I want to drink until Denver.

Time for four eps, although one is bordering on a mini album, and another is a two song sampler, of sorts.  

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Rude Buddha - Goes to Church (1984)

This isn't our first time around the block with Rude Buddha, a co-ed Virginia combo who gave us a 1985 ep, Blister My Paint, I featured circa 2018.  In fact, Goes to Church preceded Blister by a year, and wouldn't you know, it's considerably more distinct.  By comparison ...Church is a percussion dominated beast, specifically with RB's strenuous employment of conga and bongo drums.  Though they're have been several "avantgarde" accusations leveled at this crew, the overarching approach is too steeped in rock/pop fundamentals to consign this one to the "experimental" camp.  Akin to an easier-on-the-ears Public Image Ltd., Rude Buddha is striving for a new spin on post-punk, and with a palette as indigenous and textured as the one that colors just about every nanosecond of ...Church they succeed mightily.  The arrangements are busting at the seams, yet stop short of encroaching into anything overcrowded or cumbersome. That said, the band's unorthodox proposition borders on oblique, and in my book outright fascinating. 

01. Boxes and Bells

02. America

03. Happen to You

04. Gloomy Demon

05. No Color

06. 4D Man

07. To Africa

08. Got to Stop

09. Cabbage Salad

10. Though I Walk

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Snakey is awakey and he wants a little piece of the pie...

Maybe not the most critical juncture of their career, this trio's sixth album indulged in the kind of gaudily-processed guitar stukas that only the late '80s could claim responsibility for.

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Makaton Chat - Federal State Chance ep (1982, Trans)

Here's one that I don't have a very solid recollection at all of picking up, but given the sleeve's art-deco informed tableau I likely based my purchase on the relatively safe assumption that the music enclosed within would be similarly forward-thinking. Once again I nailed it.  What few references I've gleaned concerning Makataon Chat, suggest the UK based, Anthony Lindo-helmed quartet lay somewhere in the nexus of minimal synth and new romantic, yet this three songer is far more user-friendly than the former, while at the same time doesn't qualify as entry-level fare either. I think the only reason why I slightly resisted "Federal State Chance" on my initial listen is merely because the flip-side numbers were more enticing. Opting for a guitarless motif, M/C were to-the-hilt electronics-heavy, though in spite of the group's wonky and technical proclivities they exuded a cheekiness that accorded them plenty of heart as well.  As for the overarching effect, think a warmer Gary Numan, but you're likely to draw your own comparisons. The band's catalog (roughly 50 songs deep) is yours for streaming on Spotify and Soundcloud.   

A. Federal State Chance

B1. It's His Life Story (Hail the Wild!)

B2. Communicate

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Yesterday came up…bit the ass off me.

From 2002. I don't delve into Americana/No Depression type of stuff, but every once in awhile this one really scratches the itch.

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Sons of the Desert - s/t (1987, Dessert)

This coed five-some hailed from Montreal, yet could easily pass for a myriad of south of the border hopefuls. More collegiate indie guitar-pop, albeit occasionally on the saucier side, with a modest dash of twang, when the Sons opt for a lovingly looser penchant that is.  Three gents and a duo of the fairer sex comprised their ranks, and I'm not sure if it's Maureen or Naomi who bellied up to the mic, on what would appear to be Sons of the Deserts maiden (and ostensibly only voyage).  Subtle surges of organ color the proceedings, but at their most rambunctious (say, the driving "Love Slave") our protagonists bust out some splendid punky fervor.

01. Best Things

02. Slowly Building

03. Love Slave

04. Be Mine

05. Run Over by a Train

06. Light in Your Eyes

07. Legs Like Stiv

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At the heart of the scene.

A left curve from 1983 that I'm sure some of their initial fanbase wasn't quick to forgive them for.

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Ping Pong - From Exile (1982, Big Mouth)

This week I ventured down a rabbit hole I never saw coming, that was until I tuned into an episode of a favorite podcast of mine.  The hole in question?  Sophistopop - a synthy substrata of mid/late '80s Top 40 pop practitioned by well-coifed, debonair European acts who tamped down ever so slightly on New Romantic affectations in exchange for a more genteel approach, often bumping up against yacht rock (i.e. adult contemporary) and downtempo R&B.  You may not have heard of the genre before, but you're certainly familiar with the bevy of groups that ran it up the charts (perhaps to your chagrin): Curiosity Killed the Cat, Johnny Hates Jazz, Breathe, Swing Out Sister, and let's not forget Double. An export of Switzerland, their lone U.S. hit, the sax-laden "Captain of Her Heart" batted a swanky run all the way to the 16th slot onto the Billboard Hot 100 circa 1986.  To be honest I had barely thought about this song since, save for it's ubiquitous afterlife as piped-in music at department stores.  Yet even if you were an ear-to-the-ground music snob binging on the likes of the Replacements and Cocteau Twins the tune (and those churned out at a rapid clip by several of the aforementioned) was generally respectable.  

Perhaps out of sheer boredom I looked Double up to get the skinny on them.  Turns out they spun-off another Zurich aggregation dubbed Ping Pong who were responsible for the 1982 album I'm sharing tonight.  As is the case with most non-phenomenon outfits pre-internet, details are scarce on this trio, but despite the group's faint footprint what they were peddling music-wise was worthy of a few spins.  Not straight up new-wavers, P/P would have blended in fairly seamlessly with the mainstream modern rock set, with frontman Kurt Maloo approximating a mild mannered hybrid of Michael Hutchinson, Mick Jagger, and even a speck of Stan Ridgeway.  Soncially on par with the likes of the Police, albeit half as innovative, white-boy reggae rhythms pepper numerous forays on From Exile.  On a more overarching basis however I find myself persuaded by the tranquil, chiming guitar fills allotted perfectly virtually wherever the needle lands here.

01. Euronet-Diane

02. Pictures

03. Mayday

04. I Want Your Love

05. Rhythm Walk

06. Willie

07. (I've Been) Waiting for You

08. Pedro

09. Crocomation

10. Joe Doe

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Tomorrow knows, it keeps up in suspense...

From 1988. Not necessarily their apex, but this still makes for an apt introduction. 

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Bazooka Joe - Two Thirds (1989, Merkin)

Bazooka Joe were a Baltimore contingent that never really tried to make a break for the mainstream, and I like to think the droney sonic aplomb they steeped these six songs in went a long way in illuminating their integrity.  More along the lines of say, Band of Susans, Mission of Burma and the Embarrassment then Husker Du, Joe' scuzzy post-punk excursions could have still found a suitable home on imprints such as SST and Homestead. K "Stork" Bauer's throbbing bass lines are especially prominent in the mix on Two Thirds, making this threesome stick out like a sore thumb for all the right reasons, yet the persistent undercurrent of Jeffrey Caplin's crackling, buzzing guitars lends Bazooka Joe an almost surreal penchant that the bulk of their contemporaries lacked.  An almost ten year's belated follow-up, Imbalance, arrived in '98.  My copy of Two Thirds is somewhat blemished due to it's former inclusion in a radio station library.

01. Basement Celebration

02. Can Opener

03. Car Acrobatic Team

04. Train Room

05. Stephen

06. (She's) Just Like May West

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Why don't we go to bed (or don't you want to sleep outside)?

Folks, you're not seeing the traditional "question mark" pic due to chronic and immensely vexing technological snafus, but fear not, your weekly link is below.  This is a good 'un from 1997.

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Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Reactor (1980, Official)

I've had this kicking around for the better part of 20 years and have been chronically procrastinating posting it for no particular reason.  Hopefully this will be worth the wait for some of you. Despite it's indie label pedigree Nuclear Regulatory Commission's lone LP is relatively easy to find, and can be procured for approximately a half-hour's minimum wage. Presumably based in Tennessee per the band's contact address, this coed quintet were hardly the stuff of southern fried aesthetics.  Albeit not traditional synth pop/wave the combo in question took an ample bite Devo's sardonic heft and massaged into something considerably less stiff not to mention arrestingly catchy, with Reactor's most devastating salvos being dealt right out of the gate via "Critical Mass," packing a subtle but undeniable groove, and "Inspection" which goes for the jugular with staccato vocal affectations and a tuneful template that their contemps the Cars were gradually making their calling card.  And speaking of windpipes, the male variety tend to dominate the first half, while the other side of the coin predominantly features Bobbie Bonnickson.  Reactor isn't carpet-to-carpet gold, but just about all of it is at minimum respectable, not to mention edgy and earnest.  This rip was taken from a noisy slice of vinyl, and if the master tapes somehow still exist a full-fledged remaster/reissue would be a treat.

01. Critical Mass

02. Inspecetion

03. System Failure

04. Nothing is the Same

05. White Sugar

06. Fax

07. Generator

08. Drafted

09. Z-bomb

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...and if you put it in a letter I will not take it better.

Originally a cassette-only release from 1990, reissued 30 years later, from an echo-ridden, indie guitar band that oddly enough found favor with skateboarders back in the day.  There's a bonus cut and a link to an article on the band in the download.

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Smackmelon - demo (1993)

It's been another week where I simply lost track and didn't have much prepared for you, but as for the tape depicted to the left I've been meaning to share this one anyway. Smackmelon made the Wilfully Obscure rounds about ten or so years ago via their 1992 "Space Shot" 45. Hard to believe that much time has passed, but yes, almost 35 years.  I believe those versions are from the same sessions this tape is derived from - perhaps a slightly different mix(?).  Also, the tracklist here doesn't differ very much with the trio's 1994 self-titled ep.  All that out of the way, if you're a sucker for the more downer urges of Sugar, Lotion, Overwhelming Colorfast, and for that matter even the likes of Fretblanket and the Doughboys, Smackmelon make for a pretty phenomenal find.  Their one and only full-length, 1995's Blue Hour is well worth seeking out too.

01. Space Shot

02. I'm Not Cool

03. Facelift

04. Highwire

05. Raymond

06. Question Mark

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We leave exactly as we came, all bloody crying out for pain.

From 1992. Third and final album from this UK to NYC transplant. Notably elongated song-lengths, not to mention something of an acquired taste. I also tacked on an accompanying bonus four-song ep packaged with certain copies of the CD.  

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Safe as Houses - The Moon Belongs to Rachel (1990, Mountain)

Here's another one I barely recall putting in my shopping cart, ostensibly just a few years ago.  The three-piece Safe as Houses, bearing a NJ correspondence address, are indeed fairly safe not to mention conventional pop/rockers who's trad modus operandi parallels that of Split Enz/Crowded House, and should you wish to get even a bit more arcane, the Railway Children. While there are plenty of optimistic hues to imbibe on these four grooves, the going can turn routine quickly.  I favor the title cut the most, whereas the other two unique numbers here entail brass accompaniment, never overpowering mind you, but otherwise an unnecessary embellishment.  Enjoy (or not).

01. The Moon Belongs to Rachel

02. People Like Us

03. You're Not Worth It

04. The Mute Belongs to Rachel

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Vinny - Olas De Sexo (1983, Eat)

So, what on Earth compelled my blind purchase of an album with a cringy, Red Hot Chili Peppers-esque title such as this?  Best I can remember it must have been the pedigree of the label Vinny were signed to, Eat Records, an imprint also responsible for the likes of Human Sexual Response and Men & Volts, even though I've never been a huge proponent of either.  Much akin to HSR, this Ralph Fatello-fronted quartet were also stationed in Boston, though the band's intermittent finagling with reggae-lite textures suggests anything but. In fact there are few consistent throughlines operating amidst Olas.... but there are some inviting snyth pop ventures like "I Never Saw You" and "Letting Go of Love" that satisfy on the same vector as say early Wang Chung, Blanket of Secrecy and even say a more pedestrian incarnation of Japan. Vinny were regrettably not the innovators I was vaguely hoping for, but the Caribbean seasoning flavoring subtropical-leaning forays "Los Condos" and "Drums of Passion" are a nice change of pace, so long as you're willing to let your guard down for a few hedonistic minutes.  And if MTV-friendly power pop (a la, the kind of no-name one-offs that aired in the wee-hours of the morning) was your bag "Flexible" and "We Almost Made It" certainly lend some appeal as well.  

01. Waves

02. I Never Saw You

03. Letting Go of Love

04. False Alarms

05. Los Condos

06. Drums of Passion

07. Flexible

08. We Almost made It

09. Why Can't You Say Love?

10. Here's Where I Get Off

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Shouting in the Grand Canyon, hearing my own voice.

I know I didn't give you much last weeks folks, but I'll try to compensate later on today. For now, here's a corker from 2022.  Maybe not as stimulating as their debut, but what these Brighton kids possessed was still fairly dazzling.

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Barking Tribe 7" (1991, Atomik Industries)

God knows I've probably passed up on buying Barking Tribe's 1991 LP, Serpent Go Home, from many a cut-out and bargain bin over the decades, but it wasn't until I ran into a used copy of this 45 that I made any conscious effort to explore what this combo was all about.  After experiencing both sides of this wax I'm still not entirely sure if I really "get" whatever the heck they were trying to perpetrate.  "White Man's Mind" is a roiling riff-rocker to be sure, splayed out like a feral amalgam of AC/DC, Georgia Satellites, and maybe even a smidge of Motorhead.  "Worm in the Apple Ed," the lesser of the pair, loosely exudes vibes not dissimilar to Mercyland and the Meat Puppets more wailin' forays.  Nutshell speaking, I just might have to catch up with that aforementioned cut-out after all.  Enjoy. 

A. White Man's Mind

B. Worm in the Apple Ed

Hear

I got caught playing with your heart...

One of 2015's best.  Sumptuous nodes of jangle and power-pop filtered through an updated, Slumberland Records-esque delivery system.  Big Star channeled by way of the Ocean Blue? Kinda. Sadly there's been no follow-up to date.  

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I got a stained-glass window and a terrible cough...

From 2000.  

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The Bishops ep (1988, Nobody Really)

I don't know much about The Bishops' hometown of Alton, IL, but if in fact they were the biggest success story from the locale (not far from St. Louis) I'll bet this record has much to do with it.  Right out of the gate they impress with the nervy "Don't Get Around Much," sounding like a crucial outtake from Soul Asylum's Made to Be Broken or Hang Time. While that's generally the peak here, the remaining three numbers hardly slouch, including the three-minute plus spiel-a-thon "Coming in Color," which I perceive to be the Bishops signature-song based on it's inclusion on several indie compilations from the same era. Multiple albums were recorded by these guys in the '90s, none of which I've heard, but am quite eager to based on what I've been enlightened to here.  

01. Don't Get Around Much

02. Get Behind Me

03. Coming in Color

04. So Far From Heaven

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Scarce - "All Sideways" 7" (1994, Rocka Mundo)

Even if Scarce frontman, Chick Graning, hadn't suffered an amnesia-inducing brain hemorrhage in 1995 (running right into the Stateside release of his band's major label bow, Deadsexy) the odds were stacked up against a good 95% of alterna-inclined bands (his being no exception), given the seemingly wonton signing spree engendered by the runaway success of Nirvana and Green Day.  More often than not, left-of-center propositions like Scarce, simply weren't accorded the same level of nurturing and artist-development of the aforementioned multi-platinum behemoths.  A veritable shame, as Graning & Co's. angular guitar splay on the dynamic "Sideways" leans into the a curious soft/loud/soft schematic with it's phenomenal harmonic chorus yielding a robust payout. The prolonged flipside, "Dozen" is considerably less climactic, albeit it's contemplative tenor functions as a soothing comedown.  Brace yourself for mucho surface noise on this one.

The 1993 demos for Deadsexy are well worth absorbing, as is a split 45 with Funland, and last but not least Graning's '80s endeavors with the even more amp-shredding Anastasia Screamed. 

A. Sideways

B. Dozen

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I'm playing a tape that I just found...

From 1996.  Just about the best indie rock album you didn't know existed.

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Arpad and the New Sons of the Industrial Revolution - Calm Down (198?, 1201)

This is the first cold case I've brought up in awhile, and the combo this concerns doesn't help matters by omitting their moniker from the front sleeve, and to a lesser extent reserving said name for a fine-print mention on the back.  Arpad (and the New Sons of the Industrial Revolution) were Rochester, NY denizens, and their presence in the Flower City scene doesn't appear to have been notably robust. Kind of a shame, because this art rock posse strived to serve something relatively original on the dinner platter. Mouthpiece and prime-mover Arpad opts for a deadpan, spoken parlance, which I know might be a deal-breaker for a lot of you, yet it's the instrumentation on Calm Down, that shines on the occasions that it capably does so. The clangy, chiming fretwork and pointed synths exude shades of early Joy Division (think Warsaw era) and perhaps to a merely coincidental degree Middle Class and Pylon.  Not everything this threesome hurls at the wall sticks, but Arpad's chosen pastiche stimulates just fine amidst ditties like "Tied Down" and "Fellow Human."  Confusingly Discogs states a 1984 copywrite for this one, whereas the tracklist on the back cover parenthetically denotes the year for each individual composition, with some showing dates as late as 1985 and '86.  

01. Flammable

02. Tied Down

03. Rudest Person

04. Trusted You

05. Dominating Creatures

06. Fellow Human

07. Sick of Life

08. Nuclear Delight

09. Bitching Worker

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