THE TEEN SCENE Issue #52 May, 1995 **************************************************************************** ******** TABLE OF CONTENTS BUSINESS STUFF This stuff's mine! (And other things that need to be said.) SOME NEW FACES JOIN THE OLD FAVORITES The cast WFUN DJ PICKS What's turning us on (musically speaking) RANT Me gettin' all het up ONE MORE TIME... THE SCIENTISTS! The original incarnation does a one-off on a Perth hotel rooftop SHOOTIN' THE BULL WITH THE PLATTERPUSS Ace reviewer, The 'Puss, does what he does best FORTUNE & MALTESE An interview with the boys who make all the noise SAN DIEGO SEEN That was then HELLO, CENTRAL? CALIFORNIA, PLEASE? This is now TRY THE FORGOTTEN ART OF READING Exercise that big gray muscle up top FEBRUARY FREAKOUT A month to remember SNACK-MATES Dunno if I could fit a 7"er in my lunch pail, but they're quite tasty all the same DEFINITELY NOT TO BE USED AS COASTERS CD reviews, y'know BURPS, BELCHES, AND OTHER NOISES Other music-related news and stuff CAN'T GET IT IN YOUR LOCAL RECORD STORE? Then simply write to these nice folks **************************************************************************** ******** BUSINESS STUFF The Teen Scene is the sole property of me, Blair Buscareno. All rights are reserved by the people who wrote the articles. If you wanna reprint something in your own mag (or whatever), just give me (and the author of the thing) credit... and send me a copy (so I can feel all- important.) And, for those of you who happen to be on-line... well, so's the Teen Scene. In a way. I'm now offering this mag in text-only e-mail form. Just e-mail me at blairb1@mail.idt.net and say you want to be on my list. Hey... it's free that way... tho' you'll miss Quisp's cool lay-out. AD RATES: 1/4 page - $20 1/2 page - $35 Full page - $65 Please contact us for details, either by regular mail or e-mail (blairb1@mail.idt.net) The Teen Scene 34 Highland Cross #2 Rutherford, NJ 07070 **************************************************************************** ******** SOME NEW FACES JOIN THE OLD FAVORITES: Blair Buscareno ... O Captain, Me Captain Mick Seman ... Reporting From Oz Jeff Shore ... The Platterpuss-Guru Offers Wisdom Matt Fidelibus ... California Man Quisp N. Quake ... Chained In The Basement, With Scissors, Tape, Etc. **************************************************************************** ******** WFUN DJ PICKS (OR, IN MATT'S CASE, KFUN) Blair ... Fortune & Maltese, The Insomniacs, The DM 3, Cub, The Vikings, Trick Babys Matt ... The Choir, The Chocolate Watch Band, Plasticland, & The Gravedigger V Jeff ... The Real Kids, The Vacant Lot and The Vikings Mick ... The DM3, The Real Kids, Offspring Quisp ... **************************************************************************** ******** RANT Like I said, it's a new semester now... new challenges, etc. Yeah, whatever. Unfortunately, this student teaching thing means that my weekdays are pretty much devoted to schoolwork. There really isn't time for too much else. What this meant was that I was no longer able to do my Wednesday afternoon radio show. While this was a bummer, I figured it was a price I had to pay. Too bad, I thought, as this was (as you, O Faithful Reader, no doubt already know) one of the great pleasures I'd been able to take in my return to the hallowed halls of academia. And then a ray of light. Our chief programmer told me I might be able to get a slot on Saturday afternoon. The downside of that, she told me, was that I'd occasionally be pre-empted by the sports department. Well, I thought, that was OK, 'cuz I could use the occasional week off to get some extra work done. I got the show. Saturday afternoons, two till four. Cool! Biff-Bang- Pow would survive. And so, Saturday the 21st, I slept late, got my records together in the old wooden suitcase Bill Jones had given me upon his departure from lovely New Jersey, and pointed the SmurfMobile towards the WRSU studios. Hey! It was Saturday... that meant I'd be able to park in the tiny lot behind the station without getting a ticket! Less distance to lug that heavy suitcase full of records. I'd be right near the stairwell. First off... the damn thing was locked. NEVER before has that door been locked. So I crossed the street, went in the student union building, and got on the elevator. A longer trip, sure, but it would get me there. I walked into the station about 1:30, all ready to meet the guy who I'd be relieving and what do I see? SPORTS! This was a bad sign. "Uh... you know that Knight Line is on after the game, right?" No, I didn't. They'd neglected to tell me. "Well... it's on the schedule." What schedule? (It seems they have a computer printout of all the times WRSU will be broadcasting some Rutgers' athletic contest.) "They could have told me," I muttered in a rather surly manner. "There're schedules all over the station," said one bright boy. Yeah, great... one more meaningless computer printout... just what everyone reads. Hell, I'd never had to deal with this crap. The only time they broadcast sports stuff on weekdays is when it's some special game... like Rutgers making it to an NCAA final four thing in soccer. (That one I was sorta psyched about.) I asked for a print-out. "Yah, sure... it's on the computer... Look under Sports-Winter Coverage." Well, another one of their genius types was using said computer and he had no friggin' clue how to find this thing. "But they're all over the station," says Mr. Happy. Well why don't I just rip one of them down then? "Oh no! Please don't do that!" said Mr. Happy as he quickly metamorphosed into Mr. Worried Sick. "You can just come in every week and find out if you've got a show that Saturday." No, dickhead, I can't. I'm not ON campus all the time. The only time I've got class on campus is Tuesday afternoon... and by then I'm FRIED. The last thing I wanna do is head over here to find out if you buttstains are pre-empting my show for the five millionth time! (Actually, as far as I knew then, this was an isolated occurrence.) Bright Boy came up with a solution. Why don't you just write down what weeks we'll be pre-empting you. (Good idea... even if it did kinda steam me.) Well... they only had the schedule up thru the end of February, but I figured that'd do for now. So I looked. Well, folks... for the months of January and February (and probably, if the pattern continues... as it no doubt will), "Biff! Bang!! Pow!!!" is a monthly radio program. I'm slotted for January 28th and February 25th. The weeks in between are taken up by either a game or a sports call-in show. (Yeah... like the world needs another one of those!) Y'know... I don't hate sports. Well, OK, I'm not much for watching football. (Kinda explains my annual AntiSuperbowl parties, doesn't it?) I do like to get out and play a pick-up game with friends, though. Same goes for softball. And soccer and tennis. I don't much like basketball, in any form, but it's nothing I can't handle. I won't go see a major league baseball game for a couple years after they come back (my own protest that I'm hoping more fans will take to heart... a fan strike would do that crowd some good.) I figure I can make do with a minor league game every once in a while. And I'm glad the hockey gang is back. Like I said... I don't hate sports. I just hate having my radio show - something I look forward to every week - pre-empted by a bunch of amateurs going nuts over a college game. I wouldn't even mind if it was once a month. But when they start to take over, I get pissed. OK, I'm done. We join the regularly scheduled programming already in progress. SOME NEW FACES JOIN THE OLD FAVORITES: Blair Buscareno ... O Captain, Me Captain Mick Seman ... Reporting From Oz Jeff Shore ... The Platterpuss-Guru Offers Wisdom Matt Fidelibus ... California Man Quisp N. Quake ... Chained In The Basement, With Scissors, Tape, Etc. WFUN DJ PICKS (OR, IN MATT'S CASE, KFUN) Blair ... Fortune & Maltese, The Insomniacs, The DM 3, Cub, The Vikings, Trick Babys Matt ... The Choir, The Chocolate Watch Band, Plasticland, & The Gravedigger V Jeff ... The Real Kids, The Vacant Lot and The Vikings Mick ... The DM3, The Real Kids, Offspring **************************************************************************** ******** ONE MORE TIME... THE SCIENTISTS! WITH THE MANIKINS AT THE GROSVENOR HOTEL, PERTH, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 10TH, 1995 Sometime around the second or third week of February, I found myself surfing the UseNet groups. Having long had a fascination with Aussie rock'n'roll, I'd occasionally been checking out the aus.music group. This time 'round, I actually found something that caught my eye. A subject line saying something about The Scientists playing live in Perth. Here's how it started: "Sometimes, I reckon I was lucky to be born in the most isolated city on the planet. Because last night, the Scientists reunited on the roof of a city hotel." So I got in touch with the guy who'd posted it, Mick Seman, for an update. First, he sent me newspaper reviews. While I'd like to reprint those, copyright laws (even from over in Oz) make me kinda wary, so I asked Mick to write his own impressions. -- ed. When I saw the flyers for this gig, I just had to go. I never saw the Scientists the first time around, but I got some of their early records, and still treasure them even though they sound crappy to those weaned on compact discs. I got there after the Manikins (also doing a reunion --- ed.) started, but that was no big deal, as they only had one really good song "Premonition". I think most people had come to see the Scientists like me. By the third number, there were people of all ages pogoing at the front. This was the late seventies lineup (Salmon, Baker, Juniper and Sharples). They played their songs from that era like Frantic Romantic, Pissed on Another Planet, and Baby You're Not For Sale (plus, Mick related in a separate message, covers of The Undertones and Baker's punk group with Dave Faulkner before their Hoodoo Gurus' days, The Victims --- ed). This was punk/powerpop, whatever you wanna call it at its finest. My only whinge was that they had a few more good songs that they didn't play this night. I suppose you can't expect them to remember everything they did fifteen years ago. They came back for an encore with James Baker saying something like "here's a song by the Troggs, they were always cooler than the Sex Pistols". Then a few more of their own compositions, and they went offstage again. The euphoria I had felt quickly faded as I realised I would never see the Scientists again. But I knew I must be better off than the poor sods who camped out to get tickets to the Rolling Stones or Pearl Jam. I had just seen the gig of the year, and it was only A$15. --- MS For those of you who only know The Scientists as the predecessors of the whole grunge thing (yeah, there's a definite argument to be made in this direction), you might want to pick up Pissed On Another Planet (Timberyard), a six-song EP of some of the early material, all of it being exactly what Mick describes, "punk/powerpop (...) at its finest." -- ed. One final note... In the two "professional" newspaper articles Mick e-mailed me, there was but one song mentioned... "Frantic Romantic", the most popular for reasons obvious to any who've ever had the good fortune to hear it. Kinda makes you wonder if these "professionals" had actually ever even heard the group before. Thanks to Mick for helping out. -- ed. **************************************************************************** ******** SHOOTIN' THE BULL WITH THE PLATTERPUSS Hey ho, it looks like it's about time for me to spout more words of wisdom for all my adoring fans (both of 'em) out there in Teen Scene land. With Spring just around the corner, my thoughts naturally turn to baseball but, alas, the almighty dollar has proven to be mightier than the bat. Considering that we're talking about millionaires striking against billionaires, it's hard to feel sympathy for either side. All I know is that I should be picking up the paper and reading about Don Mattingly and Paul O' Neill instead of labor negotiations and replacement players. Oh well, as it has so many times before, some good loud and fast Rock & Roll will get me through these bad times. And I've got plenty of new and wonderful rockin' stuff to tell ya about so let's get to it. While Don Mariani is not all that well known in these parts, his former bands, The Stems and The Someloves were big favorites among followers of the Australian music scene and lovers of poppy garage band music. About a year or so ago he recorded a new album One Time, Two Times, Three Red Light on Citadel Records with his new band the DM3. I finally managed to track down a copy and, I'm glad to say that it was definitely worth the effort. His new songs are more power pop and less garagey which means that instead of reminding me of the Byrds, this has more of a Raspberries sound to it, even though it's a lot more harder- edged than Carmen and Co. ever were. Don's songwriting is still as sharp as ever and songs like "Far From Here", "Blue Thing", "Like This", "Fall To Bits" and the title track are nothing short of perfect. The bad news here is that, if you want a copy, you're gonna have to order it from direct from Australia. I got my copy from PolyEster Records at PO Box 73, Fitzroy VIC 3065, AUSTRALIA or for you on-line computer types, you can e-mail 'em at gonzo@polyester.com.au. They accept credit cards so you needn't worry about converting money. While I realize that this is a major pain in the ass for most of you non-compulsive record collecting types, if this sounds like your cup of tea, this is one disc you really shouldn't miss out on. Fans of melodic punk and hardcore will definitely want to check out Bubbling Under, the new CD by Finland's Hitmen 3 on NKVD Records (PO Box 60369, San Diego CA 92166). These guys are kinda similar in sound and content to Bad Religion but I find these guys a lot easier to listen to as their lyrics are less like Sociology courses than BR's are. As much as I like Mr. Brett & Co., there's something to be said for not having to keep a dictionary handy when listening to Rock & Roll. Until now the only way to get anything by these guys was to write away to their label in Finland but, thanks to the folks at NKVD records, you can now get everything they've ever recorded on one convenient little disc. Although much of their material sounds kinda similar and I do find myself feeling a little over loaded about halfway through the 27 songs included here, there's no denying just how powerful these guys really are. If you're a fan of BR or just hard hitting yet tuneful punk rock in general, you owe it to yourself to get your hands on a copy of this. It's always cause for celebration here at Platterpuss HQ when Roy Loney releases anything new and while my expectations for Full Grown Head by Roy Loney & The Longshots on Shake Records (598 Victoria, C.P. 36587, Saint Lambert, Que. J4P-3S8, CANADA) were incredibly high, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest as this might be his most rockin' and consistent album ever, with a number of songs that are destined to become Loney classics like "Get Off The Phone", "I'll Come Running", "Teeny Weeny Man" and the title track not to mention a reprise of the old Groovies classic "Slow Death". Co produced by Loney, Conrad Uno, Scott McCaughey and Jim Sangster (the last 2 from the Young Fresh Fellows) the sound is crisp and full. I was fortunate enough to see and meet him when he was in town a few years ago and I know it's safe to say that as long as there are folks like him still kickin' around, real Rock & Roll won't ever die. Flexible Heads on Banda Bonnot records (V.Nomentana 113, 00161 Roma, ITALY) is the second album by Italian popsters Gas and, as much as I dug their debut, no way was I prepared for just how much I was gonna love this one. Fans of girl-group poppy punk a la The Fastbacks will be especially pleased listening to this as, one after another, these catchy hook-laden gems just jump out of the speakers and grab you. If you're as much of a fan of this kind of thing as I am there's no way that you'll be able to sit still while playing this fine little slab of digital plastic. Although English is not their native tongue, their command of the language is quite strong making this one of those rare instances when reading the words on the enclosed lyric sheet actually adds to the experience. If this sounds like your cup of tea, there are few that are doin' it any better these days and this disc is well worth sending off a letter and some cash for. And now for some of my seven-inch friends: On their latest (only?) single "Blue Devil King"/"Tornado on Bad Karma Records (11 rue du Canal, 87000 Limages, FRANCE) The Blue Devils play some really energetic Rockabilly that, while not quite as manic and over the top as bands like The Meteors, still manages to get me up and shakin' my big ol' butt. I especially dig the B-side, an absolute must for my next party tape... Bum and Teengenerate are 2 of the hottest bands around these days, needing no introduction to readers of Teen Scene. This new 2-single set put out by Bum's Canadian label Lance Rock (1223 College Dr., Nanaimo BC, V9R-5Z5, CANADA) finds each band doing one of their own songs and one written by the other band. This couldn't be anything but totally fuckin' amazing, both bands doing what they do best, in somewhat similar yet also different styles. Definitely a 4-sided winner...The 4 slices of white boy Rock & Roll/R & B on the "Tall Skinny Annie" EP by Clayton Watson & His Silhouettes on Hillsdale Records (PO Box 641592, S.F., CA 94164) were originally recorded in 1959 and, with the exception of the title track, have remained unreleased until now. While not as wild and frantic as Mickey Hawkes or as classically tough as Gene Vincent, these 4 songs still manage to pack a mighty mean wallop. If you like greasy, sleezy 50's Rock & Roll, you'll wanna feast your ears on this...I can listen to stuff like this new Perverts EP "Wildest Men In Town" on Out Now Records (c/o Rob Van der Hoeven, w.v. killegaerbergstraat, 86C 3051 RN Rotterdam, HOLLAND) all day long and never get tired or bored. These guys play fast and primitive 3-chord garage noise that just jumps out of the speakers and throttles the living shit out of ya. Picture if Billy Childish produced the next Swingin' Neckbreakers 45 and you've got the right idea....Does anyone remember the band Surfin' Lungs? Well, these 4 U.K. hodads are back with their new 45 "Beach Bound"/"Camaro Custom" on No Tomorrow Records (Apdo. 1134, 12080 Castellon, SPAIN) and it's quite obvious that they are still really into that whole surf/hot rod thing and have definitely come up with 2 more winners. If you still love to play your old Jan & Dean records, this is definitely right up your alley as surfin' on the Mersey River never sounded any better...Last but not least, fans of bands like Green Day and The Goo Goo Dolls who just can't get enough of that melodic punk on hyperdrive stuff, definitely oughtta check out the new power packed "Stinky Fingers" EP by Bracket on Fat Wreck Chords (PO Box 460144, San Francisco CA 94146). As on their debut LP released last year, these guys combine lotsa rich harmonies with some incredibly catchy songs and play 'em over a driving beat that just about dares you to sit still. Sound like fun? You better believe it! Well, that about does it for this go round. As always, there was a ton of stuff that I couldn't get to such as the new Muffs CD which I'm sure Blair will have a full report on next ish, a Lyres disc on Norton which collects all of their singles released on various labels over the last few years and then throws in a live show from Norway as a bonus and a whole lotta other neat stuff. Sayonara cats and kittens. --- JS (The Platterpuss is a kindly gent whose taste in baseball teams is questionable at best. Of course, that's a moot point these days. E-mail him at plattrpuss@aol.com) ............................................................................ ........................................................ THE ED. ADDS HIS $.02 I was gonna write some big thing adding my thoughts on the DM3, both in historical perspective (The Stems are my fave Aussie group ever; The SomeLoves did some extremely pretty pop; and Dom Mariani even did a cool surf EP in - I think - '86 with The Stonefish), but decided to tone it down in favor of giving their disc a bigger shove onto your want lists. It may take a bit to track this down, but it's more than worth it. Incredible Power Pop. Stress the power, stress the pop. Dom Mariani is one of the masters. That title track is already on my list of all-time faves. **************************************************************************** ******** Ladies & Gentlemen... From Kalamazoo, Michigan... The Boys Who Make All The Noise, Here They Are... FORTUNE & MALTESE I first heard about Fortune & Maltese courtesy of Matthew T. Kaplan, Esq. While it's true that we all give him a trough-ful of hogshit about some of the sheer crapola he listens to, 'tis also verily true that Mr. Matt keeps his ear very close to the ground for wigged-out wildness. And so over a year back I remember his rants about this fab new group he'd gotten a single from, Fortune & Maltese. I kept meaning to get in touch with the guys, but I'm a lazy sort and just never got around to it. Well, being on the Net has its advantages. A couple months back, somebody hooked me up with an e-mail address for Mike Maltese. And so I got in touch. And pretty soon, Mike sent me both of their swingin' seven-inchers. Mike informs me that the first record, No Dice (Leppotone/Happy Hour), "was conceived, written and recorded in one weekend for less than $40." To think the major labels give some of their "artists" millions... and still end up with complete crap, while a truly fantastic record like this can be done for a fistful of George Washingtons. Right off the start, it was obvious that I'd just discovered a group that belonged right up near the top of my list. The EP's title cut is out and out fun-filled rock'n'roll with Farfisa organ way up front (where it belongs). The first thing that came to mind was The Untamed Youth (and I still think that a perfect bill would include Fortune & Maltese playing with Derek, Mace & Co., and maybe the Boss Martians to boot -- ed.) But these guys don't spend as much time on the surf. Or, for that matter, even hitting the heavy garage cuts. Instead, they spend most of their time right in mid-60s party-land, Farfisa hopping around in and out with a big, wide grin. But Fortune & Maltese's ace in the hole is their vocals, as shown on their version of Bobby Fuller's "Take My Word" (liner notes on this EP are by ex-Fuller road manager, Rick Stone). They stay pretty faithful to the Four's original here, with their vocals equal to the task. Heck, most bands don't even try to get a real vocal thing going these days. "Now, here's Fortune & Maltese for Pepsi- Cola," says an announcer-guy, as the boys sing the praises, 60s radio-style, of their fave beverage (I'm a root beer/birch beer man myself -- ed.) They've saved the best for last, though, in "Wicked Weed". Which is not, as far as I can tell, about what you may think. Nope, this one's all about what the Surgeon General warns us about over and over again. And when they go into the change, you hear 'em running rapid-fire thru a whole host of brand names - and then blast rapid-fire into the break, flyin' full-on straight through. Definitely guaranteed to blow your next wing-ding into next week. The second record, Wig Wam (also Leppotone/Happy Hour), is yet another no-doubt-about-it, hands-down winner. Starting with a perfect rip-off of a Bobby Fuller radio spot, they slide into the title cut, another sure-fire hit. This certified raver sees the boys putting a pipe bomb straight away in party central and making things really shake and shimmy, as the Farfisa dances madly over, under, sideways, down and a few directions we haven't even begun to imagine. Next up is the change of pace, a strong cover of The Everly Brothers' "Gone, Gone, Gone", giving the boys another chance to show off their vocal prowess. What's even cooler, though, is that they toughen the track up a bit, shading the guitar tone just far enough into the Nasty realm to offer a bit of a threat. Flip this one over and we hear "(Kent Berglund) Action Man", a fun garage stomper with the "Soapy" thing going, but morphing into an all-out romp. "Don't Mind If I Do" closes it all out, changing things just a hair. This one may be the group's best actual melody yet, as it sings along nicely while still rocking and rolling. And therein lies the key... these guys know that to rock and roll, you've not only gotta rock, but roll, as well. Fortune and Maltese are a group I wish I could get everyone to hear. Why? 'Cuz they're just plain FUN. All I can say is, "It's about time!" Wanna Stomp & Shout & Work It On Out? Then pick up one of these dynamite seven-inchers. Thank me later. It's been a while since there's been a real band feature in this mag. But after going nuts to these two 45s, I decided it was high time everyone out there became acquainted with Fortune & Maltese. So I asked Mike for an e-mail interview... TS: First off, who's in the band? MM: FORTUNE & MALTESE and the PHABULOUS PALLBEARERS consist of: Freddy Fortune, voc.; Michael Maltese, Farfisa, voc.; Nat Cromlech, guitar, voc.; J.C. Graves, bass, voc.; Dusty Sexton, drums. TS: Let's start before the beginning... What came before Fortune & Maltese? Fred & I have been in several bands, including the Detroit garage combo The Covingtons. Fred had this band going for years in several versions before I joined the ranks as Farfisa player & learned my organ- grinder trade. This group took us from Detroit to Columbus, Ohio and out to Holland for a few gigs at the Mojo Hand in Downtown Amsterdam. Bootlegs from these shows have subsequently been floating around for years, along with an interview we did on Radio Nederland. Before this, I had been in a band called The Churchkey 4 - started in Bloomington, IN for a few Michigan shows - with KENT BERGLUND (that's right, Kent Berglund) on bass! After getting into an argument with the guitar player over songwriting credits and general musical direction (Guitarist: "I don't like this reverb shit!"), I quit and joined The Covingtons more or less full-time. The Churchkey-4 drummer, Tommy, later switched to Farfisa and helped launch the amazing Royal Pendletons down in New Orleans with pals Mike Hurtt, Matt Ulhman and King Louie. When they went on tour last Summer, we hooked up with 'em for a Chicago gig at the Lower Links. Oh yeah, I also was in trash band Sir Gluttiae & His Royal Flags of Maximae with Mike Hurtt and surf combo Vibrolux with his brother Eric Hurtt. Vibrolux got "signed" by Crypt back in 1989 for an EP. The day before we were to make it out to the Apple for a Coyote Studios session, the whole thing was called off. This was at the time when Tim Warren was in the process of moving to Germany. Our project was put under the charge of George from the Raunch Hands who, not knowing what we were about, shelved the whole thing - that Bastard! We had train tickets and everything. Old Fred was in several garage bands himself before the advent of F&M. The more interesting band titles include the caveman-inspired Visigoths and Lincoln & the Slaves (crappy tape recording of the latter available, as it was documented at a high school graduation party). A stable member of these bands (including the Covingtons) was guitarist John Michaels, who moved to New York to start the incredible Johnny Chan and the Original New Dynasty Six! TS: Now a history lesson, if you could/would. MM: Fortune & Maltese were formed in the Fall of '93, after Freddy called me up one cool evening and told me of a dream he had where we recorded a single that contained the song "Wicked Weed". It had been months since I talked to him last (he had just discovered an utterly cool girlfriend, Wendy Case of Maryland Records' Ten High, and hardly spoke to me until the dream). Two weeks later, he came down to Kalamazoo when we wrote and recorded the first single in two days in our newly set- up Omega Sound Studios (outfitted with as much ancient equipment we could borrow from my father, a radio genius). Only one of the Phabulous Pallbearers present at those sessions: Nat, the guitarist. The next record, Wig Wam, was recorded in the same place (after returning from a trip to Bloomington when the songs were written) with more actual Phabulous Pallbearers partaking in the session, notably, Drummer Dusty Sexton. While we were trying to finance that EP, we got an offer from Royal Records out of France to do another EP, which was promptly recorded, this time in my living room but with the same equipment. We sent the goods to Frog land and were shocked to learn that the man in charge there thought the material was "too produced". What?!? I guess it didn't measure up to Thee Headcoats style of production (anti- production?) Either way, they're (Headcoats) are doing their own thing with their own sound, something we can't, or especially want to, duplicate. Our approach to recording is an attempt to get the clearest possible sound in the most honest manner. That includes live recording with minimal overdubs (or let's just say that we strive for that; it doesn't always work like when somebody rings the doorbell or stomps through the door during a session and ruins a take). We're not LO-FI. We strive for HI-FI, baby! TS: Speaking of records, what's on the burner? MM: When we got the tapes back from France we sent 'em out to Italy to be part of a garage comp headed by Brian of Misty Lane. Other groups on it include the Mystreated and the Cynics. Whatever is not used in Italy will be included in a Garage comp from Detroit, to be released in a few months. Right now, we're working on writing and recording for our debut disc (record, that is) on Hillsdale Records, run by none other than the sophisticated Johnny Bartlett of the Phantom Surfers. The man is completely genius in his ways and, who knows, there might even be a few collaborations with him in the songwriting. I CAN say, however, that there WILL be a Fortune/Maltese/Usher composition in the new batch of tunes. (!!! -- ed.) TS: What are your live shows like? MM: I don't know. I never get to see them. Freddy usually manages to knock something or other down during the course of a F&M concert (one show in Ann Arbor at the Blind Pig, he went out into the crowd for a spell during, I think, Dirty Old Man. When he came back, the mic cord had been ripped from the XLR connector where it attaches to the mic. The soundman had such a good time that he said he didn't care about the mic at all!) The shows are incredibly loud and fast, thanks to our Phabulous nutball drummer who - without being modest - can beat any drummer alive! You can't tell from the record at all, but see the man once in action and you'll be changed FOREVER! I guarantee it! He also signs autographs like the rest of us. TS: What's the deal with the labels? (Both 45s are on both Happy Hour & Leppotone -- ed.) MM: When we did the first record, the dilemma was to decide whose label would carry the thing. Happy Hour Records had a few releases at the time including Ten High, The Hentchmen and Kiss Me Screaming - as did Leppotone (mock opera band The Sleestacks, 3-piece pop swingers The Sinatras, the garage-mod Twister, King Tammy and accordion-rock outfit The Scary Tweezers). The other alternative was to do a completely new label but we thought it would be more stupid to do the split record deal. (Label update: Happy Hour has new releases by Bootsy X and the Lovemasters and the Luster Kings) TS: What are you trying to achieve? MM: We're just trying to have a good time with the music, the dancing and general idiocy of the whole thing. Fred tries to get people to take their clothes off at shows when we sometimes close with Ooh-Poo-Pa-Doo. J.C. & I try to find dates but it never seems to work. TS: What are you nuts about? MM: I'm nuts about girls and recording. Freddy digs surfing, roller-skate chicks and canes. J.C. is nuts about girls and electronics. Dusty is nuts afoul the Hi-Fi sounds, furniture and dragsters. Nat is just nuts. We dig garage-a-go-go, baby, as well as the Kingston Trio & the vocal sounds. >From the Lincoln St. Exit to Ken Nordine ("I think I'll eat the leaves"), Doug Clark & his Hot Nuts to Brian Wilson & his Beach Boys, we're into your standard stash of teen trash. Everybody have a taste. TS: Who're your current musical faves? MM: The Boss Martians, The Dave & Deke Combo, Bootsy X & the Love Masters, The Royal Pendletons, the Phantom Surfers, Kevin Strange (the Lonely Surfer), et al. I proposed marriage to the 5*6*7*8s 2 years ago (in full heartfelt honesty) and got no response. I think some jealous bookkeeper intercepted the letter and burned it. I LOVE those girls. Of course, none of us can really think of the bands we like at the moment. Always a hard question. I think it's safe to say that we're all into this Wham-O thing, as well as Boyce and Hart. TS: What bugs you? MM: Getting paid $20 at a show when you know damn well there was at least 200 people there; Bad Blood; shoes coming untied; Fred living some 200 miles away from the rest of us (in Detroit, while we live in Kalamazoo), making it impossible to write and record anything; skewed typography; uncooked hot dogs; burnt coffee; Dick Clark double-booking all of our shows; doing a cool song and finding the tape recorder hadn't been switched on. TS: What was it like playing with Question Mark & the Mysterians? MM: They are truly the coolest band in the world! Everyone should get a chance to see 'em live. The band is tight as H-E-double toothpicks, full garage-a-go-go action ("Girl, You Captivate Me," etc!!!!). I mean, MAN! They top the chart on our book, every time!. DAMN! Petition Happy Hour Records to get 'em to play in your town. Send those signatures to Happy Hour, Attention Wendy Case, 221 N. First St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. These folks are IT, daddy-o! Original members (except the organ player who still lives in Texas, I think. The rest of the guys come from deep in the heart of Michigan). They're all a bunch of swell folks who generally like to hang out, laugh a lot and tell stories from their days on the road with the Seeds!. They're supposed to have a few new tunes out soon, presumably on Q's own record label... TS: What is it about an organ that makes a band sound so cool? MM: The fact that if it has an on-board spring reverb unit, you can shake the thing and make loud explosion sounds! My Farfisa is back in the shop for the second time this year to fix the Vibrato and several of the keys that come disconnected from time to time. Why Farfisa? Because Sam the Sham plays one! I'd like to also have a Vox 'cause I think they sound and look cool; they're completely streamlined. TS: What sets you guys on fire? MM: Screaming teen savages! Kids decked out in fine threads! Kids decked out in not-so-fine threads! People saying they like the record! Playing out of Michigan! The genius Internet interaction of all the cool nutballs! Pet rocks! Del Shannon! Rudy Vallee! Bobby Fuller! Ice Bird! Fun phone calls! Write to Fortune & Maltese c/o Leppotone Electrical Recordings, PO Box 61, Kalamazoo, MI 49005-0061. Phone (616) 383-3836. Fax (616) 343-5865. **************************************************************************** ******** SAN DIEGO SEEN Once upon a time (oh, let's say the early to mid-80s... actually, things were still pretty good for some time thereafter, but...), San Diego had one helluva swingin' garage-beat scene. I first got into the whole thing thru what I'll always refer to as 1984's Summer of Fuzz. Thanks to Ron Rimsite's 99th Floor and a whole host of other folks, I soon learned that California, in general - and San Diego, in particular - was home to some of the wildest sounds around. I guess the first thing I picked up was The Tell-Tale Hearts' self-titled debut on Voxx. Personally, I was pretty into it, but Ron and others told me that, not only was the band itself disappointed, but so were they. Evidently the LP had been remixed behind the band's collective back while they were making a grand tour of Missouri. But we've already checked out The Tell-Tale Hearts CD (see TS #49 for the full review). I guess Voxx has decided it's time to open the garage doors and let the cavemen roam free again, 'cuz not only did they re-release the TTH stuff, but also discs by The Crawdaddys and The Gravedigger Five. The Crawdaddys are the only ones of the bunch to merit two discs. Truthfully, though, it makes sense. These guys are really the ones who started the ball rolling down this alley in the first place. Well, sure, the Droogs had made moves in the garage-beat direction as far back as (I think) '74, and DMZ had covered and The Sonics & The 13th Floor Elevators, as had Radio Birdman, but The Crawdaddys were the first ones to really hit the 60s thing hard. They were, with The Chesterfield Kings, the dawning of what Mad Violet/Blacklight Chameleon Dino Sorbello (now of Laughing Sky) once termed, The Second Garagic Era. Their first LP, Crawdaddy Express (Voxx), released in 1979, was a true reflection of the artists the group claimed as influences in the liner notes: "Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Elmore James, and the Downliners Sect." The 15-track LP contained but two group originals, "Got You In My Soul" and "Crawdaddy Express". The rest of the album was comprised of true-to-form mid-60s R&B-styled (think Downliners Sect/Pretty Things/Them) covers of tracks like "I'm A Lover Not A Fighter", "You Can't Judge A Book", "Down The Road Apiece", Chuck Berry's "Oh Baby Doll", Them's "Mystic Eyes", Shel Talmy's "Bald Headed Woman", and "Down In The Bottom" among others. The only disappointment, really, was that there weren't more originals, 'cuz the two that appeared turned out to be right in line with the group's well-chosen covers. Well, I don't have the CD re-ish of this, but from what I hear, it also includes a six-song EP released by this lineup of the group. I could be wrong, but I believe their version of "Why Don't You Smile Now" and "There She Goes" is on this one. While their first full year ('79) was jam-packed with recorded excitement (LP, EP, & 45), it wasn't until '82 that they even recorded again, and another two years beyond that before they finished enough tracks for another LP. And even then, they didn't get around to it. Nope, the band was officially finito by the time Here 'Tis came out in '86. Of course, even a guy like me who lives 3000 miles away can offer up a fair explanation for all this. First off, look at the starting lineup on Here 'Tis. That's right folks, there's only one name that remains the same from the '79 version of the group, Ron Silva. Who knew then that Ron would still be a scene mainstay in the mid-90s? Look back on his personal timeline and you'll see that Ron's done time not only with The Crawdaddys, but with The Nashville Ramblers, The Blackmores (the NYC version of the 'Ramblers), The Optic Nerve, The Lyres (when the reformed 'Ramblers backed Conolly in '89), The Untamed Youth (as drummer), The Shambles, The Black Diamonds (who started life as yet another manifestation of The Nashville Ramblers), and The Monarchs... and, folks, that's just a healthy sampling. (Geez, it makes me wonder when we'll see a Ron Silva box set.) The change in lineups also saw some changes in directions for The Crawdaddys. While Here 'Tis still includes some straight-up R&B-style rockin', the group starts shading towards a smoother soul sound with this one. Included alongside such prime rock'n'roll tracks as Chuck Berry's "30 Days" are mellower gems (the kinda stuff that won't send unwary guests running for the doors) like "Why Wait Until Tomorrow", with Fred Sanders makin' pretty piano noises to move things along. Interspersed are ravers like the Silva-penned "You're Gonna Need My Love Someday". Was this a holdover? I'm not sure. Maybe the change in direction wasn't a change at all, but instead an expansion of the borders. But even the soul sounds of The Crawdaddys have their high points. Just not as high as such originals as their Animals/Them-styled "Start Talkin'" which sees them settling into a cool groove and just letting the music do the talkin' for a while before they let the vocals come thru again. Current groups mining this vein should be required to check this one out. What's amazing is that they completely change tack on the very next track, Ron's "I Believe In A Woman". Time again for the more soulful side of R&B. Throw in some sax and tinklin' keys and this thing swings along gently. Repeated listenings make it clear that Ron was being way too modest in the liner notes, when he wrote that "we would sometimes drift too far into the often too-boring world of soul music (boring when played too much by people like the Crawdaddys.)" For a long time, I'd believed that Here 'Tis was nowhere near as cool as the band's first LP. Well, this disc's been on repeat play at Teen Scene central, so you be the judge. Just be prepared for more than straight-up rave-up. "It's rollin', y'queebs." "Last night I was digging in the cemetery... up jumped a ma-an, All Black & Hairy!" So began the debut LP by The Gravedigger Five, All Black And Hairy . These guys were really the next generation. Well, sure they were formed about the same time as The Tell-Tale Hearts, but most of these guys were real young (high school age) when the group unleashed its debut LP into the fuzztone jungle. This one was pure cave-raunch... very much influenced by the many 60s garage comps coming out at the time. The Five's debut spewed out pure cave-teen angst and attitude... and still does over ten years later. The CD version not only includes the debut LP, but out-takes from the same sessions, plus a track with The Pandoras' Paula Pierce ("No Good Woman") and a couple tracks from a rehearsal in January, '84. The last eight cuts come from a live show that June. Anyway, in addition to covers like "No Good Woman", "Do Like Me", a wild take on "Hate", "Night of the Phantom", "One Ugly Child", "Stop It Baby", and a host of others, the Five offered up some originals that might well have dated to that much-heralded Golden Age of Fuzz, 1966. Lead guitarist Ted Friedman was the source of more than a few of these, including "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" and "She Got" (a particular fave of mine since this LP came out oh-so-many years back), plus a couple co- written with lead lungman Leighton: "It's Spooky", "She's Gone" and "Stoneage Stomp". One other G5 track deserving special mention is "She's A Cur", co-written by Leighton with bassist Tom Ward (who'd later join up with Ron Silva and Carl Rusk in a tail-end version of The Crawdaddys before the three formed The Nashville Ramblers, then The Blackmores, etc. Tom, too, spent some time with The Optic Nerve in NYC before moving back to Cali and reforming the Ramblers, then backing The Lyres. Oh boy, this list is gettin' long... Manual Scan, The Black Diamonds, etc. And Tom even did a San Diego scene report for this mag back in the first year or so.) But we're getting off the subject. If the Five didn't break any new ground, it's only 'cuz that had nothing to do with what they were after. These guys were a bunch of teens playin' the music they loved. The idea was not to blaze some new musical trail, but instead to have a good time playing wild rock'n'roll. They sang about girls... going nuts for 'em, getting 'em to come over to their side of the fence (or the back seat of their dad's cars, as the case may well have been)... and, as per the best garage fare, being thrown in the trash heap. As Ron Rimsite stated in his liner notes, "The Five are a Garage band." Not some cheapo imitation, but the real thing. Well, they were... and maybe they'll do a reunion someday. I can't say for sure what all Five are up to now. A couple of them ended up in the Morlocks for a bit. One went on to Manual Scan. Tom, well, we've already seen all he's done. John Hanrattie (rhythm guitar) edited December's Children for a while (one of the first 'zines I ever mailed away for), and ended up in Hoboken, NJ for a while. If anyone's got info on these guys, tell me what's up. Now, anyone who's paid attention to the SD scene over the years is well aware that The Tell-Tale Hearts were formed when Mike Stax left/was booted from The Crawdaddys. The group, however, was markedly different from Silva's bunch. The Crawdaddys, by this point, had moved to smoother material. But even in their more pure R&B days, they'd never been as wild as the Tell-Tale Hearts. The Crawdaddys may have been nuts about The Downliners Sect and The Pretty Things (at least on Crawdaddy Express), but their music was much more Yardbirds/Who older-style R&B than the genuine One-Ugly-Childishness of The Tell-Tale Hearts. The Crawdaddys may have kicked things off, and The Gravedigger Five were certainly more solidly in the Pebbles/Back From The Grave tradition, but The Tell-Tale Hearts were the wildest. Thankfully, I've already reviewed the fantastic High Tide [Big Noses & Pizza Faces] comp of their recordings. 'Cuz it'd take just too long to get into it again. Simply put, these guys were IT! You wanna know what it's supposed to sound like? Buy this. From the opening rehearsal of "My World Is Upside Down" to the remixed LP tracks (a major improvement) this is a non-stop musical adventure. Listen to the TTH live on "Just In Case You're Wondering" or "Satisfy You". Check out the material from The Now Sound of The Tell-Tale Hearts , the best sounding record they put out. Finish up your wigged-out wonder tour with the group's final 45, "Too Many Lovers"/"Promise". (Well, this depends how you score it... another TTH lineup was formed a few years later.) The Tell-Tale Hearts package (unlike the other discs) also comes with some superb liner notes. As most West Coast folks know, The Tell-Tale Hearts did some reunion shows last year. Of course, they didn't make it to the East Coast, but that would've broken their old tradition of leaving me in the lurch. Such is life. Wish I Were A Rich Man... blah, blah, blah. San Diego didn't roll over and die as these groups broke up. Nope, the members of these regrouped and got others to join their ranks. Manual Scan, The Event, and a host of others kept things rolling. And, as I hinted before, The Tell-Tale Hearts were reformed with a different lineup as the 80s lurched to a close. Eventually, though, even this bunch called it quits. And so bassist Mike Stax (editor of the ace Ugly Things mag) grabbed organ-meister Ron Swart (who'd played with the 2nd bunch of Tell-Tale Hearts, and before that with Just Colours in his Holland homeland) and joined forces with three ex-members of The Trebels to form The Hoods. Yet another great group, these guys lasted but a few short years. These days, a couple of The Hoods play in The Evil Eyes. I'm looking forward to hearing some vinyl from them. Anyway, that's your history lesson. Read on now and lett Matt Fidelibus catch you up on California today. --- BB (Just in case you hadn't figured it out, you can pick up all four of the discs mentioned above from the fine folks at Voxx/Bomp. --- ed.) **************************************************************************** ******** "HELLO, CENTRAL? CALIFORNIA, PLEASE." Although there are currently many California bands playing the broad genre of "sixties music", when Los Angeles' Voxx records released anthologies of San Diego's Crawdaddys, Gravedigger V and Tell-Tale Hearts on CD last autumn, the scene responded as if the music was reborn. The Tell-Tale Hearts briefly reformed; playing to wildly enthusiastic crowds in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Members of the Gravedigger V were so taken with the Hearts' spirited performances, that they toyed for months with the idea of their own reunion gig--eventually deciding to remain in the grave. At one point, there was even talk of a new Crawdaddys CD to be released on Keith Fisher's (ex-Crawdaddy keyboardist) new Spun label. As of early 1995, this project has neither been confirmed nor denied. Spun did recently release a new CD, "The Lonely Sock", by San Diego's Ray Brandes, former singer of The Tell-Tale Hearts. "The Lonely Sock" is a collection of witty, melodic pop with a perceptible 60s influence. Brandes has been playing in Los Angeles and San Diego to support the CD. His current band includes fellow Tell-Tale Heart Dave Klowden on drums and Fisher on electric piano. Another busy Tell-Tale Heart is bass player Mike Stax. Stax's new sixties' influenced punk band, The Evil Eyes, also includes singer Jay Wiseman and John Chilson (both ex-Hoods and Trebels). The Evil Eyes have been playing gigs from San Diego to San Francisco, and have a 7" single (Guilty/You Burn Me Up and Down) on the German label Screaming Apple. Former Hoods' keyboard player Ron Swart has formed a popular San Diego band, The Ogres. Filling out the San Diego garage sound is Andy Rasmussen's re-formed Sleepwalkers. The Sleepwalkers play a spellbinding mix of garage, surf, and rockabilly, and have a song on a San Diego compilation CD (Staring at the Sun 3) compiled by Bart Mendoza (ex-Manual Scan). Mendoza's current band, The Shambles, are releasing their infectious psych-pop on a variety of labels and formats; including a new single on England's Detour records, four songs on a new Not Lame compilation CD, and a song on a forthcoming Yellow Pills EP. In recent years, the Shambles have included former members of Manual Scan, the Crawdaddys, the Tell-Tale Hearts, and the Hoods. The Shambles mostly play local (San Diego) gigs, though Mendoza also frequently plays solo at the monthly "Bubble Gum Crisis"; a Los Angeles power pop/psychedelic music showcase. The Jigsaw Scene, The Wondermints, and Baby Lemonade are frequently on Bubble Gum Crisis bills. All play what could be pigeonholed as psychedelic pop, but the stylistic diversity of these bands should not be dismissed. Sixties fans will especially enjoy the Jigsaw Scene; one of the best live bands in southern California. Baby Lemonade, in addition to playing their own music, are the current backing band for a rejuvenated Arthur Lee and have recorded songs for an upcoming Lee album. The Bomboras (ex-Finks, and Rasmussen, from the Sleepwalkers) and The Neptunas are keeping surf music alive in Los Angeles. The Bomboras have recorded two singles for spring release. Currently, there are too many San Francisco Bay Area bands to describe at length here. Filling the Purple Onion and other local clubs are Marzipan, The Scheme, The Termites (60s cover band featuring Ron Silva and Alex Palao [the Sneetches]), The Tiki Men, The Trashwomen, The Treblemakers, and The Troublemakers. Silva has also been playing with The Monarchs (who have a new single on Get Hip), but the future of that band is in doubt. Oakland's Loved Ones have a new CD out (Better Do Right) on Hightone, and have been on an international tour. Following Ron Silva's departure, Carl Rusk and Tom Ward revamped The Black Diamonds, with two new members and a new musical direction (in addition to excellent new material, the band covered Love and ELO!). The Diamonds have recorded a full album and are shopping it to labels. --- MF (Matt will be giving us regular updates on the California scene from now on, as well as contributing occasional articles and/or interviews. ) **************************************************************************** ******** STUCK IN ONE PLACE WITH NOTHING TO DO? TRY THE FORGOTTEN ART OF READING (THE FOLLOWING SELECTIONS SHOULD HELP EASE YOU IN) First off, a bit of news. In one or two of the last couple issues of this mag, I relayed the news of the demise of Cryptic Times. Well, that hasn't changed. But, to paraphrase Billy Crystal in, I think, "The Princess Bride", it's just "mostly dead, not completely dead." See, Alan & Lisa also have this mail-order catalog biz. And with each one of those, they include a sort of two page newsletter version of CT. Basically just a bunch of reviews Alan's written that haven't been published elsewhere for one reason or another. So what else is up with them? Well, they've decided to get back into the publishing world. (Actually, Alan claims Lisa has bugged him to do it.) This time, though, the story is "no new bands." This one's called Do The Pop and will be dedicated to 70s punk, proto-punk, power pop, etc., with the first issue featuring interviews, retrospectives, and stories on The Droogs, The MC5, Radio Birdman, The Hates, The Viletones and tons more. Right now, Lisa says they're hoping to have it out by late summer or early fall. So keep your eyes wide open. In the meantime, you can write for the cool Ultra-Vixen catalog at 1011 Boren Avenue, Ste. 114, Seattle, WA 98104. It's been quite a while since last we hooked up with the Foster Child crowd. But they're back, this time with #18. Tons and tons of reviews, including a gazillion by our very own Platterpuss (so many, in fact, that he shares billing with the featured bands). Plus a chat with Girls vs. Boys. But the real reason to pick this one up is the stellar interview by Fred Mills with Kim Salmon (of The Scientists, the Surrealists, and occasionally The Beasts of Bourbon). While I always preferred the early Scientists (the "Frantic Romantic" era) to the later, and the Beasts of Bourbon to the Surrealists, I found this to be not only informative, but extremely interesting, as well. Fred's good at what he does, and so the reader feels comfortable, almost like you're in on the conversation. Add in some 'zine reviews, Manor on Media, and a 'Lost & Found' section (a section I've been meaning to add for years, looking at some cool records that have been lost in the dustbins of time) and you've got some good reading to while away your time at work. Send $1.50 to Foster Child, 7635 Marcy Court, Blen Burnie, MD 21060. Another return contestant is John Chilson who, in addition to being ex-drummer of both The Trebels & The Hoods, as well as current stickman for The Evil Eyes, masterminds "The Journal of Low-Brow Cinema & Culture," also known as Schlock. #13 may very well be John's best yet, with Beth Accomando turning in a fitting tribute to Peter Cook; Jeff Dove (of Funhouse e-zine) giving forth with part two of "Cykles, Psychos and Grease: The History of Biker Cinema"; an interview with Deep Girl comic gal Ariel Bordeaux, plus another with filmmaker Matthew Samuel Smith. But John manages to squeeze even more into his four newspaper size pages. "Video Miscellanea" visits a whole bunch of cool vids, while "Apocalypse Coffeeshop" looks at nuke devastation celluloid, print, and true stories. Once again, I'm probably staring right at the price and not seeing it, so I'd suggest one US dollar for your contribution to the cause. Send your money to John Chilson at Schlock, 3841 4th Avenue #192, San Diego, CA 92103. Here he comes again / Catch 'im if you ca-an... He's The Skeever, and his mag, as you should all know by now, is CapSoul Reviews. As time skitters by, Mr. Skinny Alberts strays further and further away from his original thrift store intentions and includes a wider assortment of infotainment pleasures. This time 'round, he's reprinted the "highlights" of an interview I did (with a bit of help from TS cub reporter Cunningham) with Jeff Conolly of The Lyres back in November of '92. The interview starts with the real venom, when I asked Jeff about the San Diego crew. (For those few who don't know, Jeff moved out to San Diego around the turn of '88-'89 to live "with a garage-rock scene chick." While there, he got The Nashville Ramblers to back him. Let's just say it didn't work out and leave it at that.) Winding it up, I asked Jeff how his nickname really came about. After giving me the scoop, he told me how sick he was of that whole thing. "The 'Monoman' thing is really stupid. I hate it -- I outgrew that years ago -- If you really wanna bug me about it... just kidding." My only problem with Steve's reprinting of the interview is that it's not complete. Jeff just sat back, relaxed and we had a great conversation. Maybe one of these days, I'll print the article in installments. Or maybe another mag would like to do so... tho' you'll have to wait a bit, so Skeever can reap the mega-profits of this fantastic coup. Now that I've tooted me own horn for a bit (or something like it), what else will your $1 buy you? Well, a different take on the Lyres' February gig at Brownies than you'll see in this mag for one... including more on The Bluesman's cameo. Also, an article on Paul Bartel, Steve's new computer toy (Connectix Quick Cam), drawings courtesy of both The Skeever and Mark Woody, this issue's "iditorial" ("Haul of Lame" about the R'n'R Hall of Fame), Dario Argento, and even some records. Oh yeah, and The Skeever tells what he knows about the word "discretion" (and "the better part of valor" is NOT it.) Like I said, this one's a measly buck to CapSoul Reviews, 31-52 29th Street #6M, Astoria, NY 11106. (E-mail skeever@pipeline.com) Now for something... well, different. My guess is some of you are getting tired about reading about so many of the same damn zines time after time. Well, one of the benefits of being online is being able to access a larger group of people. I've met some great people thru UseNet groups like alt.music.banana-truffle (the garage-punk/surf, etc. bunch) and alt.music.independent, as well as thru electronic mailing lists (the Bomp list and ModsList.) Well, it was through one or a couple of these that I ran into Judith Beeman, who publishes Back Of A Car, a mag focusing heavily on yeah, you guessed it, Big Star and related items of interest. Just looking at the table of contents, you'll notice that more than half of the 'zine is devoted to "Big Star Musings". These range from reviews of the group's SF show and the Big Star/Teenage Fan Club split 7" to words and music to "Back of a Car" to the devotion of This Mortal Coil to Big Star. But the crown jewel of both this section and the whole issue (#1, by the way) is the tour diary contributed by Ken Stringfellow of The Posies (who played bass on the Big Star tour). This is a definite must-read for all Big Star/Chilton fans. Ken makes sure to include "Alex's cruel remark of the evening" a couple of times. Mostly directed at drummer Jody Stephens. The rest of the 'zine falls under the combined heading of "Comics...Pop...Fiction". Which pretty much sums it up. BOAC is a nice piece of work. Very well put together, interesting, and looks really good. On the back, "Back Of A Cartoon". Send $3 to Back of a Car, #4636 MPO, Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 4A1. (E-mail beeman@mindlink.bc.ca). Well, that's it for now. Not much this time, I know, but considering the ton of live reviews, you're probably better off. **************************************************************************** ******** FEBRUARY FREAKOUT! Living down here in (what seems like) the middle of nowhere is a tough thing. I find myself about 40-45 miles from the East Village, which is about the same distance as I was back when I lived in Long Island in my formative years. There are a few major differences, though. Firstly, let's face it, I'm just not as young as I used to be. (I hate to admit it, but it's damn true. The bones are getting creaky as the big Three-Oh looms ever closer on the horrid horizon.) Secondly, the tolls getting from No. Brunswick up to NYC are killer, not to mention the gas. And third, I've got tons of work to do. But this time around there's been tons of great stuff to do. By mid- January, it had become apparent that February was going to be a rock'n'roll dream come true. Perhaps we've become weekend warriors, marking time all week long at our day jobs (or in my case, student teaching... where you do the work, but instead of getting paid, you pay them. Well, actually, not the school district, but the college... which gives you very little in return, but that's a whole 'nother story.) And it's also true that about five or six years ago, Monday nights were something to look forward to. Every Monday night. But let's get back to the subject at hand. February, 1995. Things kicked in right off. Friday February 3rd was a swing up to Maxwells in Hoboken. We arrived in the midst of The Supertones' set. For those unfamiliar with these guys, they're a local surf bunch who believe in injecting The Ventures straight up. Translated, this means the occasional Ventures' cover, as well as some standard surf fare, plus Ventures-like arrangements of other golden hits. Add in the suits and a go-go girl and you pretty much get the picture. I can't say that they excite me much, but they're pleasant listening. Who knows? Maybe I'd be more into them if they didn't play so much. Or if they were from some other part of the country. Hard to say. Next up were the visitors, the Michigan 3, The Hentchmen. With the mighty muscle of Norton Records behind them, these boys have garnered quite the following in the NYC metro area. Admittedly, that first trip they made to The Big Town some time ago didn't do much for me. Their second swing improved my opinion of them a bit, but it wasn't till this time that I was completely sold. Some friends of friends couldn't quite deal with their lack of a bass (we're talkin' organ, guitar, drums with these guys), but I'd have to call it their loss. With the Farfisa way up front, these guys make like fun 60s frat-rockin' at breakneck speed. But with all their originals (which really are tons of fun), I think it's still their revved- up take on "Red River Rock" that sends me over and out every time. Headlining the show this time out were local heroines, The Friggs. These gals just keep getting better and better. Kami's kit-bashing keeps the group driving forward and Ms. Jezebel is in total control. This group has come a long, long way (and they were fun to start with.) Be it one of their old favorites ("Cheatin' Song", "Bad Word For A Good Thing") or newer crowd-pleasers like "Juiced Up" or "On The Scene", they've got everyone with 'em the whole way through. As they grow more popular, I find I know less and less of the faces in the crowd, but that's just a sure sign that people are catching on. The next night's wing-ding at The Court Tavern in New Brunswick had been a subject of some dispute for quite some time. At least on the alt.music.banana-truffle newsgroup on UseNet. See, it was established that The Swingin' Neckbreakers were playing, and it seemed pretty positive that The Hentchmen were on the bill, as well, since they were playing Maxwells the night before. What wasn't clear was whether The Insomniacs, Mondo Topless, or both were going to fill out the lineup card. Right up till that afternoon, most of us didn't have a damn clue. Sometimes it was looking like The Insomniacs weren't on the bill. Then like Mondo Topless weren't. Then like The Insomniacs weren't. Someone even suggested that maybe The Hentchmen weren't doing it. And then that week it looked like all four were on the bill. This seemed odd. I mean, four bands at The Court? And, as it turned out, Mondo Topless ended up being surgically removed from the bill. Which pissed some people off mightily. And with good reason. (You figure it out, genius.) Can The Court Tavern put on four bands in a night? Good question. The way things stand now... with the door not officially opening till 10:30 (which translates to 11 PM, with the first of three going on at the ridiculously late hour of 11:15-11:30), the answer is an obvious... NO WAY! Not unless you chop everyone's set down. Which could be done. But the easy way out (and I can't see how the bar would lose on this one) is to just open the damn door an hour earlier. OK... onto the actual gig. So, as per usual, I showed up long before they actually opened the doors. I never learn. (Maybe my old boss was right in calling me a raccoon.) I must've been there by 10:15 the latest. Everyone else knows better; they show up no earlier than 10:45. Well, there was the usual trickle of folks showing up, including transplanted Californians Eric & Ingrid, plus Billy Luther and Michelle. Oh yeah, I was gonna get to the gig, wasn't I? Well, The Hentchmen had first ups. And they got their licks in right off, going at it like the wildmen they are. The Farfisa was once again way, way up front, putting things solidly into party overdrive. To be honest, I don't know the names of most of their songs, so I can't really say anything about those individually. Once again, though, both Miriam and I were going nuts over "Red River Rock", singing the words to "Red River Valley" while the boys played the instro killer version first handed over (as far as I know, anyway) by Johnny & The Hurricanes. Not to mention another cool rendition of their latest seven-incher, "So Many Girls". Later on in the night, I shelled out a few bucks to the guys for a couple of their seven-inch snackmates... but you can read all about those in another section. The Insomniacs had the middle slot. With siblings, this is often the most difficult position... my mom used to call it 'middle child syndrome'. Which, come to think of it, probably didn't make brother Glenn all too happy to hear. But he was certainly the wild one of the three of us. (And, in all sincerity, has grown up to be one of the nicest guys any of you could ever hope to know.) Back to The Insomniacs. Drummer Mike Sin called me a few days afterwards to talk about this one. He wanted to know my opinion... 'cuz he didn't feel it went too well. Mike's a good friend, so I was honest with him. While I enjoyed it (I've never disliked an Insomniacs' show), it wasn't anywhere near their best. Sure, they played a solid set, but there was something missing. I told Mike I thought it was the set list. The guys seemed to have picked too many of their darker, moodier songs and too few of their upbeat ravers. Things started off way up with "Jump and Dance", but within a few songs they'd pretty much locked themselves into their more atmospheric psych selections, only occasionally straying out into the wilds of garageland. For many bands, this would've been a damn fine set. In fact, if I'd never seen The Insomniacs before, I'd probably be writing a rave review about this great new group I'd caught. Later on that night, things turned around for me, 'cuz I snagged a copy of their Estrus comp CD, Wake Up! (yeah, reviewed elsewhere in this oh-so-fine mag.) It should be no surprise to anyone out there that The Swingin' Neckbreakers were headlining this shindig. And, with the room jam- packed for their set (even this late), it was obvious the crowd was up for it. And the Trenton trio came on strong, playing a nice selection of material from just about everything they've put out, plus some wild new additions to the set. A particular favorite moment came when they launched into one-time garage-scene fave "The Girl Can't Help It", injecting their Swingin' sonic sound into this old fave. But, for me at least, the highlight of the set came when the guys invited pal Tom Bergin to the stage to blow the livin' daylights out of the mouth harp. I just wish I could find the set list, so I could tell you exactly which wild ones Tom B. was a part of. All I'm hopin' for now is that they can get Mr. Bergin into the studio with them. Saturday February 11th was one I'd been looking forward to. While 1313 Mockingbird Lane, from Albany, have never done much for me live, I was willing to give them another chance. Partially because singer Dave "Haunted" Hausmann had sent me a copy of their CD (which has some pretty good tracks on it) and partially 'cuz ex-Projectiles' drum- guy Brian Goodman (an old pal from my Rochester days) is now in the group. But, as luck would have it, Roberta and I couldn't find a parking spot. Well, OK, we left a bit late 'cuz we really didn't think anyone would go on at 9 PM on a Saturday night in NYC, but we still could've caught the second half of the set had we found a spot in a decent amount of time. But the snow really screwed up parking. Such is life. Well, we got in about 10 minutes before Mildred Pierce went on, which gave me enough time to look around backstage for Brian. We got to chatting and then MP hit the stage with a bang. They were sounding damn good, doing a set which made me feel bummed about having missed their show at the Court Tavern the night before. Pretty much the same wildness they've been handing over for the past bunch of months, but who's gonna argue with that? Next up were The Botswanas. Now here's a group I first wrote about in something like TS #10 or 11. Well, folks, they've come a loooong way since. Well, first off, they're more heavily into playing shows these days. But they had finally gotten around to at least occasional gigging last year. Tonight they were o-n ON! They just blasted it right out. "Do You Wanna Be Like Them?" really grabbed me, with strong backing vocals on the chorus and solid drive. What's nice is that the new ones are as good as the old ones. Of course, I still want to hear a couple of songs from the tape they sent me back in '91... stuff like "Surrey Drive" (slower, but it moves along gently, almost sweetly) and "Diamond Jim" (which knocks your block off with its' Stooges' attack). But they're still doing "Little Witch" (possibly 'cuz it's on their debut 45), which is another winner. I gotta admit, I was kinda stunned by this set. I mean, I've seen these guys before, but they never hit me like this. Maybe the addition of ex-V. Lot drummer Mike Z. has something to do with it. Well, they've got a CD on the way on guitarist Price Harrison's Feralette label. I'm looking forward to hearing it. And to seeing them again. Finally, then, it was time for the headliners... The Lyres. All I can say (well, not really) is WOW!!! I'd gone in, half-expecting yet another night of old faves from the mid-80s done pretty well, but nothing that would get me raving. Yeah, I'd reached that point where I was long past expecting The Lyres to be truly great. (Sorry, Jeff.) Sure, they've put on some strong shows in the past few years, but nothing truly awe-inspiring. They weren't consistently reaching the heights that The Lyres should. Once in a while, yeah, sure... but definitely not every time. I had almost lost hope. I'm happy to say that Jeff Conolly and Company got me good. This night was over-the-top, over-under-sideways-down fantastic. Something clicked. Jeff had the guys going strong and he was full-throttle all the way. Some said they weren't sure from the beginning, a cool take on The Chesterfield Kings' "She Told Me Lies", but it seemed like that was enough to get this packed house moving. (Though I have to wonder how many in attendance actually knew what the song was?) Pretty soon, they were ripping into the meat of their set, mixing up the pitches with tracks from the last few years' of 45s (and Happy Now), along with old favorites like "Help You Ann". Better yet, Mr. Conolly had a surprise in store for us... a new original. Since Jeff keeps his set lists to himself, I can't say exactly what the title is ("Tear It Up", maybe?). But it was definitely rock'n'roll supreme. I think one of the best things about this night, though, was that the place was so crowded... and into The Lyres. I'm used to seeing the same faces at show after show, but this was something different. New blood. It gave me hope. Everyone, new faces and old, grinning madly, sweating and dancing and loving every Lyres-fueled minute of it. And they just kept coming back out. At least three times, thanks to the exhortations of Boston scene mainstay/nutcase Bill Tupper. (Wonder when Worcester wildman Captain PJ will rematerialize?) Personally, I thought Jeff would decide the fat lady had sung when, about halfway into "No Reason To Complain", the Bluesman bounded onto the stage. Past the guitarist, behind Jeff, over to Coraccio on bass, the big boy was a blur. (Well, not quite, but he moved pretty quickly.) Now, I thought the crowd over on that side was about to get crushed by Bluesbulk. But no... it was as if time was stopped for an instant and the Bluesboy had gotten instructions from Al Bundy's sock-loving aliens. He went back to Conolly... and started singin' the chorus with him... then took the mic! Jeff just sort of wandered back to the side of the stage. Hell, it looked like the song was over, but Bluesguy kept going... and so did Murphy, Coraccio, and Steve the guitarguy whose last name I don't remember. And to cap off his stellar achievement, we were treated to a BluesBelch. Personally, I strongly doubted The Lyres would be back on after that. I figured Jeff would decide that was too much. And I wouldn't have blamed him. So I was all set to kick some Bluesbutt. But, much to my delight, Conolly seemed to be as into playing as the audience was into hearing him. We kept screaming and he kept playing. Afterwards, I heard more than one sweat-drenched audience member declare, "The Lyres Are Back!" And I agreed. I figured it was the best I'd seen them since the mid-80s. I went back to the dressing room to congratulate Jeff. I told him it was the first time I'd seen them since the show in Rochester with The C. Kings. And, while he said that he just didn't get those guys doing "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the like, he took issue with some of what I'd written in the article about that show back in TS #49. He said it bummed him out how I'd said it just wasn't like the mid- 80s anymore. He said he doesn't care if The Lyres rule the garage-rock scene anymore; he just wants to play and have fun. And tonight, Jeff really seemed to be having fun. More so than in a long, long time. I hope he keeps having as much. 'Cuz if he does, The Lyres are gonna be one of my top couple bands all over again. And that'll go for everyone he plays in front of, too. If Jeff keeps having fun and The Lyres keep playing like this, they actually will be right back on top where they belong. Even if Jeff doesn't care about that. Jump now to the night I'd been waiting for, Friday February 17th. Foster Child first couple Debbie and Tony Miller arrived around 5:30-6PM to stow their gear and settle in for a weekend of live rock'n'roll mayhem. And so we jumped in the Blairmobile around 7:30 for our drive up to NYC. Mega-traffic going into the Holland Tunnel, but that's life around the Big City, isn't it? We arrived just in time to catch The Gnats, the newest addition to the NYC garage scene. Sporting ex-members of The Deans of Discipline, The Hellcats From Outer Space, The Talismen, and The Double Naught Spys, these guys couldn't lose. And if you've heard their demo tape, you know what I'm talking about. These guys came on like The Cyclone thundering down the first drop, hitting that first turn hard with one called "65 Supersport"... no hands, Ma! They kept it up, too, getting to "Night Ride", from their demo tape a little bit later. This was my first time seeing these guys (they've only played a few shows... and this was their Manhattan debut), but I'll be first on line for seconds. The next band up was called The Morning Shakes, or Morning Shades, or something like that. (Notice their name isn't in boldface.) Whatever. The Platterpuss took one look at 'em setting up and he was ready to step out for a break. Tony & Debbie asked him why he wasn't even gonna give the guys a chance. A couple notes and they figured it out. But that's why Jeff's The Platterpuss. Me, I roamed around yakkin' away. At least they did a halfway decent cover of "Thunderbird E.S.Q." Time then for The Insomniacs, who now had their Estrus promotional Wake Up Little Black Books to go with the new comp disc. Plus the "Sylvia Grey" 45. (But you can read about that in the record reviews.) I'm happy to report that the guys were way on tonight. Much more of an up show than the one a few weeks back. "Jump and Dance" got Mods and everyone else movin' straight off, and there was no turning back. And once again, Dave, Rob, and Mike showed just why they're one of the best bands around. (And I'm not just talkin' NYC-area, either.) OK, The Original Sins. Once upon a time, after I'd been groovin' to JT & Co. for a couple years, Mike Sin of The Insomniacs told me that The O. Sins were his favorite group. Well, there's a damn good reason for this. These guys really are tops. When JT's up for it (and sometimes when he's ultra pissed-off), The Original Sins are without peer. Well, OK, this wasn't one of their top ten shows, but even so it ranked way high on the Blair-O-Meter. Like the week before, Brownies was real crowded this night (I hear about 350 people passed through the doors at one point or another!) And it was a real treat for me to see so many people groovin' to the wigged-out wildness being pounded out by The Original Sins. It does a body good. Geez, I even got a chance to do some actual dancing, thanks to an old dance partner of mine showing up. The guys went through some favorites ("Turn You On", "Watch You Dance", and more), some newer ones, and a medley of "Rain" and "Sorrow" before coming out for a wild encore medley of... geez, there were so many in there I can't even remember them all... but Bo Diddley figured prominently. And then it was time for The Cynics. (See? I told you this was a show of shows.) From note one, Mike was up and at 'em (us, the audience, whatever). I'm not gonna go too heavily into The Cynics' set. Except for the fact that they seem to have attracted a fair amount of slam- dancers. Maybe I'm getting old, but I just can't see why you'd wanna slam to these guys. Then again, I've seen people slam to Billy Bragg. Actually, it kind of took away from the show a bit for me. I have no problem with people dancing wildly and getting sweaty, but when some skinhead takes his shirt off and starts throwing his smelly body against my arm, I get a bit peeved. Especially when it's a band I really like. Someone said the Cynics wanted to stop playing live. I think we'd better get on the horn to Mr. Kostelich, 'cuz that would be a major loss to the rock'n'roll community at large. Oh yeah, another note on the show... they did "Blue Train Station", a Cynics' oldie, but still a gem. Saturday afternoon was spent with our Foster Child guests and The Platterpuss, sorting thru record stores in New Brunswick and Princeton. Home then to change and chat, then off we were, once again, to rock and roll all night at Brownies. Since we weren't ready to jump right in the car after our shopping excursion, we hung out till about 8:45 or so, which got us to Brownies only a few minutes before The Nines were ready to take the stage. This meant we'd missed Junior High, a group I'd never even heard of, but Danny Ly said were pretty good. Well, maybe next time, huh? Anyway, some of you may remember from some months back that The Nines hadn't fully impressed me their last trip to Fun City. This time, though, they started off with a bang, a strong cover of The Beat's "Walking Out On Love". They seem to have things more together now. And while they can really go with the rockers, they're in top form when they hit the more pop- oriented numbers, the ones that still rock, but pour a thick helping of melody on top for flavoring. These are the ones that really let them shine and I'm hoping they'll move more in this direction. I wasn't sure who Spanky would be, although I had a good clue from the flyer, which proclaimed that guitar-guy Danny Rey was involved. What made the band, though, was Jenny Decker on lead vocals. Now, Jenny first started talking about being in a band a few years ago... and back then, it was her plan to play drums. Which she eventually did with Starkist. (No comments here or I might, even now, get some people mad at me. Oh, gee, that'd be something new.) Anyway, with Spanky, Jenny's doing lead vocals and only lead vocals. And with a solid (tho' not as fiery as I'd prefer) backing band, she shines. I gotta admit, I was mightily impressed by how strong her voice was. Not only that, she writes some pretty damn nifty pop-rockers. Comparisons to Debbie Harry would not be out of line. All I can say is, Go Jenny Go! Well, Pillbox were up next, but by this time I was starving, having not eaten since around 3 PM. So Tony, Debbie, The 'Puss, and I took a short walk up to Z-Bar, where I got some of those mouth-watering (and sinus-clearing) Buffalo Wings they've got. Plus what became everyone's favorite fries. We did catch a bit of Pillbox's set... from the little I heard (OK, when I came back in I started chatting, gimme a break) I got a touch of Eddie & The Hot Rods. Anyway, time then for The Vacant Lot. Now, these guys had blown everyone's minds back in January with a killer show at the same venue. And things looked up for tonight, too. The only problem - and, unfortunately, it was a major one for way too much time - was equipment failure. Stuff just kept going out at bad times. It must've bugged V. Lot main-man Pete C. to no end. (It would me.) Mixed into the set were old faves like "I Won't Say I'm Sorry", "Remembers Me", their take on The Barracudas' "Neighborhood Girls", and "Blue My Mind", as well as new ones... like stuff denoted on the set list as "Really New One" and "Song In D", or "Slow New One". (Hey, at least they don't get pornographic the way The Raunch Hands used to, calling their as-yet-untitled gems, "Pussyface".) A nice highlight towards the end was their triple-time roller- coaster ride thru The Beach Boys' "Drive-In". And, though they refused to accede to requests for "Nose Job" or "At The Hop", they elected to do - one time only, for ever and ever (tho' people will now bug them for it for the next 5 years) - "Nobody Loves The Hulk". Definitely a fun way to finish out a problem-plagued set and end things on an up note. Hey, it was still a fun set. But it'd be hard to imagine a Vacant Lot set that wasn't enjoyable. February went out with an exclamation point. Saturday the 25th saw me making the trek to Brooklyn. Of course, once I entered 200 5th in Park Slope, I found myself provided with yet another reason why "I don't do Brooklyn." This place sucked. I mean, I guess it was fine if you were there for linguini with clam sauce, but for the rest of us (who'd shown up to catch The Swingin' Neckbreakers & The Fleshtones) this place spattered chunks of raw, hairy maggot-infested intestines all over the place. (Translation: the place sucked.) Basically, I'd driven to Brooklyn to be shoved into a space not much bigger than your average elevator car with a full bar's worth of people. A nice touch for me this night was the appearance of a bunch of old friends from high school, including one gal who'd just returned from living in France for most of the past three years. And once The Neckbreakers hit the stage, it was pandemonium. These guys truly are one of the best. Really, garage rockin' doesn't get much better than this. These guys rank with the best of 'em... and that includes not only such 80s/90s groups as The Lyres, The Chesterfield Kings (mid-80s version), The Tell-Tale Hearts, The Original Sins, The Cynics, The Milkshakes, The Creeps, etc., but also (especially) The Sonics and the whole 60s punk pantheon. For some reason, The Fleshtones were billed as the "world's greatest garage group", or some such nonsense. And, much as I love The Fleshtones, they don't hold a garage candle to The Swingin' Neckbreakers. But that's not the point. See, The Fleshtones aren't a garage band. Of course, we're dealing with people who charge eight bucks to stuff you into an accident-in-waiting. (In fact, one girl passed out before The Fleshtones went on. When the ambulance came and it had been determined she'd be alright, the club owner went outside to keep the cops from seeing how many people he'd stuffed in. Dangerous crap.) So... where were we? Oh yeah, The Fleshtones are NOT a garage group. What they are, however, is one of the best party rock'n'roll groups ever conceived. One attendee thought they'd gone on too long. (Of course, this guy believes a rock'n'roll show shouldn't go over 20 minutes. Nice guy, but... c'mon!) No way, pal! If you ask me, they didn't go on long enough. See, these guys make sure you get your money's worth. They understand the old show biz maxim... if they look like they're having fun, so will you. Obviously, it helps that they put on a dynamite show... mixing in mostly stuff from the past couple LPs, but throwing in a nugget here and there. Yeah, they Let It Rip. The Fleshtones, Put 'Em In The Hall of Fame! Thus endeth thee goode monthe uv Februarye. Short in terms of turns on the ol' axis, but loooong on what Bill Kelly will happily tell you is "real rock'n'roll." -- BB **************************************************************************** ******** SNACK-MATES I've been waiting for The Insomniacs to record "Sylvia Gray" (Outer Limits) for what seems likes forever. From the time they first offered it up to a live audience I was nuts over this one. The guitar line just sings along, around and around, softly burrowing deeper into my Gray matter. It seems now as if they virtually abandoned this personal favorite, playing it only occasionally. Meanwhile, I've been begging for it ever since that first time. At one point I even considered starting a label so I could release it myself. Well, anyway, at long last, here 'tis. At first, I was rather disappointed. See, Dave used to caress the vocal on this one, treating it ever so tenderly; on the 45, though, he attacks it, tears it to bits. I just wasn't prepared. Now that I've gotten used to it, though, I'm pretty into it. (Tho' I'd still like to hear it the other way someday.) Flipping it over, we get "Feel, Feel, Feel" and a cover of "Gaby". What sells the former for me is the break, a short burst of mayhem that gives a quick glimpse of the true nature of these well-groomed Mod boys. When drummer Mike Sin called me to ask my opinion of the single as a whole, I told him that (at that particular time) "Gaby" was my pick hit, thanks to its dark psych persistence and intensity, hammered home by Mike's heavy hitting. Is this still my pick off the 45? I don't know... that guitar line in "Sylvia Gray" keeps singing to me. Pete P. says The Swingin' Neckbreakers are his favorite band and makes no bones about comparing them to The Sonics themselves. And I'm quite inclined to agree with him, too. "I'm In Love With Me"/"Quit Your Belly Achin'" (Telstar) is more balls-out garage-punkin' from the capital of The (toxic) Garden State. If this one doesn't quite measure up to their debut disc, we've gotta realize that not every 45 is gonna stack up to one of the top garage LPs of all time. Even so, this is still worthy of their position in the upper echelons of the Garage-Punk First Division. For me, the flip's the pick, a more up-tempo rock'n'roller with the added bonus of Mr. Color, organ guy Dave Amels, who does what he does best. My only complaint is that he's not mixed further up front. You need everything by these guys. Looks like Derek "Deke" Dickerson (aka Be-Bop) is looking to push Billy Childish off the "Most releases with different acts" mountain. This confabulation goes by the moniker of The Swinging Fezmen, and Mr. Dickerson is called 'Sticks', 'cuz that's what he's handling here. (Last time I saw him pull that trick was when the Flat Duo Jets played Maxwells in February of '90... Dexter got on stage for an encore and his band had disappeared, so Derek grabbed the sticks, while Bruce Bennet of The A- Bones boomed the bass notes... ah, rock'n'roll ecstasy. Anyway...) We Are The Poobahs of Leisure (Dionysus) falls somewhere in the realm of such classic 50s instrumental LPs as Let's All Dance To Rock and Roll, with more R'n'R integrity, plus the air of a bunch of guys havin' a grand old time. Simply put, this is 50s-styled leisure-time rock'n'roll. The top side seems like the perfect soundtrack to the first hour of the cool-cat crowd's next wing-ding, as things begin to get underway. Like when everyone's sayin' how-do, before the evening starts kickin' in. Once you're ready for that, flip over this li'l biscuit for the "Fezmen Stomp", as the group picks up the pace and heads for the surf. Time to grab your sweetie and move those feeties. (Anyone want a book of my poetry? "Ode To My Stinky Feet" is a particular favorite.) Next stop, "Hooterville". Al Bundy, anyone? Actually, what this instro and its title have to do with each other, I'll never know. Throw in those barnyard animal sounds and I'm even more lost. Fun, though. Overall, like it says on the sleeve, "Highly Danceable and Truly Enjoyable." I'm not sure why, but it seems Moulty/Distortions' record maven (and ex-Lyres' skinsman) Dave Brown seems to only carry around ten copies of his new releases at any one time. So I missed my chance to pick one up at that show they did at Brownies. (I think the whole damn place would've bought one had Dave had them available that night.) By the time I got to Dave, there were none to be had. Well, no Lyres' 45s, anyway. What Dave did have, however, was the latest offering from The Thanes, "I've Seen Darker Nights"/ "(Seems To Break Your) Happy Chain". It took a few plays before I finally warmed up to the top track's darker psych sound, but the guitar offers an occasional threat, with the organ providing the menace to back up the claim. Still, it's the flip that hauls me in. This one's got a brighter, folk-punk sound, with ringing guitars and a wistful organ, singing those sad notes so sweetly. Add in some nice vocals and a melodic bass and this comes together nicely. Ever notice that there are no bands like The Lyres? Absolutely none. Zero, zip, zilch, zed. Like I said. Nobody sounds like them. Nobody. And it's gotta be Jeff Conolly. After all, he's had so many damn lineups over the past sixteen years that it's hard to keep track. No matter who's in the group, they've got a certain sound. Jeff's lead vocal is soulful, heartfelt. While I'd appreciate a sharper, meatier production on the production of (at least) the A-side of their latest single, "7"/"Feeling No Pain" (Moulty), I still think this, along with the group's strong live appearances of late,, is a giant step in the right direction. Murphy hits... Conolly nails the organ line... then something sort of goes 'thud... thud- thud... thud.' Huh? It took Roberta to explain these to me. They're gunshots - the fakest ones she'd ever heard, but gunshots nonetheless. The only way she figured it out was 'cuz she already knew the song from The Kwyet Kings' version (The Lyres started playing it after Jeff saw these guys do it over in Norway.) Anyway, apart from those rather intrusive "gunshots", this thing kicks pretty good. Now, I thought "7" was gonna be the winner here, but the flip turned out to be the Cracker Jack surprise. Sure I knew the song from having seen the group so often, but I still wasn't expecting it to sound so damn good. The heartbreaking soul Conolly injects into the melody almost contradicts the song's title. Maybe it's supposed to. On the surface, this is a rant about being done, thru, finito with some gal that's done him wrong, but, thanks to Conolly's voice, the truth comes out... it does hurt, no matter how much he's gonna rant and rave about being elated he's rid of her. But even if it hurts, just telling her he's past her is at least enough to maybe redirect some of the pain onto her shoulders. Jeff's organ underscores the notion perfectly, with the sad Vox tones hitting home. And, lest we think that Conolly's the only person in the band, let's give some credit to mainstay Rick Corraccio on bass and cool backing vocals... and longtime drummer Paul Murphy, who hits the drums with more soul than anyone I've ever heard. Comin' straight at ya out of the mid-60s via the mid-80s pike is The Purple Merkins "Ain't It Hard" EP (Dionysus). The title cut is pure 60s coolness, with a Vox Jaguar organ setting the mood. Rock'n'Roll done right. With the wavering guitar sound, this one ends up on the dark side of some 60s R&B/garage obscuro. But it's their cover of "Cock-A-Hoop" that made me jump and shout. Haven't heard this one in quite some time, and the dancin' keys move this one along real nicely. The flip's more psych-oriented (not flower-power trippy-dippy, but still psych). Definitely worth your $3-$4. I first heard Jimmy Fitzgerald play back when we were both living in Long Island and the Smithtown crowd used to hold summer beach parties with about 8 bands playing. Jim's first 45 was with a band called The Blue Rays, a joint project with his brother Andy. Jimmy's been through a few groups since, but The Pleasantries seem almost a return to that earlier love of soft-spoken melody with an ear towards the early Beatles and the Everly Brothers. In addition to a real pretty tune, "Innocence & Ignorance" (Radio Sun Records) features brother Andy helping out on harmonies, something the two have always done well together. For those familiar with The Headless Horsemen, the music backing the verses here will remind you a bit of "Just Yesterday." A strong debut. SURFIN' & SPYIN': Either side of The Del Lagunas "Time Tunnel"/"Shadow" 45 (Estrus) will probably sit right with instro surf folks. Not real fast, "Shadow" is my pick, painting a musical picture of an overcast day on a deserted beach... Cut-man Q had raved about The Finks Dirty Rotten Finks (Dionysus) EP some time back and after a month or two, I finally listened. The first track (called either "High Wall" or "Meltdown", depending on whether you're looking at the sleeve or the record) is heavy-reverb drenched double-pickin' fun, but it seems like I've heard so much of that that I once again pick the slower one. "Close Out at Pier 11" seems like lonely twilight time at your fave spot. Time to relive the day's glories and wipeouts with a couple of close friends while sittin' round the fire in the sand. ON THE PERIMETER: I can't remember exactly why I picked up The Solid Statesmen's Melodies of Man, Machine, & Nature (Empty); I guess I'd seen a positive review somewhere. This one goes about two for four. Either a different guy is singin' half the time or the one guy has a major split personality thing going. "Motorhome" would've been fine, but singer #1 breaks in and it becomes a noisy dirge. Blech. Same thing went for "Load It Up". But "Summer's Eve" is a whole different story. Melody pedal down, the guys really get it going. All 'bout the joys of a summer night. Sorta surf vocal as it might've sounded had it been hatched in Seattle in the early 90s. (As if that has any meaning whatsoever. But you get what you paid for.) "Suit Your Fancy" is kinda nice, too. Maybe they'll split up and we'll get one completely cool group out of the deal... Live From Anamosa Women's Prison (Estrus), it's Los Marauders. These guys serve their rockabilly drinks with shards of broken glass instead of ice. The vocalist sounds kinda like the guy singin' "The Crusher" for The Novas. "Wild Women" sounds like The Haze on "She Said", but without as much melody. Personally, I would've preferred the guitar (real pretty r'billy purity) to be more out front. "Wigglin' Couch" is my pick. I think you can figure out the subject... I picked up The Fastbacks' tour single for a measly two bucks when I saw them at Maxwells the other night. Red vinyl in a clear plastic sleeve, this is a 3- songer, with "Allison" being my fave by far. Exactly what I've always loved about the band, buzz-pop bliss, slowing down only when absolutely necessary... There's gotta be something good about a record that starts off with an answering machine message from the neighbors tellin' a guy he woke 'em out of a sound sleep by practicing (full band) too loudly. The Knockoffs' The Unreleased Tracks (RPM), though, is worth your money for more than just that little tidbit. "Loser Like Eye" is a nice mid-tempo punker with a melody filling in the cracks, but I prefer the 2nd cut on the flip, "No Offense, But I Love You", a slower melody-oriented track. If the production on this nugget was fuller, cleaner, this might even have (horror of horrors) hit potential. But I get the feeling that's not what this is about. **************************************************************************** ******** DEFINITELY NOT TO BE USED AS COASTERS My guess is there's a whole bunch of you out there who missed out on The Insomniacs' 45s... especially the first two, on the Umbrella label. Fear not, faithful fans - Estrus has arrived to save you from the horrible fate that would most certainly befall you were you unable to hear these psych/mod garage-pop (whatever!) gems. Said label has released a 12-cut comp entitled Wake Up! This little bugger's got what you've all been waiting for... all six tracks from the group's 10" Estrus EP, both tracks off the 2nd 45, two from the first 7-incher (as the 10" version of "My Favorite Story" is included on this CD), and two of the three tracks from their first 3-songer for Outer Limits. Now, if you've been paying any attention whatsoever to this 'zine over the past few years, you already know The Insomniacs are damn near the top of the heap. They've been even better of late and I'd recommend catching their live act whenever possible. Now, as hard as I was on CDs a few years back, I gotta say it's a pleasure to be able to hear just about everything by these guys comin' on one after the other. The other day I just set my disc player on repeat and heard this thing about four times thru. Yeah... that good. I'd been waiting for quite some time for Cub's second full-length outing. Finally, there it was, Come Out, Come Out (Mint), a disc (also comes as a triple-7" with one extra track --- ed.) guaranteed to put a smile on my face on the darkest of days. That's what I love about Cub; they're able to make me smile... without being some tired joke-type group. Their music is cute, but not to the point of revulsion. Not even close. When I hear Cub, I want to keep hearing them. Their music is melodic (extremely so), and pure. I was tempted to call it honest, which it is, but that word's been appropriated by so many singer-songwriters that it's become something almost ridiculous at this point. Cub are about as far from ridiculous as you'll ever get. Nope, "pure" is definitely the right word. Like Buddy Holly was pure. Like Bobby Fuller was pure. Not that Cub sound like those two, but there are similarities at times (more on their first disc than on this one). Let's get down to this latest offering. How do I love it? Let me count the ways. Well, there are twelve, one for each song. Now, I suppose I could go in for a song to song rundown (and I'm tempted), but this mag is starting to run on and I'd really rather you just went ahead and bought this than sat there reading about how wonderful I think it is. So here's a few favorites. I'm not sure when I first heard them play "Everything's Geometry", but the first time it really hit home was at Maxwells in September. I was in the depths of the first few weeks of a college level Geometry class at the time. This show was on a Sunday night, which I usually reserved for doing the homework for said nemesis. Since I knew I'd be heading out that night, I'd gotten a jump start on trying to ride that week's bucking geometric bronco. But there was still one burr under my saddle as I pointed the Blairmobile towards Hoboken that night. I arrived at Maxwells still thinking about that damn problem. (Some of these proofs had nightmare potential.) As we entered, Lisa Marr (Cub vocalist for those unfortunate few who don't already know) saw me and we said hello. When she asked what was up with me, I told her about that nasty of nasties, my Geometry class. Which is when she told me about "Everything's Geometry". And so she dedicated it to me later on. And, silly as it may sound, sometime that night (whether it was during this song or not, I don't remember) that alligator of a problem that I'd been wrestling with just laid down quietly and handed over the answer. Maybe Lisa had soothed the savage beast with this delightful ditty. So... other ones that send me further into the Land of Smiles. Well, "New York City" should be an obvious pick. Another one that I saw them do a couple times and all I could do was feel extremely happy. Well, there's more to it than that, but I think every guy who's ever heard/seen Cub could probably tell you that. I guess it has a lot to do with the way Lisa smiles when she's up there singing. Too many performers don't understand that old show-biz maxim about "sellin' it with a smile." Cub do. But they also know when to drop the "tra-la-la's" and hit it hard. Like on "Life of Crime". Lisa's bass nails the low, dark side, and Robynn hits some noisy chords. "Now I'm a widow at the age of 17 / At the age of 17 / True love don't last forever (...) It's nothin' but a life of crime." It's nice to hear lyrics that can have some meaning but don't spout politics. And proof positive that Cub are much more than the "cuddle-core" tag they've been given. Just in case anyone was worried they'd gone all heavy, the very next track, "I'm Your Angel", cuts back to the pure pop sound they're best known for, even injecting a whistling solo. Track 12, "So Far Apart" explores completely different territory, with a mellow electric guitar singing a lazy Western sunset accompaniment to the acoustic rhythm keeping things going for Lisa's voice. And then a short intro and it's WHAM!, right into a joyful romp thru The Go-Go's "Vacation", one that fans of Cub's live shows have been looking forward to for ages now. Hey, if you haven't yet realized that Cub are one of the best pop groups around, you're missing out! And as long as you're buying this one, go pick up Betti-Cola, too. I found out about Death Valley's Que Pasta! CD(Double Naught) via Usenet. Yep, alt.music.banana-truffle comes through again. Guitarist Steve Mear posted something about his group and I e-mailed to investigate. A couple weeks later, my mailbox made happy noises at being kept warm by this friendly package. Some will be put off by the idea of yet another all-instrumental group. Well, folks, can't say as I've seen these boys, but their sound is different than the rest of the surf gangs I've seen shootin' thru the tube. These guys do it with a nice-a accent, six- guns blazin', and horses galloping (well, OK, those are drums, but you get the pic). Even the glorious double-picked beginning of the first track, "A Fistful of Pasta", has something beyond surf flavoring it. Right away you taste the extra garlic, the oregano, the basil. Sure, there's surf going on here, but heavily textured with Spaghetti Western. Which is what makes it so damn enjoyable. Sure, they've caught the wave, but somehow they ride it like they're galloping after some bad hombres in the Badlands. About midway thru, things stop, the lead rings out again, playing that lonesome tune of tragedy way up high (yeah, you know what it sounds like), while a rhythm guitar plays a couple gentle chords behind it, setting things up perfectly for the chase. For vengeance? Who knows. The lead takes it way down and ends the first episode. On then to "Surfista Jam". And "El Conquistador", where the gallop really comes in with the guitars blazing away. Settling in for the long ride, the lead sings the story. As you may have guessed, these guys are big Ennio Morricone fans. So they do a couple of his, "For A Few Dollars More" and "Guns Don't Argue" then pay tribute to the man with "The Morricone Express". The latter starts out with a sad whimper, hits a quick Birdman-style build-up and then picks up speed, just the way an Express should... not stopping for anyone, anything, or anybody. "Suzy Sunshine" seems like a breath of fresh air, call it the grass-land by the river. A beautiful (but too short) stop for a drink of pure melody. Then they're "Beyond Metonga". After one of their Morricone covers, they're back in the more melodic areas, though "Barkie" is more like the campfire after a day's ride, time to relax and laugh a bit, tell stories. After a couple more, they finish up exactly as they should, with "A Trail Of Dust In The Sunset". Kind of a goodbye, so long, one last look at our heroes as they say goodbye. Make it a point to search this one out. **************************************************************************** ******** BURPS, BELCHES, AND OTHER NOISES Not too much to say this time... Lessee... Cub'll be having that seven-incher come out on Little Teddy (out of Germany) pretty soon... The Oblivians will have a live LP in their tote-bags on their European tour at the end of April. 500 of these buggers are being pressed. And that's the good news. The bad news is that they'll only be available at shows. So for those of us in the US, they'll be that much harder to score. Especially if the European fans get greedy... The Waldos just released their debut disc, after being a band (in one form or another) for something like eight years... The Trick Babys will have a CD out sometime in the near future, as well, but we'll talk about them at length in one of the next two issues... News from The Smugglers: First off, back in October, the guys recorded a bunch of stuff to air on CBC (that's Canada, gang) Radio's "Nightlines" show, which is evidently a pretty cool national radio broadcast. Kinda makes you think of the Beatles on the BBC, huh? Anyway, Dos Schmugs' stuff was aired in mid-October (how's that for on-the-spot reporting?) The guys were also included in some skate video called "Off The Top Rope". The soundtrack includes music from them, NOFX, and the Voodoo Glowskulls. Nick's been playing lead git with Bum, who evidently just laid down some more tracks for release on Lance Rock, who'll also be releasing a 45 by yet another Nick group, The Tonics. Dave's built a recording studio in his basement and has already recorded Bum there, as well as "new all-girl Vancouver garage band (...) Meow!" And Beez is working on a new LP with the rest of The Beauticians. Back at Smugglers' Central, the boys have a new seven-incher out on 1+2 from Japan, "Whiplash!"/"Death Of A Romantic". And now back to our regularly scheduled program... Ronnie & The Pussycats are a group I only just heard about last night from ex-Sit N'Spin bassist Sue Stanley (who's currently playing with "like 50 bands"). I can't remember just who else is involved, but the group includes Sue, along with Sit N'Spin main gal Heidi Lieb and Ms. Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama of The 5,6,7,8s. Ronnie's only in NY-town thru the end of May, so they don't have much time to set the world on fire, but they do have a couple gigs lined up... Let's finish up with notes cribbed from the Butt Wipe and Review, featuring all the latest on those wigged-out Woggles. First off, the boys will be heading to the Land of the Rising Sun in May. In the meantime, they've got a new 3- songer on Wallabies, "Return to Blood Beach" (reviewed next ish -- ed.) Also worth checking out is their offering on the 19-song instro comp Beyond The Beach (Upstart Records), which includes tracks by Man or Astro-Man, Laika & the Cosmonauts, Southern Culture On The Skids, Hillbilly Frankenstein, The Insect Surfers, The Daytonas and many more. On Athens-based Reservation Records, the band covers "Hang Loose" and backs it with two of their own. In the works are a 4-song 7" for Telstar Records, a split-7" with Man or Astro-Man? (with comic book) on Homo Habilis, and probably something for a Dick Dale tribute. Note: they've already got a track on the 6-song 10" DMZ tribute (also reviewed in #53 -- ed.), which includes Teengenerate, Supersnazz, & The Devil Dogs. There's actually even more news on the boys, but let's leave something for next ish, huh? Well, next ish we'll hopefully have a review of the new Muffs' disc for you, plus writings on The Kaisers, The Hentchmen, The Optic Nerve, The Vikings, and maybe The Trick Babys, too. There's tons to deal with, so we may have to just space things out over the next couple. See ya next time... I hope. **************************************************************************** ******** CAN'T GET IT IN YOUR LOCAL STORE? Dionysus Records PO Box 1975 Burbank, CA 91507 Double Naught Records PO Box 131172 Houston, TX 77219-1172 Get Hip PO Box 666 Canonsburg, PA 15317 Mint Records, Inc. #699-810 West Broadway Vancouver, BC CANADA V5Z 4C9 Moulty/Distortions Records Box 1122 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 NKVD Records Noise For Heroes PO Box 60369 San Diego, CA 92166 Outer Limits Records PO Box 440321 12003 Berlin GERMANY Perfect Pop Records Daelenenggata 14 A 0567 Oslo NORWAY Radio Sun Records 65 Second Place (garden) Brooklyn, NY 11231 RPM Records c/o Knockoffs, Inc. PO Box 70033 Stockton, CA 95207 Screaming Apple Records Dustemichstr. 14 50939 Koln GERMANY Telstar Records PO Box 1123 Hoboken, NJ 07030 Voxx/Bomp Records PO Box 7112 Burbank, CA 91510 **************************************************************************** ******** That's that... Blair