Welcome

elcome to the Digital Meltd0wn Music Blog. The aim of this blog is to introduce the readers to music that is out of print, commercially unavailable, released under a creative commons license, or with approval by the featured artist. The majority of the music posted here would be considered underground. Don't let that fool you into thinking that the music featured here might be any less enjoyable than that of the mainstream artists you hear on the radio, as this couldn't be further from the truth. Please keep in mind that the majority of the artists that appear on this blog, along with their respective record labels, are not wealthy and need your support. If you enjoy the material that you find here, please support the artists/labels by purchasing their material afterwards. If you are an artist/label that would prefer to have your material removed from this blog, simply leave me a comment, and I would be more than happy to promptly remove the offending post. In addition to running this blog, I also work on a few other projects during my spare time. You can find links to those, as well as a few other important links associated with Digital Meltd0wn in the menu bar above.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Green Milk From The Planet Orange - City Calls Revolution


Green Milk from the Planet Orange's first album for Beta-Lactam Ring consisted mostly of old songs re-recorded. City Calls Revolution contains only brand new material and features new bassist T (everyone in the band goes by an initial, now). The music still draws loads of inspiration from progressive rock and fusion, but the psychedelic vibe is stronger than ever, as the group moves closer to the experimental tendencies of Acid Mothers Temple. As a result, this album may be more difficult, but also more exciting than their previous one. After two or three minutes of synthesizer doodles, Dead K, A, and T take off for an exhilarating 20-minute ride titled "Concrete City Breakdown." By far the most progressive number here, the piece features strong themes and several surprising variations. The playing is more than inspired, hinting at King Crimson, Miles Davis' electric band, and Ruins. It provides the undisputed highlight and ranks as one of the best tracks the group has recorded yet. "Omgs" adopts a punkier attitude, with a passing nod to the Stick Men (or the New York no wave scene in general). More aggressive, it can become irritating. "Demagog" goes by rather unnoticed after that, but further listens reveal a good average song for this band. The set concludes with the 38-minute epic "A Day in the Planet Orange," a suite that is actually a hodgepodge of ideas. The band bounces around from free-form improv to fast-action prog riffing, telephone conversations, and slow-paced post-rock-ish themes. Form-wise, the piece is not that conclusive (it suffers no comparison to the coherence of "Concrete City Breakdown"), but it sure has a high entertainment value, with a fair balance of exciting and puzzling moments. Green Milk from the Planet Orange is not the Japanese freak-out band you might be expecting (there is a lot of order ruling their chaos), but in the light of this opus, they are edging in that direction.
(Year of Release: 2005)

Track List:
1. Concrete City Breakdown
2. Omgs
3. Demagog
4. A Day In The Planet Orange

Download: Green Milk From The Planet Orange - City Calls Revolution (51.1MB)

Saturday, May 26, 2007

The Fuzztones - Lysergic Emanations


I can't recall where I found this one at. I always like to give credit to the original uploader. Most likely it was RYP from the TWILIGHTZONE! blog. I have several other Fuzztones albums for anyone who's interested.

Up their in the attic with the bats, the cobwebs, the ghost of a creepy when living dead great grandfather, and diaries of your grandmother, do the Fuzztones lurk. At night you can hear them practicing their psychedelic sounds with the swirling organ, crunchy guitars, and thundering drums. If you would quit chattering your teeth hiding underneath that blanket, and actually listen to what you hear, you might recognize a ghoulish derivation of songs you know by the Sonics ("Strychnine" and "Cinderella")the Haunted ("1-2-5") and Sonny Boy Williamson Yardbirds style ("Highway 69"), and some you might guess the band wrote themselves. You'd be so pleased with these true to the core "Children of Nuggets" stylistics, you'd put your coat on and go watch Rudi Protrudi and Deb O'Nair the next time they ooze out their sounds in the graveyard. Dancing with the mummies is a damn good time. Just don't put that album cover on your wall, or your family might think you are weird or something. - dustyhands

Track List:
1. Gotta Get Some
2. Journey to Tyme
3. Ward 81
4. Strychnine
5. Radar Eyes
6. Cinderella
7. Highway 69
8. Just Once
9. She's Wicked
10. As Time's Gone
11. Living Sickness
12. Bad News Travels Fast
13. She's Wicked
14. Epitaph for a Head
15. Cinderella
16. Green Slime

Download: The Fuzztones - Lysergic Emanations(69.6MB)

Labels Added

I've been against the labeling system until now, but I've decided to give it a try in order to make it easier for you all to find what you need on this blog. I've only had a chance to label a few posts so far, but I will go through and label as many as I can in the following days. You can find the list of labels underneath the archive. The reason I was against it in the first place is because I think that it can make a blog look overcrowded if they use too many labels. I'll try to keep my usage to a minimum to keep things orderly here. Let me know what you think...

The Mummies - Tales From The Crypt

I couldn't find out much information about this. This was originally recorded in 1994, but was never released by Crypt Records because the Mummies weren't happy with the sound and thought that it was overproduced. There is also another bootleg entitled 'Fuck the Mummies', which features songs from this as well as recordings from a few live gigs. 'Tales From The Crypt' doesn't have the low-fi sound that you will find in all of the other Mummies recordings, and it is much more bass heavy also. However if you're like me you'll enjoy this album simply for the fact that it is the one and only Mummies. Special thanks to hdvns for helping me find this, and to the Nothing But Trash blog for originally uploading this.
(Year of Release: 1994)

Track List:
1. Mummies
2. Your Ass (My Face)
3. Red Cobra #9
4. Land Of 1000 Dances
5. That Girl (Tribute To Shane White)
6. Victim Of Circumstances
7. She Don't Care
8. Speed Track
9. Wild Mutha
10. F.U.C.K
11. Shut Yer Mouth
12. Hairy Mary

Download: The Mummies - Tales From The Crypt (34.1MB)

Friday, May 25, 2007

What Are Your Favorite Music Blogs?

Edit: I apologize for taking so long, but tomorrow I am going to begin the monumental task of organizing the blogs that you all submitted into a categorized list. It might take a little while for me to finish the project since I will have to visit each individual blog before I can arrange them on the list according to genre(s). I'll post the list as soon as I'm finished and add a link to it in the sidebar.

In the future I plan to make a few posts in between albums periodically to discuss various music related subjects. The goal of this is to learn about new bands/artists, music blogs, communities, and to learn a little more about each other. My favorite blogs are listed below. If I had to choose a favorite out of the bunch it would have to be TWILIGHTZONE!.

I hope that everyone who downloads music from this blog will participate in these discussions. If so we will all be able to discover a lot of great new music. Please leave a comment and list your favorite music blogs, and feel free to list as many as you would like.

My Favorite Blogs:
TWILIGHTZONE!
PunchDrunk
In The Crowd!
Rock Delirious
Nothing But Trash
Carnival of Headache
Born In The Basement
Only In It For The Music
Ape Shall Never Kill Ape
Pathway to Unknown Worlds

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Daisy Chainsaw - Eleventeen

It is hard to believe that during the women's punk revolution of the early '90s, the talented Daisy Chainsaw barely made a blip on the music radar. Taking their cue from proto-punks like the Stooges and modern noise-bringers like Pussy Galore, Daisy Chainsaw had a brutal guitar assault that was grounded by awesome, twisted vocals. From the pounding "I Feel Insane" to the otherworld eeriness of "Use Me Use You," they prove that they are adept to many different styles while still retaining their unique sound. Some tracks, like "Dog With Sharper Teeth," are almost pop with their catchy melodies and up-tempo feel. But it is the mountains of ear-shattering guitar that brings this music its intense power. "Hope Your Dreams Come True" is the perfect example; barely holding molten riffs back from overtaking the fragile vocals, this is like the ugly younger sister to the Stooges' classic "Dirt," building to a brutal ending that bubbles over with raw anger. Never following trends and keeping a scary public image worked against them, keeping them behind their contemporaries in Hole and Babes in Toyland. But time has been very kind to their music, making Daisy Chainsaw a rare treat for any fan of solid, female-fronted alternative rock.

Credit goes to H. who runs the Carnival Of Headache blog. There is a lot of great music to be found there, so be sure to stop by and check it out sometime. The link is also in the sidebar for future reference.
(Year of Release: 1992)

Track List:
1. I Feel Insane
2. You Be My Friend
3. Dog With Sharper Teeth
4. Hope Your Dreams Come True
5. Natural Man
6. Love Your Money
7. Lovely Ugly Brutal World
8. Use Me Use You
9. Future Free
10. Pink Flower
11. Waiting for the Wolves
12. Everything Is Weird

Download: Daisy Chainsaw - Eleventeen (47.4MB)

Supercharger - Goes Way Out


Supercharger's Goes Way Out gained instant access into the trash rock pantheon. From the recorded in a kitchen sound and ringing guitar feedback sequels to the bratty singing and pissed-off lyrics, this album is like a guidebook on playing and recording minimalist punk rock. Starting out with a loud B-movie warning of alien invasion, the album assaults the senses with low-budget riffs and a 1950s rock sound that has a gutbucket level honesty proving this power trio's members are purists at heart. Cynical anger drips off the crudely tuned guitars and the subject matter of tunes like "You Irritate Me," "Buzz Off," "Bailin' Out," and "Get Out of My House" sounds like a domestic argument on COPS. The brilliance of Goes Way Out is its rhythmic intensity. Harnessing the snarl of the overdriven guitar sound, they throttle the songs by driving them with chunky poppy power chords. Opting for a mistakes-be-damned, balls-out approach, the energy level equals the volume on each track and covers many blemishes with raw enthusiasm. When Supercharger locks in on the song "Cindy Lou" with its pumping tempo, they are channeling a primal energy that fuels all great rock & roll performances. The one musical technique that Supercharger possesses on this release is the band is tight. The crisp togetherness easily sells their simplicity as a tough and spirited sound. Like the Ramones and the New York Dolls, they find freedom in their limitations, and Goes Way Out further champions the cause of the anti-musician's musician.
(Year of Release: 1996)

Track List
1. Super X
2. No Sleep
3. Way Out
4. It's Alright
5. Buzz Off
6. You Irritate Me
7. I Took A Ride
8. Bailin' Out
9. Knockout
10. One Way Street
11. Sick To Death
12. Get Out Of My House
13. Sissy Jerk
14. Cindy Lou

Download: Supercharger - Goes Way Out (23.7MB)

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Flamin' Groovies - Flamingo


This is a reissue by Buddha Records of the original Flamingo album from 1970, along with six bonus tracks from a live-in-the-studio session that appeared in part on the 1976 compilation Still Shakin'. While the Flamin' Groovies' first album, Supersnazz, loaded their high-octane retro rock down with a loving but overly intrusive production, their next long-player, Flamingo, went in exactly the opposite direction; for their second time at bat (and their second major label), the Groovies cranked up their amps and kicked up the tempos, while producer Richard Robinson stripped the band's sound to the bone. If Flamingo has a flaw, it's that the album is just a bit too basic; the recording sounds a bit flat and muddy, and it isn't very flattering to either Tim Lynch's guitar or Danny Mihm's drums (and who fell in love with the panning control while they were mixing?). But if Flamingo sometimes sounds more like a demo than a finished album, it's a demo of a great band firing on all cylinders; with "Gonna Rock Tonite," the album starts out in fifth gear and never stops, with even the less manic tunes (such as the bluesy "Childhood's End") sounding sharp and full of fire, and the many rave-ups raving mighty fine indeed (notable exception: the trippy "She's Falling Apart," which proves these guys didn't understand psychedelia and had no business playing it, which was a considerable virtue in the Bay Area during the late '60s and early '70s). If the engineering sometimes lets them down, Flamingo does a far, far better job of capturing what made the Groovies a great band than their debut and ranks alongside their very finest work.
(Year of Release: 1970)

Track List:
1. Gonna Rock Tonite
2. Comin' After Me
3. Headin' for the Texas Border
4. Sweet Roll Me on Down
5. Keep a Knockin'
6. Second Cousin
7. Childhood's End
8. Jailbait
9. She's Falling Apart
10. Road House
11. My Girl Josephine (*)
12. Around and Around (*)
13. Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu (*)
14. Somethin' Else (*)
15. Rumble (*)
16. Going Out Theme (Version 1)(*)

Download: Flamin' Groovies - Flamingo (98MB)

Saturday, May 19, 2007

The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette

After releasing their debut album, 'Damned Damned Damned', The Damned rejoined forces without their original guitarist BrianJames, who pursued his own interests from then on (only hooking up with the band again for a late-'80s "farewell" show). The remaining three (Dave Vanian, Rat Scabies, and Captain Sensible) brought in young Saints veteran Algy Ward on bass, recorded an album, and hoped for the best. That best proved much better than expected; while singles ended up on the charts, Etiquette itself was deservedly hailed as another classic from the band. Over time, its reputation has grown to equal the original Damned Damned Damned; while no less strong than that record, the Damned here bring in a wide variety of touches and influences to create a record that most of their contemporaries could never have approached. The group's wicked way around witty punk hadn't ebbed a bit; the opening cut, "Love Song," is a hilarious trashing of romantic clichés (sample lyric: "I'll be the rubbish, you'll be the bin!") that barely lasts two minutes, while "Noise, Noise, Noise" and "Liar" work in the same general vein. These, however, only scratch the surface. "Melody Lee," written by Captain Sensible for a favorite comic character, starts with a lovely piano intro, whereas the celebratory angst of "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" chugs along with garagey élan and keyboards á la the Electric Prunes. Other prime standouts include "Plan 9 Channel 7," a grand epic about James Dean and Vampira with a fantastic Vanian vocal; the merry mayhem of "These Hands" (belonging to a killer circus clown, with appropriate carnival music, of course); and a great rip through the MC5's "Looking at You." The best moment was saved for last, though: "Smash It Up," a two-part number divided between an affecting instrumental tribute to longtime supporter and Captain hero Marc Bolan of T-Rex fame, and a perfect trash-the-rules-and-party pop/punk/R&B scorcher.
(Year of Release: 1979)

Track List:
1. Love Song
2. Machine Gun Etiquette
3. I Just Can't Be Happy Today
4. Melody Lee
5. Anti-Pope
6. These Hands
7. Plan 9 Channel 7
8. Noise, Noise, Noise
9. Looking At You
10. Liar
11. Smash It Up (Part 1)
12. Smash It Up (Part 2)
13. Ballroom Blitz
14. Suicide
15. Rabid (Over You)
16. White Rabbit (Extended Version)

Download: The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette (71.9MB)

Thursday, May 17, 2007

The Mummies - Death By Unga Bunga!!

You've got to wonder if the apocalypse is imminent, or hell has frozen over, or some other such monstrous tear in the fabric of the universe has occurred -- here in the year 2003, the Mummies, whose legendary loathing of digital technology was second to none, have not only launched an official Internet website, but they've actually consented to their second CD release. Death By Unga Bunga!! pulls together 21 songs from the titans of "budget rock" that previously appeared on hard to find and out of print singles, and thanks to the marvels of digital mastering technology, these recordings sound marginally less screwed-up than they did in their original cheap-jack vinyl pressings (though a few appear to have been pulled straight from the turntable). Serving up high-octane garage rock so gloriously crude that they made Thee Headcoats sound like the Poppy Family, the Mummies bashed harder than anyone on the scene, and their records captured the glorious sound of cheap guitars and cheaper PAs being pushed into the red zone by four beer-drunk lunatics dressed in Ace bandages. Add to this tunes like "Doin' the Kirk," "Food, Sickles & Girls," "I'm Bigger Than You," "(I Should Better Be Lookin' For) Dangerman," and "(You Must Fight to Live) On the Planet of the Apes," and you get one of the most brilliantly stupid (and stupidly brilliant) rock bands to ever walk the Earth. With the original pressings of these 45s long gone and fetching big bucks from collectors, Death By Unga Bunga!! may not be the coolest way to check out this stuff, but it sure is convenient and cost-effective, and stretched out into one big nonstop blast, this disc only confirms the utter rightness of the Mummies' low-tech assault upon the senses. Listen and be amazed. (Year of Release: 2003)

Track List:
1. Introduction To The Mummies
2. In And Out
3. Girl Like You
4. I'm Gonna Kill My Baby Tonight
5. I'm Bigger Than You
6. I Should Better Be Lookin' For Dangerman
7. Die
8. That Girl
9. Test Drive
10. Stronger Than Dirt
11. Food Sickles & Girls
12. Your Love
13. Down Home Girl
14. Doin' The Kirk
15. Babba Diddy Baby
16. That's Mighty Childish
17. Just One More Dance
18. House On The Hill
19. You Must Fight To Live On The Planet Of The Apes
20. One By One
21. Zip A Dee Doo Dah

Download: The Mummies - Death By Unga Bunga!! (58.9MB)

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club Hamburg


Words cannot describe -- cannot contain -- the performance captured on Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, an album that contains the very essence of rock & roll. When Jerry Lee Lewis performed the concert that became this album in the spring of 1964, his career was at its lowest point. Following his scandalous marriage to his teenage cousin, he was virtually blacklisted in the U.S., and by 1964 it had been six years since he had a real hit single, he was starting his recording career again with a new label, and, to make matters worse, America had fallen in love with the Beatles and the bands that followed in the British Invasion, leaving him exiled from the charts. Ironically, he wound up in the Beatles' old haunt of the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, in the spring of 1964, backed by the Nashville Teens, who still had yet to have a hit with "Tobacco Road" (which would scale the charts later that year). Lewis and the Nashville Teens had been touring throughout the group's native England for about a month, capped off by a stint at the Star Club, where the band played for two weeks, but was only joined by Lewis for one night, which was what was captured on this incendiary recording. Who knows why this was a night where everything exploded for Jerry Lee Lewis? It sounds like all of his rage at not being the accepted king of rock & roll surfaced that night, but that probably wasn't a conscious decision on his part -- maybe the stars were aligned right, or perhaps he just was in a particularly nasty mood. Or maybe this is the way he sounded on an average night in 1964.

In any case, Live at the Star Club is extraordinary -- the purest, hardest rock & roll ever committed to record. It starts with the Killer launching into "Mean Woman Blues" at a tempo far faster than the band is prepared for, and he never, ever lets go from that moment forward. He pounds the piano into submission, sings himself hoarse, berates the band ("What'd I Say, Pt. 2" has him yelling at a Nashville Teen to "play that thing right, boy!"), increases the tempo on each song, and joins in with the audience chanting his name. It's a crazed, unhinged performance, with the Nashville Teens running wild to follow his lead, and it's a great testament to the bandmembers that they nearly manage to keep up with him. One of the profound pleasures of this record is hearing the band try to run with Jerry Lee, which is exceeded only by the sheer dementia of his performance; he sounds possessed, hitting the keys so hard it sounds like they'll break, and rocking harder than anybody had before.

Track List:
1. Mean Woman Blues
2. High School Confidential
3. Money (That's What I Want)
4. Matchbox
5. What'd I Say Pt. 1
6. What'd I Say Pt. 2
7. Great Balls of Fire
8. Good Golly Miss Molly
9. Lewis Boogie
10. Your Cheatin' Heart
11. Hound Dog
12. Long Tall Sally
13. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

Download: Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club Hamburg (47.3MB)

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Acid Dreams Testament - 75 Minutes of Psychotic Terror


Here's another great 60's garage and psychedelic rock compilation for you all. Liner notes were not included with this, and once again it's been hard for me to find out much information about this release. Most of the songs on this comp were recorded between 1966-69, with the exception of a track by Macabre, which was recorded in 74'. I'm not sure when this was originally released, or if it was orignally on vinyl, but it was reissued on CD by Head Records around 1987-88. Another comp entitled Acid Dreams Epitaph was also released, but the material on it isn't nearly as good as the music found on this comp. I'll post it for any completists who are interested in grabbing it also though.

Track List:
1. The Balloon Farm - A Question Of Temperature
2. The Music Machine - You'll Love Me Again
3. The Painted Faces - Anxious Color
4. The Velvet Illusions - Velvet Illusions
5. The Unrelated Segments - Cry Cry Cry
6. The Outcasts - I'll Set You Free
7. Murphy & The Mob - Born Loser
8. The Sparkles - No Friend Of Mine
9. The Painted Ship - Frustration
10. Mouse & The Traps - Maid Of Sugar, Maid Of Spice
11. Macabre - Be Forewarned
12. The Calico Wall - I'm A Living Sickness
13. The Velvet Illusions - Acid Head
14. White Lightning - William
15. The Outcasts - 1523 Blair
16. The Zakary Thaks - I Need You
17. The Painted Ship - Little White Lies
18. Swamp Rats - Louie Louie
19. The Unrelated Segments - It's Unfair
20. The Shy Guys - Black Lightening Light
21. The Bourbons - A Dark Corner
22. The Mind's Eye - Help, I'm Lost!
23. The Stereo Shoestring - On The Road South
24. The Zakary Thaks - Can't You Hear Your Daddy's Footsteps
25. The Caretakers Of Deception - Cuttin' Grass
26. The Remaining Few - Painted Air
27. Teddy & His Patches - Suzy Creamcheese
28. Puddin' & Pipe - Hashish

Download: Acid Dreams Testament - 75 Minutes of Psychotic Terror (75.2MB)

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Hello Out There

I'm experimenting with the new blogger system, and working on adding a few features to the blog. Please bear with me as I make a few changes here and there, and let me know if you like this new red/white theme better than the old blue one. btw I'll re-add all the music blogs that I linked to sometime tomorrow. When I updated to the new blogger system I lost all my old links.

I also thought I would take this time to say hello to all of you. If you are a regular visitor to this blog, or even visiting it for the first time, please be sure to leave a comment sometime and let me know how I'm doing. It seems like less people are leaving comments these days, which is very unfortunate. Even a simple 'Thank You' is better than nothing, but I would prefer to hear some feedback about the albums I'm posting, band/album recommendations, blog recommendations, or anything else music related.

Edit: Thank you for the comments everyone. It's much more encouraging to hear from the people that visit this blog rather than to just look at the site statistics. I know we all have an infatuation with music, so I think it's very unfortunate that we don't communicate with each other more about it. In the future I think I'll start a few topics in between albums that will allow a little more interaction, such as finding out about everyone's favorite music blogs, forums, file sharing programs, etc. That way we can communicate a little, as well as learn about a few new places to get music.


Friday, May 11, 2007

The Cramps - Totally Destroy Seattle (Live Bootleg)


I couldn't find out much information about this recording, other than the fact that it was recorded on May 20th, 1982 at Astor Park in Seattle, Washington. There appears to be a lot of Cramps fans that visit here, so I thought you all would enjoy this. Here's the information that was included with this bootleg:


At one time I was a regular dealer at local record conventions. I met this guy at my booth who wanted to trade music. He said he had this album by the Cramps, which was extremely limited, even by bootleg standards. It was locally pressed in Seattle on red vinyl, and the cover was silk-screened directly on the record jacket. At a time when most boot LPs sold for under $10USD, he had paid over $25USD for it.

This record was transferred through Burwen Research Labs TNF and DNR units onto a TDK SA90 in approximately 1985. Burwen Research had developed the first analog pop and click remover (TNF = Transient Noise Filter) on the market, as well as the first analog noise reduction unit (DNR = Dynamic Noise Reduction). Burwen Research were bought out by KLH in the late 1980's, then KLH went out of business. When the name KLH was used again in the audio market some years later, it was a different company and these units were no longer produced. These units worked very well, and were easier to set than today's digital programming.

(Year of Release: 1982)

Track List:
1. Domino
2. Human Fly
3. Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White
4. I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time
5. Primitive
6. Goo Goo Muck
7. Reality (Beautiful Gardens)
8. TV Set
9. Sunglasses After Dark
10. Garbage Man
11. Psychotic Reaction

Download: The Cramps - Totally Destroy Seattle (66.8MB)

Thursday, May 10, 2007

The Mummies - Never Been Caught



Someone requested that I post another Mummies album a while back, but I can't remember who it was now. So here's 'Never Been Caught', which should fill that Mummies craving for the time being. I wasn't very fond of the cover for the 2002 reissue with the bonus tracks, so the cover you see is from the original LP.

At a time when a lot of garage rock bands sounded like they were drowning in a sea of paisley and nehru affectation, the Mummies flipped the whole scene the bird with one of the most gloriously ugly garage albums ever, 1992's Never Been Caught. Sounding like it was recorded in an acoustically untreated basement on equipment that might have been state of the art in 1947, Never Been Caught is one long blast of monophonic skwak, with the needles almost perpetually in the red as four guys in mummy outfits bash out crude '60s-style rock about beer, babes, and open hostility on battered gear which was doubtless discarded by tone-deaf teenagers who got over their 15-minute delusion of possible future rock stardom in 1966. In case you haven't figured it out by now, this album is, quite simply, a work of genius; Billy Childish was once quoted as saying the Mummies were nearly as good as the Damned in 1977, and while the two bands don't have much in common musically, the Mummies certainly shared the enthusiastic carelessness and "Smash It Up" energy with the Damned Damned Damned-era punks, as they set out to blow up amps and knock over drum kits just cause it seemed like a fun thing to do. And after listening to it, damned if you don't want to join in -- Never Been Caught is a perfect reminder that once upon a time rock & roll was considered dangerous just for being fast, loud, and snotty, and if the Mummies never quite became the new leaders of America's juvenile delinquents, it's sure not because they didn't try. In 2002, Telstar Records marked the tenth anniversary of this album's release by issuing Never Been Caught on compact disc for the first time; hard to say how they managed to blackmail the CD-loathing former Mummies into consenting to such a thing, but thankfully the disc (augmented with five bonus tracks) sounds just as flat and distorted as the original LP...nice to know some things never change.
(Year of Relase: 1992)

Track List:
1. Your Ass (Is Next in Line)
2. Stronger Than Dirt
3 Little Miss Tee-N-T
4 Come on Up
5 Sooprize Package for Mr. Mineo
6 Rosie
7 Shot Down
8 The Ballad of Iron Eyes Cody
9 Skinny Minnie
10 She Lied
11 The Red Cobra #9
12 The Frisko Freeze
13 Justine
14 Mariconda's a Friend of Mine
15 The Thing from Venus
16 Shut Yer Mouth
17 Jezebel
18 (You Must Fight to Live) On the Planet of the Apes (Bonus Track)
19 Whitecaps (Bonus Track)
20 I'm Down (Bonus Track)
21 Your Love (Bonus Track)
22 Uncle Willie (Bonus Track)

Download: The Mummies - Never Been Caught (53.5MB)

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Redd Kross - Neurotica


I was planning on posting 'Third Eye' first, since it was requested, but I just discovered that I don't have it backed up to DVD like I thought I did. A friend of mine is going to upload it for me though, so I will post it as soon as it becomes available to me. In the meantime here's 'Neurotica' for you all.

It seems hard to imagine that a band inspired as much by breakfast cereal and Saturday morning cartoons as rock & roll could have created the album that spawned an entire movement -- grunge. When Neurotica was released in 1987, it inspired hordes of punk/hardcore kids to put down the safety pins and pick up the guitar. The perfect blend of Beatles pop rock and Butthole Surfers art rock, the album blends the raw punk spirit of the band that included "Quit School" stickers in their second album, 1984's Teen Babes From Monsanto, with the pure thrift store rock & roll of Kiss, the Rolling Stones, and the Stooges. Jon Auer from the Posies remixed some of these tracks (including the obvious super hit "Peach Kelli Pop") for a potential reissue on Seattle's Sub Pop in the mid/late '90s, but, for whatever reason, this idea was quickly shelved. Largely ignored upon its release in 1987 (Big Time folded shortly after and the band were unable to record under their own name for three years), Neurotica did manage to find its way into some very important young people's bedrooms. Redd Kross had unwittingly created the rough, lo-fi, melodic, rock & roll template that bands like Mudhoney and Nirvana would become very successful exploring over the next few years.
(Year of Release: 1987)

Track List:
1. Neurotica
2. Play My Song
3. Frosted Flake
4. Janus Jeanie And George Harrison
5. Love Is You
6. Peach Kelli Pop
7. McKenzie
8. Tatum O Tot And The Fried Vegetables
9. Ballad Of A Love Doll
10. What They Say
11. Ghandi Is Dead (Im The Cartoon Man)
12. Beautiful Bye Byes

Download: Redd Kross - Neurotica (48.3MB)

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Redd Kross - Show World


Here's some more Redd Kross for you all, as requested by Rancido.
Kicking off with an exuberant version of the L.A. power-pop classic that almost wasn't, "Pretty Please Me", and unsurprisingly Steve and Jeff McDonald and company rock the bastard to the ground with a smile this time around. Show World is yet more fun from a band who dedicates themselves to a smart good time. In ways, Redd Kross had found history catching up to them by this time; any number of bands had stumbled across the loud and brash '70s pop-punk approach that the group was known for. But the fact that they hadn't gotten the attention they deserved for it didn't keep them from still going at it with gusto; Bless their hearts. If songs like "You Lied Again" and "Vanity Mirror" didn't introduce any curveballs to the basic sound, they still sounded pretty damn fantastic, singalong energy overdriven up to ten and beyond. Slightly slower tracks like "Girl God," the mega-orchestrated ballad "Secret Life," and the handclap crazy "Follow the Leader" showcase the band's calmer side well enough -- again, no surprises, but none were expected or needed. Best song title of the bunch this time around: "One Chord Progression," which lives up to its name just so. "Teen Competition" lets them cock rock out with the best of them, but doesn't forget the sugar in the chorus even as the distortion completely screws with the mix at one point, while "Get Out of Myself" has one brilliant moment with so much hyper-flange that why the speakers don't melt upon contact is a mystery.
(Year of Release: 1987)

Track List:
1. Pretty Please Me
2. Stoned
3. You Lied Again
4. Girl God
5. Mess Around
6. One Chord Progression
7. Teen Competition
8. Follow the Leader
9. Vanity Mirror
10. Secret Life
11. Ugly Town
12. Get Out of Myself
13. Kiss the Goat

Download: Redd Kross - Show World (64.6MB)

Monday, May 07, 2007

Marty Friedman - Music For Speeding


Marty Friedman has been around for what seems like ages, and through the years has released numerous albums, either as a solo artist, or in bands such as Megadeath and Cacophony. "Music For Speeding" shows Friedman in excellent shape but more importantly: Friedman shows a good understanding of songwriting here as well! And that's a key ingredient to making an amazing instrumental album.

I myself am definitely the kinda guy who prefers a full band *including* singer, but on "Music For Speeding" I don't miss vocals for a minute. On songs like "Lovesorrow" Friedman actually manages to make his guitar sing. You can fill in the words yourself. This goes for "Corazon De Santiago" as well, by the way.

The album has a very up-to-date sound. Take "Nastymachine" as an example. I suppose there's a fair bit of sequencing going on here, but the manner in which Friedman implements his ultracool leads here is amazing. And check out the bass here too (Barry Sparks). This dude is doing some very cool grooving on this track. Cheergirl Rampage is by far my favorite track on this album. It's a very upbeat song, and sounds as if techno and metal collided head on, with a favorable outcome.

If you are wondering if a veteran like Friedman has gained some serious competition these days; well yes - he has. But trust me. Friedman can shred with all the newcomers and then some! Nothing but respect for Marty and his amazing Music For Speeding.
(Year of Release: 2003)

Track List:
1. Gimmie A Dose
2. Fuel Injection Stingray
3. Ripped
4. It's The Unreal Thing
5. Cheer Girl Rampage
6. Lust For Life
7. Lovesorrow
8. Nastymachine
9. Catfight
10. Corazon De Santiago
11. 0-7-2
12. Salt In The Wound
13. Novocaine Kiss

Download: Marty Friedman - Music For Speeding (64.4MB)

Friday, May 04, 2007

Cactus - Cactus


Cactus may have never amounted to anything more than a half-hearted, last-minute improvised supergroup, but that doesn't mean their eponymous 1970 debut didn't rock like a mofo. The already quasi-legendary Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of Bogert and Appice may have provided the backbone of the band's business cards, and soulful, ex-Amboy Duke Rusty Day brought the voice, but it was arguably former Detroit Wheels guitarist Jim McCarty who was the true star in the Cactus galaxy, spraying notes and shredding solos all over album highlights such as "You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover," "Let Me Swim," and, most notably, a manic, turbocharged version of "Parchman Farm." The fact that Cactus chose to tackle this classic blues song just a year after it'd been blasted into the fuzz-distortion stratosphere by Blue Cheer betrays a healthy competitive spirit within the early-'70s hard rock milieu. And we digress -- for the blistering closing duo of "Oleo" and "Feel So Good" (complete with bass and drum solo slots) easily certifies the Cactus LP as one of the best hard rock albums of the then brand-new decade, bar none. Too bad the illustrious members of Cactus would quickly lose interest in this band project and deliver increasingly mediocre efforts in the years that followed.
(Year of Release: 1970)

Track List:
1. Parchman Farm
2. My Lady from South of Detroit
3. Bro. Bill
4. You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover
5. Let Me Swim
6. No Need to Worry
7. Oleo
8. Feel So Good

Download: Cactus - Cactus (51.6MB)

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Charles Manson - Indestructible Spirit: An Anthology of Universal Thought


I couldn't fit the full title of this album in the subject line. It's actually called 'Indestructible Spirit: An Anothology of Universal Thought'. A close friend of mine put this 'best of' album together in order to introduce people to the Music of Charles Manson. This was originally posted on the Manson Music Blog, which has the majority of Manson's albums posted there, some of which are extremely rare. I apologize in advance if the cover offends anyone, but I'm not going to feel too bad about it because.. well it's a fucking Charles Manson album. What do you expect? Here's the original post which accompanied the album on his blog:


Ok, so here it is. Fully tagged with cover art and liner notes, the "best of" album of Charles Manson's music I've put together just for you. This album includes 15 tracks and spans about thirty years. I've included what I believe should be a good introduction to the music and thought of Charles Manson. The early session, prison tapes, spoken word, and even The Family after the trial are all here. I devoted the whole night to getting this right so let me know what you think. Even if you are a regular visitor and you have most of these albums I ask that you give this one a try. It's kind of cool to hear these songs side by side. Gives one a different perspective on them. Anyway, here you go, my gift to you and to Charlie. The first ever retrospective of his art.


Track List:
1. Always Is All Is Forever
2. Red Snake
3. Invisible Tears
4. Peace in Your Hear
5. Hallways of the Always
6. Oklahoma Angel Love
7. The Black Pirate
8. Sick City
9. No Wrong Come Along
10. My Feelings Begin to Growing
11. This Night Life
12. She Done Turned Me In
13. First They Made Me Sleep In The Closet/Scratchin' Peace Symbols
14. Hollywood Is Destroying the State of California (Spoken Word)
15. Always Is All Is Forever (Family Jams Version)

Download: Charles Manson - Indestructible Spirit (75.6MB)

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

The Muggs - The Muggs


The power trio is not a term to be used lightly -- for every Blue Cheer there's a blink-182 -- but when it's applied to the electrifying cacophony emitted by the Muggs, it's almost not enough. The Detroit-based threesome is a power trio the way that Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath were -- Robert Plant and Ozzy are cultural icons, but it's what went on behind them that launched a million rock bands. Muggs guitarist Danny Methric's solos transcend the blues that spawned them by sneaking out of their major and minor trajectories without a care in the world, while drummer Matt Rost and bass player Tony DeNardo -- the latter switched to the lower register on a Fender Rhodes after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke in 2001 that left his right side paralyzed -- sound as if they're joined at the shoulders. This is stadium rock trapped in a club and looking for a way out with every intention of burning the roof down that brings to mind '70s classic rock like Humble Pie and Mountain. What sets the Muggs apart from questionable blues-rock revivalists like the Kings of Leon is their complete lack of pretense. Perfectly rendered guitar rock is at its essence the simple practice of fusing together a bass and guitar lead that jumps into the pit of your stomach and stays there, something the Muggs have obviously mastered on standout cuts like "Need Ya Baby," "Monster," and the Hammond-driven "Hard Love," but they're not above taking the listener through a space rock mid-section that owes more to Piper at the Gates of Dawn-era Pink Floyd than it does Ten Years After. It's that perfectly balanced allegiance to both discipline -- these gentlemen are obviously no strangers to the rehearsal room -- and balls-out rock & roll hedonism that makes this self-titled debut, when inserted into the medium of your choice, turn up all by itself.
(Year of Release: 2005)

Track List:
1. Need Ya Baby
2. Gonna Need My Help
3. Rollin' B-Side Blues
4. Monster
5. Should've Learned My Lesson
6. White Boy Blues
7. Hard Love
8. Said and Done
9. Underway
10. If You Please
11. Doc Mode

Download: The Muggs - The Muggs (65.6MB)

The Victims - The Victims (No Thanks to the Human Turd) EP


Here's another offering of the Victims. This album is known by two different names; most commonly known as 'No Thanks to the Human Turd, but it is also referred to as their self titled EP. I originally found this on DC++, however someone left a comment mentioning that this EP could also be found on the Killed By Death Records site. After visiting it I've come to the conclusion that they must have been the original uploaders seeing how all the scans are included, so all credit goes to KBD for this one.


Classy title from a classy band. Continues where Televesion Addict left off but with a slightly more polished production. Four great tracks while the fifth drags on for 5:48. Ok it’s punk to be annoying right? You know that Dave Faulkner went on to Hoodo Gurus and all that.

Here’s all the scans for you to chew on. I scanned the innersleeve too since the guys wrote The Victims with a yellow pen on there and that’s rare. Record collector shit you know! - kbdrecords.com


(Year of Release: 1978)

Track List:
1. I Understand.mp3
2. Open Your Eyes.mp3
3. High School Girls.mp3
4. T.V. Freak.mp3
5. Disco Junkies.mp3

Download: The Victims - No Thanks to the Human Turd (12.9MB)