora Namen Nayo
09. HONDA YASUAKI - 0909 Wakuwaku Sasete
10. MADAME EDWARDA - Princess Reta
11. PHEW - Shukyoku
12. ZELDA - Escape
13. MIN HISAKO & KLINA-MEN - Nikutai No Tenshi
14. BOREDOMS - Hamaiian Disco Bollocks
15. OBO TAKESHI, MORIMIDORI - Yuke Yuke Hyuma
16. DJ ROMAN PORSCHE - Kaiboushitsu

BUST A MOVE

Lost Boys (part 3):

2007-09-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

HAHAAHA--okay, first things first, let's examine this cover together. We have two Japanese guys--well past their "prime" for trying to pose like this on an album jacket...sporting a Fubu shirt, bandana, derby hat, sparkle makeup on the eyes, and...a big bottle of Coca-cola in a bag?????

But take a look at the sub-title: Essential Collection of 80's New Wave. Okay--must be another cash-in for all those 80's bands---I bet you could even guess some of the bands on here....Men Without Hats, Toni Basil, A-ha...it's all here, right?

Nope. Not a one. BUT---this is by far one of the MOST ESSENTIAL collection of 80's new wave that you are going to find. The sub-title does not lie. Witness this stellar listing of excellent (and some absurdly rare) tracks:

01. ALIEN SEX FIEND - Dead and Buried
02. THE BIRTHDAY PARTY - Mr. Clarinet
03. FRANK CHICKENS - We Are Ninja
04. SPIZZENERGI - Where's Captain Kirk?
05. FAMILY FODDER - Debbie Harry
06. MOMUS - Summer Holiday 1999 (Nostalgia)
07. GARY NUMAN - We Are Glass
08. MARC AND THE MAMBAS - Untitled
09. JULIAN COPE - World Shut Your Mouth
10. PUSSY GALORE - Teen Pussy Power
11. BORSIG - Hiroshima
12. ANDI SEXGANG - Les Amants D'un A Jour
13. THE RESIDENTS - Constantinople
14. VIC GODARD & THE SUBWAY SECT - Chain Smoking
15. VISAGE - The Damned Don't Cry
16. DJ ROMAN PORSCHE - Blue Monday

As you'll notice, the final track is a cover song performed by the lovely couple pictured on the cover, and the ones we should all be bowing down and worshiping for unleashing this totally rad compilation. They call themselves DJ Roman Porsche ( in Japanese: DJロマンポルシェ ) and they are still very active today. If these pictures of their live performance are anything to go by, they put on a show well worth seeing.
(Their utterly baffling WTF? cover of the New Order classic is well worth the download alone!)

By the way, I have Volumes 1 & 2 on deck to be posted next and Vol. 2 is all Japanese 80's New Wave!!!!!! Lots of surprises and discoveries to be made. I hope you enjoy.

For now...here's DJ ROMAN PORSCHE showing us how the 80's were meant to be immortalized!

SPIN THIS!

Vengeance Is Mine:

2007-09-27T04:38:00.000-07:00

The year was 1989 and things were looking all pastel and pretty pink within the field of "Christian Rock." Bands were basically all churning out warmed-over rehashed examples of safe music. Then along comes Vengeance and just pukes up red blood over everything with their inhuman breed of thrash and blues rock (waaaay better than it sounds on paper). When it was released, their debut album Human Sacrifice literally sent shock waves throughout the "Christian community" with a raw, somewhat stomach-turning set of lyrics barked by one of the most distinctive singers in the underground. The "secular" metal crowd got it, too; probably thinking something like "Well...here's a Christian band that I could get into."

After this first record was pressed, another band claimed rights to the name Vengeance and thus Vengeance Rising was born. Only 1000 copies were pressed with the original logo (needless to say, it has become a well-sought after collectible). But with or without the high price tag, there is no denying that this stuff has held up incredibly well over time. Like I said, it's a weird cross between thrash and blues...but not in a way like "Hey, man, let's throw a bluesy jam right in the middle of this blast beat!" But more like a seamless integration...almost like a certain level of naivety or ignorance played a part in the grand scheme of it all. Imagine, if you will, a young headbanger...and all he wants to do is make some sick fuckin' thrash metal (in Jesus' name, of course). But the guy is bummed because he can't get a proper group together. Then, one day, he happens to hear some band rocking out some weird off-kilter blues rock and he gets an idea. He plays them a tape of some fast metal and ask the band if they could write something in this vein. The band takes his offer and the result is some kind of weird hybrid sound of raw, muddy thrash with palm-muted guitar and fast beats...but killer wonky blues solos thrown in (is that a Blues Driver pedal I hear?). To make it all more absurd...our young head-banging hero gets on the mic and belts out a super scary wolfman-raping-Tom Waits voice singing things like "When they ask you to take the mark of the Beast, scream in their face: "I WANT TO BE BEHEADED!!! I want my head chopped off! You'll see my body rot - and then I'll reign with Christ, and then YOU'LL FRY!!!!!!!"

Not exactly taking a neutral stance here, eh fellas?

The band released another great platter called Once Dead (which I'll post later) and a few other records that I don't have. After a few years, things went sour and the band parted ways with Roger Martinez (vocalist and young head banging hero in my fable) eventually completely disregarding Christianity and becoming a full fledged Satanist.

I guess he won't mind getting that mark of the Beast now, after all.

HUMAN SACRIFICE

All Dolled Up:

2007-09-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

Here's another rare and unique record originally released in 1970. It features acclaimed Japanese actress Kumiko Akiyoshi on vocals and the legendary Yonin Bayashi as her backup band. The music they create together has a nice mellow feeling, with an emphasis on childlike melodies and a few influences of traditional Japanese folk songs. Much of this record is quite beautiful. Towards the second side of the record, it gets a little stranger with a few tracks dedicated to Akiyoshi's telephone conversations with people. In a few calls, she is friendly and is making conversation concerning a date or appointment with friend/lover. In other conversations, she is heard dealing with a stalker of some sort. Strange stuff...but it makes the album as a whole all the more an intriguing listen.

Fans of Morita Douji, Yonin Bayashi, Ike Reiko (and other selection from the fascinating Pinky Violence re-issue series) should find much to enjoy here. And isn't that a great cover?

Find it HERE

The Daze Train:

2007-09-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

DMBQ - The Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet kick up an invigorating blend of psychedelic and blues that may leave your ears ringing and your head swirling. They counter their feedback-drenched, distortion pedal to hell, Blue Cheer'ed aural attack with hazy mid-paced dreamy parts that seem to stumble in and out of consciousness. If you were to witness this band live, it's safe to say that you were converted for life. Few could rock the polyester like these cats.

Give in to the Lemon!

Worship Her ~ Or Die!:

2007-09-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

The other day I was trolling through an old box of stuff in my closet and I found this old CD by guitar virtuoso/maniac The Great Kat. Beethoven On Speed is The Great Kat's second album and is a collection of short, super fast, completely over the top metal tunes that attack with lightning fast guitar shredding and tons of dominatrix/S&M-themes lyrics. In addition to her wild originals, Kat also took the time to show off her chops with a few speed metal renditions of well known classical pieces.

Sadly, I would imagine that she was mostly viewed as a novelty item during the heyday of "shred metal"; but there is no doubt that she is crazy talented and I have to give her credit for completely getting lost in the identity of her art. This is some hardcore fretboard insanity with an amazing twist. Although this is nowhere near as "out there" as some of Mick Barr's projects (Octis, Orthrelm, etc.) this is recommended for those who dig that kind of spazzed out wankery....and most certainly recommended for lovers of Cacophony, Yngwie, Ludwig van Beethoven etc.

Shred Here!

Desert Storm:

2007-09-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

Excellent recording of minimalist/experimental music from Swedish composer Ragnar Grippe. This album flows with a very organic sound that embraces natural reverb and echo using organ, recorder, harmonica, electric guitar, bells, voice, thumb organ, and maracas. The results are serene, tranquil, mysterious, and stunningly beautiful. Ragnar Grippe's SAND album is one of those late night records that you never want to end.

NOTE: this is the Cd re-release on Streamline Records 1996

SAND

Re-post: the bloody night

2007-09-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

Recorded by Troum 12/12/1999 at VPRO Radio 5 "De Avonden." Sen was performed by Troum from August to December 1999 at various places in Poland, Germany and the Netherlands.
This is a limited edition of 600 copies.

Excellent drone based sound. Beautiful, mysterious and dark. One of my favorite groups.

Listen again (by request)

Deleted links / Re-post requests:

2007-09-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Quite a few of my recent posts have been deleted. Give me time and I can re-post soon.
What a bunch a suckers. For the time being...any one else have any requests for re-posts? You can put them in the comments here and I'll try and have them up sometimes soon. Thanks In advance.

Cities On Flame, indeed:

2007-09-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a rare treat from a killer acid rock band from Kyoto! The name of the band is Renzoku Shasatsuma (which translated to serial killer or sniper) and the title of the record is "Shibuya Yaneura" (meaning "Shibuya Attic") and is a live recording from March 26th, 1978. This recording seems to be split into two seperate shows (on the same day perhaps?) with the first part showcasing some absolutely head-splitting psyche rock! Almost completely instrumental, this power trio let the music speak for itself (save for a few vocal lines here and there), and when their show starts off, it's notably weirder and more noisy than most rock bands were aiming for in '78. The guitar is cranked up loud as hell and is making a weird, ominous amplified power drone with phaser pedals cranked up and controls set to the heart of the sun. When the rest of the band enters the noise, they all kick into some killer mix of Sabbath and Procol Harem (yes...strange, but true). Then after some tasty soloing...they settle into some kind of Fushitsusha styled free rock vibe, with the drums scattering and stumbling all around the open spaces. Needless to say, pretty exciting stuff. As the songs move on, they continue to explore more of that lovely damaged psyche with heavy guitar soloing and some slight blues undertones. As the record goes into the second part, Renzoku Shasatsuma channel more of their inner rock beast and deliver some faster, more upbeat, and savage rock. Extended solo (mostly guitar) and long jamming makes for some good times...although, it must be said, that there are more vocals on this second part of the cd and they can be a little tough to ignore at times...but hey, it's a live recording and it's raw and unpolished. It's just rock and roll...so i suppose I can't complain.

Fans of Black Sabbath, Les Rallizes Denudes, Overhang Party, Ningen Isu, Fushitsusha / Keiji Haino, and other legendary acid rockers are encouraged to check this one out. Let me know what you think after you've spun this platter in your love den.

I'd like to dedicate this post to Dirk from Cities On Flame who sadly passed away last month as most of you may know.

Here it is, friends

Easy Like Sunday Morn...

2007-09-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Look what I found the other day in the secondhand bargain bin....Faith No More's Japan single for "Easy." I used to have the other version of this single with the rhino humping cover but this version contains 6 exclusive live tracks of songs from the Angel Dust album. Which is great, because that's one of my favorite albums and this is my first time to hear some of the material performed live. Smart, psychotic, intelligent, and inspired stuff here.

Faith No More - Easy (Japan single 1993)
1. Easy 2. Easy (live) 3. Be Aggressive (live) 4. Land Of Sunshine (live)
5. RV (live) 6. Kindergarten (live) 7. A Small Victory (live)

GET EASY

Payin' the Bills:

2007-09-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

Lots of tribute albums posted and re-posted here lately, so I might as well throw this one out there as well. While some tribute albums are great and worth a listen from start to finish, the truth is that most of the time tributes are a mixed bag and are best enjoyed for novelty's sake. But surely, even those so-so albums make you want to blast the original songs and revel in the real thing.

While this Black Sabbath tribute has a few great moments, it falls into the patchy category. But the bright moments are pretty cool. Standout tracks are Cannibal Corpse covering "Zero The Hero" (gotta give them credit for choosing an obscure Sabs song...which they deliver a pretty cool version of), "Who Are You" covered by the awesome band OLD (featuring James Plotkin and Alan Dubin of Khanate, Lotus Eaters, Atomsmashers fame), and the criminally underheard LA-based pychadelic pop metal act The Jesters Of Destiny.

Here's the full track listing:

1. Sacred Reich - War Pigs
2. Cadaver - Sweet Leaf
3. Cords - Snowblind
4. Paranoid - The Clay People
5. Coffin Break - Hole In The Sky
6. Exhorder - Into The Void
7. Old - Who Are You
8. Jesters Of Destiny - Electric Funeral

Here's to the masters!

Re-post: time stereo:

2007-09-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

ESP Summer was a duo consisting of Warren Defever (His Name Is Alive) & Ian Masters (of The Pale Saints). They sometimes recorded under the names ESP Neighborhood or ESP Continent. This features acoustic songs with high pitched vocals that are a bit on the twee side; but there are some interesting little electric elements thrown in the mix once in awhile. my favorite cuts are "Golden heart Of The Year" and "No June." recommended as a nice treat for fans of HNIA or Pale Saints (obviously) but fans of Glo-worm, Velour 100 or Belle & Sebastian might also find some enjoyment in this.
(By the way, this is a different recording than the 10" record under the same name). I suppose those ESP boys like to make things a little confusing and mysterious.

Reposted BY REQUEST.

Re-up: "Our friend, the Atom"

2007-08-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

A Japanese-only tribute album for a famous Japanese animator, Osamu Tezuka -- creator of Astro Boy, and considered the grandfather of the contemporaryhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif manga and anime industry. Features exclusive tracks by: SHONEN KNIFE, MAKI NOMIYA (of PIZZICATO 5 fame), CIBO MATTO, BOREDOMS, BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS, SEAN LENNON, CHOCOLAT, as well as Haruomi Hosono, Kazufumi Miyazawa, El-Malo, Kinniku Shojotai, Anji, Yui Nishiwaki, You, Dimitri From Paris, Tadanobu Asano, Ken Takagi,Ikuno Takagi (Jungle Smile), Genki Hitomi, Hiroyuki Nanba, Cosa Nostra, Kiyoshiro, and Motoharu Sano.

A Japanese-only tribute album for a famous Japanese animator, Osamu Tezuka -- creator of Astro Boy, and considered the grandfather of the contemporary manga and anime industry. Features exclusive tracks by: SHONEN KNIFE, MAKI NOMIYA (of PIZZICATO 5 fame), CIBO MATTO, BOREDOMS, BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS, SEAN LENNON, CHOCOLAT, as well as Haruomi Hosono, Kazufumi Miyazawa, El-Malo, Kinniku Shojotai, Anji, Yui Nishiwaki, You, Dimitri From Paris, Tadanobu Asano, Ken Takagi,Ikuno Takagi (Jungle Smile), Genki Hitomi, Hiroyuki Nanba, Cosa Nostra, Kiyoshiro, and Motoharu Sano.

This cd features wonderful packaging with metallic foil and silver ink along with die cut panels of Astro Boy's head. but unfortunately, as nice as it looks, it just doesn't scan very well. The above image is from the inside cover.

2nd time around...enjoy!

Let's Hari-Karaoke!

2007-08-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

Sort of a Holy Grail of WTF records. The A Capella Cantata by Nondor Nevai bills itself as a piece for voice, reverb pedal, and magnetic tape. Well...to put it in other words, this is a piece for microphone, karaoke machine and hilarious drug buddy. Listening to Nondor Nevai is as bit like being at some sort of wacked-out disco club where records by Stryper and Saturday Night Live are played back to back; and some madman (armed with a cheap echo pedal) has taken over the dj booth and continually rambles non-stop over every song. Saying the most inane...yet brilliantly stupid things from off the top of his head. Whether it be going through a play-by-play of a random sexual encounter, reading the thanks list from a hip hop album, or spouting off some lesbian poetry, the results never fail to make me laugh and at the same time, make my jaw hit the floor in the fact that someone actually released this as a real Cd!

Needless to say, if you are a fan of all things stupid/amazing/psychotic/wtf?...then you know what to do.

(link deleted...but check HERE)