01 June 2023

THE FEARLESS FLUSH SAMPLER Various Artists 1997

 


Discogs

 

Compilation on the Fearless Records label

 

Tracklist 

1Chuck (23)Punk Rock In Your Face1:47
2Glue GunThe Scene Is Not For Sale1:41
3Strung OutJacqueline2:30
430footFALLPunk Rocks In Yer Head2:19
5Straight FacedConvictions1:51
6BlountDiscouragement2:10
7Drunk In PublicEveryday1:36
8Bigwig1-800-Whipped3:09
9White KapsDork2:30
10Dead Lazlo's PL.*Waiting For Armo2:16
11Grabbers*Better Life3:12
12Strung OutSeason Of The Witch2:50
13Glue GunLife Sentence1:32
14Chuck (23)Armistice Day2:46
15Straight FacedRegret2:15
16BlountTime Spent2:02
17White KapsDisco Ball1:53
18BigwigOld Lady2:58
19Drunk In PublicDreaming2:03
20Grabbers*Thanks2:44
21Straight FacedStanding On The Edge3:00
22Dead Lazlo's PL.*PB & J2:00
23White KapsDate Rape1:57
2430footFALLDancing With Myself5:10
2530footFALLUntitled4:38

 

4 ON THE FLOOR Various Artists 7 inch 1993

 



Discogs

 

Compilation on C/Z record label


Tracklist


(Food)
A1TreepeopleBoiled Bird3:44
A2Dirt FishermenSoy Cheese2:52


(Physics)
B1Gnome (2)Crush3:38
B2Alcohol FunnycarPush3:33

 

DEADSPOT Built-In Pain 1991

 


Discogs

 

American hardcore/crossover band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


Tracklist

1
Nightmares
2
Razors
3
God Machine
4
Forever
5
Built-In Pain
6
With Your Belief
7
Hit The Wall
8
Here And Now
9
Wrong Time
10
Suicide City
11
New Rose

FLATUS Have It Your Way 1996

 


Discogs

 

Jersey punk rock


Tracklist

1
High Hopes
2
Throwin You Out
3
Have It Your Way
4
Privacy
5
Second Thoughts
6
Talk About Me
7
The Question Song
8
Set Me Free
9
Stand Tall
10
All Night Diner
11
My Desire
12
One Less Friend
13
Slammin At The Disco
14
Love Me Not
15
Silent But Deadly (Instrumental)

VELVET MONKEYS Rake 1990

 

by request


Discogs

 

Velvet Monkeys Biography

by Kathleen C. Fennessy

Guitarist/producer Don Fleming and drummer Jay Spiegel formed the pop culture tribute band Velvet Monkeys in Washington, D.C., in the early '80s. Both were veterans of Jad Fair's long-running noise pop outfit Half Japanese, with whom they would continue to record throughout the 1980s (Fleming was also in the Stroke Band in the late '70s with Bruce Joyner of the Unknowns). Other members of their garage rock combo included Malcolm Riviera on guitar and keyboards, Elaine Barnes on keyboards and vocals, Charles Steck on bass, and numerous others (the lineup was fluid, to say the least). The group's first recorded appearance was on the 1981 compilation Connected (Limp Records). That same year, they released their first full-length, cassette-only Everything Is Right on their own Monkey Business label. It was followed by the similar-sounding garage-o-rama Future in 1983. In 1986, they split a cassette release, the avant-pop Big Big Sun, with old pals Half Japanese. The group then took a break, with Fleming and Spiegel moving to New York to join fellow musician/producer Kramer's pop-deconstruction unit B.A.L.L. During the sojourn, they issued a compilation of early material with Rotting Corpse Au-Go-Go (1989). Upon B.A.L.L.'s reportedly acrimonious demise, they re-formed Velvet Monkeys with guest musicians Thurston Moore, J Mascis, and Pussy Galore's Julia Cafritz for 1990's concept album -- and swan song -- Rake, a take-off on the exploitation soundtracks of the 1970s (like Curtis Mayfield's Superfly). Fleming and Spiegel returned the favor by subsequently playing on and/or producing recordings by Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and Free Kitten. Velvet Monkeys also appeared on a number of compilations during the 1980s, including The Other, Sub Pop 9, Train to Disaster, Let's Sea, and Deadly Spawn. In addition, they released a single on Sub Pop (with the Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road" on the flip) and a double-single of early '80s demos (Better Living) on Moore's Ecstatic Peace label. In 1990, Fleming, Spiegel, and Riviera morphed, as it were, into a new group: Gumball. Two years later, Rake's "They Call It Rock" was included on the soundtrack to Alison Anders' Gas Food Lodging (along with tracks by J Mascis and others). Six years later, House Party, which was recorded for -- but never released by -- SST in 1985 with Workdogs' Rob Kennedy and Scott Jarvis (two other Half Japanese vets), was released by God Bless. The highlight was a ten-minute version of the Stooges' minimalist dirge "Little Doll." Although they had been gone from the scene for five years by that point, Velvet Monkeys hadn't been completely forgotten, even if Fleming and Spiegel have since become better-known for the other bands with which they've been associated.

 

Tracklist

  1. We Call It Rock
  2. She's Not A Girl
  3. The Ballad of "Rake"
  4. Something's In The Air
  5. Velvet Monkey Theme Song
  6. Rock The Night
  7. Harmonica Hell House
  8. Love To Give
  9. 7 Angels
10. Rock Party
11. Velvet Monkey Theme (Assassin Mix)

28 May 2023

THE BLUE HEARTS Blast Off! 1991

 


Discogs

 

The Blue Hearts Biography

by Alexey Eremenko

Blue Hearts are Japan's most successful punk band, although admittedly they mixed Ramones, Clash, and social commentary with country and early rock & roll influences. The group, which ranked number 19 on the HMV list of top Japanese bands in the 2000s, was established in 1985 in Tokyo by vocalist Komoto Hiroto, guitarist Mashima Masatoshi, bassist Kawaguchi Junnosuke, and drummer Kajiwara Tetsuya, and soon garnered a reputation as a solid live act. They waited for two years before releasing anything, but in 1987 provided a slew of recorded material, all out on Meldac: the debut single "Hito Ni Yasashiku"; their self-titled debut full-length; another single, "Linda Linda," which had become their most famous song; and their second album, Young and Pretty. Already underground darlings, Blue Hearts became a nationwide sensation with their third offering, Train Train (1988), thanks to the media buzz generated by attempted label censorship. The album was to feature the anti-nuclear power song "Chernobyl," which didn't go down well with Mitsubishi, a sponsor of their label, Meldac. Mitsubishi was involved with the nuclear industry and therefore demanded that Blue Hearts either drop the song or get dropped from Meldac. The band opted for the latter, but, for once, label pressure worked in favor of the artist: after the scandal hit the news, they were picked by East West Japan, and Train Train went on to sell over a million units, which became a standard for the band's subsequent albums.

In 1990-1991 Blue Hearts tried to make their way to the American scene, touring the U.S. twice and releasing two CDs there, but sales remained small despite good reviews, college radio airplay, and USA Today coverage. Meanwhile, in Japan, where they released the albums Bust Waist Hip (1990) and High Kicks (1991), their fame was growing ever bigger, not hindered even by a yearlong TV ban imposed on Blue Hearts by the stations because of the bandmembers' provocative behavior. The 1993 releases Stick Out and Dug Out both topped the charts and outdid their respective predecessors in sales, but in 1994 the band broke up -- or, rather, transformed into High-Lows, another punk rock unit that this time sported mildly surrealistic lyrics and had Komoto and Mashima on board (in 2005, they formed their third punk act, Cro-Magnons). The label released one more post-breakup album, Pan, in 1995, and the popularity of Blue Hearts endured in the 2000s, when their songs were used in a number of video games and the dramas Socrates in Love and Gachi Baka (both 2004), and "Linda Linda" lent its title to the movie Linda Linda Linda (2005), about a high-school girl rock band playing Blue Hearts covers.

 

Tracklist

1
The Future Is In Our Hands2:29
2
When The Bombs Fall2:09
3
An Endless Song3:06
4
A Boy's Song2:43
5
Chernobyl3:10
6
Blue Sky4:49
7
Train - Train3:51
8
Paper Balloon Bomb2:58
9
The Thunderbolt2:49
10
Kick The Blues4:47
11
Love Letter3:30
12
The Blue Hearts Theme2:09

ENERGY ORCHARD Energy Orchard 1990

 


Discogs

 

Energy Orchard Biography

by AllMusic

This pop rock sextet came from Belfast, Northern Ireland and were built around the nucleus of singer Bap Kennedy (b. Martin Kennedy, 17 June 1962, Belfast, Northern Ireland) and guitarist Paul Toner. Snapped up by MCA in 1990 their first single was titled after their home-town, ironically after relocating to London. It dented the UK Top 70, paving the way for follow-ups ‘Sailortown’ and ‘Lace Virginia’. After running the gauntlet of comparisons to U2 that face most rock bands from Ireland, the reaction of the mainstream UK press hardened. Bombast and over-production somewhat neutered their debut album and the band’s subsequent releases ploughed a similar path. They disbanded in 1996, their final release being a credible live album. Kennedy later embarked on an acclaimed solo career, debuting with the Steve Earle -produced Domestic Blues in 1999. 

 

Tracklist

1. Belfast
2. Somebody's Brother
3. Lion
4. One, Two Brown Eyes
5. King of Love
6. Sailortown
7. Walk In Love
8. This House Must Fall
9. Sweet Irish Rose
10. Hard Street
11. Good Day To Die
12. Belfast - Instrumental

FRAFF It's A Long Way To Come Just To Turn Around And Go Back Again 1998

 


Discogs

 

Fraff Biography

by Andy Kellman

Using the phrase "post-punk throwbacks" is rather misguided when referring to Fraff, since some of the band's members actually participated in the early scene. Vocalist Tom Fawcett was in the Native Hipsters, the short-lived Rough Trade band responsible for one of the finest (albeit very bizarre) post-punk singles, "There Goes Concorde Again." Too Pure honcho Paul Cox played guitar and harmonica, Karl Hussey (ex-Mint 400) hit the drums, Steve Cox (brother of Paul) played keyboards, Ged Murphy played guitar, and Ian (ex-Furline) played bass. Likened to Captain Beefheart, XTC, Television, and '60s garage bands, Fraff debuted on a split single with Cotton Mather. The 1998 EP It's a Long Time to Come Just to Turn Around and Go Back Again was their first major release, followed shortly after with You've Got a Lot of Friends in This Town, which compiled the previous release and a number of cuts from singles. 2000's Resist the Call to Rock followed quickly on its heels. All of the band's major releases were issued by Rainbow Quartz.

 

Tracklist

1
You Won't Believe It Til Somebody Smacks You In The Mouth
2
Man With 3 Mouths
3
Shower Me
4
California
5
Freedon Defiend
6
Protect Yourself
7
Smack The Plebnation Mix By S & P

SUPER X 13 Ain't Life Grand 1998

 


Discogs

 

 Alt rock - I think these guys are from Georgia, U.S.A.


Tracklist

1
Ain't Life Grand3:00
2
Everybody Loves Me3:33
3
One Track Mind
2:48
4
Tetsuo2:39
5
Goat Sucker Fever4:13
6
Thirteen3:46
7
Gone Bad3:42
8
Jiffy Lube3:21
9
Pussy Crazy3:29
10
Rat Fink1:43
11
Good Good Lovin2:51
12
World Tour3:27
13
Rocket Ship4:04

THE CUCKOOS The Screever 1992


 

Discogs

 

UK indie rock band formed in 1991

 

Tracklist

1
The Screever3:55
2
Sea Of Anger4:34
3
House Of Cards3:34
4
Whalesong3:02

 

SCHATZI Joanie Loves Schatzi 1998

 


Discogs

 

American power pop/indie rock band from Austin, Texas.



Tracklist

1
Nadine2:58
2
Green Velvet Neckbrace4:17
3
Dirty Room Lament2:15
4
Selfish Phase2:14
5
Snowflake3:13
6
Stalking The Girl (With Wintergreen Stockings)4:06
7
Acetaminophen3:08
8
All3:04
9
Surrogate Saviour4:29
10
Laika3:35
11
Smashplate2:24
12
Radiate2:45
13
Mr. Kent, You're Out Of Gas6:34

 

BAG Blue Suburban Skies 1998

 


Discogs

 

Indie rock from the UK (?)


Tracklist

1
Blue Suburban Skies3:21
2
Knocks And Blows2:47
3
Power Of Love2:23

JANE POW Love It Be It / State 1993

 


Discogs

 

Jane Pow Biography

by Jason Ankeny

Mod-inspired power pop combo Jane Pow emerged from Southampton, England in 1988, teaming singer/guitarist Richard Starke, his guitarist brother Andrew, guitarist Vincent Kallett, bassist Rupert Hann, keyboardist Peter Dale and drummer Greg MacDermott. Chiefly inspired by the likes of the Jam, the group nevertheless honed their own unique sound, embellishing their buoyant guitar-pop melodies with electronic flourishes and undercutting the bubbly cynicism of Richard's clever lyrics with moments of acoustic sincerity and sensitivity. After debuting on the tiny Ambition label with the single "Good Morning," in 1989 Jane Pow signed to the Target imprint to issue the full-length effort Love It, Be It. "Warm Room" appeared on the fledgling American indie Slumberland in 1991; in 1993, the label packaged Love It, Be It with its follow-up State on a single LP. By that time, however, Jane Pow had dissolved in the wake of the 1992 single "Sanitize." Richard Starke later resurfaced under the electronic alias Firing Bullets. 

 

Tracklist

1
Sanitized3:52
2
It's On It's Way2:30
3
Walker4:17
4
Get By2:28
5
Soundbarrier6:34
6
Shutdown2:25
7
90's4:38
8
Love It Be It5:54
9
Track 92:19
10
Playpower1:33
11
Morningside2:57
12
Out Of It2:20
13
On Hold2:55
14
Through3:21
15
Latitude3:49
16
Take3:05
17
Jackboot3:32
18
Sophia Green3:41
19
Warm Room4:28
20
Fruity2:12

 

MILKY WIMPSHAKE The Deviancy Amplification Spiral 1995

 


Discogs

 

Milky Wimpshake Biography

by Daphne Carr

Milky Wimpshake are a lo-fi indie punk threesome from Newcastle originally consisting of Ms. Joey Ramone (drums), Christine (bass/vox), and frontman Pete Dale, whose scene credits include running the Slampt label; FAST Connection fanzine, and the bands Avocado Baby, Pussycat Trash, and Red Monkey. An early cassette-only release called Songs of Zoom and Buzz introduced the band's playful post-Television Personalities interpretations of modern life and included perhaps their most earnest recorded effort, a cover of Daniel Johnston's "True Love Will Find You in the End." A variety of sought-after 7"s followed, including Slampt's The Deviation Amplification Spiral and Seven Unlucky Sevens. Like their folk counterparts Belle & Sebastian, the band is charmingly literate with a due amount of self-deprecation to keep the kids from getting jealous of their cleverness.

  In 1997, the band put out its first true album, Bus Route to Your Heart, which included such postmodern punk song titles as "Noam Chomsky vs. the Ramones" and "I Wanna Be Seen in Public with You." By this time, Ms. Ramone was replaced on the drums by Grant. In 2002, Lovers, Not Fighters appeared on Troubleman Unlimited in the States, continuing the band's brand of jangle pop guitar and bouncy bass, while lyrics name-checked Kierkegaard and Max Weber and ruminated about a crush based on a Scrabble triple-word score. The band's next record, 2005's Popshaped, was its first for new label Fortuna Pop, and was followed in 2008 by the One Good Use for My Heart EP. During this time Pete Dale also had a folk project called Pete Dale & the Beta Males and a noise rock group, Chronicity. In 2010 Milky Wimpshake released their fourth studio album, My Funny Social Crime, which was followed up five years later with the excited, spring-like tones of fifth full-length Encore, un Effort! The album featured the debut of new vocalist Sophie Evans, dueting with Dale on more than half of the album. Significantly younger than her newfound bandmates, Evans hadn't even been born by the time Milky Wimpshake had started playing out in the early '90s.


Tracklist

A1
Clicking It
A2
Roll A Disco
A3
Shaved Head Thrills
B1
Chewing Broken Glass
B2
Yeah It's True

26 May 2023

FLATUS Aural Fixations 1999

 


by request


Discogs

 

New Jersey punk rock with guitar solos.
So one of the guys from Flatus walks into the record store where I was working at the time and starts telling me in a loud voice how he's with Flatus. I guess I was supposed to be impressed. Bands came in all of the time. Like when Buzzov•en came in, they smelled so bad I had to spray the entire store with air freshener when they left. I thought I was going to keel over from the smell. Thankfully, the Flatus guy, although loud, apparently bathed on a regular basis. Good times.


Tracklist

1
Bandwagon
2
Wasting My Time
3
I've Seen It All
4
My Choice
5
In The End
6
What's This Song About?
7
Talk Show Hero
8
I Don't Mind
9
The Facts Remain
10
Growin' Old
11
Voice In My Head
12
Pavement
13
Reality Check
14
Everyone
15
Walk My Way
16
A Place In Line
17
Budget Beer

 

23 May 2023

THE DENTISTS Deep Six 1995

 


Discogs

 

The Dentists were an indie/pop band from the Medway towns (as part of the Medway scene) in England who were active from 1984 to 1995.

 

Tracklist

01
Shining Like A Star2:46
02
Slither3:37
03
Weirdo (At 25,000 Miles Per Hour)2:42
04
My Heart Is Like A Town You Moved Away From4:40
05
Kick Start My Body3:29
06
Appetite3:34
07
Hedonist4:29
08
Not Coming Back2:39
09
An Agony In Twelve Fits3:46
10
Whole World Explode4:25
11
Gradual4:42
12
Good Riddance4:40
13
Orange Gold3:15
14
Electric Train Of Thought5:45
15
Untitled4:58
16
Untitled3:50

22 May 2023

KICKING HAROLD Ugly And Festering 1996

 


Discogs

 

Kicking Harold Biography

by Bradley Torreano

A longtime force in the underground alternative rock scene, Kicking Harold has tasted the limelight many times but has never been able to maintain a spot in the mainstream long enough to break through. Starting in 1994, the band was originally made up of members Brian Anderson, Ed Shemansky, and Tim David Kelly. The three played their first gig after putting together a few songs just to have fun, and strangely enough, the president of Headliner Records came in and signed the band on the spot. Cutting Ugly and Festering over the next few months, the record arrived in 1995 and began to create a stir in indie circles. MCA Records picked up on the growing fan base and approached them with a contract. Signing only days later, Kicking Harold reissued their debut the next year and found themselves popping up on alternative radio all over the country. Scoring gigs with Bad Religion, Helmet, and the Deftones, the band gained a massive buzz with fans, but the label started to lose faith and started withdrawing the publicity around the record. Sure enough, by 1997, the band was without a label and Anderson quit out of frustration. Shemansky and Kelly continued to write and record without support, and put together Return of the Bulb Men in a series of tense recording sessions. Drafting in Todd Ramsey to replace Anderson on bass, Headliner took the band back but limited the release of their record severely due to its avant-garde tendencies. Instantly becoming a collector's item, the record's frustrating release convinced Ramsey to leave before doing much with the group, and English singer/guitarist Sam Varma and bassist Eddie Patrina became the newest members to join. Performing all over the country, Kelly recorded the Burn One Down EP during the tour, but again Headliner lacked any faith in the record and it became even more obscure than their last record. Band tensions began to run high, and in 1999, they split apart in an attempt to reinvigorate themselves. Kelly released a much higher profile solo album (Growing Up Naked) which got a nice response from college radio, inspiring him to bring the band back together with the new lineup of Todd Ramsey and drummer Michael Keeley in the summer of 2001. Recording Space Age Breakdown throughout the next few months, the band released and recorded the record the following year on Mityma Music.

 

Tracklist

1
Kill You3:59
2
Everything3:14
3
Down On You3:33
4
Dear John3:26
5
Fred's New Dress4:02
6
Pray For Love3:59
7
Poetry2:56
8
Recipe For Disaster3:28
9
Beautiful3:36
10
Forever Sunshine3:26
11
Nasty Habits2:10

21 May 2023

FASTBACKS Alone In A Furniture Warehouse Scaring You Away Like A Hotel Mattress 1996

 

by request

Discogs



The Fastbacks were a Seattle punk rock band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch (born August 28, 1960), and friends Lulu Gargiulo (guitar and vocals, born October 12, 1960) and Kim Warnick (bass and vocals, born April 7, 1959), they disbanded in 2001. Their sound mixed a generally punk rock approach to vocals and sound textures with poppy tunes and strong musicianship.


Tracklist

1. No Information
2. The Ladders
3. The Buried Treasure Was Crap
4. All In Order
5. Wait It Out
6. Sign of The Times
7. Eyes of A Child
8. Alone In A Furniture Warehouse


19 May 2023

DAISY The Hum of D.A.I.S.Y. 1993

 


Discogs

 

Daisy is a noisy guitar pop band formed in Athens, GA in 1989 by David Zwart, Matt Hanson, Jeff Matthews and Andres Solar.  


Tracklist

1
Brave Mr Real5:57
2
The Hearts And Lives Of People6:11
3
The Hum Of Life3:21
4
Undoing3:02
5
I Want To Be With You5:54
6
All I Ever Do3:16
7
My Body Is Falling Apart5:04
8
My Dog Died3:16
9
Blow My Horn3:31
10
The Model Demon4:19

SEERSUCKER Pushing Rope 1993

 


Discogs

 

Reminds me of Mudhoney on some songs. Alt rock from Georgia, U.S.A.

 

Tracklist

1
Smokestack3:31
2
Acme Action3:25
3
Dreembópst3:57
4
The Moving Ball0:45
5
Son2:55
6
Boxcutter4:21
7
Rodney + Starlet3:23
8
Electra 2254:01
9
'64 Well Poisoning3:39
10
Tough Ass Knives3:34
11
P.F.P '932:36