Archive for February, 2010

Industrial Brit Bang

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

I want to eat donuts.

Ministry
Jesus Built My Hotrod (Short, Pusillanimous, So-They-Can-Fit-More-Commercials-On-The-Radio Edit)
TV Song
So maybe someone can help me here. There’s “Jesus Built My Hotrod” (provided here in the hilariously-titled and hard-to-find single edit form) and then there’s “Some Dispute Over T-Shirt Sales” (clip here). So, what’s the deal then? Gibby from the Surfers wrote the lyrics to both I know, but it seems odd that he would just rip himself off so blatantly. Anyone care to fill me in? As for “TV Song”, that’s the original b-side to “Jesus Built My Hotrod” and is the original version of what became “TVII” for Psalm 69.

Blur
Bang (MW Big Bang 12″ Mix)
Bang (MW Groove Mix)
Bang (MW 40 Feet Under Mix)
Bang (MW Hardcore Assault Mix)
She’s So High (MW Ecstasy 12″ Mix)
The folder for this on my computer is called “Blur Bang”, which is only slightly less vulgar-sounding than the file names for these songs (my favorite is “Banghard”). I’m mature I know. What do you want, I’ve been listening to Butthole Surfers songs all damn day. These are from a 12” promo single.

Posted in B-sides, Blur, Gibby Gibby Gibby, Ministry, remixes | 5 Comments »

Behold My Awesome

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

I am in a good mood. I don’t know what to make of it. I’m sure it will pass soon enough. April is fast approaching after all. However I will celebrate my new found lack of surliness by posting a variation on my third favorite song of all time, and two decent remixes of a decent tune by a decent band.

Ian Dury & The Seven Sea Players
Spasticus Autisticus (Version)
In case you didn’t know, Spasticus (Autisticus) is one of the greatest songs of all time. It’s definitely the greatest song ever written by a man with polio angry at the patronizing views of the disabled. The song originally appeared on Dury’s 1981 album Lord Upminster, which you can download right here (it’s still out of print in America so I have no qualms in sharing this vinyl rip). This version is not as good as the original, it’s very dub-like and cuts down on the lyrics, which is what made the song so damn good in the first place. However, this version is freakishly rare, and was only ever released as the b-side to the single, which is where I got it. How this UK-only 12” single ended up in Pittsburgh is beyond me. But I’m happy as hell it did.

For more information on the awesomeness of Ian Dury and Spasticus, watch this video. Also, did you know they made a movie about Ian Dury? They did! It stars Gollum! Seriously! Any of my UK readers get to watch it yet? I’m stoked about it. Ian Dury is my hero.

Cibo Matto
Moonchild (D’s Funky Space Reincarnation)
Moonchild (Jazzy Dub #1)
I’m sure there are many interesting things to say about Cibo Matto. I, however, know nothing about them. Instead I will direct you to this video, which was how I was first exposed to them some 16 years ago (Holy shit that was 16 years ago!?!?! I’m old!). Are there remixes of “Know Your Chicken?” I must have them now!!

Posted in Best Song Ever, Cibo Matto, Ian Dury, remixes | 5 Comments »

Acoustic Jane Fonda

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Emergency Duran Duran post! Enjoy your weekend!

Duran Duran
Electric Barbarella (The Electric Sex Remix)
Electric Barbarella (The Electric Sex Instrumental Remix)
Electric Barbarella (The Americancruiser Remix)
Electric Barbarella (The Yo Shorty Americancruiser Remix)
A colleague of mine loves Duran Duran but isn’t a fan of this song. Well, his opinion is wrong. This song kicks ass. I’ve never heard any other tracks off of Medazzaland, the album from which Electric Barbarella is from, so I am unable to defend that album’s tarnished image like I have to defend Thank You, a mediocre album that has been unfairly bashed as one of the worst ever. That’s bullshit. Duran Duran’s cover of “White Lines” alone makes that record a two-star album. I’d hate critics so much if I wasn’t one. Anyways, I don’t have much to say about this one, I just really wanted to share it the second I got it. I can’t be the only person that likes this song though, right?

Posted in Duran Duran, remixes | 5 Comments »

Snow and Tape Delayed

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Hey look, it’s music from a weird soundtrack! Awesome, right?

Married To The Mob Motion Picture Soundtrack
Married To The Mob was a 1988 film directed by Johnathan Demme, who is probably best known for his 1991 film The Silence of The Lambs. Dude has good musical pedigree though, he directed the Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense in 1984 and the video New Order’s “The Perfect Kiss”. He also directed Caged Heat, the seminal women in prison film! That’s right, the dude who gave us Philadelphia and Beloved also gave us Caged Heat. God bless you Roger Corman.

This is not the complete soundtrack. I am excluding “Jump In The River” by Sinead O’Connor and “Too Far Gone” by The Feelies as both those tracks are easily available on albums released by both artists. A version of “Bizarre Love Triangle” is also on the soundtrack, but I’m 90 percent sure it’s the 7” version, which if you really want you can get on iTunes (although I don’t see the point, the 12” version is so much better).

Chris Isaak – Suspicion of Love
As far as Chris Isaak songs go this is a pretty good track. I am not a very big fan of the dude.

Debbie Harry – Liar, Liar
The Castaways, a 60s garage rock band, did this song originally, but Debbie Harry’s version kicks ass. It’s very punk, and sounds like she’s channeling the The Ramones with it’s blitzing energy. It blows the original out of the water, although this…spirited performance…by them is pretty impressive.

Ziggy Marley and The Wailers – Time Bums
I’m not a fan of reggae so I will say nothing about this one. Not bad but not my thing.

Tom Tom Club – Devil Does Your Dog Bite?
Ah, Tom Tom Club, are you capable of creating a song that I just like? Either you craft pop masterpieces like Wordy Rappinghood or Genius of Love or songs that grate on my very last nerve like “Man With The Four Way Hips” or this.

Q Lazzarus – Goodbye Horses
Ah yes, Goodbye Horses, one of the most memorable, and rarest tracks of the 80s. I’ve posted this track before, but never this version, which is the shortest available I believe. So if you want your “tuck” mental pictures in and out as quick as possible this is the take for you.

The Voodooist Corporation – Queen of Voudou
Okay, a few questions on this one. Firstly, what language are these guys singing in? Secondly, who are these guys? I can find NOTHING on this group and as far as I can tell this was their only release ever. It’s not a bad song, really rhythm heavy. I have no idea why they decided to spell voodoo “voudou” so any tips on that would help as well. So many questions…

Brian Eno – You Don’t Miss Your Water
And the album closes with another cover, this one was originally a Stax track by William Bell. I’m not familiar with the original version aside from just looking it up on YouTube 10 minutes ago, but I enjoy this version as well, synthpop meets classic soul. Synth-soul. Hey, someone should jump on that shit.

Posted in Brian Eno, Chris Isaak, Debbie Harry, Q Lazzarus, soundtrack, Tom Tom Club, Voodooist Corporation | 6 Comments »

SnoMos

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Snow, I’m sick of it. Seriously it’s all like “hey look at me, I’m snow.” Fucker.

Selections from Dogs In Space
No relation to Pigs In Space. Yeah I know, I was bummed too.

Dogs In Space is a 1986 Australian film that I know very little about, what little I know I gleamed from this review. So just read that so I can save myself the time of summarizing the film. It was directed by a dude named Richard Lowenstein, and he was apparently a close friend of Michael Hutchence, as he directed a few INXS videos and cast Hutchence in this film as the lead. This movie is one of three that Michael starred in, the other two being Roger Corman’s 1990 version of Frankenstein and a 1999 flick with the charming title Limp. He’s probably the only cast member who is at all recognizable to American audiences, nearly everyone else in the movie either went on to nothing or Aussie TV.

After reading a bit about the flick I really want to see it, as it’s directly related to two of my biggest interests, new wave music and Australian cinema (watch Not Quite Hollywood by the way, amazing documentary about Ozploitation). It’s not available in the states at the moment, but region-free DVD players are a wonderful thing, so hopefully I’ll get a copy soon.

Dogs In Space has a weird-ass soundtrack, comprised mostly of Australian artists. Tracks by Iggy Pop, Brian Eno and Gang Of Four are also included for some reason, but none of those songs are rare, so I’m not including them here. But for the rest…

Ollie Olson – Win/Lose
Good song, not great, but a solid new wave effort. Continuing the six degrees to Hutchence theme, Olson formed a band with the INXS frontman in 1989 called Max Q, but they only had one release and never really caught on outside of Australia.

The Marching Girls – True Love
Someone likes Phil Spector. Apparently these guys were originally called The Scavengers, and were New Zealand’s answer/rip-off to The Sex Pistols. They broke up and one of them went on to form Dead Can Dance. Wow. That’s…random.

Boys Next Door – Shivers
This song is pretty fucking awesome – which makes sense since Boys Next Door is an early incarnation of The Birthday Party, which was Nick Cave’s first band. This album is on the sole album they released under the Boys Next Door name, but it’s not in print in the states at the moment, so I’m going to let it slide. Besides, “My baby’s so vain that she’s almost a mirror” is the best fucking lyric ever.

Primitive Calculators – Pumping Ugly Muscle
Horrible song title, worse band name, shit song. Random yelling and grunting for five fucking minutes. Enjoy. Someone gave them a hell of a wiki though, so maybe their other stuff is better. This track is just freaking annoying.

Thrush & The Cunts – Diseases
Classy band name. Alright song.

Marie Hoy & Friends – Shivers
This is a cover of the Boys Next Door song that is also on the album. I guess it must play a big part in the movie. Still, it’s a great song and this version is just as good as the original.

Michael Hutchence
Dogs In Space
Golf Course
The Green Dragon
Rooms For The Memory
Now for the main course. Hutchence contributes four tracks to the soundtrack, none of which sound anything like each other, or INXS for that matter. “Dogs In Space” is fast-paced punk rocker that kicks ass, “Golf Course” is a dancey new wave track (which also kicks ass) and “Rooms For The Memory” is a ballad that features Hutchence trying his damnedest to sound like David Bowie and almost succeeding (and kicking ass).

“The Green Dragon” isn’t a song at all, but a bit of dialogue from the film. However, all of these (even the dialogue part) are really freaking good, as if you needed more evidence that the dude was a one-of-a-kind talent that left us far too fucking soon. Sidenote: buy Elegantly Wasted, INXS’ last album with Hutchence. It’s stellar and the title track is absolutely bitchin’.

Posted in michael hutchence, nick cave, soundtrack | 9 Comments »

OMGSNOWTF

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

Snow everywhere!

I’m drunk!

What? It beats shoveling. Don’t judge me. Besides, I’m not having a good day. Two of my fishies died. I am drinking vodka in their memory. It’s like tapping a 50 but worse for you.

Brian May
Star Fleet
Let Me Out
Blues Breaker
Yes, this is what I do when I am inebriated and mildly depressed, I record, and share, sub-par out-of-print albums by acclaimed guitarists of 70s rock bands. You probably go bars and get laid don’t you? Pfft. Puny humans. I am above such petty things as late-night bar hookups. This album is actually credited to “Brian May and friends.” Who are the friends you ask? Well, the drummer is the drummer is Alan Gratzer of REO Speedwagon, the bassist is Steve Chen, who did session work and the second guitarist is a Eddie Van Halen. Yeah, that’s right. Eddie Van Halen did an album with Brian May. An album that has a title track about a Japanese TV show.

This record is pretty stupid and not altogether very good. Although if you like blues jamming (Hi mom!) then you’ll probably like the second two tracks, and if you like 80s retardation then you’ll probably like the first one. You know what? Now that I’ve had half a bottle of vodka I have to revise my original opinion. This album is sexcellent. That’s right, I said sexcellent. It was a typo at first, but I’m sticking with that spelling.

I have nothing else to say about this album. Actually, I probably do, but typing is getting increasingly more difficult by the minute. Vodka is my friend but he doesn’t want me to type anymore. My fingers are all goofy feeling.

Enjoy.

Posted in Brian May, Complete Albums, vodka | 1 Comment »

I Got The Power! But I can’t find the right adapter.

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Okay, this week I actually am busy because of work. Tons of stuff to review, very little time. I also had to interview a musician who was…less than an ideal interview, which created some backlog in my other work.

Good news though! Well, maybe. I might by interviewing Don Letts for ESDmusic. Now, for those of you not in the know, Don Letts was a member of Big Audio Dynamite in the early days, and played on tracks like E=MC2 and “The Bottom Line.” He was also associated with The Clash throughout their career, and directed nearly all of their music videos, the documentary Westway to the World and the early punk rock concert film The Punk Rock Movie. So if anyone has any questions they think I should as Don Letts please tell me in the comments section.

Another brief post this week, I promise to make up for it next time.

Run D.M.C.
It’s Tricky 2003 (Master Mix feat. Jacknife Lee)
It’s Tricky 2003 (JKL Club Mix feat. Jacknife Lee)
Peter Piper 2003 (Riton Remix feat. Riton)
In addition to my interview I got another assignment for y’all. These are from a bootleg white label. I have no idea who did these remixes or what they are called. If anyone can inform me of their name/origin (with some sort of proof to back it up) I would be grateful and hook a brother up. Mystery solved! Thanks for the help everyone!

Snap vs. Motivo
The Power (Of Bhangra) (Extended Bhangra Mix)
The Power (Of Bhangra) (Club Mix)
Yup, it’s an Indian dance remix of The Power. It’s eight times as stupid as it sounds.

Posted in Motivo, remixes, Run DMC, Snap | 3 Comments »