Various Artists - Eat Me! Best of Cannibal Movie Soundtracks

I found a copy of Ruggero Deodato’s cult classic (???) Cannibal Holocaust at Streetlight Records twenty or more years ago. Although I am not a true horror or exploitation buff, preferring more the style of David Lynch & Alejandro Jodorowsky among others, I always really enjoyed/was repulsed by this film.

I found this compilation a few years back on knifefightingjesus website, but all of the files seem no longer available. If you’re interested in this sort of thing, you might want to grab it as there is no telling how long it will last. This collection of music features some great tunes from a variety of films in the cannibal films genre.

Cannibal Films is a sub genre of exploitation film made mostly by Italian filmmakers through the 1970s & 1980s. This sub genre is a collection of graphically gory movies  usually depicting cannibalism by primitive, Stone-age natives deep inside the Asian or South American rain forests. Although not all cannibal films show cannibalism on screen, all the movies are connected with the genre by stating that the tribe is cannibalistic & while cannibalism is the common denominator of these films, the general emphasis focuses more on various forms of shocking, realistic, & graphic violence, usually torture, rape, castration &/or animal cruelty. Similar to Mondo films, the main draw of cannibal films was the promise of gore, exotic locales, & cruel behavior. They eventually became a popular feature of Grindhouse culture. The peak of the genre’s popularity was from 1977 to 1981, a period that has come to be known as the cannibal boom.

Due to their graphic content, the films of this subgenre are often the center of controversy. Many of the films include genuine slayings of animals, making them a common target of censors around the world. The inclusion of graphic gore & sexual violence has also landed the films in censorship problems.

Year of Release: 2009

Label: Sharity Surfin’ presents

Genre: Soundtrack

Tracklist:

 01 Cannibal Girls / Raw Meat Trailer

02 Cannibal Holocaust Main Theme

03 Adulteress’ Punishment - Cannibal Holocaust

04 Massacre of the Troupe - Cannibal Holocaust

05 Savage Rite - Cannibal Holocaust

06 Target Firing - Cannibal Apocalypse

07 Fued Ramses Exotic Catering Service - Blood Feast

08 Cannibal Ferox Theme

09 NYC Main - Cannibal Ferox

10 Jungle Jive / Not The Pirahnas - Cannibal Ferox

11 Killing 2 Parrots w/1 Cracker – Rudy & Gloria Get Screwed - Cannibal Ferox

12 Isle of the Damned Action Theme

13 Funky Credentials  -  Isle of the Damned

14 High Tail for Heros – Isle of the Damned

15 Waiting for the Cannibals - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

16 Cannibals at Work - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

17 Cannibal’s Dance - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

18 Cannibals in Pursuit - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

19 Make Love on the Wing - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

20 The Dark Side of the Soul II - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

Cannibal Girls composed by Doug Riley

Raw Meat composed by Wil Malone & Jeremy Rose

Cannibal Holocaust composed by Riz Ortolani

Cannibal Apocalypse composed by Alessandro Blonksteiner

Blood Feast composed by Herschell Gordon Lewis

Cannibal Ferox composed by Fabio Frizzi
Isle of the Damned composed by Kobold
Emanuelle & the last Cannibals composed by Nico Fidenco

Download: Various Artists – Eat Me! Best of the Cannibal Movie Soundtracks

Download Size: 103.1MB

Download Mirror: Various Artists - Eat Me! Best of the Cannibal Movie Soundtracks
Download Size: 103.1MB


Update: A new download link has been provided for those experiencing technical difficulties with the Mega website. The link labeled "Download Mirror" now redirects to the Mega site. You will need to copy the key provided in the comments section (should be the first comment), and paste it where it says Decryption Key on the Mega site.

Mordant Karma - Devour cassette

In March, 2011, when a massive earthquake caused a devastating tsunami in Japan, I posted a cassette by Karasyozoku entitled Mischievous Sigyn 1923. They are a hard noise band from Japan & this release was on the great Lust Vessel label. At the time I stated that I had other material from Lust Vessel in case anyone was interested. Well, DM founder Zer0_II replied that he would like to hear more, but the request got shuttled to the back burner. As I was re-uploading lost files recently, I noticed his comment. Thought nearly two years later I might just oblige…kinda.

Mordant Karma has released material on Lust Vessel, but Devour was released in 2012 on White Centipede Noise. Mordant Karma is an obscure solo noise project from Japan that started recording in 2008, using home-made metal junk instruments to make nonstop earsplitting feedback. The wall-of-sound from this inhospitable harsh noise is intended to strongly stimulate our libido.

Really a great release from this unknown Japanese project. Multilayered harsh noise paired with annoying, clean feedback, producing "pure" noise, uninfluenced by musical ideas or even human intention, using primarily feedback, vocals, & various electronics.

Year of Release: 2012

Label: White Centipede Noise ‎– WCN011

Genre: Electronic, Noise

Tracklist:

Side A: untitled

Side B: untitled

Download: Mordant Karma – Devour (ripped from type II Chrome c32 cassette at 320Kbps)

Download Size: 67.5MB

decryption code in comments

Saccharine Trust - The Great One is Dead (2001 - 320Kbps)

Since the recent activity geared up here at Digital Meltd0wn, we have been trying out different servers to upload files that hopefully will have a bit of longevity. None of the ones we've tried, Depositfiles, Zippyshare, or FreakShare have been perfect, or even equal to the old days of Mediafire or Rapidshare since the attack perpetrated on Kim Dotcom & MegaUpload. Well, this Saturday, on the one year anniversary of said New Zealand attack, Kim & Company have launched a new Privacy project called Mega. This is the first posting I've done using their new service. Here's hoping...

Saccharine Trust came out of the southern California SST scene that also included bands like Black Flag, SWA, Descendents, October Faction, DC3, Tom Troccoli's Dog & many many more. The band was started by singer Jack Brewer (Jack Brewer Band, Perfect Rat, w/Bazooka, w/Kava) & Joe Baiza (Universal Congress of..., October Faction, Natassya Filippovna, & Unknown Instructors[with Mike Watt & George Hurley of Minutemen fame] in 1980. Original drummer Rob Holzman appeared on their 1981 debut Paganicons but left the band to play in Slovenly & was replaced by drummer Tony Cicero. Many musick luminaries including Kurt Cobain, Buzz Osborne, & Sonic Youth have named Sacchrine Trust as a major influence on their musick. Sonic Youth covered their song "I Am Right" on the SST compilation The Melting Plot.

This CD was only available from Hazelwood Records in Germany & was never released in the US.

Year of Release: 2001
Label: Hazelwood Records
Catalog #: HAZ 015
Genre: Post-hardcore

Tracklist:

1. The Sinister Rain
2. Grotian Phraseology
3. The Sadness of Apollo
4. Legends Die Behind the Wheel, at Least
5. Neruda's Wave
6. Birthing the Ancestors
7. Antecedent Satisfaction
8. This is Wilmington
9. Nocturnal Ballets
10. Reggie's Plateau
11. Untitled No.2 (I Gave Another Dimension the Slip)
12. Ordinary Calvinistic
13. Untitled No.1 (The Creative Fluctuation)
14. The Great One is Dead
15. Water on the Dancefloor
16. Against Faustus
17. Resuscitate the Worm
18. Now that You're Dead

Download: Saccharine Trust - The Great One is Dead
Download Size: 105.1MB
Decryption key for download from Mega in comments

Note: To check out this file, get the decryption key from comments. Go to the link site. Enter the decryption code where asked. Check terms agreement. Download. The only issue is with MEGA. Their site does not work with many browsers as they use HTML5. They recommend Google Chrome & provide a download link. You may have to do this, I know that I did. Zer0_II also hipped me to Comodo Dragon browser that is built on the Chromium platform but with no connection to Google. I tried it on MEGA & it works great. FYI.

Egisto Macchi - Sei Composizioni (Gemelli - GG.ST 10.036) (1975 - 320kbps)

One problem with having a rather large collection of music is that you tend to lose track of a few otherwise unforgettable and amazing albums. While I was focusing on my dark and twisted library music theme in November, I somehow managed to overlook this twisted gem from the dark Italian maestro, Egisto Macchi. "Sei Composizioni" (Catalog # GG.ST 10.036) was released on the Italian label, Gemelli, in 1975, and was Egisto Macchi's 10th full-length library music LP. His typically dark and discordant approach can be compared to some of fellow Italian composer Piero Umiliani's own library music efforts. Egisto Macchi was also known as an avid promoter of music and theatre, and was actually much more active in this role than he was as a composer. Not only did belong to a number of organizations which promoted the study, advancement and appreciation of music and the arts, but he also founded several of his own. You can read more about his personal life and evolution as a composer here.

"Sei Composizioni" consists only of 6 tracks, though two of these are long-players, approaching and exceeding 10 minutes in length. Macchi manages to make a powerful statement in a relatively short amount of time with his hauntingly effective compositions, which rival even the most legendary of horror film scores. This is music designed to infect your mind with paranoia and nightmares, and it succeeds masterfully. While I don't have time to thoroughly review each track, I would like to focus on the two tracks which stand high above the rest contained on this album.

"Sei Composizioni" begins with the strange and disturbing "Per Cembalo", which is dominated by unsettling and discordant harpsichord sounds, which are accompanied by a variety of unsettling sounds. Macchi pounds on the harpsichord in a most savage manner, and bombards the keys with various objects. The sounds of footsteps running across the floor, objects being dropped and glass being broken help construct and maintain the tense atmosphere. "Per Cembalo" would be my favorite track on the album were it not for the track that follows it.

The second track, "Kleines Dachauer Requiem", is an absolute masterpiece of dark and experimental music. The vocals, which are utilized as musical instruments in his composition, are the highlight of the track. Choral chants, menacing hisses and haunting whispers are brilliantly used throughout . The sound of glass breaking and unidentified items clashing together make up the abstract percussionary sounds. At first the atmosphere is sparse, as the vocals and sound effects are used rather sparingly. Layers of sound are subsequently introduced, and the tension begins to gradually build toward the latter half of the track. The choral chanting becomes more frantic and urgent, eventually reaching a nearly overwhelming atmosphere of suspense and dread. The cacophony of overlapping voices creates a deliciously sinister sound. If you could make a recording of the descent into the mind of a psychotic individual, I would imagine that it would sound something like this, as each layer of the subconscious is explored before finally emerging upon the chaotic source that lies at the heart of the disturbed mind.

"Lamento" and Quintetto Seriale" are dominated by stringed instruments and piano, with melodies that are more traditional in structure in comparison to the abstract and experimental sound heard in the preceding tracks. At certain points the mood becomes noticeably lighter, as Macchi parts the atmosphere of impending doom, allowing moments of beauty to emerge, if only for an instant. "Computers" recaptures Macchi's more experimental side. It begins with a solo of clicking percussion sounds, which sound somewhat like hooves on a cobblestone road. New layers of sound are gradually added, as strings, flute and chimes are subsequently introduced. "Computers" culminates in a tense atmosphere that stops short of the frenzied atmosphere of "Kleines Dachauer Requiem". "Allunage" rounds out the album strongly. It begins with yet another sparse percussion intro before reintroducing the choral arrangements once again. The piece begin rather grimly, however, the latter half introduces a more uplifting and otherwordly sound to close out the album.

I honestly can't recommend this album enough. It is worth downloading simply for the rewarding experience of listening to "Kleines Dachauer Requiem", but the rest of the album is very impressive. Those of you who enjoy experimental and contemporary classical should especially enjoy this masterpiece of library music.

Year of Release: 1975
Label: Gemelli
Catalog #: GG.ST 10.036
Genres: Library Music, Experimental, Avant-Garde, Musique Concrete, Contemporary Classical
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
A1. Per Cembalo
A2. Kleines Dachauer Requiem
A3. Lamento
B1. Computers
B2. Quintetto Seriale
B3. Allunage

Download: Egisto Macchi - Sei Composizioni (Gemelli - GG.ST 10.036)
Download Mirror: Egisto Macchi - Sei Composizioni (Gemelli - GG.ST 10.036)
Download Size: 77MB

Egisto Macchi - Futurissimo (St Germain Des Prés - St GDP 117) (1971 - 256kbps)

To be honest I'm a little burnt out on writing at the moment, so this post is going to be a bit shorter than usual. I just finished five 500 word essays for school, along with a 5 page report, which I have been working on since I woke up this morning.

In case you're just now tuning in, I have been running with a dark and twisted library music series the last couple of weeks. One of the first I shared was Egisto Macchi's amazing 1976 library music album, Sei Composizioni, released on the Gemelli label as GG.ST 10.036 in 1976. Now I would like to share my personal favorite from Macchi, Futurrismo. Futurrismo was released on the French label, St Germain Des Prés in 1971. St Germain Des Prés was a sub-label of one of my favorite production music libraries, Montparnasse 2000.

For those unfamiliar with his work, Egisto Macchi was a legendary Italian composer of dark avant-garde and musique concrète library music. Macchi once again brilliantly combines dark, unnerving and broken electronic sounds with abstract traditional musical instrumentation. Foreboding violins, droning electric guitars, Disturbing sounds effects, such as knocking upon a wall, screeching metal, howling winds, shrieking animalistic sounds and strange voices are implemented to enhance the unnerving atmosphere. Macchi takes you on a trip, to a dark, hellish future, one which I will be returning to often.

Year of Release: 1971
Label: St Germain Des Prés
Catalog: St GDP 117
Genres: Library Music, Avant-garde, Experimental
Bitrate: 256kbps

Track List:
A1. Chambre Anachronique
A2. Nouvelles Planètes
A3. Appel Spatial
A4. Moduule Lunaire
B1. Capsule en Panne
B2. Forme Planétaire
B3. Gare Spatiale
B4. Extra-Terrestre
B5. Limite Extrême
B6. Nébuleuses
B7. Bande Radioactive

Download: Egisto Macchi - Futurissimo (St Germain Des Prés - St GDP 117)
Download Size: 61MB

Egisto Macchi - Voix (Gemelli - GG.ST.10.031) (1970 - 320kbps)

Here is yet another amazing dark avant-garde library music LP from Italian composer Egisto Macchi. Many people consider Voix to be his masterpiece. While it is an amazing record in its own right, I personally prefer both Futurissimo and Sei Composizioni, both of which I recently shared on the blog. You can find Futurissimo here and Sei Composizioni here.

Voix was released in 1970, and was the first library music album that Macchi composed. It was the first of many he composed for the amazing Italian library label, Gemelli. Gemelli released several avant-garde library music LPs. It was owned and operated by legendary Italian composer, Bruno Nicolai, up until his death in 1991. Unfortunately Gemelli releases are extremely difficult to come by. Only 500 copies of each release were pressed.

As with all of Macchi's work, Voix is an absolute masterpiece of dark avant-garde music. The majority of the tracks have an ominous tone, with a mechanical or industrial feel to them. The percussion work is absolutely amazing, with small handheld percussion instruments at the forefront, backed by powerful tribal rhythms. There is also plenty of hauntingly, beautiful piano work throughout. In contrast, there are also some more brutal moments, as Macchi relentlessly pounds upon the keys in a frantic manner. Vocals play a prominent role in the arrangements, with haunting choral vocals appearing on several tracks, as well as strange muffled voices, menacing hisses and disturbing laughter. Piano keys are frantically pounded upon. Ominous strings feature prominently throughout, often used in in a rhythmical, percussive manner. Ambient electronics provide a textured backdrop to several of the tracks.

The B-side marks a change in tone, with many of the tracks having a whimsical, dreamlike feel to them, while still retaining a a slightly sinister undertone. There is a distinct theme present on the B-side, featuring a common melody which can be heard on "La Memoire", "Chanson De La Nuit" and "Chanson Du Matin". This will be one of the last albums I share for my dark and twisted library music series. I plan to move out of the shadows soon, and showcase some of the more upbeat library music gems.

Year of Release: 1970
Label: Gemelli
Catalog #: GG.ST. 10.031
Genres: Library Music, Avant-Garde, Contemporary Classical,
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
A1. Pensée
A2. Phonèmes
A3. Diaphragme
A4. Voix
A5. Moonsong
A6. Timbres
A7. À Plein Gosier
B1. La Mémoire
B2. La Calme
B3. Le Cauchemar
B4. Chanson De La Nuit
B5. Chanson Du Matin
B6. Reflexions
B7. Gouttes
B8. Inquiètude

Download: Egisto Macchi - Voix (Gemelli - GG.ST. 10.031)
Download Size: 74MB

A Tijuana Trip - A Meth-Lab Experience

A Tijuana Trip was originally a one man band started in November 2005 in Lyon, France by Pierre Guilbert. He says he was influenced by a combination of American indie bands of the 80s & 90s (like Soundgarden, Hüsker Dü, Nirvana, Black Flag, Kyuss) & the Link Wray surf sound. Pierre has described it as “stoner surfing”. ATT’s first demo, from 2006 is called A Meth-Lab Experience.

The Tijuana Trip is a brief sojourn, only five instrumental tracks, a short journey into the depths of the desert near Tijuana, lying in the back of a car under the influence of something seemingly more psychedelic than meth.

This demo was followed in 2007 by a three track Everybody Needs It.  ATT’s musick has evolved to a style somewhere between dreamy heavy rock, dissident hardcore & dusty Americana, aiming to take the listener to far & dry places fueled by the acid swell of a well deserved trip.

In 2009, Pierre was joined by Xavier "Wallot" on bass to propel Pierre toward  new lands & horizons. A 3rd EP was supposedly on the way. Does anyone know any more?

Year of Release: 2006

Label: self-produced demo

Genre: Stoner Rock

Tracklist:

Opium

Bad Alcohol

Red Forest

Cocaino Party

Ether Desert

Download: A TijuanaTrip – A Meth-Lab Experience

Download Size: 56.9MB (320Kbps)

decryption code in comments - cut & paste where needed

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Distorted Pony - Instant Winner

Guitarist David U. and bass-player Dora Jahr first played as Distorted Pony in 1986. They later added drummer Theodore Jackson and noise-guitarist Robert Hammer. Steve Albini recorded their two albums of angst-metal, Punishment (1992) and Instant Winner (1994).

Instant Winner put a stamp on the recording career of the resoundingly original Distorted Pony, a groundbreaking band from California in the late '80s and early '90s. Surprisingly, this postmortem collection of songs is the most cohesive of the band's recording career. Highlights include the stirring focus of "Lamb Stink" and "Big Sprawling Corrupt," with a focus on Dora Jahr's wrenching vocals. The band's penchant for dissonance continued, and the feedback and blistering guitars, bass and drums add up to a brilliant and encapsulating wall of sound. Trance Syndicate Records unveiled the band's final creation in 1994.
(Year of Release: 1994)

Track List:
1. Dept. Of Existence
2. Smitten
3. Lamb Stink
4. Big Sprawling Corrupt
5. Dollar Pizza
6. Slow Leak
7. Go Kart
8. Sparkle
9. Cripple
10. Fifty Cent Pizza
11. A Fine View From The Temple

Download: Distorted Pony - Instant Winner (114MB)

Bernard Herrmann - Psycho (1975 re-recording)

Sometimes I feel like going psycho. It's been one of those semesters for me. Although it has not been possible to spoil you kind readers as you were last year for the Halloween Countdown, I still have a couple treats in store that I hope you enjoy.

During the Halloween Countdown of 2008, Zer0_II posted the score for 1960's Psycho and mentioned in his post that there was a re-recording conducted by the maestro himself in 1975. Rejoice in morbid glee for today, you get that re-recording of this horrific masterpiece. There have been modern re-recordings, namely those by Joel McNeeley and Danny Elfman respectively, but in my opinion the 1975 version still reigns.

This is one of those works that I will never tire of hearing. Although Hitchcock's film itself is a classic and worth seeing, mostly for its historical value in my opinion, it does lack a certain punch by today's standards as has been noted by many fans. Herrmann's music on the other hand is timeless and will stick with you to the grave. Sleep tight!

Year of Original Release: 1975
Year of Reissue: 1989
Label: Unicorn-Kanchana
Catalog #: UKCD 2021
Genre: Soundtrack
Media: CD
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
1 Prelude And Dawn
2 The City
3 Marion
4 Marion And Sam
5 Temptation
6 Flight
7 The Patrol Car
8 The Car Lot
9 The Package
10 The Rainstorm
11 Hotel Room
12 The Window
13 The Parlour
14 The Madhouse
15 The Peephole
16 The Bathroom
17 The Murder
18 The Body
19 The Office
20 The Curtain
21 The Water
22 The Car
23 The Swamp
24 The Search
25 The Shadow
26 Phone Booth
27 The Porch
28 The Stairs
29 The Knife
30 The Search
31 First Floor
32 Cabin 10
33 Cabin 1
34 The Hill
35 The Bedroom
36 The Toys
37 The Cellar
38 Discovery
39 Finale

Download: Bernard Herrmann - Psycho
Download Size: 130MB

La Monte Young - The 'Black Record'

Here is a great companion piece to the recent Outside or Inside (the Dream Syndicate) posts.

The Black Record is actually entitled 31 VII 69 10:26 - 10:49 PM Munich from Map of 49's Dream: The Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Lightyears Tracery; 23 VIII 64 2:50:45-3:11 AM the Volga Delta from Studies in The Bowed Disc. It is called more simply the Black Record after the album artwork done by La Monte’s wife Marian Zazeela.

La Monte Young is one of the founding members of the genre of musick called Minimalism (a term which he despises). He is one of the greatest innovators of 20th century composition. His influence is everywhere in the world of modern musick. Unfortunately he is for the most part unheard & unknown outside a small circle of musickians & musick lovers.

Young & Zazeela recorded their first full length album in Munich for Heiner Friedrich's Edition X label. Released as a limited edition of 2000, the first 98 were signed & dated by the artists. Side one is a section of “Map of 49's Dream”, performed by Young with sinewave drone & voice, with vocal accompaniment by Zazeela. Side two is an extract from “Study for the Bowed Disc” featuring the duo bowing a gong given to them by sculptor Robert Morris. Morris had made it for his dance piece “War” & asked Young to play it for the performance. Afterwards Morris presented the gong to Young, who began experimenting on it with double bass bows. Young recommended the listener turn the musick up (PLAY FUCKING LOUD), the resulting low drone being a spiritual tool. For the album artwork, Marian Zazeela embedded her calligraphic lettering & designs in black. The point is to focus on her artwork while concentrating on the vocal/sinewave drones of Young's dream music.

Year of Release: 1969
Label: Edition X
Genre: Avant-garde Minimalist

Tracklist:
Side 1 -
31 VII 69 10:26 - 10:49 PM Munich from Map of 49‘s Dream: The Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Lightyears Tracery
Side 2 -
23 VIII 64 2:50:45 - 3:11 AM the Volga Delta from Studies in the Bowed Disc

Download: La Monte Young - Black Record
Download Size: 99MB at 320Kbps

The Dream Syndicate - Inside The Dream Syndicate Volume I: Day Of Niagara

Thought this might be a nice companion piece to Sab’s first post. "Day of Niagara" was recorded in New York City on April 25,1965. It features: La Monte Young - vocals; Marian Zazeela - vocals; John Cale - viola; Tony Conrad - violin; & Angus MacLise - percussion.

Year of Release: 2000
Label: Table Of The Elements W 74
Genre: Experimental, Minimal

Tracklist:
Day Of Niagara

Download: The Dream Syndicate - Inside the Dream Syndicate Vol. 1: Day of Niagara
Download Size: 70.8MB

New York Dolls - Personality Crisis EP

What do I need to say about this. You know the band...you know the songs. This is an import four-song 12“ ep on the Kamera label out of France. These versions (different from the New York Dolls self-titled first album recorded at Record Plant, NYC) were recorded October 1972 at Escape Studious, Smarden, Kent, U.K.

Year of Release: 1982
Label: Kamera Records ERA 013-12
Genre: Glam

Tracklist:
Side One -
Personality Crisis
Looking For A Kiss
Side Two -
Subway Train
Bad Girl

Download: New York Dolls - Personality Crisis 12“ ep
Download Size: 35.8MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)

Hickey - Hickey (1995 - 320kbps)

Hickey was a great punk band from San Francisco by way of Florida. I could probably write columns about Hickey, their history & adventures, personal anecdotes from their many live performances, the bittersweet tale of Matty Luv...but I think as with all great musick, the songs themselves speak more eloquently & more succinctly than can any words.

Suffice it to say that the first time I met Matty & drummer Aesop Dekker, they were still the F’Boyz (the F stands for Fuck). They were playing a party on the rooftop stage at the Dinuba Embassy in San Jose,CA. Even though it was some years prior to the Naked Cult of Hickey, they were indeed, as often, naked (well, actually Matty had a rubber chicken hanging from his schlong, but it was Halloween). When the F’Boyz folded, Hickey followed quickly in their wake adding Chubby on bass (formerly in Schleprock).

Hickey (mostly self-) released many 7“ers during their three-year lifespan, but it is this full-length album that really captures the essence of their musick for me. Aaron Muentz of Probe ‘zine was a fan & friend of Hickey’s & released their album on his own Probe Records label. There are11 songs in a brief 37 minutes. The first side is ten of these tunes in just over thirteen minutes. Then the second side is one 24 minute song encapsulating the history of the world.

Interpunk says about the band, “Hickey was a band, a political movement, a naked cult, & an uncomfortable force to be reckoned with. They were only here for a little less than three years but the mark they left on the San Francisco bay area & DIY punk scenes in general can still be felt. The UCLA Daily Bruin placed Hickey right along side such diverse bands as Nirvana, Radiohead, U2, They Might Be Giants, & Wesley Willis as the greatest artists of the 90's.”

Matty Luv died in October, 2002. There is a great memorial site with all kinds of information, guest comments, artwork & much of their (as well as F’Boyz & other associated bands) musick available here.

Aesop currently plays drums with Ludicra & Agalloch. He also does the fantastic blog Cosmic Hearse.

Year of Release: 1995
Label: Probe Records 05
Genre: Punk

Tracklist:
Side A -
Believe
40oz of Bad Karma
Basic Tips for Squirrel Hunting Success
Sean's Mohawk
California Redemption
Her Prosthetic Hands
Stupid Sun
War of the Supereogs
Treadle of the Loom
Sleepin' Cowboy (not listed on record label)
Side B -
In the Beginning

Download: Hickey - Hickey
Download Size: 85.3MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)

Stephane Grappelli - Stephane Grappelli

Stephane Grappelli...born January 26, 1908 in Paris, France. Stephane was the son of a philosophy teacher of Italian origin. He first worked as a pianist, accompanying silent films in a cinema to help his father pay the bills. Outstanding jazz violinist with a swinging, sweet-toned style, great technique & finesse, very tasteful. He studied as a classical violinist early in his career & turned to jazz about 1927. Played with & led groups of his own. Noted for his 30s work with the great guitarist Django Reinhardt in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. The two met at the Croix du Sud nightclub in Montparnasse, Paris in early 1934. With Reinhardt's brother, Joseph, Roger Chaput on guitars, & Louis Vola on double bass, the idea of the quintet was born. Along with Reinhardt’s guitar, Grappelli’s violin was one of the two features of the groups sound. The Quintet is renowned throughout the world. They remained together until 1939, when World War II created chaos in Europe & particularly France & Paris. Grappelli moved to England were he lived from 1940 to 1948. There he led combos, playing both violin as well as piano again., at times working with the great George Shearing. Returned to Paris in 1948 where he remained active throughout the 50s & 60s. He incorporated more progressive jazz stylings into his later playing. From Reuters December 1, 1997..."French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, whose lively, elegant style captivated audiences for more than a half a century, died in Paris Monday after undergoing an operation. He was 89.”

This record was recorded in Paris between March 7 - 9, 1972 with Stephane on violin, Claude Cavalli & Leo Petit on guitars, Guy Pedersen on bass, & Daniel Humair on drums. It is released on the Everest Record label. Everest Records were known for their archive of jazz & folk musick. The illustrious names represented in this line of recordings have long been known & revered by dedicated folk & jazz buffs.

Year of Release: 1976
Label: Everest Records FS 311
Genre: jazz

Tracklist:
Side 1 -
Django
Nuages
Alabamy Bound
You’d Better Go Now
Le Tien
Like Someone in Love
Side 2 -
Minor Swing
Daphne
Soft Winds
Makin’ Whoopee
How about You
Pent up House

Download: Stephane Grappelli - Stephane Grappelli
Download Size: 100MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)

Godley & Creme - Cry (Extended Remix) 12" 45

Godley & Creme are a duo of English pop musicians & music video directors, Kevin Godley & Lol Creme. The pair began releasing albums as a duo after splitting from the pop band 10cc.

"Cry" was released as a single in1985. The song climbed as high as #16 on the Billboard charts.

Uploaded by Discodandan.

The duo also directed the song's music video, which featured faces blended into each other using analog cross-fading, anticipating the digital effect of morphing used in a very similar way in Michael Jackson's 1991 video, "Black or White". Years later, the "Cry" video was shown in an episode of MTV's Beavis & Butt-head. The song was also used on Miami Vice in the episode "Definitely Miami" (1986), which featured Ted Nugent & French actress Arielle Dombasle. I’ve included the song “Art for Art’s Sake” from How Dare You! by 10cc. from 1975 on which KG plays drums, temple bells, woodblocks, & sings back-up & LC plays guitar, marracas, Moog, recorder & sings 2nd lead & back-up vocals, because I felt like it. Keep it or delete it, it’s up to you. Year of Release: 1985 Label: Polydor Records 881 786-1 Genre: Synthpop Tracklist:Side A - Cry ((Extended Remix by J.J.Jeczalik) Side B - Cry (Single Version) Cry (Extended Version Remixed by Nigel Gray) Bonus track - Art for Art’s Sake Download: Cry (extended remix) 12“ 45 Download Size: 54MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)

Falco - Der Kommissar 12" EP

I mostly shot my load of F artists over at Nothin’ Sez Somethin’ in June & July 2008 doing the ‘What the F?' series, so you’ll have to settle for some more Euro-disco, or maybe it’s rap-pop. After all, Falco was one of the original progenitors of rap-pop.

Falco was born Johann (Hans) Hölzel in Vienna, Austria on February 19, 1957. He studied at the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977 but left after one semester to pursue a career in music. He moved to West Berlin for a short time & sang in a jazz-rock band. When he returned to Vienna he had begun calling himself ‘Falco’. He began playing bass: in the theatrical rock bands Spinning Wheel & Hallucination Company; the hard rock-punk rock band Drahdiwaberl; & the space-disco band Ganymede. While with Drahdiwaberl, he wrote & performed the song "Ganz Wien" which he would also include on his debut solo album, Einzelhaft.

Falco's first hit was "Der Kommissar," from that 1982 debut. It is a song about drug abbuse that combines rap verses with a sung chorus.

Falco died of severe injuries he received when his Mitsubishi Pajero collided with a bus near the city of Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic on February 9,1998. It was initially reported that the autopsy showed high blood levels of alcohol & cocaine (Klaus from American Dad refers to having done cocaine with Falco in the episode entitled 'Con Heir': "Sounds like a disco I used to frequent in Berlin. I did lines with Falco in the men's room. Greedy, greedy Falco.").


He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof in Vienna, Austria. The above picture is from the cover of Austria's largest daily newspaper Kronen Zeitung (The Crown) on Feb 15, 1998, the day after the funeral which was attended by thousands of sympathetic fans. The picture shows some members of the group of rockers "Outsiders" carrying Falco's coffin from the mortuary chapel. They are the same rockers who were seen in the video of "Rock Me Amadeus".

This following poem was recited at the beginning of the funeral. It was written by Christian Ide Hintze, owner of the Schule der Dichtung (School of Poetry) where Falco was a frequent guest speaker. (sorry for the babel-like translation)

For Falco:
James Dean of Vienna
Inventor of the Manhatten Schönbrunner German
57 Chevy assembled in Vienna
Chairman of the Board of the cool speech reform
Principal witness-prince of the eighties
Are you now in your tuxedo with Amadeus
sitting on the lap Maria Theresa?
Air-clearing commissioner of the Viennese districts
At one with the twenty-three
close to the formula of the freeing speed
In your world it’s always:
"Valid for all passports to all Planets"
Every pair of sun glasses want to perch on on your nose, Falco
You are still the little Amadeus under Brillantine
Do we still hear from each other?
Thanks Hans!

Year of Release: 1983
Label: A&M Records SP-12053
Genre: Disco

Tracklist:
Side A -
Der Kommissar (The Commissioner)
Side B -
Auf Der Flucht (On The Run)
Helden Von Heute (alles wartet auf...) (Heroes of today [everything waits on...])

Download: Falco - Der Kommissar 12“ ep
Download Size: 27.3MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)

The (English) Beat - I Just Can't Stop It

While the Euro-disco beat of Munich Machine had my toes tapping & my fingers snapping, I really needed a more English beat.

The Beat were known in North America as The English Beat so as not to be confused with The Beat who were known as Paul Collins' Beat to the rest of the world so as not to be confused with The Beat (English???).

Are you confused yet? I know I am.

The English Beat were a ‘2 Tone’ ska revival band founded in England in 1978, whose songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae, new wave, & punk rock.

Now I’ve never been a big fan of ska (disregarding the fact that the ‘only band that matters’ [re. The Clash] & Rancid both ska it up a great deal) but songs like “Click Click”, with its socio-political lyrics raise the ska ante. Yet this album has fond, fond memories to me.

1980 was the year that the Black Dahlia (the legendary Dolores Dahli von Rijn, mi esposa) & I hooked up for the first time. We hit the danceclubs hard. She was a Disco Dahli & I was a Nothin’ punk, so we’d hit the Laundry Works, Hotel St. Claire, One Step Beyond or Keystone Palo Alto & shake a tail feather to that dance-able New Wave sound.

Now I’ve never been a big fan of New Wave, but...

I think we wore out our first copy of I Just Can’t Stop It by 1981 & had to get a replacement. Songs like “Mirror in the Bathroom”, “Hands Off...She’s Mine”, “Twist & Crawl” get me going every time I hear them (plus great covers of “Tears of a Clown” & “Can’t Get Used to Losing You”).

Now that Dave Wakeling has resurrected The Beat for 2009, this is timely indeed. So...

Back to E without too much delay. E...E...Enjoy!

Year of Release: 1980
Label: Sire Records Company SRK 6091
Genre: Ska

Tracklist:
Side 1 -
Mirror in the Bathroom
Hands off... She's Mine
Two Swords
Twist & Crawl
Tears of a Clown
Rough Rider
Click Click

Side 2 -
Ranking Full Stop
Big Shot
Whine & Grine / Stand Down Margaret
Noise in this World
Can't Get Used to Losing You
Best Friend
Jackpot

Download: The English Beat - I Just Can’t Stop It
Download Size: 94.3MB (ripped from well-played vinyl at 320Kbps)

Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 01.04.2014.

 
Time to punk out a bit (punkin time & all). There are so many versions of this album, you can never get enough. Being the rotten vegetarian that I am, I need my constant supply of fresh fruit.

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is the debut album by Dead Kennedys, released initially on Cherry Red Records in the UK in 1980, eventually through IRS/Faulty Products in the US, & later by the DK's own Alternative Tentacles label.

The photo on the front cover, showing several police cars on fire, was taken during the so-called ‘White Night Riots’ of May 21,1979 that resulted from the light sentence given to former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White for the murder of Mayor George Moscone & Supervisor Harvey Milk. The copy I own is an early IRS pressings with the cover tinted orange with black lettering. This cover variation was not authorized by the DKs.


It also features the original back cover with a found photograph of an old lounge band called The Sounds Of Sunshine, with the DK's logo pasted onto the drum kit, with skulls & crossbones on their instruments. The original photograph, as found by Biafra at a garage sale, had no identifying remarks on it whatsoever. It was used because the band thought it was ‘hilarious’. Somehow Warner Wilder, the former vocalist of the defunct lounge band learned of the photo & threatened to sue the Dead Kennedys, so the back cover was reprinted with the heads of the band members cut off. This solution was also deemed unsatisfactory to the Sounds of Sunshine, forcing an entirely different photo of four old ladies in a living room with the Alternative Tentacles bat mascot pasted over a picture frame.

On the original vinyl version Side 1 & Side 2 each contained seven songs. This post-IRS, pre-Alternative Tentacles pressing on IRS's Faulty Products subsidiary adds "Police Truck" to the middle of Side 1 between "Let's Lynch the Landlord" & "Drug Me".

Year of Release: 1981
Label: IRS Records SP 70014
Genre: Punk

Tracklist:
Side 1 -
Kill the Poor
Forward to Death
When Ya Get Drafted
Let’s Lynch the Landlord
Police Truck
Drug Me
Your Emotions
Chemical Warfare

Side 2 -
California Uber Alles
I Kill Children
Stealing People’s Mail
Funland at the Beach
Ill in the Head
Holiday in Cambodia
Viva las Vegas

Download: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Download Size: 78.8MB (ripped from surprisingly crisp sounding vinyl at 320 Kbps)
decryption code in comments

Munich Machine - Munich Machine (1977 - 320kbps)

Munich Machine - Munich Machine

I know, I know, I should be on E, but I got the munchies for some M&Ms.

You thought the last album I posted was the decline of western civilization, well think again. If this shit doesn’t scare & thrill you at the same time, well crawl back in you’re October coffin. You’re dead, Jim.

Giorgio (Hansjoerg) Moroder, an German-speaking Italian from the South Tyrol area near the border between Italy & Austria, is a three-time Oscar winning record producer, songwriter & performer. His work with synthesizers during the 1970s & 1980s had a significant influence on new wave, house, techno & electronic music. Moroder started Musicland Studios in Munich 1n the 1970s, which was used as a recording studio for artists including Electric Light Orchestra, Led Zeppelin, Queen & Elton John.

Moroder is particularly well known for his work with Donna Summer during the era of disco (including "I Feel Love" “Love to Love You Baby”). In addition to his work with Donna Summer, Moroder also produced: a number of electronic disco hits for The Three Degrees; two albums for Sparks; & numerous songs for a variety of others including Irene Cara, Madleen Kane, Melissa Manchester, Blondie, Japan, & France Joli.

He also founded his own record label, Oasis Records, which later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records. He released three albums on Casablanca Records between 1977-1979 under the name Munich Machine.

Munich Machine was, for the most part, a moniker for the fairly regular cast of studio musicians including: Pete Bellotte; Keith Forsey; Geoff Bastow; Mats Björklund; Dino Solera; & singers Lucy Neale; Gitta Walther (aka Jackie Robinson); & Claudia Schwarz (The Midnite Ladies) among others. Aside from the three albums released as the Munich Machine, the "Machine" was also anonymously credited for the ‘accompaniment’ on a few of Donna Summer's albums & Roberta Kelly's Trouble Maker album. The ‘Munich Machine’ was not just a group of musicians, but also something of a trademark for their distinct sound, characterized as their own disco-era, European equivalent of the Motown Sound which Moroder called the ‘Munich Sound Machine’ in a 1978 interview with NME.

As far as 'Munich Machine,' the recording project goes, the best known Munich Machine single would probably be the slick & sexy 15 minute disco workout "Get On The Funk Train" (check out the bass break-out at about the 10 minute mark) which reached #7 on the Billboard Disco charts in 1977 off this album. The album is essentially made up of sped-up, largely instrumental remakes of the so-called ‘soft-disco’ productions from the albums Moroder & Bellotte did for Donna Summer ("Love To Love You Baby," "Try Me I Know We Can Make It"), Roberta Kelly ("Trouble-Maker"), as well as from Giorgio's own Knights In White Satin lp ("I Wanna Funk With You Tonite"), all augmented with some heavy, loopy synths. This particular album, however, bears less resemblance to the Munich Euro-disco sound & more to the cooler, sharper progressive electronic style that would eventually become Moroder's trademark sound.

Year of Release: 1977
Label: Casablanca Records NBLP 7058
Genre: Disco

Tracklist:
Side 1 -
Get on the Funk Train

Side 2 -
Love to Love You, Baby
Trouble-Maker
Try Me, I Know We Can Make It
I Wanna Funk with You Tonite
Spring Affair
Love to Love You, Baby (reprise)
(because Side 2 is really a disco mega-mix with no breaks between songs, I have included the split & unsplit tracks for your choice)

Download: Munich Machine - Munich Machine
Download Size: 109MB (ripped from disco vinyl at 320Kbps)

Various Artists - The Decline of Western Civilization OST

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 01/01/2014. Enjoy, NØ.

]


This record is a partial soundtrack for the movie The Decline of Western Civilization, an American documentary directed by Penelope Spheeris that was filmed in L.A. in 1979 & 1980 featuring concert footage of legendary Los Angeles punk bands with interviews of both the bands & with the punks who made up their audience.

The soundtrack was released in 1980 by Slash Records on LP & was later released in the late 1990s on CD. I believe it is now out of print.

Germs singer Darby Crash appears on the soundtrack album cover, as well as the movie poster. He died from a heroin-overdose suicide shortly before the film was released. Live preformances by Germs, Flags, Bags, CircJerks,Claude Bessey & Catholic Discipline, X’s ‘Johnny Hit & Run Paulene”, all of Lee V. & Fear...this album hits hard.

The movie contains eight additional songs by the various bands, so if you want to hear all the great musick, then seek out the film.
Musick contained in the film includes:
The Bags (billed at the time as The Alice Bag Band) - "Gluttony", "Prowlers in the Night";
Black Flag - "Depression", "Revenge" & "White Minority";
Circle Jerks - "Back Against the Wall", "Beverly Hills", "I Just Want Some Skank", "Red Tape" & "Wasted";
Catholic Discipline - "Barbee Doll Lust" & "Underground Babylon";
Fear - "Beef Bologna", "I Don't Care About You", "I Love Living in the City", "Let's Have a War" & "Fear Anthem";
The Germs - "Manimal" & "Shutdown";
& X - "Beyond & Back", "Johnny Hit & Run Paulene", "Nausea", "Unheard Music" & "We're Desperate.

Album contains lyric sheet insert.

Year of Release: 1980
Label: Slash Records SR-105
Genre: Punk

Tracklist:
Side 1-
Intro (thank you)
White Minority – Black Flag
Depression – Black Flag
Break (Blackie’s)
Revenge – Black Flag
Break (Germs)
Manimal – The Germs
Break (Claude Bessey)
Underground Babylon – Catholic Discipline
Break (Exene)
Beyond & Back – X
Johnny Hit & Run Paulene – X

Side 2 -
Intro (desperate)
We're Desperate – X
Break (nu wave)
Red Tape – Circle Jerks
Back Against The Wall – Circle Jerks
Break (Hey, man)
I Just Want Some Skank – Circle Jerks
Beverly Hills – Circle Jerks
Break (just to get aggressions out)
Gluttony – The Alice Bag Band
Break (eat my fuck)
I Don't Care About You – Fear
Break (go die)
I Love Livin' In The City – Fear
Fear Anthem – Fear

Download: Various Artists - The Decline of Western Civilization OST
 MEGA decryption code in comments
Download Size: 85.7MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kpbs)

Donovan - Like it Is, Was, & Evermore Shall Be

I guess I’ll be disclosing my ancient age, but 1968 was a pivotal year in my life. The U.S. industrial-military complex decided that in order to expand & maintain their imperialist war in Vietnam that it was necessary to institute a Draft Lottery for the inscription of young men into the war machine. My lottery number was 40. I was destined for tropical Southeast Asia unless things in my life drastically changed. Donovan was a big influence on me at that time. Often mentioned together in musickal commentaries of the time, Dylan was the greater poet & probably the better musickian, but songs like “Universal Soldier” & “The War Drags On” put Donovan’s humanity squarely into the minds of a generation, while classics like “Catch the Wind” & "Sunny Goodge Street" touched that deepest spot within our souls where we all desired to reside.

Like it Is, Was, & Evermore Shall Be is a compilation album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan (Leitch) released in the U.S. on Hickory Records in April 1968. This was the second Hickory Records compilation using Donovan's 1965 Pye Records material, following the moderately successful The Real Donovan from 1966. By 1968, Donovan had released a string of hit singles & albums in both the U.S. & U.K.

Although most of the songs on Like it Is, Was, & Evermore Shall Be had been released on: What's Bin Did & What's Bin Hid (U.S. title: Catch the Wind); Fairytale; The Universal Soldier ep & the Turquoise single , the new compilation did contain "Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do" & a cover of Bert Jansch's "Do You Hear Me Now?", neither of which had been included on any of Donovan's U.S. lps.

The following are the original releases of each song:

"Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do?" b-side of "Catch the Wind" released March 12, 1965;
"Josie" & "Catch the Wind" from What's Bin Did & What's Bin Hid released May 14, 1965;
"Summer Day Reflection Song", "Colours", "To Try for the Sun", & "Sunny Goodge Street" from Fairytale released October 22, 1965;
"Do You Hear Me Now?", "Universal Soldier", & “The War Drags On” from The Universal Soldier ep released August 15, 1965;
& "Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)" b-side of "Turquoise" released October 30, 1965.

Year of Release: 1968
Label: Hickory Records LPS143
Genre: Alt-folk

Tracklist:
Side 1-
Summer Day Reflection Song
Do You Hear Me Now? (Bert Jansch)
Colours
Universal Soldier (Buffy Sainte-Marie)
Josie
Catch the Wind

Side 2-
Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do?
To Try for the Sun
Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)
The War Drags On" (Mick Softly)
Sunny Goodge Street

Download: Donovan - Like it Is, Was, & Evermore Shall Be
Download Size: 70.3MB (ripped from 40 yr. old vinyl at 320Kpbs)

Musick Today Brought to You by the Letter C & the Number 4

Just too damn busy this week-end to post up any musick. Doing this all by my lonesome is kinda a challenge, if I get too busy, then the posts stop coming... oh, shite. Try to make up for my foibles by posting up some weight (or if not weight, then at least number). Hope nobody got too impatient & I hope this satisfies.

The Clash - This is Radio Clash 12“ ep

Another foray into the world of dub after the work on Sandinista!, this is one of the Clash’s most memorable outings in this vein. Timely now perhaps with the upcoming release of the film Pirate Radio, the lyrics here find the band likening their mission of spreading their musickal views to that of a pirate radio station bringing music to the masses, "This is Radio Clash on pirate satellite/orbiting your living room, cashing in on the Bill of Rights." Its combination of wordy lyrics & simple melodic content lends itself nicely to the dub style: Joe Strummer spits out the lyrics machine-gun style over a churning musical backdrop that weaves jazzy saxophone riffs, burbling synthesizer lines, & hip-shaking funk guitar into a poly-rhythmic wall of sound. All these elements add up to an exciting record that offers both dance-friendly rhythms & food for thought. Released in the U.S on November 25, 1981, with various different releases, this one has the standard Epic label.

Year of Release: 1981
Label: Epic 49-02662
Genre: Dub

Tracklist:
Please Save Us Side -
This is Radio Clash
Radio Clash

Not the Whales Side -
Outside Broadcast
Radio Five

Download: The Clash - This is Radio Clash 12“ ep
Download Size: 43.4MB (ripped from vinyl at320Kbps)

Chris & Cosey - Synaesthesia 12“ ep

Chris Carter & Cosey Fanni Tutti formed CHRIS & COSEY out of the ashes of their seminal 70s Industrial band Throbbing Gristle. Throbbing Gristle (& Carter/Tutti) helped start the Industrial music genre. They were some of the first performers to successfully fuse electronic & acoustic instrumentation. Their musical legacy is still very much in evidence today. This ep was the #5 Top40 single in 1991.

Year of Release: 1991
Label: WaxTrax 9153
Genre: Techno

Tracklist:
WaxTrax Side:
Synaesthesia (Daniel Miller Mix)
Synaesthesia (C&C Mix)

Synaesthesia Side:
Synaesthesia (Daniel Miller Instrumental Mix)

Download: Chris & Cosey - Synaesthesia 12“ ep
Download Size: 40.7MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)

Cathedral Of Tears - self-titled

After TSOL & right before Tender Fury, True Sons vocalist & co-founder Jack Grisham (Jack Greggors in TSOL, here as Jack Loyd) joined up with Mike Patton & some other musickian friends to release the one-off Cathedral of Tears on Enigma.

In Jack’s own words,
“This is one of those mistakes you make that you can’t take back. My dad died, I was going through a lot of shit...I stole the tapes. We had a record...we wrote a bunch of new songs, went in the studio & I stole the tapes. Our record company had said, ‘There's no song here that will get radio play,’ & I was like ‘Bullshit, there is.’ So I stole the tapes from the record company, took it to the radio station, & they were playing our song (“Black Emotion”) while I was driving away. (laughs) & it turned out to be the number four requested song on the station that year. With no record out. & then Enigma finally put it out. They finally put it out, but it was too late. I had already done the damage by the time it came out.“

Cathedral of Tears were: Jack Loyd (Grisham) - vocals; Mark Ford - guitar; Mike Patton - bass; Eddie Sedano - keyboards; & John Guerrero - drums; with additinal help from Mike Borens & Jon St. James - guitars; & Chaz Ramirez - backing vocals.

Year of Release: 1984
Label: Enigma Records E-1045
Genre: Darkwave
Tracklist:
This Side -
Trap
A Situation Of
Calm Storm

The Other Side -
Black Emotion
Ballet
Whisper From The Deadland

Download: Cathedral of Tears - Cathedral of Tears
Download Size: 44.3MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Lost Weekend (extended version) 12“ ep

Although I am not much of a Britpop listener, I do have a bit of Lloyd Cole in my collection. Within a few years of this release, I was listening to Glasgow noise almost exclusively, bands like Dog-Faced Hermans, Dawson, Stretchheads, Whirling Pig Dervish, Badgewearer & more. They were definitely not ‘pop’.

However, Lloyd Cole & the Commotions were a very popular British pop act of the mid 1980s, based in Glasgow, Scotland. They rivaled the Smiths in popularity in the Britpop indie scene. Rattlesnakes, LC&C’s first release, garnered a great deal of attention for the band. So, quickly Polydor beckoned & the band set about recording Easy Pieces. Paul Hardiman, who had produced Rattlesnakes was replaced by Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley, flush from success with Madness. The Commotions were appalled that Hardiman had been sacked, but they felt powerless to do anything about it.

Cole & Co., to a man, disliked Easy Pieces, despite its yielding two top 20 singles & their biggest hit, the Iggy Pop inspired (though Cole insists it ended up sounding like Madness) “Lost Weekend”. Langer & Winstanley wanted Cole to control the vibrato in his voice. Suddenly the singing became more artificial, more self-conscious. Polydor didn’t really care. Their bottom-line was that Easy Pieces sold more in the first two weeks of release than Rattlesnakes had in a year. It contained the bands biggest commercial success, the single "Lost Weekend", which made #17 in the UK charts.

Year of Release: 1985
Label: Polydor COLEX 5
Genre: Britpop

Tracklist:
Side A -
Lost Weekend (Extended Version)

Side B -
Big World
Nevers End
Lost Weekend (7" Version)

Download: Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - Lost Weekend (Extended version) 12“ ep
Download Size: 28MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)

Bush Tetras - Rituals 12" EP

In New York in the late '70s & early '80s, the Bush Tetras blazed brightly in the sweaty clubs of the Lower East Side, playing music that was a blend of funk rhythms & dissonant guitar riffs.

Lead guitarist Pat Place had been the original guitarist & one of the founding members of the No Wave band The Contortions. With the Bush Tetras, she continued to pursue some of the musical ideas she had explored in that band, themes of driving rhythm & nihilistic trance...hypnotic, tribal, & dirty. Together with vocalist Cynthia Sley they produced the most distinctive aspects of the Tetras sound. Sley’s half-spoken, half-sung vocals, often repeating simple phrases over & over again, creating a hypnotic monotony similar to Place's guitar rhythms.

The Bush Tetras toured with the Clash & struck up a friendship with Topper Headon that lead to his producing this, the Rituals ep on Stiff Records in 1981.

The Bush Tetras on Rituals were: Cynthia Sley - vocals; Pat Place - guitar; Laura Kennedy - bass; & Dee Pop - drums. Recorded July 1981 at Electric Ladyland Studios, “Funky Version” remixed September 1981 at Marcus Music, London, Produced by Topper Headon.

Year of Release: 1981
Label: Stiff Records TEES 12-07
Genre: No Wave Dance

Tracklist:
Rhythm Side -
Can’t Be Funky
Funky Version

Paranoia Side -
Cowboys in Africa
Rituals

Download: Bush Tetras - Rituals 12“ ep
Download Size: 27.64MB (at 320 Kbps)

Assassins of God - Black Tongue Speaks Vol. I

Assassins of God appeared suddenly out of nowhere, released three albums, & disappeared without really ever causing a great stir. They played the first Lolapalooza & toured Europe often.Of their three discs, Black Tongue Speaks, Vol I is without a doubt their masterpiece. It is characterized by a dark atmosphere on songs like “I am My Disease” & “The Hate Song”, also by restless, hysterical guitar & fantastic bass runs. There are walls of sound & noise that go on to develop into the most beautiful melodies & riffs. It is hard to explain their music & I’ve never heard another band like them. They were occasionally classified as “Jazzcore”. Personally I feel they don’t fit into any category.

The members of AOG: Ken Kearney (guitar & vocals); Ellen Schoenwetter (bass); & Bruce Ducheneaux (drums) are part of the incestuous art/musick scene in San Francisco. Ken Kearney appears with the Mutants on Forensic Report. Lately Ken has been playing more straight ahead jazz backing Tracy Sirota & in his own Ken Kearney Quartet. Ken Kearney early on played in the Atones with Mark Weinstein of MX-80 Sound (& Amoeba Records owner).

MX-80 Sound were one of those bands ahead of their time, influencing bands such as Sonic Youth, the Swans & Live Skull among others. MX-80 played rather dissonant, discordant heavy-rock. Their main influences seem to be Captain Beefheart & the Stooges, yet at times they seem more akin to Pere Ubu, Television, early Siouxsie & the Banshees, sometimes even managing to sound not unlike Joy Division.

Mark Weinstein & Bruce Anderson of MX-80 Sound had a ensemble group Pluto that Ken Kearney played in along with Len Paterson & his wife Ellen Schoenwetter. About Pluto’s The Field Recordings, “There is no way to describe the music & lyrics on this LP. All the world loves a good, healthy search for a lost set of keys…” It's not exactly rock'n'roll & it's not exactly jazz. It's more like something Tom Waits might play while relaxing in the bath after a hard day banging brake drums (Pluto also features Ralph Carney [tenor saxophone, clarinet, trumpet] from the Tom Waits band).

Len & Ellen play in the group Flowtilla (formerly The Len Paterson Trio) formed in 2000. Their driving sound is an eclectic mix of funk, afro, jazz & world tinged grooves. They released their first cd under the name Len Paterson Trio entitled Sunny Cloudy. They have released two more c.d.s as Flowtilla, 2003s Out of the Inside & 2006s Clariphonic.

Drummer Bruce Ducheneaux also has an extreme musickal pedigree. He originally joined the band Bomb after they were dropped by Warner/Reprise & after original drummer Tony Flag quit. This gives him an early connection to Ken Kearney, as Jay Crawford of Bomb was recruited for the band Housecoat Project (circa 1986). Ken played guitar for the Housecoat Project on a west coast tour while Jay was on tour with Bomb. Bruce has drummed with Waycross, Cinnamon Girls, & The Primal Abyss as well as being an integral part of several Gary Floyd (of Dicks, Sister Double Happiness infamy) projects, namely The Gary Floyd Band & Black Kali Ma.

Year of Release: 1991
Label: Bonzen Records (Germany) BONZ 007
Genre: Avant-garde punk or Experimental punk

Tracklist:
Logo Side:
Suitcase Nukes
Long Live the Jihad
I am My Disease
Cowbell Rock
The Hate Song
Virus

This Side:
The Vortex
Inuyxl Turbo - 1
Divinstein
Be Diminished
UFO's
Brontosaurus God
Bruce's Blues
(note: The first two songs on logo side run together. I have included both the run-together & split tracks. Take your pick.)

Download: Assassins of God - Black Tongue Speaks Vol. I
Download Size: 106.97MB (ripped from scratchy vinyl at 320Kbps)