VA - Chop Suey Rock Vol. 1 Songs About The Orient

A really fun collection of rhythm and blues, surf and doo-wop. Break out the hot saki and have a blast listening to these zany, politically incorrect songs inspired by the orient.

Track List:
CD 1:
1. The Instrumentals - Chop Suey Rock
2. Doug Cornell & The Hot Rods - Hong Kong Rock
3. Lester Laundree & His Society Four - Chopstick Cha Cha
4. The Hong Kongs - Surfin' In The China Sea
5. The Quarter Notes - Oriental Rock
6. The Invictas - Singapore Sling
7. Ken Nordine & His Kinsmen - Hot Saki

CD 2:
1. The Antennas - Fuji Yama Mama
2. Melvin Smith - Zaki Sue
3. The Lasalles - Chopsticks
4. Bernie Turner & The Armorettes - Ching Ching Wong
5. The Prophets - Japanese Twist
6. The Glad Rags - My China Doll
7. The Five Chances - Nagasaki


Year of Release: unknown
Label: Hot And Sour Records
Genre: Rock, R&B
Style: Grindhouse

Download: Chop Suey Rock - Songs About The Orient Vol. 1
Download size: 62MB (.zip file)

the Beachles - Sgt. Petsounds

Year of Release: 2006
Label: n/a
Genre: mashup

Track Listing:
1. Wouldn’t Sgt. Petsound Be Nice?
2. You Still Believe in My Friends
3. That’s Not Lucy
4. Don’t Talk (Get Better)
5. I’m Fixing It, Dayhole
6. She’s Going Away for Awhile
7. Being for the Benefit of Sloop John B!
8. God Only Knows What I’d Be Within You
9. I Know There’re Sixty-Four Answers
10. Today, Rita
11. I Just Wasn’t Made for Good Mornings
12. Sgt. Petsound’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprieve)
13. A Day in the Life of Caroline
14. Runout Groove

Sgt. Petsounds is a phenomenal mashup of the Beach Boys "pet sounds" and the Beatles " Sgt. Peppers" albums. Matching track for track, this is an incredibly complex mashup that combines the two albums in some very clever ways. I have listened to this mashup countless times, and I never get tired of it. I would advise listening on headphones (at least the first time). Sgt. Petsounds was created by Clayton Counts and released on his blog. It became a huge success in short order and Clayton received a cease and desist order from EMI records shortly thereafter. Clayton removed the release from his blog, but it lives on via many other music blogs and torrent sites. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I have.




Download: Sgt. Petsounds part 1
Download size: 53.1 MB

Download: Sgt. Petsounds part 2
Download size: 41.07 MB

Quote of the day

Music is everybody's possession.
It's only publishers who think that people own it.
~John Lennon

Viper Mad Blues - 25 songs of dope and depravity

Year of Release: 1991
Label: Mojo Records
Genre: Jazz, Blues

Track Listing:
1. Kickin' The Gong Around - Cab Calloway & His Cotton Club Orchestra
2. Dope Head Blues - Victoria Spivey
3. Cocaine Habit Blues - The Memphis Jug Band
4. Pipe Dream Blues - Hazel Meyers
5. Smoking Reefers - Larry Adler
6. Take A Whiff On Me - Leadbelly
7. Killin' Jive - The Cats & The Fiddle
8. You'se A Viper - Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club Boys
9. The Stuff Is Here And It's Mellow - Cleo Brown
10. Reefer Man - Baron Lee & The Blue Rhythm Band
11. The Onyx Hop - Frankie Newton & His Uptown Serenaders
12. Knockin' Myself Out - Lil Green
13. Junker's Blues - Champion Jack Dupree
14. Reefer Hound Blues - Curtis Jones
15. The Reefer Song - Fats Waller
16. I'm Feeling High And Happy - Gene Krupa & His Orchestra
17. When I Get Low, I Get High - Chick Webb & His Orchestra
18. Ol' Man River (Smoke A Little Tea) - Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutter
19. Blue Reefer Blues - Richard M. Jones & His Jazz Wizards
20. Cocaine - Dick Justice
21. Reefer Head Woman - Jazz Gillum & His Jazz Boys
22. Willie The Weeper - Frankie 'Halfpint' Jaxon
23. Cocaine Blues - Luke Jordan
24. Blue Drag - Freddy Taylor & His Swing Men From Harlem
25. A Viper's Moan - Willie Bryant & His Orchestra

Viper: One who smokes gage AKA tea or marijuana. Usually also a member of the Jazz sub-culture.

This is an exceptional collection of jazz era songs about drug use from some of the biggest names in the business. Cab Calloway, Gene Krupa, Fats Waller and a host of other great musical acts from the 20s, 30 and 40s. Though there are a few songs about cocaine, mostly this is an assortment of "reefer songs".

Reefer songs were primarily a black phenomenon, played by black musicians to black crowds and at the time, marijuana, or "tea" was referred to as "that drug that white people are scared of". Hundreds of "tea pads" flourished in the Harlem area in the 20s and 30s. Tea pads were similar to speakeasies, only they were usually set up in apartments and had really low prices. In these tea pads, they say you could get high for a mere quarter! I can just imagine all the cool cats lounging around talking, smoking and listening to these songs.


Download: Viper Mad Blues Pt. one
Download size: 56.43 MB

Download: Viper Mad Blues Pt. two
Download size: 53.03 MB

David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Princess Tinymeat - Herstory

Princess Tinymeat was formed by Haa-Lacka Bintii *AKA* Daniel Figgiss. Figgiss was a drummer / keyboard player with the Virgin Prunes in the early '80s. With bandmates Tom Rice and Sissybox they released three Singles and a compilation album as Princess Tinymeat.

Their big hits in the clubs at the time were "Devilcock!" and the "Angels In Pain" 12", featuring lyrics lifted from the W. B. Yeats poem "The Song of Wandering Aengus", the last stanza of which reads:
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

Daniel Figgiss has since become a solo experimental musician and composer under his own name. Here is a link to his personal webspace. This is a great collection of 7" and 12" releases that is sure to please your inner 80s club kid.

Label: Rough Trade
Year of Release: 1987
Genre: Electro, noise, atmosphere

1. Lucky Bag
2. Angels In Pain
3. Sloblands
4. A Bun In The Oven
5. Jay Gone Bimbo
6. Put It There
7. The Fairest Of Them All
8. Wigs On The Green
9. Devilcock!


Download: Princess Tinymeat - Herstory
Download size: 72.39 MB

The Shamen - Drop

Link Fixed 8/22/08

Year of Release: 1987
Label: Moksha
Genre: Alternative
Style: Psychedelic Pop

Track Listing:
1. "Something About You"
2. "Passing Away"
3. "Young 'til Yesterday"
4. "World Theatre"
5. "Through With You"
6. "Where Do You Go"
7. "Do What You Will"
8. "Happy Days"
9. "Through My Window"
10. "Velvet Box"
11. "I Don't Like The Way The World Is"
12. "Other Side"
13. "Four Letter Girl"
14. "The Other Side"

Before Scottish group The Shamen hit it big with dance tunes like "move any mountain" and producing thumping acid house, they were a great psychedelic rock band. The music on this release doesn't have that raw feel of garage, but a more refined polished studio sound reminiscent of bands like Love or Pink Floyd. This is a great collection of songs about perception, mind expansion,mysticism and yes, politics. They had this great way of layering the guitars over the beat and utilizing various textures and tones that worked very well with their softly sung lyrical harmonies. All in all, this is a nice glimpse into the mind of the group before they discovered ecstasy and became a techno trance machine. I appreciate this release more than any of there later material because the musicianship involved. The dance albums they went on to produce, while good, seem so automated in comparison.

Link fixed!
Download: The Shamen - Drop
Download size: 66.87 MB

Tiny Tim - Songs Of An Impotent Troubadour

Tiny Tim
Songs of an Impotent Troubadour

Year of Release:
Label: World Serpent
Genre: Acoustic
Style: acoustic, spoken-word, comedy

Track Listing:
1. Welcome To Tiny Tim's World
2. The Ice Skaters Song - 1994
3. Poem For Elizabeth Taylor - 1947
4. You're The Only One - Song For Elizabeth Taylor
5. Tiny Tim's Search For The Magic Princess
6. The Destruction Of The Captain America Collection
7. Tiny Tim's Quest For Elizabeth Taylor
8. When I'm Feeling Sad - 1948
9. Jane - 1948
10. Our Little Secret - 1958
11. Stephanie - 1958
12. Pretty Baby - 1958
13. Don't Call Me Anymore - 1958
14. Whispering Voices - 1958
15. Heaven Only Knows - 1958
16. Dear Tuesday - 1960
17. Tiny Tim At The Café Bizarre
18. Hello Ellie Halsey - 1963
19. Tiny Tim At Page Three
20. If I Could Ride A Spaceship - 1964
21. Tiny Tim Records His 78 Classics
22. Spoiled - 1964
23. Just Another Girl Called Judy - 1964
24. Tiny Tim Receives "Siddhartha" From Miss Bluebell
25. The Tragedy Of Romance
26. Introducing Miss Dixie!
27. Forever Miss Dixie - 1982
28. Tiny Tim Meets The Eternal Princess
29. Jessica Hahn I - 1989
30. I Used To Love Jessica Hahn, But Now I Love Stephanie Bohn - 1990
31. Jessica Hahn II - 1989
32. Santa Claus Has Got The Aids This Year - 1980
33. She Left Me With The Herpes - 1980
34. The Ballad Of An Impotent Troubadour - 1995 - Tiny Tim
35. Just What Do You Mean By 'Antichrist'? - Tiny Tim with Current 93 and Nurse With Wound

An excerpt from the inner sleeve of this disc...
~An Impotent Troubadour~
~A Valentine's Message From Tiny Tim~
"Why do I call myself by that name? Because it is true. However, I still yearn and love to sing love songs to young, beautiful girls.
My private parts may not function too well, but my heart for love and romance is on fire.
May this message give encouragement to those who are impotent -
To keep singing
Even if your bell stops ringing..."

This is the real Tiny Tim baring his soul and pouring his heart out for all to hear. These are all orignal songs, stories and poems
not only performed by the man himself, but with introductions and history surrounding the material and how the songs relate to his real life experiences.
Tiny Tim was a real storyteller and I can only imagine how fascinating it would have been to meet him. Song #35, however, is a bit different and seem a bit out of place here. In a 1995 telephone conversation with David Tibet, Tim gives us his thoughts on the anti-christ, the second coming of Christ and life on other planets.
This is all mixed with the sort of creepy electronic noise that listeners of Nurse With Wound or Current 93 will be familiar with.
After a minute of silence there is another spoken bit, this time in a studio, where Tim talks of the worlds need for love.
God bless Tiny Tim.


Download: Tiny Tim - Songs of an Impotent Troubadour
Download size: 70.12 MB

Introductions

Hello to the Digital Meltdown blog readers!
Allow me to take a quick moment and introduce myself to everyone. Psycho Cat, here. I'm a steady reader of the blog, a dedicated husband / bartender / psychoanalyst. I love a wide variety of music, art and artists. I'm also one of the worst guitar players in the world.

We have something special here at Digital Meltdown and I'm excited to say that I'm now going to be a solid part of it! I'll be contributing to the blog a couple of days a week, possibly more. (or until I get voted off the island.)

I wish in closing this brief introduction to thank Zer0_II for single-handedly maintaining this blog over the past couple of years, and giving me an opportunity to get involved.

Purple Fluid Exchange - Pernicious Nonsense

Year of Release: 1990
Label: Naked Brain
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Breakbeat, Synth-pop, Indie Rock, Ambient

gogglbox side:
1. S.O.S.
2. Disinformation Rise And Shine
3. Flowered Up
4. Iguana Trifle
halfbaked side:
5. Killer Teens In New Orleans
6. Falling Fruit
7. Radiation / John Wayne Was A Fag

The Purple Fluid Exchange (PFX) is an alias used by the band Gaye Bykers On Acid (GBOA), particularly on their more dance oriented releases. GBOA was formed in 1986 and were one of the early English bands to really bridge the gap between rock and hip hop. The orginal members were Robber (Robbie Byker), guitarist Tony and Kevin Hyde on drums. Mary Millington (Mary, Mary) performed vocals. DJ Rocket Ronnie later joined the group on the turntables.

Their stage presence fused Hell's Angels grittiness with decadent 60s psychedelia. Their frontman, Mary Millington, sported tall platform shoes, wild dresses and all manner of psychedelic glasses, goggles, makeup and wigs. PFX wasn't their only alter-ego, either. They frequently opened for themselves as an Aussie band, The Lesbian Dopeheads On Mopeds, or the eastern European thrash metal group Rektum. To say these guys had a sense of humor would be an understatement. The first 1,000 copies of the 1987 LP "Drill Your Own Hole" actually required listeners to drill their own hole in the center of the LP!

Filled with crazy synth work, tons of samples and funky beats, this disc is an all-out psychedelic dance party. The inside cover art even shows a sheet of acid!
Enjoy responsibly.

Download: The Purple Fluid Exchange - Pernicious Nonsense
Download size: 36.51 MB

Phantom Chords - Johnny Remember Me 12" CD Single

Year of Release: 1990
Label: M&G Polydor Records LTD
Genre: Rockabilly

Track Listing:
1. Johnny Remember Me
2. Ghost Train
3. Relentless

Another single for an unreleased album. This one is from The Phantom Chords, which I played constantly, patiently waiting for an LP that never came out. Great haunting sounds from Dave Vanian and his new band.

History:
Dave Vanian and Roman Jugg of The Damned formed The Phantom Chords in 1988. Having become bored with The Damned and wanting to play music they really could relate to, the two began writing songs and by 1990 had secured a deal with M&G Polydor records. That year, the band's debut single "Johnny Remember Me" was released and the band, sporting a cool rockabilly attitude and doing mostly cover songs, played quite a few sold-out shows. Sadly, within a few months M&G Polydor dropped the band from their label before a second single could be released. Much time and effort had went into writing and recording songs for the debut album, which now would not be released because M&G Polydor owned the material.

Two one-sided acetates exist of the unreleased debut album, and are available only as a bootleg.

Download: The Phantom Chords - Johnny Remember Me 12"
Download size: 10.49 MB

The Rose Of Avalanche - A Peace Inside

The Rose of Avalanche
A Peace Inside 3" CD

Year of Release: 1989
Label: Avalantic Records
Genre: indie

Track Listing:
1. A Peace Inside
2. The Eden Skies
3. Can You See This Life
4. In At The Deep End

This E.P. represents a departure of style by Rose Of Avalanche following the loss of guitarist Glen Schulz and bass player Nicol McKay. This was a time of serious change for the band, as evidenced by the material on this disc. The doom and gloom of their previous sound is gone and these new songs are upbeat and clear, with catchy guitar hooks and introspective lyrics sung in Phil Morris characteristic vocal style. The band even refers to themselves on the back cover as "The Rose". The band was back to stay, with a new name and ready to rock, or so it seemed.

Unfortunately, this was right about the time that the major record companies recognized that hit indie singles could really sell albums and created their own 'indie' labels. The records, however, had nothing to do with independent companies and the indie charts became largely irrelevant over the next few years. Though this four song EP remains my favorite release by the group, it also signified the nearing of the end. For The Rose Of Avalanche, 1990 saw a new lineup and a new CD..."string 'a' beads'. It was similar in style to this E.P., but just wasn't a commercial success. After one final release entitled "I.C.E.", the band called it quits.

Download: The Rose Of Avalanche - A Peace Inside
Download size: 16.45 MB

KPM1104 | Delia Derbyshire - Electrosonic

Electrosonic (aka KPM1104)is a 1972 KPM Library record electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire made with Brian Hodgson and Don Harper while moonlighting from day jobs at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. One of the most enigmatic albums in the KPM sound library of the early 70s,a haunting batch of spare electronic tracks by Delia Derbyshire, who is best remembered for her musical work for the Dr Who! television series. The tracks here are far more mellow and contemplative than her previous work. Most numbers are short and built around simple, spare themes played by Delia with a gently flowing approach that's often quite melodic, even though the tunes themselves echo with a fair bit of darkness. The overall sound isn't as funky as you might expect from other KPM releases, but it more than makes up for that with an incredible array of sounds, techniques, and odd little notes, all of which come across with a "voice" that's far different than some of Delia's better known electronic music contemporaries.

Year of Release: 1972
Label: KPM Library (Catalog KPM1104)
Genre: Electronic, Experimental, Library
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. Quest
2. Quest (Fast)
3. Computermatic
4. Frontier To Knowledge
5. The Pattern Emerges
6. Freeze Frame
7. Plodding Power
8. Busy Microbes
9. Liquid Energy
10. Liquid Energy (Bubbling Rhythm)
11. No Man's Land
12. Depression
13. Nightwalker
14. Electrostings
15. Electrobuild
16. Celestial Cantabile
17. Effervescence
18. The Wizards Laboratory
19. Shock Chords

Download: Delia Derbyshire - Electrosonic
Download Size: 41MB

King Khan & His Shrines - What Is?!

I apologize for the recent lack of updates. The Digital Meltd0wn network has kept me occupied recently, and I've had to take a couple of journeys recently also. I'm working on finding someone who would be willing to become a regular contributor here so that I can update as often as I have in the past. I've been trying to post a few more straight forward rock albums for those who might not be into the more experimental selections that I've posted recently, but rest assured that I will back to showcasing my eclectic taste once again soon.

King Khan is a tongue-in-cheek retro revivalist channeling the 13th Floor Elevators.. a Hindu James Brown fronting a dangerously funky garage rock/show band hybrid, a man who spews musical voodoo on par with the late, great Screamin' Jay Hawkins. The King is all that and more. While the last album (much more polished in it's production) leaned heavily on the 70's, 'What Is?!' takes another step back to the psychedelic 60's.

Retaining the funky, horn-laden ethos of the band with a garage rock twist, this album is painfully authentic sounding in it's raw production. You can practically close your eyes and see the lava lamp/black light posters and smell the hashish in groove-intensive tunes like '(How Can I Keep You) Outta Harms Way', 'I See Lights', 'No Regrets' and 'Le Fils De Jacques Dutronc'.

Throw in some equally fun moments of soul ('69 Faces of Love') and psychedelia ('Cosmic Serenade')and you've got the blueprint to the best key party ever. Khan and his Shrines obviously don't take themselves seriously and to properly enjoy this album, neither should you. While the musicianship on display is tight, this album is all about cutting loose.

Track List:
1. (How Can I Keep You) Outta Harms Way
2. I Wanna Be A Girl
3. Welfare Bread
4. Land Of The Freak
5. I See Lights
6. 69 Faces Of Love
7. No Regrets
8. Cosmic Serenade
9. Le Fils De Jacques Dutronc
10. Let Me Holler
11. In Your Grave
12. Take A Little Bit
13. Fear & Love
14. The Ballad Of Lady Godiva

Download: King Khan & His Shrines - What Is?!
Download Size: 68MB

BBQ - Tie Your Noose

In a world of roots-conscious two-person blues-punk combos, BBQ has raised the bar by proving you can do it all by your lonesome. Thanks to the magic of foot pedals, Mark Sultan handles both the guitar and the backbeat on his second album as BBQ, Tie Your Noose, and if his rhythmic style is a bit less elaborate than that of, say, Bantam Rooster or the Flat Duo Jets, his guitar work is both tough and melodic, and unlike most of his peers he's not afraid to let a natural sweetness show in his voice. The songs on Tie Your Noose have as much to do with rockabilly and classic soul as guitar-shot blues ("Don't You Hold Out on Me" sounds like a lost Sam Cooke number, and "Burn This Town" would do Johnny Burnette proud), while Sultan can make with the big rock or ease off into a lighter-impact approach with equal skill, giving this set a welcome sense of variety many blues-punk rockers lack. And while Ed La Rocque's low-rent engineering and production fall a bit short of hi-fi, they capture Sultan's live energy with no-frills accuracy and a low-tech sound that's warm and inviting.

Track List
1. C'mon and Love Me
2. Outta My Mind
3. Waddlin' Around
4. Year Old Wine
5. Don't Hold Out On Me
6. Tie Your Noose
7. Shake Real Low
8. Out Of Time
9. Hang It Up
10. Burn This Town
11. Justify
12. Record Machine

Download: BBQ - Tie Your Noose
Download Size: 30.5MB

News Concerning the Digital Meltd0wn Social Network

As some of you may already know, I recently created a social network for Digital Meltd0wn. It is intended to serve as a community where musicians, artists, and those who love art and music in general can meet and learn from one another. The network has been up for a couple of weeks now, and I'm happy to report that all is going well. Here are a few stats about the network for those interested:

Members: 76
Forum Discussions: 95
Songs: 141
Photos: 93
Videos: 57
Blog Posts: 13
Groups: 6

21 new members have signed up in the last week alone. There are a few additions that some of you may be interested in. I have created a forum category for music bloggers to promote their blogs and share updates. I have also created a group for independent writers, artists, and musicians to promote and share their work. There are also a few other surprises, but you'll have to visit the site to see what I'm talking about. If you are interested in learning more about art and music, or just looking to meet like-minded people, then please join our network:

http://digitalmeltd0wn.ning.com