We will be publishing
every three months from now on!!! |
JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH 2008 |
 Crystal
Rainbow Pyramid Under The Stars - Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting
Paraiso U.F.O. (Important Records CD)
With over 30 different Acid Mothers Temple albums on the market, it
goes without saying that not every piece of plastic by these psychedelic
savants is absolutely necessary. 'Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under The
Stars' however is really overwhelming. Front man Kawabata Makoto admitted
that this album has the "cleanest sound in AMT history"
and this turns out to be a very positive thing. The album opens
with the seven-minute 'Pussy Head Man from Outer Space' and
is pretty standard fare for AMT: the tweeter destroying whirlpool-stuff.
This time however, each instrument comes to the fore more clearly than
on most previous efforts. The same can be said about the twenty something-minute
title track which gives you the chance to discover how textured the
music really is. 'Electric Psilocybin Flashback' is the album’s
masterpiece and simply stunning. Stretching out over 40 minutes, it
features juxtaposing drones, Kitigawa Hao’s vocals, acoustic guitars
and saxophones. Space-rock heaven in the best Hawkwind tradition! This
song is definitely one of the best songs they have ever produced. The
disc ends subtly with manipulated guitar sounds and drones. You might
as well start your Acid Mothers Temple collection here! *M&M* |
 Black
Mirror: Reflections in Global Music (Dust-to-Digital CD)
This could as well have been the next volume in Yazoo’s crucial
‘Secret Museum of Mankind’ series that focuses on old time
music from all over the globe. In the booklet, special thanks goes out
to many people for their help in translation, insight or editorial advice.
I spotted the names of both Paul Vernon and Dick Spottswood - 2 authorities
on old time music - and I immediately knew that this was going to be
a very exciting voyage around the world! The liner notes are often illuminating,
especially when the compiler states that "there are so many
records that require minimal financial resources to obtain. I paid approximately
$ 125 for all of the recordings represented on this disc. I never drove
more than 30 minutes from home to find them, and none were brought through
the mail." Well, it definitely looks like compiler Ian Nagoski
doesn't live in Belgium! Some songs can be found on other compilations
(the Balinese gamelan recordings, Marika Papagika) and even a very popular
song from 1949 by Lata Mangeshkar is included. Most of this stuff however
is new to my ears and the fat booklet gives full insight into the artists
and their music. A real treasure trove from a reissue label that is
a true godsend for oldtime music fans worldwide! *luKe* |
 I’m
Your Man – HARLAN T. BOBO (Goner Records CD)
When someone sings “my father said to me it’s a dog
eat dog world, you’re the kind that gets eaten” you
know you’re in for some introspective stuff. After all, that’s
exactly what you could expect from the man who wrote ‘Too much
love’. Title song ‘I’m your man’ is
an amazingly light-hearted love song with lyrics that go “I’ll
miss you when I’m on the road” and “I’ll
kiss you when I get home”. ‘God’s lamb’
to the contrary is a furious fucked up blues song. In ‘Baptist
memorial’ Bobo reminisces about “all the stupid
things I’ve done” and in ‘Pretty foolish
things’ he admits he cannot be trusted with cash. Lots of
songs dealing with long lost loves or the singer’s longing for
a family (with a kid or two) of his own. If this all sounds much too
midlife for you than steer away from this record. If you’re looking
for a great late night album from an amazing songwriter coming to terms
with love and the world around him, you should order ‘I’m
Your Man’ straightaway. *StevenVDW*
|
 
Surprise, surprise – DAILY VOID (Hozac 7”)
Identification Code: 5271-684346864436-4519 – DAILY VOID (Dead
Beat Records LP)
Born out of the ashes of Chicago’s sadly defunct Functional
Blackouts, the Daily Void comes as a real surprise as this band definitely
has the X-factor that the FBO’s were lacking sometimes. Energetic
and catchy songs, written in a style that few bands are covering these
days. This is definitely one of the best 7-inches of 2007! The full
length offers eleven songs of like tune age, but the Hozac 7" is
also featured and is the best stuff on the album. *M&M*
|
 Negative
Feelings – DEREKLYNPLASTIC (NMG Records 7”)
Much less hyped but more persistent than other punk/wave bands. Dereklynplastic
always make sure their songs don’t slide down to the corny 80’s
new wave level by mixing the electronics with some heavy rock and by
taking their clues rather from the Screamers than from some of the slicker
wave bands that seem to inspire much of the other current crop. *kv*
|
 We
have you surrounded – THE DIRTBOMBS (In the Red Records LP)
Just when I almost gave up on The Dirtbombs, they release what is
probably their best record to date! Not that they really disappointed
me in the past but I started losing interest because I thought I’d
heard it all. Well, I didn’t hear it that good all the time! I
mean, the first 5 songs are instant classics and vintage Dirtbombs!
Creating a big fat & swinging sound while still remaining very garage
punk doesn’t sound like an easy job to me but The Dirtbombs really
manage to get their shit ultra-tight & groovy as fuck! Mick Collins
is in very fine form, the band rocks like a bunch of wild dogs and the
album radiates joy & energy. Some songs feature adorable female
background choruses, while others have “thum-thum-thorum”-male
background vocals that I really dig. Goddamn I really love this album!
Dirtbombs rule!! *luKe* |
 DOOM
& GLOOM: EARLY SONGS OF ANGST AND DISASTER 1927-1945 (Trikont CD)
Well, what can I add to a title like this? This awesome collection
of old time music recorded ‘in the shadow of the apocalypse’
is another tour de force from Christoph Wagner, the man behind many
terrific compilations on the German Trikont label. Again, there’s
a captivating mix of well-known and obscure artists but you feel that
this is not a marketing strategy but rather a coincidence because the
obscure artists (Karl & Harty, Cofer Brothers, Richard “Rabbit”
Brown) are as powerful and intriguing as the acclaimed ones (Blind Willie
Johnson, Charlie Poole, Bessie Smith). The collection starts and finishes
with a Blind Willie Johnson track and in between are 22 gems from an
era when a series of manmade (WWII) and natural disasters (Mississippi
flood of 1927) created a climate of fear among the people. The fat booklet
has an interesting story to tell and gives full details about the recordings
and the artists. A five star release for sure! *luKe* |
 Danger
Boy/Fier de Deplaire b/w I Wanna Destroy You! – FLYING OVER (Frantic
City Records 7”)
Pretty generic French punk rock only for fans of TV Killers and Neurotic
Swingers. Especially the annoying French accent ruins the fun here,
while on the up-tempo song on the flipside, the singer reminds me of
Johnny Rotten and I fuckin’ hate Johnny Rotten. I think I’m
gonna file this one vertically. Sorry guys & doll. *luKe* |
 GYPSY
CARAVAN: Music in and inspired by the film When The Road Bends... (World
Village CD)
The soundtrack to the documentary 'When
The Road Bends' is one of the best gypsy compilations currently
available! It features all the great stars like Taraf de Haïdouks,
Fanfare Ciocarlia, & Esma Redzpova but also many obscure artists.
The collection kicks off with some raw flamenco sounds by the Antonio
el Pipa Flamenco Company and the 22 songs that follow never fail to
impress! I missed this film when it played in theatres over here in
Belgium and I really want to get my hands on the DVD release now because
this is a glorious soundtrack that has become a definite hit in my car
stereo! *luKe* |
 Forest
Ray Colson's Pile O' Meat - HAUNTED GEORGE / HEX DISPENSERS (Hook or
Crook Records split 7”)
Haunted George and The Hex Dispensers cover each other and the result
is the best goddamn tune The Hex Dispensers ever recorded! Their version
of Haunted George’s twisted “Pile O’ Meat” is
a real scorcher. The misanthropic lyrics may sound sick to most people
but to me they are brutally honest. After all, aren’t we all a
big pile o’ meat, some with brains, others without? Oh wait, no
time for psychoanalysis here!! Pile O’ Meat is a crazy 100 mph
ride (speed unit converter in km/h for European batarang readers to
be found here)
that clocks in at a mere 1:27 but boy-oh-boy what a rollercoaster!!
*luKe* |
 Ghost
ghost – JACUZZI BOYS (Floridas Dying Rec. 7”)
Three kids from Miami play three tracks of dirty psych and folksy
punk that at times sounds like the Black Lips’ 'We Did Not
Know the Forest Spirit Made the Flowers Grow' era. They kind of
revive the corpses of early Replacements, The Velvet Underground and
even The Country Teasers (they're not that dead yet, I know). Eldy's
from the Electric Bunnies did a decent job on the production. A goodie!
*M&M*
|
 Going
to stab the killer gang !! – THE JAILBIRDS (Repent Records lp)
In the early to mid 90’s, Japan was booming with garage, punk
& surf bands but apart from a couple of diehards like the Jet Boys,
that entire movement seems to have slowly disappeared. So it was a nice
surprise to see Michael Lucas & Repent Records dig up a new Japanese
band, the Jailbirds, who come up with an album chockfull of fuzzy garagepunk.
The wild instro “Drug Racing" that opens side B
wouldn’t be amiss on any Guitar Wolf or Eddy/Mad 3 record and
both sides close with twin guitars battling it out over some razorsharp
distortion. *kv*
|
 La
fille electrique – LEOPOLD KRAUS WELLENKAPELLE (Larsen 7”)
7th volume in Larsen’s French connection where foreign bands
do songs in French (either covers or originals). Where previous volumes
have been a bit hit or miss, this one scores all the way. Leopold Kraus
Wellenkapelle brings two originals, the title track which seems to have
run away from one of those 60’s beat movies & on the flipside
a groovy instrumental with a dominant organ (both songs are written
by organist Torpedo Tom). *kv*
|
 Got
Nitedo - LIVEFASTDIE (Boom Chick Records 7”)
Songs like "Pissing on the mainframe" and now "Got
Nitedo" reveal that behind LiveFastDie’s shockrockshow
curtains are probably a bunch of geeks getting off on vintage computers.
Who cares, as far as punk rock is concerned, I don't give a shit about
lyrics. The 'I shit, I shower and I shave'-level is just fine
to me. Yet, I expect songs that knock me off my feet!! And this time
LFD only succeeds partially. Two decent GG Allin/Angry Samoans-tunes
& a filler, collected from different recording sessions and different
years. That's what you get, and that's not enough ... anymore. *M&M*
|
 Brain
Jail – LUIS & THE WILDFIRES (Norton Records LP)
Wooohaahaaaaa!!! I found my new favourite band and they are called
LUIS & THE WILDFIRES!!! On their savage debut album, these four
L.A. wildcats of Mexican origin go real wild and masterfully mix some
of my favourite music: wild 50’s rockabilly, 60’s garage
punk & frantic rhythm & blues! This album was originally released
on CD by Wild Records but the mighty fine people at Norton Records have
just released this gem on vinyl and added 2 bonus tracks! This is a
fuckin’ KILLER album that has become a household favourite during
the last couple of weeks. The songs are amazing, the sound is excellent
and the band is tight as… fuck, EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS RECORD SMOKES!!!
Mea culpa, I’m way too excited to write a decent review! LUIS
& THE WILDFIRES!!! LUIS & THE WILDFIRES!!! LUIS & THE WILFIRES!!!
*luKe* |
 The
‘Pink Scream’ e.p. - DAN MELCHIOR UND DAS MENACE (Shake
Appeal Records MLP)
Saying that Dan Melchior shows no sign of slowing down is quite an
understatement! Even for a fan, it’s hard to keep up with the
numerous releases that flood the market. Fortunately, Dan’s site
is frequently updated and you can buy items directly from him real cheap.
This five song - one sided - 12" EP by your favourite troubadour
is another great release that will please the fans . It’s typical
Dan Melchior: lo-fi roots music and totally D.I.Y. I like the fact that
Dan Melchior never disappoints his fans. I suggest you to join the club!
*luKe* |
 NIGERIA
SPECIAL: MODERN HIGHLIFE AFRO SOUNDS & NIGERIAN BLUES 1970-6
Even without having heard a single note from this brandnew Soundway
release, I instantly knew that 'Nigeria Special' was going to be one
of 2008’s very best reissues: a beautiful fold-out cardboard packaging
containing 2 CD’s and a thick booklet with awesome pictures and
excellent liner notes! Even vinyl lovers are in for a real treat as
they get two separate high quality double gatefold LPs! So if so much
love and care is devoted to the packaging, the music must be very special,
right? Well, all I can say is that it’s even better than I thought
it would be! Mind you, the music is often much rootsier than those Ghana
Soundz compilations on the same label. So don’t be put off by
the word ‘modern’ highlife afro-sounds as this is genuine
roots music from the 1970’s; the kind of highlife music John Storm
Roberts used to reissue on his fabulous Original Music label. One of
the great trumps of 'Nigeria Special' is also the variety of the recordings:
there's Fela Kuti-like afrobeat, melancholic songs, jazzy stuff and
most of the tracks are taken from obscure singles or albums. Another
five star release that gets my vote for reissue of the year! PARTY!!!
*luKe*
|
 Weirdo
rippers – NO AGE (Fat Cat CD)
Two youngsters from the LA Skate / Art / Punk underworld formed No
Age out of the ashes of the fondly remembered Wives. To me, they are
reminiscent of the Ajax Records scene. In the late 80's, this famous
Chicago distro was a master in discovering & distributing bands
with a similar aura: bands that shared the same punk rock aesthetic,
the same DIY ethic, the same raw pop-based tunes (fuzzy or even noise-drenched).
No Age (they borrowed the name from a 1987 SST compilation) would have
fit perfectly. ‘Weirdo Rippers’ is a collection of recorded
highlights taken from a couple of vinyl-only releases; stitched together
by sound and feel, rather than presented chronologically. The band also
makes videos, performance and visual art under the name No Age and are
connected to the infamous art space The Smell. Now wait, this all sounds
very interesting but listening to their record, I really wonder what
all the fuss is about as the music leaves me a bit indifferent and with
the unpleasant feeling that I've heard it all before. Or am I missing
out on something ? *M&M*
|
 
Lose it – RETAINERS (P.Trash Records 7”)
She likes to get attention - RETAINERS (Plastic Idol Rec. 7”)
4 songs on the P. Trash 7" from this Minneapolis based quartet,
including Eli from The Shockers and Boys Club on drums and Matt who
also serves time in The Deciders. Quick and clever songs with an energy
level that matches The Fireworks or The Carbonas and so fast that you'll
be jumping up with excitement every three minutes to eagerly flip the
thing over again. "Lose It" could be on a Killed
By Death compilation while "More More More" and
"Deep In The Hole" could have been written by the The
Oblivians or The Reatards. "In The Night" is the
fastest and punkiest track. Their fourth single, the one on Plastic
Idol Records, also features two fast, mean and furious tracks that will
shake your foundations (if you like that better than 'ass'). At last
a band that fills the void left by the Reatards! *M&M*
|
 Free
Love Free Guns – RIC RHYTHM AND THE REVENGERS (Shit in Can Records
7”)
Right on!!! These guys do have an awesome sound: raunchy as hell but
groovy all the way! To my ears, they sound like the missing link between
The New York Dolls and The Hunches, no kidding! The guitar sound is
wild and dirty and the singer does an excellent job too with his ‘who
gives a fuck anyway’ attitude. Get it now before it’s too
late! *luKe* |
 First
day of school - Saba Lou (and King Khan) (Rob’s House / Die Slaughterhäus
7”)
King Khan already announced it: "I have been recording with
my 6 year old daughter Saba Lou and should have a record coming out
in the next year. She writes really great songs something like a mix
between Nico, the Shaggs and the Brentwoods". And that's no
lie! Khan plays the music while Saba Lou tells you how it is! Not bad
and really charming, but not exactly essential stuff too. *M&M* |
 Cherry
– SHIT AND SHINE (Riot Season 2LP)
This is my first Shit And Shine record and I am flabbergasted (one
of my favourite English words, mind you). On 'Cherry', Shit And Shine
fuck shit up real bad but in a good way. I hear early Butthole Surfers,
massive drones, instant noise, spoken word, tribal drums & much
more. What stands Shit And Shine apart from like-minded bands on this
2LP is the gift of self-control and vision. No shit! I mean, these guys
never lose control over the songs and block 'em off before they get
the chance to become predictable. Side A and B feature a collection
of weird tunes while the band goes real loose on Side C and D where
they deliver the ideal soundtrack for a distorted, drug-infused freakshow.
It's hard to describe these malignant & fucked up sounds so maybe
I better just shut up and copy some of the label's release info:
“Charm and Counter Charm” is the sound of Funk turned evil…George
Clinton’s mother-ship abandoned and covered in graffiti in some
wasteland in Moss Side. Bootsy Collins smoking the crack equivalent
of green kryptonite, chasing imaginary maggot-brained booty and smurf-voiced
machine-elf ho’s." Haha!!! I ordered this double vinyl
LP (500 Copies Only) directly from the label and even with postage costs,
it is much cheaper than buying it at your local record shop. I suppose
much more copies will become available since 'Cherry' delivers 2 killer
slabs of addictive vinyl that demand repeated listening! *ME*GUSTA*MUCHISIMO*
*luke* |
 Love
like Lies b/w From the Bottle to the Bible – THIS DAMN TOWN
As a big THIS DAMN TOWN fan, Perpetrator Records from Australia really
left me in the cold lately by constantly postponing this posthumous
release but now that it is finally available, I can only thank them
for releasing these 2 glorious songs. You wanna know why I treasure
this band? Well, their music sounds so pure & 'straight from the
belly' and I find snippets of blues and soul in it. Moreover, Alex Cuervo
is one of the best singers around these days: passionate & authentic!
This Damn Town only left us four 7-inches but in my book, they are one
of the best bands of the millennium and hereby, I would like to give
credit where credit is due. *luKe* |
 Radical
Tadpoles – TERRIBLE TWOS (X! Records 7”)
Terrible Twos hail from Ann Arbor, Detroit. Sounds familiar to you
noise-loving bunch right? These 5 (five!) songs never sound like anything
involving Mr. Osterberg though and will only appeal to the art damaged
kids that were into Lost Sounds and Functional Blackouts. Terrible Twos
do a mighty great job at playing manic synth punk and I love the cool
organ in ‘Radical Tadpoles’ and the classic no wave ‘Chinky
glass eye’. Great great EP! Upcoming LP on Criminal IQ. *StevenVDW*
Tyvek, Human Eye and Terrible Two, Detroit's holy trinity ? This is
probably the Terrible Twos release you have all been waiting for: Screamers-keyboards,
manic out-of-tune guitars and a Piranhas vibe. Progpunk or art punk
knee-deep in space rock-pudding. You got 12 minutes to figure it all
out, and you won't be disappointed. *M&M*
|
 Turpentine
Brothers - TURPENTINE BROTHERS (Alien Snatch LP)
This second long-player by Boston trio TURPENTINE BROTHERS features
much more straightforward punk than their amazing debut album 'We Don't
Care About Your Good Times' on Bomp Records. Where the first album reminded
me a lot of great desert rock bands like Thin White Rope and early Eleventh
Dream Day - only much raunchier and wilder - 'Turpentine Brothers' sounds
totally furious. Thankfully, the haunted organ is the real mood setter
again and colors the feverish and hunted songs accurately. The band
also kept the raw energy & no-thrills production of their debut
album which is a very good thing too. Probably not as addictive as their
amazing debut album but still worth investing your hard-earned cash
(or wellfare money, whatever)! *luKe* |
 'Summer
Burns' EP – TYVEK (What’s your rupture 2x7")
Tyvek are from Michigan and they’re bound for stardom. I told
you so. Their first single ‘Mary Ellen Claims’ was the greatest
British indie song never written and now there’s this 4 song EP
with some more great shit. ‘Air Conditioner’ stands
out with its exciting Mark E Smith style vocals. Even with all these
indie references this is a band with a sound of their own. Great dual
guitar playing, great on-the-verge-of-an-emotional-breakdown-vocals.
‘Frustration rock’ will be on future compilations
documenting American indie music from the 2000’s. Listen to Tyvek
here.
*StevenVDW*
|
 TYVEK/CHEVEU
split 7" (SS Records)
Tyvek’s ‘If that’s a police song (…)’
is a good song but cannot match the songs on their ‘Mary Ellen
Claims’ and ‘Summer Burns’ singles. The song ends
in one of the most annoying tape loops ever, frustration rock yes indeed.
The Cheveu
side is my favorite. ‘El Tortugo’ captures the
outstanding live sound of these bunch of French weirdoes. This doesn’t
have the weird analog synth sounds from their earlier outings but almost
sounds like the mighty Butthole Surfers. Well done once again. Watch
the great trailer from the Tyvek/Cheveu West Coast tour here.
*StevenVDW*
|
 Parties
fines sous cocaïne + 3 – VEINES (Frantic City Records 7”)
Seems Péripherique Est is making school with their revival
of classic punque Français, as this new band from Nice brings
4 absolute scorchers in the same style, all sung in French, all short
& to the point & all catchy as hell. (*kv*)
|
 Bandolero
Mexicano – CHUCK VIOLENCE (Shit in Can Records 7”)
When listening to this record, it soon becomes clear that Chuck had
a lot of fun recording this 4-track EP. Unfortunately, ‘Bandolero
Mexicano’ sounds like a shoddy novelty record because the parody
of the Mexican outlaw is overacted. To make things worse, the guitar
sounds ear-piercingly sharp, especially on the opening track 'Introducing
Chuck Violence'. What follows are 3 average songs where Chuck Violence
& His OneMan Band tries a little too hard to sound like the Mexican
answer to Hasil Adkins. If I saw him busking, I wouldn't hesitate to
drop some coins in his hat but this record leaves me rather cold. *luKe* |
 WAKING
UP SCHEHERAZADE: ARABIAN GARAGE PSYCH NUGGETS FROM THE 60’S AND
EARLY 70’S (Grey Past Records LP)
This is an expensive album (I paid 18,00 EUR!!) and although I doubt
whether the original members will receive royalties out of it, I am
still very glad I bought it because I got value for my money! The thick,
glossy and good-looking cardboard cover has nice colored vinyl inside
and an interesting info sheet: a real labour-of-love! After Steam Kodok
(26 A-Go-Go Ultra rarities from the Sixties Singapore and South-East
Asia Underground) and Turkish Delights (26 Ultra rarities from Beyond
the Sea of Marmara-Beat, Psych & Garage), the Dutch folks at Grey
Past Records dug up another excellent bunch of exotic garage tracks
from all over the world. Most of the tracks here are from the 1960’s
and were recorded in various Arabian countries like Lebanon, Iran and
Egypt. Cool + Fun = BUY! *luKe* |
 
Traffic violation – THE WAX MUSEUMS (Douchemaster 7”)
Ancient structures – THE WAX MUSEUMS (Kenrock 7”)
Single nr 2 & 3 from this new Texas band. ‘Traffic violation’
has 3 rather standard garagepunktracks which I don’t really see
getting repeated turns on my turntable. The Kenrock 7” drops the
garage angle for some wild spastic punk à la Urinals, but the
3 songs are pretty interchangeable (not much helped by the limited vocal
capacities) so you’re really only getting a third of your money’s
worth. *kv*
|
