I'm alone with Lucifer...

From 1990.

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

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Tubular Face - An Acoustic Disturbance (1984, Closet)

Talk about music that was completely devoid of the prevailing norms of it's era.  Enter Tubular Face, a San Antonio, Texas duo (Mike Escamilla and Gilbert Garcia) whose homegrown, DIY penchant didn't have a stitch in common with say, A Flock of Seagulls or even ZZ Top (though I've read the band was in cahoots with Daniel Johnston).  T/F didn't stay hemmed-in to any one particular style, and while some of this record is in fact acoustic, some of the more enticing selections (check out bookends "Movie Star" and "Change My World") are plugged in and all the better for it. An Acoustic Disturbance is intermittently mellow, boasting lo-fi folk inclinations, and at other times idiosyncratic with some downright tweaked interludes.  If anything else, you'd swear this album was cut in the mid-'70s, as it's 1984 copyright date is somewhat deceptive. Interesting and occasionally intriguing stuff.

01. Movie Star

02. Two Feet of Snow

03. Circle

04. Macho Muchacho

05. Big Sister

06. Apocalypse Now

07. Nerve Gas Party

08. My House

09. Everything Will Work Out Fine

10. It's Almost Over

11. The Oppressor

12. If There's Anything I Can Do

13. Echo of a Scream

14. A Dream Shared by Two

15. Change My World

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Being this month's model is the best, but you change your mind and heart like you change your dress.

From 1981. This L.A. institution's oft overlooked third album.

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

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Mystery Date - Zoom 7" (1985, Twilght)

Yet another single I've only been able to procure via ones and zeros. Despite not owning a physical copy, I know that Mystery Date (who were one of numerous bands with the same moniker - go figure) were Georgia denizens, possibly from the oft-noted Athens.  Beyond boasting some serious post-punk angularities, whether they were conscious of the fact or not, M/D were prescient enough to forecast the riot-grrrl movement, a dam that would all but burst in the not-too-distant future.  Sonically, they emanated a similar pigment to another Peach State cadre, Pylon, right down to some intermittently gruff vocal chops. Mystery Date bore a dazzling moxie, that for whatever the reason was never parlayed into a full-length.  

A. Zoom

B. Pink Ribbons

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Stone Telling - s/t (1994, Network Sound)

Some mixed feelings on this one, which I've flirted with sharing almost since I started this page in 2007. So what took so long?  Not quite sure, perhaps the timing.  Stone Telling sound a bit dated three decades after the fact.  Too melodic and accessible for straight-up hardcore, yet thematically, too contemplative and thoughtful to label pop-punk...albeit not any obvious stripe of emo either. With a somewhat regrettably over-processed guitar tincture this Southern Cali quartet slotted in sonically with Dag Nasty circa Field Day with less memorable songs and no bona-fide anthems to speak ok. That said, this is still a genuinely consistent listen, and these fellows exude little to be embarrassed of.  Go into this with measured expectations, and if you're anything like me you might come away from it pleasantly surprised.

01. Disappear Here

02. Easy

03. Reach

04. Almost Again

05. For Times

06. Always

07. Nothing Lasts

08. Shine

09. Every Breath

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Life’s a messy table and someone’s gotta clear it.

A debut from 1999. The creator of this has album repeatedly disavowed it, but I still find it endearing.

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

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It's secession time, paid for by cutting backwards.

Hard to believe this album is 30 years-old this week!  Could be my top pick of 1994.  

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

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Tanjent Image – Suranland ep (1988, Nebula)

Here's a bygone Detroit-area quintet to rock your weekend. Tanjent Image strike an impressive visage on this stimulating four-song platter, representing the one-and-done entry in their petite discography. Mouthpiece Reed Richard bears similarities to Peter Murphy, but his approach is considerably less pious, and the resemblance is likely a coincidence. The one brief online reference I found for these guys corralled TI into the goth ghetto, though I find that inaccurate. These dudes were about as brooding as say, The Cult and would have fit splendidly on a bill with hometown mates The Orange Roughies, who I know for a fact were a going concern around the same time. Sort of post-punk-lite exploring serious themes, often pondering spirituality with nary any religious overtones. Not exactly the most original shtick for their era, yet a solid thumbs-up nonetheless.

01. Suranland

02. Faith

03. One Nation

04. Anytime

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Broom - Tranquility Forest 7" (1993, Echonet)

What a splendid blind purchase this turned out to be!  A coed San Francisco treat who roamed the Earth between 1989-93, I don't think I was even aware of Broom's existence until I came across this 45.  The A-side, "Tranquility Forest" is a sheer delight, the kind of lo-fi gem that contemporary east-coasters like early Versus or some upstart hopeful on say Simple Machine Records might have concocted. Slight and rough hewn, with oodles of intermediate charm and fuzzy analogue hues course through virtually every nanosecond of this keeper.  The flip, "Carpet" isn't quite as convincing, nonetheless still adequate, with a less-tuneful gentleman on the mic as opposed to the fairer sex fronting the aforementioned "Tranquility."  The only other proper Broom release was a preceding 1992 single. in 2015 Patterns and Tones blog offered a thorough interview with members Steven Brown and Eric Bluhm where it was revealed that guitarist Roxanne Rodriguez passed away in 2003.

A. Tranquility Forest

B. Carpet

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I could probably learn a thing or two about how to become unglued.

From 2013. For fans of The Drums (the band), or for that matter The Smiths.

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

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The Elementals - Selling Out Big Time (1988, Gardenhose)

I don't have much info to go on regarding this Canuck trio, whose 1988 platter may have been the only release to their name. While not revelatory it's still generally satisfying in that left-of-the-dial manner, occasionally a little too color-by-numbers for their own good.  Some tangential R.E.M.-isms, and even a few subtle folk-pop maneuvers are palpable, albeit The Elementals were hardly inclined to strive for anything esoteric or even artsy here. Would love to have heard what a hypothetical follow-up to Selling Out... might have amounted to, because as promising as this wax was The Elementals hadn't necessarily "arrived" yet, so to speak. 

01. Huh, You Got It

02. Out on a Llama

03. World in Pieces 

04. Find Me a Place

05. Won't You

06. Toys and Dolls

07. Hummana Hummana 

08. G-Sharp Sideways

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Mrs. America why did you do this to us?

A 1986 compilation that was a high school staple for me.

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

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Just give that rhythm everything you got.

A recent reissue of a 1980 album that should have cast a wider net.

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

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The Verlaines - You're Still Too Obscure For Me

Howdy.  If it seems I've been cutting back on posts even more lately there's a reason for that. I'm dealing with some unexpected health issues and could be for some time to come. In addition to taking care of myself I'm going to try to get to digitizing some more vinyl and/or tapes later this week.  

For now I'm offering a fan-curated mix tape of sorts by one of Dunedin, New Zealand's finest, The Verlaines. Not an official release by any stretch of the imagination, this 17-song set focuses on deeper album tracks, b-sides, alternate versions, and even Graeme Downes solo material. If you're unfamiliar with the band, particularly early halcyon-era albums like Hallelujah - All The Way Home, this is an enlightening, if a bit haphazard spot to dive in. Enjoy.

01. Crisis After Crisis

02. You Cheat Yourself Of Everything That Moves (new version)

03. Angela 

04. It Was Raining

05. Makes No Difference

06. Take Good Care Of It

07. Only Dream Left

08. Jesus What a Jerk

09. The Funnest Thing

10. It Was

11. Gloom Junky

12. Some Fantasy

13. Cattle, Cars, And Chainsaws [Graeme Downes]

14. Sunday Kickaround [Graeme Downes]

15. It's Easier To Harden A Broken Heart (Than Mend It)

16. Paratai Drive

17. A Call From Decades Past

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...and when your metal seeker shines I will avoid its hungry beam.

Welcome to Mystery Tuesday everyone. We've got a live one from '07.

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

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A considerable case of underblogging - the 2023 Best of the Blog mix.

It's summation time again - my annual wrap for the year that's just passed us by.  Behold, yet another sampler of the creme de la creme of what many of you have already made your acquaintance with in the past 365 days, but relax, for those of you who aren't up to speed or were merely holding out for a shortcut I've got you covered. I'd say a good 80% of the time the most immediate thing that greats you on any given day is one of my Mystery Monday banners.  I honestly need to rectify that, because as much fun as said weekly randomness, I know you're looking for unique posts with actual nomenclature and titles attached (what a concept, I know).  Slowly but surely, I think I'll get there, even if it means tweaking my personal schedule a tad.

Generally speaking, the first half of this year's compendium emphasizes the "pop" angle of things, but not entirely.  I tried to design the song-to-song transitions as smoothly as I could, albeit if anomalies arise that just comes with the territory (and since you're not playing his back on vinyl or 8-track you can always zap it to the next cut). I'm pressed for time to elaborate on any particular artist, but that's what the original write-ups are for, and if time allows later in the week I might even plug in links to the full record each song is derived from. Keeping with Best of the Blog tradition, I've included a handful of exclusive songs by artists I haven't covered previously, noted with an asterisk, the last one (track 24) being even more of a curveball than usual. Have at it, and naturally. a fruitful New Year. 

01. Durango 95 - Great Buildings

02. Laughing Stock - The Boy Who Never Sleeps

03. Waxing Poetics - Hermitage

04. Three Hour Tour - 'Til the Next Time

05. Upangybottoms - Christine

06. Life Without Principle - Find Yourself Inside

07. The Cradle - It's Too High

08. The Clergy - Pieces

09. Fear of Strangers - Shopping For a Dog

10. Agitpop - Straight Through To Nashville

11. Hunters & Collectors - Tow Truck

12. The Weeds - Replaced

13. The Acid Casualties - Point Me at the Sky

14. What is This? - Days of Reflection

15. Nu Este - From This Side of the Window

16. Fictions - Fixation

17. Accent - We Are Lost* 

18. Life in General - The Fog

19. Toby Redd - More Time

20. U.S. Mods - Jumping Off Niagara Falls

21. Moon - The Never Room

22. Invisible Pedestrian - Ordinary Taxpayer

23. To Heaven a Jet - Castles*

24. Company Of State - Dark*

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Life's a circle, that's for certain...

A 26-track singles compilation spanning 1982-87. And while I'm at it, Happy New Year.

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

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The Meteors - Teenage Heart (1980 PVC)

One more for 2023.  This is the first LP from Dutch denizens, The Meteors, a six-piece no less.  Released in their homeland in 1979, Teenage Heart didn't land on Yankee shores until a year later, with a considerably re-sequenced tracklist, yet surprisingly a far superior album sleeve. If this one gives off classic, vintage power-pop vibes you're about half right. Their songs weren't necessarily of seminal stock, but nonetheless, the Meteors managed to steep Teenage's eleven cuts in a steady amalgam of pub rock, new wave and numerous variations thereof, never quite breaching into a straight-up punk threshold.  One of the two or three mouthpieces sounds like a dead-ringer for Murray Head, and while the band isn't necessarily distinctive the tunes are for the most part satisfying, especially the rambunctious "(One Hand) On the Wheel" (actually titled "My Balls Ache" on European versions of the record). Seriously, they honestly thought American audiences were that sheltered and sensitive?  Two more Meteors albums followed, Hunger and Stormy Seas, neither of which have made it to my turntable.

01. It's You, Only You

02. Hold Me Tight

03. Everything I Touch Turns Into Gold

04. Berlin

05. Orbit

06. (One Hand) On the Wheel

07. Wired

08. Teenage Heart

09. Action

10. Blitzkrieg

11. Nina

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No more excuses, my shadows have a secret.

Merry Mystery Christmas Monday.  Here's a very non-holiday centric album from 2019. 

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

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Thin White Rope - Bottom Feeders ep (1987, Frontier)

Not everything I share necessarily stimulates me, and this one is a fairly representative case in point.  No, Thin White Rope were never a top-tier favorite of mine, even though I'm appreciative of their 1985 debut, Exploring the Axis.  Bottom Feeders was something of a stopgap effort between that album and their '87 effort, Moonhead. A few tracks here, including "Macy's Window" and a scalding live rendition of Suicide's immortal "Rocket U.S.A." wound up as bonus cuts on the CD version of ...Axis, and are two of my top recommendations.  The opening boozy blues throwdown "Ain't That Loving You Baby," is too obnoxious for my tastes, but "Atomic Imagery" exudes a brooding temperament I'm much more capable of latching onto.  I haven't delved into the remainder of TWR's catalog, but I'm tempted to, even if the entirety of this ep failed to rub off on me.

01. Ain't That Loving You Baby
02. Macy's Window
03. Waking Up
04. Valley of the Bones
05. Atomic Imagery
06. Rocket USA (live)

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Scarce/Funland 7" (1994, Delmore)

This single surrounds two bands who were eventually scooped up by the majors in the wake of the Smashing-vana hoopla circa the mid-90s.  In the case of Scarce, originating from Rhode Island, there's a pretty fascinating backstory to be had. Frontman Chick Graning fresh off of a stint with gnarly, indie distortion-mongers Anastasia Screamed suffered an aneurysm shortly after the release of Scarce's 1995 debut DeadSexy, which necessitated him to relearn to walk and speak. By 1996 Graning recovered enough to warrant Scarce to book shows again, but ultimately, the band splintered a year later and wouldn't reconvene until the late '00s. Bearing a throaty timbre, Graning's vocal aplomb on the dynamic and lovingly scrappy "It Was Dry" recalls the cathartic wail of Squirrel Bait's Peter Searcy. This tune also wound up as a b-side to an import ep. 

I've covered Dallas' Funland by way of their fantastic Sweetness ep, which saw the light of day a full thre decades ago. In a classic case of "I loved their early stuff," by the time the band (with a pre-Centro-Matic Will Johnson in their lineup) got around to tracking this single's contribution, "Blue Sister" they were beginning to shorn the power-pop affectations that made Sweetness such a treat. What they still had was impressive even if "...Sister" rang a bit repetitive, not to mention a little lyrically underwritten.

Scarce - It Was Dry

Funland - Blue Sister

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Sorry I wanted to be your boyfriend again.

A guilty pleasure from 1996. 

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

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Marshall Crenshaw - pre-Warner Bros demos (1980-81)

And so we've finally arrived at night number eight.  The big enchilada.  The one that everyone will be talking about (well a few dozen of you anyway). Up until this point I haven't offered anything by Marshall Crenshaw, except maybe the stray comparison.  You could chalk that up to a lack of shareable M/C material, be it studio or live recordings. That's all changed in a pretty marvelous way. 

Marshall's self-titled 1982 debut was one of the most seamless and gratifying records of the then still-relatively young eighties. Seemingly having emanated out of absolutely nowhere this hopelessly romantic protagonist conveyed himself via buoyant, but grounded guitar-pop tunes that didn't really skew to any of the prevailing trends of the year...or even the gaudier trends to come in the ensuing Reagan-era.  But where did this man come from?  The world was treated to a considerable amount of insight via the 1998 release of The 9 Volt Years...Battery Powered Home Demos and Curios.  Marshall's bare bones, home studio prototypes were imbued with more charm and TLC than even the most empathetic themes and notions conveyed on his finished album versions. Little did the vast majority of us know that 9-Volt's... fifteen cuts were culled from a larger portion of his go-it-alone endeavors., and that there was much remaining on his enlightening demo reels. 

This collection, apparently once available as a bootleg cd-r, takes a deeper dive into the blueprint phase of some of his most renown titles, including but not limited to "Brand New Lover," "The Usual Thing," and "Mary Anne."  The early arrangements of these numbers reveal that Marshall was so spot-on, and quite frankly visceral in his apartment that little modification was required when he made the transition to a proper studio.  But certainly, there's an even greater purity here amidst these early takes. Beyond that, much like the aforementioned 9-Volt disc, there's a handful of wholly unreleased songs in this batch.  "Communication," appearing in similar incarnations twice, is an infectious, driving rocker that would have further enhanced any of his crucial early records.  Elsewhere, "We Belong Together" and "She's Not Mine Anymore" (the latter fed to singer/songwriter Robert Gordon to record) illustrate that much like Marshall's adored Beatles, even when he doesn't bring his A-game, his outtakes and b-sides are still preferable to other artists most sterling material.  Again, this collection functions as an extension of the 9 Volt Years, and despite some dodgy audio in portions it's still revelatory, and in all ways an immense feast for the ears.

01. Never Gonna Happen Again

02. Communication 1

03. We Belong Together

04. This is The Love

05. She's Not Mine Anymore 1

06. Somebody Like You

07. Now I've Got You

08. She Can't Dance

09. Not For Me

10. Brand New Lover

11. Communication 2

12. I'll Do Anything

13. Rockin' Around in NYC

14. Soldier of Love

15. For Her Love

16. Something's Gonna Happen

17. Mary Anne

18. The Usual Thing

19. There She Goes Again

20. Cynical Girl

21. She's Not Mine Anymore 2

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...and crack you up

Tonight I've decided to blur the lines between traditional Chanukah uploads and Mystery Monday.  Yes, I'm keeping this one (relatively) secret, but unlike my usual ritual of removing the link in seven days I'm going to keep this one active until the powers that be tell me otherwise. Ironically, it consists of completely unreleased versions, but given the higher profile of the artist (whom now routinely headline sold-out arenas) I feel the need to go... clandestine. But I shall reveal a few clues as follows.

• 2006
• Cincinnati by way of Brooklyn
• Fourth album prototypes w/ sum unreleased
• A dozen and a quarter selections
• regninreb. renssed.

Curious?  Download away. 

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Perfect Strangers - Protected in America (1986, N-Beat)

Mostly a coincidence, this one ties in with another Chanukah entry I gifted you this week, and even a second one (tangentially anyway).  As for the record at hand, there have probably been no less than three dozen bands who've christened themselves as Perfect Strangers over the millennia, with a good chunk of them having had their legacies cataloged on Discogs. 

This set of Strangers congregated in Jackson, MS, and constituted something of a precursor supergroup for yours truly. Granted, it's unlikely you'd be familiar with any of the members or the other acts they were associated with. Not long after this record was issued  bassist Fritz Martin and percussion basher Chris Hall would compose two thirds of Square Root of Now, while guitarist, backing vocalist Scott Coopwood would eventually make another band we've covered before, Yazoo Beach his claim to fame, relatively speaking. The arguable fulcrum of the band, mouthpiece Kris Wilkinson has few outside affiliations, but does a bang-up job on this short but sweet ten-song platter.  Her cool vocal hues on Protected in America's commencing salvo, "Small Towns" sit atop Coopwood's icy, ringing arpeggios a la Martha and the Muffins timeless "Echo Beach," emanating a flawless and inviting pairing.  A similar sonic template courses through bittersweet post-punk traipses like "The Storm," the title cut, and the keyboard-inflected "2 Steps Back," the latter of these approximating a more benign variation on what Siouxsie and the Banshees were attempting just a few years prior.  Ultimately, P/S's modus operandi sat a few rungs shy of conventional new wave, but wielded a textured, noir edge that would've likely dissuaded mainstream FM playlists. Side A is near-perfect and a sheer delight on repeat listens.  

 A little further in "I Live For You" finagles with a poppier underbelly, the subdued, ballad-esque "Treasure is Kept" falters slightly, but Perfect Strangers regain their footing with a vengeance on the melancholic finale, "Shelter."  Not to belabor the point, the Strangers mesh of chiming guitars and vaguely downcast vocals make for a compelling and alluring combination just about anywhere the needle lands on Protected... As for the tie-ins I mentioned, I just featured a Square Root of Now single last night, and I'd be remiss if I failed to point out that Tim Lee of the Windbreakers sings and plays on "Treasure is Kept." Perhaps not a carpet-to-carpet masterpiece, Protected in America is still more than ovation worthy, and might be the most enticing LP I've unleashed in '23...so enjoy. 

01. Small Towns

02. The Storm

03. Protected in America

04. Another Faith

05. 2 Steps Back

06. Majority Rules

07. I Live For You

08. The Treasure is Kept

09. Halloween

10. Shelter

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