So pick your poison for the third time...

From 2002.  I've had track #6 (and even #2) stuck in my head for the past two weeks. Now it's time for them to get lodged in yours.

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

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U.S. Mods - Station 7 (1988, Rockhill)

So much for me getting back on track and posting more often. At any rate, this one is of slightly higher caliber than what I've been offering of late. U.S. Mods.  Can't really tell you much about them other than they were a quartet, and apparently hailed from Dayton, OH.  Though they barely skewed towards genuine "mod" rock/pop, they did have a penchant for dabbling in power pop, collegiate indie rock, and even a loose approximation of post-punk.  Station 7 may not be a wall-to-wall Chanukah worthy platter, but there are a cluster of songs here that certainly are - "The Train," "Jumping Off Niagara Falls," "Sleeping With Father John," and the title cut.  Ample hooks, guitars, distortion and a rough hewn aptitude make Station 7 more than a pleasant surprise.  

01. Sleeping With Father John

02. Wake the World

03. Station 7

04. Is She Blind?

05. When's it Gonna Rain?

06. The Dreaded Year

07. The Train

08. Bricks

09. Jumping Off Niagara Falls

10. Not to be Found

11. Twirl Girl

12. Waiting All My Life

13. Father John's (Reprise)

14. Let's Take 'Em Away

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If I only could fit more of the truth inside those medium t-shirts…

Four eps, but all from the same artist released between 2021-22. For whatever the reason I decided to burn all of them to a cd-r to play in my car, and I soon discovered they all functioned together as a fairly cohesive album - and made for an outstanding listen too. I numbered each of the four folders in the order they were released, but assuming your new to the artist I wouldn't necessarily recommend that you listen to them in order, although it wouldn't hurt. 

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Laughing Stock - Pipe Dreams (1985, Livestock)

Another mixed bag in a sea of mixed bags. Minneapolis' Laughing Stock had a few things going for them right off the bat, even before you heard a note of their music. Their lone, privately pressed record, Pipe Dreams was engineered by renown, Midwest indie-punk knob-twirler Steve Fjelstad, and the group recorded at famed Nicolett Studios. While it's unclear whether they were actually in cahoots with the Replacements, Paul Westerberg & Co are given a quick shout out in the album thank-yous. Not bearing any dreaded '80s production values is also a huge plus, albeit, some of the quartet's ideas here, aren't necessarily laughable, just lackluster. The good news is that L/S exuded a measurable quotient of momentum on the driving and guitars-y "The Boy Who Never Sleeps, "Carpathia Girl" and the harmony-laden "Amnesia." The sleepy ballad "Salutations" passes muster, but just barely. I'm not sure what these gents were thinking on the plodding, "The Local Bands," wasting a solid two minutes on the tune's somber, instrumental intro. They close things out with the frenetic, raging "Catholic Bulletin," though I'm not exactly clear what the source of the angst is. 

01. The Boy Who Never Sleeps

02. Amnesia

03. Salutations

04. The Local Bands

05. Carpathia Girl

06. Boy's Town

07. Laughingstock

09. Catholic Bulletin

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It's time to reach out any way, and put back color where it's dark.

Their fifth album found this crew placing themselves on an exciting, and considerably more tuneful trajectory. 

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Balboa - Live Like This ep (1980, Single Sound)

Yet another record I don't own a physical variation of, but in the absence of something tangible I'll take whatever I can get, even ones and zeros. Hailing from Knoxville, TN and releasing this lone platter in their early '80s lifespan, Balboa angled for something poignant in a power pop-ish  realm on "Writer and Artist" and this ep's punky title cut, without slavishly skewing to said genre, or for that matter what was passing for new-wave at the time. The remainder of the record meanders into divergent paths, and frankly gets a little non-descript by the time they lay down "The Big Sleep." In doing my research on this foursome, I learned Balboa recently compiled these songs and about a dozen more into a digital compilation on Bandcamp at a really nice starting price. Consider this a sampler, and if you enjoy what you hear please consider sending a few dollars their way. 

01. Writer and the Artist

02. Live Like This

03. Be Somebody

04. The Big Sleep

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Drive Like Jehu - first album demos & live KXLU 1933 (R.I.P. Rick Froberg 1968-2023)

"NO!" I thought.  That was this past Saturday night when I learned of Rick's passing. How could a (seemingly, anyway) healthy 55 y/o male just drop dead in his sleep, much less someone who so strenuously and consistently contributed to my soundtrack (angsty as it sometimes is) since I was a teenager?  Perhaps Rick Froberg (aka Rick Farr or Rock Fork) had already reached the peak of the mountain in terms of artistic endeavors, but this was certainly an unfinished life. And he contributed to so many of our lives, fourfold in some cases, if you were an aficionado of his quartet of music endeavors Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes and Obits. Rick was a singular visual/graphics artist as well, somehow translating his mangled sonic splay on tape to the canvas. I'm not about to tell you any personal stories because I don't have any, nor do I have time to critique his fairly robust catalog, so will you settle for a few random thoughts?

Most Froberg devotees got on board with Jehu, but I was lucky enough to start with the first building block, the lovingly sinewy and dexterous Pitchfork, not from being a fan in their native San Diego, circa 1990, but rather via a review of their posthumously released Eucalyptus, possibly in a Alternative Press or Option. From what I recall a reference to Superchunk was all it took to have me bounding through the door, but there was so much more waiting in the wings.  Pitchfork's math-rock smarts, artful underpinnings and sheer technical finesse slowly unfurled upon each subsequent listen of Eucalyptus, to the extent that I soon became thoroughly rapt. Quite literally this was music that I had never encountered before...or would again.

By the time they were put to pasture in mid-90s, Froberg's Pitchfork bandmate John Reis was the prime-mover in the considerably more visible Rocket From the Crypt, yet he would soon be splitting his time with Rick's next endeavor, Drive Like Jehu. Not unlike Fugazi, DLJ forged their own indigenous and incendiary stripe of punk, possessing unwieldly dynamics and an altogether startlingly vicious m.o. that tended to make Pitchfork sound like something of a warmup in comparison. In the wake of Rick's passing, it's been stated numerous times online that he "found his voice" in Jehu. Equal parts catharsis, indignation, and vulnerability it can truly be said that his trademark timbre tapped something deep from the human condition. In terms of the band proper, Jehu were bejeweled with rancorous intent, often recoiling mere inches before careening off the edge of a cliff like umpteenth scenes in a Warner Bros. cartoon. And may I remind you, this band was responsible for perhaps the most uncompromising and commercially unaffected major label album ever, 1994's Yank Crime.  

I could speak volumes on Hot Snakes as well, but since this post only concerns recordings circa DLJ, I'll draw to a close here. The musical portion of this presentation concerns an early set of demos cut in 1990 for the first album. While I can only offer MP3s of those tracks, I'm giving you a lossless option for the live session they tracked for L.A.'s KXLU in October of 1993, which at the time found them previewing key tracks from Yank Crime.  As frustrating as Froberg's passing is, he leaves behind a devastatingly visceral legacy.

1990 demos - Hear

01. O Pencil Sharp

02. Turn it Off

03. Spikes to You

04. If it Kills You

KXLU FM 10/25/93 - MP3 or FLAC

01. New intro

02. New Math

03. Golden Brown

04. Do You Compute

05. Luau

06. Bullet Train to Vegas

You made a vow so you better leave him right now.

A collection of early eps from one of Australia's most melancholy but engrossing propositions of the 1990s. Sorry for another week of non-posting. Some heavy stuff happening on my end, but will have something for you in the next day or so.

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

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…and I feel I never will.

 An indie rock stunner from 2014.

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Starkicker - Beach Music (1996)

Contrary to what the cover might project, Starkicker, in fact, are not a twee conglomeration, and the music involving the half hour that is Beach Music rarely lives up to it's title's sunny aesthetic. An all male trio with a correspondence address of St. Catherines, ON, Starkicker seemed to have more in tandem with fuzzy, amped-up contemporaries Transistor Sound & Lighting Co., and Australia's often grand and affirming Jebediah and Pollyanna, than say, Sloan or Matthew Sweet. Bittersweet yet hook-savvy notions including "Baby's Comin' Home" and "Careless Driver" will easily allow you to forgive these gents for not delivering on the straight-up power-pop the band's superficial hints (again, the deceptive album sleeve and title) often suggest. A very promising record that sadly didn't receive the push it deserved from the very established Epic Records. Three years on the group tweaked their formula and rechristened themselves as Dunk, monikered after the surnames of frontman Ben Dunk and bassist brother Nick. 

01. Get Up

02. Neil Armstrong

03. Baby's Comin' Home

04. Pitter Patter

05. Merry Go Round

06. Pick Up Truck

07. California's Cool

08. The Letter

09. Careless Driver

10. Going Downtown

11. 360°

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Doughboys - Live (Home Again) 7" ep (1991, Blackbox)

Hard to believe I waited this long to share this one, considering it's been in my collection since I started this whole shindig. The Doughboys, one of Canada's finest proponents of melodic punk-pop released this live ep via the European Blackbox label, featuring two originals and two covers (Cheap Trick and Kiss). Presumably tracked during their tour supporting Happy Accidents, given the inclusion of "Happy Home." Will try to get something else up for you later today as well, so check back.

01. Happy Home

02. Home Again

03. He's a Whore

04. Stole Your Love

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Only tomorrow the love comes easy.

My apologies for not getting any music up this past week. It was a busy one, but will try to rectify that soon.  As for Mystery Monday, is this really the album we were holding out 22 years for?  Definitely some flourishes of brilliance in the first half, but the concluding tracks are outright grating. Enjoy (or not).

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

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Why don’t you say goodbye to me?

An archival collection featuring two dozen+ timeless recordings from a singer/songwriter who passed away last week. 

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The Acid Casualties - Panic Station (1982, Rhino)

I suppose the main draw here (besides the surreal, Dali-esque album sleeve) was the Acid Casualties reworking of the obscure-ish Pink Floyd chestnut, "Point Me at the Sky." The tune in question (which fascinated me to no end) was released in 1968 as a stand-alone single, shortly after Syd Barrett's ouster from the group, and sounds deceptively written by him, but in fact was penned by Gilmour and Waters.  And the Casualties do it justice, despite mouthpiece Mark Avnet striking me as a tad too throaty when he manhandles the chorus.  

Elsewhere on Panic Station, it's a bit of a challenge determining where this apparently one-off combo was truly angling. Certainly not new wave or punk (though Trouser Press went to the trouble of critiquing it). The band did partake of Robbie Krieger's guest guitar finagling on no less than three songs here. And this album is home to yet another cover, a T. Rex deep cut circa 1972, "Fist Heart Might Dawn Dart."  Yet all in all, the Casualties don't sound obviously prodigious of the Doors or Bolan, though there is an unmistakable classic-rock, prog-lite tincture to many of side one's numbers with some discernable BÖC-isms wafting about, not to mention a few well placed Roger Waters style guitar fills.  Additionally, the finale, "Floating" sports swell Utopian-harmonies that would do Rundgren proud.  Writ large, Panic Station is a pleasure to listen to with nary any major hiccups, even if it is a bit of an anomaly for what I tend to share. 

01. Point Me at the Sky

02. Shadow Street

03. Canyons of Your Mind

04. Solid Sound

05. Armies of the Sun/The Battle

06. Fist Heart Might Dawn Dart (Funny How The Day Comes)

07. She's a Lost Soul

08. Floating

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Can't stop the press!

From 2010.  A deliriously tweaked kaleidoscope of hypnagogic pop. 

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What is This - Squeezed ep (1984, San Andreas)

Forever a footnote to history, L.A.'s What is This are generally known for being the band the late Hillel Slovak retreated to in the mid-80s when he decided to take a break from the Red Hot Chili Peppers (whom he'd rejoin in time for their 1985 LP, Freaky Styley).  Though WiT's modus operand wasn't funk rock/punk, the Squeezed ep coincidentally manages to commence with the decidedly groove-laden and feedback squall-ish "I Am a House."  In a nutshell, The Peppers, or even Gang of Four, What is This were clearly not, but even from the get go they exuded some smarter ideas on post-wavy salvos like "My Mind Still Have I," and Squeezed's finest moment, the Roxy Music endowed "Days of Reflection," which I damn near love.  Their subsequent self-titled album, arriving in 1985, was produced by Todd Rundgren, who strikes me as a logical choice based on what I'm occasionally able to glean from this ep.  

01. I Am a House

02. My Mind Still Have I

03. Squeezed

04. My Head is a Drum

05. Days of Reflection

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It's a deadly art to take yourself apart.

A well-above average reunion album from 2009.

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Bad Religion - Against the Grain demos (198?)

When southern-Cali hardcore legends Bad Religion reconvened in the late '80s not only did their new material supersede anything (and quite frankly everything) they put their name on in the first half of the decade, it put to shame anything their punk cohorts were responsible for around the same era. Their initial blush of reunion records - Suffer (1988), No Control (1989) and Against the Grain in 1990 were so consistently gratifying and vital, the band's newfound formula of erudite lyrics, heightened melodic acumen, and breakneck speed, was one that was imitated the world over, but never improved upon.  In fact, this trifecta was so astonishing I can't think of a trio of consecutive albums by any artist (maybe aside from Cheap Trick) that could really hold a candle to Bad Religion in the post-Reagan era. 

As is the case with many if not most bands, BR were no strangers to cutting a demo reel before sealing the deal in a proper studio. Hearing the embryonic stages of songs you come to know and love is always a curious endeavor, and seeking out prototypes by Greg Graffin and the boys proved to be worth the effort, given that there are easily discernable differences between them and the finished product.  So far as Against the Grain is concerned it's not clear how far in advance the nine songs I'm presenting here were cut, nor is it even clear who's playing on them. Drum machines are employed, and obviously Graffin is on the mic, yet it's not evident whose handling guitar and/or keyboard duties. In my estimation axe wielder Brett Gurewitz was the most likely perpetrator.  Nonetheless, what's so revealing about these tracks is how minimal the arrangements were in their nascent form, plus the fact that about half of them were originally written on synthesizers. Amazingly, classic album cuts like "Quality of Quantity," and the title track translate effectively in both analogue and digital contexts, and are delivered with the same breathless pace regardless of what instruments they're conveyed with. Absolutely fascinating insight for any Bad Religion diehards that might be in the audience. Enjoy.

01. Operation Rescue

02. Modern Man

03. Walk Away

04. God Song

05. 21st Century (Digital Boy)

06. Quality of Quantity

07. Faith Alone

08. Against the Grain

09. Get Off

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The Cripples - Unfaithful Legends (1987, Dr. Dream)

Roughly five years ago when I shared The Cripples What's in a Name ep I assumed the gentleman on the album sleeve (frontman Shawn O'Brien) was festooned with a pair of crutches to help tie into his band's moniker. Turns out O'Brien had cerebral palsy, and the crutches weren't props after all. In fact, he relied on them during performances. That being said, his predicament is only loosely addressed in one song here, "I'm Your Cripple," and it along with the remainder of the record is a veritable exercise in uplift, not wallowing. As mentioned in my prior Cripples critique, these L.A. area denizens had a very party-up vibe going, a la Buster Poindexter, but they did make advances in terms of maturity on Unfaithful Legends, driving some relatively poignant sentiments home on side two's "Real to Real," which flirts with some discernable ballad-esque tendencies.  

Post-Cripples, O'Brien became an advocate for the disabled, voting rights, and naturally, where the two intersected. His endeavors included running for public office and authoring a book.

01. I'm Your Cripple

02. Our Time Will Come

03. Easy Access

04. Female Christ

05. One Night Stand

06. Unfaithful Legends

07. Die Young

08. Real to Real

09. Heart Like a Boxer

10. Little Affections

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Preconceived in half allegiance.

From 2002.  A project conceived by a duo who fronted separate, seminal indie rock conglomerates in the 1990s. Even when the finished product isn't quite as incendiary or even as memorable as you might expect, it's an experiment that many of us were grateful that was conducted at all.  

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Whinging for perfection...

Yep, by the end of the 80s it was confirmed.  I was NOT a fan of Hunters & Collectors. I hadn't purchased any of their records but I gave them a chance. Videos on MTV. Radio singles. Even heard the better parts of albums like Cut and Ghost Nation. Alas, I enthusiastically stamped this band with the great big NO.  Their cred as Aussie alterna-Wunderkinds and all the critical acclaim in the world did nothing for me, and I was convinced they would never lodge my proverbial needle. Why you might ask?  The band's horn section was way to prominent, and I simply didn't gravitate to any of their tunes.  My mind was made up.  Or was it?

Fast forward three decades and some change. I knew full well the band had a larger catalog than I was initially exposed to, but I dared not investigate it, at least on my own volition. Then this record made it's way into my browsing fingers a few months ago at a bargain-bin asking price. Copyrighted 1983. Surveyed the artwork - interesting, even appealing. Ditto for the abstract song titles. What I assumed was the band's debut album (also self titled) was actually a hodge podge of early ep and albums cuts, designed to bait a potential North American audience. I was intrigued. Could there have actually been something in the H&C realm that was remotely enticing after all?  I took the plunge and soon found out. The seven cuts presented here were not the glossy, or even brassy product of the band that made my sensibilities bristle all those years ago, rather the work of inventive, borderline avant-collective who were tapping into a serious post-punk vein, informed by the likes of Public Image Ltd, Japan, and even the earliest endeavors of home-country mates Midnight Oil. And they had plenty of wholly original maneuvers up their sleeves as well. Maybe not out-and-out catchy (often dissonant in fact) but surely competent, edgy and alluring. Am beyond chuffed that I gave this band a second chance. Since most of their catalog is available in one guise or another this will likely be the first (and last) post regarding H&C, but if your initial experience was anything like mine, try to be more open minded than I was. 

01. Tow Truck
02. Droptank
03. Mouthtrap
04. Lumps of Lead
05. Talking to a Stranger
06. Scream Who
07. Run Run Run

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I've got love smeared all over my face...

A self-titled debut from 1981. Technically hard rock fare, but with strong pop angularities in spots. Renown record critic Chuck Eddy ranks this one in his top favorite albums of all time. 

My apologies for not getting to any new music this week. I intend to rectify that very soon.

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

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I want my cherry flavored, tropical punch over ice.

A Don Flemming-production from 1995. 

**Please do not reveal artist name.**

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Where is Mystery Monday?

Folks, I'm on vacation, so a new installment of Mystery Monday will be live early Tuesday morning. Thanks for your patience. 

VA - Every One a Classic!!! Vol. 3

Before I head out for a brief vacation, I thought I'd set you up with the third volume in the Every One a Classic!!! compilation series. I presented the first two installments a little over a month ago and there are six in total. In a nutshell, and invisible force of some sort across the pond had the good sense to compile a bunch of immensely scarce, not to mention expensive UK powerpop and punk singles spanning 1977-81. The emphasis here is a little more on the punk side of the aisle, but I wouldn't expect any hardcore. For the most part, the fifteen bands involved are fully capable of carrying something resembling a tune, and about three songs in we're treated to one of the sharpest and most indelible songs of this era bar-none, The Letter's riveting "Nobody Loves Me" circa 1980. The Really 3rds brandish a dab of Brit Invasion persuasion, I'd swear Anorexia's "Pets" was born in CBGB's, and Joe 9T and The Buzz's "Insanity" is a sassy slammer with energy and hooks to spare. Have at it.

01. Future Bodies - Terrorist
02. Beez - Do the Suicide
03. The Letters - Nobody Loves Me
04. Really 3rds - Everday, Everyway
05. G Squad - In My Mind
06. Dansette Damage - NME
07. Cybermen - Where's the New Wave
08. Blitzkrieg Bop - UFO
09. Buzzards - We Make Noise
10. A.V.O. 8 - Gone Wrong
11. Push - Cartridge Stamp
12. Private Sector - Just Wanna Stay FRee
13. Valves - It Don't Mean Nothing at All
14. The K9's - Idi Amin
15. Joe 9t & the Thunderbirds - Joe 9t Theme

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