tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72457684425954061342024-03-05T04:58:24.708-08:00A Viable CommercialObscure and unknown 80s post punk, minimal wave, electropop, new wave, and other stuff...goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-50412042045320166322013-11-07T15:09:00.000-08:002013-11-09T09:22:27.308-08:00Cerebral Hemorrhage: Back in 1984 EP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYnm4hTNVoo2qw6j4EIDcPTWSwTxeMWd5tItenT9XLEKIu0JZlmEgv0kEVyQPj9LHI8Oqdx7mQXJRwCv6yvveEHQr6k_Ho1Kgq740U9TJjpoyFNAx56vxX8Cp8VQjgFD-RnhIOi52fik/s1600/Front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYnm4hTNVoo2qw6j4EIDcPTWSwTxeMWd5tItenT9XLEKIu0JZlmEgv0kEVyQPj9LHI8Oqdx7mQXJRwCv6yvveEHQr6k_Ho1Kgq740U9TJjpoyFNAx56vxX8Cp8VQjgFD-RnhIOi52fik/s200/Front.jpeg" width="196" /></a></div>
Astonishingly and inexplicably, this is a record that has flown under the radar of pretty much every minimal synth collector out there - aside from a popsike entry from a few years ago and a couple other mentions of its existence, info on this record is nonexistant. At a recent record fair, the dealer selling this 12" saw me looking it up on discogs on my phone, and told me "unfortunatly that won't help - I made that entry". And since his copy was sealed, he hadn't even been able to hear it firsthand.<br />
Still, it had the signature of an interesting record:<br />
Cool band name (Cerebral Hemorrhage)<br />
Promising title (Back in 1984)<br />
Great label name (Illusion Records)<br />
Intriguing song titles (Let's Modulate, Night Music)<br />
And a strange icon of a stoic face with the caption "Big Brother is watching YOU"<br />
How could anyone resist that? I certainly couldn't - and when I put the needle on the record and heard 20 seconds of tinny drum machine plink-plonks before falling into a steady stream of pulsating synths, I was immensely satisfied. Through a bit of research I pieced together a few potentially-incorrect factoids about the record and band. It was ostensibly a one-man project by a guy named Dennis Hurley. This record was the third put out under the Cerebral Hemorrhage moniker. Two preceeding albums - an EP from 1981 and a double-LP from 1983 - appear to be almost as scarce than this one. (there might be a fourth record that came out around the same time as Back in 1984 too, but I'm not sure) However, whereas those records apparently incorporated lots of guitar and sound more like Hawkwind-style prog, there is nary a guitar to be found on this record, which appears to be re-recorded all-synth versions of songs from the earlier records.<br />
The two sides of the record are different animals - the second side is largely ambient and instrumental, and much more experimental. It comes across as highly influenced by Cluster and other 70s-era Krautrock bands. They're good songs, and they have interesting titles, but are not nearly as sonically wonderful as the A-side.<br />
The two tracks on the first side of the record pack a great one-two punch of electronics and lyrics of Cold War fear. After a minute and a half of synths and drums, the vocals suddenly kick in, singing about 1984's (the year, not the book) alternate history, in which after Reagan's re-election the US descended into nuclear war with the Soviets. The lyrics repeat "where were you?" at the moment world was annihilated. It's a great track that ends with a gurgle of synths before being interrupted by a nuclear explosion, and suddenly the second track begins. Where the first track asked "where were you?" at the world's end, the second track is a repetitive litany of memories from before the destruction: "there were buildings / there were faces / there were cities / there were towers / there was sunlight"... you get the gist. Both tracks are absolutely great for synth nerds, coming across like a crossbreed of League of Nations-ish minimal synth and the bedroom lonerisms of John Bender or Kevin Lazar.<br />
If anyone has Cerebral Hemorrhage's previous two records I would love to hear them. Even if they're more prog-rock, I'm interested in seeing the progression toward this undiscovered minimal synth gem. I'd be surprised if this one doesn't end up on quite a few wantlists in the coming years. If anything, this one proves that there are still some diamonds out there - maybe they're just hidden in plain white sleeves with minimal information.<br />
<br />
Cerebral Hemorrhage: Back in 1984 12"<br />
1984, Illusion Records<br />
Tracks:<br />
A1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Back In 1984<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> I Remember<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Let's Modulate<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The Chilly Dance<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Night Music<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?238om1bni5o9ept" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-25373120970831859592013-10-25T17:51:00.001-07:002013-10-25T17:52:09.481-07:00Commercial Music: Volume 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-12ZC-szvQGeMUg92KvYuPfm_qMaeX9ET3dgSPp1sOOoPnKmEjCOs3mGETAz37PddnNK-AK8uJ3c7_2S7jks4BAO0xwgHtctidVjVoFnApzwWZMdMFTquPuqtQO4sVLm-uhHqr00Fss/s1600/Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-12ZC-szvQGeMUg92KvYuPfm_qMaeX9ET3dgSPp1sOOoPnKmEjCOs3mGETAz37PddnNK-AK8uJ3c7_2S7jks4BAO0xwgHtctidVjVoFnApzwWZMdMFTquPuqtQO4sVLm-uhHqr00Fss/s200/Front.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Six years. I never would have thought when I started this thing way back in 2007 that I'd still be updating it after a half-dozen years! A lot has happened in the interim - I've even moved across the country from SF to New York - but my love of music has not diminished at all. I still love to share music with others, and as my collection grows, so too does my resources of records and songs to post on this blog. Today, for a sixth anniversary, it seems like a good idea to post another homemade compilation.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ie6F2IYJ2ZvCPrDtSxdpVa9MUmIYbP9gi58vb5hIqxdZyPsxJJDaLn94iGmDkLZDfoUnoSwW4jisX9E35JR6IrI9ajBTeFfkdIeBm1vOkfq-OH-aWGT0-iYB5qsbJFiLqMjwfqIcXmo/s1600/Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ie6F2IYJ2ZvCPrDtSxdpVa9MUmIYbP9gi58vb5hIqxdZyPsxJJDaLn94iGmDkLZDfoUnoSwW4jisX9E35JR6IrI9ajBTeFfkdIeBm1vOkfq-OH-aWGT0-iYB5qsbJFiLqMjwfqIcXmo/s200/Back.jpg" width="200" /></a>This one certainly has a lot of odds and ends within it. There's Hungarian synthpop (KFT and GM49, the latter of whom has reissued most of their catalog on MP3 and is rather enjoyable, if cheesy). There's a rare song from the unreleased second Autumn Cathedral LP. It's the best of the 3 songs I've heard from that album, and it makes me really want to hear the rest of them. There's a cover of Voice Farm's "Modern Things", done by the guitarist from Japanese synthpop band The Plastics, found on a scarce picture disc. There's cheesy synthpop from a band called Press, whose album "The Low Hum of Machines" is not as promising as it sounds, but still has one great track.<br />
Post punk/DIY fans will like the Louder Animal Group song, taken from a one-sided flexi. There's a track from the second Bluenose B 12". Unfortunately the other songs aren't nearly as good as their debut. There's weird dark avant-folk-synth from a guy called Breikreutz, a synthpop smash from Shades of Grey, and a practically unheard-of minimal synth demo from the singer of B-Movie, which sounds similar to early Eyeless In Gaza.<br />
Hopefully there's something that everyone will like. Unless you only like twerk-wave, in which case what are you doing reading this?<br />
<br />
PS. I promise that will be the only time I ever mention "twerk", unless twerk-wave becomes a genre.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?3tgdgfoqmqo3242" target="_blank">Click here to <strike>twerk </strike>listen!</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-91951021182728010672013-10-09T17:38:00.001-07:002013-10-09T17:39:44.727-07:00Kalashnikov: Ravaged Mind 7"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwJLuDDVgWatiVtRDwCiL0nFvVTMH6qbzHd5k3xjIekWmwaNsRU3FjEY4nKlap2_UWgWXmGvHywAkMFybYW0HU4C6-HHdJ7XT0wCloVf1UDQ5ujamdJzWg5YJx0_w9tK0y-aMNpn32f8/s1600/front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwJLuDDVgWatiVtRDwCiL0nFvVTMH6qbzHd5k3xjIekWmwaNsRU3FjEY4nKlap2_UWgWXmGvHywAkMFybYW0HU4C6-HHdJ7XT0wCloVf1UDQ5ujamdJzWg5YJx0_w9tK0y-aMNpn32f8/s200/front.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
For your listening pleasure this week is a little 2-song 7" from 1986 by a Swedish band called Kalashnikov. Similar to their <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Kalashnikov-Ultraviolencia/release/1371939" target="_blank">Spanish namesakes</a> from the same era, this band also released a single synth 7" and then disappeared. The A-side of this disc is an enjoyable synth-funk 7" somewhat similar to With Sympathy-era Ministry (except when it suddenly goes into a completely infectious new wavey chorus). It's a fun track, although the indulgent and superfluous guitar solo near the end ruins it a bit for me.<br />
The B side, Wailing Squad, is the superior song, though. With layers of synth and keyboards lines and great vocals (aside from somewhat ill-advised chanting during the chorus). It's a pretty great synth jam, and (if I had owned this 7" back when the Wierd party was still happening) would have made regular appearances in my sets. Alas, it will have to make a regular appearance on my iPod playlists instead.<br />
<br />
Kalashnikov: Ravaged Mind 7"<br />
1986, K Rec<br />
A: Ravaged Mind<br />
B: Wailing Squad<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?1m2ago54lybmkvz" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-50865834773634952062013-10-01T17:58:00.001-07:002013-10-01T18:01:07.823-07:00The Show: Enjoy Sensations 12"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmPMXbPPpNI3g2uZd1akQ8vX53aoOt_vVLH02s57puKLu1jnxdJQZ2ZSUWuOJVw36pzxqO6Q3AnuAL2fcMC_6ZoKnLVGhyUfmQIkO0FSyERscTZgq9b10QEoQh-gbazbxKIGhUtpoOUM/s1600/Front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmPMXbPPpNI3g2uZd1akQ8vX53aoOt_vVLH02s57puKLu1jnxdJQZ2ZSUWuOJVw36pzxqO6Q3AnuAL2fcMC_6ZoKnLVGhyUfmQIkO0FSyERscTZgq9b10QEoQh-gbazbxKIGhUtpoOUM/s200/Front.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm back on U.S. soil after traipsing around Europe with my girlfriend for the majority of September. Naturally, we visited many, many record stores, and some gambles with cheap unknown records certainly paid off, I'll be sharing some of those in the coming months, starting with this post punk/darkwave obscurity by The Show.<br />
The Show were a German band who released their sole 12"/7" on a small Spanish label, Pasarela (a label whose only legacy that I knew of was the release of the extremely rare "<a href="http://www.discogs.com/Various-Untitled/release/2067465" target="_blank">Untitled</a>" compilation) . The Show's use of synths, great dark guitar hooks, and drum machines<br />
(especially on the excellent track My Sensation) puts them in good company, reminding me of dark post-punk bands like Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and BFG. I'm a bit surprised this record has flown under the radar for so long (although the title track has at least found its way to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcfpzZ2rgTU" target="_blank">youtube</a>), as it's a pretty great little piece of post-punk.<br />
<br />
The Show: Enjoy Sensations 12"<br />
1988, Pasarela Records<br />
<br />
A1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> My Sensation<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Daily Market<br />
B1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Mankind<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/govovofe0lwwpiv/SHOW.zip" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-73093856767240799432013-08-30T09:28:00.001-07:002013-08-30T09:28:26.996-07:00Wagner: A Way Of Life EP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjtcxeKew3sFXgkygN5XSx26U3g1VeAfuzOSMSKqoQEWaK2xxspYPa9wGUyCZNefzSmmn2rBZ4E7x6I3lh3BhVHvuprYQ76FkCPJKQbywff5gK9zXazjT87L3bRxhIRogdLFkvAUmZEE/s1600/FRONT.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjtcxeKew3sFXgkygN5XSx26U3g1VeAfuzOSMSKqoQEWaK2xxspYPa9wGUyCZNefzSmmn2rBZ4E7x6I3lh3BhVHvuprYQ76FkCPJKQbywff5gK9zXazjT87L3bRxhIRogdLFkvAUmZEE/s200/FRONT.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
When you look at this cover, you just KNOW that it has to be synthpop. Nobody but a synth nerd would dress like a Victorian Michael Jackson conjuring a ring of fire. It certainly did not disappoint me upon first listen. Glorious, cheesy synthpop abounds in this 4-song EP.<br />
The Third Day of Sorrow and its dance mix are good midtempo synth tracks (although I wish more emphasis was placed on the rhythm...). Visions of You co-opts a synth line from Enola Gay, but in an incredible cheesy manner. And Dust is the true gem on the album - a somber synthpop track that's just perfectly 80s-sounding, somewhat reminscent of Rational Youth. Sometimes it's fun to discover a good old-fashioned synthpop record - and this EP isn't a bad place to start.<br />
<br />
Wagner: A Way of Life EP<br />
1986, Novus Records<br />
<br />
A1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The Third Day Of Sorrow<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Dust<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Visions Of You<br />
B<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The Third Day Of Sorrow (Dance Mix)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?d8vgp1jcp29y42m" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-63578217542191156482013-08-15T18:11:00.001-07:002013-08-15T18:15:25.002-07:00Boys Say Go: 7" and 12"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Bh17Z3f9k643Yoh-Qv_qa6SZFeeyPjQ0aLcFmUJcOucgpncvRDlLKn5u0d2YouPyxskn3qe3sylhn_wWLMZzRAcC2ubq3Bsw_xLVcMzhtU4gnt7bdakCwdjqkCBEtm9LCf4jWlOXp4s/s1600/R-1401872-1216584452.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Bh17Z3f9k643Yoh-Qv_qa6SZFeeyPjQ0aLcFmUJcOucgpncvRDlLKn5u0d2YouPyxskn3qe3sylhn_wWLMZzRAcC2ubq3Bsw_xLVcMzhtU4gnt7bdakCwdjqkCBEtm9LCf4jWlOXp4s/s200/R-1401872-1216584452.jpeg" width="198" /></a></div>
There's an old cliche that says you mustn't judge a book by its cover. Likewise, you often shouldn't judge a band by their name. This, however, is NOT one of those cases. Boys Say Go sound exactly like a band named after an early DM song should sound like. Their music is bouncy electro-pop that is infectious as hell, if sometimes a bit cheesy. You may remember them from the <a href="http://goutroy.blogspot.com/2011/02/various-artists-hit-floor-lp.html" target="_blank">Hit The Floor </a>comp I posted a few years back.<br />
Their 1984 debut 7", Joey and Maria, is almost impossible to find (I have seen only one copy for sale in about 12 years). The A-side reminds me of Tone Set's "Living in Another Land", both stylistically and thematically. Love is Dangerous is a perfect counterpart to the A-side, with its gurgling synths and imminently catchy songwriting.<br />
Their 12", Humanity, is from the following year, by which time they had adopted a more well-produced electro sound. Despite being their last release, it sounds a bit more dated than their 7", but that might just be a result of my preference for the more lo-fi sound of their debut. Still, Humanity is a fun track, and Holy War is actually a great synthpop dancefloor smash with just a touch of With Sympathy-era Ministry funkiness. The band faded into obscurity after the 12", with their records slowly trickling into the hands of synthpop fans like myself. If you want a perfect dose of well-crafted, fun synthpop, you could certainly do worse than Boys Say Go. Listen and enjoy.<br />
<br />
Joey and Maria 7"<br />
1984, Gender Records<br />
A Joey and Maria<br />
B Love is Dangerous<br />
<br />
Humanity 12"<br />
1985, Gender Records<br />
A Humanity<br />
B Holy Way (D-D-Dance Mix)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?6pk32zyi5d22bfl" target="_blank">Listen to both here!</a></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-3738537084503757802013-08-08T15:03:00.000-07:002013-08-08T15:04:21.543-07:00Innervoice: Nobody Knows EP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAtJFFT7ZokEbWb-ccpTRKrMWAmrWeTJr9OhGhYfUHlnMr9LG0vL9NYzdJKY0m5E4PX5fIyceiF28TI3uT51vE4OAWbEYbAtG3nKFfDQXUk9fs736ut7eN-pb2SMBv3bu-lcsHTwLgLo/s1600/Front.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAtJFFT7ZokEbWb-ccpTRKrMWAmrWeTJr9OhGhYfUHlnMr9LG0vL9NYzdJKY0m5E4PX5fIyceiF28TI3uT51vE4OAWbEYbAtG3nKFfDQXUk9fs736ut7eN-pb2SMBv3bu-lcsHTwLgLo/s200/Front.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
Here's an oddity that has slipped under the radar of most synth and new wave fans. I could say that NOBODY KNOWS about this EP, but that would be stupid. Instead, I'll just say that it's a strange and uneven EP from a trio of French Canadians. I cannot find any info about any of them whatsoever, so it appears this was a self-released effort by people who didn't move on to any other projects. In fact, the only relation to any record that I can find is that this was recorded at the same studio as the <a href="http://crispynuggets.blogspot.com/2010/04/janitors-animated-my-god-hes-terrible.html" target="_blank">Janitors Animated 12"</a> shared by Crispy Nuggets several years ago.<br />
The music on this EP emphasizes rhythm, with little to no melody. It actually slightly reminds me of Iron Curtain in that regard - it's simplistic, repetitive, and groove-oriented synth music. The vocals are a different story though - they are often animated and forceful. The lyrics are sung in broken English, and are rather simplistic (sometimes bordering on silly - sample lyric from Too Direct: "You say I / I'm too direct / just loving and caring and sharing things / touching and glowing and feeling feeling feeling". Despite the obvious shortcomins in the lyrics department and the lack of ambition in the musical composition, it's still somehow a rather enjoyanle record.<br />
<br />
Innervoice: Nobody Knows EP<br />
1986, 3rd Wave Coll.<br />
<br />
A1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Nobody Knows<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Shadows<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Too Direct<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Don't Go Too Fast<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?wd1qa4cfqqwi4g2" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-3007815287549490472013-08-01T17:10:00.000-07:002013-08-01T17:19:39.442-07:00The Unknown: The Unknown LP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWLzkr2DSYBqR4XNrg7uwaBAv68LcZ9GTIXX3nZEqY0T0ID8d9K387OFN8_fwzdGz1ItUQ2vXsnjWfThg1obRLma7ztMGQt693_7F1OHP5WniiGBUZDUJS7YgYt8uZpnEYOVIqGJKSf8/s1600/Front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWLzkr2DSYBqR4XNrg7uwaBAv68LcZ9GTIXX3nZEqY0T0ID8d9K387OFN8_fwzdGz1ItUQ2vXsnjWfThg1obRLma7ztMGQt693_7F1OHP5WniiGBUZDUJS7YgYt8uZpnEYOVIqGJKSf8/s200/Front.jpeg" width="197" /></a></div>
I describe a lot of bands that I post about as "unknown". It's a decent descriptor - many bands are heretofore completely unknown outside of the artists who recorded them and a few friends and collectors. Well, this band from Baltimore is literally unknown - as in The Unknown.<br />
This record is more or less un-googleable since it's by a band called The Unknown, and the album is selftitled. Even their <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=die+unbekannten&oq=die+&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j69i65j0j69i65j0.1875j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">German namesakes</a> are much easier to find online! This post is a joint post with Systems of Romance - this is their debut, and their excellent follow-up album can be found right over <a href="http://www.systemsofromance.com/blog/2013/08/the-unknown-fall-lp/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
I came across this album on a recent trip to that ultimate vacation paradise... Baltimore. The record looked interesting, and the 5 seconds I got to hear in the store was enough for me to buy it. The first time I listened to it in its entirety I was wholly impressed. Tracks on the album sound similar to For Against, Unforgettable Fire-era U2, Sport of Kings, Grapes of Wrath, and other similar melancholy guitar-based post punk bands. Even the weaker songs are only weak relative to the strength of the others, and it was initially hard to choose a favorite song. The record starts off with Eternity, a surf-post-punk sound reminiscent of Abecedarians; The Clock, with its dissonant guitar screeches is certainly impressive, and when the band explodes during the chorus I can imaging it must have been excellent to see live. But the closing track, Songinsee, somehow manages to span 6 minutes and still feel too brief, and it's the one that I found myself listening to on repeat. With several layers of shimmering guitars and lyrics about longing and loneliness, it's pretty much a perfect solemn pop song.<br />
I'm uncertain how it escaped the ears of producers and record company execs and propel the band to stardom. It was 1987, so perhaps they thought The Unknown's sound was dated - it's certainly not as hip as mountains of teased hair, spandex, and novelty songs about cherry pie and girls, girls, girls who're smoking in the boy's room. But hopefully this post will give the song, and the album as a whole, a tiny bit of the recognition it deserves.<br />
<br />
The Unknown: The Unknown LP<br />
1987, Fetal Records<br />
<br />
A1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Eternity<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> I Wonder Why<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Perfect Ground<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A4<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The Clock<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Dear Mrs. Jones<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Slow Song<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Salvation<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
B4<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Songinsee<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?u6q0x33bapzxzbo" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-87153733588723293732013-07-18T15:09:00.001-07:002013-07-18T15:09:08.756-07:00Sinking Ships: Dream 7"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVfw0N80rlPr0P06e1bmWRWcxAqCg5tO_AsxWQJMLDCK0FHDwEYEJrs72cjIGOnqpvfVcFZ1lYdA9uTFOyUJzWVNv08Y3mJ_E8dO3NZLfIVY4m8V1pgzGwj2OfzgHiFK4h-qwKU6-PGc/s1600/Sinking+Ships+-+Front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVfw0N80rlPr0P06e1bmWRWcxAqCg5tO_AsxWQJMLDCK0FHDwEYEJrs72cjIGOnqpvfVcFZ1lYdA9uTFOyUJzWVNv08Y3mJ_E8dO3NZLfIVY4m8V1pgzGwj2OfzgHiFK4h-qwKU6-PGc/s200/Sinking+Ships+-+Front.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
Here is the rare second 7" from Lincoln, England's Sinking Ships. The band released only a handful of recordings in their brief existence - two 7"s and a couple compilation tracks - so their songwriting never really had a chance to evolve. It's a shame, because each song touches upon a different style. Their first 7", Cinema Clock - which can be found over at <a href="http://www.systemsofromance.com/blog/2013/07/sinking-ships-the-cinema-clock-7/" target="_blank">Systems of Romance</a> with a brand new, high-quality rip - featured a Wire-esque post punk banger and a more anthemic pub-punk song.<br />
<br />
This record features a questionable choice for a B-side: a long live dirge that changes little over its six minutes and could have benefitted from a studio recording and could have been shortened by a few minutes. It renders the B-side rather low in sound quality since it's spread so thin - and it's already a rather cheap pressing. The A side, Dream, is my favorite song of theirs along with Cinema Clock. It takes the arty atmospherics of early MOdern English, throws in sax a la Psychedelic Furs (perhaps a result of having opened for the Furs on their early tours); the result is a brief, dark DIY post-punk song that could have been a classic.<br />
<br />
Sinking Ships: Dream 7"<br />
1980, Recession Records<br />
A: Dream<br />
B: After the Rain (live)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?t6bfr89bp64jz47" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-80033358664189490822013-07-10T18:12:00.001-07:002013-07-10T18:12:27.950-07:00Apex Curve: Territory EP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwbpSlm-9U58BdpUKis1T0cnmQt5IEsPzS1gbiPSy23Rx-JYcL_RL89nF17qrAwPFGLtkrJUO-nyKpNF2hOmQmSJfCI76ozg98DwT2frYI4uPSnbhBF53aXuDrjldiMyGkreUXQc0faY/s1600/Front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwbpSlm-9U58BdpUKis1T0cnmQt5IEsPzS1gbiPSy23Rx-JYcL_RL89nF17qrAwPFGLtkrJUO-nyKpNF2hOmQmSJfCI76ozg98DwT2frYI4uPSnbhBF53aXuDrjldiMyGkreUXQc0faY/s200/Front.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
Despite this blog's tendancy to highlight the obscure synthpop, post punk, and new wave records from the 80s, I have a soft spot for 1990s synthpop. When I was in high school and college, Cause and Effect, Celebrate the Nun, Seven Red Seven, Mesh, De/Vision, and the first Iris album were my soundtrack. I bought all the CDs by Red Flag and Anything Box, not just their debuts. Hell, I even had a Red Flag T-shirt at one point. So while that sometimes belittled, often forgotten era of synthpop may be underrepresented on this blog, I suppose this post is a small way to remedy that.<br />
Apex Curve was a synthpop trio from San Jose that featured Steve Smith, founder of the Razormaid-inspired Art of Mix series of DJ-only remix albums. The EP only has 3 songs, although 2 of them have remixes and extended versions (I suppose remixes would be inevitable given the Art of Mix relation). The song "This Time" is a bit of a bland throwaway track. "Treachery" is more interesting; it's an imperfect midtempo synthpop song, but has a nice chorus. There are a couple remixes of the track, too, including a 7" remix - which is weird, because I don't believe Apex Curve released anything aside from this CD. But the real winner is Sunday, a melancholy danceable synthpop smash that sounds like it was recorded after a 24-hour marathon listening session of Violator, Naive Art, and Anything Box's Peace. The Club mix of the song is similar to a lot of the Art of Mix releases (reflecting Steve Smith's input on the band), with its extended intro, slightly muted vocals, and emphasis on the drums and the beat. It's the mixes of this song that make this CD a gem and fetch rather high prices for a CD.<br />
<br />
Apex Curve: Territory EP<br />
1991, Art of Music International<br />
<br />
1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Sunday<br />
2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Treachery<br />
3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> This Time<br />
4<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Treachery (Extended Mix)<br />
5<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Sunday (Club Mix)<br />
6<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Treachery (7" Re-Mix)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?93g17nypwy1c7tq" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-89757887047301886502013-06-27T19:44:00.000-07:002013-06-27T19:47:32.555-07:00Famous Rays: Ending Beginning LP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCg0YCVe4zpmkm-4xojn5Aygqoo4uz7m6F2fCRcNOeODKYSZTnNavuNDbndnVZ_o7uj8rdwUFZB81NBPD6ohiByVMdNEFSOCwSkOCmOJ4peRQ4LLcc6LIpio23WfG8GKSeKTB9qfYysvs/s502/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCg0YCVe4zpmkm-4xojn5Aygqoo4uz7m6F2fCRcNOeODKYSZTnNavuNDbndnVZ_o7uj8rdwUFZB81NBPD6ohiByVMdNEFSOCwSkOCmOJ4peRQ4LLcc6LIpio23WfG8GKSeKTB9qfYysvs/s200/Untitled.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
The first time I saw this LP, I knew it had to be by a New York band. Anyone who has been to NYC can be easily confused by the similarly-named-but-not-at-all related pizza places called "Famous Ray's" "Original Ray's", "Famous Original Ray's", or (as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qTKUGPTPYM" target="_blank">Kramer discovered</a>), simply "Ray's Pizza". As it turns out, the band was from the UK originally, but moved to NYC in the late 80s to seek better opportunities.<br />
Famous Rays released this record in 1990, and from what I can find, this is the only thing they ever released.<br />
By most standards, 1990 is a rather late year for a DIY post punk album to be released. You probably know the kind of record I mean - the kind that combines relentless experimentation, amateurishness, and variety of non-punk instruments (synths and sax being especially common). Bands as diverse as 48 Chairs, Beyond the Impload, Vice Versa, Androids of Mu, Desperate Bicycles, and countless thousands others all fell into this "genre". Well, Famous Rays can be counted as a VERY late addition to that DIY group (and indeed, an earlier incarnation of the band, Romford Stompers, was part of the fertile UK DIY scene). Famous Rays carried the lo-fi, avant-garde, synthpop-meets-post-punk-meets-jazzy-noise-meets-goth of their forebears into the neon years of the early 90s.<br />
As with pretty much all of these records, there's a combination of strong and weak tracks. After a brief spoken-word intro the songs start off with the lyrics "I am looking through a synthesizer" on Hard Times. With a somewhat bouncy beat, it's a nice 100% minimal synth track that sounds 10 years too late. The next couple songs on the syn-drums and throw a wall of cascading, noisy guitars into the mix. Then there's a slow dark ambient synth interlude before delving into No Recognition, probably the most poppy song on the album. The song is musically similar to early Cure, but with the keyboards and arty weirdness of early Modern English (it's not as good as either of those bands, of course, but had it been released in 1980 I can guarantee it would have been on many "UK DIY Top Ten" lists.)<br />
The following songs range from sax-and-synth skronk (Deception Island) to dark synth noise with spoken word (Wealthy Not Healthy) to almost deathrock sounding (Move By Dance), which combines syn-drums, heavy and noisy guitars, and sax similar to Ipso Facto. Overall, it's a highly unique album that (at the moment) is readily available very cheaply online. Perhaps others will like what they hear here and decide to pick up a copy. Or perhaps the late release date of this record will turn off people and the album will toil in the cheap bargain bins of obscurity, relegated to a few crackly mp3s that forever float in the aether of the Internet.<br />
<br />
Famous Rays: Ending Beginning LP<br />
1990, Blue Dot Records<br />
<br />
1<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The Sky Belongs To The Sun<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Hard Times<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Agents Of Change<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
4<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Absolute Zero<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
5<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Uphill<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
6<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> No Recognition<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
7<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Deception Island<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
8<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Black Dress<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
9<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Wealthy Not Healthy<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
10<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Release - For Bitten<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
11<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Blue World<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
12<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Move By Dance<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
13<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> The Great Discovery<br />
<br />
Note: Many of these songs are only a few seconds long, or blend indistinguishably into one another, so I've combined several songs together in the rip.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/2yx0wpyv91tp2ms/FRLP.zip" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-37280383258938168502013-06-19T19:02:00.000-07:002013-06-19T19:02:31.418-07:00Providence: Le Feu 7"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0SiPaQ13OLQirN2gGh-cvc3w2k-ZuqvH-T0VJYaRDjMoYRan3ukYJDT5LiM0V5LqhsDJPHi6dD5JZuYZt_aIOCHLdDoHgSharnGfYVvIjxXWfgwgluR2wHHv2sMddYHzEnUk3Oor7Pg/s1600/IMG_0700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0SiPaQ13OLQirN2gGh-cvc3w2k-ZuqvH-T0VJYaRDjMoYRan3ukYJDT5LiM0V5LqhsDJPHi6dD5JZuYZt_aIOCHLdDoHgSharnGfYVvIjxXWfgwgluR2wHHv2sMddYHzEnUk3Oor7Pg/s200/IMG_0700.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
At this point I should not be surprised when a good record continues to slip under the radar over a decade after file sharing became the de rigueur way to hear new sounds. But this little 7" from a French band called Providence is certainly a worthy example of why it's sometimes worth taking a chance on an interesting-looking record when you see it for sale.<br />
Providence was a trio that consisted of two members of a cult French prog band called <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Gutura-Des-%C3%8Atres-Au-Cerveau-Apparent/release/1711692" target="_blank">Gutera.</a> Gutera's sole album is somewhat of a legendary and rare LP in that scene; about half a decade after their record was released, the members Didier Geoffrey & Zo Strinati started Providence. It appears that they might have released an album, but I have never seen nor heard that. Until such an album surfaces, enjoy this 7". While the B-side is somewhat generic new wave rock, the A side, Le Feu, is a wonderful coldwave/touching pop song in the vein of contemporaries like Little Nemo, Resistance, Mome Rath, with synths and hooks aplenty. It's a wonderful melancholy pop song that makes you hope that an LP does exist somewhere out there - and that it is full of more songs like Le Feu.<br />
<br />
Providence: Le Feu 7"<br />
1987, M.S. Records<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download/73mlq9oju1q1cao/Providence.zip" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-41015439803642919842013-06-11T19:34:00.002-07:002013-06-11T19:35:21.386-07:00Stranger to Stranger: Darkest Dreams LP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxV2y2xiYKzgozqiyRLRR-xxlYZ-JQUj2o4j5N5NF53gBeHdknfQ-jpHVqo-y0hgOske0fgytJt7xo4bmtvtMrqROsD1wJ6VEsjVvJugNKlTBch6KYyvYGceUlElYgJj6DV9GbhLUfqKY/s1600/Front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxV2y2xiYKzgozqiyRLRR-xxlYZ-JQUj2o4j5N5NF53gBeHdknfQ-jpHVqo-y0hgOske0fgytJt7xo4bmtvtMrqROsD1wJ6VEsjVvJugNKlTBch6KYyvYGceUlElYgJj6DV9GbhLUfqKY/s200/Front.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
After a hiaitus (again) I realized that I miss writing about and sharing obscure vinyl nuggets (not to be confused with Obscure Vinyl Nugent, the BDSM-themed Ted Nugent cover band). I still have plenty of records to share, starting with this virtually unknown second LP from Philadelphia-based Stranger to Stranger. You can find a fresh, clean rip of their debut on <a href="http://www.systemsofromance.com/blog/2013/06/stranger-to-stranger-casting-shadows-lp/" target="_blank">Systems of Romance</a>. While their first LP is a collection of wonderful (if monochromatic) dark synth-based post punk that's high on atmosphere but low on pop sensibility, their follow-up is much janglier, and, well, almost pop-sounding. That's not to say that they've abandoned their darkwave roots; they just became a bit less enigmatic.<br />
There are definitely some gems on the record - Summer Winter starts the album off perfectly, a guitar-heavy post-punk track with some slight hits of Darklands-era JAMC; the title track is a somber, beautiful song that rewards repeat listens; The Only Pleasure and The Freedom Beat are both tuneful tracks layered and sprinked with synths that recall The Sound; Life After Birth is their most aggressive track, approaching the style of early Furs. Where the band's debut LP was stuck in a singular style, the follow-up expands upon myriad influences. Even if the results are sometimes imperfect, if there's one quality that Darkest Dreams has that their debut was lacking, it's stylistic dynamics. Of course, this long-lost Obscure Vinyl Nugent (oops!) is well worth a listen, so get it now...<br />
<br />
Stranger to Stranger: Darkest Dreams LP<br />
1989, Strange Productions<br />
Summer Winter<br />
The Darkest Dreams<br />
No More Heroes<br />
The Only Pleasure<br />
The Freedom Beat<br />
Ignore My Heart<br />
Opportunity<br />
Can Time Stand Still<br />
I Will Remember<br />
Life After Birth<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?1m0cyn2vy6x2x6x" target="_blank">Click here to listen</a><br />
<br /></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-416398295788369052012-12-11T17:29:00.002-08:002012-12-11T20:40:34.249-08:00Crashblack Big Orange: Naked Man LP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbcamU-DYLphYtAdJ3xZoRLrywv1b07u1J-lQ4HCl_Uf-hsNsxPibdNGPjGXmwVUN0Y2kjELgYkQbSAibUEU8jNbRA2jcP5ljvxSIzTqtAT3ZyxYXgN3Na5BGpz1aFlJfA2FFsza_as8/s1600/front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbcamU-DYLphYtAdJ3xZoRLrywv1b07u1J-lQ4HCl_Uf-hsNsxPibdNGPjGXmwVUN0Y2kjELgYkQbSAibUEU8jNbRA2jcP5ljvxSIzTqtAT3ZyxYXgN3Na5BGpz1aFlJfA2FFsza_as8/s200/front.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes you have to redefine your idea of a “prime” era of
good music in order to find music you love. For the longest time I was
extremely wary of records from the late 80s and early 90s. There was so much
CRAP issued around that time, as hair metal extended its Aqua Net-doused
tentacles and electronic music traded in its experimentalism for digitalized
rhythms and its vocals for the sound of a thousand <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ravers sucking on pacifiers in an
ecstacy-induced fury. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I have been occasionally finding records from this forsaken era.
It was, after all, a great time for shoegaze. And the French coldwave/touching pop bands of the time were quite good.. The <a href="http://goutroy.blogspot.com/2008/06/juju-windtorn-ep.html">Juju mini LP</a>
from 1989 is a masterpiece, and both records by <a href="http://goutroy.blogspot.com/2012/07/intelligence-unit.html">Intelligence
Unit</a> from 1989 and 1991<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are excellent and unique. Well, Chicago
band (and Intelligence Unit labelmates) Crashblack Big Orange can certainly be
added to the category of great post-punk from this time. In fact, I'd say they were one of the best dark post-punk bands of not just their era, but ANY era. Here's a sample:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="175" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DdP73lnknxs" width="300"></iframe>
<br />
Crashblack Big Orange (don’t worry, their name literally
does not mean anything) was a husband and wife duo that rose from the ashes of
a couple other bands, The Hail Marys and Unknown Pleasures. I found an
interview in which they cited Killing Joke and Xmal Deutschland as their
biggest influences and, well, it shows (and that alone should get you to
download this post haste). I’d also add Skeletal Family to that list;
Crashblack’s guitars are often quite remisncent of them. Both members share
drum program duties, and both sing as well. He sounds a bit like an early UK
goth-punk singer (think Twisted Nerve or UK Decay) and she sounds a bit
Siouxsie-ish. The combination of male and female vocals (both of whom are
actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good</i>) is one of the things
that sets this band apart from so many others. And the extended guitar intros,
outros, bridges, and solos could sound a bit jammy if they didn’t completely
kick ass, weren’t chock-full of distortion, or did not have that perfect darkwave tone to them. Even the basslines are memorable
(and is it just me, or does the bassline of the lead track “Trust” sound like
the bass from Secession’s classic “Betrayal”?) Here's another song of theirs:
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="175" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NdqmoqVnTpo" width="300"></iframe>
<br />
The band released at least 3 demo tapes before this LP. Most
of those songs were released on this LP, although I would love to hear them if
they’re demo versions. And at least one Iain Burgess –produced tape has some
exclusive songs on it. The band later shortened their name to Crashblack,
although I have not heard anything from that incarnation. If anyone out there
has anything else from them – or demo tapes from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unknown Pleasures or The Hail Marys, I’d be
interested in hearing them!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crashblack Big Orange</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Naked Man LP</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1990, Cold Grey Matter Records</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.systemsofromance.com/Other/CBBO.zip" target="_blank">Listen here!</a></div>
</div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-35263518611342265912012-11-26T20:58:00.001-08:002012-11-26T20:58:51.727-08:00New posts and reuploads!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a couple months of not posting, I’ve finally decided
to make some more posts! I’m not going away any time soon… after five years (!!!!!)
of this blog, there’s STILL loads of unknown music out there. The two posts
below from The French and Electric Avantgarde are brand new, and I’m also (slowly) reuploading many of the expired
links that people have requested over the past couple months. Starting with:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?nvpc4sg9g2wmlou">Shadows
As Tall As Trees</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?5h1swwokwr2ogum">V/A:
Things Are Still Coming Ashore</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?5h1swwokwr2ogum">Geoffrey
Jones and Ray Sablosky </a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?5bozma07273wu51">Kindergarten
(including the missing single that has never been shared before!)</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?a5rpnc735n62rp3" target="_blank">Printed at Biskarck’s Death</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
...and one record that kept on triggering a certain file-sharing
site’s guard-bots to take the file down even though it’s a completely unknown
record and I’ve posted <a href="http://goutroy.blogspot.com/2009/10/nullset-unisphere-12-forget-you-first-7.html">other
records of theirs with</a> no issues, and which I will only refer to here as “some
New Jersey synthpunk band”: <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?1bnnxu0kpxm8d7s">get it here.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Feel free to request any other re-ups on the original posts
or on this post… I will try to get to them!<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-75021097216513812022012-11-26T19:21:00.000-08:002012-11-26T19:21:52.304-08:00The French: The Model 7”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizbKsipWuaT38JU7eKcvZ2891xrQYt5cI11q3ChNy9bd0JLostWOEVq6t9nyj2YEy8AS2KZfM95j9RepMC38OnwngHH6se8Wx7fuBXIBEtm0VycOuRiaxQw71UWjsNkCULYfIuSG5lS4/s1600/R-1949294-1254433656.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizbKsipWuaT38JU7eKcvZ2891xrQYt5cI11q3ChNy9bd0JLostWOEVq6t9nyj2YEy8AS2KZfM95j9RepMC38OnwngHH6se8Wx7fuBXIBEtm0VycOuRiaxQw71UWjsNkCULYfIuSG5lS4/s200/R-1949294-1254433656.jpeg" width="199" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The French were a band from England (um... where else?) in the
early 80s who released a couple 7”s on their own label and then disappeared.
Like many bands at the time they were a post punk band featuring angular
guitars and stabs of synths and plucky basslines and even the occasional sax. While
it’s not the most original style, it’s the type of sound that I love, and I’m
willing to bet that many of you appreciate it as well. It’s always nice to
unearth another nugget of post-punk gold.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Their first 7” features a cover of Kraftwerk’s “The Model”.
It’s a bit of an odd choice – the song had come out only a few years prior –
but they actually make it sound pretty great. In fact, it’s one of the best
covers that I’ve heard in a long time, as it sounds very different from the
original but still captures a raw urgency that seems to be lacking from the
many rote covers that abound. The song is built upon a tinny syn-drum and
slices of guitar and bass. The strangest part of the song are the synths that
randomly are thrown on top of the entire affair – they are loud, haphazard, and
sound almost exactly like the sound Pac-Man makes when he’s caught by a ghost.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The band’s other songs are originals. Set Me On Fire is a
great (if thin-sounding) track with simplistic synth pulses and flourishes of
sax on top of great guitar lines and vocals. It’s certainly a favorite in the
house of Goutroy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve also included the A-side of their second single, The
River Flows East. It’s also a pretty good song, trading in the angular and arty
sound for a more groove-oriented sound in the style of bands like APB.
Unfortunately my copy is currently in storage and I don’t have a rip of the B
side, but from what I remember it sucked. So I’m sparing you a song that you’d
just end up deleting anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?j7zcl3jbhz5jn76!" target="_blank">Click here to listen</a>!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-69504884508275306142012-11-26T19:13:00.003-08:002012-11-26T19:22:40.206-08:00Electric Avantgarde: Lonely 12”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXyigiJ-pVkQt8uYfD698sAqxlgeNUs3WZtDUASwC1Rn-I8Kyq06GPx4VVdnRvz07_4tHzqGChbre3qq1FwcK0bZsDRvpe_qkZyqt5_3pT8vQd5QXKsYJGSqrtyDEfXVrFWcI-QdATGs/s1600/IMG_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXyigiJ-pVkQt8uYfD698sAqxlgeNUs3WZtDUASwC1Rn-I8Kyq06GPx4VVdnRvz07_4tHzqGChbre3qq1FwcK0bZsDRvpe_qkZyqt5_3pT8vQd5QXKsYJGSqrtyDEfXVrFWcI-QdATGs/s320/IMG_0231.JPG" width="250" /></a> Hailing from the college town of Freiberg in Germany, where I obtained this 12” while travelling earlier this year, Electric Avantgarde was a duo who made amateur yet enjoyable synthpop. If the band is remembered at all, it is for a tape they released on the long-enduring <a href="http://www.discogs.com/label/Danse+Macabre" target="_blank">Danse Macabre Records</a> in 1990. This 12” predates that tape by a few years, and has two mixes of a song called “Lonely”.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the band’s later material (at least the songs that I have heard) are more guitar-oriented goth rock, “Lonely” is completely enjoyable – albeit unabashedly cheesy -- electro-pop/Euro dance. Think Mysterious Art or Dead or Alive or Secession and you’re halfway there. The group was led by a guy who mysteriously (or pretentiously) went by the name Mozart. He sings in a weird combination of a girlish falsetto and a forceful masculine style.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The B side is just a dub mix of the A-side, because every band apparently had to have a dub mix back in the 80s. It’s not as good as the original mix. This song may not be for everyone , but those of us who have a soft spot for the occasional unironic dance track will enjoy it!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Electric Avantgarde: Lonely 12”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1988, self-released<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?pa7oh1xx2agzweo" target="_blank">Listen here!</a></div>
</div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-65102263775371384592012-08-13T19:42:00.001-07:002012-08-13T19:42:37.879-07:00New Law Nightmare: S/T EP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY4G7y2_1omsvoGIKvDvYjIRD6kmLFujJwirVre3U5SMJChddK1z8Mjk8zwMg3IErAHclHxohXM3z2kwf0oBAZbtlYTOZofXu2zyy48sKdsuVK1mpLtn634EC95ofl61MUPso28HMyEc/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY4G7y2_1omsvoGIKvDvYjIRD6kmLFujJwirVre3U5SMJChddK1z8Mjk8zwMg3IErAHclHxohXM3z2kwf0oBAZbtlYTOZofXu2zyy48sKdsuVK1mpLtn634EC95ofl61MUPso28HMyEc/s320/photo+(1).JPG" width="250" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">New Law Nightmare was a project from
the late 80s fronted by a guy named </span><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RikSavering" style="text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Rik Savering</a><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">.
The act is probably most notable for having two great darkwave songs on a
couple of the excellent </span><a href="http://goutroy.blogspot.com/2008/10/various-artists-ears-to-grindstone-back.html" style="text-indent: 0.5in;" target="_blank">Grindstone Compilations</a><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> (um... re-upload to come soon, I suppose). There is almost no
mention whatsoever of this 1988 EP, aside from some store that has a copy for
sale on a couple online sites. This has completely escaped notice from pretty
much everyone. Now, we can’t let
that continue, can we? </span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I
found this in a local store recently, I was immediately grabbed by the somber
dark “touching pop” style of the first song, Witch Trial. With some truly
remarkable synth lines and perfectly emotive vocals, it’s a wonderful song.
Other songs mix a bit more guitar into the sound – in some cases I’d prefer the songs without it. “Upper ten”, for example, is a great dark synthpop song, but the
short guitar solos stand out a bit too much, especially since they are so loud in the mix. Even so, the guitar-heavy
songs aren’t bad… it’s just that the instrument is more prominent than necessary
and stands in sharp contrast to the melancholic synthpop with which it’s paired.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Fortunately, the formula does work wonders on the final song, “Only As”, with an unstoppable beat and synth line,
and whose shrieks and wails of guitar actually work to enhance the track. Overall,
this is a good EP with a couple excellent tracks, and several valiant attempts
that just didn’t quite get the right balance of sounds. I’d be interested to
hear if he released anything else under this moniker – hopefully more songs on
the caliber of Witch Trial are waiting to be discovered.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
New Law Nightmare: S/T EP<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1988, Vuv Records<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A1 Witch Trial<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A2 Upper Ten<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A3 Say<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
B1 Déjà vu<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
B2 Fifteen Shadows<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
B3 Only As<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?txd665f9t6f0z6a" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></div>
</div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-67653681145709533162012-08-05T18:31:00.002-07:002012-08-05T18:34:13.818-07:00The Gallery: S/T LP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCMwdcdRzmkNCN7uKOJ_21he_UO_SF5r5ncpSov7fw-nwqbzuj3P5F-iiEXLfZ3iNSnrrhOQTTgIRVD5Iy5wh4kOJeDp48TBM3ykYQ9gJzfh2iCAJsH6WI6W02FYm4wzAg9f51PKmEHI/s1600/IMG_0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCMwdcdRzmkNCN7uKOJ_21he_UO_SF5r5ncpSov7fw-nwqbzuj3P5F-iiEXLfZ3iNSnrrhOQTTgIRVD5Iy5wh4kOJeDp48TBM3ykYQ9gJzfh2iCAJsH6WI6W02FYm4wzAg9f51PKmEHI/s200/IMG_0233.JPG" width="230" /></a></div>
The Gallery were a Belgian band whose generic name has rendered them pretty much impossible to search for on the web. I don’t believe this has been shared or blogged about before, but who knows… I have found out that, quite confusingly, the band’s guitarist/keyboardist /producer Stephan Kraemer was in another unrelated band called <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Gallery">Gallery </a>in the early 80s. However, he is probably best known for his work as the guitarist/drummer of <a href="http://www.darkentriesrecords.com/bands/zwischenfall/">Zwischenfall</a>. That group’s style of dark synthpop focused more on noisy but danceable electronics; The Gallery balance their synth use with more guitars. In this five-piece darkwave group, Kraemer worked with vocalist Iben Larssen and bassist Thomas Kuersten , both of whom worked with him on a few Zwischenfall songs (Iben Larssen provided the vocals to the 1984 English version of Flucht and Sandy Eyes), as well as contributing to tracks by Snowy Red and A Split Second. Keyboardist Nicolas Mansy later went to record with the short-lived alt/synth group <a href="http://www.micrart.com/catalog/catalog/mcd9208.htm">Wasteland </a>.
<br />
With such bona fides, the band has a lot to live up to and while the LP is a bit uneven at times, for the most part they do not disappoint. The vocals are usually haunting, with plenty of reverb and atmosphere. They suffer a bit on a few early songs when the band treads into more alt-rock territory replete with strained, yelled lyrics. Fortunately not too many songs take this stylistic deviation, and the best songs are reserved for the second side. The closing song, Nuthouse, is a midtempo track whose gloomy, beautiful chorus almost comes as a surprise. Crime Time is a full-force darkwave track that would sound perfect in any goth club set between Skeletal Family and The Veil. My favorite track on the album is the slow, stark “The Warning”, a vaguely Cocteau Twins affair which starts with sparse bass and drums before they’re followed up with cold synth chimes that sound like they’re channeling The Exorcist.<br />
<br />
The Gallery, S/T LP<br />
1989, 150 BPM Records<br />
Divine<br />
Bleed<br />
Your Skin<br />
Better Days<br />
Ballad of a Suburban Night<br />
Fade Away<br />
The Warning<br />
Crime Time<br />
Nuthouse<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?yyz3oi8ty31obth">Click here to listen!</a></div>goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-21293548094922477212012-07-09T20:28:00.000-07:002012-07-09T20:50:16.044-07:00The Intelligence Unit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WpWhOBzXwoqiiKfliISEHEBnJZ0BjqhDxOMR9SwK7YMV6XTSF-HbdIqAIqA2b1MNaDu6p0_M9-magoNHaOoj3SRoyCwcdvFvOzCSDKA9sKx30Rvis4wP0BAPqMXgr19Wfppp8GdRhTI/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WpWhOBzXwoqiiKfliISEHEBnJZ0BjqhDxOMR9SwK7YMV6XTSF-HbdIqAIqA2b1MNaDu6p0_M9-magoNHaOoj3SRoyCwcdvFvOzCSDKA9sKx30Rvis4wP0BAPqMXgr19Wfppp8GdRhTI/s320/IMG_0235.JPG" width="250" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPq1Bzyaw4GbVFB899E46VqpYlo13eyJ2Dr4u3xD_ySYpGpbnFXw4_VSqllnpPB067_IMnmjBkkufAvXWAZBt7d6GWmNA9tcs3FFXZAdS_d76I1DpZ3VvutLb-fyPqUytuewTovVSm3kI/s1600/3154LZTdBlL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPq1Bzyaw4GbVFB899E46VqpYlo13eyJ2Dr4u3xD_ySYpGpbnFXw4_VSqllnpPB067_IMnmjBkkufAvXWAZBt7d6GWmNA9tcs3FFXZAdS_d76I1DpZ3VvutLb-fyPqUytuewTovVSm3kI/s320/3154LZTdBlL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="250" /></a>This week I’m quite happy to share a couple very underrated
records from a Chicago band called Intelligence Unit. They were around in the
late 80s and early 90s and featured a wildly original and diverse array of
sounds. There is certainly a lot to absorb here – there are elements of goth,
synthpop, post punk, experimental, and gypsy folk music. This is one band
who cannot be accused of lacking creativity or originality.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The group was a quartet made up of multi-instrumentalists
who played guitars, bass, percussion, synths, e-bow, keyboards, and more. They
featured an extremely unique singer – he escapes the trappings of emulating vocalists
of more established bands and lets his distinguished voice carry many of the
songs. Nowhere is this more evident than on the killer darkwave masterpiece
Havens Amoung Wastelands, the first song on their debut EP. It starts with an
ambient soundscape before the guitars, synths, and punishing drum fills kick
in, followed by his forceful vocals pushed up front and center, full of dragged
vowels and occasional over-pronunciation. It took me a few listens before I
began to really appreciate this style, and now I cannot imagine it sung any
other way. I posted it to youtube as well... check it out here: <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /><iframe width="400" height="215" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uVtRL3qqk9k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Their debut EP continues with more gems – Perimeter sounds
somewhat influenced by the Chameleons; The Visionary is instrumental darkwave
at its finest, and Venice is basically romantic Venetian gondola music with
synths. The only misstep is Cinecila, which sounds a bit like a warmup session
by a coffee shop jazz band.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The band’s full length, Foundation, is an even more diverse
affair. It starts with a great midtempo darkwave song, Lilith, which reminds me
of late 80s/early 90s kindred spirits like Mute Angst Envy or Autumn
cathedral or any number of the bands on the Lively Art label. The next song is
another generic jazz retread (why?!) but it’s the only misstep on an otherwise
solid and original album. Other gems include the slow, somber “Distance”, on
which synths and sax kick in during the chorus for a wholly melancholy
soundtrack to a midnight drive; “The Black Death” is a surprising melodic turn,
with a more focused pop sensibility; “The Prison Ship” is a dark, unstoppable
dirge, full of reverb and synths and guitars that fade in and out amoung any
number of unknown and mysterious sounds; Reinette and Mirabel in Paris is a
complete winner, sounding like a Parisian folk-waltz with layers of synths,
twinkling gypsy guitars, and accordions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know if the band ever released anything after
Foundation. I’ve gleaned that they may have written some songs after the album,
so if anyone has anything else from them I would certainly love to hear it. In
the meantime, satiate yourselves on these two wonderful releases!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?533iqc1gotm459m" target="_blank">Click here to listen to both of their records!</a></div>
</div>goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-16884990712250681972012-06-27T18:57:00.000-07:002012-06-27T19:08:00.625-07:00Die Rote Fabrik: Incident EP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjmSDkxMUQOoN4hqqsT4SLBlOvo4qK5_9-K3eDYVYtkCMW_khfEiNB5XItR5mv-vQyDIQnPzU0-zRxsLDck-N3U19sQ-KwpWE9i7nma_ZQ1cK3-i5TDiCb31VypZ3pSyk2b8l-TRnMbQ/s1600/IMG_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjmSDkxMUQOoN4hqqsT4SLBlOvo4qK5_9-K3eDYVYtkCMW_khfEiNB5XItR5mv-vQyDIQnPzU0-zRxsLDck-N3U19sQ-KwpWE9i7nma_ZQ1cK3-i5TDiCb31VypZ3pSyk2b8l-TRnMbQ/s320/IMG_0223.JPG" width="250" /></a></div>
Here is a piece of Belgian darkwave from 1986 that has been long, long forgotten. Self-released and hand-stamped for an underground DIY feel, this is a record that is sure to please the hardened goth and DIY post-punk fan. <br />
The record starts with the song “Murder”, which grows quickly from a few samples to a barrage of scratchy guitars and synth-drums start up, backed by a steady bassline. It’s a lo-fi but blistering goth track falls squarely between Screams for Tina and Section 25. “Give Me Your Love” is a much slower song that wallows in gloom and self-pity as the singer desperately pleads and begs for companionship. The song starts with a barebones structure of metronomic drums, single-note-bass, and lazy guitars until the last minute, when the guitar picks up, synths kick in, echoing the urgency in the singer’s voice. Side B starts with Pain, which features syncopated drum machines and layers of noisy guitars. Finally, the record closes with “Fast Living”, which is all stuttering drums and yelling vocals that compete futilely with a sheer wall of tinny no-chord guitar noise. <br />
Two of the three members of Die Rote Fabrik later would later form Starfish Enterprises and add more electronics to their barrage of noise; later that group broke up when one of the members went on to record (quite prolifically) under the moniker Starfish Pool. The record is the one remnant of Die Rote Fabrik’s existence that I know of. It’s one of those records that feels a bit out of place – when it was released in 1986 it was too late to find an audience amongst its kindred spirits in the early post-punk scene; it was a bit too noisy to be popular in goth clubs, and it certainly was not poppy enough to garner any radio play. Hopefully people out there like this one… it has certainly grown on me. As an added bonus, a few copies can currently be found on <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Die-Rote-Fabrik-Incident/release/639165" target="_blank">discogs </a>for relatively cheap!<br />
<br />
Die Rote Fabrik: Incident EP <br />
<br />
1986, self-released<br />
<br />
A1 Murder <br />
A2 Give Me Your Love<br />
B1 Pain<br />
B2 Fast Living<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-collapse: collapse; width: 910px;"><tbody>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?tbb9ap4d19cawbo" target="_blank">Click here to listen!</a></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-13148238911053790992012-06-21T17:59:00.000-07:002012-06-25T18:32:52.900-07:00Prophet O’Haphazard: Cabaret Nostalgia EP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KCb2Kgx1_ZSyceRCjOSKWQQRGv0AN4hVh6ByzpN4_JIq48hQmC3ENDXeHKsXv-os7fQAAkbInMuPKzAfLNs_aK6k8HwRj1mW7OsqWbsDq6W9PAjbcpuCFEdhkt450EP-mNXN7UB7eWE/s1600/IMG_0226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KCb2Kgx1_ZSyceRCjOSKWQQRGv0AN4hVh6ByzpN4_JIq48hQmC3ENDXeHKsXv-os7fQAAkbInMuPKzAfLNs_aK6k8HwRj1mW7OsqWbsDq6W9PAjbcpuCFEdhkt450EP-mNXN7UB7eWE/s320/IMG_0226.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: black;">Here is the obscure second release from the somber German
singer Prophet O’Haphazard, called Cabaret Nostalgia.I originally thought O'Haphazard was a girl, but it was actually the pseudonym of one Oliver Gerling). His debut EP - which is a must-have for underground synth
fans - can be found on </span><a href="http://capanostrasyndicate.blogspot.com/2010/05/prophet-ohaphazard-evolution-12-1989.html" target="_blank">Capa Nostra Syndicate</a><span style="background-color: black;">, </span><span style="background-color: black;"> and is highly
recommended.. The record’s album title gives a hint of what is in store on this
record – gothic cabaret music mixes seamlessly with electronics and effected
guitars and O’Haphazard’s wonderfully sullen, deadpan voice. At times his forceful but somewhat feminine voice recalls
early efforts by contemporary artists like Molly Nilsson and Zola Jesus, but he’s less poppy than the former and more dynamic than the latter.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
You and Me Covered in Silence plods along like gyspsy
funeral parlor music, while Sum Up To Suicide is a beautiful mesh of aching
synth strings, stabs of guitars and sparse drumming that sums up to one of the
most bleak songs ever. Side B kicks off with Prophet O’Haphazard proving his bona fides with an excellent cover of Thomas Leer and Robert Rental’s Monochrome
Days. Magic Mushroom Kingdom starts off aimlessly before it turns into perhaps the
first gothic minimal synth-psych song, sort of like Astaron mashed up with Red
Temple Spirits. Sadly, despite being about a Mushroom Kingdom, it does not mention Mario or Luigi at all.<br />
Finally the album ends with a reprise of a song from her debut
EP, Till I Hate You. Fittingly, this song is called Till I Hate You 2. You
know, in case you weren’t sure he hated you the first time he sang it… well, he
still does. Interestingly, while the title implies that it will be a bitter
tirade against a lover who wronged him, it’s actually a slow, melancholy track with
lyrics that drip with thoughts of heartache while the music retains an almost
sweet hopelessness.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Prophet O’Haphazard: Cabaret Nostalgia EP<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1989, Minstrel Records<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
A1 Moon Over A Town And
A Yellow Flowerfield Behind<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
A2 You And Me Covered In
Silence <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
A3 Sum Up To Suicid<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
B1
Monochrome Days<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
B2 Magic Mushroom
Meadow <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;">
B3 ´Till I Hate You ´2<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?sybesksma6929vq" target="_blank">Click here to get it!</a></div>
</div>goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-10514282340976188342012-05-18T10:21:00.000-07:002012-05-18T10:21:57.464-07:00Commercial Music: Volume 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishajG7GO7RsTNy3k6MmNFaS3q5rXvzg-tx_41_M0raLU8LsBF6xUfQgXZ3bOoRRvyg2MLkCASIi6huS1PpI0VdqRfxMHR5CrUSQVFSPNIz2adlP_w8D56eoej2L8ahtq6enMmJFXWbQo/s1600/Commercial+Music+Vol+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishajG7GO7RsTNy3k6MmNFaS3q5rXvzg-tx_41_M0raLU8LsBF6xUfQgXZ3bOoRRvyg2MLkCASIi6huS1PpI0VdqRfxMHR5CrUSQVFSPNIz2adlP_w8D56eoej2L8ahtq6enMmJFXWbQo/s320/Commercial+Music+Vol+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been a few weeks since I last shared something on this
blog (that Spiff record is one of my recent favorites though). So I think the
third “Commercial Music” collection of odds and ends – obscure B sides, demos,
or good songs on otherwise mediocre albums – is certainly called for.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This one is by far my favorite of these compilations. It’s
the most diverse, and almost every song is solid, whether it’s an unheard demo song demo, a new band, or classic post punk. Here’s what’s in store for you:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Atoms for Peace were a Gainsville, FL based new wave band
who self-released one album in 1985 and then.. nothing. The record is pretty
obscure, and for the most part it has not held up as well as other new wave
records. But the second song on the album, Pictures, is a total classic that
builds intensely from a few acoustic guitar strums to a crashing Bunnymen-esque
post punk song with some pretty cool vocal delays during the refrain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next is an <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Paranoid+Paradise">extremely obscure Belgian band </a>who self-released one LP in 1987 on the ominously-named “Mahomet’s Holy War”
label. Apparently only 50 copies of it
were pressed, and it has been pretty unknown (obviously due to its scarcity)
for many years. But their sole record is becoming more and more of a holy
grail, and this song is a killer post punk song that sounds
very similar to the great Dutch band Mecano – huge thanks to Lesypersound for
this rip!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next up is <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Slanted+View">a forgotten UK new wave band</a>. This song is
the B side of their sole 12 inch from 1985. While the A side is really nothing
special, the B side is excellent and falls squarely in the Flock of Seagulls
vein of synthpop (admit it, you like it).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Work of Fiction released one song on one of those hundreds
of local band compilations that were so prevalent in the 80s. They were from upstate New York. The vocals are
quite cheesy (imagine Robert Smith crossed with Rick Astley), but the great
synths on the song make it worthwhile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next up is a <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Be-Vision-Define-Yourself/release/2985135">Missouri-based band </a>who released one 12” EP
that contained three pretty standard AOR pop songs and one quite good new wave
song with a nice repetitive synth rhythm.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That new wave song is followed up with a <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Chameleon+Circus">Florida-based goth band</a> who had a few
songs on various compilation records but have otherwises remained quite obscure. These guys were
unapologetically, humorlessly goth. And while their earnestness may sound a bit
cheesy now, this song inexplicably holds a place in my heart. My cold, black,
unbeating heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many of you will be familiar with <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/%2F%2FTENSE%2F%2F">the next band</a>, whose style of industrial is heavily influenced by early Front 242, Nitzer Ebb,
et al, with all the leather fetishism that comes with the genre. This song is
from one of their extremely limited (13 copies only!) <a href="http://www.discogs.com/TENSE-Rebuild/release/2656592">demo CDs</a> that were sold on a 2008 west coast tour, when the "band" was just one person
singing and thrashing around to prerecorded music.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We follow that song up with a <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Before+Or+After">Detroit band </a>who, had one song on a
completely unknown compilation the late 80s, and that’s pretty much it. It’s a shame, since this track “You
Make It Hard” is a pretty great synthpop track somewhat in the vein of late-80s Depeche Mode.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next is another Michigan band, Clambake, who recorded a couple
extremely limited cassettes (including a Christmas album!) and faded into
obscurity. Their music was synth-heavy and somewhat industrial, sounding very
similar to bands like Gelatinous Citizen. This song became better known after
it was re-recorded by the industrial band Shock Therapy, with whom they collaborated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jezebel and the Nudes were your average female-fronted new
wave/disco crossover band. They had one 12” EP in 1983 that has three somewhat
forgettable songs, and then ends with this great dramatic disco-wave song chock
full of synths and electronics.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Delay+Tactics">next band </a>was a trio active in the early 80s who
released two very limited albums (only 500 copies were pressed of their debut,
from which this song Chasing Moroder was taken). For the most part, they played
a mix of new age and improvisational jazz, but analog synth nuts will
absolutely freak over this song, which features a steady kr-55 rhythm and
pulsating, gurgling and crashing electronics and stabs of effected guitar noise. It truly sounds like its namesake
– if Moroder was being chased in his nightmares.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a deranged electro song, what's more polar opposite than an extremely underrated <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/That+Uncertain+Feeling">Manchester indie band </a>active
in the early 90s. Their music was a mix of Britpop,
shoegaze, and bits and pieces of the Madchester sound. Virtually everything in their small catalog
is excellent, and this is one of my favorites.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next is a <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Three+On+A+Hill">Texas band </a>who released a very
obscure 7” that contained one somewhat bland bar-rock song, and this song, a blistering
and absolutely killer blast of post punk fury that sounds like an aggressive
version of For Against or Lung Overcoat. VERRRRRRRY great <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next up is <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Micron+63">another new-ish band</a> with many hats. Some songs are
industrial dance, some are more electro, but this song (my personal favorite),
taken from their demo CD, is a post punk tour de force with a wonderfully thick
bassline.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next band released a demo tape in the mid-80s, with songs
that paid a generous homage to The Cure. It’s not too surprising, as the band
would <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Crimson+Ivy">soon change their name</a> and release an entire album of
Cure-esque goodness. This song was exclusive to the demo tape.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day & Age were a San Francisco area band from the mid to
late 80s who self released one LP full of midtempo jazz-pop songs and one great
(but definitely cheesy) synthpop song. Their bio states that they were proud to
announce that it was played on Live 105 during a midday program, so perhaps
SOMEONE else out there heard it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that is a <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Easter+And+The+Totem">UK new wave band</a> who released a
couple extremely obscure and LPs. Their
first one was a dark, if amateur, Joy Division-inspired album; their second LP
(from which this song was taken) found them a lot more matured but still with a
dark edge. I’m only sharing one song of theirs because you can buy their entire
recorded output at <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/easterandthetotem2">CD Baby</a> –it is highly recommended!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless you collect <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Various-Shots-In-The-Dark/release/2275116">Christian ska compilations</a> ,
you’re quite likely to have missed <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Crowd+Control+%289%29">the next band's</a> only recorded output. Contrary
to the rest of that compilations, this band played a dramatic and quite
dark synth-heavy post punk full of reverb.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dreamtime+%288%29">last band </a>is filed under “freestyle” pretty much 100%
of the time they are mentioned on the net. Freestyle fans apparently know a
good thing when they hear it, but I have to say that this is “freestyle” the
same way that 90s synthpop bands like Cause and Effect or Red Flag were
“freestyle”. Which is to say… not really that much. But no matter how you want
to label this song, it is pretty much the best synthpop song of the early 90s –
an absolutely beautiful, epic, melodic and perfect synthpop masterpiece. HUGE
thanks to Lesypersound for this one!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where can you hear this treasure trove? <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?rd3h6wgaoj8kz6l">Right here!</a></div>
</div>goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-44569321554255411052012-04-02T17:11:00.009-07:002014-01-08T17:31:56.672-08:00Spiff: Music At Last!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUskSSN2XShlw1HCWLrOz2VrvFhbaCzZqYsZsykbjlVHBJQ08d_FycufmzmeWdCEECQEdWzjN2nPlWNO-c32WXXNzRlL6DQea7TodK5WgJUBqHWOV5YGdmt3yqB2j-Y25cZY0qqC6RE-U/s1600/Front.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUskSSN2XShlw1HCWLrOz2VrvFhbaCzZqYsZsykbjlVHBJQ08d_FycufmzmeWdCEECQEdWzjN2nPlWNO-c32WXXNzRlL6DQea7TodK5WgJUBqHWOV5YGdmt3yqB2j-Y25cZY0qqC6RE-U/s200/Front.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726960852437974882" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 250px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 250px;" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We cannot always judge a book by its cover, nor an album on its artwork. I know this from experience, as all record collectors surely do. I’ve purchased countless cheap records completely unheard, based upon their promising cover art, only to cringe when my needle hit the wax and the hideous sounds of Air Supply-esque wuss-wave spewed from the speakers. Conversely, sometimes an uninspired cover can actually hide a surprisingly excellent record. This record by Spiff is a perfect example. Although its simplistic cover looks like it may have come from a mid-80s AOR pop band from Iowa that recorded an album of soft rock jams with lyrics about how much they want to rip off your teal jumpsuit and muss up your feathered hair as they rock your body (gently, of course… they’re soft rockers, after all), in reality the record is a completely unknown, Southern Californian one-man synthpop extravaganza. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the prospect of late-80s synthpop leaves a very sour taste in most of our mouths, let me assure you that this guy was the genuine article. It sounds as if he worshipped in the church of Vince Clarke and Paul Humphreys<span style="font-size: 100%;">. While other kids in his school band were learning to play Stars and Stripes Forever, he was trying to convince the music teacher that the composition sorely lacked a Jupiter 8 solo. And while other kids recited the US Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school, he probably sang Just Can’t Get Enough.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Truly, there is not a dud on this album. The only criticism I really have is that it is not a very dynamic record – most songs are about the same BPM and sound vaguely similar to one another, and the same drum fill is used on almost every song. Of course, given the choice between listening to a slightly redundant late-80s record heavily influenced by Speak and Spell, or a third-rate Quiet Riot clone singing their last remaining brain cells out, I certainly prefer the former. And there are songs that stand out from the rest here – Phon is eminently danceable, with silly lyrics and samples of telephones ringing. Follow Me has an absolutely killer bassline and is prefect for any synthpop dance club (especially since most of the lyrics simply say “get up, get up, get up and dance”).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The more I listen to this record, the more I appreciate the mysterious Spiff's completely earnest take on a style of music that was certainly passé when he released it. He was 10 years too late to enjoy any sort of renown with this record, and at least 10 years too early to take advantage of any sort of early-synthpop resurgence. In a way, I suppose he was one of the very first people to revive this style of electro-pop, albeit at the worst time possible (commercially, at least). At the beginning of “Clauge”, he declares “In the late 70s, no-one understood… there was a new age dawning. And this is what it sounded like” just before a barrage of (kind of cheesy) analog-sounding electronics smacks your ears. With this statement, you know that Spiff is trying desperately to recapture the sound of a bygone era. And I’ll be damned if he doesn’t succeed wonderfully.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Spiff: Music at Last EP<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1989, self-released<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Spiff is on the way to re-releasing his music digitally! Check out<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1298267846/spiff-is-ready-to-join-the-digital-age" target="_blank"> this page</a> for more info. </div>
goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245768442595406134.post-43988355980210977622012-03-27T16:28:00.003-07:002012-04-01T16:22:46.300-07:00Human Trapped Rhythms mLP<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUG2xA_bbk06zKL8BjHFw_Vgv04QRQgDnrVtpvOVgTcge4JsyzZ68WA94pUg5Cx_1AABROOFAHoKxfWyXkwjVwd3_q5sA-toFoPXEkTPoSH1nrSwT6xMCPjaZglwTBRbh8PbG1u_zogE/s1600/front.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUG2xA_bbk06zKL8BjHFw_Vgv04QRQgDnrVtpvOVgTcge4JsyzZ68WA94pUg5Cx_1AABROOFAHoKxfWyXkwjVwd3_q5sA-toFoPXEkTPoSH1nrSwT6xMCPjaZglwTBRbh8PbG1u_zogE/s200/front.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724723166948184130" /></a><p class="MsoNormal">Here’s a release from 1985 that’s so far out in left-field that it has pretty much left the ballpark. Combining industrial noise with minimal electronics, mantra-like chants and primal screams, utterly unrefined singing and creepy tape loops - all of which come together in the most barebones of musical structures - this record is less a collection of “songs” than an amateurly sinister (or sinisterly amateur?) foray into avant garde atmospherics. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Many of the tracks here are little more than synth lines over which male or female vocals sing, talk, shriek, or all of the above. Some sound a bit ridiculous and cross the terrain into simple pretension, but there are some tracks that are both stark and beautiful. “No Words” is about two or three notes played on the low end of a synthesizer, with the female vocalist slowly reciting poetic lyrics. “The Message” is the closest this record comes to an actual song, with thudding sparse industrial percussion, hints of an ominous rhythm in the background, and male vocals repeating the words “roll back… and die”. “Blood Run” is nothing more than white noise and chimes, as a cacophonic chorus of ghosts tunes their vocals.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The title track is particularly odd and interesting, awash in sampled noise and echoing laughter, child’s-toy instruments, and vocals that vaguely recall traditional British folk music. It’s a pretty strange and slightly creepy track. It kind of sounds like those brief 5-10 seconds of hushed music played at the end of horror movie trailers. You know those trailers that begin with a narrator whose vocal tone implies profundity, but whose words are cliché, bordering on inane? They start with “In a world… where there is no line… between life and death”, and then there’s a minute of action and suspense scenes. Then the trailer cuts the sound to a minimum, and a quiet, spooky song (a song quite similar to the title track on this record) is the only sound in the theater, played at a low volume to build suspense, as the camera zooms in on a lone figure in an austere room illuminated by a moonlit window, and maybe the eerie music is accompanied by vocals of a little girl with a British accent, whose otherwise innocent and sweet singing sounds vaguely evil as the shadows of dying trees dance in the moonlight, playing across the mystery figure’s visibly trembling silhouette, and the camera moves slowly but steadily closer to them, and you wonder if the figure is perhaps the singing girl, or a monster, or a figment of someone’s imagination and then the figure slowly turns, and they're revealed to be a girl in her late teens, her vacant sheet-white face glowing a ghostly blue in the moonlight and the vocals fade and all music fades aside from a lone suspenseful shimmering note and then out of nowhere BAM!!!!! a sparkling vampire grabs the figure you realize it’s a trailer for a new Twilight movie. Goddamn it.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Listen to the mLP <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?irmeggrvgy09dba">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>goutroyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06399738830558221803noreply@blogger.com10