Hey Everybody. . . Have Some Records!

Looks like I'm the first guest blogger here on DM so I'll be floatin' some music your way this week. My usual blogs are Psyche Zenobia, Nitegaunt Media, and Manson Music, as well as the little blog for my band, The Luminaries. I've been invited to take over here for a week so let's get started. We've been having some of the first really nice, sunshine-filled, warm days of the year here so I thought I'd post some records that reflect that. Some good stuff to groove on down the road to with the wind in your hair while sharing a spliff with your significant other or whatever, ha!
Anyway, I'm going to start with an album that I've been playing a lot lately. It's "Stukas Over Disneyland" by The Dickies. This is one of those albums that you cannot feel shitty or down while it's playing. It's just physically impossible. It really feels like a short album, even though it's got eight super-catchy songs. I guess that's got more to do with it's enjoyable quality than anything, though. It goes by fast but it's fun while it lasts (that's probably been said about me, too)! "She's a Hunchback", "Out of Sight Out of Mind", and "Wagon Train" just can't be beat for great fucking pop punk rock & roll. The Dickies were an inspiration to so many bands and one of the pioneers of West Coast punk. In fact, "Pretty Please Me", from this album, was covered by Redd Kross on their "Phaseshifter"record.

Year of Release: 1983
Label: Triple X Records
Genre: Punk, Power Pop, Pop
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Rosemary
2. She's A Hunchback
3. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
4. Communication Breakdown
5. Pretty Please Me
6. Wagon Train
7. If Stuart Could Talk
8. Stukas Over Disneyland

Download: The Dickies - Stuka's Over Disneyland
Download Size: 45MB

Blogroll News - 480+ Blogs and Counting

I finally got around to making an official count of all the blogs on the Digital Meltd0wn Music Blogroll To date there are 483 blogs, and that number continues to grow daily. I'm amazed at the amount of people who have been visiting it each day, and also the numerous amount of fellow music bloggers that I have met in the process. Recently I have added several new categories, and I plan to add several more in the coming days. If you know of any good blogs that you feel should be included on the list, please stop by and leave a comment any time. If you haven't visited my blogroll yet, here is the url:

http://music-bloggers.blogspot.com

Thanks for all the support.

Update: Yesterday, Mephisto was gracious enough to list my blogroll on Totally Fuzzy. It was against their policy to list blogs that didn't contain downloads, but they made an exception for me. As a result of being listed on TF my traffic almost doubled. Yesterday I had over 900 unique visitors to the blogroll. Thank you Mephisto and Totally Fuzzy for making an exception and listing my blogroll.

Bob Log III - Trike

It’s raw, it’s rude and it’s very, very raucousI would like to thank Nathan from the Nothin' Sez Somethin' blog for making this available to me. As one-half of the trash-blues duo known as Doo Rag, Bob Log III has helped demystify and deconstruct the basic tenets of electric blues. Harnessing the raw, bristling energy of the genre and amplifying only the raunchiest aspects, Doo Rag made the crash-and-burn attitude of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion sound like ‘blues night’ at the local ‘jazz bar.’ And even though the concept of a two-man blues band is about as stripped-down as electric blues can get, Log has taken it one step lower: the one-man blues band, playing distorted steel guitar & two acoustic drums (bass, hi-hat) & basic lo/fi digital drums at the same time. On top of that he wears a space helmet and cannonball man overalls, and sings through a telephone receiver.

One night a few years back, when booked in Chicago, Doo Rag percussionist Thermos Malling got sick, leaving Log to play by himself. Making lemonade out of lemons, Log turned his guitar case into a makeshift drum kit and proceeded to eviscerate the blues with his electric guitar. The show was so successful that Log started a one-man blues band. Last year, he released “School Bus,” an LP full of loose footstomps and recklessly sloppy (and fast) guitars.

For the follow-up, Log enlisted two “professional women” to help out with the rhythm secion. Note the word choice: “professional women,” not “female studio musicians.” In other words – those of Bob Log III, actually — “Trike” is an album of “guitar and tit duets.” Both women were paid to smack their breasts to deliver percussive nuances on songs like “Clap Your Tits,” “Booby Trap” and six under-20-seconds “Claps” interludes. Thus, we find Log’s maniacally aggressive slide guitar and two-foot drumming accompanied by the fleshy (and surprisingly on-beat) collision of some undoubtedly large breasts. It’s neither funny nor disgusting. It’s simply the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard in your life. And it’s absolutely wonderful.

After all, just when you thought the Fat Possum label couldn’t get any more cracked, after releasing nasty, ass-out jams by Robert Cage and T-Model Ford, they have further removed themselves from the blues mainstream by releasing what may well be the purest, non-purist blues album in years. After all, there is nothing – nothing – here for fans of Taj Mahal or B.B. King. This is the sound of rockabilly kicked back a dozen or so notches, then mainlined with coffee and whiskey for a week. It’s raw, it’s rude and it’s very, very raucous.

Year of Release: 1999
Label: Fat Possum
Genre: Blues/Experimental
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. Showtime
2. Clap Your Tits
3. You Wanna What
4. Six String Kicker
5. Booty Trap #2
6. Daddy Log's Drive In Candy Hoppin' Car Babes
7. Borgnignin
8. Log Dirty Down
9. Ass Computer
10. Bacon
11. Claps
12. Booby Trap #1

Download: Bob Log III - Trike
Download Size: 41MB

Angry Samoans - Back From Samoa

Destructive, mischievous, and politically incorrect are just some of the words to describe L.A.'s Angry Samoans. And with their second album Back From Samoa, they remain to have that inability to care about who's toes they step on; as long as they continue to blast out their aggressions, it's all good. The results are pretty tasteless and without shame with songs like "They Saved Hitler's Cock" and the cuss ridden "Ballad of Jerry Curlan." Then there's the hit-you-from-behind "Lights Out," "Steak Knife," and "You Stupid Jerk," each clocking in under a minute. With this amount of nihilism, "Back From Samoa" can instigate the trouble-maker out of anyone. And give additional credit to the Samoans for being this blunt, PC activists will be screaming for the doors upon hearing this. (Year of Release: 1982)

Track List
1. Gas Chamber
2. Todd Killings
3. Lights Out
4. My Old Man's a Fatso
5. Time Has Come Today Listen
6. They Saved Hitler's Cock
7. Homo-Sexual
8. Steak Knife
9. Haizman's Brain Is Calling
10. Tuna Taco
11. Coffin Case
12. You Stupid Jerk
13. Ballad of Jerry Curlan
14. Not of This Earth

Download: Angry Samoans - Back From Samoa (24.7MB)

Husker Du - Zen Arcade

Husker Du were one of the loudest and most thrashy acts of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Then they decided to move away from pure hard metal thrashy rock into hard rock and pop. This didn't exactly thrill some fans (Bob Mould got booed more than once when he stepped out on stage with an acoustic guitar), but the decision led to this album which arguably remains the band's masterpiece.

First released as a double album in 1984, the music ranges from very heavy thrash rock to delicate piano numbers and almost everything in between. The all acoustic number "Never Talking To You Again" sits between the hard rocking songs "Broken Home, Broken Heart" and the incredible "Chartered Trips". "Monday Will Never be the Same" and "One Step at a Time" contain simple and mellow piano/synth music. "Indecision Time", "I'll Never Forget You", "Beyond the Threshold", and "Pride" all thrash cathartically hard with abrasively screamed lyrics. It sounds like the Husker Du of the past. The creepy "The Tooth Fairy And the Princess" approaches psychedelia with its backward tracks and whispered vocals. Not to mention the sleigh bell-laden "Hare Krishna". "Newest Industry" and "Turn on The News" sound like the Husker Du to come. "Zen Arcade" definitely represented a transition for the band.

On top of all that, it's a concept album (which helps explain why critics like it so much). Supposedly the story revolves around a boy who has left home and finds out that the real world sort of stinks. The album does have a somewhat happy ending, though, despite the less than happy lyrics. "Reoccurring Dreams" signifies that the boy's troubles were all just a dream. So we're rewarded with an amazing 14-minute jam session. Good deal.

Husker Du still get cited as one of the most influential post-punk bands. The Pixies acknowledge their influence. Not only that, their evolution from punk thrash to heavy pop rock opened up the scene at the time to more possibilities. It wasn't too long before alternative and grunge caught on. Some of this can be traced back to Husker Du's explorations. And "Zen Arcade" stands as an example of that influence. Don't forget this one. (Year of Release: 1984)

Track List:
1. Something I Learned Today
2. Broken Home, Broken Heart
3. Never Talking To You Again
4. Chartered Trips
5. Dreams Reoccurring
6. Indecision Time
7. Hare Krsna
8. Beyond The Threshold
9. Pride
10. I'll Never Forget You
11. The Biggest Lie
12. What's Going On
13. Masochism World
14. Standing By The Sea
15. Somewhere
16. One Step At A Time
17. Pink Turns To Blue
18. Newest Industry
19. Monday Will Never Be The Same
20. Whatever
21. The Tooth Fairy And The Princess
22. Turn On The News
23. Reoccurring Dreams

Download: Husker Du - Zen Arcade 85.5MB

The Cramps - Smell Of Female

This live EP, recorded at famed NYC punk venue The Peppermint Lounge, was released in 1983, bridging the lengthy gap between The Cramps' second and third albums. It's a bit of a classic in its own right however. Taking its title from the voiceover prologue to Russ Meyer's cult film 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!', 'Smell of Female' includes a cover of the film's hilarious theme song, along with four original songs and a cover of The Count Five's trash-rock hit 'Psychotic Reaction'. The Cramps deliver energetically throughout, and there are no really weak songs. The CD release features three bonus tracks, including the studio cut 'Surfin' Dead', which was used on the soundtrack of 'Return of the Living Dead'. This is the best available document of the live sound of The Cramps in their heyday, and as such is highly recommended. The cover shots of Poison Ivy Rorschach shaking a tail feather are a nice bonus!

Track List:
1. Most Exalted Potentate Of Love
2. You Got Good Taste
3. Call Of The Wighat
4. Faster Pussycat
5. I Ain't Nothin' But A Gorehound
6. Psychotic Reaction
7. Beautiful Gardens
8. She Said
9. Surfin' Dead

Download: The Cramps - Smell Of Female (46.3MB)

Re-Ups

As some of you may have noticed, I have been re-uploading a few of the albums that were down. I'll be working on this during the next couple of days, and I'll resume uploading original material afterwards. I'll try to sneak some original material in between re-ups. If you reported a dead link, be sure to check back here within the next few days for the updated link.

Electric Prunes - Underground

Here's another Electric Prunes album as requested. Underground, the band's second album is something truly unique. The guys did their homework, wrote some classic songs and produced ,what would be, one of the greatest albums of the sixties. There is no one bad track on this underrated masterpiece. The production is fantastic.. great fuzzy guitars, strange organs, beautiful vocals harmonies and some surprising string arrangments. The lyrics are mystical, sometimes childish ("Antique doll", "Wind up toys", "Children of rain"), Freaky( "Dr. Do- Good"), or sentimental ("Big city"). The melodies are great. "The Great Banana Hoax" is simple but arranged as a one long trip. Others has some crazy chords changes (listen to "wind up toys"). Underground is one of the best offerings of the late sixties. This great album still stands the test of time.

Year of Release: 1967
Label: Reprise Records
Genre: Psychedelic
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. The Great Banana Hoax
2. Children Of Rain
3. Wind-Up Toys
4. Antique Doll
5. It's Not Fair
6. I Happen To Love You
7. Dr. Do-Good
8. I
9. Hideaway
10. Big City
11. Capt. Glory
12. Long Day's Flight
13. Everybody Knows You're Not In Love
14. You Never Had It Better

Download: Electric Prunes - Underground
File Size: 99.3MB

Gun Club - Fire of Love

The Gun Club's debut is the watermark for all post-punk roots music. This features the late Jeffrey Lee Pierce's swamped-out brand of roiling rock, swaggerific hell-bound blues, and gothic country. With Pierce's wailing high lonesome slide guitar twinned with Ward Dotson's spine-shaking riffs and the solid yet off-the-rails rhythm section of bassist Rob Ritter and drummer Terry Graham, the Gun Club burst out of L.A. in the early '80s with a bone to pick and a mountain to move -- and they accomplished both on their debut album. With awesome, stripped to the frame production by the Flesh Eaters' Chris D., Fire of Love blew away all expectations -- and with good reason. Nobody has heard music like this before or since. Pierce's songs were rooted in his land of Texas. On "Sex Beat," a razor-sharp country one-two shuffle becomes a howling wind as Pierce's wasted, half-sung half-howled vocals relate a tale of voodoo, sex, dope, and death. The song choogles like a freight train coming undone in a twister. Here Black Flag, the Sex Pistols, Son House, and the coughing, hacking rambling ghost of Hank Williams all converge in a reckless mass of seething energy and nearly evil intent. As if the opener weren't enough of a jolt, the Gun Club follow this with a careening version of House's "Preachin the Blues," full of staccato phrasing and blazing slide. But it isn't until the anthemic, opiate-addled country of "She's Like Heroin to Me" and the truly frightening punk-blues of "Ghost on the Highway" that the listener comes to grip with the awesome terror that is the Gun Club. The songs become rock & roll ciphers, erasing themselves as soon as they speak, heading off into the whirlwind of a storm that is so big, so black, and so awful one cannot meditate on anything but its power. Fire of Love may be just what the doctor ordered, but to cure or kill is anybody's guess. (Year of Release: 1981)

Track List:
1. Sex Beat
2. Preaching The Blues
3. Promise Me
4. She's Like Heroin To Me
5. For The Love Of Ivy
6. Fire Spirit
7. Ghost On The Highway
8. Jack On Fire
9. Black Train
10. Cool Drink Of Water
11. Goodbye Johnny

Download Gun Club - Fire of Love (46MB)

The Wipers - Youth of America

A grizzly, furious beast of a 30-minute record, Youth of America saw Greg Sage and his Wipers lengthening some of their material to very unfashionable lengths; many a hardcore punk band of the time could tuck a dozen songs about Reagan and fisticuffs inside the title track alone. Opposed to the compromised Is This Real?, Youth of America was engineered and recorded in-house; Sage's time spent in a professional setup for the debut LP frustrated him, and the fact that he's gained complete control here makes it seem as if a cork has been pulled from a bottle. The shackles are off and the group's own personality hits full bloom. Vocally, Sage sounds like a sleepless outcast loaded on an unhealthy amount of caffeine, fraught with a magnified level of paranoia and angst that needs immediate purging -- often, his life seems to be depending on it. "Youth of America" itself is a nightmare locomotive, a ten-minute chug through a persistent rhythm, screeching/careening/wailing guitars, and jarring psychedelic effects. The remaining five songs, which don't lessen the intensity very much, are solid in their own right and are generally more tuneful than the title track.
(Year of Release: 1981)

Track List:
1. Taking Too Long
2. Can This Be
3. Pushing the Extreme
4. When It's Over
5. No Fair
6. Youth of America

Download: The Wipers - Youth of America (41MB)

Agent Orange - Living In Darkness

Agent Orange (they came from Orange County) weren't punk, weren't metal, and weren't surf revival. Yet they had bleak near-metal outlook and riffage a bit above punk's two chord grind, speed like punk and attitude & angst like punks, and they dug classic surf instrumentals. This is Underground at its best. Agent Orange, for all the bleakness of their lyrics, were much lighter than other bands of the Hardcore Punk scene (that's the genre they were lumped in with, but like I said, they weren't punk). They had a typical dude persona that was covered by the anger of their singer/guitarist Mike Palm's songs.

Living In Darkness was originally an EP (tracks 2-9 on the curent CD). In '92, it was released with new tracks (some of them from the 1979 sessions that earned them their contract). "Bloodstains," with Mike's anger, its simple chaotic riff and the dread-surf solo made it a fine opener. "Everything Turns Grey" is classic punk style stuff with a quick, simple yet effective rapidfire solo by Mike. "No Such Thing" has an awesome metal riff (people need to hear this, its a heavy like Metallica riff), and "America" is classic "Americanan is gay" sentiment. Living In Darkness has three surf instrumentals from the sixties also. All are done with righteous agression and driving force. The songs are "Miserlou" by Dick Dale, "Pipeline" by The Chantays, and "Mr. Moto" by The Bel-Airs. A radio interview is also included. The boys sound like Average Joes on weed. Classic. (Year of Release: 1981)

Track List:
1. Bloodstains (Original Version)
2. Too Young To Die
3. Everything Turns Grey
4. Miserlou
5. The Last Goodbye
6. No Such Thing
7. A Cry For Help In A World Gone Mad
8. Bloodstains (Darkness Version)
9. Living In Darkness
10. Pipeline
11. Breakdown
12. Mr. Moto
13. America
14. Bored Of You
15. El Dorado
16. Interview 1981

Download Agent Orange - Living In Darkness (61.3 MB)

Redd Kross - Born Innocent

Someone on the skafunkrastapunk forum requested this, so here's some more Redd Kross for everyone...

Originally issued in 1982, Born Innocent was the debut full-length release from Redd Kross, a band of suburban L.A. youth fronted by brothers Jeff (guitar, vocals) and Steve McDonald (bass). Aged 18 and 14, respectively, the aspiring punks are aided and abetted here by rhythm guitarist Tracy Lee and drummers Janet Housden and John Stielow as they attack these 16 songs with all the patience of over-stimulated teens and all the subtlety of a slasher flick. The average song length falls below the two-minute mark, during which time Jeff McDonald's whine is rarely coherent above the clamor of his band's brutal rock assault. The punk negation of titles like "Kill Someone You Hate," "Look up at the Bottom," and "Notes and Chords Mean Nothing to Me" couldn't be more appropriate descriptions for this music. "Solid Gold" is a slice of dislocated blues while "St. Lita Ford Blues" disintegrates from a stop-start punk party (complete with jubilant screams) to a raucous three-chord blur. Included for good measure are tributes to both actress Linda Blair ("Linda Blair") and serial killer Charles Manson ("Charlie" and a cover of Manson's own "Cease to Exist"). Though subsequent releases found Redd Kross cleaning up their act, this debut captures them in all their youthful glory; documenting the sound of the McDonalds and company unleashed on an unsuspecting set of guitars, bass, and drums. (Year of Release: 1982)

Track List:
1. Linda Blair
2. White Trash
3. Everyday There's Something New
4. Solid Gold
5. Burn-Out
6. Charlie
7. Tatum O'Tot And The Fried Vegetables
8. St. Lita Ford Blues
9. Self Respect
10. Pseudo-Intellectual
11. Kill Someone You Hate
12. Look On Up At The Bottom
13. Cellulite City
14. I'm Alright
15. Cease To Exist
16. Notes And Chords Mean Nothing To Me

Download: Red Kross - Born Innocent (22.3MB)

Terry - Rojvi LP

I had originally planned on posting some material by contemporary composer Igor Stravinsky, however Sharebee is giving me trouble. Instead I've decided to offer up this obscurity that was posted over at Mutant Sounds. If you haven't had a chance to check out Mutant Sounds be sure to do so. There's plenty of great stuff to be found there.

This loner acid folk-into psych curio came down the collector pike along with a companion piece by Jim Collins And The High Mass (which I'll include with my next batch of posts), both of 'em sans any pertinent info whatsoever. I've yet to find anyone online or elsewhere that seems to have the real scoop on these releases; the timelessly odd nature of their contents rendering a clear "read" on it's cultural context difficult. it might be new material. It might be newly released archival material. Or it might be that a cache of old copies were found and spread through the collector network (Chris Freeman at Fusetron guesses that these date from the early 90's). An uneven but sometimes hair-raising record, the true depths of this album eluded me at first, as the rather prosaic nature of the singer/songwriter structures that initially hem in these tracks suggest little of the creeping weirdity that leaks (and later spills) into his compositions as the album progresses and the plot thickens. "Clown Clouds" and "What A Day" (the two best and longest cuts here...roughly half the album) find introspective acid folk themes thrumming and cycling before being subsumed under gossamer residues of protoplasmic/ placental psychotropic space gloop on the former and resounding organ drones, fore-grounded rhythmic perambulations and electronic treatments swaddling Terry's escalating gruff vocal histrionics on the latter to supremely memorable ends. It's an insular, brooding and sometimes ponderous sound world that Terry engenders here and it's not always one that's 100% inviting, but the hot shit half will send your head spinning nevertheless. - mutantsounds
(Year of Release: Unknown)

Track List:
1. Feel It Coming On
2. Born In A Hole
3. Clown Clouds
4. Watch The Man
5. What A Day
6. Harvest Time
7. Let Me See You Smile

Download: Terry - Rojvi (69MB)

Cosmic Travelers - Live at the Spring Crater Celebration Hawaii

The Cosmic Travelers were a group of veteran studio musicians from Los Angeles that decided to get together to join the seventh major festival that was held over a four-year period in the Diamond Head crater in Oahu, Hawaii. The band, which consisted of Drake Levin (guitar), Jimmy McGhee (guitar), Joel Christie (bass), and Dale "Mule" Layola (drums), cranked out some high-octane psychedelic blues. Live! At The Spring Crater Celebration was recorded originally on April 1st, 1972, during the advent of a major shift to heavy metal with groups like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. This ultra-rare album was originally released in very limited quantities on the Volcano Label.

This entire recording is live and uncut with the exception of two minutes when the tape was turned over at the original recording. What we would consider today as an archaic method of recording a live gig becomes quite good under the careful eyes and ears of experienced engineers and producers. With the help of technological advancements and Akarma Records' precise care with the remastering process, and the colorful informative packaging, what you get is history given a chance to become reborn and relived.

This was a good album when it was recorded, and it stands as an above average album now due to the previously mentioned enhancements. The last two songs "Soul" and "Soul Reprise" are real kickers. There are only six tracks, but keep in mind the first track "Farther Up The Road," a blues classic, runs for more than nine minutes and Dave Mason's "Look At You Look At Me" for more than ten minutes. So you get more than your share of quantity, quality and consistency on this release.

Year of Release: 1972
Label: Volcano
Genre: Psychedelic/Blues
Bitrate: 128kbps

Track List:
1. Farther Up The Road
2. Move Your Hands
3. Jungle Juice
4. Look At You Look At Me
5. Soul
6. Soul Reprise

Download: Cosmic Travelers - Live at the Spring Crater Celebration Hawaii
File Size: 39MB

Play: Cosmic Travelers - Soul

VA - Ugly Things

This is an outstanding compilation of rare tracks from various Australian garage rock bands. After listening to several highly disappointing comps that I scored a few days ago, I didn't have high hopes for this one. However upon hearing this for the first time, I was very impressed to say the least. This is rare Australian garage rock at it's best, and in the same vein as the Nuggets compilations that I'm sure you are all familiar with. The front, back, and inside covers are included in the rar file, as are the liner notes. The following is an excerpt from the liner notes included with this release:

The first volume of Ugly Things was issued in 1980 and featured these introductory notes: The writing of liner notes for this album is a taste of relative ease. Though we are most desirous of conveying illuminating data and succint facts, there is really not a great deal that can be told about most of the Australian rock groups of the mid-60's in having this album. To be sure, this is not a greatest hits album. Nary a track contained within was ever in sneezing distance of any top 40. Rather, these tracks are the final remnant of a fast surging third-level of Australian beat groups. These are (in most cases) the garage and church hall bands who somehow wrangled a chance to cut a solitary single. When it went nowhere, so did they.

Recording was a much easier and cheaper process in the days before 24 track desks, $100 an hour studios, 'star' producers, and phasers, flangers, noise gates, aural excites and digital delays. In 1965, a record company or a studio could whip a new band in a 2 track studio with a resident engineer, cut a stack of tracks and stick a couple out in a single without expending a great deal of money, effort or concern at all. Chances could be taken. In a commercial sense, most of the chances taken on these artists were failures. In a musical sense, they render the financiers as patrons of the arts. For this is where the howling, seething, fang-bared face of Australian rock is to be found. Music which was executed with scant regard for the dictates of commerciality. Rock for the sake of rock itself, the only truly productive climate.

It seems that the further removed from the source 'beat' rock was, the more primal it emerged. New Zealand's R&B Chants probably represents the white r&b outfield, with the acts on this album skirting the same boundary. Despite Austalia's predilection for 'cover hits', only a fool would deny the existence of a truly unique indigenous antipodean rock sound. Less polished and harmonic that the US & UK strains, it was a gruffer, harsher, more working class handling of the basic rock principles.

So little seems to be known of the hundreds of non-hit Australian recording acts of the 60's, both in and out of the country. Our damned national inferiority complex led us to believe that it was all weak, derivative fluff.. until albums like Nuggets, Pebbles, Psychedelic Unknowns, Boulders, etc. left us smirking at the frankly unimpressive quality of so many tracks deemed as 'classics of their era' in foreign lands. The rock on this album can hold it's head loftily in the company of any non-hit English or American rock.

Year of Release: 1980
Label: Raven
Genre: Garage Rock
Bitrate: 160kbps

Track List:
1. Missing Links - You're Driving Me Insane
2. Atlantics - Come On
3. Machine Gun Kelly's Rejects - I'm Going Back
4. Creatures - Ugly Thing
5. Steve & The Board - Now I'm Older
6. Elois - By My Side
7. Others - Look Through My Window
8. Chants R&B - I'm Your Witchdoctor
9. Pink Finks - Louie Louie
10. Purple Hearts - Just A Little Bit
11. Movement - I Wanna Be Free
12. Modes - Baby Please Don't Go
13. Master's Apprentices - Poor Boy
14. Pleasers - Hurtin' All Over
15. Henchman - That's All I Want
16. Four Strangers - Sad & Lonely
17. The La De Das - How Is The Air Up There
18. Sunsets - I Want Love
19. Blue Stars - Social End Product
20. D-Coys - Bad Times
21. Derek's Accent - Ain't Got No Feeling
22. Blue Beats - She's Coming Home
23. Vince Maloney Sect - No Good Without You
24. Ray Columbus & The Art Collection
25. Lost Souls - This Life Of Mine
26. Black Diamonds - I Want, Need, Love You

Download: VA - Ugly Things
Download Track 17: The La De Das - How Is The Air Up There
Download Size: 76MB

Pink Fairies - Never Never Land

Pink Fairies were formed when the three musicians from The Deviants, having fired their singer Mick Farren, returned from a disastrous tour of the West Coast of North America and hooked up with Twink, formerly of the Pretty Things. These musicians had previously collaborated on Twink's Think Pink prior to the tour, and during the tour Twink, Farren and Steve Peregrin Took had used the The Pink Fairies Motorcycle Club and All-Star Rock and Roll Band name, taken from a story written by Jamie Mandelkau, as an umbrella for their activities, including one gig in Manchester.

They released 3 albums during the early 70’s, and while their true swan song, Kings Of Oblivion, is usually cited as their masterpiece, Never Never Land is nothing less than stellar. It kicks off with the misleading Do It. The album version of this tune begins with an acoustic intro than blasts into a hard punk rocker that should really be a classic radio anthem. War Girl engages in some cosmic blues rock soul with some fantastic wah-wah and a great spacey atmosphere. Say You Love Me and Teenage Rebel are more proto-punk/power pop highlights that show off the bands impressive instrumental chops which were honed at countless outside festivals. Surprisingly, Heavenly Man recalls early 70’s Pink Floyd, with slow profound drumming, dazed vocals and David Gilmour style guitar flourishes.

The band’s sound was a combination of the progressive rock scene, the earlier psychedelic revolution, proto-punk/garage rock roots, a small hint of politics, and good ole fashioned rock n roll. All these elements make the 10 minutes of Uncle Harry’s Last Freakout a joy to listen to. This is an undeniably great album from an unsung band. Never Never Land shows a vital band fighting for its life, creating some of the hardest outdoor festival music of the time. Anyone into the early Flamin’ Groovies, the Stooges, MC5, the Coloured Balls, or the Amboy Dukes should do themselves a favor and give this a listen.

Year of Release: 1971
Label: Polydor Records
Genre: Psychedelic/Garage
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Do It
2. Heavenly Man
3. Say You Love Me
4. War Girl
5. Never Never Land
6. Track One, Side Two
7. Thor
8. Teenage Rebel
9. Uncle Harry's Last Freak-Out
10. The Dream Is Just Beginning

Download: Pink Fairies - Never Never Land
File Size: 107MB

Video of the Week: The Cramps - Tear It Up - Urgh! A Music War

The Cramps - Tear It Up

Lux Interior's stage presence can be described in many ways.. electrifying, comical, or even disturbing. You can rest assured that it will never be described as dull though. This particular performance from Urgh! A Music War is one of the best that I've seen. Rather than spoil the interesting parts, I'll just let the video speak for itself.

Urgh! A Music War is a British film released in 1981. It featured performances by punk rock, New Wave, and post-punk acts, filmed in 1980. All performances are live, recorded around 1980, mainly in England and the USA. There is a bit of controversy surrounding the film, concerning the rights of the movie, and the possibility of a DVD release. You can read more about the film, and the surrounding controversy below.

Wikipedia Article
View More Videos From Urgh! A Music War

Bernard Hermmann - The Day The Earth Stood Still OST

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 1951 black-and-white science fiction film that tells the story of a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to warn its leaders not to take their conflicts into space, or they will face devastating consequences. Produced in the aftermath of World War II, the start of the Cold War, and the development and use of the first atomic bombs, the film strongly and iconically addresses issues of violence, politics, and the fear of global annihilation.

The score was composed by Bernard Herrmann and is notable for its use of two theremins. The soundtrack was composed in August of 1951 and was Bernard Herrmann's first soundtrack after he moved to Hollywood. Herrmann chose unusual instrumentation the film including electric violin, electric bass, two theremin fully electronic instrument: (played by Dr Samuel Hoffman and Paul Shure), test oscillators, vibraphone, four pianos, four harps and approximately 30 brass instruments. Unusual overdubbing and tape-reversal techniques were used, as well. - Source

Year of Release: 1951
Label: Fox
Genre: Soundtrack, Movie Score, Experimental
Bitrate: 192kbps

Download: Bernard Hermmann - The Day The Earth Stood Still OST
File Size: 78MB
Movie Download: Torrent File

Mort Garson - The Wozard of Iz: An Electronic Odyssey

One of the strangest albums I have ever had the pleasure of listening toSome of you may or may not be familiar with the late Mort Garson. He recently passed away in January of this year. Garson was perhaps best remembered as a pioneer of electronic music using Moog synthesizers. Although his electronic albums are considered his greatest output, he was also an accomplished composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, and pianist.

In 1967 Garson started working on The Zodiac: Cosmic Sounds. This would be the first of many electronic psychedelic masterpieces. In 1968 Garson collaborated with Jacques Wilson to create one of the trippiest albums ever released. The album was written by Wilson, with Garson composing the music. The Wozard of Iz was far from Garson's most polished effort, but it does stand out as being one of his most creative works, and certainly the strangest album he ever worked on. In fact I would dare say that it is one of the strangest albums I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Basically it parodies The Wizard of Oz, with the character's names remaining the same, yet with their adventures taking place in a modern day (modern at the time of release) setting. It is a deliberate jab at the typical lifestyle lived by many americans during the 1960's. In this alternate-oz, Dorothy takes a "trip" and discovers a a better life free from the pressures of society. During the course of the album, the lyrics are at times brilliant, silly, disturbing, and nonsensical, however they are always complimentary of the music that accompanies them. If you are fan of electronic, psychedelic, or just insanely weird music, then you won't want to miss out on this.

Year of Release: 1968
Label: A&M Records
Genre: Electronic/Psychedelic
Bitrate: 256kbps

Track List:
1. Prologue
2. Leave the Driving to Us
3. Upset Strip
4. Never Follow the Yellow-Green Road
5. Thing-a-Ling (Scared Crow)
6. In-man
7. Man With the Word (Lyin' Coward)
8. They're Off to Find the Wozard
9. Blue Poppy
10. I've Been Over the Rainbow
11. Big Sur
12. Killing of the Witch
13. Finale

Download: Mort Garson - The Wozard of Iz (ifile)
Download Mirror: Mort Garson - The Wozard of Iz (MegaUpload)
File Size: 65MB

Video of the Week: Otis Redding - Satisfaction

Otis Redding - Satisfation

I'm sure that during the course of time I've spent running this blog that I've described several performances as 'energetic', but I was blown away by the energy that Otis Redding pumped out in this performance. I'm sure that Mick Jagger, who was present in the crowd that night, was equally stunned. I was going to post a great video of the Cramps until I found this gem. I'm sure you won't have any problems understanding why once you've viewed it. Enjoy!

Moondog - Moondog

Moondog was the alias of Louis T. Hardin (May 26, 1916 – September 8, 1999). He was a New York City street musician and former beat poet who was blinded as a young adult. From the late 1940s until 1974, he was a permanent fixture, busking on 54th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan. He was known not only for his music and poetry, but also for the distinctive Viking garb that he wore, including a horned helmet. He routinely gave away copies of his work to anybody who would take them. In this way, he came to the attention of producer James William Guercio, who took him into the studio to record an album, released as Moondog (1969) on the CBS label. The track Stamping Ground, with its odd preamble of Moondog saying one of his epigrams, was featured on the sampler double album Fill Your Head with Rock. A brief phrase of another track on the album, Bird's Lament (In memory of Charlie Parker) was sampled by Mr. Scruff as the basis for his 7-minute track Get a Move On.

A second album produced with Guercio, and featuring both him and Moondog's daughter as vocalists, contained song compositions in the forms of canons and rounds. It did not make an impression on popular music as the first had. The two CBS albums were re-released as a single CD in 1989.

Year of Release: 1969
Label: CBS
Genre: Classical/Experimental
Bitrate: 256kbps

Track List:
1. Theme
2. Stamping Ground
3. Symphonique #3 (Ode To Venus)
4. Symphonique #6 (Good For Goodie)
5. Cuplet
6. Minisym #1
7. Lament I, Bird's Lament
8. Witch Of Endor
9. Symphonique #1 (Portrait Of A Monarch)

Download: Moondog - Moondog (58MB)

Brainiac - Bonsai Superstar

"An astounding blast of cohesive madness"Brainiac were an American synth-punk/ indie rock band of the 1990s. They formed in Dayton, Ohio in January of 1992 with vocalist, guitarist and keyboard (particularly Moog synthesizers) player Tim Taylor, bassist Monostereo (Juan Monasterio), guitarist Michelle Bodine and drummer Tyler Trent. On the March 12th, the band played its first show at Wright State's University Cafeteria, under the name We'll Eat Anything. After a couple of singles, they released their debut album, Smack Bunny Baby, on Grass/ BMG Records in 1993. Bonsai Superstar, now with John Schmersal on guitar in place of Bodine, followed the next year.

Whereas Smack Bunny Baby had shown Brainiac to be a band that was still developing, Bonsai Superstar is an astounding blast of cohesive madness. The band finds its voice and vision and moves light years ahead of their peers (as well as where they had been musically only a year earlier). From the opening moments of "Hot Metal Dobermans," it is apparent that listeners are in the hands of an assured, ambitious group of musicians, including the newly arrived John Schmersal on guitar. The music is far more adventurous than on the previous album, incorporating more raw noise and sound effects, and even constructing "Fucking with the Altimeter" around a series of spoken samples. But lead singer Tim Taylor is the star of this show. His combination of a Betty Boop falsetto and an Elvis-style croon on "Flypaper" is mesmerizing, and his explosive strut through "Sexual Frustration" exudes pure star power. Bonsai Superstar captures a band that was ahead of their time. In 1997 they released an electronic-based EP called Electro-Shock for President which turned out to be their last record: Tim Taylor was killed in a car accident on May 23rd, 1997, during the pre-production for their fourth album, which was due out on Interscope Records, after which the group soon disbanded.

Year of Release: 1994
Label: Grass/BMG
Genre: Experimental/Punk/Noise
Bitrate: 128kbps

Track List:
1. Hot Metal Doberman's
2. Hands of the Genius
3. Fucking With The Altimeter
4. Radio Apeshot
5. Transmissions After Zero
6. Juicy (On A Cadillac)
7. Flypaper
8. Sexual Frustration
9. To The Baby-Counter
10. You Wrecked My Hair
11. Meathook Manicure
12. Status: Choke
13. Collide

Download: Braniac - Bonsai Superstar (33MB)

Video of the Week: MC5 - Kick Out The Jams (Live - 1970)

I apologize for the recent lack of updates, but I haven't been home the last couple of days. However I should be home tomorrow, and I'll be sure to resume uploading material for you fine folks. In the meantime here is this week's VOTW.

MC5 - Kick Out The Jams (Live - 1970)

I would like to thank my good friend Brian for discovering this video. I know that this footage has been ripped from a DVD, although I'm not sure of the title. I'll be sure to find out when I get home so that I can provide as much information as possible. As you can see from the video, the MC5, who were way ahead of their time, put on a very energetic live show before a seemingly unprepared audience. The show took place at Tartar Field on the University of Detroit campus in 1970. I'll post the other videos to this set, as well as the DVD info, whenever I return home.

13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

Update: I've re-uploaded this file as requested. I'm not sure what the problem is, but most of the files that were hosted on gigasize are no longer working. For some strange reason they are still active, but the files have changed into small 1kb files. I've sent an e-mail to the gigasize admins to inform them of the problem, and hopefully they will be able to restore the files, or fix the problem. On a good note... It looks like I'm back permanently. Everything went well with court and I don't have to go back till May, and my internet service is working once again. You can look forward to regular updates once again.

There are few albums from the early stages of the psych movement that sound as distinctively trippy, and remain as pleasing

Did the 13th Floor Elevators invent psychedelic rock? Aficionados will be debating that point for decades, but if Roky Erickson and his fellow travelers into inner space weren't there first, they were certainly close to the front of the line, and there are few albums from the early stages of the psych movement that sound as distinctively trippy, and remain as pleasing as the group's groundbreaking debut, The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. In 1966, psychedelia hadn't been around long enough for its clichés to be set in stone, and Psychedelic Sounds thankfully avoids most of them; while the sensuous twists of the melodies and the charming psychobabble of the lyrics make it sound like these folks were indulging in something stronger than Pearl Beer, at this point the Elevators sounded like a smarter-than-average folk-rock band with a truly uncommon level of intensity. Roky Erickson's vocals are strong and compelling throughout, whether he's wailing like some lysergic James Brown or murmuring quietly, and Stacy Sutherland's guitar leads, long on melodic invention without a lot of pointless heroics, are a real treat to hear. And nobody played electric jug quite like Tommy Hall. Actually, nobody played it at all besides him, but his oddball noises gave the band a truly unique sonic texture. If you want to argue that psychedelia was as much a frame of mind as a musical style, it's instructive to compare the recording of "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Erickson's earlier band, the Spades, to the version on this album, the difference is more attitudinal than anything else, but it's enough to make all the difference in the world. (The division is even clearer between the Spades' "We Sell Soul" and the rewrite on Psychedelic Sounds, "Don't Fall Down"). The 13th Floor Elevators were trailblazers in the psychedelic rock scene, and in time they'd pay a heavy price for exploring the outer edges of musical and psychological possibility, but along the way they left behind a few fine albums, and The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators remains a potent delight.

Year of Release: 1966
Label: Collectables
Genre: Psychedelic
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. You're Gonna Miss Me
2. Roller Coaster
3. Splash 1
4. Reverberation
5. Don't Fall Down
6. Fire Engine
7. Thru The Rhythm
8. You Don't Know (How Young You Are)
9. Kingdom Of Heaven
10. Monkey Island
11. Tried To Hide
12. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Live)
13. You Really Got Me (Live)
14. Gloria (Live)
15. You're Gonna Miss Me (Live)

Download: 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
Download Size: 72MB

Comment Moderation

I've had someone leaving hateful comments and false accusations on the blog recently, so I've been forced to enable comment moderation, and will possibly have to require registration. I've been running this blog for almost two years, and I've never had a bad experience with any of the visitors here. It's unfortunate that one person has to ruin it for everyone else. When I came home today and checked my e-mail I was alerted to the fact that there were over 70 comments awaiting moderation from this individual, who posts anonymously I might add. I deleted the post (Roky Erickson - Gremlins Have Pictures) and re-published it, rather than moderating the 70+ comments that were left, so I apologize to those of you had their positive comments deleted.

I believe that everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, and I wouldn't try to censor anyone who was merely expressing that opinion, but I won't allow false statements to be made about me. I live in rather poor conditions, and work hard just to keep what little bit I have. I've also been trying to take care of a lot of problems which have overwhelmed me lately. Despite all that, I still take time out, almost daily, to generously provide you all with music from my collection. I have obviously already listened to this music, and have nothing to gain by sharing it with you all, other than having the satisfaction of being able to give the artists that I love the recognition that they deserve. This blog is a hobby; an escape from the every day stresses of life, but if that carries over here, then I will have to call it quits.

Life is too short. Let go of whatever it is that's bothering you...
To the Anonymous User who has been leaving dozens of slanderous and pointless comments.. I'm not sure why you are angry with me. I don't appreciate being accused of doing the things that you mentioned in your comments, just as I'm sure you wouldn't. Considering I've never exchanged words with you, I believe that you need to reconsider your position, and hopefully find a better way to use your time. The only people you are hurting are the visitors to this blog and yourself, not me. Life is too short my friend. Let go of whatever it is that's bothering you and move on. It's okay to have problems. We all do. But it's not okay to take those problems out on other people who haven't done anything to you. Despite my better judgement, I'll give you one last chance to respond in a civilized manner and explain to me what the problem is. No one will see your comment but me.

Video of the Week: Paul Dateh & Inka One - Hip Hop Violin

I was considering starting another blog to feature musical content that I wouldn't otherwise post on this blog, such as music videos. I may still go through with that plan, but since I've been using the myspace profile that I created for that purpose, I'm going to go ahead and postpone that plan for the moment. However I've decided that it's time to offer a bit of variety on this blog, and I think the best way to do that would be to offer the occasional video. So starting now, I'll be posting the best videos that I've recently discovered each week. I hope that you will enjoy my selections. You can find more on the Digital Meltd0wn MySpace blog. This week's Video of the Week is Paul Dateh & Inka One performing what is simply titled "Hip Hop Violin".

Paul Dateh & Inka One - Hip Hop Violin

Paul Dateh is a classically trained musician. Although the violin is his forte, he is also considered a talented jazz artist and vocalist. He often performs a fusion classical violin and hip-hop as demonstrated in this video. Be sure to visit his websites below for more information, and free music downloads. You can find the audio from this video available for download on his myspace profile. It's the last track on the player.


http://pauldateh.com
http://myspace.com/pauldateh

Jail Update

I'm out on bond at the moment. I have to go back to court on March 3rd. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say that I've violated my probation. I may or may not have to go back to jail on March 3rd. If it's possible I'm going to extend my court date by getting a court appointed lawyer. I have to focus on taking care of a few things concerning this matter over the next couple of days. I'm going to make a few calls and find out what I can about the possible sentence I would recieve, if any. I'll post some new material once that is taken care of. Thank you for your support. I'll keep you all updated of any changes as soon as I'm made aware of them.

Update: I'll be gone for a couple of days. I have to drive close to 400 miles to the location of the court. As I mentioned above, I'm going to ask for a court appointed lawyer, so hopefully they will reset my date, which will give me a few weeks or months to take care of my responsibilities. If all goes well I should be back on the 4th. If I am I'll begin working on the albums that were request to be re-uploaded (Roky Erickson & 13th Floor Elevators. Wish me luck.

Update 2 Well.. everything turned out okay. The judge was very understand of my situation and reset my court date in order to give me time to comply with the court's requirements. For those wondering.. I was originally charged with possession of marijuana, which I was placed on probation for. I violated that probation due to a misunderstanding on my part, which I won't go into detail because it would take more time than it's worth to explain here, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. I would like to say thank you to those who offered kind words.

Roky Erickson - Gremlins Have Pictures

Cobbled together from live tapes, studio outtakes, and well-known for his mental illness and erratic behavior, caused in no small part by shock therapy and incarceration in a Texas mental hospital casually recorded demos, Gremlins Have Pictures was the lesser of the two albums Roky Erickson, the former frontman for the 13th Floor Elevators, though it still captured the psychedelic pioneer in potent and hard rocking form. Several different backing bands appear on these tracks, ranging from the tight and empathetic the Aliens to Texas proto-punk also-rans the Explosives, but Erickson was in strong voice when this stuff was put on tape (no dates are included, but most of this probably dates from the early '80s), and even the lesser musicians at least try to match him for energy (and often succeed). Gremlins Have Pictures also preserves some of the less well-known titles in the Roky Erickson songbook; while "I Have Always Been Here Before" is once again recycled here, the oddball ballads "Anthem (I Promise)" and "Song to Abe Lincoln" and potent rockers "The Interpreter" and "Cold Night for Alligators" rank with Erickson's more memorable tunes, and the into-the-wind cover of the Velvet Underground's "Heroin" certainly ups the frenzy factor of the original. Gremlins Have Pictures is a patch job, but at least it's a patch job done with care and concern for the material, and musically it has a lot more going for it than the wealth of semi-authorized Erickson sets floating around.

Track List:
1. Night of the Vampire
2. Interpreter
3. Song to Abe Lincoln
4. John Lawman
5. Anthem (I Promise)
6. Warning (Social & Political Injustices)
7. Sweet Honey Pie
8. Cold Night for Alligators
9. I Am
10. Heroin
11. I Have Always Been Here Before
12. Before in the Beginning

Download: Roky Erickson - Gremlins Have Pictures
Download Size: 56.9MB

Axcraft - Dancing Madly Backwards

A must for any fans of '70s progressive music.Axcraft was a mid-'70s band from California around whom legends were built. Originally recorded for Bill Holmes' All American Records label, Dancing Madly Backwards was never officially released, but an acetate of the album made its way onto the collector's market, causing quite a stir. The sound of the band was progressive hard rock and many who heard it thought they were a British band. In the genre of such bands as Yes, Gentle Giant, Strawbs, Wishbone Ash, or many more similarly styled acts. Contained here are the original five songs (all clocking in at over five minutes!) from the acetate, which was recorded at United Audio in Tustin, California, together with two bonus live tracks recorded by the band themselves during their heyday. Officially sanctioned by band members and taken from original tapes supplied by band producer Bill Holmes, who also designed the album cover from original designs, this album is a must for any fans of '70s progressive music.
(Year of Release: 1974)

Track List:
1. So Far Away
2. Astral Love
3. 727 Suite
4. Firewheel
5. Dancing Madly Backwards
6. Vahalla (Live)
7. Love Is Blue (Live)

Download: Axcraft - Dancing Madly Backwards (27MB)

Kim Fowley - Animal God of the Streets (Re-Up)

The story of Kim Fowley, the original eccentric svengali figure, reads like a history of rock’n’roll music for the past 40 years. In the 60’s he first came to prominence instigating novelty pop chart-toppers such as ‘Alley Oop’, The Murmaids ‘Popsicles And Icicles’ and B. Bumble & The Stingers’ ‘Nutrocker’. Then he diversified and became a poet, actor, and dancer.

In 1966 as the hippie movement started, he organised a series of ‘love- ins’ in San Francisco which earned him notoriety as a weird creature of excess. His first album was ‘Love Is Alive And Well’ in 1967, then two on Capitol, and this fourth album on Skydog. He became involved with Blue Oyster Cult, famously master-minded The Runaways, co-produced (with John Cale) The Modern Lovers, produced the first Soft Machine single, wrote film scripts, recorded with BMX Bandits…

Over the years, other artists he’s been a song-writer or producer for include: Alice Cooper, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Cat Stevens, the ‘Ciao Manhattan’ movie, Family, Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids, Gene Vincent, Helen Reddy, Hollywood Stars, Kiss, Leo Kottke, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Seeds, Skip Battin, Slade, Them, Traffic, Warren Zevon, Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention, etc, etc… so if you’re a long-standing music fan you’re likely to have something of Fowley’s in your collection.

Kim Fowley did all the vocals and played all the instruments on the songs on Animal God Of The Streets, as well as the recording, engineering, and production. They were recorded in New Zealand between 1969-1971, yet not released until 1974.
(Year of Release: 1974)

Track List:
1. Night Of The Hunter
2. Long Live Rock'n'Roll
3. Were Wolf Dynamite
4. Is America Dead?
5. Rumble
6. California Swamp Dance
7. Hobo Wine
8. Dangerous Vision
9. Ain't Got No Transportation

Download: Kim Fowley - Animal God of the Streets (47MB)

White Noise - An Electric Storm

White Noise is an electronic music band formed in London, England in 1969 by American born David Vorhaus, a classical bass player with a background in both physics and electronic engineering. He was initially joined by BBC Radiophonic Workshop composers Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson, both ex of electronic music project Unit Delta Plus.

In 1968 White Noise released the groundbreaking album An Electric Storm on Island Records. The album was created using a variety of tape manipulation techniques, and is notable for its early use of the first British synthesizer, the EMS Synthi VCS3. Amongst many oddities, the first track on the album Love Without Sound employed speeded up tape edits of Vorhaus playing the double bass to create violin and cello sounds. 'I use voices a lot too, but not as conventional vocals. I always use a lot of voices, and if somebody having an orgasm in the background is used as part of one of the waveforms, it makes the sound more interesting, without the listener actually knowing what they're hearing.' Interview with David Vorhaus

Although not initially commercially successful for Island, it has over the years proved to be a cult classic, namechecked by such contemporary artists as The Orb and Julian Cope, influencing such contemporary acts Broadcast and Add N to (X). Derbyshire and Hodgson left White Noise and moved on to other projects after An Electric Storm, while Vorhous would go on to release an additional four albums under the same name.
(Year of Release: 1968)

Track List:
1. Love Without Sound
2. My Game Of Loving
3. Here Come The Fleas
4. Firebird
5. Your Hidden Dreams
6. The Visitations
7. The Black Mass: An Electric Storm In Hell

Download: White Noise - An Electric Storm (82MB)

A Request

I have a request for you fine people. I'm trying to find the album 'Rock' by The Riplets. To be more exact, I need their cover of Beat It from that album. If any of you could help me out with this request I would greatly appreciate it.

Velcra - Between Force And Fate

Between Force and Fate is a smack in the face from a fist that entered a time vortex in 1993 and reappeared just in time to knock the knowing noughties cynicism from our grinning faces. It's fantastic. Velcra do share a few attributes with their Finnish rock compatriots - they all have a flair for incredibly infectious musical hooks, they could all be accused of being more than a little derivative and they all have a sound that's far more than the sum of their influences. That, however, is where the comparisons end. Instead of overblown 80s rock, Velcra's heart is in early 90s rave, rap metal and political rebellion. Think Rage Against the Machine meets The Prodigy with a female lead-singer thrown in the mix.

Beginning as a two-piece for debut album Consequences of Disobedience, Velcra started life as guitarist/programmer O.D. (a sort-of Finnish Liam Howlett) and uber-versatile vocalist Jessi Frey. Now expanded to a full band that's still mixing programmed beats in with the acoustic drums, they're making music that is guaranteed to set any rock club ballistic, so long as they actually make the playlist.

Opener War Is Peace sets off in ballistic fashion, a machine-gun riff exploding into a furious tirade from Jessi Frey. The hook lines are simple but effective, "The battle has begun, counting 3-2-1 / are you ready?" she yells, and you can already hear the crowds shouting along. War is Peace feels like the tune of the year, at least until you get to Our Will Against Their Will, which is even better. Based on a speech Queen Elizabeth I gave to her troops in 1588 it combines a fantastic synth hook, a punishing sledgehammer guitar and a fantastic sense of uplifting fury to amazing effect.

By this point in the album you've tasted Velcra's energy, but only just scratched the surface of their versatility, or rather that of vocalist Jessi Frey. If she's not top of Liam Howlett's wish-list for collaborators, she soon will be after this. Imagine a female Mike Patton, or rather a cross between Mike Patton, Keith Flint, Dido and Bjork, a singer with a multitude of completely different voices and the ability to switch between any of them in an instant. I found Velcra while searching for artists to include in the female rock compilation that I'm throwing together, and they are a great find indeed. You can expect to see at least one song by them on the comp.
(Year of Release: 2005)

Track List:
1. War Is Peace
2. Water Is Getting High
3. Our Will Against Their Will
4. For My Loneliness I Pay
5. Memory Loss
6. I Can't Tell The Sun From The Moon
7. The Bong Song
8. Corruption
9. Hotel Alcatraz
10. Wonderland Sunrise

Download: Velcra - Between Force And Fate (59MB)

Jail...

I may or may not be going to jail this weekend. I just wanted to let you all know in case you don't see any updates from me in a while. Hopefully I'll be able to resolve the situation quickly. I don't expect to be in for more than a couple of days, but in the unlikely even that I'm not, just keep an eye out for my return. In the meantime, please leave a comment and recommend some music for me to check out whenever I get out.

Thee Mighty Caesars - Caesars Remains

This was originally posted on Thee Head Vein blog. Be sure to check it out if you haven't already. There is a lot of material posted there that is well worth checking out. I'm considering created a Billy Childish label for all the various projects he has worked on. Let me know if this is something you all would be interested in.

"What you got here is rare and unissued cyclonic "punk from the vaults of suave!" "What you got here is rare and unissued cyclonic "punk from the vaults of suave!" Other than song titles there's no real info as to when or where these 18 tracks are from, but no matter 'cause this is 100% pure swag!" -hdvns

Track List:
1. Little By Little
2. What You Got
3. Your Looking Fine
4. I Just Wanna Make Love To You
5. Cadalina
6. Man Taken From Guts
7. Gonna Make You Mine
8. The Swag
9. 1977
10. Cowboys Are Square
11. 10 Bears Of The Comanche
12. Pussy Whipped
13. True To You
14. Your Love
15. Keep Your Hands Off My Child
16. Cyclonic
17. Death Of A Mighty Caesar
18. Better Off Dead

Download: Thee Mighty Caesars - Caesars Remains (52MB)

Female Rock Compilation - I Need Your Help

I'm working on putting together an all female rock compilation, with the theme obviously being female fronted rock bands. It will be the first in a series that I'm working on simply titled "Digital Meltd0wn Presents:"; not very exciting, I know, but the music, liner notes, and album art will make up for it. Some of the artists/bands I am considering featuring are:

Babes In Toyland, The Runaways, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, PJ Harvey, Jack Off Jill,The Donnas, Veruca Salt, Daisy Chainsaw, Queen Adreena, Kittie, Betty X, The Avengers, Horrorpops, Lydia Lunch, Bitch Alert, Velcra, Roxy Saint, The Gits, Sahara Hotnights, Sexpod, Fluffy, The Soviettes, My Ruin, Bikini Kill, 7 Year Bitch, The Distillers, L7, The Kills, Devotchkas, Bif Naked, Rasputina, Penetration, The Slits, Pain Teens, Lunachicks

Now I could use your help. I know you wonderful people are aware of some hard rocking chicks that aren't on this list, so please let me know of any artists, bands, or particular songs, that you think should be included on this list by leaving a comment.
I'm also trying to think of a good name for the compilation, so if you have any ideas please comment.

Digital Meltd0wn On MySpace

I've decided to create a new myspace profile specifically for Digital Meltd0wn. I plan to use this profile for posting things that I wouldn't normally be willing to do here, and communicating with those of you who have a healthy, or unhealthy love for music. I plan on adding music videos, weekly recommendations, single mp3 downloads, concert artist/band and memorabilia images, and much more. It's going to be much more than your average lame and boring myspace profile.

I will be accepting all friend requests, however if you're going to add me, please make an effort to communicate with me occasionally.

Digital Meltd0wn Profile: http://myspace.com/digitalmeltd0wn
Add Me As Your Friend: Add Digital Meltd0wn

Pain Teens - Stimulation Festival

Underground noise-rockers Pain Teens were just developing a national identity when Stimulation Festival, their second collection of new material, was released by Trance Syndicate. Similar to the group's previous official releases (and their many '80s self-released cassettes), this 1991 effort is pasted together with Scott Ayers' strange tape loops/guitar experiments and vocalist Bliss Blood's detached ruminations detailing all things shocking and unmentionable. Death, struggle, and female health/physiology are subjects typically covered either directly or metaphorically.. that is, depending on how you read the song titles, as Ayers' sonic monstrosities often drown out Blood's missives. A unique and prolific outfit, Pain Teens cast out discs like Stimulation Festival for over a decade, to the delight of many extreme rock fanatics. However, recommending one of the group's recordings over another is difficult due to the lack of definitive songs or performances. Having said that, Stimulation Festival would be a fine introduction for new fans, as it is nothing if not representative of Pain Teens' sonic assault.
(Year of Release: 1992)

Track List:
1. Shallow Hole
2. The Dead Cannot
3. God Told Me
4. The Poured Out Blood
5. Drowning
6. Living Hell
7. Indiscreet Jewels
8. Wild World
9. Daughter Of Chaos
10. Evil Dirt
11. Brusied
12. Dog Spirits
13. Hangman's Rope
14. Apartment #213

Download: Pain Teens - Stimulation Festival (68MB)

The Runaways - The Runaways

When the Runaways debuted in 1976 with this self-titled LP, aggressive female rockers were the exception instead of the rule. Women had no problem becoming folk-rockers, singer/songwriters or Top 40 icons, but female artists who had more in common with Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith than Joni Mitchell were hardly the norm. With this album, the Runaways made it crystal clear that women (or specifically, adolescent girls) were more than capable of playing intense, forceful hard rock that went directly for the jugular. Lusty classics like "Cherry Bomb" and "You Drive Me Wild" made no attempt to conceal the fact that teenage girls could be every bit as sexual as the guys -- a message that both men and women found intimidating. And on "Is It Day or Night," Cherie Currie sings about life in the fast lane with every bit as much conviction as Axl Rose would 11 years later. Currie and Joan Jett are equally riveting, and a 17-year-old Lita Ford was already an impressive guitarist. This LP was far from a commercial hit in the U.S., where timid rock radio programmers simply didn't know what to make of the Runaways. But interestingly, it did earn the band a strong following in the major rock market of Japan.
(Year of Release: 1976)

Track List:
1. Cherry Bomb
2. You Drive Me Wild
3. Is It Day or Night?
4. Thunder
5. Rock & Roll
6. Lovers
7. American Nights
8. Blackmail
9. Secrets
10. Dead End Justice

Download: The Runaways - The Runaways (73MB)

Electric Frankenstein - The Time Is Now!

Here's The Time Is Now! by Electric Frankenstein as requested by Cordoron. This is the first official full length LP from the Jersey punk quintet. Already known to legitimate punks via their numerous singles (see "EF Conquers the World"), this album shows how punk is supposed to be.. stripped down, raw, no fancy tricks. Just rock 'n' roll. The beauty of this record is that it is stripped down without a loss of intensity. Every single word is screamed by vocalist Steve Miller. The rhythm section provides constant momentum for the chunky power chord guitar work. The opener "Teenage Shutdown" is an incredibly driving song, reinstating the punk guitar solo as a credible component of songwriting. The slow, rumbling title track conveys its sense of urgency with lines like "the time is now, so don't be late." Similar themes are expressed in "Superstar" with the imperative line "We gotta wake up this generation." The boys continue to praise 50's horror flicks with "I Want More" and "EF Theme." The latter uses the Frankenstein creature as a metaphor for people who are comfortable with their eccentricities, while delivering clever phrases such as "My mother was electricity, my father was a corpse." A great throwback to the way punk used to be before it was commercialized.
(Year of Release: 1995)

Track List:
1. Teenage Shutdown
2. The Time Is Now!
3. Superstar
4. Right On Target
5. I Want More
6. Demolition Joyride
7. EF Theme
8. Fast & Furious
9. Rise And Crash
10. We Are The Dangerous
11. Too Much For You
12. A Sweet Sickness

Electric Frankenstein - The Time Is Now!   (88.5MB at 320Kbps)

Betty X - Memoirs Of A Pain Junkie

Betty Zoe Kaylor, better known as the performance artist Betty X, has been making music since the mid-90's, when she formed the controversial art rock band, Salon Betty. After the group disbanded, she decided to pursue a solo career, releasing Bad Side of Love in 1999. Her current self-titled solo project is much heavier and darker than previous material; with heavy, loud and grinding guitars, breakneck tempos, apocalyptic distortion and noise, moody sound-scapes and extremely aggressive, distorted vocals, the music is best described as industrial metal.

The newer songs cover a range of genres, however: "Human Disease" has the totalitarian/Orwellian flavor of Marilyn Manson, "Dystopia" is a poppy, bass-driven tune a la Nine Inch Nails, "Mons Venus" is a dark and sultry rock piece akin to P.J. Harvey, and most of Memoirs of a Pain Junkie could be considered straight-forward alternative metal in the style of Ministry's Psalm 69. Memoirs of a Pain Junkie is Betty X's third solo release and first full-length album. It is also her heaviest and hardest-hitting material to date. The album was released in 2006 through Anti-Social Records.

Track List:
1. Necrotic
2. Chainsaw
3. Bloodworm
4. Ultraviolence
5. Shoot'em Up
6. Bleed
7. The Snake Pit
8. Ossuary 13
9. Pain Junkie

Download: Betty X - Memoirs Of A Pain Junkie (32MB)

The Bronx - The Bronx

The Bronx's self-titled debut is a beautifully violent exhibition of pure punk rock. No pogo-pouncing guitar licks or aggro-happy vocals fit the ambitious agenda of this SoCal four-piece, nor do they hold the pretense held by most post-grunge rock kids. The Bronx are dead serious with their craft; they're uncompromising without being disconcerting, allowing this powerhouse release to make an impression. Sure, criticizing the America's conservative value system may be more than overdone, but if you're able to say something new, it's relevant and that's exactly what makes The Bronx an interesting first album. Themes of direction and rejection carry this manic, red-hot cardinal set with producer Gilby Clarke at the helm. As soon as "Heart Attack American" kicks things off, the Bronx immediately blast you with a Stooges-meets-Fugazi jolt. Matt Caughthran's vocals are not only a frenzied mess, but they're scathingly convincing. Joby J. Ford (guitar), James Tweedy (bass), and Jorma Vik (drums) make for a sharp backup section, and songs like "White Tar" and "Notice of Eviction" thrive on the band's personal revolt against what's mediocre and typically popularized. In classic punk style.
(Year of Release: 2006)

Track List:
1. Heart Attack American
2. False Alarm
3. White Tar
4. Cobra Lucha
5. They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)
6. I Got Chills
7. Guns Without Bullets
8. Notice of Eviction
9. Kill My Friends
10. Strobe Life

Download: The Bronx - The Bronx (41MB)

Note: I accidently included the wrong album art in the .rar file. I didn't realize this until after I started my upload. The album art you see above in this post is the correct album cover.

Oops

I accidently deleted the header above the blog posts which contained the main menu. I'll work on getting that back up as soon as possible.

I'm Back...

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm back. I'm sure some of you noticed that I was able to put a few albums up during the time that I didn't have internet service at home. Normally I tag all of the songs myself, but since I wasn't at home I had to put them up as is. Much to my surprise I noticed that there wasn't a dramatic decrease in traffic during the time I wasn't making new post. I also noticed that traffic has dramatically increased to my other blog during the last week or so. I have some well known blogs linking to it now, which explains the noticeable increase in traffic. If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, please do yourself a favor and do so. You can find it here: http://music-bloggers.blogspot.com

I'll be working on re-uploading a few albums that were mentioned, and finding the albums that were requested over the next few days. I would like to thank those of you who recommended music for me to check out as I requested during my time away. Thanks once again for all your support.

Elvis Presley - Elvis In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

I don't normally post mainsteam musicians or bands, but I thought I would make an exception. After all.. what type of music blog would I be running if I didn't post at least one album by the king of rock n' roll. The songs on this album were recorded between August 22-26 in 1969.

When Elvis and the Colonel decided it was time to start appearing live again, they assembled a crackerjack band (featuring James Burton) and took on Vegas full-bore. Easily the King's best live album, In Person at the International Hotel featured a slew of hits, including "Johnny B. Goode," "My Babe," the "Mystery Train/Tiger Man" medley, and "Suspicious Minds." If the album had a flaw, it was its skimpy running time (36 minutes). We now know, from the unissued tracks from these same performances that were added to the remastered On Stage (1970), that there was more to the repertory of those five days of August 1969 shows than is represented here; but the producers, limited to a single LP, faced a major problem: Should they weigh the tracks more toward his current repertory and recent singles, or toward his classic songs? The classic songs sort of won out, but in the decades since, those then-recent singles have risen in stature.

Regardless of what they're playing, the band really rock throughout, and that's not just Burton who sounds like he's wearing his fingers ragged as he puts a new edge on "Hound Dog," coming up with something different than, yet vaguely similar to, Scotty Moore's approach to the song in concert 14 years earlier, but also the entire guitar contingent of John Wilkinson and Charlie Hodge (not to mention Elvis himself, who strums along here and there) and the muscular rhythm section of bassist Jerry Scheff and drummer Ronnie Tutt. The vocal support by Hodge, Millie Kirkham, the Sweet Inspirations, and the Imperials is soaring and tasteful, never more so than on the album's seven-minute version of "Suspicious Minds" and the soaring finale, "Can't Help Falling in Love."
(Year of Release: 1970)

Track List:
1. Blue Suede Shoes
2. Johnny B. Goode
3. All Shook Up
4. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
5. Hound Dog
6. I Can't Stop Loving You
7. My Babe
8. Medley: Mystery Train/Tiger Man
9. Words
10. In The Ghetto
11. Suspicious Minds
12. Can't Help Falling In Love

Download: Elvis Presley - Elvis In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada (85MB)

Just Checking In

I just thought I would let you all know that it will be at least a week before I have internet access. I'll try to get a few albums up between now and then, but I'll be unable to update it daily.

I May Be Offline A Few Days

I'm in the process of moving at the moment. My internet service will have to be transferred, and I'm not sure how long that will take. Hopefully it won't be much more than a couple of days. I'll try to respond to any questions or comments if I have free time at work, but I won't be uploading any new material until my internet service is back again.

In the meantime, please leave a comment and recommend me some artists/bands to check out, or leave me some feedback on the recent modifications I've made to the blog, or suggestions for improvements or new features.

Redd Kross - Teen Babes From Monsanto

This album is currently out of print and not available on CD, so I suggest you get this while you can.

Redd Kross was the brainchild of Steve and Jeff McDonald, brothers from the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne (also home of the Beach Boys) who began playing music together before either had hit puberty. Fueled by a series of dubious visits to famed area rock clubs like the Roxy and the Whiskey-a-Go-Go, they formed their first band, the Tourists, in 1978; Jeff, then 15, handled vocal duties while Steve, 11, took up the bass.

After rounding out the group with schoolmates Greg Hetson on guitar and Ron Reyes on drums, the Tourists played their first gig, opening for Black Flag. Following a name change to Red Cross, they issued their self-titled EP debut in 1980. After the departure of Hetson and Reyes (for the Circle Jerks and Black Flag, respectively), the McDonalds enlisted a revolving line-up of underground musicians for their full-length follow-up, 1981's Born Innocent, which found the group's pop-culture obsessions bubbling over on tributes like "Linda Blair" and "Charlie" (about Charles Manson, whose "Cease to Exist" they also covered).

Following the album's release, the band was threatened with a lawsuit from the real International Red Cross; as a result, they became Redd Kross, and returned in 1984 with Teen Babes from Monsanto. Ex-Black Flag singer Dez Cadena had already come and gone through Redd Kross by the time Geza X produced the seven-song Teen Babes From Monsanto. Running strictly on wicked irreverence, the McDonalds and drummer Dave Peterson turn the spotlight on various musical victims, and the Redd Kross living jukebox bangs out loud and convincing covers of Kiss ("Deuce"), the Stones ("Citadel"), Stooges ("Ann"), Bowie ("Savior Machine") and others, leaving "Linda Blair 1984" the sole original. A record of the ultimate bratty garage band in its element. (Year of Release: 1984)

Credit goes out to the TwilightZone! Music Blog for originally uploading this wonderful album.

Track List
1.Deuce
2. Citadel
3. Heaven Only Knows
4. Ann
5. Savior Machine
6. Blow You a Kiss In the Wind
7. Linda Blair 1984

Download: Redd Kross - Teen Babes From Monsanto (20.4MB)

My Wishlist

Since I've uploaded hundreds of albums, and filled many requests, I thought it would be fair to create a wishlist for albums that I would like to have. The great thing about the music blog community is that we are able to obtain almost anything regardless of how scarce it may be. The albums below are on the list either because I couldn't find them, or I'm short on time and need a place to list them so I don't forget to check them out later. I have also listed albums which were requested by visitors that I have been unable or haven't had the time to find. Thanks in advance to those of you who are able to fill these requests for me. So without further ado.. here's my wishlist:

My Wishlist:

Elmer Bernstein - Robot Monster (1953)

New Feature - Table Of Contents

I've made another modification to the blog which I believe will help you to find what you are looking for. If you look to the sidebar on the right, directly underneath my profile, you will see the option to 'Show Table of Contents'. Clicking it will reveal a list of all the posts that I have made in alphabetical order. They can also be sorted by the date they were posted. I've noticed that this modification increases page load time; specifically the time it takes for the portion of the sidbar beneath the Table Of Contents to display. It was more apparent on Opera than Firefox, but it wasn't significant enough to be a problem for me. I haven't tested it on Internet Explorer yet. If you notice that page times are extremely slow, please leave a comment and let me know.

This modication was made possible thanks to Beautiful Beta. Please give me some feedback about this addition.