The Seeing Eye Gods - s/t ep (1985, Epitaph)

While we're on the subject of psych pop/rock I thought this would piggyback nicely with yesterday's Shallow Reign entry. The Seeing Eye Gods were a one-off side project that was the brainchild of Bad Religion's "Mr. Brett" Gurewitz and as it's been reported, his dealer at the time,  Joe Bertini.  Taken from the website linked above here's a backgrounder. 

The Seeing Eye Gods is the name of the band Brett Gurewitz was is in in the early eighties. It was Brett's first side project and they released a self-titled 12" picture disc. It was released in 1985 on Epitaph Records at a time when he was heavily into drugs, and not on good terms with his Bad Religion band-mates.

Back then Brett had a distribution deal with a company called Sounds Good and they released about 1,000 copies. The album has a pop-psychedelic feel to it, with Brett singing on all tracks, and him and Bertini (his friend and pusher) playing all the instruments.  On this record Brett goes by the nickname "Billy Pilgrim" and John Bertini by the name "Ripped Van Winkle".

With that out of the way, the nearly half-dozen songs here presumably cut on nothing more sophisticated than an 8-track recording console aren't anywhere near the Bad Religion realm, even their botched 1983 synthesizer foray Into the Unknown. "Only One" and Psychedelic Suzy" uncannily resemble the work of the Three O'Clock, almost to the point of prompting me to wonder if SEG were something of a deliberate parody/send-up.  Seriously leaning into '60s sonic affectations, a faithful rendition of "Pictures of Matchstick Men" slots in seamlessly.  "Strawberry Girl" naggingly puts me in the mood for Buffalo Springfield, but maybe I'm alone in that observation.  A fun and surprisingly substantive record.  Per the snapshot above this was a picture disc accompanied with not-quite a proper album jacket.

01. Only One

02. Psychedelic Suzy

03. Pictures of Matchstick Men

04. Strawberry Girl

05. Happy

Hear

Shallow Reign - s/t (1986, Pool)

You'd think there would be more mentions of this long begotten Dallas, TX artifact, if only due to the fact that bands of Shallow Reign's chosen persuasion (Paisley Underground) weren't all that ubiquitous, even circa the mid-80s.  After some four decades you'd think that the Dream Syndicate, Bangles, Three O'Clock and the Rain Parade were all said niche had to offer, given it's rather narrow anthologizing.  Truth is there were likely lots more worthy neo-psych hopefuls in the Reagan-era that simply weren't able to benefit from the widespread exposure of their Cali contemporaries. Not that what Shallow Reign brought to the table was as fresh and/or innovative as the aforementioned, but despite the arguable deficit of originality they compensated in spades with sheer capability and competence.  

On their debut LP they genuinely put in their homework, with certain numbers including "Understanding Kiss" and the driving "One Last Chance" veritably rivaling the most convincing missives from not only the Syndicate and Rain Parade, but also lesser spoken of entities Absolute Grey and Winter Hours.  They did earn a slot on the Sound of Deep Ellum compilation, yet none of the more Paisley-centric various artist compendiums (including Children of Nuggets, and the more recent This Can't Be Today) bothered to include S/R on their otherwise exhaustive rosters.  A very much under-the-radar find, and though I weighed the possibility of saving this one for one of my Chanukah posts, Shallow Reign struck me as being a tad inconsistent to qualify.  Eye of the beholder of course, so feel free to share your thoughts after giving this a listen or two.  I'm making it available in your choice of MP3 or FLAC.

01. Celtic

02. Understanding Kiss

03. In Your Mind

04. 328 Regret

05. Long Time Ago

06. Forever

07. One Last Chance

08. All Alone

09. Reflection

MP3/FLAC

Do you think she can change your life?

An indie rock touchstone from 1996. Sorry I wasn't able to deliver much in the way of new music to you last week.  Will try to remedy that soon. 

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear
 

I took sleeping pills to dream you never did me wrong.

A Don Fleming production from 2000. From the States, but the band's Elvis Costello-isms and Brit-pop angularities belie even sassier undercurrents.

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear

The Chrome Yellow Co. - Gathered Far Distant (2002, Northern Light)

A Canadian indie band that, surprise, reminds me a hell of a lot of other Can-indie bands, especially those populating the roster of Murder Records...yet ironically not so much Sloan.  I wouldn't say Chrome Yellow Co. strike me as a holdover from the 1990s, as they're not derivative of any one particular artist, yet the overarching aesthetic is well intact.  Not much else to remark on here, other than Gathered Far Distant is relatively consistent, with some songs discernably being more crunchy ("Sports Car") than others.  

01. You Always Love Happy Endings

02. My Teenage Bedroom

03. Summerside

04. Dreaming in Stereo

05. Monster

06. Sing the Stars

07. Autumn Leaves

08. Sports Car

09. Saturday Morning

10. The Ballroom Dancer

11. Night vs. Day

12. Dim Architecture

13. Trouble With the Law

14. Pale Hands Are Waving

Hear

They caught him with his case in a public place...

From 2002. The bonus disk of a deluxe edition reissue housing b-sides, demos and even a Peel session. 

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear

Unit 5 - Scared of the Dark (1981, Clone)

Here's a bunch of Arkon-ites that didn't have a damn thing in common with DEVO other than locale.  Said to have contained ex-Waitresses alumni, the most resounding response to Unit 5 I could garner was their likeness to Blondie.  The Tracey Thomas-led combo were in fact (at least to my ears) a more enticing proposition than Debbie Harry and Co. in the respect they packed more kick, and furthermore, downplayed the whole sexuality bit. Seriously, I much prefer Unit 5's ratios in this department than Blondie.  A more accurate match for Thomas' vocal panache would be Belinda Carlisle, but I chalk that up to coincidence more than anything.  The songs frequently border on excellent, especially some of the punchier ditties on side one ("Ready," "No Ones Girl" and "Big Kids").  Scared of the Dark is one of the smartest mergers of wave and punk that surfaced during the halcyon era of these musical movements, and it's outright obscurity is a near travesty.  Here's Trouser Press' say on the subject.

Some members of this Akron, Ohio group were in an early incarnation of the Waitresses; Unit 5's vocalist, Tracey Thomas, however, is more from the school of Debbie Harry than the late Patty Donahue. The band plays sprightly, slightly synthesized pop with craft and dedication, making Scared of the Dark easy to like.

01. No One's Girl

02. Big Kids

03. Mental State

04. Ready

05. Decisions

06. Like Lovers Feel

07. Go Ahead and Kiss Her

08. Fickle Hearts

09. Gracefully and Ladylike

10. Lucky Charms

11. Believe It

12. Scared of the Dark

Hear

This is the only one I've ever cared for.

From 2019.  Probably the closest I've come to offering bona fide power pop on Mystery Mondays in a long time.

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

 

Outsets - s/t ep (1983, Plexus Trading)

Ever wonder what became of Ivan Julian after the Voidoids dissolved?  Yeah, me neither...but I found out anyway.  With Julian running the show here I was hoping to hear some last vestige of Richard Hell & Co, or heck, even a tamer new-wave friendly likeness of thereof.  Not so much.  The partied-up funk rock of "Dancin' in the Dark" could have garnered a few spins in the waning era of Studio 54.  Not an inadvisable listen mind you, but the following number, the soulful crooner "Heart on Fire" by and large is a sheer no-go. If any selection on the Outsets qualifies for centerpiece status, the power-pop bent of the inflation-themed "Young Man's Money" easily seizes the prize. The concluding "Iceman" languishes on for five and a half minutes without ever really peaking.  Overall, the Outsets may not have "set out" to deliberately disappoint, but seemingly succeed at doing so regardless.  I'm told drummer Vinny DeNunzio was present in an early incarnation of the Feelies, among numerous other stints appearing on his resume.  

01. Dancin' in the Dark

02. Heart on Fire

03. Young Man's Money

04. Iceman

Hear

Hugenius 7" (1994, Damaged Goods) (file under Pooh Sticks, G.G. Allin?)

Certainly a parody of the then-current UK outfit Eugenius (ex-Vaselines), Huegneius was a one-off byproduct of the Pooh Sticks Hue Williams, though if you're expecting a winsome slice of three-minute jangle pop, you're terrifically mistaken.  Released but one year after the sudden passing of notorious punk cult-icon G.G. Allin, this 45 was an unlikely tribute to the pro/antagonist (eye of the beholder) in question.  There's a grand total of two Allin compositions I'm familiar with, and wouldn't you know it, the A-side, "Drink Fight + Fun" is coincidentally or not a PG13-rated rendition of one of them.  The 135 second salvo ironically begins with an extended classical guitar solo (a la "Sanitarium") before hurtling full bore into a rampaging cover of the scum-punk classick, that to these ears strikes me as even more vigorous and assertive than the original.  Again, a jarringly implausible concept considering the source, but the hardcore quotient of the tune couldn't be executed more convincingly.  As for the even briefer flip-side (barely over a minute) it's an extended reprise of the aforementioned "Sanitarium"-esque acoustic intro.  You have been warned.

A. Drink Fight + Fun

B. Theme for G.G.

Hear 

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.  

**Please do not reveal artists in comments!**

Hear

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

Hear

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.

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear

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

Hear

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.

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear

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

Hear

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.

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear

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

Hear

Tomorrow knows, it keeps up in suspense...

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

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear

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

Hear

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.

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear

 

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 of Devo's sardonic heft and massaged it 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

Hear 

...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.

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear 

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

Hear

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.  

**Please do not reveal artist in comments!**

Hear