Singles Going Single #149 - Nine Lives 7" (1985, Cheshire)

Here's a delightful single from a little spoken of Allston, MA trio featuring the vocal stylings of one Cheryl E. Wanner, who tilts more in the vicinity of Chrissie Hynde than Debbie Harry (though the premise of "Shopping" is thoroughly frivolous in the manner of say, the Go-Gos).  Bright, ringing guitar lines from axe-wielder Frank Gerace sweeten the pot.  You can safely file the catty Nine Lives under wave/power pop, though the group doesn't particularly strive to be either.  Both Wanner and Gerace are still making music, which you can investigate here. 

A. Shopping
B. Dressed for Success

Hear

Various - More of Our Stupid Noise '98 (1996/98, Squirtgun/Nettwerk)

Damn, I'm not sure how this killer and amazingly consistent compilation eluded Wilfully Obscure for so long, particularly considering I've had it in my possession for well over ten years now.  Originally minted on Can-indie Squirtgun Records in 1996, More Of Our Stupid Noise was reissued two years later on the much higher profile Nettwerk label, with a revamped track list as More of Our Stupid Noise '98.  Boasting a 25-act lineup that read like a who's who of subrosa talent from the era, ...Stupid Noise wasn't a "sampler," so much as a thoughtfully assembled time capsule that's held up remarkably well over the years.  Comprised predominantly of tuneful, albeit frequently noisy indie rock and punk-pop bands (with plenty of cross-pollination of those two varieties I might add), the compilation clearly has a Canadian emphasis with over 90% of it's participants hailing from my neighbors to the north. 

Appearing here are a slim batch of outfits already featured on these pages including Shortfall, The New Grand and Versus, the last of whom are one of the only American entries, who are kind enough to contribute a live version of an early gem, "Forest Fire." Lo(wer)-fi excursions from Poledo, Moon Socket, Orange Glass, and Eric's Trip are a delectable treat, and speaking of Eric's Trip, two offshoots from those Moncton luminaries also make a showing here, namely Elevator to Hell and Julie Doiron.  The more sonically sophisticated Mystery Machine, Bionic, By Divine Right, Radioblaster, and Scratching Post are no slouches either, and in fact I've long been acquainted with the back catalogs of many of them.  As for the other Yankee entry besides Versus, Lou Barlow appears with what was at the time an exclusive track, the strident and vaguely anthemic "Blown Pony."  This terrific little ditty later came to light on a Sentridoh tour CD, from this year in fact.    

Sure, you can quibble that Sloan isn't represented here, but then again they didn't need to be given their top-billing profile at the time.  Even a quick run through of More Of Our Stupid Noise is bound to pique your curiosity regarding some of the unknown quantities on this bountiful roster, so if there's anyone in particular you're interested in hearing more of, request to your hearts content because, I just might be able to accomodate you.  Dig in.  BTW, cheap used/new copies are available from Amazon.  Comes in a spiffy orange jewel case.   

01. Bionic, "C'mon C'Mon"

02. Shortfall, "Drive"
03. Scratching Post, "Full Throttle"
04. Radioblaster, "Perfect Burn"
05. The Ids, "Pain and Beauty"
06. Lou Barlow, "Blown Pony"
07. Mystery Machine, "What I Want"
08. Elevator to Hell, "Veins/Green"
09. Poledo, "Herskin"
10. hHead, "Want"
11. Speedbuggy, "Bionica"
12. By Divine Right, "Bigfoot"
13. Squirrel, "superforgettor"
14. Versus, "Forest Fire"
15. Julie Doiron, "So Fast"
16. Hayden, "A Fortune I'd Kept"
17. Moon Socket, "Almost Spring"
18. Hip Club Groove, "Guaranteed"
19. The Suddens, "A Rhyme That No One Understands"
20. Orange Glass, "Feel 500"
21. Eric's Trip, "So Easier Last Time"
22. Len, "Trillion Daze"
23. The Bonaduces, "You're So Lame When You're Drunk"
24. The New Grand, "Yours Truly"
25. Noah's Arkweld, "Xfriend"

Hear

Hazel - Airiana ep (1997, Candy Ass)

Remember the '90s?  Yep, you sure do. Remember the unremitting hotbed of musical exports that came roaring out of Seattle, Olympia, and Aberdeen?  Yep, you sure do.  Yet buried beneath all the Emerald City headlines was yet another thriving clutch of musical talent being born and bred roughly four hours due south.  Heatmiser, Crackerbash, Pond, Sprinkler, and the band in question, Hazel, were all denizens of Portland, Oregon during the grunge epoch.  In retrospect, most of the aforementioned were a bit more docile than their neighbors to the north, but moreover they crafted music that was equally as substantive.  Hazel were a co-ed quartet who prior to this ep  were taken under the wing of Sub Pop for two albums, 1993's bitchin' Toreador of Love, and the decent but pales-by-comparison follow-up Are You Going to Eat That? in '95.  By the time of that second album, my understanding is that Hazel were phoning it in, but for a band who's heart wasn't in it, the Airiana ep, released two years later, finds the crunchy, indie-guitar troupe firing on all cylinders, cranking away with oodles of punky bravado. The band's ever comely percussionist/mouthpiece Jody Bleyle, had an increased vocal presence on Airiana than on the preceding albums, and helped to chart Hazel on a revitalized course - one that was unfortunately and apparently no longer pursued after this ep.  Bleyle went onto the post-riot grrrl outfit Team Dresch, while frontman Pete Krebs pursued solo activities.

01. Airiana
02. Title Track
03. Ohio Player
04. Mr. Magazine Man
05. My 2nd Chance

Hear

Einstein's Riceboys - Civil Rice (1983, QL)

I didn't know much about this record going into it, but for some reason I had the notion that Civil Rice was going to have some serious full-tilt hardcore punk in store.  Turns out I was only 9% on the mark, with merely the whirlwind, minute-plus "Black Fag" matching the loud and fast ideal I had assumed was going to be the prevailing modus operandi here.  Hailing from Milwaukee, Einstein's Riceboys were in actuality a synth-reared post-punk cabal, and not a very catchy one at that.  Fusing together elements from their side of the pond (Devo, Pere Ubu) and the other (Gang of Four), the Riceboys sport their homegrown, DIY tomfoolery to an iidiosyncratic fault.  Civil Rice is an often incohesive, art-punk mess, though not quite the full-on disaster that some of it's sketchier moments lead you to believe is beckoning just around the corner.

01. Time and Insomnia
02. Vertigo
03. Massacre of Love
04. Living Screen
05. Morbid Orbit
06. Stranger in My Room
07. Overtown
08. Black Fag
09. Electric Chair
10. Bloated Life
11. Out of It

Hear

Baby Lemonade - live at The Aftershock, Reseda, CA 8/7/96

Better known in some circles as Arthur Lee's backing band for the final touring version of Love, Baby Lemonade have been even more vital to these ears as an entity unto themselves.  The "entity" in question released just two LPs (68% Pure Imagination in 1996, and Exploring Music two years later) and a couple eps before going on indefinite hiatus at the turn of the millennium.  All of these were independent releases that didn't make much of a dent outside their home turf of L.A.  Live Baby Lemonade bootlegs are a rarity, but on a sultry August '96 night in Reseda, CA at a dive dubbed The Aftershock this concert was committed to tape, and roughly ten years later disseminated on the internet to a selective few, myself included.  The setlist is drawn almost entirely from that first album 68% Pure Imagination, which means plenty of crunchy, post-paisley rock, and yes, the boys indulge in a Love cover, fittingly enough (ok, it was also on the album too but who's counting)?    

The curator of this recording created some none-too-spectacular artwork, including a tray card bearing a track list that's slightly disorienting...so don't blame me.  Enjoy (or not). 

01. Our Lips Are Sealed/Santanaclaus
02. Luminosity
03. Tailor in the Making
04. Backofavan
05. The Medicine
06. Pop Tarte
07. Heads or Tails
08. You Set the Scene
09. Brooke and the Sandman
10. outro

Hear

Singles Going Single #148 - The Revelers "This Little Light of Mine" 7" (1995, Inbred)

I'm not sure if Cleveland's Revelers were the toast of their hometown of Cleveland during their 1990s run, but if not, I'd be happy to raise a toast to them any day, because their update on Merseybeat pop 'n roll was nothing short of impeccable.  Their career spanned 1989-99 and produced four albums and roughly half a dozen singles, "This Little Light of Mine" included, and is as suitable an intro as any I might add.  Featured here are two flawless, retrofitted originals, as well as their spin on a Beatles classic.  Crucial stuff in the same league as early Apples and Stereo and Failure-era Posies.  The a-side can also be found on The Revelers On Top cd.  I'm not sure how easy it is to track down their back catalog these days, save for their last two albums which were released via SpinArt Records and available cheap on Amazon, but this online discography is helpful.  Check out the bio linked on their Myspace page linked above for the full dirt on this talented bunch.

A. This Little Light of Mine
B1. Bonded to You
B2. And Your Bird Can Sing

Hear

Field Trip - Beautiful (1989, Ruby/WB)

Beautiful was (and for that matter still is) the rambunctious and raucous debut platter from Pleasanton, CA's long disregarded Field Trip.  It was the first of three F/T albums to enjoy distribution through Warner Brothers, but despite having the backing of such a powerful and ubiquitous entertainment conglomerate, I never once encountered the quartet on radio or MTV.  Trouser Press opines that "in a character-filled voice, guitarist/songwriter Jim Galbraith orients the rocking pop band towards Minneapolis..."  In fact, the closest any Twin Cities luminaries come to informing Beautiful might be Soul Asylum, particularly that band's Twin/Tone-era output.  A more accurate comparison would be the ever snarky Too Much Joy, who Field Trip were actually labelmates with for a spell.  Perhaps the Meat Puppets as well, but not so much.  Though the Trip's follow-up albums Headgear and Ripe were more finessed (and in the case of the latter, um, ripe), Beautiful offers plenty of frivolous and fun romps, with some occasional soul-searching musings. 

01. Tunneling
02. Coming of Age
03. Cool Buzz
04. Can't Say No
05. Need a Break
06. No Friends
07. Run
08. Firecracker
09. Bleach My Soul
10. Where Did I Go Wrong?
11. Where's the Fire?

Hear

Singles Going Single #147 - As Clear As Day "Some Excited Feeling" 7" (1984?, Rampant)

Don't have an abundance of time for a write-up on this one, but conveniently there isn't much background info to be had on this Aussie quartet.  Two slices of buoyant, indie jangle pop exhibiting faint shades of the Chills, and to a lesser degree XTC, not far removed from another Rampant Records band from the same era, The Odolites, who I've already dedicated a few entries to.  This 45 may or may not have been all As Clear As Day had to offer the world during their presumably brief run.  A not-so-smoothly edited live clip of "Some Excited Feeling" is available at your leisure on YouTube.

A. Some Excited Feeling
B. Without Compromise

Hear

The Sights - So Much for Everlasting Love ep (1982)

The Sights were yet another L.A. power pop-leaning combo that never quite grasped their proverbial fifteen minutes of fame, though I hope the video for the winsome title track (see below) with all it's requisite, early '80s maneuvers made it into MTV's early morning rotation for at least a week or two.  Ah yes, the decade that keeps on giving a full generation after the fact.  In all sincerity, "So Much..." is a really commendable song, easily an 8 out of 10 or better.  Ranking just a notch down, "Lead Me Down" resembles a looser Plimsouls with some tasteful sax thrown in.  The remaining numbers aren't quite as indelible, but not the least beat embarrassing either.  We Want to Please You blog has dedicated some laudatory and thoughtful text regarding this record, and I believe may still be hosting the most renown track from it, but here's the whole shebang ripped by yours truly.   

01. So Much for Everlasting Love
02. Lead Me Down
03. Wax Museum
04. Dirty Bop

Hear

Edsel Auctioneer - Simmer (1992, Decoy/Kokopop)

For whatever the reason, The Edsel Auctioneer were a band I would regularly pass over, even in bargain bins.  I finally relented when I happened upon their The Good Time Music of... album a few years ago, well over a decade after the fact, and was impressed enough to explore their earlier catalog.  I soon discovered that their debut full length, Simmer, was doubly better than Good Time Music...  This past May saw an E/A entry on Wilfully Obscure for their "Slouch" single (the A-side of which also makes an appearance on this album).  Simmer is a percolating wellspring of downcast, indie guitar greatness that reveals an indebtedness to Buffalo Tom, Eleventh Dream Day and even Dinosaur Jr., that is had Mascis and Co. taken a more austere route.  The Edsels pair a keen melodic prowess with urgent, six-string firepower, offset by a grounded ethos that's entirely befitting.  Simmer is a little droney, but in a strangely cozy context that's hard to resist.

01. Undertow
02. Stomachful
03. Pop Somg #2
04. Ballad of Richard Holt
05. Slouch
06. Starfish
07. Ballast
08. Drone
09. Dragging My Hide
10. Monuments

Hear

The Empty Set - Lost in the Ryptide (1988, Lala)

There's probably not much I can tell you about this long defunct Michigan trio that hasn't been extolled upon on their archival website.  The Empty Set's left-of-the-dial pop/rock was competent and occasionally ironic, but with the exception of Lost in the Ryptide's most stimulatinmg offerings like "Ryptide Zone" and "Sing Song Babble On," they were a bit non-descript.  Though their cover of the Comsat Angel's icy and enthralling 1980 single "Independence Day" hardly outdoes the original, it's inclusion here is a greatly appreciated gesture.

Even the briefest listen to my rip of this album will reveal a copious amount of vinyl noise, that at times is damn near interrupting.  It appears that Empty Set frontman Lawrence Bond has a few remaining copies of Lost... he's hawking through the band's site (linked above), so if you enjoy what you hear, consider patronizing him for what might very well be an improved listening experience. 

01. Boomerang
02. Ryptide Zone
03. All About Adam
04. Flying Fish
05. Someday
06. Reckless Infatuation
07. Wall Song
08. Independence Day
09. Pretty Please
10. Sing Song Babble On

Hear

Stuntman - s/t (1995, Link)

Ever wonder what happened to the other members of the Treepeople when Doug Martsch made his departure for greener pastures in Built to Spill, circa '93?  Didn't think so, but I'll fill you in anyway.  His replacement in Treepeople was John Polle, who happened to possess some of Doug's lovingly whiny timbre, but not so much his off-the-cuff misanthropy that made him the endearing force in BTS.  The last album under the Treepeople banner was Actual Re-Enactment, issued on C/Z Records in 1994, but it bore little of the charm and substance of Martsch-era essentials, Something Vicious For Tomorrow and Guilt, Regret, Embarrassment.

Enter 1995 and the era of Stuntman, who's nucleus was comprised of John Polle and original Treepeep's guitarist Scott Schmaljohn.  A new rhythm section featuring Sean M. Lennon on bass and Mike Rundle on percussion fleshed out the quartet, but despite the revamped lineup, Stuntman retained much of Treepeople's dissonant and noisenik constructs, due in part to Schmaljohn's pronounced, noodly fretwork.  Their debut found the group taking a page from Archers of Loaf sonic template, and ultimately Stuntman successfully incorporated some of those more tangential facets thereof into the busy framework that longtime Treepeople enthusiasts are likely to recognize here - albeit conveyed via a different mouthpiece.

Stuntman released their second album, The American Fadeout in 1997 on Mag Wheel Records.

01. Bleed
02. 8 Woman & 2 to 3 Men
03. Nighttime Theater
04. Slaves
05. Nose Dive
06. The Feminist
07. Take it Wrong
08. Wax Pattern
09. Before Going Under
10. The Devil
11. Good Enough

Hear

Pep Lester and His Pals - Jack-O-Lantern Moon 7" ep (1984, Iridescence)

In the waning hours of Halloween 2010, I thought it would be fitting to share this curious 45 (though technically only the sleeve art and "October October" make a tangible reference to the holiday).  Let it be known, there is no Pep Lester, at least as far as this record is concerned, but there is however Jad Fair who performs on three of the four tracks, with a bloke named Phil Milstein fronting and writing for this collaboration, which in total involves the efforts of thirteen individuals (not performing as an ensemble on any given "song" mind you).  Discogs.com summarizes Milstein's career as such:

Tape manipulator, collagist, solo musician (as Pep Lester), member of Mommy, 7 or 8 Wormhearts and Uzi. He also played with Cul De Sac on their debut album Ecim in 1992.

Milstein's qualifications aside, any project involving Jad Fair is bound to be a little grating or askew, and this is no different.  Jack-O-Lantern Moon is a-melodic as fuck, art-damaged avant noodling that can only pass for rock and roll in the loosest sense of the term.  Standup bass, theremin, and toy xylophones, oh my!  Akin to a Sonic Youth side project, or the band Stump.  A nifty passage from "October October," "Who needs drugs when we have the fall?" helps sum up the group's crooked aesthetic. 

01. Do It Yourself
02. Nothing for Granted
03. October October
04. Rebby

Hear

Fingers - Video Games ep (1982, AXO)

Power pop!  Now this was a worthwhile purchase.  Came across Video Games on Ebay a few months back and snatched it up sound unheard, instead putting total faith in the seller's comparisons to Shoes and another band or two from the same era.  Shoes they ain't, but the Fingers gesture their furthermost extremities in the direction of 20/20, Off Broadway, The Bats (US), and dare I even suggest Rick Springfield?   At any rate, I'm certainly impressed, and like any band worth it's salt. they save their most potent number for the grand finale.  "I Wanna Be Like You" exhibits an irresistible punky thrust that naggingly recalls the Knack's "Good Girls Don't."  There are a handful of Fingers videos on YouTube, one of which I've pasted below.  An utter and unmistakable product of it's era.  Guitarist Dave Medford has evidently departed this mortal coil.  

01. Video Games

02. Don't Call Me

03. Hold Out

04. She Won't Dance

05. Dangerous Life

06. I Wanna Be Like You

 

Hear

Playground - Bent, Lost or Broken (1994, Habit)

Though I have little to no background info on the Davis, CA based Playground, this album is nonetheless a more than noteworthy footnote in Cali punk-pop history.  Now that I think about it, there was mention of them in a blog entry from last year, namely the Misfit Heartbeat double 7" compilation they contributed to, circa the early/mid-90s.  Playground's formula was linear and lean roaring guitar rock, set to a reliable mid-tempo pace.  Aficionados of the Boston's Moving Targets will discover some more than striking similarities on Bent, Lost or Broken, but given Playground's locale of a modest town in northern California, something a little more obvious likely rubbed off on them, say like Husker Du or Sugar.  There's definitely some Mould-ian sensibilities running through these eleven tracks, but nothing too overt to signal any wholesale derivativeness.  Playground had at least two singles that I know of, which will likely be the subject of a forthcoming post.  Until then, enjoy (or not). 

01. Exhaust
02. Paradise Lost
03. Madrone
04. When Everything is Said and Done
05. Something Has to Give
06. Gravity
07. Just Once
08. Miles Away
09. Drift
10. Maim
11. A Game

Now on Bandcamp with a bunch of other releases.

Atlantic/Pacific - Meet Your New Love (2010, No Sleep) - a brief evaluation

With a roster boasting the alumni of such cult-favorite post-hardcore troupes as Texas is the Reason and Rival Schools, Atlantic/Pacific are a mini-supergroup of sorts, comprised of two not so super well known proprietors, specifically Garrett Klahn and Ian Love of the aforementioned groups respectively.  Actually, toss in a third guy, John Herguth of the shamefully overlooked House and Parish, and voila, it's trifecta time, but if it's a slam-bam power trio you're licking your chops over you better run for that drool rag.  Rhythmically limber, subtly executed, and unmistakably insular, Meet Your New Love is a radically different beast than the former achievements it's architects lay claim to, lending itself more to the tenor of any given Spinanes album than your favorite Samiam or Jawbreaker platter.  

There's something inherently contemplative wending it's way through Atlantic/Pacific's pensive and often empathetic notions, particularly the ones invoked on the first half of New Love. For followers of Klahn's and Love's past endeavors, the sonic innovations here, hushed and textured as they may be, are bound to be a bit startling.  By mid-album, starting with "Picture Perfect," the tempos gracefully advance into higher gear, and Klahn's and Herguth's harmonies begin to solidify, albeit gradually.  In fact, the latter portion of the record comes bristling to life with bolder, more pronounced instrumentation, with the chief highlight being  "The Latest," a song that plays out like Oasis' should've been follow-up to "Wonderwall," coupling as a sweet throwback to Garrett's Brit Pop-ish, late '90s outfit, the New Rising Sons.  

As goes the chorus in "Darling Disappear,"  Meet Your New Love is in a nutshell, "Easy enough to obtain/harder than most to explain," and though it may take a few spins to truly adhere, the beauty is that no familiarization of the much more vigorous antecedent bands A/P's members sprang from is required to appreciate it.  Hear for yourself by streaming "Patterns" and "Some Weary Valentine" over here.   

Recess Theory - "They Would Walk Into the Picture" (1999, Take Hold)

Florida's Recess Theory harken back to an era, not so long ago, when emo was still a basement/VFW hall movement, and moreover, far less derided than it is today.  In short, they got to the party before the mainstream gatecrashed it, and that in itself is reason to be nostalgic about "They Would Walk Into the Picture."  RT logically borrowed a thing or two from such period aggregations as Mineral, Braid, and a host of entries that set up shop under the Caulfield Records banner, if that means anything to you.  They Would Walk... is indeed yearning and endowed with a reasonable amount of angst, but stops well short of the genres all too typical trappings.  It also doesn't hurt that they knew their way around a hook or two.  In addition to this mini album, the band shared a split ep with the considerably more popular Further Seems Forever.  Recess Theory would later reroute their musical course considerably, and carry on as Legends of Rodeo in the 21st century.

01. St. Peters Square
02. To Be an Anchor
03. Philadelphia or Reading
04. No Van Gogh
05. Weatherman
06. Spring Formal
07. Couples Only
08. They Would Walk Into the Picture

Hear

Wool - 20th Century Masters: The Singles Collection (1991-94)

With an amped-out synthesis of punk, grunge, and some tasteful alt-metal maneuvers, Wool struck an immediate and eminently powerful blow to this set of eardrums.  Their 1992 Budspawn ep was a a fixture in my car's tape deck for many months, yet at the time I was unaware of the quartet's back story.  Remember Scream, the D.C. hardcore band that Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic usurped Dave Grohl from just in time to record Nevermind?   It turns out that the nuclei of Scream, mouthpiece Peter Stahl and axe-wielding brother Franz Stahl transplanted themselves to L.A. in the early '90s and laid the building blocks for the decidedly more bludgeoning and righteously heavy Wool.  The aforementioned Budspawn was issued by London Record's boutique imprint External to little fanfare, at least in my corner of the world, but prior to which came a pair of singles, Mayday and "Little Darlin'" b/w "Medication."

Fast forward to 1994, and the release of Wool's Box Set (which in fact was merely a traditional single disk album).  Despite some occasional stoner-ish meanderings, Box Set was largely cut from the same cloth as the ep, boasting some fairly accessible (i.e. grunge friendly) material including "Kill the Crow," and the walloping, groove-ridden "Superman is Dead." The first of those two cuts was released as a single by Bong Load Records, which included a cover of the Sonic's legendary garage romp "The Witch" as the b-side.  In conjunction with Box Set was a three cut, vinyl-only 7" also on Bong Load, featuring what I would assume to be three session outtakes.  In any event, the album stiffed, Wool folded a year thereafter, and Franz would go onto greater renown after he was enlisted as a Foo Fighter in the mid-90s.  You can fill in the blanks to the rest of Wool's history at the ever resourceful Myspace.

As a bonus, I'm including the b-side to Wool's second 7" single bearing the song "Medication" dubbed "Marky St. James," which isn't a song, rather a prank call concerning an obnoxious metalhead who has designs on forming a new band.  Lots of luck with that. 

Little Darlin 7" (199?, Fuck You Records)

01. Little Darlin

02. Medication

Mayday 7" (1992, Bong Load)

03. S.O.S.

04. Run-Hide

Kill the Crow 7" (1993 Bong Load)
05. Kill the Crow
06. The Witch

untitled 7" ep (1994, Bong Load)
07. So Many Ways
08. Sister Song
09. Dear Dorothy

10. Marky St. James (b-side to "Medication," London Recs '92)

Hear

Singles Going Single #146 - The Lemons 7" (1993, Lucky)

Like many of their Seattle brethren, The Lemons didn't quite reap the riches of the Emerald City's post-grunge sweepstakes nearly two decades ago, but it wasn't for lack of trying.  In fact, the group wound up with a major record deal, though the resultant album, 1995's Sturdy, wasn't as representative as this single which found the quartet reveling in the street smart, yet accessible purist-punk revivalism of D Generation and the like.   The two tracks on deck here, "Keep Diggin" and "Ugly Stik" are primal, sneering updates of the Lemons obvious antecedents such as the Dead Boys, and remarkably tight and pleasing at that.  Probably nothing you haven't experienced before, but certainly worth a few rotations.

A. Keep Diggin
B. Ugly Stik

Hear

Singles Going Single #145 - Pigpen - Tard 7" (199?, Vital Music)

Dare I say this is the most conspicuously tasteless single I've shared to date?  Admittedly, the title track to this three song ep unnecessarily mocks some of the least among us, but if you can get past the rather sophomoric lyrical content you'll discover that New York's Pigpen (later reconfigured as Pig Pen) not only kick it lowbrow, but low-end as well, with ample nods to Flipper and The Melvins.  "Tard" packs an irresistible groove and a wailing guitar solo, while the two flipsides sting with a taught and linear scum-punk pizazz.  As for the depictions of congenital defects that grace the inner sleeve, let's just say they blend in with the territory.  If anyone feels the need to hear their follow-up Prick album I'll consider posting it, but in the meantime you can read this rather spot-on critique.  I should also mention that original copies of this illustrious 45 may still be available from Vital Music.

A. Tard
B1. Tsunami Butt
B2. Alcohol

Hear

The Five - s/t (1987, BEM)

Not sure what you're going to make of this one, but thought it was worth a shot.  Hatched in the Pittsburgh punk scene in the early '80s, The Five (who are actually a quartet) moved to points eastward in 1984, namely Boston.  Makes me wonder if they would have opted for Seattle if it was six years later, but I digress.  Helmed by Reid Paley, the band's bluesy, demi-punk formula vaguely lent itself to the rockabilly contingent, but furthermore offered some noir overtones a la TSOL.  If you can get past Paley's gruff set of pipes (think two parts Fear's Lee Ving, one part Jello Biafra, and a smidgen of Glenn Danzig), The Five might hold some promise, and perhaps even a little delight for you.  Problem is for every song that cranks it's way down the right track (say "No Regrets" or "Cut Me Loose") there's a painfully unappealing tune that will have you racing for your iPod's jog dial.  It appears the band still has some sealed copies of the record for purchase, so I'll probably remove the link in the near future.

01. The Long Haul
02. No regrets
03. All the Way
04. Invocation
05. All Right
06. Pray for Me
07. Sacred Heart
08. The Only Honorable Thing
09. Same to Me
10. Cut Me Loose
11. Fat Lady
12. When Yr Done

Hear

Pure Joy - Getz, the Worm (1997, The Great Utopia)

To most people, the name Rusty Willoughby will probably yield nothing more than a big fat question mark above his/her head, and at this point it's bound to stay that way.  As for myself and a small but dedicated fanbase, the very mention of Rusty conjures up two more names: Pure Joy and Flop, two consistently satisfying Seattle bands he played the starring role in, the first intermittently during the '80s and '90s, and the latter primarily in the first half of the '90s.  My most recent Rusty Willoughby post involved Flop's 7" singles, which collected together comprised some fourteen, crunchy n' catchy-as-all-get out punk-pop salvos the likes of which their mainstream contemporaries would have quite the axe to grind to equal. 

Step back a few years to 1989, i.e. Flop's pre-gestation period, when Rusty occupied his time with the aforementioned Pure Joy who had just dropped their first proper album, Carnivore.   Promising as that platter and a preceding ep were, Pure Joy would soon be put to pasture making way for the considerably more visible Flop, who by 1993 scored a (short lived) major label contract via Sony.  It wasn't meant to be, and after a return to their former indie home of Frontier Records, and the 1995 parting shot, World of Today, Rusty would soon rekindle Pure Joy, only this time the buzz that had greeted Carnivore wasn't quite as tangible for it's belated follow-up, Getz the Worm.  For shame, because the record in question (technically PJ's third album considering the release of their pre-Carnivore venture, Unsung) expanded on the group's pummeling power pop of yore by incorporating a slightly looser delivery system a la Built to Spill, which lent itself well to Rusty's wry and occasionally surreal prose, not to mention a singular sense of wit and lackadaisical timbre.  Getz is something of an acquired taste, but if you have the patience (and preferably some familiarity with Pure Joy/Flop's previous material) it's more than worth acquiring.  A fourth PJ album, Gelatin and Bright would make it to market in 2003, and Rusty has occasionally released solo material, most recently 2009's Cobirds Unite.

01. Cell Depletion

02. Traveling is the King

03. Something Strange

04. What Time It Is

05. Ex-Thieves

06. Uninspiring

07. New Days Sum

08. Tea

09. Red Lights Flashing

10. Hold On It

11. Blue

12. Fall of the Lip Biting Queen

13. One Cold Fish

14. Inevitable Day

15. Coveted Space

Hear

The Bags - Rock Starve (1987, Restless)

I made the foolish mistake of selling the CD incarnation of this album several years ago on Ebay (drawing a nice profit though), and have wished to this day that I hadn't, however finding a nice, clean LP copy of this in a dollar bin recently was fair compensation.  The Bags were distilled in Boston back in the '80s, blending riff-heavy punk with garagey, blue collar ethos. Their debut, Rock Starve tends to wax frivolous at times, with Crispin Wood and Jon Hardy's vocals a bit too gruff for their own collective good, but the sixteen tracks within are downright durable, punchy and fun.  I'd be remiss if I failed to mentioned that this trio's steady stream of power chords are as fat and plump as the food adorning the album jacket. 

01. Spread it Around
02. Pioneer
03. Warm Words
04. What Do You Want?
05. She's Beautiful
06. Out of My Mind
07. Try It
08. Tailbone
09. Joy Ride
10. Flying Low
11. Trapped
12. Love Sick Diane
13. Nothing to Say to You
14. Lick My Wounds
15. Egg
16. Big Wig

Hear

Guided By Voices - Beyond the Bars and Churches (1990s)

I guess you don't need me to inform you that this autumn has been a banner season for Guided By Voices fans, with the "classic" halcyon, mid-90s lineup of Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Greg Demos, and Kevin Fennell reuniting for roughly twenty gigs across the country.  Doug Gillard be damned.  In fact, half of the heavily touted Hallway of Shatter-Proof Glass Tour has come and gone, and yours truly will be attending the Columbus, OH show at Outland Live tomorrow.  It's going to be a capacity crowd, as are many of the remaining dates, but the band has recently launched Guided By Voices Digital, an online repository for the bulk of the GBV catalog, including concert recordings from the tour in progress, available for a nominal fee of course, so even if you can't see them live in the flesh you can at the very least live vicariously.  Didn't have that option back in '95, did ya?

In 2007 and 2008 I shared two fan-curated bootleg compilations of GBV outtakes, miscellanea, and the like, To Trigger a Synapse, and The Carefree Kitchens Are a Blast, respectively.  Many of you did in fact find these to be a blast, and in conjunction with the tour in progress, I'm unleashing yet a third, like-minded compendium dubbed Beyond the Bars and Churches (it's title swiped from a lyric in "Taco, Buffalo, Bird Dog, and Jesus" if I recall).  This time around there's not a great deal of quality studio material, and in fact Beyond... yields little that's revelatory in that regard, yet it's a downright fun listen, chockablock with anecdotal interview segments, tv performances, concert banter, numerous random live cuts, and even a Guess Who cover - almost all of which is culled from the band's heyday, which I'm more than happy to revisit as I'm sure you are.  Also be advised of the two GBV tribute albums I've been hosting, Scalping the Guru and Blatant Doom Trip, and be on the lookout for at least one more tribute collection on here before years end.  Dig in!

01. NPR interview 1  

02. Motor Away (demo)

03. NPR interview 2

04. Mannequin's Complaint (alt vers)

05. NPR interview 3

06. Gold Star For Robot Boy (live with intro count)

07. NPR interview 4

08. Gee, What a Bitch

09. NPR interview 5

10. Shakin' All Over (live Guess Who cover)

11. NPR interview 6

12. The Opposing Engineer (Sleeps Alone) (unmixed)

13. NPR interview 7

14. Burning Flag Birthday Suit (live Much Music)

15. chatter

16. My Impression Now (quite mix)

17. talk about recording (Tobin Sprout)

18. My Son Cool (live Jon Stewart)

19. chatter

20. Piano Piece X3 (Tobin)

21. Ambergris (live)

22. chatter

23. Gleemer (tribute by Dr. Atom & The Orbitals)

24. Eat my ass

25. Glad Girls (rehearsal)

26. Bob talks to the kids

27. chatter

28. 14 Cheerleader Coldfront (live)

29. untitled

30. Wished I Was A Giant (live)

31. talk about working with Steve Albini

32. Non-Absorbing (live)

33. talk about Cobra Verde lineup

34. Jar Of Cardinals (live)

35. talk about songwriting (int by Pat DiNizio)

36. Marchers In Orange (live)

37. Wondering Boy Poet (live)

38. Taco, Buffalo, Etc (partial)

39. Matter Eater Lad (live)

Hear

84 Nash - Band for Hire (1999, Rockathon)

Let's see, 84 Nash called Columbus, OH their stomping ground, a city not far removed from Dayton.  In addition to that, two of the groups albums were co-opted by Rockathon Records, and their often obliquely titled songs usually tapped out by the two-minute mark.  It would be a shoo-in to assume that this trio was a prodigy of none other than Robert Pollard and Co.  Guided By Voices sphere of influence is not the least bit lost on 84 Nash, but the same goes for their more distant contemporaries, Superdrag and Eric's Trip.  Band for Hire was Nash's second album, following up 1997s The King of Yeah, also a Rockathon product, and the first non-GBV title for the label at that.  A roughhewn, basement-nurtured aesthetic is baked into this scrumptious cake, and the band stuns with a gale-force surge in the shape of Hire's opening salvo "The Giggle Party." Deeper into the record "To the Equator" and "Cinnamon Block" are equally as satisfying, packing not only a similar, visceral rush, but some considerable harmonies as well.   Here's some more background details on 84 Nash, ripped straight from their Myspace page:

They are 84 Nash, from Columbus, Ohio. Kevin Elliott, Andy Hampel, and J.P. Herrmann have been together since high school in various small towns around Southwest Miami County. Unknowingly their homemade four-track cassettes developed a following in nearby Dayton, winning the ear of other Dayton bands, such as Swearing at Motorists, Brainiac, and Guided By Voices - whose leader, Robert Pollard, made 84 Nash's first proper LP; The Kings of Yeah (1997). It was the first non-GBV release on Rockathon Records. These static-rock soundings were a snapshot of things to come, full of agitated, youthful energy jumping head-first out of the gates. They were let loose upon the world of pop music. Shortly thereafter 84 Nash moved east towards university and the fertile rock landscape of Columbus. Rockathon then released the stellar second record, Band for Hire (1999), to wild acclaim - among the core fanbase of maybe 50 kids in town. However a few things were different this time out. The bursts of frenetic noise became more fully realized songs. Anthems were soon crafted by our action pop superheroes, colored in all shades of melody and sharp hooks. The rock simply rocked more, while the pop became the signature that separated 84 Nash from the rest.

01. the giggle party

02. snacks of wealth

03. i speak in falcon

04. across from actorsville

05. no more phones

06. ice breakers

07. shot bully

08. mao tse tsung

09. invisible

10. i've got 'em all

11. room of steel

12. ur stripes

13. slower version of friends

14. to the equator

15. sandful of hand

16. cinnamon block

17. they cancelled your birthday

18. demon national

Hear