Blood Uncles - Petrol ep (1985, Drastic Plastic)

So...the gruff vocals on this one were an immediate turn-off, but fortunately not a deal breaker.  Ditch that element of Blood Uncles and you had a pretty crack band, not far removed from what the Cult and U2 were offering around the same era, granted not quite as anthemic. On top of that, "Swallow" splendidly futzes with some early Gang of Four histrionics.  I just wish the mouthpiece would relent with the whole Lee Ving approach he insists on perpetuating here.  In fact, said singer does curtail the schtick a tad on "Never Happy Man," adopting a more measured timbre (either that or someone else in the band took over on the mic for this one).  An LP, Libertine, followed two years later, bizarrely containing a Prince cover of all things. I don't think that one is about to rise to the top of my want-list anytime soon.  

01. Swallow

02. Mad As You

03. Never Happy Man

04. Drink My Sweat

Hear

I want to float upon my memories...

 Aussie bullion from 2004.  

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

Hear

The Lost Tropics - s/t (1983)

It's been another week where I simply didn't get o much of anything in terms of this site, one that feels like it's very slowly going to pot due to my neglect.  Am definitely going to make more of an effort to get in the swing of things by spring.  In the meantime, I present to you The Lost Tropics, major label casualties from the mid-80s, who were ostensibly responsible for a one-and-done album, pictured to your right. New wavish for certain, but thankfully nothing gaudy or egregiously over-produced which was the norm for their era.  Coed vocals as well, splitting the difference just about evenly, with the "he" quotient vaguely recalling Ric Ocasek - convenient as some of the Lost Tropics skews in a Candy-O-esque vicinity (sorta).  Competent and even enjoyable, albeit nothing particularly innovative. Nonetheless you can count me as a fan.

01. Zoo Story

02. Feels Like Love

03. Girls

04. Too Much to Handle

05. I Think of You

06. Rumble

07. Any Other Day

08. Keep on Sleeping

09. A Different World

10. Tonite is Booked

Hear

Hard times right now might be bliss deferred...

From 1995.  Was saddened to learn of the recent loss of this power pop maven.  He may not have vaulted to the highest tier of my favorites, but still leaves behind a choice legacy.

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

Hear

V/A - Succulents - The Letter "S" folder mix.

The idea was to get to all 26 letters in the alphabet, when I initiated the "letter" series compilations way back in 2011.  By 2016 I had only managed to cover nine rather random installments in a series that was supposed to have been completed looong before that year.  And wouldn't you know I decided to take a ten-year long breather (of sorts), but since I didn't have much slated for this week I opted to arouse the dusty letter archives out of their decade-long slumber. You see, on my overloaded hard drive, for almost every complete album I have by an artist, I store just as many random one-off songs by artists I don't have a dedicated folder to.  These random one-offs have been corralled into "letter folders" A through Z. I often forget these particular folders exist, that is unless I feel the urge to hear a specific track. Given the disparate genres that run into each under this alphabetic scheme, each folder unto itself reveals some intriguing bedfellows. Being that "S" is the most used letter in the English vernacular, I decided to go really big with this one, offering no less than forty artists, about half of which I've never given coverage to on Wilfully Obscure heretofore.  

Since I'm not going to be revealing a full tracklist, I can at the very least provide you with a few spoilers.  There's rarities from the likes of Slowdive, Schatzi, Swimming Pool Q's and Steve Malkmus & the Jicks, live action from the Scientists, and strangely enough field recordings of radio emissions from Saturn (yes, the planet).  And if you want covers, we've got you covered - literally with about ten remakes total, including Silverstein, Screamfeeder, Scared of Chaka, and Seafood all getting in on the action.  Naturally, I'm tossing in some huge under-the-radar personal favorites from Swollen Members, Sebadoh, The Secrets and Shrapnel among oodles of others.  And if you're curiosity is piqued, please visit similar setups for already attended-to letters "E" "D" "H" "O" "P" "B" "T"  "Z" and "G."

Hear

...test your faith, you shimmer like a godsend

From 1993. Likely one of the fifty most listened-to albums in my collection, yet I've been hesitant to share it because I know a good chunk of you will frown on the genre.  I've presented them on a previous M/M, and as I may have mentioned in my leadup to that one, this band embodies the throes of a harsh, unforgiving winter like few others I've ever crossed paths with.  

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

Hear

Bpeople - Petrified Conditions 1979-1981 (1986, Restless)

Though this isn't necessarily designed to be an introduction to Bpeople (ideally you might want to go with their two proper self-titled releases from 1981) the artful aesthetic they quietly championed is wholly evident on this collection of alternate takes and previously unreleased material. Though I haven't encountered any "no-wave" accusations leveled at these guys, Bpeople certainly weren't striving to land amongst the ubiquitous new romantic contingents hovering amidst their L.A. airspace. Instead, manicured dissonance was a more their bag, entailing flourishes of intermittent saxophone and choppy syncopation. Amidst these proclivities real songs frequently emerge from the avant detritus - "You at Eight," "In the Mind" and the chilling "The World's the Arrow," albeit falling well short of pop terrain.  Mouthpiece/guitar wrangler Alex Gibson bears parallels with that of the Wipers' Greg Sage, but that's likely more coincidence than adulation. To date, Bpeople's catalog hasn't been represented or preserved in the digital realm, at least not formally, but I guess that's what music blogs are for.  I should also mention that contemporary to some of these recordings, Gibson unleashed a solo ep, Passionel in '81.

01. Special Kind of Fun

02. Can Can't

03. I Said Everybody

04. The World's the Arrow

05. Give Up

06. Perseuction, That's My Song

07. The Thing

08. I Said Everybody (Vers 2)

09. You at Eight

10. In the Mind

11. Weather to Worry

12. MPCD

Hear

If this is your world take it with you.

From 2021. Nuevo post-punk steeped in a tastefully modest stride. 

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

Hear

Hetch Hetchy - Swollen (1990, Texas Hotel)

Often seen as a musical footnote, Hetch Hetchy were seemingly revered more for their lineage than what they committed to tape.  Frontwoman Lynda L. Limner happened to be Michael Stipe's sister, though H/H were a sonic entity unto their own.  Though I've seen comparisons to Hugo Largo, this ethereal quartet seem to occupy a middle ground brandishing similar textures to Bob Mould's Workbook foray and the more curious reaches of the Cocteau Twins, with the vocals on Swollen often resembling the abstract/playful take on Gaelic that Elizabeth Fraiser & Co. made their calling card.  The effect is not particularly immediate, but even a cursory listen reveals there's something engaging at play - and without a doubt artful to the hilt. On the surface Swollen is equally committed to atmospheric heft as much as the songs themselves, but I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to which prevails in the end.  

01. Commonplace

02. Heavens

03. Satanette

04. Perfect Puzzle

05. Mango Wienie

06. Retsina

07. Bow Song

08. Erotic CPR

09. Mother's Drum

10. ...

Hear

Looked inside to a world within, this time it's no easier than it's ever been...

From 2006.  I didn't intend to make this a twentieth anniversary post, but what do ya know?

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

Hear

The Icicle Works - The Palace, Hollywood, 1984

I'm tempted to say that I've neglected the Icicle Works this whole time, yet it's hardly deliberate.  Like hundreds of other mainstream-ish artists I enjoy Ian McNabb's back catalog (both solo and with I/W) is thoroughly represented online through official channels, be they streaming services or Bandcamp and the like. While I can't really encroach into any of his publicized studio endeavors there are always little Easter eggs, like this ostensibly abbreviated,  FM-broadcast performance from the band's commercial peak in the mid-80s.  I'm especially fond of the first two Icicle Works albums, and I ventured beyond "Birds Fly (A Whisper To A Scream)" eons ago.  

This undated set comes on the heels of their 1984 debut, and naturally features said hit, but also entails virtually every significant song from that near-flawless record (save perhaps for "In the Cauldron of Love").  Lumped in with the new romantic contingent the Works bore chilly post-punk affectations aplenty that unlike many of their major label cohorts weren't tampered with, not thoroughly anyway.  A little credibility went a long way in distinguishing them the strenuously coifed poseurs they found themselves among. It was unfortunate they couldn't stay in the good graces of the fans that readily flocked to "Birds Fly...," but no matter.  The proof was in the pudding and the Icicle Works absolutely sparkled in their brief moment in the limelight.  I'm making this available in FLAC as well as MP3.  

01 - As The Dragonfly Flies

02 - Chop The Tree

03 - Scarecrow

04 - Love Is A Wonderful Colour

05 - Out Of Season

06 - Lover's Day

07 - Factory In The Desert

08 - Birds Fly (A Whisper To A Scream)

MP3  or  FLAC

City Lights - Blackout ep (1980, City Lights)

Playing a stripe of power pop that seems almost quaint by today's standards, City Lights, the pride and joy of Kagel Canyon, CA, ostensibly flickered out not long after this ep.  Bit of a shame given the frenetic, sinewy stride of the kick-off "She Wants to Be Sure," that splits the difference between early Cheap Trick and the slightly tamer aplomb of contemporaries the Rubinoos.  This is quickly followed up by a faithful redux of the Zombies "Time of the Season," however I think Blackout's main draw is "My Love is Real" which brandishes a near-devastating chorus hook.  Am not thoroughly in the bag for the remainder of this ep, but it's a strikingly varied batch of tunes that don't stick around long enough to get mired in any samey malaise.

 01. She Wants to be Sure

02. Time of the Season

03. My Love is Real

04. Scared (of Being in Love)

05. Don't Tell Her

Hear

So we lifted up our eyes, and the light of the sun was the light of our love...

From 1989. One that sank almost immediately when released, but ultimately became a minor cult-classic in subsequent decades. I tacked on one utterly crucial bonus track.

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

Hear
 

Best of the blog mix 2025

Continuing my annual tradition of recapping a year's worth of choice blog posts into one handy compendium, here's the condensed version of Wilfully Obscure, circa 2025.  Discounting "Mystery Monday" entries I don't think I gave you much more than 60-70 digitizations, a far cry from just ten years ago when I easily flung twice that amount of music at you. The reasons for this are numerous, and I'd be lying if I said last year wasn't thoroughly challenging. The nutshell premise as always is if you feel the need to catch up you might as well begin (but hopefully not end) here.  As was the case with previous yearly roundups, I've inserted a few random morsels exclusive to this playlist (denoted with an *)

What can I say?  I brought the jangle in a stupendous way with the likes of Yazoo Beach, Suns of the Silence, A Few, and The Loch Ness Mouse, all worth their ever lovin' weight in sweet harmonies and clangy chords.  If you're hankering for a bit more roughage in your ear canal, insurgent, power-chord vendors Dirty Looks, Yo, and Roy G Biv should suffice.  No shortage of post-punk/adjacent goodies are present, along with heaps of left-of-the-dial magic. Tirez Tirez, and a once lost, synth-pop nugget courtesy of Who's Who fill the anomaly quotient splendidly, and I even cap off the whole affair with a 'Mats cover, random as it may seem. Have a blast.

01. Maxxturs - It's Just Like You

02. Victorian Parents - Uncommunique

03. The Neats - Cariboo

04. The Passions - Into Night

05. Faith Global - Love Seems Lost

06. The Charlottes - Liar

07. That Hope - Jeff Matt Joey

08. The Montanas - Chains

09. Dirty Looks - Let Go

10. Prime Movers - Change For The Better*

11. Bob Beland - Stealin' Cars

12. Yo - Pot O' Gold

13. Roy G Biv - Off My Path

14. Shrubs - Never Go Back

15. The Fad - Run on Back to You*

16. Principles of Literary Criticism - She Gets

17. Sleep of Reason -That's a Nice Thought

18. A Few - Best Around

19. Yazoo Beach - By the Hand

20. Lovers and Other Monsters - Breathing Walls, Breaking Glass

21. Suns of the Silence - So You Thought That You Could Fly

22. The Loch Ness Mouse - Vespa 50

23. Chris Bailey - Easier Done Than Said (Do It!)

24. Tirez Tirez - Under the Door

25. Standing Waves - Vertigo

26. Who's Who & Christopher Saint - Ulterior Motives*

27. Silver Receiver - Can't Hardly Wait*

Hear

I don't wanna be with you, but I don't want to be alone too.

From 2019.  Imagine if Best Coast awoke with a mild, dream-pop hangover and developed a taste for Psychocandy.  

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

Hear

Jellyfishbabies - s/t (1986, Plot)

I'll be posting a "best of the blog" mix for '25 before you know it.  In the meantime, here's an outfit I haven't paid any attention to, Nova Scotia's Jellyfishbabies, since I shared their sophomore LP, The Unkind Truth About Rome, several ages ago.  In fact, I had been sitting on this precursor album for an inexcusable amount of time. The Unkind Truth... was varied in the most flattering sense possible, exuding equal parts depth and breadth that only could have been gestated by a band who had keenly developed their craft.  The debut pictured to your left does house some fantastic songs, namely the speedy, aggro-ridden "Messiah," "Blue Eyes," and "Certain Memories," all of which smack of SST-era Husker Du, Squirrel Bait and the Nils.  The songwriting however is regrettably far from 100%, and doesn't quite do justice to much else here. Despite its inconsistencies Jellyfishbabies is still plenty listenable and considering it's better songs border on the remarkable I almost feel guilty complaining.  Incidentally, there's a website for this crew, but when I attempt to visit it on any device either my antivirus is blocking it, or perhaps it's just defunct. Give it a shot.  

01. Messiah

02. Blue Eyes

03. Rainy Day

04. Diamond Joe

05. Can it Be

06. Certain Memories

07. Never Really Knew

08. Mile of Glass

Hear

I'm taking a raise with a slap in the face in so many ways.

From 2002. This quartet purloined a thing or two from the Stones, but much like The Figgs and The Stairs, they engendered something tasteful and alluring in the process.

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

Hear

Blackmarket - St. Vincent Decor (2010, TMG)

Cynical as I may get with "modern music," there's still a helluva lot of stuff that gets lost in the shuffle. Often, if it wasn't for the sheer affordability of CD bargain bins, I might not have ever encountered Blackmarket.  Despite an internet-friendly copyright date of 2010, there's surprisingly little to be had on this trio, who to my ears gloriously smack of Phantom Planet, especially that combo's first blush of albums, namely ...Is Here and The Guest.  St. Vincent Decor isn't the stuff of traditionalist, three-chord power pop, rather a more elaborate affair wherein sumptuous hooks merge head-on with deft, albeit approachable arrangements.  The results border anywhere from merely good to downright astonishing, with the second half of St. Vincent unfurling stunning pearls like "Hey You/Loner" and "Dot to Dot."  This is pretty straight-up rock, but for what it's worth, Blackmarket aren't especially far-removed from what Sloan have been churning out these past couple of decades. Nice company to be in.  

01. Tongue Twister Typo

02. 10 & 2

03. Blue Lemon

04. To Say the Least

05. Hammerhead (Somebody Else)

06. Hey You/Loner

07. Nearsighted

08. Catch & Release

09. The One I Know You're Not

10. Dot to Dot

Hear

...and now the two of them are lost In a screaming battleground.

This might as well be a ninth evening of Chanukah.  The bonus material, exclusively, from the deluxe edition of a sleeper album from 1994 that eventually became an alt-rock totem of sorts.  

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

Hear

...broken bits of you and me.

...and on the eight day he rested...but I'll have to finish writing this piece first I suppose. Green Thoughts brought me to the Smithereens' proverbial table, even if I didn't stay for an extended period. Truth be told there was a lot vying for my attention in 1988.  Metal, rap, and classic rock all hit simultaneously in the two years or so leading up, and it wasn't probably until very early in 1989 that I made any conscious differentiation between mainstream and "alternative." The band, in question could have easily, and quite frankly did slot into both camps.  

Given the plaintive songwriting penchants of both Pat DiNizio and Jim Babjak that almost gives me an easy out in terms of scrutinizing the treasure trove of songs they brought into the world. I suppose what they lacked in eloquence they compensated for in sheer consistency and savvy.  Sure, I may not have liked/appreciated certain songs, but New Jersey's White Castle connoisseurs were never ones to slouch or sell a half-baked loaf of bread.  And they were tight as hell live.  In some ways every artist/band/etc should strive to be as on-point and defined as the Smithereens were.  Without realizing it they were impeccable role models.

Every album has a beginning, and this patchwork quilt of antecedents and tentative steps for G/T was actually assembled by DiNizio himself, though the circulation of it remains highly limited.  There are formal demos (naturally) but there are also numerous rough sketches, some as fleetingly brief as 45 seconds.  If there's an emphasis on anything here at all, it's numerous acoustic traipses cut at the Record Plant, though I'm not certain if it was at the L.A. or New York City branch.  Nonetheless, "Elaine," "Drown in My Own Tears" and "House We Used to Live In," function just as effectively within the context of more spartan instrumentation as they did in the guise of the more amplified finished products we've come to know (though I should note the latter of those three is a noticeably incomplete version).  And speaking of "Elaine" the "countryish" version that's part of this package isn't that radically different, though I can still justify the designation.  "Only a Memory" is represented in five separate takes, absorbing about 25% of this affair, but with a hook that potent, I'm hardly complaining.  No bona fide outtakes or wholly unique songs crop up in this collection, folks  Still, nothing beats the fly-on-the-wall intimacy of this preparation reel for the 'reens, not-so-difficult second album. Enjoy. 

01. Only A Memory [Pat Song Idea 9-87]

02. Only A Memory [Early Acoustic w-Drum Machine]

03. Only A Memory [Early Acoustic And Vocals]

04. Only A Memory [Take 1 - Electric Demo - Remixed By Pat~1

05. Drown In My Own Tears [Pat Song Idea 9-87]

06. Drown In My Own Tears [Electric Demo]

07. Elaine [Show Place Demo]

08. Elaine [Countryish Demo]

09. The World We Know [Electric Demo - No Vocals]

10. Especially For You [Electric Demo]

11. Only A Memory [Acoustic - Record Plant 11-19-87]

12. House We Used To Live In [Acoustic - Record Plant]

13. Something New [Acoustic - Record Plant]

14. The World We Know [Pat Song Idea Circa 1987]

15. Drown In My Own Tears [Acoustic - Record Plant]

16. Elaine [Acoustic - Record Plant]

17. Spellbound [Acoustic - Record Plant]

18. If The Sun Doesn't Shine [Acoustic - Record Plant]

19. Green Thoughts [Acoustic Song Idea Snippet]

Hear 

Guided by Voices - Pissing in the Canal, (1984, aborted album) & Nate Farley Sessions (2003)

Much in tandem with the Game Theory post from last night, over the years I've given you a lot by Guided by Voices, particularly in the way of rarities and shall I say, "unsecured" material.  I'm getting to the bottom of my proverbial "well," and while there's certainly more out there, it may never see proper dissemination.  

Per GBVDB, the Pissing in the Canal "sessions" from 1984 represent one of the last bastions of untapped early GBV recordings, and even some of these have already seen the light of day on various Suitcase box sets, which were often composed of demos and rough cuts from Robert Pollard's nascent, '80s home recordings. In it's entirely PitC is said to consist of ten songs, and I was only capable of locating 90% of them. Had this sucker actually hit record racks it would've pre-dated 1986's, Forever Since Breakfast, the band's maiden release. In keeping with GBV's sonic tendencies of that era, these nine cuts skew predominantly to their (relatively speaking) "conventional" era, with clean, song structures bearing a folk-ish guitar-pop lilt, with more than a wink and a nod to the still burgeoning R.E.M. There's veritable gold here in the guise of the brisk, melodious tilt of "Angry Pillows (Gone Away)," which easily qualifies as one of ten most inviting songs of their '80s tenure. "Lockets of the Empress" could have given Stipe and Buck some serious competition had GBV enjoyed greater visibility in the Reagan-era.  Elsewhere, there's an early incarnation of "Quality of Armor" with significantly different lyrics, and also a few more tunes previewing the basis for future songs that would be fully realized in the band's more renown '90s heyday.    

The so-called Nate Farley Session is comprised of seven numbers tracked in a basement studio on June 23, 2003, ostensibly in preparation for that year's Earthquake Glue LP.  I'm tempted to deem it as a rehearsal or even demos, but the performances strike me as more competent than that.  To refer to to it as the "Nate Farley" session isn't really saying much, as Nate was brought on board as a full-time guitarist for ...Glue.  The title gives me the impression Nate's roll was a one-off for this particular recording, but at the end of the day who knows. At any rate, solid stuff, and only one more album would follow before GBV's short-lived "breakup."  For more fun, check out some of my previous forays with Pollard & Co. here. 

Pissing in the Canal

01. Angry Pillows (Gone Away)

02. Lockets of the Empress

03. The Quality or Armor (early vers)

04. Tell Me

05. Walls and Windows

06. Echoland

07. Before My Eyes

08. Together/Apart

09. Amnesia 

Hear

Nate Farley Session 

01. Useless Invenions

02. Secret Star

03. I'll Replace You With Machines

04. My Kind of Soldier

05. Of Mites and Men

06. Bull Spears

07. Alone, Stinking and Unafraid

Hear

Game Theory - Lolita Nation demos (1987?)

I think this is the last of it.  Beyond tonight's offering I think this is the last available un/under-released material I have to share by Game Theory proper (although some GT-adjacent items may follow later).  I've already given you multiple live shows, demos for the Big Shot Chronicles, and between 2014 and 2020 I reviewed all of Omnivore Records exhaustive reissues of GT's back catalog.  

There's not much more commentary I can impart regarding Lolita Nation beyond my assessment of it's widely expanded, 2016 double CD reissue.  It was the third in a trifecta of almost infallible, not to mention beaucoup criminally lauded full lengths, commencing with 1985's Real Nighttime, and Big Shot... coming hot on it's heels a year later.  Lolita, a double album, swelling with 27 new songs, landed in 1987.  It wasn't their final record (that would come soon enough via the band's swan song, Two Steps From the Middle Ages), but it seems to be the final item in the Game Theory cannon that people truly raved about.  This set of 19 prototypes, whether they be actual studio demos or well-versed rehearsals, has some occasional overlap with the bonus goodies on Omnivore's revamped incarnation, but nothing excessive.  

In most cases when it came to tracking the album, the versions on the finished product didn't greatly deviate from the demos, but if you're intimately familiar with Lolita... it won't take long to identify the variations and nuances.  While the entire album isn't represented here, all of the major components are present and accounted for - "The Real Sheila," "Chardonnay," and no less than two versions of "The Waist and the Knees."  An untitled instrumental in the middle of this whole shebang isn't particularly enlightening, but slots in seamlessly anyway.  I promised myself I wouldn't reveal too much in this write-up, so I'm tempted to cut the line here. For the uninitiated, if this is your first exposure to Game Theory and/or this album, you'll be happy to learn the reissue is still available here (and presumably streaming), and the band is responsible for a rich body of work that you'd do well to explore.  

01. Little Ivory

02. Slip

03. Nothing New

04. Look Away

05. The Waist And The Knees

06. The Waist And The Knees (2)

07. Andy in Ten Years

08. Not Because You Can

09. We Love You Carol And Alison

10. untitled

11. The Real Sheila

12. Dripping With Looks

13. Mammoth Gardens

14. One More For Saint Michael

15. Chardonnay

16. Last Day That We're Young

17. The World's Easiest Job

18. Exactly What We Don't Want To Hear

19. Where They Have to Let You In

Hear

Sleep of Reason - Building 27 (1987, Top)

Every year around this time I share one (or two) "lost" albums from the twentieth century that I find exemplary, relatively speaking.  I do my best, but in reality I have a backlog of records in waiting to be listened to, or listened to in full.  You'd think with all the overtime I've clocked in this year I would have finally gotten caught up, but to the contrary.  

I'd been putting off playing Sleep of Reason's Building 27, even at a cursory level.  This wasn't completely by design, but on some subconscious level maybe I was waiting to uncork this like a bottle of fine wine.  Upon finally diving in I largely encountered what I anticipated based on a number of factors, namely album graphics, band member photos, and even song titles.  There were few if any surprises when I started to ween myself on SoR's collegiate indie rock - primarily guitar driven, mid-tempo, four-minute setups with intelligent, albeit not-too-erudite subject matter. In a nutshell, not quite a revelation, but far from a disappointment. 

Bearing a contact address on the album jacket pointing to the unfamiliar locale of Vienna, VA, this not-so sleepy quartet just so happened to foreshadow the m.o. of aggregations like the Ocean Blue, and to a lesser extent suggested a modest allegiance to their Canuck neighbors to the north, the Grapes of Wrath.  In fact, Building 27 doesn't manage to construct much of anything out of whole cloth, but the band possess too much competence for that to factor as a detriment.  SoR do however stumble a few times during the middle portion of this record, with less than memorable results.  Fortunately, plenty of the more alluring numbers, including "That's a Nice Thought," "Intolerance," and the propulsive "Maybe I Was Wrong," go a long way in keeping this ship upright.  If anything else, SoR are archetypical of the left-of-the-dial framework that Wilfully Obscure, writ large, strives to expose and propagate - and perhaps for that reason alone I'm enthusiastic to share it.  There's not much information to be on these guys, so if any of you can provide more deets on Sleep of Reason, feel free to fire away in the comments.

01. That's a Nice Thought

02. Intolerance

03. Once Again

04. Maybe I Was Wrong

05. Right Through Me

06. Bells

07. Time To

08. Lay Back

09. Not Tho' the Sailor Knew

MP3  or  FLAC   

Six seismic singles!

Ok, put a ton of work into this one.  Assembling these singles collections are usually the most preparation intensive exercises I do all year.  As usual there's no common theme between these half-dozen 45s, rather just some near-perfect spins that I think are worth highlighting.  I have plenty to talk about, so I'll spare you a lengthy intro and get down to brass tacks. 

The Windmills - The Day Dawned On Me/Dolphins 7" (1988, S.T.S.)

I picked this one up assuming the Windmills only had a presence during the '80s, but was caught off guard upon learning that they reunited sometime around 1999 and released a considerable body of music in the years that followed.  This was their one and only release for several years.  These Britons were absolutely clued into their surroundings, purloining a thing or two from the Close Lobsters, and other C86 luminaries, but by my estimation they fixed a keener gaze on what was emanating from New Zealand.  I much appreciate the Chills-worship on both cuts here.

Principles of Literary Criticism - She Gets/Maybe 7" (1985, No Prior)

A one-and-done intro/swan song from a trio who ostensibly called central New Jersey home.  Another blind purchase of mine, and my assumptions that Principles... were cut from left of the dial cloth.  Subtle but clangy chords abound on this 7".  Melodically sentient as well.  "She Gets" throbs at a respectable mid-tempo, with the flip "Maybe" sporting a sweet countermelody, thanks to Larry Archers inviting guitar fills.  Would love to hear anything else PLC may have committed to tape. Solid principles indeed.

Bleached Black - I Was in Your Life/Chelsea 7" (1985, RiJiD)

Another keeper from '85, from a threesome we've had the pleasure of hearing before.  I've owned Bleached Black's LP and 12" ep for what feels like eons, yet I didn't really pay attention to this 45 until some forty years after the fact.  Late frontman "Stevo" Stephen Deal was seemingly incapable of unleashing anything that approached mediocrity, and to think, these two jangle gems were just the beginning of a fruitful, albeit bespoke musical run.  If you have a jones for purveyors like Rain Parade and early Smithereens, this one is destine to be an absolute diggit.  

The Neats - Caraboo/Harbour Lights 7" (1983, Ace of Hearts)

If you ever wanted to define "American post-punk" a picture of this Neats 45 might as well reside next to in the dictionary.  "Caraboo"

bleeds copious shades of melancholic yet angsty scree in the artful and serrated manner of the band's hometown brethren done great, Mission of Burma.  This bygone Beantown collective belatedly came onto my radar with the equally persuasive 1982 ep, The Monkey's Head in the Corner of the Room, and I've been a convert ever since.  The flip, "Harbour Lights," a Platters cover of all things is a shmaltzy, not to mention disorienting left turn, but I have to give the Neats credit for nailing the authentic aesthetic of the original version.   

Rebel Waltz - Umbrella/Highway of Doom 7" (1990, Soon to Be Rare)

Many have been accused of usurping the tenor of Minneapolis' halcyon-era trifecta of Husker Du, The Replacements and Soul Asylum, yet not only did Oshkosh, WI's Rebel Waltz have the sonic bona fides in place, but also wielded deft songwriting chops to boot.  This striking, splatter-laden slice of green transparent wax offers two stick-to-your-ribs salvos of satisfaction - the rambunctious "Umbrella," and the uber-Asylum-ish "Highway of Doom."  I have yet to encounter an unsatisfactory song from these gents.   The majority of R/W's relatively deep oeuvre has recently been digitized and made available here.  

J Church - She Never Leaves the Neighborhood 7" (1993, Dead Beat)

Last but not least, there were a myriad of J Church singles that could have occupied this spot, but not only does this one consist of the marvelously dynamic (think in the vein of the Pixies) "Good Judge of Character," She Never Leaves... functions as an archive of a 1993 Peel Session from Lance Hahn & Co.  Better yet we're treated to double b-sides, including the raging, "Financial Zone," a testament to the band's socio-political penchant conveyed by an aggro punk-pop delivery system, which for roughly fifteen years they made their indelible calling card.  "Priest," is slower, yet not by definition a ballad, and it's narrative vibe may be more of an acquired taste.  Regrettably I have to refer to Lance in the past tense as he left us in 2007.  I'm telling you, this guy would have been a blast to follow on social media (among many, many other gnarly things).  

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Baby Lemonade - 1995 demos & live in Hollywood 11/13/98

It wasn't until fairly recently that the prospect of dedicating a Chanukah post to Baby Lemonade occurred to me. I suppose it helped that a small stack of their original demo tapes had fallen into my lap - that and a fairly pristine live recording I came across, from the band's late '90s heyday, no less.  There have been multiple bands monikered Baby Lemonade over the years, spanning at least two continents.  The one in question was a fabulous Los Angeles-area quartet, who in fact didn't sound like Syd Barrett or PFloyd, but were loosely affiliated with the neo-psych movement.  Truth be told they were more in league with L.A.'s burgeoning power-pop scene, entailing the likes of the Wondermints, Sugarplastic and Cockeyed Ghost.  Helmed by two talented singer/songwriters, Rusty Squeezebox (likely an assumed name) and Mike Randle, they stuck around for three albums, and a handful of briefer releases, before touring as a full time backup band for Arthur Lee's reconstituted version of Love, a pretty sweet gig that lasted two decades right up until Lee's 2006 passing.

I've featured two B/L records previously.  First, 1993's Wonderful ep and the "Local Drags" single. Additionally, I even pitched you a live recording of a 1996 Reseda, CA performance on top of that. There isn't much more that I can tell you now, that I didn't back then, however I can't emphasize enough the closest the band came to delivering an outright masterstroke was their '98 sophomore LP, Exploring Music, an album that encompassed B/L's ever-maturing aptitude and acumen.  Not quite Forever Changes or Pet Sounds (okay, relatively far off in fact), Exploring... often suggested a patina of orchestral pop classicism.  Before that album the band dropped 68% Pure Imagination in 1996.  If not the most stunning jewel in their collective crown, they were nonetheless gathering steam and speed at a rapid clip.  

The demos featured in this meager clearinghouse foreshadow 68%..., including one of the group's signature numbers, "Pop Tarte," a fuzzy mesh of power-chords clad to copious melodic camaraderie, that coincidentally resembled what Superdrag were dishing out right around the same time.  Several of the remaining tracks follow suit with varying results, highlights ranging from the delicate and textured strains of "Open Up Yourself" to the crunchy, amp-ridden "Over My Head," exuding subtle glam-rock sway.  I think I counted four or five songs here that never appeared on any future B/L release.  

As for the 1998 concert, this was their Exploring Music record-release show at Jack's Sugar Stack in Hollywood.  As aforementioned, Baby Lemonade soar to new heights with this record, and nine out of it's dozen songs are represented in this sublime set list.  The gig was capped off with an extended rendition of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," and a roiling reading of "Hot Love" that just might have made Cheap Trick themselves green with envy.  Clap your hands indeed.  

1995 demos

01. Over My Head

02. Drown

03. Heavy

04. Luminosity

05. Postman's Son

06. Pop Tarte

07. Shake the Shelter

08. Never Mind the Hype

09. Never Again

10. Open Up Yourself

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Exploring Music record release - Jack's Sugar Shack, Hollywood, CA 11/13/98

01. -intro-

02. Clap Your Hands

03. Stay Awhile

04. Better Things

05. Green Boat

06. Once Again

07. Long Train Rides

08. So Long

09. Summer Song

10. Underground D.J.

11. Hot Love

12. Let's Stay Together

MP3  or  FLAC