Monday, June 30, 2014
Six billion little freckles, with freckles of their own...
When I attended the final Hey Mercedes concert at the Metro in Chicago in 2005, the opening act was celebrating their debut album release. And here it is. I'm also tacking on a song they recorded shortly thereafter.
http://www22.zippyshare.com/v/25985981/file.html
Saturday, June 28, 2014
A Special Pillow - A Very Special Pillow 7" (1995, Really Fast Racecar)

A. Tomorrow Night
B. Paranormal
http://www46.zippyshare.com/v/12041526/file.html
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Crocodile Shop - Lullaby (1988, Susstones)
Two months ago, I introduced many of you to Crocodile Shop's 1987 ep, Head. With a quintessentially indie rock sound that drew from the choice stock temanating from the then contemporary Minneapolis and American Southeast, I was practically beside myself to learn that within a decades time the band was not only still active, but had adopted a thumping, industro-EDM modus operadni. Starling as that was, Croc Shop's metamorphosis was relatively gradual, and Lullaby was a none-too-telling chapter in their transition. With the Chameleons (UK) Dave Fielding producing, the trio cast their gaze on the chillier strains of post-punk, often threatening to breach into noir environs, resembling the likes of Wire and the Comsat Angels. Frustratingly, Lullaby doesn't fully blossom until the latter half of side two, closing out with a trifecta of tense, yet melodically adept numbers. All in all, more substance than schtick, and a grand finale worth hanging around for.
01. The Big Goodbye
02. Three More Times
03. But Not Now
04. Hands and Pocket
05. The Floor of the Sea
06. Own the World
07. Knocking Down the Doors
08. Corrupt Solution
09. Lies Don't Move
10. Tender
11. December Mourning
http://www47.zippyshare.com/v/8vdquqRR/file.html
01. The Big Goodbye
02. Three More Times
03. But Not Now
04. Hands and Pocket
05. The Floor of the Sea
06. Own the World
07. Knocking Down the Doors
08. Corrupt Solution
09. Lies Don't Move
10. Tender
11. December Mourning
http://www47.zippyshare.com/v/8vdquqRR/file.html
Monday, June 23, 2014
See these hands? There’s splinters in my palms...
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Repaired links.
Thirty links or so revived from the dead. Some of these were requests, others were items that may have been neglected or passed over when I initially posted them. As usual, click on the artist to refer back to the original entry, while the titles will steer you directly to the download link.
Straitjacket Fits - Down in Splendour ep
Incomplete Monday - I Am
Billy James - Sixes and Sevens
Pavement - Black Out 7"
Dambuilders - God Dambuilders Bless America
Mad Turks of Istanbul - Toast and Cafe Istanbul
Mood Paint (pre-Pond) - demo
Playground - singles
The Fumes - singles
Touchables - More Than a Glimpse ep
Delusions of Grandeur - Picture Perfect Martyr
Chris Sievey (Freshies) - Big Record
Stiffs, Inc. - Nix Naught Nothing
Numbers - Add Up
Hot Tip - Stop All Motion
Classic Ruins - Ruins Cafe
Ups and Downs - singles & Rash ep
Naomi's Hair - Tara
Field Trip - Beautiful
Downsiders - s/t LP & All My Friends Are Fish
Jo Broadbery and the Standouts - s/t LP & House of Love
Local Operator - singles
Green on Red - Rev. Luther ep
Popular Front - This is the Rubicon
Mod Lang - Where Your Heart ep
Those French Girls - s/t LP
3 1/2 Minutes - Peep ep and Bleed Me Dry ep
Straitjacket Fits - Down in Splendour ep
Incomplete Monday - I Am
Billy James - Sixes and Sevens
Pavement - Black Out 7"
Dambuilders - God Dambuilders Bless America
Mad Turks of Istanbul - Toast and Cafe Istanbul
Mood Paint (pre-Pond) - demo
Playground - singles
The Fumes - singles
Touchables - More Than a Glimpse ep
Delusions of Grandeur - Picture Perfect Martyr
Chris Sievey (Freshies) - Big Record
Stiffs, Inc. - Nix Naught Nothing
Numbers - Add Up
Hot Tip - Stop All Motion
Classic Ruins - Ruins Cafe
Ups and Downs - singles & Rash ep
Naomi's Hair - Tara
Field Trip - Beautiful
Downsiders - s/t LP & All My Friends Are Fish
Jo Broadbery and the Standouts - s/t LP & House of Love
Local Operator - singles
Green on Red - Rev. Luther ep
Popular Front - This is the Rubicon
Mod Lang - Where Your Heart ep
Those French Girls - s/t LP
3 1/2 Minutes - Peep ep and Bleed Me Dry ep
Friday, June 20, 2014
Doll Congress ep (1983, Enigma)
A. Concrete and Clay
B1. Easy to Touch
B2. The Main
https://www120.zippyshare.com/v/VTGI7G9r/file.html
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Rotary Ten - two tapes (1990-91)


01. Autumn Years
02. Save Me Mary
03. Glacier Run
04. Rainfall
05. The End of it's Over
06. Lover's Lane
07. Cowboys
Coffee Songs (1991)
01. Coffee Song
02. I Am in a Coma
03. Insomnia
04. Winona
http://www39.zippyshare.com/v/20671399/file.html
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Close the door and kick the light out...
From 1993. Stellar indie rock from Canada, with nods to Sonic Youth and Superchunk. Loads of sweet jangly breaks throughout.
http://www71.zippyshare.com/v/98321636/file.html
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Swell Maps - rehearsals, outtakes, etc.
I didn't rip much vinyl this week, nor do I have much time on my hands today, but since I've been on a bit of a Swell Maps kick of late, I thought I'd toss this out there. You might say this very hodge-podged, bottom-of-the-barrel scraped collection is only for the most dedicated devotees of Soundtracks, Sudden and Head. In case you're wondering, this wasn't assembled by yours truly. The main attraction here is arguably a highly shambolic concert tape from 1979, running a good forty minutes. No "hits" here folks, but some of this stuff is more constructive than I might be making out. For those of you who want to properly acquaint yourself with these seminal, post-punk noiseniks, I would recommend beginning with their two albums, A Trip to Marineville (1979) and Jane From Occupied Europe (1980). You might also be further enlightened regarding S/M by gleaning this.
01. 14th Floor
02. Forest Fire
03. Harmony In Your Bathroom (Alternate Take)
04. live in Aylesbury, Sept. 1979
05. Marineville outtakes
06. instrumentals 1
07. instrumentals2
08. instrumentals 3
09. rehearsal, July 1977
http://www73.zippyshare.com/v/92147691/file.html
01. 14th Floor
02. Forest Fire
03. Harmony In Your Bathroom (Alternate Take)
04. live in Aylesbury, Sept. 1979
05. Marineville outtakes
06. instrumentals 1
07. instrumentals2
08. instrumentals 3
09. rehearsal, July 1977
http://www73.zippyshare.com/v/92147691/file.html
Friday, June 13, 2014
The Caroline Know 7" (1992, #1 Records)
The gentleman on the cover is flipping us da bird, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Maybe I shouldn't take it so personally. My familiarity with The Caroline Know starts/ends with this particular single, though they had at least one more, and even a full length to their credit. Jason Loenstein (yes, from Sebadoh and Folk Implosion) had some involvement with this Massachusetts indie rock proposition, but by the time the "finger" single dropped he was out of the picture. Perhaps even more significantly singer Stephen Rand passed on in 2011. His distinctive timbre doesn't go unnoticed, and neither does the C/K's guitar interplay, ostensibly inspired by Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500 and Luna). Both tracks qualify as 'growers' in my book, but I'm compelled to investigate further.
A. Krushedy Krush
B. Little Bocephus
https://www108.zippyshare.com/v/qrtM4jQo/file.html
A. Krushedy Krush
B. Little Bocephus
https://www108.zippyshare.com/v/qrtM4jQo/file.html
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Graphic - Baysongs (1985, Baysongs)
Another Orange County jewel. Blurring the lines between new age and new romantic (skewing heavily to the latter), Graphic's surreal choice of sleeve art is somewhat reflective of the occasionally exotic and sublime music ensconced within Baysongs. I'm honing in on traces of Haircut 100 and the Three O'clock, among such other plush contemporaries, but there's a freshness and sophistication to these ten cuts that thrust this Irvine, CA quartet beyond the pop stratosphere. I might also add that tasteful flourishes of sax blend in smoothly with Baysongs breezy proceedings. Cool disk.
If you want to take this one out for a test drive before d/l, someone has made a streaming version available on Bandcamp. The version I'm offering below is my own rip.
01. In a Different World
02. The Hour Has Come
03. The Cast
04. Medieval Daydream
05. Someday You'll Look Back
06. Jacquie
07. In Transition
08. The Baysong
09. To the Good Guys
10. The City
http://www75.zippyshare.com/v/qpqYg8B0/file.html
If you want to take this one out for a test drive before d/l, someone has made a streaming version available on Bandcamp. The version I'm offering below is my own rip.
01. In a Different World
02. The Hour Has Come
03. The Cast
04. Medieval Daydream
05. Someday You'll Look Back
06. Jacquie
07. In Transition
08. The Baysong
09. To the Good Guys
10. The City
http://www75.zippyshare.com/v/qpqYg8B0/file.html
Monday, June 9, 2014
Make your way through a scary shimmer town…
Friday, June 6, 2014
Re-ups from the past two weeks.
Enjoy. Thanks for your requests.
Transistor Sound & Lighting Co. - s/t
The Chant - Two Car Mirage/Three Sheets to the Wind
No Knife - singles
VA - Groin Thunder (Troggs Tribute)
Bridge Climbers - Full Bag Don't Bend
Slumber - demo tape
Man Sized Action - Claustrophobia
Bring Home the Lobsters - tape
The Fans - Mystery Date
Pollyanna - Hello Halo flac or mp3
Edge Park - Personal Fable
Heliotroupe - Anything Under the Sun
Swell Maps - rare swill
Jane From Occupied Europe - Coloursound
The Odolites - Face Down in the Violets, Persistence of Memory ep, Chimes 7"
The N - ep
The Hollowmen - Sinister Flower Gift
Oznerol - ep
Transistor Sound & Lighting Co. - s/t
The Chant - Two Car Mirage/Three Sheets to the Wind
No Knife - singles
VA - Groin Thunder (Troggs Tribute)
Bridge Climbers - Full Bag Don't Bend
Slumber - demo tape
Man Sized Action - Claustrophobia
Bring Home the Lobsters - tape
The Fans - Mystery Date
Pollyanna - Hello Halo flac or mp3
Edge Park - Personal Fable
Heliotroupe - Anything Under the Sun
Swell Maps - rare swill
Jane From Occupied Europe - Coloursound
The Odolites - Face Down in the Violets, Persistence of Memory ep, Chimes 7"
The N - ep
The Hollowmen - Sinister Flower Gift
Oznerol - ep
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Imitation Life - Scoring Correctly at Home! & Ice Cubes and Sugar (1986-88, Veebltronics/Skyclad)

Scoring Correctly at Home
01. Claudine
02. Make a Move
03. American Standards
04. What I Could Do
05. More Than One Clue
06. Already Spoken For
07. Sad Man
08. (Baby) I Need You
09. (I Don't Wanna) Shake in the Shadows
10. Olga (Put Down the Vodka Now)
11. It's Time to Leave
12. Try to Understand
Ice Cubes and Sugar
13. She's Just a Taker
14. Imitation Life
15. Over Here
16. When She Says Yes
17. Come On Up
18. Hey Buddy
19. I'm Really Alright Tonight
20. Breakout
21. Without a Cause
22. Merchandise Me
23. I'll Come Back For You
https://www93.zippyshare.com/v/yJlybifj/file.html
Monday, June 2, 2014
Learning what stars are made of.
Yes, I was into these guys for a spell. Noise meets rock, rock meets noise. Included is their 1993 debut album, as well as a compilation of singles and unreleased material circa 1992 that wasn't issued until 1995.
http://www60.zippyshare.com/v/60454421/file.html
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