Orbital - Belfast/Wasted

For the love of god people

Almost Unbearably Goth

I've been feeling ever increasingly, almost unbearably goth, lately.

Sisters of Mercy - "Afterhours" - surely a rite of passage for the young Goth
The Rose of Avalanche - anything
The Glove - Cure project bonus disc with Robert Smith on vocals
Last song on the new Sonic Youth album "Massage The History" is GOTH AS HELL

10,000 Maniacs - Blind Man's Zoo (1989)

Currently revisiting with this album...

what happened was about a month ago, I heard a song playing in a pharmacy. It was 10,000 Maniacs and I thought it was from Blind Man's Zoo but my memory betrayed me and it was actually "City of Angels" from In My Tribe. Yeah, that's a fantastic song.

But Blind Man's Zoo wasn't that bad of an album, either. I quite enjoyed it at the time. And "Trouble Me" seems to sound 5 times better now than it did at the time.

"Headstrong" is playing now. I haven't heard these songs for a billion years. Fantastic stuff.

Sonic Youth - The Eternal (2009)

I don't know how or why, but I ended up at a Sonic Youth gig last night. I hadn't bought a ticket but nevertheless found myself in an area next the stage where a lot of people had gathered. You couldn't really see the band at all, although at one point I did see Thurston put his guitar over his head. But they were so good musically that I had tears streaming down my face. I haven't followed anything they've done for quite awhile. At one point I thought I was going to flip over their last album Rather Ripped but instead ended up bored with it. I've just checked out their new album The Eternal and it is the absolute DEAL. It's really thrilling to see how they have honed their craft over so many years of doing this. A masterpiece for them, for sure. And surprisingly a lot of it is quite accessible and catchy! There's even this chorus in "Poison Arrow" that makes me think "wow that is such a pretty chorus for a Sonic Youth song! How crazy!" I also enjoy hearing them sing on each other's songs for example I think there are Kim backing vocals in there somewhere that are pretty amazing considering she's never been one of the best singers in the world. Another thing I like about the new album is the way it's produced and how MINIMAL it is in general...at times it calls to mind their first album and also Krautrock...

The Damned - Curtain Call

Goth? Check. Punk? Check. Cool? Check.

Killing Joke

This stuff is eternal.

Bill Nelson - Contemplation

This song was on his album Getting The Holy Ghost Across from 1986 (which was released in the US in a slightly different form with the title "On A Blue Wing"). There's something so free and easy about this song that it almost makes me cry. It's kindof like I'm sailing on a sailboat or something. You Tube has another version of this song from 2007. It sounds quite different and I'm not really familiar with it.

Sinatras singles are now reuploaded

As promised, I've reuploaded both Sinatras singles. You can find them right here.

Sundays - A Certain Someone

Native Tongue EP, 1981

Here's the Native Tongue EP again, uploaded for you with more of the insert & a bumper sticker that came with it, too!





Native Tongue - self-titled EP, 1981

This is the Boston band who sorta borrowed from Gang Of Four. It's great stuff.

Kate Bush - All The Love (1982)

oKAY so there are some really crappy parts in this, there are still some great parts too. And she's a goddess. I don't believe in god, but I believe in Kate Bush.

Luxuria - Redneck (1988)

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Psychomodo (1974?)

LOOK AT THE DRUMMER! THAT GUY HAS PLAYED DRUMS FOR KATE BUSH FOR FUCKING OVER 20 YEARS! RESPECT! STUART ELIOTT!

Native Tongue EP & Sinatras

I have not forgotten that I have records to rip for this blog today. In fact, I am going to disconnect the computer here when the current song is over in order to rip them. Thanks.

Faust - Jennifer

Someone recently turned me on to this song. I had no idea I would ever like any Faust, because everything I've heard of them thus far was really difficult. This song just rolls along like a stream in the country. Pretty hippie-ish, I guess. Donovan would be proud. :)

The Motels - Suddenly Last Summer (1983)

Neil Young - Tell Me Why

Radiohead - Tell Me Why (Neil Young cover)

The Sweet - Fox On The Run

PJ Harvey - The Devil

Now and forever, again and again and again and again and again and again and again

Bill Nelson - Hope For The Heartbeat

This song just occured to me tonight out of nowhere and I realized I hadn't heard it in way too long. That's what happens when you quit playing vinyl, I guess. Argh. Anyway, this is high quality early 80's synth pop. Not throw-away or cheesy, though. This guy has a lot of class.

Native Tongue is now reuploaded!

Okay, I finally got the Native Tongue album reuploaded now. Sorry it took so long. You can find it here.

Linda Ronstadt - Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me (1977)

Okay I'm almost sorry I posted the last one now cause this one takes the cake and eats it. Every time I used to get to the end of a stressful quarter of school, I would play this song when the exams were over. Hahah.

Linda Ronstadt - Tumbling Dice (1977)

Buckinghams - Don't You Care (1967)

This is one of the most amazing visual/musical things that has ever happened to my life. This song is incredibly produced for a 60's record. Just ridiculous! LISTEN TO THOSE DRUMS!!! Wow. This song just flips my wig on so many levels it's not funny. This is like, the Einstein, the proof of the pudding of POP MUSIC. Yeah.

Tears For Fears - Listen

I saw them play live last night, outside in a field, at a winery where they make wine ("vineyard" if you don't know what that means). I'm going to post about it here when I get my notes together. I made notes the whole time. Before they started their set, they put this song on the PA:

Kristin Hersh - Live at Maxwell's, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

It was released as a bonus disc with Throwing Muses' Red Heaven, apparently. I had stopped paying attention to Muses output by the time Red Heaven came out, so I wasn't aware of this until now. Anyway, it's a gig of Kristin's where she does a whole bunch of Muses songs.
You can find it RIGHT HERE

Kristin Hersh - Sundrops

I can't believe this is on You Tube. I actually remember watching this on TV in 1994.

Spoonfed Hybrid (1993)

This is one of my all time fave albums and I keep coming back to it again and again. Ian Masters from Pale Saints with that other guy named Chris Trout. They put out a few little other things, but this one was just an absolute masterpiece of sadness & beauty. Not really shoegazing...in fact I wouldn't say it's shoegazing at all. Too minimal for that. It was released on 4AD's offshoot label called Guernica. It's a classic 4AD release to my ears, though. Worthy of the 4AD trademark (for whatever that used to mean).

Kate Bush

Guess what she is god

PJ Harvey

I don't give a flying shit I've I've posted this before. Too fucking bad. I'm only beginning to post You Tube clips.

Native Tongue standby

Hello, I am now going to hook my computer up to the turntable to re-record the Native Tongue album that someone asked for. Stay tuned. Thanks.

Bat For Lashes - Pearl's Dream

You Tube won't let me post this here - "embedding disabled by request". They are mother fuckers. I love this woman. She's goth as hell, a tiny bit like Kate Bush, but not too much. I need her first album, too now.

I realize someone has asked me to repost the Native Tongue LP. I will get it done before the weekend is over, I promise, just haven't been feeling gung ho about it.

The New Young Pony Club - The Get Go

Andy Rourke of the Smiths played this song in his DJ set recently here in town, that's the only way I knew this band. They're great.

Olivia Newton-John & Andy Gibb

I know, it's corny as hell. But she's a goddess. What can I do?

Madonna - Into The Groove

Oh man I don't know what year this is, but I am totally down with this whole thing going on here:


Surmounter...

Genesis - Musical Box (different version than before)

LOOK.
LOOK AT THE WAY PETER GABRIEL IS DRESSED IN THIS VIDEO. NOTICE THEY EYE MAKEUP, NOTICE THE SHAVE DOWN THE CENTER OF HIS SKULL. NOTICE. AND NOTICE PHIL COLLINS ON DRUMS, TOO.

I want to talk about Genesis a lot

I want to talk about Genesis a lot. I have put a lot of their albums on my iPod and have listened to a lot of albums.

Here is my top ten songs right now (not necessarily in order, but roughly):

1. You Might Recall
2. Paperlate
3. Keep It Dark
4. Turn It On Again
5. Dancing In The Moonlit Knight
6. The Musical Box
7. Abacab
8. Me And Sarah Jane
9. Dodo/Lurker (the one with the REGGAE PART!! WOOHOO!)
10. Harold The Barrel

But to be honest, the "And Then There Were Three" album impresses me so much that I'm deliberately keeping that separate from my top ten here (even "Follow You Follow Me"). It leads me to believe that if I were to purchase Wind & Wuthering and Trick of the Tail that I might be made quite happy indeed.

Thanks and good day/night.

A Certain Ratio - Wild Party & Inside (live on TV, 1985)

I'm stone cold sober right now and this STILL sends me to the moon. "Wild Party" is probably my fave song of theirs.

Peter Gabriel era Genesis oh my fucking god Dancing With The Moonlit Knight (1973)

Husker Du - Diane part 2

I told you this song...

Husker Du - Diane

This goddamn song, people. This goddamn song.

The Cure - A Night Like This (In Orange live)

I feel it must have been inevitable that I would finally post this song, since it makes the third side of a triangle with the two Cure tracks I posted earlier from the same album.

Live

I'm living for myself, not anyone else, now.

I have a ticket to see Tears For Fears in a couple of weeks. It's the only thing keeping me from shooting myself in the head right now. I'm very happy about it. The moon will be in Pisces, too. It will be so beautiful.

One moment of passion, one lifetime of misery. Everyone pays their dues.

The Cure - Push

Graveyards & Cemeteries

There is a large, large, cemetery near where I live. I've been there many times since I've lived in this apartment. But I always stayed on my own side of the street. I always knew there was another part of it across the street, but I only recently started going there, due a friend of mine. I've become more acquainted with this side of it, but it's surprisingly much, much larger than the other side of the street. HUGE. And I particularly like this side of the cemetery. There's something absolutely magical about it. I've seen it at sunrise, I've seen it in mist, I've seen trees and wondered, and I've seen all kinds of graves. And I've seen mausoleums, but you can't go inside them, even if you can see through the glass. And I am not a religious person at all, but I'm totally moved just by being there in a way that I can only describe as supernatural and uncanny. It's incredibly beautiful. And it goes on and on and on and on. I think someday I will reach the end of it, but it just keeps going, and that almost frightens me.

Today I went there and cried a lot. So much that my eyes hurt. They still do. I'm very tired but I can't fall asleep.

I'm sorry that I don't have the record to post here that I was going to. It looks like Sad Lovers & Giants have all their stuff up on iTunes and apparently they did do one CD that I think compiled most of the tracks from the LP I was going to rip ("In The Breeze"). So I feel bad about trying to put that stuff up here. I really need to listen to that damn record, though. Maybe I will rip it anyway.

The Cure - Sinking

Walls

When he is sober, he does not speak because he knows he will be speaking to walls. When he drinks, he wants to speak and does so, forgetting that he is speaking to walls. When he sobers up, he regrets what he said. And regrets the forgetting.

But the walls are the same regardless.

Who is there to hear the tree falling in the forest? Who can speak the language?

Life is merely the art of forgetting.

I believe I actually have a record I'd like to post here, soon.

Morrissey - Boxers

Radiohead - Reckoner

Tears For Fears

Everybody wants to have an orgasm
I don't know how to post it, it doesn't want me to post it.
I just want to die when I hear this song. I just want to die.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK9O30d_yiE

Wham! - Everything She Wants

I saw this song/video when I was in the hospital in 1985. I was 14. Too much damage done. Too much.

New Order again

oh my fucking god are you kidding?
are you even fucking kidding me?
no fucking way no fucking way

I'm trying to post New Order. But I can't feel anything. I just can't feel anything.

Best thing since sliced bread

This is the best goddamn thing since sliced bread right here

I saw 4 tribute bands

One for Depeche Mode, one for the Smiths (vocalist didn't even try, really, I could have done a better Morrissey impression myself), New Order and The Cure. (I admired the New Order one...I really did...because the guy had the haircut and sang in an amateurish Barney way but mostly I admired them because they didn't fuckiing play Bizarre Love Triangle until the end. I HATE that song, I'm sorry. It's like the only fucking song that most people in America know of them. So I admired them because they did Perfect Kiss & Temptation & True Faith before they ended with BLT. And I was getting down, oh yes I was. And I remembered where and when I first heard the Perfect Kiss 12" when it first came out. I remembered it as though I could reach out and touch it.

But the fucking Cure band took the cake & ate it. We've got the best Robert Smith impressionist right here in Seattle. And when they did A Forest, I knelt down on the floor and some security guy asked me if I was okay I'm like "yes I'm fucking okay I'm trying to pay tribute here, I remember when I was a teenager and I used to walk out in the dark in these places with tiny pine trees and play this on my walkman"

Fuck it all, just fuck it all the goddamn music message board is down. It's balls out tonight. You get whatever you can handle. I've played the Cure's Pornography just now and I'm going to fucking play it again. The cover band played "Strange Day" YES THEY DID AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF DISINTEGRATION

You Tube can't be far behind. Long live the goddamn 80's. You know there was this grey-haired Japanese guy there that I've been dying to talk to again and he fucking saw Simple Minds in the goddamn 80's and he told me the way Jim Kerr had his body down on the ground when he sang. He also saw U2 on the War tour, but he's especially a Peter Gabriel fanatic.

U2 - A Celebration

U2

I can't explain what the B-sides of U2 up through Joshua Tree are doing to me. I know it means I'm lazy right? I don't have any big new great ideas for obscure records to post on this blog and frankly, I couldn't give a shite. Because the albums & b-sides I have on my iPod of U2 that end with the Joshua Tree era are a blessed shrine to me. I can't even begin to explain what U2 meant to me in 1985. They were the best band in the world, simply the best band that had ever been. And when Eno embraced their butterfly wings...fucking hallowed ground, I reckon, early U2.

I do remember a few good tracks from Achtung Baby that I was forced to hear in a restaurant I worked in, but it wasn't the same.

U2 - Unforgettable Fire

Or look here for more.

There are people bullying me. They don't want me to be myself. I have to be myself. U2's Unforgettable Fire EP again. I need to express myself in a place where no one will hurt me about it.

I went to the graveyard last night with a friend, it was incredible. Absolutely incredible. Lots of military graves, there, too. Gorgeous.

This is the U2 era that makes me feel like I'm always going to be 14 years old. Forever.

Sort Sol - Marble Station 7", 1981

Sort Sol - Marble Station 7", 1981

This one is by request. You can read about this Danish band at the 4AD website or wikipedia. By the way, this is a fantastic single.

Low Numbers reposted by request

Thank you for requesting this classic single. I have endeavored to rip it again from vinyl immediately and I resposted it here.

Fra Lippo Lippi reposted by request

Fra Lippo Lippi reposted by request. This is one of those ULTIMATE GOTH ALBUMS. Check it here.

Simple Minds - East At Easter

Thanks to the folks who found me through this blog who led me to far more Simple Minds goodies than I can handle. Also I realize someone wants me to repost Fra Lippo Lippi again. I'm gonna work on that next.

Pure Product 7" reposted by request

You can find it here.

Jo Callis - Woah Yeah 7", 1981

Jo Callis - Woah Yeah 7", 1981

Well, let me start by saying that of course, I got my facts mixed up. This is not the brunette from the Human League, this is the (male) guitarist. Although I found out her name is Joane Catherall, so hey, a Jo and a last name starting with C...haha. Give me a break :) I bought this single because on a post-punk compilation I found called Atomic Shockwaves, there was a song that was listed as being on this that was SOOO good that I had to have the record. But it turned out that sadly, that song must have been tagged incorrectly because it's not actually on this single at all and now I don't know who did it. :( :( OH well.

So, let's see. How do I describe this? A-side doesn't have any synth. Not exactly adventurous post-punk, but it's okay. Reminds me a little bit of The Knack's "My Sharona" in one place. It's definitely trying to be tuneful. I hate to mention "power pop" again, but you know this is probably along the lines of that band Propaganda I posted earlier (not the German band). It's just sortof tuneful...not really mod, though. It's okay.

B-side songs are much more interesting. "Sinistrale" is a little darker. Still no synths. The guitar sound/progression is kindof like Siouxsie & the Banshees for some reason. This is not goth, though. We're still sortof in everyday post-punk. Nothing really spectacular. It's okay. It's all in the guitar breaks on this one. Hey, at least the guy can sing. After about 3 minutes I'm bored as hell, though. NEXT!

Okay last song, "Dodo Boys" is more like it. He takes some risks! This kindof reminds me of that band The Homosexuals, actually. Not quite herky-jerky post punk, but damn close. Much better tune, too. Oh yeah, this is nice. This is the kind of thing Brits can pull off that Americans only try and fail at.

Oh also! This single is on the Pop Aural label. That's actually quite significant. That was the Scottish label that Bob Last started up after his earlier label, Fast Product closed down. Fast Product were the SHIT, man. Oh yeah. They had a compilation (which I actually have on my computer now but haven't unpacked, I used to have it on cassette) which had Gang of Four, early Human League, good early Mekons stuff. Hell yeah. I'll have to dig that up.

Another thing that was on the Pop Aural label was a 12" I have by the Scottish band Boots For Dancing that I always meant to post here and didn't. I was asking myself recently why I never seemed to get around to that band, here, and I don't know why. So yeah, look Pop Aural up online and you'll see they had the Fire Engines, and Flowers, too. Good stuff. (I'm not a Fire Engines fan, though, sorry)

Request for Pure Product

Someone requested the Pure Product record to be reuploaded, I have that noted. Thanks.

Recent Happenings In Bimble's Windy Weather

Somewhere beyond my wildest dreams as a blogger, the guy who did the LEGENDARY early-to-mid 80's Pleasantly Surprised cassettes, Robert H. King, just posted on this blog! On the Dif Juz cassette post no less. I'm ecstatic! Find it in the comments of this post. Wow, I'd love to interview him, come to think of it.

Sorry I didn't post the 1981 Jo Callis (of Human League) single after all. I have it ripped from vinyl already, will upload it here by the end of the weekend. I was actually pretty disappointed in it because it didn't have the song on it I thought I'd be getting, but it was a still a good single, so don't fear.

Let's see, oh yes. Another very remarkable guy commented on this blog recently called Julian Treasure who really knew his post-punk UK family tree trivia on this page.

I live for comments like this, more please!

I have no idea if I'll post any records for awhile at all. I'm into John Cale really heavily right now and should probably post an LP by him that isn't on CD but I want to work on a written review of it first, I think.

Other than that I am actually trying to go back to post-punk lately. Found out the Delmontes were actually better than I would have guessed and I really want their CD on LTM records right now.

www.ltmpub.freeserve.co.uk

or get it in the US from

www.darla.com

The Thought - Second Self-Titled LP Reuploaded

The Thought's second self-titled LP from 1985 has now been reuploaded by request. Find it here.

Grace Cale's Dubset - Hittites & Kassites, 1983

Grace Cale's Dubset - Hittites & Kassites, 1983

This is a bizarre record. If you look carefully at the inner rectangular design on the front, where the letters are, well, I recall seeing a record in cutout or used bins several times back in the day that had that exact design but enlarged. Looking around online, I believe what I saw was their second album from 1984 entitled "Flesh Made Word". But I would always look at that record in the shop and maybe pick it up and turn it around only to wonder "what the fuck is this? Oh well..."

The thing is, even now having finally heard what they sound like, I'm STILL thinking, "what the fuck is this?"

It starts out with an Arabic feel to the vocals and there's African drumming at times. Adding a saxophone to that is a bit weird and unsettling, but that's just what happens. Then the next song throws all that out the window and goes straight for dub reggae, in a funky stylee. Picture THE most dubby Cabaret Voltaire stuff without the electronics, and add some occasional echoing samples of some Jamaican vocals, and you're there.

Next song is kindof like...oh I don't know. 1000 Mexicans? Anyone remember them? Or Hula. Yeah it's a bit like Hula, this one.

I think people who like The Pop Group or This Heat would probably appreciate this record more than I do.

Track 5 is just out-and-out arty. Almost too smarty arty pants for its own good. The only people who can be that arty and really get away with it are Wire, in my opinion.

Track 6 is what used to be called "World Music" in the 80's/early 90's. I don't know if it still is. Not my thing, really, although I did dabble in this sort of stuff back in the day.

Then this record suddenly gets jazzier and goes into a long stretch of purely jazz instrumentals that are not pleasing to me. I like jazzy pop or funky jazz or even other kinds of jazz at times, but this just doesn't have anything I like about jazz, even though it goes on for several songs in the jazz vein. It's a total shock. If the band was this much about jazz, why didn't they let us know in the beginning?

I don't have a need for this record in my life, but it definitely is bizarre and genre-defying and I guess I'll give it points for that.

Side note: Notice the little red thing on the left of the back sleeve? It says "religion". I told you, this record is weird.

They also released a 12" entitled "Flesh Beat Fever" and it appears that after the album posted here, they changed their name to simply Dubset.

7" by Jo Callis on the way

I know I've kindof quit with this blog of late. I should do the Grace Cale's Dubset soon because I do have the sleeve now. I don't feel motivated, though.

I'm happy to tell you that I'm ordering this 1981 7" single by Jo Callis (brunette lady from the Human League) that I really want to put up because it has at least one absolutely fantastic song on it. I will be really happy if I can get this record.

B-52's - Dance This Mess Around

Ski Patrol & The Thought are now reuploaded

Thanks for your patience.

Ski Patrol is here.

First album by The Thought from 1982 is here.

Requests for Ski Patrol & the first album by The Thought

Oh man, I'm so sorry folks. I have received your requests. I wish I could wave a magic wand and get these files reuploaded. I'm particularly fond of Ski Patrol & the first Thought album, so it hurts me in my heart to be asked for these things again. The good news is I've got this stuff on CD-R, so it shouldn't be too hard to reupload this. I'm gonna start by digging out the Ski Patrol right now. Man, I'm really sorry.

Propaganda 1981 LP reuploaded

As requested, I have reuploaded the Propaganda LP from 1981. No, not the German band. This is a different thing. You can find it here.

Musta Paraati - Peilitalossa, 1983

Musta Paraati - Peilitalossa, 1983

I found this by accident, someone gave me a link to the goth rock list on rateyourmusic.com and this was on it, so I thought I'd check it out. And it's just grand, it really is. Some Finnish band. Doesn't even bother me that the lyrics aren't in English, these guys just made some really good quality goth music. A little like Bauhaus, but not too much. Some synthesizers here and there. Once I start playing this I don't want to turn it off. I think this is much better than the Pink Turns Blue record I posted as far as goth goes.

Here's a link I found about them.

Apparently this record was released on CD in 2001, but I don't think you can get it anymore. I can't even find anything by them on ebay.

The Servants - The Sun A Small Star EP, 1986

The Servants - The Sun A Small Star EP, 1986

That's right, we're going back to 1986 UK indie pop again. Good old fashioned stuff, here. I would imagine folks who like Sarah records would probably dig this. I posted a 7" by this band earlier, but to recap, they appeared on the NME C86 cassette and to me they really stood out. Later, the singer David Westlake (pictured on the far right of the sleeve) released his own record on Creation that I might post later. Also, Luke Haines of the Auteurs eventually joined this band. The bassist here, Phil King, went on to play with Lush. Well it's really the guitarist of this band, though, that makes them so special, I think. The sleeve says he was called John Mohan. "It Takes No Gentlemen" is the best track here, and it totally makes me feel like I'm 15 again. It occured to me while playing this that if some new band were to make music like this now, I wouldn't go near it. This was just the fashion at the time, and the way things sounded. I'd be surprised if there was a single other record released on this label, either. This was about as indie as it gets. I'm delighted to learn that Cherry Red have released a CD of this stuff, now, called "Reserved". Hell, I'm gonna buy that sucker.

Bouncing In The Red, 1981: A compilation of bands from Birmingham

Bouncing In The Red, 1981

This is a really cool compilation. Steel Pulse are a fairly well known reggae band, so I won't talk about them, this track by them is just okay. That Wide Boys track, I love the groove on that. The singer is this soulful mod-sounding dude, but yet the music is sortof dubby & funky. Excellent guitar sound. Fantastic post-punk. Fashion I already posted a 7" record of, and if you go to their myspace you'll see the singer has assembled a band and is still actively making music, this track should be available on CD in the next year or so. Dangerous Girls will be known to people who own the Messthetics comps (hyped2death.com). I used to be really nuts about that band until I bought three CD's of them from the drummer online and found they couldn't sustain my interest after awhile. Denizens are on Messthetics as well, and I was never nuts about them. This track is okay. The UB40 track is an instrumental (kindof neat, an instrumental by them). My friend tells me this track appeared on their first album. The Steve Gibbons Band track is hilarious, kindof like Nick Lowe I guess. I guess Stiff label fans would like that, but to me it's just too goofy. As for the Ferrari track - damnit I love jazzy shit like that with horns. Danceable, even. Ricky Cool & The Icebergs is a great band name. It sounds like hoppy boppy music from the 1940's though. Not bad, just odd. Rainmaker - back to the funky jazzy fun! An instrumental, very good stuff. Mean Street Dealers (love that band name, beats Manic Street Preachers anyday) is punkish pop, but I guess people would probably call it punk. It's certainly competent enough. I think those synths in the background are a WASP? Ha! As if I really know my synthesizer brands. Seems to me they try to be Can at the end and fail miserably, though. Quads - wow! A track I'd never heard from the Quads before, how cool. I've got a few other tracks from them, just a few. This isn't really what I would have expected from them. Is this power pop? Or is it too jerky & odd? Would early XTC approve? Haha.


Here's the tracklisting:
Steel Pulse - Biko's Kindred Lament
Wide Boys - Forty Million
Fashion - Let Go
Dangerous Girls - Clinically Dead
Denizens - Small Wonder
UB40 - 25%
Steve Gibbons Band - Sunny Day
Ferrrari - Rio
Ricky Cool & The Icebergs - Wait A Minute Baby
Rainmaker - Cruisin'
Mean Streat Dealers - I Don't Want To Die Young
Quads - In The Night

Be Patient With Me

My soundcard for my computer broke, but when I bought a new one, it wouldn't let me hear my vinyl. I was devastated.

I'm ordering another one just like my old one, now, though. So hopefully I will back in business soon. I'm really sad to think I can't rip this 1981 Birmingham post punk bands compilation to my computer. A temporary problem, I hope.

Industry album reuploaded now

Okay, the Industry album is reuploaded now. Find it here.

This means I can finally disconnect my computer to rip the Birmingham post punk bands compilation at long last!

Industry

I'm horrified to learn that the Industry album is lost to Zshare as well. I'm very sorry. I must reupload that. Very sorry indeed.

I just have to get over this Stevie Nicks/Cheap Trick phase first.

Cheap Trick "The Dream Police" 1979

Alright, look I know I've got this mania about Cheap Trick and Stevie Nicks, but I have to settle down and try to play something else for once.



I know, but you see this is my fave song in the world. That and Stevie Nicks "Outside The Rain".

Computer Problems

I'm having severe computer problems. My laptop is in the shop for repairs. And it makes me so sad because this lovely Birmingham post-punk band LP compilation from 1981 is waiting so patiently by my turntable, ready to be faithfully ripped...*cries*

I can't even seem to use email now. I'm on a dinosaur computer right now. I'm lucky to be able to post this to my blog. Yikes.

There's been a lull, I know....

I do have a couple of things planned for this blog soon...a rather strange and obscure record by Grace Cale's Dubset (working on getting a scan of the sleeve) from 1983, a compilation of Birmingham post-punk bands circa 1981, and I haven't forgotten the request I received to repost the McCarthy "Red Sleeping Beauty" 12 inch.

In the meantime, I've been doing some research on this lady who sang on the "Southern Freeez" song I posted recently because it appears she didn't sing any other songs with that group and it really left me wanting more. There's something delightfully casual and effortless in her delivery that really appeals to me. Well, her name is Ingrid Mansfield-Allman and apparently she played a gig in the UK with some other folks as recently as last July. She did some work with Chaz Jankel & Ian Dury back in the early 80's, and they wrote a song called "Stop Wasting Your Time" that she released as a single in 1981. Here is a link where you can hear the song, it's very good, and surprisingly her vocals remind me of Kirsty MacColl (another rather effortless, casual singer, it seems to me)!

Pacific - Shrift 12" EP and December With The Day, 1989

Pacific - Shrift 12" and December, With The Day, 1989

Please think of this as the companion piece to the Felt record I posted here. There are a couple very distinct reasons for this:

1) Both bands were on Creation

2) Both bands did two classical-sounding instrumental b-sides that I included on a mixtape in 1989. Here those b-sides are called "Autumn Island" & "Mineral". Rest assured, this is more Durutti Column territory, strings & piano and atmospheric gorgeousness. I feel so terribly lucky to have reacquired this record with such mercifully good vinyl quality.

On the A-side, though, "Shrift", they tried to sound like Brotherhood-era New Order. It starts out with strings like classical music (sounded fucking ace when I accidentally played it at the slower speed, too - I should bloody record that because it is so goth). Sortof sounds like Paris Angels, too. I think maybe they tried too hard on the A-side, but it's glorious, nonetheless. Excellent stuff.

As for the last track, "December, With The Day", it appeared on a flexi disc from a magazine called the Catalogue in 1989 and was never officially released on another one of their records. With this track, they are back to poppy, danceable New Order territory - with lots of strings, as always. Sound quality on this is fantastic considering this is a bloody flexi disc that is 20 years old! The vinyl gods have been kind to me, I think, and I am thankful.

As for this band Pacific, they had one other record on Creation just before this Shrift 12", and I can't recall the name now...Sea of Sand??? I think it had about 6 tracks, something like that, and I didn't like it much. Don't have it anymore, either.

Didn't they go on to release an album, too? I'm really not in the mood to do the research right now. Maybe later.

Question Men LP is reuploaded

Okay, Question Men LP is reuploaded here. Please don't ask me to ever play that record again. They're cute and funny for about the first 4 or 5 plays and then I run for my life. Even if I lose everything on this blog again, I will never, I repeat, NEVER rip that record again. Pure torture.

Simple Minds/Question Men

People looking for the Simple Minds gig I mentioned should look carefully at the original post. :) :)

Someone requested the Question Men LP to be reposted. I have no problems with ripping that again, it's fun. Should have it done by the end of the weekend.

Freeez - Southern Freeez (1981)

This is a mega-cool song I just discovered. Why this didn't chart in the U.S. I don't know. A Certain Ratio-style funk. I'm got to have more of this band. They sounded more electro a couple years later when they charted with "I.O.U.", which is NOT the same as that "AEIOU" song by EBN OZN from about the same time period, so don't get confused.

Stevie Nicks - Stand Back

What was this? 1983? Something like that. I don't care. This is fucking godhead. All the hairs on my arms stand on end at the end.

Simple Minds gig 1984

I found a Simple Minds gig from 1984 that is better than heroin. It's a New Jersey gig from 27th of May. I believe it was broadcast on the radio. I don't usually get excited about gigs but this is something else, the whole thing. Check it out here.

A Certain Ratio - "Flight", live 2005

Where The Hell Is Leicester? LP 1981 Reposted

As requested, the Where The Hell Is Leicester compilation LP has been reposted here.

Missing Presumed Dead - Say It With Flowers 7" EP, 1979

Missing Presumed Dead - Say It With Flowers 7" EP, 1979

I've had this for awhile and didn't post it because it's on someone else's blog or other. Basically this band's whole discography is on blogs already, and I did mention them before here, but what the hell. Well, they were obviously British but I don't know where they were from exactly and I'm too tired to try and look it up right now. They are dark at times but also delightfully boppy/tuneful at others. "Driving Home", the 3rd track on this, finally brings the synth to the fore. This song is definitely in the "goth" vein, as it was meant to be in the old days before it was even called goth and before all the silly poseurs raped the genre of it's pure meaning. There is echoing sax at the end of the song that is just excellent. Music that isn't British just can't be as good as this band, sorry. No way. "Family Tree", the last track, is truly post-punk at its finest, but I could say that about this entire record, really.

Felt - Ballad of The Band 12" EP, 1986

Felt - Ballad Of The Band 12" EP, 1986

Well, this is Felt. People have all kinds of different opinions on Felt, but I'm not really here to start a Felt discussion. The only reason I'm posting this record is for the two solo piano instrumentals on the B-side, one of which, "Candles In A Church" is impossible to find on CD as far as I know. The truth is, I haven't owned this record in a long, long time and it's absolutely wonderful to have it again. A long time ago someone told me that if I liked these two piano instrumentals, I should check out Eric Satie's work. Well, I checked Satie out and was baffled at the comparison. It wasn't the same thing at all. Go figure. Anyway, anyone who digs Durutti Column ought to like these two instrumentals. To be fair, there is a place for Felt in my life outside of this stuff, but I'm just not in the mood to go into that right now.

This record has a companion post on my blog here.

Stevie Nicks - Crash

"Crash Through The Eyes of A Woman"

Of course it's the Dave Matthews song. I feel such a terrible peace in my heart when I hear this. Just about want to die.

Fashion 7" again, 1978

Thank you, you know who you are, for reminding me of this and to post it again:

Fashion - Steady Eddie Steady/Killing Time 7", 1978

Necropolis of Love singer has posted to this blog

It looks like the most popular download on this blog (at least since ZShare's one-way trip to the void) is the Necropolis of Love EP. The singer has just posted a comment to the thread. To find it, click here.

More to come

I have plans to upload records to this blog but 2/3 have not arrived in the post yet.

It's all in the post, what I have planned. It's in the post. Sorry.

Cabaret Voltaire - Over & Over, Spanish TV, 1982?

Dif Juz - Vibrating Air, Out of The Trees version, 1981/1986

Dif Juz - Vibrating Air EP, Remixed, 1986

Let me try to explain as best I can. There were two early EP's by Dif Juz on the 4AD label in 1981. One was called Huremics, the other was called Vibrating Air. After they released the "Extractions" LP in 1986, with the help of Robin Guthrie's heavenly production, they decided to reissue these two early rare EP's on one record. On one side, the Hurmeics EP appeared, exactly as it had been on the early release (and you can now find it on the essential "Soundpool" CD). On the OTHER side of this record, however, some shenanigans took place which have never ever made it to CD. The EP was originally called Vibrating Air and you can find it in its original form on Soundpool as well, but well...I refer you to the words on the front sleeve of the Out Of The Trees LP:

"A long player comprising two 12-inch E.P.'s originally released in 1981. One side, "Huremics", appears here in its original form. The other side, "Vibrating Air", was PARTLY RE-RECORDED AND ENTIRELY RE-MIXED IN THE SUMMER OF 1986

Now, before anyone gets TOO excited...I am still not entirely sure that the first two tracks on this are really much different from the Soundpool versions, if at all. But the LAST TWO NEED TO BE HEARD. Check out the vocalist dude for "Heset" when he sings "Vibrating Air". That is to die for.

Anyway I hope this post makes someone happy.

New Order, Theives Like Us, Hacienda 1983

This video is really killing me right now. If you are patient and watch, you will see the camera finally zooms in on that building of that club called The Factory that Saville & Wilson are pictured outside of in that other photograph that I think is in that Saville book or whatever. Or in a documentary or some book somewhere. You know what I mean. Anyway...haha the music is um...pretty spectactular, too.