INTRO It seems to take me longer and longer to get these things out these days. In the first four years of this magıs existence, it was a monthly. Of course, it was only four, six, then eight pages each of those months, but it came out regularly. This one issue, once itıs out, will have taken me just under a year. Odd, considering Iıd originally planned to have it done in time for Cave Stomp. Later, that became February... then April, May, June, and now the end of July. Yeesh! This also means the thingıs half again as long as its predecessor. In some ways, that seems pretty cool. Until I realize that it means Iım probably going to lose money as a result. No, itıs not cheap to print these up.That should explain the sticker shock. Keep in mind that the ads are whatıs brought the cost down to that level. Thank them by buying their stuff. This may be a labor of love, but between this and the on-line programming class Iım taking, Iıve been working about 10 hours per day on average (and that includes most weekends.) The only difference is that, since itıs summer, Iım off. That means that those ten hours are put in whenever Iım up for it. So if a few of my friends feel like grabbing a bite at Jim Dandyıs, or if theyıre up for bowling, Iım ready to go. Iıll just wake up early or stay up later to get my stuff done. But the hours are being put in. I donıt mind because Iım doing something I enjoy. At the same time, however, I realize that Iıve spent nearly half my summer trying to get this mag out. Thatıs a major time investment, especially considering I know that - because itıs taken me so long to get it together - I stand a good chance of losing money on it. What can I do about this? Well, the easy answer is to just put this out more regularly. Iım fairly sure I can obtain enough advertising to put this out three or four times a year and maybe even show a small profit. The only solution is to give myself a schedule and stick to it. Iım not sure I can do that. What I really need is a co-editor who can keep me on track. Unfortunately, Iıve never liked outside authority all that much, so Iım not sure Iıll be willing to listen to someone - even a close friend - trying to tell me when to put my own Œzine out. Well, maybe I can set myself a pace. Guess youıll know when you see the next issue or two, huh? Enough of the whining. Really, my lifeıs not bad. Well, beyond the fact that Midas wrecked my car and only gave me book value for it. But you can read my vitriolic spew elsewhere in this mag. Congratulations to my brother Glenn and his beautiful bride, Vicki, on their recent marriage. It was an incredible weekend. It was great seeing all his friends again, of course, as well as old family friends. Plus, the photographer turned out to be an old high school friend of mine; sheıs one of those truly fun people in this world. I was also happy to be in the wedding party this time out, Œcuz not only were the rest of the guys in it a bunch of cool people, but the gals in the bridal party were all nice, sweet, and beautiful. So, thank you to Glenn and Vicki for letting me be a part of your special day. And best wishes for a wonderful life together. Thatıs enough news about my life for now. After all, youıll be reading enough about that when you hit the live sections of this Œzine. After all, that is how I spend a good chunk of my time. Rather than tell you about whatıs inside, Iıll assume each of you can read the Directory of Delights. I will say that the Fuzzfest was an absolute blast and Iım looking forward to returning this year. Iım bummed that Iım missing out on Treble Fest, but... well, itıs a bit expensive for me to get out there and stay there by myself, so Iıll forego it this year. In the meantime, Iıll just hope Cave Stomp takes place again this fall. Cheers! ............................................................................... DIRECTORY OF DELIGHTS The Diaboliks, Finest Girl Garage Punk - an interview by Steve Coleman Fuzzfest, Œ97 - it was Labor Day weekend and the fuzz was flying high Fuzzfest Bands On Record - recordings by a few of the bands The Golliwogs - a look at their recordings, plus a bit of history Cave Stomp - garage fest wildness in New York City, October Œ97 The Captivating Sounds of ? & the Mysterians - their Cave Stomp set on disc Pirate Love, The Subsonics - an interview by Bob Kondrak Follow Me Down - the latest disc by The Subsonics The Bethlehem Beat - rockinroll in the Christmas City, focusing on the Creatures & Original Sins Suburban Primitive - the final (?) studio disc from The Original Sins Neko Case - Roberta Schiffer takes a look at Neko live and on disc Skeletons In The Garage - a collection of rarities and unreleased material by The Original Sins The Greek Garage Scene: 1964 - 1967 - Dinos Mekios tells the story Teenage Shutdown - the new high-water mark in the 60s garage/punk comp world Life Could Be A Dream, sh-BOOM! - I brought my car in for a brake job and Midas introduced it to a tree An Untamed Whirl - the Untamed Youth summer ³tour² of 1997 Youth Runs Wild - the latest offering from the Barons of the Beer Bust Beat They Canıt Call It Beer - an Untamed Youth photo page; all pics by Roberta Schiffer The Outsiders - the Dutch legends reunite for a tour; Sander Van Malsson reports The Chesterfield Kings On A Surfinı Rampage - a long disc chock full of surf & hot rod goodies, and more The Morlocks - a live disc bubbles up from below Head and the Hares - theyıve got a new disc out after six years; meanwhile, that first oneıs been re-ished on CD Livinı It Up Down Under - live reviews of Aussie happenings by Michael Seman The Makers - their new disc seems to have bunched up more than a few panties For Your Eyes Only - a bunch of Œzine reviews Live & Outtasite - nearly a yearıs worth of live reviews Seven Nights To Super Rock - Eric Fusco reports on the Fleshtonesı January jamboree The Evaporators - Nardwuar and his merry men came to NYC Singled Out - 45s by The King Normals, Ray-Ons, Seculars, No Talents, MTX, Junior Varsity, Razzels, Flashback V, DownınıOuts, Insect, Mondo Topless, Godzillas, Fortune & Maltese, Church Keys, Untamed Youth, Deke Dickerson, Dictators, Deep Reduction, Hellacopters, Nashville Pussy, Royal Pendletons, Frigg A-Go-Go, Primate 5, Mount McKinleys, and the Von Zippers Step On My Big 10 Inch... Record - Thee Headcoats, Woggles, Titans, Rocket 455, Maharajas, and Slow Slushy Boys Diameter - One Foot - albums by the Vendettas, Insect, Evaporators, and Demolition Doll Rods Bubbling Up Down Under - recordings from the Land of Oz, including the DM3, Summer Suns, You Am I, Challenger 7, Pyramidiacs, Hekawis, and Crusaders Digital Derring-Do - discs by The Hectics, Element 79, Hate Bombs, Frigg A-Go-Go, Satelliters, Swinginı Neckbreakers, Aquamen, Smugglers, Groovie Ghoulies, MTX, Decibels, Tonics, Johnny Chan & New Dynasty Six, Autumn Leaves, Michael Mazzarella, Frenchy, Stool Pigeons, Donnas, Dead Boys, and the Mullens Vinyl Parties - think of this as the vinyl ³various artists² section Six Sides of the Mants - one of the coolest Canadian combos around......... The Splinters - some swinginı sounds from this French group Strumminı Mental - instro madness from The Fathoms, Space Cossacks, Penetrators, Del-Vamps, Los Mel-Tones, Switch Trout, Boss Martians, I Cosmonauti, and Thee Phantom 5ive CD Comps - various artists from now and then, plus now paying tribute to then CD Anthologies - collections of tracks by Cub, the Green Pajamas, the Lears, and Donovanıs Brain Unearthed & Re-ished - digging into dusty vaults to find the Mystics, Gene Summers, Group $oall, & Peter & the Blizzards Even More Music - here youıll find more reviews in all forms The Sovereign Sounds of The Sires - now hereıs some rockınıroll royalty Some Recordings by The Others - the Italian boys burst forth with a bevy of big ones Where To Get ŒEm - addresses for most of the labels (some of Œem donıt put their address on!) ............................................................................... SEND GIFTS TO: The Teen Scene 34 Highland Cross #2 Rutherford, NJ 07070 -OR- blairb1@mail.idt.net ............................................................................... WHOıS TO BLAME Blair Buscareno - everything without somebody elseıs name. Nothing anyone else wrote, however, has been changed, barring grammar and spell-checking. In other words... Blame ME! Steve Coleman - interview with The Diaboliks, as well as the live report that goes with it Bill Jones - editing assistance on the Mosquitos and Secret Service portions of the Cave Stomp piece Bob Kondrak - interview with The Subsonics Wiebo de Wit - pre-Creedence history Roberta Schiffer - Neko case article (not the 7² review; thatıs my fault) Dinos Mekios - on the mid-60s Greek Garage Scene Sander Van Malsson - reporting on the Outsiders reunion Michael Seman - The Hoodoo Gurus and The Stems live reports Eric Fusco - checks out The Fleshtones ............................................................................... PHOTOS (print version only): Bob Kondrak - most of the cover, large Diaboliks shots, Fuzzfest, and Subsonics Josh Lewis - cover photo of The Untamed Youth Steve Coleman - pint-size pics of The Diaboliks Chris Egan - Creatures of the Golden Dawn Tom Bessoir - JT/Original Sins Roberta Schiffer - Untamed Youth, except cover Michael Seman - Stems shots (All other photos have been provided by the bands without listing a photographer. Apologies to those who took them. But thanks!) ............................................................................... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Pete Ciccone - layout and printing advice and assistance Bill Jones - for editorial assistance Wiebo de Wit - major thanks for allowing me to reprint his pre-Creedence history (check out http://www.xs4all.nl/~wdw/) Thanks also go to all the great people who wrote articles and/or provided pics. In addition, thank you to everyone who sent records, discs, and Œzines. BIG thanks to the advertisers (print version). NO thanks to Midas. ............................................................................... THE DIABOLIKS: FINEST GIRL GARAGE PUNK Interview and Small Photos by Steve Coleman The following interview was taped with the Diaboliks after the UK Premier of ŒPerverellaı at the Dirty Water Club last September. The film, a low budget pastiche of fifties Sci-Fi and cheap exploitation B movies, was filmed in London during 1996 and contains the celluloid debut of Bruce Brand (Thee Headcoatsı drummer), Sexton Ming (Medway Poet) and several musicians from the garage scene in London. Sexton and Bruce both take superbly funny roles and are obviously accomplished actors. ŒPerverellaı also contains a fantastic clip of Thee Headcoats miming ŒBeach Bums Must Dieı on the British south coast surrounded by a wild partying crowd. In addition, youıll discover the Diaboliks during the harem scene, sat down and cross legged, playing psychedelic eastern music for the Caliphıs pleasure. After the film had finished the Diaboliks took to the DWC stage, resplendent in silver bikinis Œcept for Dan of course, for one of the best sets Iıve seen them play all year. Over the last twelve months the band have become much tighter and have placed the emphasis on performing original material. So, after waiting by the stage door for them to change back into street clothes, they agreed to run the interview in the early hours of a warm Friday morning. TEEN SCENE : Could you introduce yourselves? Iım Sophie the drummer. Iım Babz and Iım the singer. Iım Anja the bass player. Thatıs A-N-J-A. You might recognize my voice, Iım Dan the guitar player. TS : You were all regulars at the Wild Boston Room for years. How did the Diaboliks start? ANJA : Over to Babz... BABZ : It was so long ago I canıt remember now! SOPHIE : Well you wanted to get a band together and I remember you came up to me. BABZ : Yeah, I went up to Sophie. I was in the Slingbacks and when we split up I really wanted to carry on and I heard that Sophie was a dab hand with the sticks so I asked her if she wanted to drum. Then I asked Anja, who I didnıt know at all, and asked her if she wanted to join. ANJA : Imported from Germany. BABZ : We had a French guy playing guitar at the very beginning for a few rehearsals and then we roped Dan in. TS : You bill yourselves as ŒFinest Girl Garage Punkı. So why didnıt you get a female guitar player? BABZ : It wasnıt really meant to be an all girl band. It was partly and unfortunately, no offence but... (general laughter), lack of availability Œcause it would have been nice, not to be a ³girl band² but itıs nice when you can find a girl that can play guitar. SOPHIE : Besides we need to have someone who can lug all the gear, as well! TS : How do feel about that, Dan? DAN : What having to lug a lot of gear? BABZ : Oh, we help... I carry the microphone. TS : Apart from not wearing a bikini on-stage, Dan... BABZ : We tried one on him, hey come to the show next Friday? TS : The Diaboliks always look good on-stage. Where do all the outfits come from? ANJA : Over to Babz again... BABZ : I run a clothing label called Babzotica. Iıve got my own shop and I make all the clothes and the costumes for us as well. TS : The Diaboliks are doing pretty well at the moment. Youıve an album on Dionysus and have recently visited California. How did the American tour go? SOPHIE : It went really, really well. For us it was a real pleasure to do because, number one, we were in America. Also, we had time off between some of the gigs, so we had time to spend shopping... TS : How long were you out there for? ANJA : Twelve days, but we got to do a bit of shopping, see some friends and go out for dinner and stuff like that. DAN : Buy Hawaiian shirts! ANJA : Yes, buy lots of Hawaiian shirts. How many did you come back with? DAN : TEN. BABZ : The joy of it was that obviously we couldnıt take any stuff with us, we did one sound check the whole time we were there, the guy said ³I think youıll find itıs OK as it is² and it was. SOPHIE : We just turned up and played, everything was already set up for us. DAN : It was great for me Œcause I got to use a Mosrite, a Gretsch, and a Jaguar. ANJA : Dan didnıt have to lug any gear either. DAN : Hey, I did take a plectrum with me. BABZ : We really felt like stars for once, just turning up and playing and not having to go through setting everything up and carrying it. TS : How did the audiences react? ANJA : Very good, people seemed to really enjoy it. BABZ : The bands we played with, I must say, they were great. For example, the Loons were fantastic and they were supporting us which was just incredible. ANJA : We saw so many excellent bands in America which you never get to see anywhere in Europe. BABZ : At one time we started the ball rolling to do a garage festival in the UK but itıs so incredibly hard to get bands over Œcause promoters arenıt willing to give enough money to people. TS : Back to the Loons and San Diego. A friend said ³Ask Sophie about her first night in San Diego?² SOPHIE : Aargh... No! Haaa... ANJA : Huh, news travels fast. SOPHIE : Who was that? TS : Iım sorry but I MUST protect my journalistic sources. No names Iım afraid. SOPHIE : It was jet lag (everyone laughs). DAN : And Tequila... BABZ : And wine... ANJA : And Newcastle Brown... SOPHIE : I got spectacularly but gloriously plastered. ANJA : Iıve never seen you like this ever. TS : Were you playing that night? SOPHIE : No. Suffice to say that I passed out on the bathroom floor and Dan had to come and pick carrots out of my hair. DAN : Vegetables are so much better second time around. SOPHIE : I wasnıt feeling very good the next day. Apparently I crashed out in the flower bed first of all, then Dan picked me up and got me through the front door, I then went splat on the floor and thatıs where I woke up the next morning. BABZ : Our first gig in San Diego was in a shop with the Loons. Sophie was asleep in the car until the very last moment, then she crawled out and came on-stage, did the set, and then crawled back into the car. SOPHIE : Oh no - hideous (everyone laughs). TS : Would you like to play the East Coast? Everyone : Oh yeah! SOPHIE : CBGBs. TS : So whatıs happening with getting the Diaboliks back to America? ANJA : Well, the promoter from Tiger Mask offered to do a cross country thing with us. BABZ : I think it would be good to release a few more records. Weıve got a 10² coming out on Dionysus, hopefully at the end of this year, and a single coming out next week. So if we get a few more records out weıll chase it up. TS : Are you doing well in Europe? ANJA : Weıve played in Germany three times. Also in Belgium, Spain... DAN : Scotland (everyone laughs again). TS : Sometimes when people come to The Dirty Water Club they say ³You English people are so reserved, if this band was playing in New York or Paris people would be going bananas at the front of the stage². How do the crowds differ in the US, Europe and the UK? BABZ : Itıs not so much the UK even... SOPHIE : Itıs London. BABZ : ŒCause if you play outside of London people really go for it. I think that London people are just so spoilt. There is so much going on every night. ANJA : People are very fashion conscious. BABZ : Itıs subdued here. Everyoneıs got a face and wants to keep it... DAN : Uurh! SOPHIE : Was that a burp? DAN : No it wasnıt it was a gurgle. ANJA : It was a fart. SOPHIE : Danıs first ever recorded burp. ANJA : The first. SOPHIE : That was definitely a burp. DAN : It was NOT a fucking burp (everyone laughs). TS : On Danger: Diaboliks (Dionysus) there are some excellent cover versions. ŒWilly the Wild Oneı, ŒHeıs Got Everythingı and ŒYouıre Too Muchı by the Eyes. Who chooses the covers? DAN : It depends. BABZ : Itıs just a mixture of our diverse influences. SOPHIE : I always pick a really impossible one. ANJA : Weıre all into garage rock but everyone has their own special little thing as well. TS : Talking of ³own special things² you are all involved with different projects. You mentioned Babzotica, and Anja, arenıt you in the Dirty Burds? ANJA : No Iım ³in² Babzotica as well. TS : Well I know that Dan plays guitar with The Charles Napiers. Do you want to talk about that? DAN : Well, youıve got to keep your fingers in a few pies. BABZ : Yeah, definitely. We also do the Frat Shack as well - Sophie and I Go-Go dance there. (The Frat Shack is a bi-monthly garage- trash-soul-club run by Babz and her boyfriend Josh - SC.) TS : The garage scene in London is very incestuous. Doesnıt Paul, the sound man at the Dirty Water Club, DJ at the Frat Shack? BABZ : Yeah, and he also runs another club, a joint club, with us as well. TS : How would you compare the Dirty Water Club to the Frat Shack? SOPHIE : The Dirty Water Club is a gig night really. BABZ : The Frat Shack is a one-off event with a different theme each time. We completely redecorate the whole place, wherever the venue is Œcause we move round quite a lot. We have Go-Go dancers and itıs an all night event. TS : Your themes have ranged from Mexican Wrestling to Gerry Anderson TB Shows. Do you get a different crowd compared to the Dirty Water Club? SOPHIE : Itıs the Dirty Water Plus isnıt it? BABZ : Yeah, we get a different crowd. Thereıs a good crossover between the garage scene, the rockinı scene and even the Mod scene. Itıs really quite diverse. SOPHIE : But they all come back, thatıs the thing, they donıt just come once. TS : That sounds healthy. To see rockers dancing to Northern Soul is very refreshing. ANJA : Itıs just in Europe that the scenes donıt mix like they do over here. SOPHIE : Mind you, I think that itıs a new thing with the scenes mixing. ANJA : Yeah, itıs happened over the last couple of years. There wasnıt anywhere for this to happen before. TS : I wonder if this was due to the fact that, a few years ago, the Sonics began to get played in the Rockinı clubs? Everyone : Oh Yeah! ANJA : Well now you get Gene Vincent played at a Mod club Œcause he did some really good beat records. ŒBird Dogginı is often played at the sixties clubs. TS : Do you think the trash/garage scene in the UK is healthy at the moment? SOPHIE : Well, itıs as healthy as itıs been in a long time. I donıt know if it will ever be really, really healthy but it would be nice if it was. BABZ : We could do with a few more bands. TS : Well we have lots of great bands, perhaps we just need more people to get interested in the music. BABZ : A few more people AND a few more bands. SOPHIE : But the time is right at the moment. With all the retro stuff going on, people are looking back and exploring a little bit, so there are a few more new faces coming along which is good. BABZ : We could do with a few more bands from abroad coming over. SOPHIE : Definitely. Europe is so much smaller now that itıs a shame that more donıt come over as itıs so easy to do. ANJA : Itıs all down to money in the end Œcause the garage scene is so poor. There is no big promoter, no big publicity, and how are you going to pay all these people? TS : Maybe it doesnıt help that Thee Headcoats get a hard time in our national music press. They are often termed an old-fart retro band by the NME. ANJA : Well, that isnıt a bad thing. BABZ : The music press is like two newspapers in England. There are so many fanzines, I mean I donıt even read the music press, itıs just bollocks really (laughs). TS : What other UK bands do the Diaboliks rate? DAN : Thee Headcoats. SOPHIE : Sir Bald Diddley, in all of his incarnations, god bless them. BABZ : The Green Hornets. DAN : The Cybermen, theyıre damn fine. ANJA : Not forgetting Stewed from Folkestone. TS : Thatıs about it for questions. Thanks for your time and good luck with the new 10² on Dionysus. Tel : 0171 739 8098 Fax : 0171 278 1074 For further information contact Dan ŒDiabolikı at: dwhaley@prs.co.uk Recommended Listening CD - Danger : Diaboliks (Dionysus) Recommended Clothing The Babzotica Boutique Exotic Clothing For The Swinging Set 4 French Place Shoreditch London E1 6JB ............................................................................... The Diaboliks La Brasserie de lıUnion Bruxelles - 24 May Hell, that PA is a bit loud, turn it down a touch please? This was a late Sunday afternoon show in possibly the best bar in Bruxelles (Buzzcocks, Flaminı Groovies and Zombies on the Jukebox) and with around one hundred people pushing the Diaboliks into a very tight corner. It reminded me a little of some of the long disappeared bars in Camden Town where students, writers and artists created a real counter culture ambience. In fact there was a great little crowd at this show and one, rather like the VUB Green Hornetıs gig, which appeared to have very few clued-up garage rock fans among it. Despite the crush I managed to take half a dozen shots of a relaxed and dressed-down band who were enjoying the good time atmosphere. Wow, not only were people stood on tables but even more were stood outside and peering through the windows. A scenario quite funny in retrospect. Apparently this was the last date of a short Euro blast for the Diaboliks which had been organized to promote their new mini album on Dionysus. A platter which incidentally includes a neat spin through ŒCrawling Back To Meı - an old Tell-Tale Hearts rave - which was fun to hear after the Loons gig the previous weekend. Would you believe that the infamous Green Hornets arrived halfway through the set after driving since breakfast all the way from Hamburg? Actually it was a great pity they didnıt have the time or the opportunity to set-up as the audience were ready for another thirty minutes once the Diaboliks had finished. In short a great performance stimulated by a very enthusiastic crowd in a fantastic bar. ............................................................................... FUZZFEST Œ97 I didnıt get much sleep the night before Fuzzfest began. I packed that evening in plenty of time, but... I just couldnıt drop off. I woke up around 4 AM, after less than four hours of zıs. A quick shower and a last minute check for my stuff led into putting out a ton of food and water for our cat, Bugger (a.k.a The Little Boo), since Roberta was also away. (Thanks be to Andy for lookinı in him while we were away.) I had an early flight, so I was getting into Atlanta long before the doors would even open for the afternoon hangout session. I got my rental car, made some wrong turns, and eventually found my way to the hotel. I tried to catch a little shut-eye, but... I was just too excited. I ended up picking up a map in the lobby (not a real one, just one of those little cartoonish ones that have become so popular in the last decade or so. ) Turned out it was a pretty easy drive from the hotel over to the club, so I parked and explored the Little Five Points area, eventually finding a place to grab some good greasy food. Eventually, people slowly started showing up at the club, as I ran into members of The Boss Martians (including Joel Trueblood of the Untamed Youth, whoıd just joined the BMs), Richard & Glynis, Bob Kondrak, and soon some of my hometown pals, The Insomniacs, as well as The Fleshtones. Not long before it was time for the bar to close to all but the bands, The Bluesman pulled in. We hung out for a bit, then hightailed it back to the hotel to drop his crap off and grab a quick bite before heading back to the club. Friday Night: One of the truly lousy things about New York City is that clubs donıt have their own parking lots. On the rare occasion thereıs one nearby, youıll probably go broke paying for it (unless youıre lucky and the place doesnıt have an attendant at night, the way the Dive was back in the mid-80s.) The Star Bar is wonderful... thereıs a nice big parking lot in the back. The only requirement for parking there is that youıre at one of the establishments in that little block of shops (like the club, for instance.) Leading off were Thee Flypped Whigs, the first of the weekendıs home teams. Rich Ward led the band through a cool set of mid-60s styled rockınıroll. Lots of cool originals, ably abetted by covers of stuff like ³Nuthinı,² ³Rosalyn² and ³Weıre Pretty Quick.² Thereıs nothing like a combo organ to ratchet up the cool factor. As it turned out, this weekend would be chock full of Vox, Farfisa, and a couple others. The Subsonics (home team #2) were next to the plate. As you can see from the picture, I was completely blown away. They were probably the most different band of any playing this whole fest and, well, they also ended up being one of my top picks. Their music balances on the edge of a gleaming blade, whether theyıre skittering on an amphetamine-fueled speed trip or dreamwalking on the highwire. Itıs dangerous and overwhelmingly beautiful at the same time. Coming back down to earth, then... Craig Moore of Gonn is rumored to have said, ³Iıve never lusted after a rhythm section before.² Next it was time for a group from my own state, the Insomniacs. As most will attest, these guys are one of the best bands going right now. They acquitted themselves nicely this evening, doing tracks from both discs, including the crowd-pleasing ³Jump & Dance,² as well as ³Already Down,² ³Donıt Turn Away,² and the Gaunga Dynsı ³Stick With Her.² Thatıs two three-member bands in a row that completely amaze me. Moving across the river from NJ on into the Big Town, it was time for the Standard Bearers of Super Rock, The Fleshtones. Yeah, let me have a Power Stance! And ³Let The Doorbell Ring.² And it did, ³God Damn It.² After all, not a one of these guys is a ³Sissy.² So, ³Dig In,² then, to ³Marjoe.² ³I Wanna Feel Something,² sings the Z-Man, giving way to Keith Streng, paying tribute to the locale as he took us ³Way Down South.² Next, we went ³Inside.² Who brought us there? The ³Love Machine² collectively known as The Fleshtones. These guys can take us through ³Burning Hell² (with the help of ³The Ghoulman,² that is). Sure, weıll see a ³Screaming Skull² and come in ³Dead Stick,² but once we hit the ³Kingsmen-like Medley,² all that matters is ³How I Feel...² Well... wasnıt that hokey as all get-out? (I take it you agree.) Such is life. Seriously, The Fleshtones are one of the all-time great bands. They know how to make a party happen. Tonight was no different. As tonight only featured five bands, The Others had a chance to stretch it out. Imported for the Fuzztival from Italy, they were thrilled to embrace an American audience with their brand of 60s inspired rockınıroll. Much of their set was spent in the folk-punk realm. For those whoıre unfamiliar with their records, their cover of The Outsidersı ³Lying All The Time,² should give you some idea what Iım talking about. Admittedly, the set was a bit long, however, and I believe people were a little too tired to hear this much folk stuff at this time of the evening. It was a good thing, then, that they later hit some more rockinı stuff, like ³Same All Over² and ³Thatıs Your Problem.² Overall, however, they did a fine job. On the way back to the hotel, the Bluesman and I stopped to pick up some munchables. We ended up not getting much sleep, either, as we watched a ton of crappy TV and crammed our selves full of junk food. Let the good times roll! Saturday: The next afternoonıs trip over to the Star Bar was a big party. Just about everyone was there by that time. The record tables were set up and people were ready to spend, spend, spend. Of course, many were also ready to drink, drink, drink. (Which they did, did, did.) I met lots of cool people that afternoon, including Ritchie from Screaming Apple, as well as the Amazing Larry (of Captain Cook & the Nootka Sound) and Rocky Serkowney (whose 40th b-day was this weekend.) I also ran into Bruce from Au Go-Go, as well as having a chance to chat with Bernie Kugel of Mystic Eyes, who gave me a copy of his old 70s Œzine, Big Star. It was especially great hanging out with the Amazing Larry and Rocky. Bluesman and I ended up having a great time with those guys throughout the fest, including a few stops at a really cool eatery on the way back to the hotel both Saturday and Sunday nights. Truly great guys, I gotta say. Saturday Night: The second night began with a set by the only all-girl bunch of the weekend, Toronto, Ontarioıs Girl Bombs. They worked their way through a set of both originals and covers, including such favorites as ³Fortune Teller,² ³What A Way To Die² and the always-classic ³Melvin² (for the uninitiated, thatıs ³Gloria² sung from the female POV) as the closer. Buffi Aguero of The Subsonics had invited me to come see her other band, The Vendettas, play just down the block this evening, but... well, there was no way I was willing to chance missing the Mystic Eyes. These guys donıt play very much in any location. I know Bernie Kugel lives in Brooklyn, but I believe the others still reside up in Buffalo, NY. Their ³My Time To Leave² is one of the great singles to ever appear on Get Hip (and one of my favorite 45s, as it happens.) They kicked it off with a cover of ³No Reason To Complain² (find it on Our Time To Leave (Get Hip)), following with ³Lost My World² (which, if memory serves, can be found on the ROIR cassette, Garage Sale). They also hit favorites like ³Little Girl,² ³Enough of What I Need,² ³I Can Only Give You Everything,² ³From Above² (the flip of the first 45), and ³Iım A Nothinı,² before bringing the house down with a blast through ³My Time To Leave.² While itıs true that Iıve only seen the Mystic Eyes a handful of times, this was easily the best of those. They were truly phenomenal. I donıt think anyone whose seen The Hate Bombs would argue that theyıre easily one of the absolute best live bands going. Their Fuzzfest appearance served only to bolster that reputation, as they got everyone dancing like mad (and soaking in glorious sweat!) with stuff like ³Stop & Listen,² ³Sheıs No Good,² ³Sheıs The Girl² and ³Know About You.² Their energy is about as close to infinite as any of us are ever likely to see. I wish theyıd just hurry up and come play NYC again soon. Itıs been far too long. The Boss Martians were up next. Unsurprisingly, Joel Trueblood is an excellent addition. Heıs an excellent drummer and has a real love for the kind of thing leader Evan Foster specializes in. This was actually the first time Iıve seen the BMs and I was quite happy with their mix of both surf vocals and instrumentals. Iıve been wanting to see Mike Stax play for years. Iım still POıd that the Tell Tale Hearts never came to the East Coast. Later, he formed The Hoods, yet another group that I flipped over. Sadly, they never made it to my side of the country, either. Neither did the Evil Eyes. These days, though, Mike has handed the bass duties off to ex-Bombora Action Andy so as to free himself up to concentrate on being front & center. In addition, heıs got TTH guitarist Eric Bacher playing with him again, not to mention his Hoodsı bandmate, John Chilson. With a lineup like this, you know these guys have to be good. The surprise came in just how good. When you talk to these guys, theyıre all nice as can be; pleasant and unassuming, even. Put them together on a stage, however, and they wear their collective name better than anyone has a right to expect. The band builds up a charge of snarling rage thatıs flung out the lungs and personage of Mike Stax. What a frigginı WILDMAN! (Yeah, a ³wildman, wildman, wildman.²) ³Future Tense,² ³In The Past,² etc., just building the whole time. This was the evening that the Princess Di crash broke on the news and Mike, an Englishman, spewed out ³Filthy Rich² to mark the occasion. ³Bad Little Woman² came soon after. They climaxed with an absolutely insane version of ³Knock, Knock.² Iıd just experienced The Loons. Looking back on it now, they may have been the absolute best act of the whole fest. I hear they went to Europe recently. I wish they wouldıve done like the Donnas and done a stopover in New York. Forget that, letıs just get Œem to the Northeast already. The second night closed with one of the two original 60s garage groups playing the fest, Gonn. They did a looooong set that gave a good glimpse into what many of the bands mustıve been like in the mid-60s. In other words, it was a time when many bands did a good number of covers in their set. Gonnıs included stuff like ³When I Was Young,² ³Sometimes Good Guys Donıt Wear White,² and The Kinksı ³Youıre Lookinı Fine,² along with four Doorsı tracks (³Take It As It Comes,² ³Soul Kitchen,² ³Back Door Man,² and ³Break On Through²), which got kinda tired (and I really like the Doors), plus a couple Love tracks (³Signed DC² and ³Seven & Seven Is.²) Of course, they also hit their two bona fide classics, ³Doinı Me In² and ³Blackout of Gretely.² The latter was easily the highlight for me, as bassist Craig Moore intoned, ³The universe is permeated with the odor of kerosene.² After which they launched into my absolute favorite 60s punkers. They went on a bit long, but Iım glad I got to see them. Bluesman, Rocky, the Amazing Larry, and I piled into the rental and headed back to the hotel, but not before stopping for munchies at the stupidmarket once again. Gotta have munchies. Which, of course, means ³gotta forget to sleep.² Sunday: Sunday afternoon was basically a repeat of Saturday. More hanging out at the bar talking to people and buying records. This time I got to spend more time hanging out with Freddy Fortune & Mike Maltese. I also had a chance to talk to Mike Hurtt of The Royal Pendletons for a good chunk of time. I found out that Brian Hurtt of Agent Raygun is, indeed, his younger brother. I only wish my younger brothers could be into cool music. Sunday Night: I first saw the Royal Pendletons at Garage Rage in NYC in Œ95. I believe Iıd heard them on a 7² and really loved Œem. Francis (who had booked that fest) had asked me what bands would be good and Iıd recommended Fortune & Maltese. He asked me for other names and I said that if he was getting them, he should get their pals, The Royal Pendletons, as well. I hadnıt seen either band at that point, but I did like their records a ton. That weekend saw me even more nuts about both groups than Iıd been before. For some reason, however, the Pendletons havenıt been back up. So this was my chance to see them again. Unfortunately, this also turned out to be the night that the organs had huge problems. Sad, too, Œcuz this was a big organ night. Still, the Pendletons did a fine set, hitting some of my favorites, like ³Sheep Suit,² ³Hot Rod Dissertation,² and ³Sore Loser² before whipping us into a frenzy with a version of ³Double Shot (Of My Babyıs Love).² While Iıd heard of The Trouble Makers, Iıd never heard a note by them before. As it turns out, that was my distinct loss. However, Iım happy to say I got to see this, their final show. (The guitarist was moving to Wisconsin or something.) Simply put, they absolutely bowled me over with a psychotic rage of shredded guitar chords. Sacramento, CA should be in mourning now that these guys are gone. WOW! After they were done (and I was again wringing out my t-shirt and suffering through sweat-soaked jeans), I practically vaulted over the railing to buy their 7² EP. Later, while downing cup after cup of the water that was thoughtfully mounted in one of the back corners, I got a chance to talk with the guitarist, a guy in his late 40s whoıs gotta have around 15 years on the rest of the band, something I found beyond cool. Turns out heıs originally a bassist and had played in surf groups in the early-mid 60s. Heıd originally planned to play bass and just show one of the other guys a few guitar chords, but they told him he might as well just play them himself. They made the right choice, Œcuz heıs just one of those amazing guys who really knows how to take a bunch of chords and throw them in a blender to shake Œem up and come out with something truly tasty. I can only hope he hooks up with another bunch of guys of like minds in his new home, Œcuz this is someone we need to hear more from. Well, the Fuzzguide says the bandıs supposed to have an LP coming out on Screaming Apple. (I assume itıs out by now.) Iıll have to look for it. Les Incapables, from Montreal, were up next. They wowed the crowd with lotsa great French fuzz-punkers. I canıt remember what kind of organ the guy was using, but it was ultra-cool looking. Best of all, it was one of the few combo organs that was working perfectly this final night of Fuzzfest. They hit ³Jezebel² in there, but mainly did a bunch of French-language tracks with titles like (please keep in mind that I donıt know how my current word processor deals with accents, OK?) ³Tu Nıest Pas Sincere² (which I assume means ³Youıre Not Sincere²), ³Pourquoi² (³Why²), and ³Vivre Avec Toi.² (Is that ³Live With Me?² Sorry, but I havenıt taken French since early Œ86.) They were pretty cool and I ended up picking up their 7²er. I donıt think anyone out there will deny that The Woggles are one of the most fun bands on todayıs scene. It quickly became apparent that this crowd agreed, heaping accolades of sweaty applause upon them. Manfred Jones did his thing and the rest of the band was right in step, with numbers like ³Get Tough,² ³Do Just What I Say,² fan-favorite ³Mule-Lipped,² ³I Got Your Number,² ³My Baby Likes To Boogaloo,² ³Push,² and ³Carnivore.² (Yeah, ³What I like is Vitamin You!²) And, as always, I went nuts to their regular-set closer of The Creepsı ³Hi Hi Pretty Girl.² It was a special treat to see these guys on their home turf. Iım always psyched to see Fortune & Maltese. So, by the way, was Johnny Bartlett, who (at that point) had recently put out an LP by them on Hillsdale, but had never seen them. I was disappointed that there were major problems with the organ (and Iım sure Mike Maltese mustıve been frustrated as all hell), but they played it quite well. And, of course, their pals in the Royal Pendletons occasionally would jump in to either urge them on or taunt them, so as to make Œem reach that much higher. They hit such favorites as ³Wig Wam,² ³Sheıs A Blow Out,² ³Fools Gold,² ³Girls Ruin Everything,² ³Bamboozled Again,² ³Low Man On The Totem Pole,² and ³Dirty Old Man.² They also managed to work in a cover of an old favorite of mine, ³Chewy Chewy.² Ooooohhhhhh, Chewy! What a treat! These fests never last long enough. Never. Before we knew it, ? & the Mysterians were taking the stage. This is the group that flipped me out so mightily in my late teens, when I first got to hear the 96 Tears LP at our college radio station. An argument could easily be made that rockınıroll has never gotten better than that album. Here they were, over 30 years later... the original lineup! They took the stage and proceeded to work their way through a good long set of Mysteriansı favorites. Yeah, ³itıs 10 OıClock and itıs too late, bay-beh!² ³18,² ³Girl, You Captivate Me,² etc. Little Frank spent a bit more time on the modern keys than I wouldıve liked, but I attributed that to the organ problems. When they hit ³96 Tears,² who could help but go absolutely nuts? Eventually, it was encore time, culminating in a reprise of their #1 hit. This was the first time I got to see ? & the Mysterians. Theyıd be better a couple months later at Cave Stomp in NYC, but this was still a ton of fun. Everybody spent the time remaining (actually, I think the bar was supposed to be closed by this point) picking up merchandise (I got the ? t-shirt, of course) and frantically jotting down addresses, etc. to stay in touch. Of course, leaving the bar didnıt exactly end anything. Everyone just moved the party outside. By this point, my lack of sleep was catching up with me and I was starting to feel kinda sick. I had an early AM plane flight to catch. As a result, I declined the offer to continue the party at one of the local grease pits, much as I wouldıve loved to. Bluesman and I said our good-byes and went back to the hotel once more. I chose not to sleep, since I had to get up early. I got a bit of sleep on the plane flight, but not nearly enough. I was happy to be home early, thoı. It meant that my final day of summer vacation wasnıt spent getting home. Instead, I had nearly a full day to enjoy before launching myself headlong into another crazed year of teaching. (Itıs a great job, but it takes a ton out of you!) The Wrap-Up Garage fests are great not only for the fantastic bands you get to see, but for all the cool people you end up hanging out with. Itıs basically a huge party that runs for three days straight. You see some great rockınıroll, meet new people, and hang out with friends from all over the place. This is the kind of thing that puts me on top of the world. While I enjoyed just about everybody, there were some bands who really blew me away. Iım not going to try and pick a winner. Rather, here are my nominations for ŒBest of Festı: The Trouble Makers, The Subsonics, The Loons, The Woggles, & The Hate Bombs. Some of the bands suffered due to the organ problems, but still managed to put on great sets. Unfortunately, those problems did mar the performances a bit. A couple other bands, well... Iıve seen them so many times at this point that theyıd have to eclipse some of their best performances to get nominated by me. This is hardly fair, I know, but when youıve seen some bands on the order of 50-100 times, it means youıve probably seen them do some tremendous shows. Anything that doesnıt rank in that groupıs Top 5% means they probably wonıt register in a case like this. Like I said, itıs unfair. As to the two 60s outfits playing, well... the Mysterians were excellent, but I think that modern keyboard sound put me off just enough to keep them from being nominated. (Keep reading this mag, thoı, and youıll find some raves about them.) Gonn? Well, I think I explained that above. A few of the other groups donıt fit into any of these categories, I know. I actually did enjoy them, just not as much as the nominated groups. Who knows whatıd happen if everything was done over again? It was a great weekend. Best of all, it was the absolute PERFECT way to end my summer break. Of course, it meant that I was barely functioning for my first day of work (thankfully, the kids werenıt back till the Wednesday). Bluesman was so completely shot that he missed two days of work! Yeah, we had fun. Thank you to Richard & Glynis. Youıre damn right weıll be at Fuzzfest Œ98! ............................................................................... FUZZFEST BANDS ON RECORD The Girl Bombs Blow Up With... (Misty Lane) These Canadian gals greet the garage world with their version of The Bellesı ³Come Back², showing their love for mid-60s garage pop and keeping it endearingly simple. They continue the trend with an original in the same style, entitled ³To Be Mine.² It moves more towards the primitive side of the ³Girls in the Garage² sound, although Suzanne occasionally throws in a hot blast on the guitar (not to mention some cool twang lead-ins). Down on the bottom, we get their eponymous theme song, as they throw some screams together with a few favored chords. They finish with an instro creeper called ³The Bombshell.² A fine debut. Les Incapables ³Mon Pere Est Millionaire²/²Orage A La Plage² (Primitive) Over in the province of Quebec, we meet a bunch of guys whoıve decided that far too much music is sung in English. And so they lay down all their garage groove vocals en francais. (Sorry, I have no idea where the accent things are on this keyboard.) The A-sideıs filled with attitude, bebe, at-ti-tude! This oneıs full-on garage with the fuzztone set way up. Flip it over and theyıve turned off the vocal mic (meaning the only French is in the title) for a cool organ-based spy-fi instro. The Troublemakers EP (Swingline) YEOW!!! Just like the guy on the back of the sleeve, I didnıt think these guys could set down their sound on vinyl. And, again like said sleeve note guy, I was wrong. Dead wrong! They crank it up with a revved-up version of The Hauntedıs classic ³1-2-5.² The vocal keeps it from sounding like the original (which may throw a few off to start), but it moves. Yeah... MOVES! With ³Get Out Of My Head² they start slinging chunks of snot chords around like an Animal House food fight. In the instro break, those self-same guitar chunks get shredded like one of Oliver Northıs secret documents. Man, that guy can rip! Flip it over and youıll get tons of cool harp and garage fun on ³Thatıs Funny, All Right.² They finish with ³Cursed Again,² which is kinda Diddley-based, but itıs absolutely drowned in wild garage sauce. Once again, the secret weapon is that guitar, tearing like mad with incisors bared and sharpened. Wish they had more... Gonn ³Blackout of Gretely²/²Pain In My Heart² (Emir) ³The Universe Is Permeated With The Odor Of Kerosene!² Now that is a line that any garage fan worth their weight in fuzz should know by heart. So, why did bassist Craig Moore re-ish it. Well, according to the liner notes, he was never able to get the original masters on this one from the guy who recorded them. However, when the band did a partial reunion in the early 90s, a young guy came up to them and said that the recording engineer had since died and this guy had rescued these masters. Although Craig had re-issued the 45 from a copy back in Œ88, he decided to do it again now that he had the masters. Well, it sounds great, so I wonıt belabor the point. This oneıs a classic that Iım glad to own. Underneath, they take on ³Pain In My Heart,² basing it on the version from The Rolling Stones Now! Craig Moore writes that this was used as a way to pick up girls. Itıs got all those elements, too... lotsa soul and pain. Wonder if it worked... The Loons ³In The Past²/²Face Out of Phase²/²Knock Knock² (Thermionic) ³16 Story Reflection²/²Future Tense² (Screaming Apple) ³Paradise²/²I Drain The Dregs² (Time Bomb) The Loons are turning into one of the wildest bands on todayıs scene. A good portion of that reputation comes from their live show. Still, their records do more than just hint at the groupıs mastery. Their version of We The Peopleıs ³In The Past² is powerful and rough, as Eric Bacherıs guitar burbles its way back thru time. ³Face Out of Phase² is dark, dominating number with a pop melody struggling to get out. The killer track on this EP, however, is ³Knock Knock,² recorded live to give the live-Loon-deprived a taste of just what the band is capable of, shows them in various phases. In fact, it becomes quite clear that, while this band can rave up better than almost anyone, they also know the strength and majesty of moving at a more deliberate tempo. The contrasting sections of this track pulled into one are what make it one of the bandıs best. On ³16 Story Reflection² they move more towards the raving Dutch Beat sound that a few people have tried to shoehorn them into. As with all the rest of their material, these guys do it with style. This one features a truly dangerous full-bodied fuzz bass from Action Andy, while vocalist Mike Stax does his thing (which includes some truly boneshattering screaming, along with some murderous maracas). The chords swagger fluidly on ³Future Tense² as they storm forward once again. ³Paradise² is generally faster than most of the groupıs material, but my favorite parts are easily the rumbling bass sections, as they give the group the feel of an avalanche ready to wipe out this ³paradise.² Just as the up-side was among the groupıs quickest, underneath, ³I Drain The Dregs² is among their most measured, working as a sort of bad-weather ballad. ............................................................................... THE GOLLIWOGS by Blair Buscareno Many garage fans have a high opinion of Creedence Clearwater Revival, despite the fact that the group had their heyday during the height of hippiedom. Perhaps this is because CCR were never a Flower Power act. Their music had more weight, not to mention thick, deep roots in a more traditional sort of rockınıroll. The historically inclined will already know that, in addition to their famous recording as CCR, these four were also the originators of ³Fight Fire² under the moniker The Golliwogs. A recent discussion on Bomp list brought to light the fact that, while some of the groupıs seven singles under that name are available on some comps, they have yet to be thrown together on one CD. Thatıs how I found myself taping my copy of the Pre-Creedence LP for a friend of mine. And how I came to write this look at that fantastic record I picked up for five bucks (on sale from $6.99) some seven or eight years ago. ³In the spring of 1964, four high school friends from El Cerrito, California (a small town across the Bay from San Francisco) who had been playing together since 1959 and touring the California county fairs with their rock Œnı roll band representing the El Cerrito Boys Club, saw a TV documentary on educational television. It was Anatomy of a Hit, a three-part film chronicling the development of Vince Guaraldiıs hit disc, ³Cast Your Fate to the Wind² on Fantasy. The young band, then known as The Blue Velvets, made the trip across the Bay to the Fantasy offices in San Francisco and eventually signed with the company. Their first records were released that winter as singles under a new group name, The Golliwogs. The rest is history. This collection of that material shows the roots of a concept which the world now knows as Creedence Clearwater Revival. John, Tom, Doug, and Stu went on to tour the world and make innumerable hit discs, but these records remain a fascinating example of the birth of a band.² Such are the liner notes on the back of Pre-Creedence (F-9474), an LP released by Fantasy in 1975 compiling seven singles made by CCR in the years before they hit it big. Of course, by 1975 the boys in the band had gone their separate ways. While John Fogerty had released The Blue Ridge Rangers LP on Fantasy two years earlier, in Œ75 he released John Fogerty on Asylum. Put this together with the fact that some ten years later, on Centerfield, heıd release a song directed at Fantasy label head Saul Zaentz entitled ³Zanz Kant Danz² (later changed to ³Vanz...² when Zaentz sued) and it seems rather obvious that Fantasy released Pre-Creedence as a way to cash in on the Creedence legacy (as theyıd done only a couple years earlier with not one, but two hits collections). Indeed, the fact that The Blue Ridge Rangers is an LP of all country covers (albeit an excellent one and a must-have for any Fogerty fan) seems to bear out the fact that John Fogerty, at least, had some serious disagreements with Fantasy. (And, if memory serves, when he made his ³comeback² in the mid-80s it was a long time before heıd play CCR songs, just because he didnıt want Saul Zaentz making any more money off of him.) This feeling evidently didnıt hold true for Johnıs brother and band mate, Tom, who actually sings lead on eight of the fourteen tracks on Pre-Creedence. Tom recorded an LP for Fantasy in 1981, entitled Deal It Out. Now, while Tom co-wrote all of the tracks on Pre-Creedence and even sang lead on favorites like ³Fight Fire,² either John exerted a major influence on Tom in those early years or the intervening time period had a deleterious effect of the sort seen in many other 60s rockınıroll stalwarts. Simply put, Deal It Out is just not up to snuff. Itıs not an awful attempt, but it has none of the magic of CCR or Johnıs records from Œ73, Œ75, and Œ85. (Sorry, I didnıt much care for the one after that and, while Iıve heard excellent reports of his latest material, I donıt have it... I do accept gifts, thoı.) But Iıve digressed, havenıt I? The point is, while John evidently had a bone to pick with Fantasy, Tom apparently did not. (He even thanks Paul and Saul Zaentz on the back of Deal It Out.) Of course, just having one of the Fogerty brothers didnıt make for CCR in 1975 and, as I said, releasing Pre-Creedence must have seemed an excellent way to cash in. Before we get to the actual record, it might be helpful to fill in a few gaps. As you can see by looking at the timeline (see sidebar - ed.), John, Stu, and Doug had formed The Blue Velvets in 1959, when they were still in junior high. Not too long thereafter, Tom joined the ranks. (For those of you keeping score at home, that means the original CCR lineup was playing together nearly nine years before anything came out with the Creedence name!) The group changed its name to Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets, probably to draw a crowd, since Tom had become popular around El Cerrito in 1958 singing first with The Playboys, then with Spider Webb & the Insects. The group would record three singles for the Orchestra label in the early 60s, but these went nowhere. (Iıve never heard them, but Iım told theyıre somewhat like Ritchie Valens, with ³Bonita² being the best of the lot.) The liner notes on the Pre-Creedence LP, together with the timeline sidebar, should fill you in on dates of importance through the signing of the contract with Fantasy. At this point the band was still called The Blue Velvets. So why change the name? Well, Fantasy put two conditions on their signing the group. Firstly, a name change was in order. ŒThe Blue Velvetsı was just too Fifties. (Iıve gotta agree.) So the band decided theyıd be called The Visions. The second condition stated that they needed to get away from the instrumental stuff and move towards something more modern, maybe become a Beat group. ³Uhh... hold on, buddy, you said they were gonna be called ŒThe Visionsı...² Yeah, I did. And it was all set for that to happen, too. Thing is, between the time they recorded the first 45 and when it actually came out, the British Invasion had hit the US full-force. Fantasy figured that getting some English group on their roster would be much harder than changing the name of their newest group to something more English-sounding: The Golliwogs. OK. Now letıs get to it. The Golliwogsı first three singles all featured rhythm guitarist Tom singing lead. Most likely this was a combination of Tomıs being four years older than the other guys and that heıd been singing with the band beforehand, anyway. Regardless, ³Donıt Tell Me No Lies² (Fantasy 590) features some solid 60s punk-chording backing a smoother vocal. While it can hardly be called a raver, itıs a solid start and definitely shows that these guys had been playing for some time already. Its flip, ³Little Girl (Does Your Mama Know?),² is a ballad that has some of the same feel as The Beach Boysı ³Little Surfer Girl,² but with some lead guitar bursts that sound something like Mickey Baker, though not as accomplished. The follow-up, ³Where You Been² (Fantasy 597), worked the same territory as ³Little Girl² had, but with the guitar jangling more than anything else. The band still appeared to be in its infancy. That is, until you flipped that one over to find ³You Came Walking,² 1:49 of the still-teen sounding vocals (though by this time Tom was nearing 23), but with some way-out screeching guitar blasts between verses and even some heavy backing all the way through, punctuated by some tasteful piano plunking. It was ³You Canıt Be True² (Fantasy 599) that really showed the group coming into their own. This one rocks it up more, with a heavy backbeat and some nice harp-blowing. (Iım guessing thatıs John, as heıd mastered several instruments while still in high school, but evidently Tom could play quite a few, as well.) This is the kind of track that should have been covered over and over by every flippinı garage band in the land. Itıs even got a bit of a Pretty Things feel to it. Man, someone cover this one NOW! This has to rank as one of the groupıs best 45s, and certainly the best one theyıd done to this point. The flip ³You Got Nothinı On Me² is a tremendous track thatıll remind you a bit of a punkier Beatles doing Chuck Berryıs ³Roll Over Beethoven.² While it doesnıt have the harp of the A-side, it has some great guitar whanginı and shows the band really knows how to move. It wasnıt until ³Brown-Eyed Girl² (Scorpio 404) that brother John got a chance at the mic. (Modern-day garage fans know this one from The Swinginı Neckbreakersı second disc, Shake Break. So at least some of you are familiar with this tune.) Itıs amazing the differences between John and Tomıs voices. Johnıs is deeper and rougher, the voice we came to know with CCR. The maturity in the vocal suggests that John had probably been doing lead vocals in their live shows for quite some time before they got around to recording this. Sources say John developed his vocal style during a down period in the band, when he was up in Oregon playing some solo gigs at clubs with no real amplification for the vocals, leaving him to scream them out. ³Brown-Eyed Girl² is a slow, powerful track thatıll knock the wind out of you if youıre not paying attention. The flip, ³You Better Be Careful,² features Tom back in front of the mic. This oneıs still not a raver, but itıs faster than the A-side, yet it plays it on the dangerous side, with a real warning feel. Extra points for being able to really hear the organ. This would end up being the groupıs most popular 45, selling over 10,000 copies. Finally we come across the track The Golliwogs are best known for, ³Fight Fire² (Scorpio 405), which would turn out to be Tomıs last lead vocal track. Thereıs a good reason this oneıs so ³popular²; simply put, itıs a killer. Thereıve been other versions over the years, including a pretty decent one in the 60s by The Fantastic Dee-Jays, but this is the best of Œem all. It features a beautiful ringing guitar riff that works its way to a major rave-up. All I can say is, ³Wow!² Thing is, the flip, ³Fragile Child² (with John back on vox), is just as good, albeit for completely different reasons. This oneıs not as fast, but the guitar - while showing the beginnings of the swamp-rock sound the band would later be known for - has some pretty jangling hiding in there. ³I walked right up... and I knocked on her door / I asked her for a date... could I see you some more,² each line punctuated with the backing vox, ³I wouldnıt do that, I wouldnıt do that.² Only on the choruses, ³ŒCuz sheıs a fragile child / Oh, sheıs a fragile child / Yeah, sheıs a fragile child, better leave her alone² do we get a real feel for the Creedence to come. Best of all, this trackıs got some truly pretty organ playing along with the main theme of the song. This is the one Iıd most like to hear John re-cut, although Iıd be on top of the world if he played ³Fight Fire² live. ³Walking On The Water² (Scorpio 408) gets more of a dark psych feel thrown in, with a clear guitar shining through as an electric piano plays along below. In the middle we find a nasty fuzz solo running along almost an Indian-like feel. This one definitely brings them closer to the Creedence sound, although it doesnıt have quite the same oomph to it. Indeed, that sound still had yet to be perfected. Iım not sure I would have bought this one at the time if this was the only track Iıd heard. On the other hand, if the guy down at the local record shop had played ³You Better Get It Before It Gets You² for me, I wouldıve been sold. This is nice pop that starts out as a ballad with some more of that Mickey Baker-styled singing guitar and is a definite foreshadowing of greatness to come. Heck, itıs great all by its lonesome. Tomıs rhythm chording is soft and easy and makes the perfect backdrop, as the backing vocals add to the effect. Then, 2/3 of the way through, Stu Cook just lets his bass play it nice and easy and a fuzz guitar starts to take over the same riff they had before and soon Doug Clifford is urging the pace on and things start to really pick up. The last single under The Golliwogsı moniker featured two full-group compositions. First was ³Porterville² (Scorpio 412), a track that would soon be found on the self-titled LP, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Johnıs vocals were definitely all the way into what would soon be known world-wide as the signature Creedence sound. His lead guitar sings out and the band rumbles down below, adding burst-styled backing vocals of ³I Donıt Care.² Finally, they finish it up with ³Call It Pretending² which looks as much back to the 50s as it does forward towards the groupıs future. (Not too much of a surprise, considering that many CCR albums included covers of 50s rockınıroll, soul, and R&B favorites, a trend that John would hold onto even later in his career.) Itıs fair, but doesnıt measure up to the A-side. Indeed, it doesnıt help any that the production buries the background vocals under a ton of rubble. OK, letıs bring our story to the point most people know... Towards the end of 1967, a Fantasy Records salesman named Saul Zaentz bought the company from his bosses, who wanted out of the business. He knew John from his job as a Fantasy packing and shipping clerk and thought the Golliwogs had potential. But not with that name. Zaentz saw what was happening in music. (Letıs face it, all he had to do was look around town.) He convinced the band to ³go pro.² Early in 1968, Fantasy re-released the ³Porterville² 45 under the tag of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Some months later, the group cut its first LP (which included ³Porterville,² along with a live favorite, a cover of Dale Hawkinsı ³Suzy Q.²) It went gold. Overall, Pre-Creedence is a fantastic look at the early stages of what would become one of the worldıs most popular groups of the late 60s/early 70s. It shows a band developing from their late teens, moving from a smoother sound to a rougher one. All the way through, however, you can hear their love for the roots of rockınıroll, something that would stick with them throughout their career as CCR. Even as the musical world around them moved from overblown solos and self-indulgent ³musicianship² on into the beginnings of the ill-named ³progressive² rock movement (but thatıd require a whole diatribe), Creedence Clearwater Revival maintained their love for a more basic style, albeit done their own way. Sadly, the packaging on this LP is absolutely horrid. The fact that anyone would actually be willing to take credit for art direction on this (his name was Phil Carroll, while the photo was taken by Phil Bray) is beyond me. I mean, we see a cracked egg in the foreground, with some weeds in back, then an absolutely laughable ROCK-style logo up top. What the heck is THAT? Liner notes? Just what I quoted up near the top of this article. The only other info (besides the bragging done by the Phils) are track listings, songwriting credits, who plays what, and catalog numbers for the original singles. YEESH! I mean, these guys donıt even give you release dates... or even a picture of the band! To quote Suzie Wong, ³For Goodness Sake!² Having said all that, itıs not like you have too much of a choice if you want the complete releases by The Golliwogs. This stuff still hasnıt all made it onto one CD and it canıt be found on any other LPs I know of, either. Personally, I wish some label like Norton or Sundazed would take it upon themselves to do a killer retrospective on these guys. Who knows, maybe they could even dig up some other gems from the vaults? Maybe even include the three Blue Velvets 45s. Unfortunately, the way I understand it, such a disc may be extremely hard to do, what with all the legal entanglements surrounding John Fogertyıs music. Well, dreaming is free. ............................................................................... TIMELINE OF EVENTS (courtesy of Wiebo de Wit; see Acknowledgements) Note: Œ???ı means the month(s) are unknown. €1958 ???: Tom Fogerty plays in ŒThe Playboysı. €1959 ???: Tom Fogerty plays in another band: ŒSpider Webb and The Insectsı September: John, Doug and Stu begin performing as ŒBlue Velvetsı. November: Tom Fogerty joins the band changing the name into ŒTommy Fogerty And The Blue Velvetsı. €1961 October: TF&BV single ³Come On Baby²/²Oh My Love² released. November: Second single ³Have You Ever Been Lonely²/²Bonita² released. €1962 January: Copyright registration for the unreleased song ³Sandy Lou² by Tom Fogerty. June: Third single ³Yes You Did²/²Now Youıre Not Mine² released. October: Copyright registration for the unreleased song ³In My Memories² by John Fogerty. €1963 ???: John Fogerty gets a job as picking and shopping clerk at Fantasy Records, while Tom works at Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and Stu and Doug are still at San Jose State College. €1964 ???: After auditioning as an instrumental band, TF&BV are signed by Fantasy records, providing they change their name into ŒThe Golliwogsı and play beat music. November: The Golliwogs single ³Donıt Tell Me No Lies²/²Little Girl² released. €1965 April: The Golliwogs single ³You Came Walking²/²Where You Been² released. July: Third Golliwogs single ³You Canıt Be True²/²You Got Nothinı On Me² released. €1966 March: The Golliwogs single ³Brown-Eyed Girl²/²You Better Be Careful² released. April: The Golliwogs single ³Fight Fire²/²Fragile Child² released. John and Doug are drafted into the army. December: The Golliwogs single ³Walking On The Water²/²You Better Get It...² released. €1967 ???: John and Doug return from the army. November: The Golliwogs single ³Porterville²/²Call It Pretending² released. Later that year Saul Zaentz buys Fantasy Records. After discussions with The Golliwogs, they turn professional and change their name to Creedence Clearwater Revival The Creedence Years €1967 December 24: ŒCreedence Clearwater Revivalı formed by John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford. €1968 January : Creedence signs a recording contract with Fantasy Records in San Francisco. ???: ³Porterville²/²Call It Pretending² single re-released under the CCR name. ............................................................................... CAVE STOMP Prologue: In mid-May, Œ97, I came home to find a message on my answering machine from ex-Vipersı vocalist Jon Weiss. (Some of you may also recognize him as one of the sax players on The Fleshtonesı Roman Gods LP.) He asked that I give him a call. When I got in touch, I found out he wanted to put on a garage fest in NYC. The last time that had been done was the three-night Garage Rage at Coney Island High in December, Œ95. Before that? Probably the Bad Music Seminar at Shelter Studios in early November, Œ88. Jon had decided to call it Cave Stomp, after the Thursday night shows that The Vipers headlined at The Dive (NYC 80s garage scene HQ) each week. He wanted some suggestions and recommendations. Now, I really wanted to help out, but the last month and a half of the school year tends to be pretty hectic, so I never got a chance to go in for an actual meeting with Jon. We did talk on the phone a few times, thoı. It became clear that he wanted to have a sort of new-meets-old thing happen. That is, bring back a couple of the old 80s groups and mix them in with the 90s, plus put on some whoıd been together the whole time. As time went on, he also added a couple of 60s acts. My main suggestion for the 80s groups were The Vipers, The Mosquitos, and The Secret Service. The Vipers, Jon told me, were out of the question. (Definitely too bad, Œcuz I think those guys would still blow the doors off the place.) The Mosquitos were a different sort of problem. It wasnıt that itıd be hard to get them. In fact, Jon Weiss is still pretty friendly with lead singer Vance Brescia. Vance was up for doing it without a doubt. The problem was on the fan side of things. A few of us found out that Vance was planning on doing this as a three-piece - him, Tony Formosa on bass, and Pete Bross on drums. This was the threesome that had played every Wednesday night at Guntherıs in Northport and Desans in East Northport in the mid-80s. It was a fun time, but it wasnıt the Mosquitos. Now, Pete and Tony are excellent musicians - and Pete was actually in the Mosquitos twice, for about 3 months each stint. But the Mosquitos were a five-piece... two guitars, bass, organ, and drums. And theyıd been known for their excellent vocals. I canıt verify it, but around Œ85 or so, I remember them telling me they rehearsed five nights a week, one of which was vocal only. (And the only guy who didnıt sing in the group was the drummer.) The idea of hearing the Mosquitos without the incredible vocal arrangements and the full instrumentation just seemed wrong. There was also the emotional attachment to what most fans thought of as the ³lineup of record.² While itıs true that the original lineup was Vance (vocals/guitar), Steve Prisco (lead guitar/vocals), Iain Morrison (bass/vocals), Pat Bischau (drums), and (almost immediately) Tony Millions (organ/vocals), Pat was gone within a year or so to be replaced by temporary drummer Pete Bross. But Pete was temporary and Mitch Towse soon took his place behind the kit and stayed there for nearly three full years. It wasnıt till the end of Œ86 that Pete came back... and that was only for the final couple months of the bandıs existence. The Mosquitos that most fans had gone nuts for was the lineup with Mitch on drums. This was the bunch that achieved the greatest success: playing a WNEW-hosted show in Tompkins Square Park; winning Best New Band at the New York Music Awards; having the Monkees cover ³That Was Then, This Is Now²; and being broadcast live on WNEW on St. Patrickıs Day, Œ86. Unfortunately, Vance wasnıt interested in a reunion with his old bandmates. He says heıs pretty busy these days, doing all sorts of music stuff which doesnıt leave him too much time to rehearse with the guys that he hadnıt played with in over a decade. As a result, it just seemed like it would take too much of a time investment to get everybody else up and running. While Steve is doing pretty well with his rock steady outfit, The Blue Beats, and Iım told Mitch is still drumming around the Huntington area, I donıt think Iain has been playing bass much for quite some time, and Tony actually sold his Farfisa a couple years ago. (To think I couldıve bought that thing some 10 years ago, but didnıt have the dough! Come to think of it, I also had a chance to buy the Chesterfield Kingsı Vox Continental, but they wanted a ton of green for that one! But I digress...) I understood Vanceıs reasoning, especially considering that he, Tony, and Pete were still good friends and, more importantly, had been playing together for years. However, with all the factors mentioned, it just didnıt feel right. After all, Steve, Tony, and Iain all indicated a willingness to go for it, but Vance made the decision to do it without them. To be fair, Vance wanted to be billed as ³Vance Brescia of the Mosquitos,² but the organizers decided that wouldnıt look right. Out on Long Island in the mid-80s, the Mosquitos ruled the roost. But they were somewhat apart from the crowd, probably because most of us were in our late teens/early 20s. Vance was the only one in our age bracket; Mitch was 5 years older than that and the other guys were 10 to 12 years older than I was. They were nice guys, but we just didnıt really hang out together. The Secret Service were different - they were part of the crowd. Their sound was based more on energy than anything else. Rob Normandinıs windmills and Rickenbashing (and style!) made him an essential element of the band. Jim Gange played what seemed like a lead bass, fluid runs flying low. And Steve Peper bashed his kit like nobodyıs business. Fronting it all was Wayne Manor, with perhaps the best set of pipes of any vocalist around. As a unit, they were far, far more than the sum of their parts. They were Power & Volume! And their version of ³Biff Bang Pow² defined it all. The break would come, thingsıd be taken down... way down, the band back from the mics. Suddenly, Jim would materialize at the mic, ³Let me hear a little BIFF!² and the band would nail it hard once. Then Rob, ³Let me hear a little BANG!² And harder. Then... Wayne would come up, wait just a split second, and... ³LET ME HEAR A LITTLE POOOOOOWWW!² And they blasted in harder than before, harder than the whole killer set, escape velocity reached and surpassed... with sweat drenching everyone in earshot. Booking The Secret Service for Cave Stomp, of course, posed a whole different set of problems than The Mosquitos ³issue.² Jim Gange wasnıt interested in doing a reunion show. Plus, it seemed Wayne Manor would be unavailable. As the summer drew to an end, we found out that heıd be able to do it, after all. What to do about the bass problem, then? Well, the original lead singer of the Secret Service (for the first few months of their existence) was Dave Long, whoıd played with Gange in The Convertibles immediately before. In his time in the Secret Service, Dave had been the second guitarist and keyboard player. After leaving the group, he formed The Fugitives. He was interested in starting a band with Wayne, anyway, so he volunteered his services as bassist and immediately began rehearsing to old tapes of The Secret Service. So these guys were in. In the meantime, there were other bands Jon was asking about. What had I heard about ? & the Mysterians? (Nothing but great things from my friends in Michigan.) What were the Hentchmen like? (A ton of fun.) How were the Nomads all these years later? (Iıd seen them at GarageShock, Œ95 after waiting for 11 years or so and been absolutely blown away.) Also, as August waned and the new school year loomed large, I ran into John Carlucci on-line. He informed me that the first LA version of The Fuzztones was back together and would be playing their first show in a month or so. I told him about Cave Stomp and he said they might be into it. I also mentioned it to Jon Weiss, who flipped when I mentioned it. He said they were a must. Jon got in touch with them and The Fuzztones were a go. Night One: Things were revving up right from the start as Richard & Glynis Ward arrived from DC with my friend LJ and another friend of theirıs. We made a bee-line for NYC and actually got there early enough to just hang out a bit. The first band, while set for 8, really wouldnıt go on for awhile after that, so we got a chance to let the night build around us. As is normal for NYC, the crowds didnıt really start hitting for a couple hours. Letıs face it, when thereıs a ton of bands on a bill here, most people donıt want to show up at 8. Itıs just not the NY way. Pretty soon, thoı, MC Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones was taking the stage as a big drum-beat boomed out behind him, ³from Portland, Maine... The Brood!² Now, I should probably let you know that, while I respect the fact that these gals have been at it ever since the mid-80s, Iıve never really been into them. They just never really clicked with me. But tonight I was primed, so hearing them do old classics like ³And I Know² and ³Come On, Come On² got the ball rolling. Next it was time for The Cheepskates. While I ran across the Mosquitos during my senior year of high school, I didnıt stumble across the rest of the NYC scene till the Summer of Fuzz, 1984. One Saturday afternoon, my cousins were down from Rochester and hanging at my grandparents in Queens, so my brothers and I took them into the city and we walked around. Thatıs when I stopped into Venus and picked up The Cheepskates LP. It was the first record Iıd seen by one of the NY scene bands, so I bought it, even thoı I hadnıt actually seen them live yet. As it turned out, Run Better Run with its bubblegum pop/garage style, remains one of my favorite records of the 80s garage scene. The title track stands as the classic, but I have fond memories of singing ³Drive-In Movie² when driving around Long Island with my pal Bill Jones. And of doing a video for it with some friends from my college radio station in the frozen wasteland that is Rochester, NY in the winter. Then thereıs ³Xtra Collestrial,² the wild garage/noise instro penned by guitarist Dave Herrera. That one has been part of my theme music whenever Iıve had a radio show. First, The Creationıs ³Biff Bang Pow,² then ³Xtra Collestrial.² I think some of todayıs garage combos might find this one pretty wild if theyıd just give it a listen. This night was originally to have been the original lineup. Dave was in town, and organist Shane Faubert (who handled most of the vocals) was there, as was one of the other guys, but... one couldnıt make it, so an ex-Cynic filled in. The set was filled with mostly the first LP (thoı there mightıve been a track or two from the Second & Last disc, too.) I have to admit, I was pretty impressed. When Iıd finally gotten to see the Cheepskates in the mid-80s, Iıd been rather disappointed; they just didnıt move me the way the LP did. But in 1997, it was something special. Those songs really are pretty great. No, they were never a bunch of stomping cave-teens, but rather some solid musicians who knew how to write good songs. (The first LP features songs written by all four band members.) It wasnıt just me who enjoyed them this time out, either, Œcuz they actually did get brought back for an encore (something Iım not sure they were really expecting) and did a Donovan number. (The passage of time suggests it was probably ³Sunshine Superman.²) As Vance, Pete and Tony took their positions on stage, Brother Scotto (Mosquitosı manager Scott Savitt) took his place at the mic, struck a pose, and uttered some familiar words that hadnıt been heard in years... WATCH THE HANDS!! WATCH THE HANDS!! ITıS TIME FOR.... THEEEEEEEEE MOSQUITOS!!!! As Scotto finished his intro, the drums kicked in and Vance approached the microphone, ³This Then Is The Cave Stomp!² And they launched into the cover that used to get everybody going nuts, ³Letıs Stomp.² Yeah, many of us had had our misgivings about it. Iıll be brutally honest, too... it just wasnıt the same. Three guys just cannot do the work of five. The Mosquitos always had a full sound to them, thanks to the instrumentation. As a result, the arrangements just didnıt happen. And the vocals, well... besides Vanceıs incredible voice, The Mosquitos used to have Tony Millionsı equally stellar vocals, not to mention some pretty strong ones from Steve and Iain. (Heck, Tony regularly sang lead on one or two songs; Steve had one on occasion; and I even recall Iain doing one or two over the years! And this in a band that truly valued vocals, rather than merely letting them happen.) It wasnıt the same. But it was fun. I mean, the Mosquitosı songs will forever be etched in my brain. I still consider them one of the premier pop bands of the time. In fact, theyıre still one of my favorite bands (despite their rather tepid EP.) Iım lucky in that I still have a bunch of live tapes. Hearing songs like ³Hang,² ³Put Your Foot Down² and ³I Know A Secret² made me truly happy. A bunch of the old Long Island gang was there for it, too. These were the people with whom Iıd first gone crazy over live rockınıroll. These songs meant as much to some of them as they did to me. My buddy Bill Jones had come up from Maryland and Barbara Stuart Normandin was down from New Hampshire. In 1985, Iıd see those guys (and many others who were bopping around during this set, like Cliff Gardiner and Pam Dolan Allen) almost every night of the week. Memories kept popping into my mind of Barbara and I walking down Main St. in Northport singing The Crampsı version of ³Goo Goo Muck² to the tremendous annoyance of one of the local policemen. Or me and Bill trying (unsuccessfully) to write songs together. Cliff dragging me into the mass of wild dancers at an early Mosquitosı show and making me go absolutely nuts. People using each othersı shoulders as a launching pad for the downbeat in ³Hang.² ³You were only seven-TE-EE-EE-EEN!² So, no, it wasnıt nearly as good as it couldıve been, but it brought people together again and we gloried in singing along with songs that had made us feel so alive and on top of the world once upon a time. Come to think of it, the songs themselves still have that effect on me. I wish some label out there would take a bunch of the bandıs demos and live tapes and release them. Maybe then the people who never got to enjoy The Mosquitos in their heyday would understand what we loved about them. Iım sure many people who saw them that night werenıt convinced - I only wish they couldıve heard The Mosquitos as they were. Still, some people have told me they were blown away by the 3-piece version that night. To them, all I can say is, ³Let me make you a tape.² (But be prepared to wait awhile... Iım slow with those.) The Swinginı Neckbreakers. To paraphrase their latest album title, they ³kicked our ass.² All the hits, all the time. While I know there are some out there who arenıt into these guys, theyıre all about rockınıroll power. Tomıs vocals are nothing short of spectacular, with that rough leather-lung sound; John slams out the beat like nobodyıs business; & Jeff just cranks up his guitar and lets fly. Then came The Shadows of Knight. Yeah, ³GEE-EL-OH-ARE-I-AYE!² Those guys. Well, actually, only the lead singer is an original member. It was pretty pathetic. Iıd had some warning on these guys beforehand, so I kinda stuck back by the bar, so I could escape upstairs that much quicker. I donıt think these guys really knew what to expect with this audience. This was not the Oldies circuit that they mustıve been used to. Rather, it was mainly a bunch of people in their 20s & 30s that wanted maximum garage action. Instead, we got a 50 year old guy taking his shirt off, singing stuff like ³Red Hot American Girl.² BLECH! Yeah, I went upstairs. After that abomination was done, it was time for another band that had never done much for me - The Smithereens. Originally, the organizers had said The Makers were going to play. As it turns out, however, that was never firmed up on both ends, so it didnıt happen. In the final month or so before the show, Jon Weiss was looking for another band. As it happened, the Smithereens were available. Now, like I said, I didnıt much like these guys in the mid-80s. I remember seeing them open for the Mosquitos at the Lone Star. The club had this policy where the openers played a set, then the headliners, then the openers again, and finally the headliners one more time. The club would be kinda empty during the Smithereensı sets then, as weıd look in the window and wait for them to finish. Then weıd go nuts to the Mosquitos... and then return outside till the Smithereens were done. Then go nuts to the Mosquitos again. I do remember being upstairs in the dressing room of the Lone Star one night, thoı, when Pat DiNizio handed his Walkman to Vance and gave him a listen to what would be the Smithereensı first major label record. Vance was blown away. Me? I heard it a couple months later on the radio. These guys actually ended up hitting the charts. But they still left me cold. Some people have criticized the placement of the Smithereens on a garage fest bill. Thatıs completely unfair. At the time, they played on many bills with more of the ³core² bands. Their sound owed a distinct debt to 60s pop, just like The Mosquitos and other bands on the scene. While I wasnıt a fan, I couldnıt help but agree that they werenıt really out of place on this bill. Regardless of what I (or anybody else) thought, a bunch of people were pretty nuts about seeing them and they launched into a set that I actually enjoyed, doing tracks like ³Behind the Wall of Sleep,² ³Beauty & Sadness,² ³Only A Memory,² and ³Now & Then.² OK, not enough to go up front, but I did enjoy it! Early on in their set, I was hanging with Bill Jones and he said, ³Is that Ray Davies?² And it was! Ray had played just over the bridge in Englewood that night. Iıd known about that from the Kinks listserv and had mentioned about this show (and the Smithereensı involvement) to those on it. Some (including supreme Kink-o-phile Frank Lima, who Iıve still yet to meet) said theyıd try and get Ray to go down, since heıs evidently a Smithereensı fan. Well, word got to the stage that Ray was there and Pat DiNizio tried to get him up there. ³Cımon, Ray! Are you a man or a mouse?² The prophet was unyielding, however, and the Smithereens were left to their own devices until they brought Peter Zaremba (³Thatıs the difference between an American and an Englishman!²) up to sing ³Time Wonıt Let Me² with them. Before Ray left, he stopped to talk to Jon Weiss. He told him that he couldnıt be at Night #2 as he had to play Boston, but he asked Jon to relay a message to Question Mark. ³Tell ? that Œ96 Tearsı is one of the Top 10 RockınıRoll songs of the 60s.² Jon, of course, asked what the others were. Ray replied with a wry smile, ³Do you have to ask?² Closing Night #1 were The Fuzztones. As this was in NYC, I think many of the old crowd wouldıve liked it if it couldıve been the NYC lineup, with Rudi Protrudi flanked by Deb OıNair, Ira Elliott, Michael Jay, and Elan Portnoy. But that wouldıve been almost impossible, due to geography, so this just fine. While the actual Fuzztones together now are the first California lineup, the organist couldnıt do it, so another ex-Fuzztone stepped in - you know him as Jake from the Bomboras. I was pretty blown away. Iıd wondered if The Fuzztones could still be worth seeing in 1997, but those fears were completely without basis. These guys rocked like hell. With all the mayhem going on around, it was still easy to see why Rudi Protrudi is the center of attention. That guy just oozes the kind of sexual magnetism that girls go nuts for. Just listen to him sing stuff like ³Bad News Travels Fast² or some of the Sonicsı stuff they did. Iıve heard what seems like a million bands cover the Sonics over time; only a few can do them as well as The Fuzztones. Fewer still can put their own stamp on them. The Fuzztones NYC chapter was pretty much closed sometime around Œ86 and not long thereafter, Rudi left for LA. The band was together for years after that, in one form or another, but Rudi never came back to New York. This was the homecoming. Actually, most of the guys in the lineup are transplanted New Yorkers, so this was just as much a homecoming for them, and Rudi said so. Maybe it seems hokey reading about it, but, as he said, ³The Fuzztones are a New York band.² Thatıs all there is to it. This is a group that made its name in this city. I donıt believe they couldıve ever started in LA and been successful with that sound. Not without establishing themselves here first. Yeah, they held down the final slot with gusto. Night Two: ³STOMPERS!² cried MC Zaremba. ³Stompers, are you ready to Stomp?² ³The Secret Service!² Tonight, as I mentioned, they were minus Jim Gange and his legendary bass, but they had Dave Long, which meant even stronger backing vocals than in the past. They kicked it off with the title track of their EP, Itıs All Happening Here (Invader) and they were off to a running start. The Long Island crowd was back again, this time to see the other band that had drawn them in caravans to NYC a decade before, braving the perils of the Long Island Expressway just to see their favorite bands. The LI bunch wasnıt the only crew getting off on these guys, either. No wonder, Œcuz they were o-n, ON! Whoıdıve thought it possible after only three rehearsals. (Guitarist Rob Normandin lives with his wife and three kids up in New Hampshire, while the rest of the guys are still out on Long Island.) The most amazing thing, to my ears, was how damn GREAT Rob sounded. He seemed far more confident and comfortable than he ever did in the bandıs heyday, whipping out the windmills and slashing chords with gusto. The Secret Service were having FUN! At one point, Wayne Manor said, ³Youıre gonna have to fight us to get us off this stage!² Hearing them able to do it again put us all on top of the world. As much as weıd enjoyed hearing the Mosquitosı songs the previous evening, this was a far superior performance. These guys had started out as a straight-up Mod/R&B/Soul act, letting the energy speak volumes. As time went on, they tightened up as a unit and learned pop songcraft. With some bands, that kind of thing means the shows get kinda boring. With these guys, it simply meant more weapons in their sonic arsenal. Tonight, they used all of them, playing earlier Mod-based originals like ³Whatıs Goinı On² along with some of their later, more pop-tinged material (³Buy A Little Time.²) As theyıd only had three rehearsals, it was decided to do a set that was around half covers. As a result, the audience was also treated to favorites like ³Too Much Monkey Business² and ³Shakinı All Over,² both of which these guys do better than just about anyone else Iıve ever seen. Better than those two, however, is their version of ³Lovinı Machine.² I get chills when these guys really hit this one (like they did at this show). Itıs one of those build-up songs that drops down then BLASTS back in and completely freaks out. (Thereıs that Power & Volume again!) If anyone hadnıt yet been convinced, this one had to have done it. A special bonus to having Dave Long in the group came when they did ³Without You.² This one was a Secret Service staple in the last year or so of their existence. In fact, it became a fan favorite, partially due to the vocal arrangement, which called for Jim to take lead vocals, then hand them off to Wayne Manor and vice versa. But this one wasnıt an SS original. Rather, it was penned by Dave for The Fugitives, who subsequently broke up before they could get it moving. Hearing it done with Dave taking the Gange part was a treat, not because he wrote the song (although that seemed to bring things full circle), but due to the fact that heıs got such a great voice himself. It gave the song that much more power. For the last song of the regular set, they did an early favorite, a cover of The Creationıs ³Biff Bang Pow.² Sure enough, people went wild. They were the opening band of night #2 and they actually got called back for an encore! Not bad for a bunch of guys who hadnıt played together in nine years! Thing is, they really hadnıt expected it (and certainly hadnıt prepared for it!) So they blasted back into ³Itıs All Happening Here² all over again. And we loved it just the same. This performance ended up leading to the band playing a few more shows (as youıll read about in the live section of this mag.) There was talk of recording again, but things didnıt work out. (Or they havenıt to date. One never knows with these guys.) The only true bummer about this performance was that they were on so early that not everybody got to hear them. Hopefully, theyıll do it again. In the meantime, keep your eye out for the excellent Secret Service retrospective disc, Power & Volume, due out soon on Snap! Records. Due up next were The Hentchmen. Trouble was, they were nowhere in sight. As a result, Jon Weiss asked The Insomniacs to take the stage. They did so, delivering a crowd-pleasing set (as always.) Interestingly, Iıve heard since that the band wasnıt satisfied with their performance. Such is the way of rockınıroll. Sometime during the Insomniacsı set, The Hentchmen finally showed up. Turns out their van was experiencing major oil leaks. Theyıd been stopping every 30 miles or so to put more in. When they finally did take the stage, they asked if anyone had three or four cases of oil they could have for the trip back. Their set was the usual trashy Hentchmen fun. This is a band that loves to sing about girls (³So Many Girls,² ³20 Girls,² etc.) Thatıs good, Œcuz I love to hear songs about girls. I guess this was a bit sloppier than usual (due to the hell theyıd gone thru to show up), but it just didnıt matter; they still served up a solid good time. The Nomads. What can I say about the Nomads. I mean, hereıs a band I flipped out over as a freshman in college in around Œ83/ı84. One listen to Outburst and I was hooked. These guys were just pure rockınıroll. Many at the time labeled them as part of the garage scene. After all, they were doing a ton of incredible garage covers. But they were into the Dictators as much as The Sonics. Tonight they powered their way through what might be termed a ³greatest hits² set stretching from ³The Way You Touch My Hand² (urgently requested by my pal LJ, who didnıt even know till he got to my house that weekend that these guys, one of his favorite bands, were on the bill!) all the way up through ³Primordial Ooze.² They also hit ³Bangkok,² ³Fire & Brimstone,² and their incredible burning instro, ³Rat Fink A-Boo-Boo.² Since they were in New York for the first time in their 15-year career (and Andy Shernoff was in the house), they made sure they did their version of The Dictatorsı ³16 Forever² to the best of their awesome abilities. They also stopped in for a couple of tracks from their mini-LP of Canadian garage numbers, including The Ugly Ducklings ³Nuthinı². One down moment came in the middle of their Teenage Head cover, when they hit an equipment failure. No matter, thoı, Œcuz they picked up the pieces and just kept blazing along, even hitting old faves like ³Five Years Ahead Of My Time.² Easily one of my favorites of the weekend. Up until the Chesterfield Kings, everyone had been using the same back line. This meant no more than about 15 minutes between bands. Unfortunately, the Kings had different ideas. They wanted their own lighting, as well as their own equipment. As a result, a crowd that had been dancing around through four bands, was packed like sardines and had three bands to go (many of whom had also rocked the whole previous night) had to wait 45 minutes (and it took a nice chunk of time to change back, too). For many, this was intolerable. (Believe me, I heard the complaints and I agreed.) Now, Iıve been a Chesterfield Kings fan for about 15 years and I know just how great they can be. And I understand why a band would want things just they way they like them (especially since the Kings hardly ever make it down here at this point.) But they werenıt the only great band playing this weekend. It was hard to blame people who said they were behaving like prima donnas. Once they took the stage, though, The Chesterfield Kings showed just how they earned their reputation as one of the best bands on the 80s scene. They tore through some of their best material, hitting the 60s punk hard. ³Yeah, Craw-dad-dy!² Yeah. Well, OK, so they did a couple more psych type songs that I couldıve done without, as well, but thatıs my problem. When they were hitting the hard stuff, I was in heaven, as was my old Long Island pal, Cliff, whoıd also been a big fan. One special treat came when the band called out for Peppy from the Blues Magoos. ³Peppy Magoo!² He got up there and they rocketed thru ³We Ainıt Got Nothinı Yet.² The set change thing may have bummed me out, but the band did deliver a strong performance. Like the Chesterfield Kings, The Lyres have been around since the late 70s. The difference between them is that The Lyres have played regularly that whole time. (It seems like the Chesterfield Kings wait for a few years before they come down to the NYC area; once upon a time, they were here every few months!) By the time the Lyres got on-stage, it mustıve been around 1:45 AM. Most of us were dead tired. But Jeff Conolly & Co. worked their way through a set of mainly their classic stuff, ³How Do You Know,² ³Donıt Give It Up Now,² ³Help You Ann,² etc., as well as ³Seven² and some others. My only complaint was when they did some of the slower pop covers. I love that stuff, but at 2:30 AM, itıs just not working for me. They did bring it back up, thoı, ending nice and hard. Zaremba took the stage. ³Stompers... THE MYSTERIANS!² Iıd seen Œem a couple months before at Fuzzfest, but this was something else again. This was my hometown crowd ready to hear the legends for the first time. Too bad the Shadows of Knight hadnıt stuck around. If they had, they mightıve had the good sense to apply for Social Security. ? & the Mysterians showed everybody what it was about. Rather than whip through the set song by song (thereıs a review of the CD in this very Œzine, so you can read about it there), Iıll just tell you how damn much the crowd dug it. Itıs a good thing this was the night that the clocks got set back, Œcuz The Mysterians were on long past what would have been 4 AM (but was now only 3!) People wouldıve been extremely POıd if these guys had been shut down! But instead, they were up there for about an hour and a half. As completely drained as this crowd was, the Mysterians gave them a whole new life. NYC was seeing one of the all-time greats and eating it up. The band was on top of the world, especially bassist Frank Lugo, who wore a huge grin the entire set. They mustıve loved it, Œcuz over the next 8 months, they were back in town four times (with another trip set for August.) Simply put... phenomenal! Epilogue: While escaping the horror that was the Shadows of Knight, I ran into my friend John. Heıs in his mid-20s, so I wasnıt too surprised when he said, ³This really seems like an 80s garage fest.² Well, umm... yeah! I suppose it could be construed that way. After all, of the 14 bands, 9 were part of the garage scene in that decade. Of the three bands whoıve mainly existed in the 90s, the members of two (the Neckbreakers and Insomniacs) had their roots in that scene, going to shows, playing in bands, or trying to start them. As far as Iım concerned, there were some killer bands playing the scene in the 80s (just as there are now), some of whom we saw at Cave Stomp Œ97. I only wish that more were still around. (What I wouldnıt give to see The Vipers, The Tryfles, The Outta Place, or The Raunch Hands again!) Regardless, it was a tremendous weekend. Look for the live recording out on Dionysus this fall. ............................................................................... THE CAPTIVATING SOUNDS OF ? & the Mysterians I have absolutely no idea when I first heard ³96 Tears.² Itıs just one of those songs that seems to have blasted into my personal pantheon without my ever having realized it. An interesting note is that itıs one of only two songs Iıve ever actually sung on-stage. (A karaoke-like thing at something called ³Fun Day² at my old job. I was the only one on my team who was willing to get up and sing something. Pretty amazing, considering my voice is only slightly better than my handwriting. Ask Pat Lozito about that one! For those of you who arenıt lucky enough to know Hot Foot Lozito, Iıll just say Iım the kid who couldnıt color inside the lines. Still canıt.) We had a copy of the 96 Tears LP at my college station, WRUR. Unfortunately, Iım the honest sort, so I didnıt rip it off. (Of course, I wouldıve been caught less than an hour after it was discovered to be missing, anyway, since I was probably the only guy at the station who was so crazed about garage/60s stuff.) I did get lucky while I was up in Rochester, though, scoring a copy of the ³18²/²I Need Somebody² 45 on the cheap. Put those two vinyl delights together and I was hooked. And I was damn glad when The Projectiles decided to wax their version of ³I Need Somebody.² Some years later, I got a Vox Continental and started picking out the signature riff of ³18.² Whatta frigginı monster! I swore that if I ever started a band, that was gonna be the first damn song we ever performed live. Fortunately for all of you, I never got around to disgracing a stage. And now thereıd be absolutely no reason for me to get up there and do ³18² Œcuz one of the best damn bands ever is back. Do You Feel It Baby? (Norton) is here to help you, the music lover, live a better life. You probably didnıt know it, but the reason things just werenıt right was Œcuz you didnıt have ? & the Mysterians in your life. Sure, you could probably hear ³96 Tears² on the local oldies station, but that was about it. Of course, you may be one of those incredible geniuses whoıs been listening to the Mysterians lo these many years. But if youıre one of those, then you already know damn well you have to have this live document in your collection. ³STOMPERS!² yells Fleshtonesı frontman Peter Zaremba, Cave Stomp MC. ³Stompers say Yeah! STOMPERS! The Mysterians!!!² And the Michigan legends kick into the instro intro, Frank Rodriguezı organ putting the Genuine Seal of The Mysterians on top, as Bobby Balderrama lets fly with some of the wildest rockınıroll guitar imaginable. About two and a half minutes down the line, ? himself dances onto the stage to get the crowd moving with the discıs title track. On, then, to ³Smokes.² If you havenıt already picked up on it, hereıs reason #2 as to why ? & the Mysterians are one of the best frigginı bands ever. Period. You throw me a name and Iıll throw the Mysterians right back at you. This is a band that has its own flippinı style. Yeah, and ³Attitude, Bay-beh!² These guys rock it like mad... Theyıre not another bunch of idiots wallowing in mediocrity, either (thoı, if they had the tunes, that wouldnıt bother me in the least.) These guys can PLAY! As I mentioned in the Cave Stomp article, these guys blew away the crowd this night at Coney Island High. Pretty incredible, considering how damn many bands weıd all been through and what time it was when they went on. The Mysterians, like any band with sense, knows enough to mix up their pitches. ³Make You Mine² goes more for the pop side of things, but still rocks enough to keep the crowd (not to mention you, listening in at home) moving. They start bringing it up again with ³Canıt Get Enough of You, Baby,² a number that lifts part of the signature organ riff from ³96 Tears.² Then itıs time for one of my old faves, ³I Need Somebody,² a power-pumped organ cycling all the way, urging everything along. This oneıs a dance-floor favorite for good reason. Change-up time, then, with the almost bubble-gum ³Do Something To Me.² Surprise, then, as the fork ball is delivered with another mid-tempo pop number, ³Why Me,² from the groupıs first LP. ³Right now, weıre gonna do this song. Weıre gonna get down with it now. Weıre gonna get real down. Do whatever your body calls for... but put your clothes back on after this song,² chuckles ?. ³ŒCuz this song weıre gonna tear up a little bit. Yıknow, itıs got everything, itıs got all the moooves. And bay-beh, right now, weıre just gonna groooooove. Itıs a little thing called ŒGot To.ı² Robert Martinez lays down the beat, then Frank Lugo sets down a slow groove on his bass before the organ comes in. Things stay this way for awhile, the energy pent-in, building up as ? teases and tempts. Then the solid smack into the chorus, almost letting it loose, but reining it in quickly and letting that pressure get that much more intense. (After all, this one lasts nearly six minutes. So much for the idea that a song canıt last over two and a half minutes. The rules donıt apply to ? & the Mysterians, buddy-boy.) They finally let it loose about four minutes in, and it is one looong period of intense... errrr, enjoyment... before it finally subsides. WOW! Things get a little darker with ³Girl (You Captivate Me).² Itıs time for the delights of the night, flesh and all. While this one rocks nicely, I couldnıt help but wish that there was more of an explosion in sound with the ³GIRL² parts. I guess thatıs one of those things you just donıt notice live all the time, especially when youıre in the midst of a truly rockinı tune. While the previous track merely rocked, ³Ten OıClock² just plain blasted off. Just a few chords slamming into the night. Little Frankıs organ leads the way on ³Donıt Tease Me,² but the band soon catches up to join in on the fun, rockinı out with a big smile. Even Mysterians can get mushy, of course. ³Love Me Baby (Cherry July)² shows the bandıs ³tender² side. The organ comes to the fore while ? wears his heart on his (orange) sleeve. ³Midnight Hour² isnıt the Wilson Pickett track everyone knows, but rather a band original that oozes cool, the organ playing the scene at the local hot-spot while the bass lets us know that our man is on the make. Then they slide into one of the greatest songs ever... ³96 Tears!!!² Hot DAMN! If you havenıt figured it out from reading this whole thing, these boys are sounding just like they did some thirty years ago. It sounds like thatıs the end, but the band knows damn well theyıve gotta do an encore, so we end up with ³Iıll Be Back,² followed by the ultimate in cool, my old favorite, ³8 Teen.² This is just as great live as it is on that 45 I bought over a decade back. The rave-up at the end is completely frenzified and you get the sense these guys understand just why their music makes so much sense even now to a crowd that, in many cases, wasnıt even born when they first made it. ³Ainıt It A Shame² may not appeal to garage fans, as itıs tinged with something that seems to bend the wrong way. The organıs there, and Bobby Balderramaıs guitar buzzes nicely, but the vocal line seems bent. Itıs not ?ıs voice, but rather the actual vocal line of the song itself. The backing vocals only emphasize the point. The best parts of this are where Bobbyıs guitar whangs itself around. The last two are ³Donıt Break This Heart of Mine² and ³Up Side² both get things moving again. The former track brings slight thoughts of ³Sheıs About A Mover² to mind, while the latter suggests Booker T. & the MGıs, possibly due to the cool guitar sound. Overall, this is one helluva disc. There are one or two weaker moments, but none that have me reaching for the remote. These guys are the real deal. Itıs good to hear one of the original garage groups getting back together and getting some respect. It also pleases me that theyıve gotten so much respect of late by the garage world. Iım hoping theyıll be at it for quite some time to come. ? claims heıs from Mars. That must be one swinginı planet. ............................................................................... PIRATE LOVE THE SUBSONICS photos and text by Bob Kondrak Fuzzfest had this meager crowd front & center on opening night for the third act. At 11 PM Iım standing beside Blair, looking forward to my first Subsonics set. Blair tells me theyıre one of his favorite bands and I mumble something about how Clay looks more like Moe Tucker than Lou Reed. Clay Reed plays lead guitar and sings in the Atlanta-based Subsonics. Other audience members have a cool reaction you might expect, given that they had seen the band a few times, but Iım taking it all in for the first time and maybe the last. Clayıs body seems pencil thin, a body fit to be an extra in that 60s French production of ³Barbarella². Recall how thin and sensual Jane looked, and how glamorous the futuristic sets were. Maybe it was the heat and humidity of Atlanta in late August. Still, Clay looks waifish in a silver spacesuit. Thin hips, no belt, I set my wide angle lense for a distorted record of some naked revelation. Yet most of the crowd is more intent on watching the bathroom door and smoking a fag than watching Clay disrobe on stage. See the interview for Clayıs reasoning regarding his attempted titillation. I hope Iıve captured some of their radiated sex appeal in the few images presented here. Despite the link to glam rock the sound they make surprised me. It had a soft, sensual tone one often hears in folk rock, the same blue thread that lies exposed in ³GLORIA². See the shots, read the remarks, then buy the records. A new single is out on Get Hip. The interview took place late one night outside The Star Bar in Atlanta. And Clay, if your band tours the west coast again, I wonıt miss the show you do in Seattle. Bob: Whoıs in the band and for how long? Clay: Me and Buffi for five years and Christyıs been playing bass for a year and half. Sheıs our fifth bass player; they wear out. B: Based in Atlanta all that time? C: Yeah. B: Did you and Buffi come together in the beginning? If so, how did that happen? C: Iıd been here a while, trying to get the music thing together and I had come up from Florida, Buffiıs also from Florida. It was just a matter of time since both of us had been looking for the same thing at the same time. B: Did the meeting happen by accident or was it a case of other bands falling apart? C: We met at the dentist, we were both getting our teeth fixed. B: What was the conversation, do you recall? C: Yeah, I said I busted my front tooth on a microphone. She said, ³Ah, you sing?² And she told me she plays drums. B: Did it take long for you to jell into the sound you have now? You have a confident style and I found your act entertaining as theater as well as rock. The R-n-R influence, some fun and some pretention; did you fall into this approach or does the act reflect your personality as the bandıs leader? Or how has your act evolved? C: Initially, we didnıt do so much of what everybody would call ³The Glam Thing² because we wanted to glom on to the grunge thing since we thought that would make us popular. Thatıs why we are called The Sub-Sonics. We thought we would be associated with Sub Pop and The Sonics. The Seattle thing was happening at that time. B: No shit! That association didnıt occur to me. C: I thought it would make the band more popular and it didnıt work at all. There were lots of groups doing ³The Glam Thing² so I didnıt want to be associated with that. B: Like who? C: I donıt know, Motley Crue or Chrome Daddy Disco? B: Funny, when I saw you perform a few days ago, you looked glamorous like The NY Dolls. C: Yeah, The NY Dolls. B: But you donıt have Johnny Thunders or Sylvain Sylvain on stage. C: There are certain limitations with being a three piece. B: So you donıt just rip off the Dolls? C: We like them and I would say to some degree we are ripping them off, sure. B: Oh, did you make any recordings back when you sounded like a grunge band? C: It didnıt sound like a grunge band. It sounded the same as we do now. We just tried to bamboozle everyone. It was a trick. B: The local music paper here in Atlanta wrote that people who like many different genres of rock music like The Subsonics. I polled people at the fest about their favorites on night one and your band got high numbers. Different people rated a band on the extremes and they both gave you high marks. Why is that? C: I guess we cover a lot of bases; we like lots of different things. B: Yeah, lo-fi, garage, scumrock. C: Thatıs the way we play, we didnıt have a concept. In a sense, trying to appeal to the grunge thing and trying to be popular was, but I donıt have a problem with trying to be popular. B: How popular is that? Are your records selling? C: Not very well. I donıt think we sell many records at all, but I donıt know. I would be surprised if we did. B: What label are you on? C: Get Hip. B: Maybe thatıs the reason! If thereıs a sound people associate with a label, what have they got thatıs similar to your band? C: Nobody is similar to us. The kind of music we do just ainıt gonna be popular, thatıs the long and short of it. Kids today, you can pack a disco with 800 kids. They come to see a DJ and itıs like in the 70s when people didnıt go out to see a live band, they went out to dance to disco music. B: Thatıs whatıs happening now. C: Thatıs the reason no one is selling records right now. Record sales are down 1/3 from 5 years ago. Now they go to hear disc jockeys spin records. They donıt buy the records and play them at home. In that way itıs like it was back in the 70s. B: I think your band can find a home on college radio these days. C: Yeah, but Iım not gonna hold my breath. Lots of the stuff we are into was never real popular. I mean people say we sound like the NY Dolls or the Ramones or the Velvet Underground, but none of those bands ever had much of an audience. They were cult bands and itıs hard to imagine anything like that ever becoming popular. B: Have you made money on any of your tours? C: We break even. In the beginning it wasnıt like that. Weıve been doing tours since 1993. Now we break even; before, we lost money. We used to have to shop lift and siphon gas. In fact we almost had to get day jobs and stuff when we were on tour. We played some spots on the west coast and made only $10 or $20 per show. B: Have you gone to Europe yet? C: We did two weeks in Spain in the spring of this year. That was great. Everybody over there goes nuts, very enthusiastic. They seem to get what we are doing. Over here lots of people that we wouldnıt expect to, get what weıre doing, but more people scratch their heads. People donıt dance at our shows. They stand there and look at us. I guess they are into the more freaky visual aspects of the band or something. B: That makes me wonder about why the indie scene is so successful. I notice that people at those shows listen and it reminds me of an audience for folk music. Indie stemming out of folk rock and folk rock drawing a sit down crowd. Your bandıs sound is danceable, I was attracted to the way you play the guitar, performance art with upbeat music, what do you write about? C: I write songs about the usual art stuff - death, disease and car crashes. (We talk the day after Princess Diıs car crash.) Mostly about unfortunate things. For my part I can say itıs my sadism directed toward the audience, really... Iım not kidding. I have reasons for not liking people and then I find myself in a room full of people that just payed $5 a head so I can insult and berate them. B: Thatıs certainly a New York State of Mind. You ainıt from NYC are you? C: Iım from Florida. B: Which of your songs have sadistic themes? Attacking people is taking a personal relationship toward the audience. (The guy on the motorcycle parked on the street in front of us revs up the engine, and peels out into traffic.) You could say he was being sadistic, but I enjoyed the moment. C: Thatıs the thing, there are a fair amount of masochists out there that will pay and that makes it more gratifying to me. B: It may be harder to find a larger crowd of masochists. C: I donıt think so, since weıve got something going that nobody else does. My experience is that there are lots of them out there that get a kick out of payinı for the privilege of takinı it, so I continue to dish it out. B: Thatıs a mission statement of a band if Iıve ever heard one. And before I forget, you better identify yourself, I might not have all your names on that one single I have. C: Yeah, cause we always have a different bass player. B: Who is your current bass player? C: Christi Montero is our bass player and my name is Clay Reed. Buffi Aguero plays the drums. B: Isnıt she in another band, The Vendettas? C: Yeah, and they are really good. B: They played across the street last night, but I really wanted to see The Hatebombs. C: The Hatebombs are good too. A lot of those guys are our pals, we connect with many of the disturbed, dispirited and disparented groups of people. B: Iıll have to think some more about why I like your band. Anyway, the bands you mentioned before as influences - Dolls, Ramones, VU - were ones I checked out, but still dug The Stones ³Some Girls.² C: We love The Rolling Stones too. B: Yeah, I dug the look for sure. Your bass playerısıs thighs are so fat and round and she was poured into those black leather pants, awesome! C: Iıve heard that before. Thatıs such an easy button to push, especially in guys. Itıs so easy to get people ticked off. B: Funny... I think performers should be attractive on stage. You guys are attractive. Fuck bands that donıt have a look; they really have to get to do something strange to get me started. (Christi walks over to us. Sheıs wearing a leopard print mini summer dress. And a costume tiara graces her short blond curls. I look down her thighs to her black calf length boots, fine, fine, fine!) C: Hey, you wanna talk in the tape recorder? B: Go on, step on my feet, I enjoy pain. Whatıs that thing you have in your hair? Christy: Thatıs my Princess Diana Memorial crown. B: Glad you mentioned that, we should pay some homage to her tonight. You look like Di a little, but as I was just telling Clay, Diıs thighs were not as swell as yours are! Ch: ³Aw, you know!² (Mae West impersonation) B: You looked great in those black leather pants the other night. Ch: PVC, they were vegan. (laughs) B: OK, I donıt know the terminology these days at the S&M shop where you picked those up. (laughs) Ch: They are vinyl. B: Thatıs good. Now, tell me, do you have good domestic habits? And do you design the bandıs costumes? C: We like to think of ourselves as machines. Prrrrrr. B: Were did you dig up the outfits at? I like the things you all wore and I thought those pants you wore would fall off your ass. I could see pubic hair! C: Well, Yeah!! B: That was as close as any band during this fest came to showing some skin. In a way, all that boogaloo stuff The Woggles do is quite wholesome. Ch: I know, itıs a little too white bread. C: White and stiff. I like to get the audience white and stiff, so I drop the trousers a little bit. B: Iım sure the girls appreciate it. C: They seem to and so do some of the gentlemen. Iıve gotten a lot of positive attention, they stick it out and I step on it. B: Uh oh, here she comes, You are the drummer in the band? BU: No, or I would have been here! (She walks away in a huff) B: Aw shit, we hurt her feelings. C: Letıs go get the drummer. (Buffi holds pat to her refusal saying she would have gotten Clay and Christy before doing any interview. I try to take some blame by saying that I pushed him in a corner with flattery.. So it ends there.) ............................................................................... ³Frankenstein²/²Mary Ann² (Get Hip) Every time I listen to The Subsonics itıs a whole new thrill, no matter how many times Iıve heard it. Somehow, though, I always want more. (Call me greedy.) Itıs been more than a year now since Everythingıs Falling Apart (one of my absolute favorite discs of the 90s, to date). While we wait for their next disc, weıve got their teaser, ³Frankenstein². Recorded on Halloweıen, Œ96 while they were in Pittsburgh hanging with Gregg Kostelich of The Cynics, this is another in a long line of Subsonicsı smash hits. An eerie tension pulses out of the speakers, with Clayıs voice trickling out a flypaper melody, grabbing you and holding you whether you want to be caught or not. Solo time and he letıs loose with one of his patented funhouse mirror lights-off careening in the dark guitar bits. This is the kinda track Iıd like to spin at a club around 4:30 AM when the crowdıs gotten to know each other well enough to... get a little friendlier. Itıs got that kinda pulsing deliberateness going - not to mention the freaked-out solos that just tell the listener to completely let go. Flip it over and they take on Ray Charlesı ³Mary Ann.² The Subsonics are one of those few bands that can take just about anybody elseıs song and make it their own. Theyıve got the kind of unique style and approach that allows them to take the meat of a song and dress it up so you still recognize it, but admire the fresh approach so much that you keep coming back. In short, this 45 is a must-have. ............................................................................... Follow Me Down (Get Hip) Last week I wore my latest Subsonics t-shirt out to see the Splash 4. Early on in the night, I ran into a guy I know. He said he liked the shirt and heıd heard of them, but didnıt really know what they sounded like. I told him that theyıre one of my absolute favorite bands, partially because they sound like nobody else. He replied that he heard they sounded like The Velvet Underground. Well, OK, thereıs definitely that element. However, many of their songs wouldıve required VU to be on speed full-time. But even a fast VU comparison would be slighting the Subsonics mightily. Theyıre far more than that. They threaten, warn, express disdain, and even, occasionally, invite. They play it fast, slow, mean, nice, bright, dark, you name it. Is it pop? I guess that depends on your definition. Is it rockınıroll? Definitely one form. Is it punk? I suppose some might use that word. Is it garage? Maybe at times. Personally, I think itıs all of them put together and thrown in a blender. When it comes out, though, itıs unmistakably The Subsonics. This is a band that without - at least to my ears - rewriting the same damn song over and over, manages to have a definitive sound. I suppose thatıs due in large part to the vision of Clay Reed, who writes the groupıs material, as well as singing lead and playing guitar. Of course, Buffi Agueroıs drumming and backing vocals help mold things into place. Bassist Christi Montero is also making her presence felt more and more. The more you listen to The Subsonics, the more you start paying attention to the lyrics. Clay doesnıt write ³I love you, baby² lyrics. If he writes a ³get out of my life² song, you can be damn sure, itıs going to be done in an interesting way. His lyrics are truly poetic. Now, keep in mind that you just heard that from somebody that has a hard time reading poetry. Iım not saying I canıt relate to poetry; Iım saying that most poetry that Iıve come across just doesnıt speak to me. Maybe thatıs why music means so much to me... emotions, thoughts, feelings can come to me in a more direct way. My brain doesnıt actually have to do any interpretation of language. But words have their place, too. So when I run across songs where the music and lyrics work so well together, the sum of the two creates something much more interesting than one or the other alone. The Subsonics new disc, Follow Me Down is the perfect follow-up to Everythingıs Falling Apart. There are the fast ones, like ³Pistol,² the shaky sound to the music letting you know that the subject was set to blow. ³He was a man / with a pistol in his hand.² ³I Think You Like It² raves, goading the listener into admitting the truth. Of course, the whole thing started out at a good tempo, displaying more of the trademark Subsonicsı wobbly wildness, giving you the sense of some truly frayed nerve endings from those ³Pretty Pills.² The groupıs melodic tendencies begin to step out on the second track, ³Youıre Gonna Get A Big Surprise.² Theyıre explored in a different fashion later on with ³Iceman.² While upbeat, this one also serves as a warning. ³Donıt let the iceman touch you / heıll freeze you up inside /yeah, you better check your pulse sometime / to see if youıre alive.² As it turns out, though, itıs warning the subject away from the songıs voice. ³Yeah, baby itıs cold inside / baby, itıs cold inside / my heart.² The idea is explored in another dimension later on in ³Cruel Is the night² as Clay sings, ³Cruel is the night... and I am, too.² The melody the guitar sings in the break low-rides up the avenue, enticing with the glories of the night. The Subsonics are one of the few bands that seem to truly understand that fast songs only work if thereıs some sort of contrast. ³Follow Me Down² is a late night invitation, played with the quiet ease that the hour demands, revving up briefly to describe what could happen, but easing off and back to the enticement. ³Wee Wee Hours² is more of that late-nite stuff they do so well, but about 20 seconds in they kick into gear, not all the way, but enough to tell you theyıre gonna make it thru to that high point of the evening. My two favorite tracks on the disc are, tempo-wise, complete opposites. ³Ten Dollars² is another of the slower Subsonicsı melodies, with Clay expressing disgust with a person whoıll do just about anything for ten George Washingtons. ³It makes me laugh, youıre so pathetic and cheap (...) roll over and beg for ten dollars / Ten dollars for everything.² Throughout, we hear a click-click-click-click as Buffi hits the top of the bass drum. This one just gets me every time. On the other side of things, thereıs ³Disintegrate,² a real kiss-off. Theyıre charged up and theyıre sick of hearing about you all the time, singing ³Why donıt you Shut Up! / and just evaporate / why donıt you Shut Up! / and just disintegrate. No ³get lost, get outta my life² sentiments. Rather, he wants them to become absolute nothingness. It moves fast and the emotion comes thru loud and clear. With Follow Me Down, weıve gotten 16 tracks in 29 minutes. (Thatıs right, genius, itıs less than 2:00 per track.) The Subsonics donıt waste their time, saying what theyıve come to say and not dragging it out. Every track is direct and to the point, be it said slow or fast, no matter the emotion. Folks, we have a winner. ............................................................................... THE BETHLEHEM BEAT Please note that this is not meant as a definitive history of the Bethlehem, PA scene in any way. Rather, itıs a brief sketch of some of my own experiences/thoughts about it. To be complete would require not only a good amount of work (the horror!), but many, many pages. (Perhaps if a whole bunch of people beg me. Yeah, so much for that!) In the beginning (well, for our purposes, anyway), there were The Creatures. This would be about the mid-80s, a time labeled by the Mad Violet Blacklight Chameleon Dino Sorbello as the ³Second Garagic Era² in these very pages a few spins round the primary ago. I was still an undergraduate up in Rochester, NY at the home (itself a pretty hip-swinginı town at the time, playing home to The Chesterfield Kings, The Projectiles, The Swing Set, and the Absolute Grey, among others.) My home, however, was back in Suffolk County, Long Island. Thatıs where I met my pal Bill Jones. At the time, Bill was attending Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Heıs the guy who first clued me in to just what kinda wildness was brewing in the Christmas City. It was through Bill that I first remember hearing The Creatures. I canıt remember, unfortunately, whether heıs the one who suggested I see them. (That favor may well have been bestowed upon me by one Tom Bessoir, who ran Chaos Records, the label the group would do their first 45 on.) Whatever... I eventually saw them - Mark Smith at the mic, Mike Smitreski on guitar, JT ejaculating bursts of lead guitar, Ken Bussiere laying down the bottom end, and Dave Ferrara banging away behind the kit. Unfortunately, this lineup was not to last much longer. In late Œ86, JT decided to release a second single by his side project, The Original Sins. Of course, the Sins werenıt actually a band at the time, just a couple guys JT had help him out to do some non-Creatures material. The first 45, released about a year earlier, was bittersweet pop material. This time out, though, JT was riding a twister. ³Just 14² was released on Bar None to great critical acclaim (one of the major English music mags called it the best punk single of the decade so far.) This was way out of the garage mode of the Creatures and about as far from the first O. Sinsı single as one might get. It was nasty, untamed punk rock. And it was incredible. The lyrics, while not explicit, held implications that upset some people for years to come. But this one went beyond breathing fire; it caused nuclear explosions to well up inside. Some have tried to call it a ³searing punk blast.² It is one. Unfortunately, that phrase is insufficient, since other tracks that have received the same accolades sound like a trip to the kiddie carnival by comparison. So many garage acts now throw punk into their sound. And thatıs cool. But I listen to ³Just 14² and hear how damn crazed JT sounds and wonder why so few of todayıs garage-punks donıt absolutely frigginı worship the guy. On one side of a single, he defined everything so many of those people want in their rockınıroll. If ³Just 14² wasnıt enough, there was also the flip, a complete reworking of ³Sugar Sugar² that went in the opposite direction, slowing way down and getting caught in the sticky melted areas, stretching time before your eyes. Where the A-side was frenzied, dark, driving insanity, this was a weird scene of slow-churning madness. The tempo was way down and somehow this bubblegum track turned in on itself. Not long after the ³Just 14² single, it became apparent that The Creatures as theyıd been could no longer co-exist. JT left the band. Various explanations have been offered up over the years, especially since bad blood existed for quite some time thereafter. I suppose a more responsible journalist would probably map out the rocky road that runs over the decade spanning from the breakup of the original band in 1987 to the almost-complete reunion at the end of last year. Personally, I donıt see how dredging up the ³X said/Y said² crap of the past can possibly do anything but destroy the current situation. (Note that Iım not just talking about the current configuration of the Creatures, but of the interpersonal relationships of the people involved.) In point of fact, the Sins had a record deal with Bar/None, while the Creatures did not. And so JT left. Well, shortly after that, both Ken and Dave decided to join him. That left the Creatures with only two of the original five members. Mark went out and found a bunch of new Creatures, including guitarist Steve Schlack, who turned out to be a strong songwriter, as well. JT, for his part, picked up organist Dan McKinney, and so was born the first real lineup of The Original Sins. With a solid lineup intact, the Sins released Big Soul (Bar/None) to critical acclaim. This was a one-two punch of garage-punk blasts and bittersweet soulful pop. Songs like ³Possession² and ³Inside Out² grabbed, twisted, and shook the listener, while tracks like ³Why Donıt You Smile Joan² and ³Read Your Mind² took a subtler, introspective tack. To this day, it remains one of my favorite LPs. Iım not absolutely positive when I first saw The Original Sins. On the other hand, I do remember when I first started seeing them often. It was Summer, 1988. Just above Houston, at 622 Broadway, there was a club then known as The Big Kahuna. It had just opened up and admission was free all through July and August, no matter who was playing. The guy booking it, I think, had been in The Nails (³88 Lines About 44 Women.²) He had remarkably good taste, booking The Lyres, The Fleshtones, Barrence Whitfield & The Savages, The Optic Nerve, and many others. But it was The Original Sins who seemed to play there the most in that couple month span. They were, it seemed, almost like the house band. I even remember yelling that out one night. JT caught that comment and kinda tossed it around in his head, ending up with a sort of chuckle. Iıd like to say something like, ³Who knew Iıd be seeing them ten years later?² Thing is, even then I think I had enough of a sense of myself to understand that this is what it was about for me. The idea of there not being an Original Sins was foreign to my mind. Something this great just shouldnıt go away. Of course, I really wasnıt thinking about what Iıd be doing ten years into the future. But letıs get back to the first year or so of the Sinsı existence. The band was rocking it up like mad every time they played. It hadnıt really hit my conscious mind yet, but they were everything I wanted in a rockınıroll band. As much as I loved (and still do) the pure Œ66 garage sound, after having been into that for five years I wanted something that would take it that much further. I wanted music that was very gut level, but smart in some way. I wanted a band that would spend some time sucker-punching me, another chunk contemplating various things worth contemplating, and another block simply setting me up with a good pop hook. And then mix and match as needed. It turned out The Original Sins were all that and more. Organist Dan McKinney was added and the group gelled. Kenny and Dave became a killer rhythm section, one that could pummel you through 30 feet of concrete like it was vacuum. Dan, meanwhile, alternately melded his organ sound into JTıs guitar and let it dance around. No matter what, it was sheer perfection. Iıd already started going out to Bethlehem a few months earlier. However, many of those shows were to see the The Creatures. Pretty soon, though, I was heading out for Sinsı shows, too. Heck, I think I was actually out there at least two or three times a month. Why not? It was only 85 miles each way. The Funhouse was my favorite place out there, but over the years there were a few other places, too, including Wallyıs and The 4 Gıs. In 1988, my friend Martin Spichal (of the Watch Children) and I were driving out to Bethlehem on a pretty regular basis (at least once a month) to see The Creatures. Occasionally, weıd have other friends along, but Martin was the biggest Creaturesı fan I knew. The band was still a potent force, although not everyone seemed to realize it. Our first trip was early on in the year, to a club called Second Avenue. In the third and final set, Mark dedicated ³Mister, Youıre A Better Man Than I² to the club owner, whoıd pissed him off earlier on in the evening. Oddly, I donıt think I ever saw the Creatures there again. Detractors have often said that the only reason they didnıt like the Creatures was Markıs voice. Itıs been said he sings in a near-monotone. Maybe. However, Markıs voice is also quite powerful. This became clearest when the guys who backed him through early December of Œ97 split to form The Sonic Mood Set. With Mark, theyıd turned themselves into a powerful Pretty Things R&B-styled combo, with quite a few stellar originals. In fact, a tape I got in mid-ı97 trumpeted the approach of a whole new era for The Creatures. The songs had bite, buzz, and power, not to mention melody. Unfortunately, it turned out that there was unrest within the ranks and in mid-Fall they informed Mark of their intention to leave. Their first gig as the Sonic Mood Set came at the Melody Bar down in New Brunswick, NJ. In essence, they were playing the same numbers theyıd done with Mark. In fact, the music still sounded excellent. The only problem was that neither lead vocalist had enough force behind his voice to truly carry the band. Donıt get me wrong, these guys can hit the notes without a problem; itıs just that a lead singer needs dimension to truly capture the audience. Perhaps with time the Sonic Mood Set might have developed this. As it turned out, they broke up after a few short months. Mark Smith has gone through quite a few lineup changes over the years. When JT, Ken, and Dave left, only rhythm guitarist Mike Smitreski was still around from the original lineup. Over the years, these two went through a good number of different musicians, including a few that left only to return a year or three later (like Steve Schlack and Kevin Groler.) The band even had to suffer the injustice of a name change when Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie decided to re-activate their own old band. (Never mind that bands called the Creatures were also around in the 60s and none of them were consulted about the use of the name by the Banshee-Bird.) So, from an Aleister Crowley book came the name The Creatures of the Golden Dawn. A few years later, Smitreski, too, was gone, due to some disagreements with other band-members about what direction the group should take. Throughout the late 80s and into the early 90s, Bethlehem was an interesting place for rockınıroll. The Original Sins hooked up with manager Dave Stein, who started a label called Psonik to release the groupıs records. They put out a number under that banner as Stein worked them to high heaven with the press and major labels. Some in the industry complained that Stein tried too hard, pressing when perhaps he should have eased off. However, it cannot be denied that the Sins got the best shows while still under Steinıs guidance, opening for the likes of The Buzzcocks and The Hoodoo Gurus, among many other notables. Perhaps another manager might have gotten the same shows and even managed a major label deal. Weıll never know, however, as the Sins managed themselves once theyıd split with Stein. They followed up Big Soul with their first release for Psonik, The Hardest Way, which still ranks as my favorite Sinsı recording. There were some stellar pop songs (³Tearing Me In Two²), as well as some savage blasts of pure energy (³Out of My Mind,² a track The Makers have covered) and perfect marriages of garage-punk and pop (³Nowıs the Time² and ³Why You Love Me So,² among others.) In the meantime, Stein was working to inject some life into the Bethlehem scene, putting on shows at more than just the Funhouse (on 4th St.) Wallyıs, down on 3rd St., became the venue for some of the bigger shows (including one in late Œ88 with The Cynics, The Vipers, and the Sins, as well as a later one with The Sins, All, and the Fiends.) Indeed, Stein even put on a two-night rockınıroll fest at one club. The 4Gıs, right near Wallyıs on 3rd St., also became popular for a couple years. Along with the local bands, theyıd have some out of town acts, like The Deviators, The Vacant Lot, and The Voodoo Dolls. And the Yardarm Tavern (a couple blocks down 3rd from Wallyıs) occasionally booked shows. A few more bands were playing, too, including Several Species and a reformed version of St. Johnıs Alliance (a local 60s-influenced pop group with excellent vocals, theyıd done a single in Œ83). A couple local gals started a folk-pop duo called The Eaves, often backed by some friends from the local scene. Nick DeBellis also was a constant. And then there were The Rebeltones. This was basically The Sins minus Dan plus a good friend of theirıs on lead vocals doing some cool rockabilly. Indeed, things were pretty good. Most scenes tend to cycle. People get older, get married, move away, have families, etc. The question is whether the people still left will like the old stuff. For that matter, the musicians themselves are subject to the same tides of time as anyone else, and are occasionally deposited on different shores. As the years went on, the only constants ended up being The Original Sins and The Creatures, each of whom kept a monthly Friday night slot at the townıs most supportive venue, The Funhouse. That locale has also been the one constant on the venue front. Although a small club, the price (both for admission and refreshments) is right and they book good acts. (Some of the out-of-town groups whoıve played there include The Swinginı Neckbreakers, The Insomniacs, The A-Bones, The Friggs, The Secret Service, and The Untamed Youth. And those bands always returned.) The Funhouse, of course, has gone through a fair amount of employees over the years, although the ownership remains constant. Just as the Creatures have gone through lineup changes, so have the Sins, with Dave Ferrara being replaced briefly by Kevin Groler, then Seth Baer. As fate would have it, towards the end, Dave was playing as many gigs with the band as Seth was, due to Sethıs pursuit of his own personal goals. (See... cycles.) Heck, by the end of the Sinsı tenure, theyıd once again built up a nice following in their hometown. The Sins were the most prolific, putting out a ton of albums, as well as some 6 or 7 song EPıs, a number of singles, and various cuts on comps. Picking favorites remains tough, but as I said earlier, The Hardest Way is probably mine, with Big Soul and the double-LP 4th album, Move (Psonik), vying for second. A few people dismissed the group after that and, while Iıd agree that the next couple werenıt as strong as that excellent effort, they were solid releases that many groups would be lucky to achieve. In fact, the groupıs final two studio discs, Bethlehem and Suburban Primitive were quite strong, albeit in completely different ways than the earlier works. The former was a re-done full-band version of the solo, more introspective album JT had cut in the early 90s and never released. The latter... well, read the sidebar. The Creatures never did as much recording, with only three full-length discs out to date (plus a couple 45s). Their records were more solidly in the 60s garage style. In fact, they were pretty damned good, too. They also released some material on Collectables that was taken from the time when JT, Kenny, and Dave were in the band. At the end of the day, itıs Smith and The Creatures whoıre still plugging away. Kenny moved down to Florida, where he now lives near one of his old bandmates from St. Johnıs Alliance. (In fact, Ken may soon release some old SJA material on disc.) As a result, it seemed time for JT to lay the Sins to rest this past January. This was extremely sad for me, as theyıll always be one of my favorite groups. JT also has his other stuff, Brother JT & Vibrolux, which has evidently been fairly successful (certainly more so than The Sins). Dan McKinney is concentrating on his studio and playing keys in a local blues group. Is it possible for JT to let the Sins material rest? Well, heıs said that heıd like to put together a new group (probably called The Losers) that would do some of the old Sinsı stuff, as well as new stuff in that same style. I canıt help but wonder if that wouldnıt give it a new lease on life. For some reason, being able to say ex- of some band in an ad or on a record tends to make people sit up and take notice. Suddenly, they matter again. Never mind that these same people hadnıt been supporting the group for the last few years of their time together; now theyıre all hyped to see the guys play again! Yeesh! As I mentioned elsewhere in this mag, at the end of December, 4/5 of the original Creatures came together to play a show. This was supposed to be temporary, but JT and Dave have stuck around and are still playing with Mark. Also pitching in is original Swinginı Neckbreakersı guitarist Shaggy. The bass part has most recently been played by Danny, ex-Creeping Pumpkins, although Iım not sure how long heıll be involved, seeing as he lives nearly two hours away from Bıhem. The new lineup is slowly starting to spawn some new songs, with JT writing the music for some lyrics Mark came up with in a depressed state in Chicago, entitled ³25 Floors Below.² Indeed, the group is even planning on recording some new material together. And their live shows have been strong, hearkening back to the sound that the group had over a decade back - a darker, twisted, more feral tale of the garage. And so the Creatures remain. Thereıs far more to say about the Bethlehem scene than Iıve presented here. Mike Smitreski has started a group with Steve Schlack and at least one ex-member of Several Species. Over time, I should have more information on whatıs up in the Christmas City. For now, Iım quite excited about the prospect of JT starting up The Losers. I encourage any and all to check out the Funhouse when any of the above-mentioned folks are presiding over the festivities. In the meantime, though, Iım just dreaming of the wings and potato logs at 3rd St. Chicken, my first stop every time I pull into town. ............................................................................... SUBURBAN PRIMITIVE (Blood Red) If youıve been reading this Œzine for any length of time, you know Iım nuts about The Original Sins. On the other hand, I definitely have my favorites when it comes to the band. I donıt think theyıve ever done a bad record, but I like certain recordings intensely and others sort of just float by me, good without achieving greatness. Suburban Primitive falls somewhere in between. The leadoff track, ³Kill The Buddah² has a great fuzz riff running throughout that sets me burning, but the melody line doesnıt have the same amount of punch. Together, however, itıs a pretty compelling track; one that works quite well live. ³Ainıt Got Me Down² is a highlight for me. It has that broken-down vocal feel that JTıs been utilizing the past few years, yet it sings of hope. ³I offer you my open heart, you crush it like a cigarette,² but ³You ainıt got me down yet.² He asks ³Miss Universe² if sheıs really done her worst, Œcuz heıs still kicking. And to complement this chorus, Danıs organ sings hope and redemption. This one strikes a chord with me, that feeling that just Œcuz youıve kicked me when I was down, Iım still here and Iım gonna make it. There are tracks that donıt do as much for me, as well, such as ³Constellation.² Itıs not that this (or the one or two others that I might throw into the same basket) are bad. Itıs just that the light touch doesnıt do as much for me. Still, theyıre interesting and remind me that JTıs a guy with quite the diverse palette to pick from. Just because I donıt personally like a certain track doesnıt mean itıs bad. Heck, on this one, he grounds the airy feel with some cool noise underneath at times. Sorta like reminding the balloonist that eventually heıs gotta come down. ³Wonderbra² is one of those tracks where JTıs taking a nice swipe at some portion of our society. It starts with a repeated line that almost sounds chanted, ³Less to the picture / Less to the picture / Less to the picture / Than meets the eye!² Then ³Sheıs got a Wonderbra / Just like her ma.² The music is hypnotic but with enough of a beat to keep it interesting. Iıve always enjoyed JTıs commentary. (Check out ³Coca-Cola (Sweet),² which appeared on the CD version of their 3rd full-length, as well as on a Get Hip 45 with ³Juicy Fruit,² if you want to see what Iım talking about.) You may also want to seek out some of the pamphlets heıs done over time. ³Song With No Words² is an interesting one. Itıs not actually an instrumental; rather, itıs an ³almost-instro.² For the first 1:40, itıs a slow instro that seems as if itıs almost improvised around a skeleton frame. Dan sends his organ into some cool psych-jazz type bursts and JT works it along on guitar. When the words finally come in, they state that the song doesnıt have words, telling you what itıs not about. Eventually, the vocals melt to become just another instrument, one singing ³Na-na-naıs.² The music returns to the same feel it had before, with JT throwing in some lazy fuzz. No, itıs not a raver, but it makes for some cool mood music. ³Go Dan!² is nastier and harsher. Organist Dan McKinney provides the furnishings as the rhythm section builds a foundation and JT puts together the rest. Itıs Dan whoıs making this one happen. Eventually, itıs time for the housewarming party and Dan takes off, flying from group to group as the host. Occasionally, JT throws the party lights on to set a new mood, but most of the time itıs Dan who runs the show. One of my favorite tracks on this one is ³Wanna Be You.² Content-wise, the lyrics remind me a bit of ³Read Your Mind² from the groupıs first LP a decade back. Back then, JT sang, ³I wish that I could read your mind / Œcuz you donıt take the time to read mine.² On this one, we get, ³If I were you, Iıd stop and look at myself / If I were you / Iıd love the world like myself / If I were you / I would but Iım not. / I wanna be you / So you can see /Yourself in me.² The music is gentle until the chorus jumps in and the fuzz hits. Still, it returns once itıs time for another verse. Itıs pretty, but wanting. Is this one of the great Original Sinsı records? Not for me. My top three Sinsı discs are probably The Hardest Way, Big Soul, and Move. Still, itıs a good one. O. Sinsı fanatics need it; those who are unfamiliar with the band should, in my mind, probably start with The Hardest Way and move through the others in my top three. Personally, I have a hard time understanding why anyone whoıs ever heard The Hardest Way wouldnıt be nuts about them. At least, not if that person truly loves rockınıroll. - BB ............................................................................... NEKO CASE by Roberta Schiffer ³...Maybe tonight your vagina will be turned into wizard pudding.² So sayeth Neko Case at the opening of her show June 27th, 1998 at Under Acme. Iım not really sure I know what that means or if Iıd like it; I do know however, that I like Neko in all of her incarnations. ( ex- drummer for Cub, and singer for her other band Maow, an all female punk/rockabilly band out of Vancouver.) Her most recent accomplishment is as a country singer backed by ³Her Boyfriends² on The Virginian CD (Mint/Bloodshot). Neko is not your usual country singer. She humped the guitarist mid-song, and says things like ³vagina² on stage. She also steers clear of the traditional sappy country outfits, opting instead for clunky stomping shoes and regular clothes. But when she opens her mouth to sing, out comes the sweetest and most unmistakably country sound youıd ever be lucky enough to hear live. It pours out of her so easily youıd think she was just breathing song. You can hear this on ³Jettison² and ³Bowling Green,² where you just want to cry as her voice evokes that traditional sad sentimental country sound. When I closed my eyes during songs like these at the show, I imagined I was at the Grand Ole Opry, with a country angel center-stage, instead of a sweaty club where the lights burned a hot hole on the musicians. The crowd loved Neko. They swayed to her crooning and smiled to her songs. She was backed this time by Local Rabbits, a tight band of musicians that sounded like theyıd been playing with Neko for years. Neko strolls and struts around the stage languidly, like a tiger pacing in its cage after itıs been fed. But then she feeds you with songs that rip out of her: thereıs ³Caroline,² where she barks out her ³lalala LAıs² with a vengeance, singing ³I want to be your slave²; and ³High on Cruel,² as she sings to some unlucky ex-lover, ³Crawling on the floor like a fool, and Iım so high on cruel /Youıll drown in my light and Iıll burn like a star, your tears are gonna give me fuel!² Here you realize that this is no normal sweet country sound, and that you really need to listen to the lyrics. Iım not claiming to know all there is to know about country. I wouldnıt know if Neko was covering a Loretta Lynn ballad or a Tammy Wynette song. I do know that I like the sound of the mandolin, love watching someone play a steel guitar, and I cry when I hear Patsy Cline. If you appreciate a band that has a good clear sound fronted by a singer with versatile talent, then I highly recommend The Virginian. If you just want to stick to the harder stuff and are afraid of swaying in public go out and get yourself a Maow CD. But while you might be getting something equally as good, youıll be missing out on something truly special. ............................................................................... NEKO CASE & THE SADIES Make Your Bed (Bloodshot) After Nekoıs performance, we stuck around so I could pick up her latest single. As it turns out, only one side actually features her vocals, while the other includes two songs by the band that backed her up top. Nekoıs ³Make Your Bed² (co-written with The Sadiesı Dallas Good) is not some mother telling her child to pick up after him/herself. Rather, itıs in the classic murder-ballad mold. Some guy must have dumped the lead in this story, Œcuz sheıs murdered him. Now, the girl that he ran off with has returned and sheıs going to meet the same fate, although itıs not going to be pretty. She says ³May the murky black water grind your bones into sand / and the catfish strip off your skin.² (Or something like that.) Then, ³I know you canıt swim, but Iıll tuck you in / Make your bed the river, young girl.² Yipes! The Sadiesı side brought some unexpected pleasures. ³Gunspeaks² is a cool fast-moving western instro with a light galloping beat. ³Little Sadie² is a fine western vocal number. - BB ............................................................................... THE ORIGINAL SINS - Skeletons in the Garage (Spare Me) ³Acid is groovy, Kill the Pigs!² So starts a favorite of Original Sinsı audiences, ³Possession.² This version, though, is an outtake from the session that yielded the ³Just 14² 45 back in late 1986. Itıs live in the studio and, consequently, reminds me far more of those early shows by the band. This track is from before even bassist Ken Bussiere joined up. Remember, the Sins didnıt even truly exist as a live unit at that point. Somehow that makes this recording even more impressive, these guys pummel and punish throughout, turning in one of the best renditions youıre likely to hear of this one. JT sounds truly possessed and the band locks in and lets the music take over. Blast this one and youıre locked in and set for takeoff. The G-forces wonıt even register while this plays, youıll be so blown to bits. ³Possession² is merely the first track of eighteen on Skeletons In The Garage (Spare Me). The next track is a version of ³Canıt Feel A Thing² from the same session. This is another of my favorite Sinsongs. It continues in the same mold, bare-fanged defiance and a ³piss-off, Œcuz Iım living it my way² attitude. Follow that with the ³Atom Bomb Song,² a track that was released on a comp of recordings done at Swiftwater Sound. Actually, on that comp this track was billed as being by The Jesus Freeks. Itıs a six and a half minute doomsday epic thatıs almost completely instrumental. It starts out building and building towards chaos and becomes more and more chaotic as time goes on, hitting brief lulls before the storm slams in full-force all over again. Some might call it a psychedelic free-form freakout and theyıd probably be right. Whyıd they tag themselves as The Jesus Freeks? Hmm... the only words (about 4:40 into the track) are something like ³Everybodyıs talking about atomic bombs / but nobodyıs worryinı that day my Lord will come.² This happens in one of those lulls, as Daveıs hitting his drums enough so you know heıs there, but not overshadowing JT; meanwhile, the guitar just hits occasional notes for a stark backdrop, letting JT say his piece. After that, it really gets freaky. The JT-only acoustic version of ³Canıt Get Over You² (an Aussie B-side) provides a good counterpoint, with its gentle beauty. Back to the wildness after that with the song the band provided for the Here Ainıt The Sonics comp PopLlama put out about 7-8 years back. Their take on ³Like No Other Man² is a heavy, fuzz-and-organ, thick syrup take on this one. Instead of trying to sound exactly like The Sonics, the guys make it a Sinsı number. For my money, it was one of the best tracks on that comp, with tons of power and fury. They not only made the song sound good, but conveyed the message perfectly, as well. This is followed with a more upbeat track, their version of ³Help Me Rhonda² from the Brian Wilson tribute that Venus Records put out, Smiles, Vibes, & Harmony. Over time, this became a favorite of audiences with good reason. Itıs not as smooth as The Beach Boys, but thatıs probably not a revelation. Again, they bring the Sins-style in. Itıs got a heavier feel, but Danıs organ provides the needed lift and somehow this one rocks enough for a modern audience not to just lump it into a ³covers bin.² Instead, it became a song that audiences knew, but could really work up a sweat to. The next four tracks are from the Afternoon Jam Session EP that Radiation Records put out. The first of these is a cover of The Creationıs ³Making Time.² I donıt know if Iım responsible for this one or not. About a year or two before that, JT had asked me to make him a tape of some stuff by The Creation. So I put together about an hourıs worth of material from various comps of the groupıs recordings. In the end, he ended up picking whatıs probably the most-covered Creation number. In a way, that disappointed me; on the other hand, itıs also the track that fits the groupıs style best. It rocks like mad as they strip away any Mod touches that were previously felt and substituting their own signature sound, pounding it for all itıs worth. Their version of ³Donıt Blow Your Mind² is a heavy psych-punker thatıs guaranteed to, umm... blow your mind. OUCH! The flip side of the EP features a couple of group originals, ³Wanna Make You,² a psychedelic heavy groove number, and ³Vanishing Point,² one of the few instrumentals the band recorded. There are certainly surf elements here, but there are just as many nods to spy sounds, plus - as always - the Sinsı personal seal. About five years ago or so, Chaos Records released a 45 by the band. As is Chaosı practice, it was released in mono. For this release, JT has remixed ³Get You There² and ³Come On Up² in stereo. Since Iım too lazy to head downstairs and pull out the single to do a side-by-side comparison, Iıll just note that this is really full. ³Get You There² is probably one of the best tracks from the last five or six years of the Sinsı existence. It became another live favorite. Thereıs a killer crescendo part that comes in about 2:10 or so and builds to a climax about 40 seconds later. Part of the beauty of this whole thing is the part just before the crescendo, where Ken lays down his bass groove. Just in case youıd forgotten how damned great Kenny was. Their reading of the track on the flip keeps the basic rockınıroll underpinnings and decorates it with Danıs driving organ and some cool guitar leads by JT. ³The Other Day² is a track that never got released. Evidently it was supposed to be a B-side, but the 45 never happened. JT plays guitar and sings and Maria Stoiancheff provides second vocal. This reminds me of another Sinsı song from the Two Sides comp (where they actually did bill themselves under their regular moniker), ³Little Mistakes,² which I once saw JT & Maria perform together at a place down at the bottom of Avenue B near Houston called The Gas Station. (Basically, it had been a gas station and the garage portion was used for performances.) It also works as a partner to the JT-only track from earlier on, ³Canıt Get Over You.² The next four all come from a Œ96 EP, American Cheese Product. ³Ego² and ³Get Right Back² were probably the biggest ³hits² off this one. Theyıre the most upbeat and the best dance numbers. The disc ends with a remix of their version of ³Evil Hoodoo,² done for a Seedsı tribute. Itıs dark and twisted with JTıs vocal buried under his thick, snaking guitar line. Skeletons In The Garage probably isnıt the comp I wouldıve done. Iıd have probably wanted more stuff like the first three tracks, either unreleased mayhem or stuff that almost nobody probably got their hands on. I can understand the point of making vinyl-only 7²ers available on disc, itıs just that Iıd like to hear more unreleased Sinsı material. I happen to know that thereıs a TON of it. (In fact, back before Move came out, JT gave me a tape of all the tracks done for both the double-LP and the CD versions, along with a few more tracks by the band that still havenıt seen the light of day. They were incredible. One of them, the name of which is buried in a tape box right now, is a track that any garage bunch would die for.) Iım also wondering if JT has a demo version of ³Girl Power,² a song he wrote for The Friggs. Iıd love to hear that one come out some time. OK, having said that this isnıt the comp I wouldıve done, I should tell you what I think of it overall. Simply put, this is great material. If youıre a Sinsı neophyte and want an overview of what the bandıs done over its whole existence, this is a nice cross-section. If youıre an old fan, youıll be glad to add some rarities to your collection. - BB ............................................................................... THE GREEK GARAGE SCENE: 1964-1967 by Dinos Mekios By the mid 60ıs a rockınıroll teen scene was already flourishing all over the US. Hundreds of bands appeared even in the most remote regions of the country. Their music blended influences from rockınıroll, blues, folk rock, and the pop/beat sound of the British Invasion groups. But what really pervaded the music was the pure punk spirit and energy of those bands. They practiced in garages (hence the term ³garage punk², appropriately coined to describe them) and played in high school dances and parties. Usually short lived and perfectly happy to just get the opportunity to cut a single, most of those bands ‹ with the exception of a few that made it big ‹ eventually remained in obscurity despite often attaining some local status: writing a song that made it to the local hit charts, appearing to local radio or TV shows, and establishing an audience of fans in their town. At the same time, a similar musical explosion was taking place in Europe, and certainly not just in the UK. In countries like Holland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, France and Belgium ‹ in Western and Central Europe, in general ‹ strong and unique local scenes developed, mirroring what was happening both in England and in the garages of the US. The classic beat/garage scenes of Western and Central Europe have been exhaustively documented by compilations covering the best and most obscure bands/songs from those regions. Of course, the same is true for the American garage sound and even for 60ıs scenes in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and South America. And what about the sixties scene in Greece? It seems that so far it has been very poorly explored and represented. But the fact is that teens in Athens, and in several other Greek cities, were twisting and shaking during the three year period between 1964 and 1967. Only two recently released compilations present some of the bands of the 60ıs Greek scene to todayıs garage fans. The first one, entitled ³Greek Garage Bands of the 60ıs² , was put out in 1990 by a major Greek label, Music Box International, and a second volume, with some different tracks, was released this year by the same label. Sound Stories, a small label based on Evanston, Illinois, put together the second one of those compilations, ³Shakinı In Athens². It contains several tracks from Greek bands of the 60ıs era and includes carefully researched and detailed liner notes with information about the scene, and pictures of some of the bands that were part of it. Unlike what was going on in the rest of Europe where the R&B influences predominated, in Greece and Italy the stirring sounds of rockınıroll were embraced. Songs like ³Shake, Rattle and Roll² and ³Shakinı All Over² became very popular and produced the ³shake², a dance like the Twist. So popular was the ³shake² that it found a place in many Greek movies of the time. Moreover, as we read in the liner notes of Shakinı in Athens, the huge local popularity of the ³shake² among teenagers alarmed parents who ³feared that their darling children might go and Œshake at the discoı or Œshake at the clubı, instead of studying to become doctors, lawyers, or architects². The scene really established itself after the commercial success of the Forminx, also known as ³the Beatles of Athens², who featured future superstars Vangelis Papathanasiou and Demis Roussos. But despite the fact that a few bands quickly became really big (Forminx, Charms, Juniors, Olympians, Idols), the scene was in essence an underground phenomenon. Most of the bands didnıt play together for long and only few of them managed to record a single (usually very limited pressings; 100-200 copies) before disappearing. The recording facilities and techniques were usually primitive (cardboard egg holders nailed to the walls for acoustic panels etc.). The only studios available were those used by traditional Greek bouzouki music artists. But it was the enthusiasm of those young bands that kept them going. It is also the enthusiasm, simplicity, and naivete evoked by their music that makes it captivating and powerful despite ‹ or perhaps, in addition to ‹ an occasionally obvious musical ineptitude of some of those bandsı members. Combining influences from traditional and popular Greek music with the garage sounds coming from abroad, the local garage bands managed to produce a unique, though still derivative sound. Characteristic of it, apart from the rawness resulting from the primitive recording techniques, are the ubiquitous presence of Farfisa organ in many songs and the emotional delivery of lyrics, which were usually sung in English (frequently with a goofy accent), but also in Italian and, of course, in Greek. Unfortunately the Greek rockınıroll music scene abruptly collapsed after April 21, 1967 when a military junta took over the government. During the 7 years of dictatorship, rockınıroll concerts were prohibited since they were seen as a threat to the ³law and order² imposed by the junta. Nevertheless, even during that period some musical gems were created. Here is a list of several of the bands that comprised the scene and some additional info (most of it taken from the Shakinı In Athens and Greek Garage Bands of the 60ıs liner notes) for each one of them: €Juniors: Formed in 1962 and best known for the moody ³Miss Blue Jeans², the best and probably rarest of their 4 singles. By 1965 they had become the most popular band in Greece along with the Forminx. In October of 1965, Thanos Sougioul, the band leader and songwriter of the Juniors, was killed in a tragic car accident, just one week before the legendary performance of the remaining members of the Juniors with Eric Clapton at the Terpsithea Theatre. €Charms: One of the most well known bands of this era and perhaps the only pure mod/beat band of the scene. They went through many lineup changes and managed to put out an impressive 3 albums and several singles. Some of their performances were captured in popular Greek movies. €Zoo: Not much information is available about them. They included some American members (students at the US college in Athens), a fact that can explain their superb US mid 60ıs garage sound. The Zoo cut 4 singles that brought them minor success, before disappearing from the scene. €Rabbits: The first Greek band from the countryside to record a single on a major label. Those true garage punks from the island of Rhodes struggled to pronounce the English lyrics of their songs and could barely play their instruments. €Girls: The only all girl Greek garage band from the 60ıs. The Girls, created in 1966 by four 16 year olds: Bessy, Julie, Efie, and Marie, played many live shows and recorded their sole single ³Hello Beethoven/ Rocket for Girls² just before breaking up. The B Side of this single can be found on Vol. 5 of the Girls in the Garage compilation. €Bluebirds: One of the most prolific and skilled Greek garage bands. They cut thirteen singles before making their only LP (released in the 70ıs). Contrary to most other bands, the Bluebirds never played in clubs. They only performed in some festivals and devoted their energy in the studio. €Persons: Hailing from Piraeus, the biggest Greek port which is located very close to Athens, the Persons put out 3 singles and later changed their name to Socrates Drunk the Conium (quite well known in Greece). They wrote ³Drive My Mustang² which is regarded by some as one of the most representative songs of the Greek garage scene. €Loubogg: The song ³Sheıs Cool² by the Loubogg is a standard cover for some of the contemporary Greek garage bands. A version of this song by the Frantic V is included in the Trans World Garage Scene Vol. 1 compilation (Misty Lane Records; Italy). €Knacks: The members of the Knacks were teenagers from Athens. They recorded some songs in 1966. Among those were the fuzzed out ³Theme of the Day², ³Devil Girl², and a cover of the Beatles ³With A Little Help From My Friends². They got the inspiration for their name from the British film The Knack. €Olympians: Another very popular group of the 60ıs. They were not from Athens but from Thessaloniki, the second largest city of the country. Their sound was more on the pop side and sung most of their songs in Greek (one of the main reasons for their enormous success). However, their best songs were in English. The acid punker ³Hopeless Endless Ways² stands out and has been covered by the Sound Explosion, one of the best contemporary garage punk bands from Athens. €Vikings: The first single of this band from Athens was pressed in 1966 under the name the 5 Vikings. It was to be released on the small Recor record label but the Vikings had already signed to RCA. So the Recor owner was asked to destroy all 100 copies pressed. He saved 5 or 6 of which only two are known to exist. The Vikingsı first single on RCA was put out on 1968 (under the repressive junta regime!) and included the excellent ³Iım Trying². €Idols: One more of the bigger names of the scene. Not all of their releases are worth checking out but their first singles on the Parlophone label are include some very good beat rockers. ³Wanted by the Law² and Heıs the One² are outstanding. €Crowns: An obscure band from Vyronas, a neighborhood in the city of Athens that had more than forty active teen garage bands in 1966. The Crowns recorded only one single on colorful psychedelic vinyl. It came out in October of 1966. €Teenagers: From Athens. They used to play many live shows, the most memorable of which were their performances for the festivals organized and sponsored by the company that produced the popular soft drink TAM-TAM (the equivalent of Coke...) . Their drummer was 11 years old! Also part of the scene were bands like the Stormies, Phoenix, Ariones, Uptight, MGC, and the New Hopes. Nowadays, a lively teen scene still exists in Greece. Contemporary bands like the Sound Explosion, the Cardinals, the Frantic V, and the Walking Screams, follow with the same enthusiasm in the footsteps of their predecessors from the 60ıs. They also have to face similar difficulties when it comes to recording, finding spaces to rehearse and clubs to play. But regardless of these obstacles and despite the fact that the scene is significantly smaller than in the 60ıs, there are several dedicated garage fans and some very good fanzines (Psychedelic Gew Gaw, Wake Up Itıs Œ66, Optical Sound, Girls in the Garage etc.) that support the music and the bands. A more extensive presentation of the contemporary garage scene in Greece will be featured in an upcoming issue ............................................................................... TEENAGE SHUTDOWN Yeah! YeaH! YEAH! Holy fuckinı shit! If the first five volumes (of a planned 30) are any indication, Teenage Shutdown is gonna be one of the premier comp series ever. These things are jam-packed with both rarities and old favorites, the sound is excellent, and there are good liner notes to boot. This bunch is gonna spoil you for all others. A quick word on the fact that there are a bunch of songs included that youıve seen before. It seems to me there are two good reasons for this. Firstly, I know that there was a good amount of controversy over the press releases for this series, but... well, they really do sound great. The liner notes to the first volume state that they were mastered off the original singles using a $30,000 turntable and $3,500 mono needle. Who woulda thunk such things existed? Whatever... this stuff sounds incredible. Reason #2, however, is aimed at those of you who donıt have all the old comps, etc. It could be that youıve only recently gotten into garage. Youıre in luck, Œcuz theseıll be some of your first experiences. Personally, Iım happy I discovered many of these things back in the mid-80s. In fact, I think the series that first got me into everything was Pebbles. Heck, Iım glad those existed, Œcuz I donıt think Iıd have been turned on to these sounds without them. Having said that, if youıre just now getting into garage rockinı cool, then look no further than Teenage Shutdown. No, Iım not saying donıt buy the other stuff. Rather, Iım saying this stuff is possibly the greatest starting point youıll ever have a chance at. Jump, Jive, & Harmonize This oneıs chock full of raw dance-floor garage ravers. Before we go any further, Iım gonna state unequivocally that thereıs not one loser in this whole bunch. I have no idea how many of these have been comped before (or even if thereıs any unreleased ones); I do know that Iıve heard many of them before, including (thoı not limited to) The Five Americanıs ³Slippin & Slidinı,² Us Fourıs ³The Alligator,² The Twilitersı ³Rollerland,² The Preachersı ³Who Do You Love,² Mr. Lucky & the Gamblersı ³Take A Look At Me,² and the Groupiesı ³Hog.² In fact, I heard most of those via Pebblesor one of the associated comps. The difference is that the sound jumps right out at you on here. Iım not slighting the earlier series... they made the music available way back when. Were it not for those, I donıt know if Iıd be into the same stuff I am now. My point is that these sound phenomenal. Besides, I love those frigginı songs, especially The Twiliters and Gamblersı offerings. Iım not a comp fiend. Iım not a collector, either. I offer that as the reason I didnıt know the title track of this volume, by Thee Midniters. If ever there was a track The Fleshtones should be covering, itıs this one. (Last minute note - ŒTones bassist Ken Fox says theyıve actually done it live; in fact, he thinks they may have done it on French TV.) A slightly buzzed riff grabs you right off, soon joined by an organ playing the same part (doubling itself soon after, but a couple octaves up), with the vocal making the party complete, occasionally letting the guitar loose to spike the punch. I just listen to this and think how great itıd be to have seen these guys (remember, they had over 20 45s to their credit, many of which were also pretty damn great). Since I doubt Iıll ever get that chance, Iıd love to hear it covered... maybe we can convince the Fleshtones to do it again. There are tons more I didnıt know, either. Everyoneıs heard of Del Shannon, thanks to his Œ61 hit ³Runaway.² But ³Move It On Over² came out in Œ65 and is raw and wild, with some excellent female backing vocals and a rippinı guitar burst. Check out Baby Huey & the Baby Sitters swinginı-from-the-trees ³Monkey Man.² I can just see Œem playinı this in some club with a bunch of drunken kids going nuts. Then one of the bright boys jumps up on the battens and starts swinginı. Total chaos as the band plays on. There are also tracks that people will recognize best from covers theyıve heard, like The Jolly Green Giantsı ³Busy Body² (done by The Lyres early on), The Cobrası ³I Wanna Be Your Love² (Supersnazz screamed this one out in the early 90s), and The Esquiresı ³Come On, Come On² (done live in the 80s by the Secret Service and recently done at Cave Stomp by The Brood). Thereıs also a version of The Novası ³The Crusher² redone by a Peruvian combo here as ³El Monstruo.² Just listening to this comp makes me want to get a band together and cover some of these... ³Jump, Jive, and Harmonize,² ³Rollerland,² ³Take A Look At Me² and The Centurysı ³83² are all on my hit list. I could listen to this all day long, but then weıd never get around to... You Treated Me Bad Things get toned down a notch or two for this second volume. Having said that, I should also say itıs cool in its own right. My point is that the excitement level just isnıt as high. Of course, there are exceptions. The Gremlins ³Wait² - the first track - wouldıve sounded just dandy on the first track. Itıs an upbeat mover thatıs guaranteed to get all the teens out on the floor to do their thing. However, it fits in with this volumeıs theme via the subject matter - girls: wanting them, chasing them, losing them, being hurt by them, etc. Yeah, all the stuff that made rockınıroll great. ³Iım Cryinı² by Mondayıs Mondos is another in this camp, turning it into a party, rather than a whine session. Also in the swinginı set, we can throw in the Sound Extractionıs ³I Feel Like Cryinı,² a track thatıs got that same fun 1-4-5 party fun sound. There are some killer titles on here. ³Why Did God Make Girls?² by NJıs JD Rogues is a perfect example. This is the kinda bummed-out ³love stinks² kinda track that I like. They manage to take their feelings and channel them into a decent mid-tempo track. On the same pile, weıll also find The Midknightsı ³Pain² with a jangly 12-string. The pain mustıve been pretty intense, Œcuz they didnıt want to sing about it for more than a minute and a half. I know there are people out there who canıt stand amateurish covers, but... well, Iım not one of Œem. Terry Davidson & the Barracudas appear with a version of ³Hooray For Hazel² that breathes new life into the song. Now, Iıll admit to being a Tommy Roe fan (not just ³Sheila² and ³Sweet Pea,² but some others, too), but, somehow, hearing what sounds to be a 14 year-old singing this really does, to quote the liner notes, ³sound more believable² than the original. Somehow the ineptitude and lower-fidelity production gives it more life. When I first heard ³The Girl From Liverpool,² by The Twiliters (yeah, the ³Rollerland² wildmen), I actually thought I was listening to an actual Tommy Roe track, mainly Œcuz the vocals had the same smooth feel. Funny thing is, the story of the song is pretty closely related to Roeıs ³The Folk Singer.² Dig in on the guitar solo, which toughens the whole thing up beyond anything the ³Sheila² star wouldıve released. The Plaguesı ³Iıve Been Through It Before² starts out perilously close to self-pity and then kicks in with some fuzzınıpound that proves these guys can take a beating and bounce back. The whole thing ends with a classic that first appeared on Pebbles Vol. I, the title track of this disc, The JuJuıs ³You Treat Me Bad,² another one thatıs bumminı out about some girl, but fights back as best it can. Things Been Bad Rougher ground is covered on the third volume. However, when all is said and done, I find this the most varied of the volumes ished so far, mainly concentrating on some cool punk stuff, but also wandering off the track for some semi-novelties, as well as a few numbers that reside in the outlying territories of GarageLand. Some of the tracks are completely off the beaten path, such as the leadoff number, The Pagansı ³Baba Yaga,² basically telling the story of the famed Russian witch with a teen garage soundtrack. If those guys are off the beaten path, Thee Midnighters are bushwacking around in the middle of nowhere with ³I Found A Peanut.² For awhile itıs goinı along in classic Midnighters mode, swinginı East LA with lotsa fun organ on top and a solid beat underneath, ³and the-en² (to quote the lead singer about 35 seconds in) it suddenly mutates into a rewritten version of ³Found A Peanut.² (Yeah, that song you sang as a kid to the tune of ³My Darling Clementine.² OK, for the slower readers out there, weıre talkinı about Huckleberry Houndıs fave tune.) And now the lead singer starts sounding downright SICK! At first I thought maybe he was tryinı to sing like he had peanut butter in his mouth. Nope... ³I got sick, I got sick!² This is absolutely demented. I love it. Right smack in the middle of Garage Central Station, we run into The Choab and ³Why Am I Alone?² (who weıll meet again as The Chob on Vol. 4), getting things rollicking right off with a swinging Farfisa up top, the verses moving it on, while the chorus takes a breather for some decent vocal sounds. They rev it up for one last go in the last 30 seconds or so. Definitely one of the pick hits on this volume. This volume also boasts one of the genuine garage classics, Ognir & the Nite Peopleıs ³I Found A New Love.² For those of you whoıve never heard this one, youıre in for a major treat, Œcuz itıs fulla fuzz and the vocalist has the snot thing down perfect. These guys arenıt crying over some chick dumping them. Nope, things are much better... theyıve found a new gal and the other one can go scratch. (Maybe they stole a girlfriend from one of the whiners.) Like I said, this oneıs got some variety to it. Thereıs the moodiness of The Other Halfıs ³The Girl With the Long Black Hair;² the garage-with-a-little-bit-o-soul sounds of The Pilgrimageıs ³Bad Apple.² (Always cool to hear a bunch of Long Island boys made good. Wonder if thereıs any chance they named themselves after Pilgrim State Psych Center.) But itıs the punk pounders that push all the right buttons with me. Check out The Yo-Yoıs cool ³Gotta Find A New Love,² especially the organ smashes and the corresponding guitar smacks. Or, even better, The Roaminı Togası ³Bar the Door,² a frat fuzzınıFarfisa freakout that even manages a melody! Peter & the Wolves chip in in this category with a version of ³I Can Only Give You Everything² thatıs filled with AT-TI-TUDE! And whoıdıa believed that a track like ³Now And Then² could come from a bunch of Yale students? Yet, we get some cool party chunk sounds courtesy of The Stains, who were being educated at that Ivy-covered locale in New Haven, CT. Wonder if the administration knew about this? Iım A No-Count WOW! This one starts off with ³Bad Woman² (The Fallen Angels) and never lets up. Some of you probably know this one from The Chesterfield Kingsı version of it. Well, they did an excellent job, but if youıve never heard this track, youıre gonna be jumping around right away. Heck, as soon as this one blasted off, I cranked up the volume. The rhythm cranks it up, the lead whangs out the lead note, and they just rock it up. The chorus has everyone chiming in and having a good time. The lead break is a crazed snarl and the whole thing rips off a Diddley shuffle and revs it up. Love the drum breaks, too. Next up are... whoops, gotta go play ³Bad Woman² a few more times. The Jolly Green Giants have that rough NorthWest sound bequeathed by the genius of The Sonics and The Wailers, among others. Dale Gregory & the Shouters go wild on ³Did Ya Need To Know,² throwing in some very cool electric piano to give it an extra special flavor. Another wild one many of you may already know is The Plagueıs ³Go Away.² Iıve loved these lyrics since I first heard Œem about 15 years ago, ³Go away, Œcuz I hate you / Go away, I wonıt date you / Go away, I donıt want you no more.² Need more be said? Another of my long-time favorites is another track I remember hearing the Chesterfield Kings do in the mid-80s or so, ³Stop It, Baby² by The Heard. Chunks of guitar meat are overlaid with the band singing, ³Aaa-ooooh... YEAH!² This oneıs got one of those dead-stop endings that kills any DJ that doesnıt have the sense to listen to the end of the record first. The Continentals offer up some primo Texas garage-punk sounds with ³Iım Gone,² appropriating and mutating the ³Iım Cryinı² riff off the Animals. Some more killer pounding, coupled with a savage lead vocal, comes in the form of ³If You Donıt Come Back,² by The Gents, a group that the label owner says were from Bermuda. Dig the cold organ sound of Byron & the Mortalsı ³Do You Believe Me.² Next, itıs time for a couple classics. First, thereıs the out of this world wildness of San Antonioıs Outcasts on ³1523 Blair.² There are those that scoff at calling any of this 60s stuff punk, but a listen to the frenzied pain of this one might just convince these morons otherwise. Next upıs another old favorite, ³Weıre Pretty Quick,² by the Chob (also known as The Chob). I seem to remember the Fuzztones doing this one, but I also have fond memories of The Outta Place doing it as ³Weıre Outta Place.² After the beautiful boasting of this one ends, you can hear the spaced out sounds of a Farfisa being turned off. (For those who donıt know what Iım talking about, find a friend with an old 60s Combo Compact, hold down a note or chord, then hit the off switch.) Alıs Untouchables continue things with some regular salvos of full-band buckshot and some truly psychotic lead guitar. And then itıs time for the title track of this volume by Ty Wagner with the Scotchmen. This guy had that garage vocal thing down perfectly, sayinı things like ³yee-ahs,² etc. You can just picture the shades and aloof attitude this guy musta put down on stage. This oneıs just pure rockinroll with a bit of a ³Little Latin Lupe Lu² feel to the verses. The liner notes say Tyıs ³still irked² about the fact that nobody could get the record at the time. Canıt blame him. As if it wasnıt enough to be a no-count, The Magic Plants follow Ty with ³Iım A Nothing.² A couple of guys from this NYC band later ended up in the Left Banke. Dig the fuzz. While MG & the Escorts do a fine job on ³A Someday Fool,² Iım not sure I agree with the liner notes in calling it a ³MONSTER,² even if it was a local hit up in their hometown of Montreal. Way down on the bottom of the East Coast - Key West, FL - however, The Cave Men came forth with the crazed ³Itıs Trash.² Their parents must never have seen them, Œcuz if they had, they probably wouldıve sent them someplace with padded walls. The Passionsı ³Lively One² is a mid-tempo number with a smirk. Yeah, what do you think they meant by ³lively one?² ³Iıll Be Gone² by The Opposite Six is quicker and more teen-sounding. ³Iım Gonna Get In That Girlıs Mind.² I tend to think The Reddlemen were more interested in staying somewhere else ³all the time.² Once again, we meet up with a group that knew the value of a disturbed guitar break. The hand claps are a nice touch, too. It all come to an end with The Barking Spyders ³I Want Your Love.² More of that teen cool vocal sound. ³Cımon, little girl... dance with me² like thereıs absolutely no way she could say no. You kinda picture him singinı this one up on-stage, inviting the most swinginı gal in the place to get up there with him, despite the fact that her square boyfriend is dancing with her. She, of course, knows that this guy is it and takes his hand to join him. He keeps singing, but heıs got her and they both know it. As does her (now ex-) boyfriend, whoıs probably the only one bummed out by it. Pretty soon, heıll buy a clue and start his own band. Hopefully, that clue will come with a free package of teen snot. Nobody To Love There are those who think Tim Warrenıs only about garage-punk spew. Not true, Magoo. This final volume is jam-packed with pop melodies. In other words, Iım a happy camper. Thereıs just some really pretty stuff on here. The Intruders (wonder how many bands used that name?) offer up the sunny smiles of ³Now That You Know.² Theyıre followed by The Illusions (oh yeah, another original name!), who ask their girl to ³Wait Till The Summer.² This oneıs more on the ringing folk side, with some excellent harmonies on the choruses. The Shandels ³Shades of Blue² appears to mine the same territory, but... is that an accordion playing lead? Nope... itıs a cordovox. The sound is similar, however, since air is used to make the sounds. But whatıs completely absent is guitar! Eventually, however, some folks might start falling into a kinda folk-punk/pop coma, so the smart folks who put this series together stuck The Answersı ³Fool Turn Around² in the midst of it all. Itıs still in the realm, but they kickstart the tempo and rough things up a bit. This leads nicely into The Jadesı ³Surface World,² a stronger track with a good beat, albeit a slightly smoother sound that owes a tiny beat to surf/hot rod vocals. Love the organ and drums bit that leads into a short break before diving back in. A real teen sound comes in on The Twilightsı ³It Couldnıt Be True.² However, the ringing guitars, while rather inept, actually sound quite nice. And, like the previous two tracks, itıs still keeping up the tempo. The beatıs still there on The Viscount Vıs ³She Doesnıt Know² with a nice sharp drum sound, but itıs the vocal work that really shines. Overall, a top-notch job. One track that everybody probably knows on this one is ³Abba² by the Paragons. If you donıt know the original, then you probably know The Wogglesı version from TeenDanceParty. This is the track Roberta always asks those guys to play live. Who can blame her? This is one of those killer melodies that everybody should know. Chiming and ringing all the way through, ³Lemme hear ya say Yeah - YEAH!² Another track that some folks probably know is ³Outside Chance,² done here by Sounds Like Us, but originated by The Turtles. (In my mind, probably the best thing those guys ever did.) 80s garage fans may know it from the Chesterfield Kingsı version on their first LP. Whatever, these Duluth boys did a fine job with it. The Roguesı ³You Better Look Now² is another ringing folk-punker that I originally heard via The Chesterfield Kings first LP. Simply put, itıs just a damn pretty song. The guitar rings and there are some cool backing vocals, too. The Go-Betweens ³Have You For My Own² features a chiming guitar and some cool screaming in addition to the ³I wanna-wannna-wanna² vocals. Finishing this one off are The Plagues (who appear earlier with a version of ³Iım Free²) and their take on Loveıs ³Canıt Explain.² How do they stack up? Personally, I have a tough time picking between volumes 1 & 4 for the first spot, with #3 taking 3rd and 2 & 5 splitting the last two. Theyıre all excellent comps, thoı. Of course, thereıs been quite a bit of discussion on Bomp list about these and many people have different opinions. If youıre looking for the best dance material, Jump, Jive, & Harmonize canıt be beat. If you want for the most raucous garage pounders, then Iım A No-Count is an absolute must, although youıre probably gonna want Things Been Bad, as well. For the ³lost love² side of things, well... look no further than You Treated Me Bad. Of course, those more into the poppier/folk-punk stuff will find Nobody To Love irresistible. When Pebbles came out, bands started using that as a great place to grab covers from as they discovered all this great music. Back From the Grave did its share, as well (as did comps like What A Way to Die and others.) Teenage Shutdown (thanks to both its excellent sound and high availability) has the potential to do the same for a (to quote the Trashmen) ³brand new generation.² ............................................................................... Life Could Be A Dream, Sh-BOOM! ³Taking your car in for service should not be a hair-raising experience. For more than 50 years Midas has built customer relationships based on reliability. We know that quality parts and services are important to our customers. Thatıs why we stand behind them with our guarantees. Youıll find more detailed information about our guarantees under the system services listed to the left. We may be a company on the move - but we will never leave behind the values that have made us a success: trust, service and reliability.² - from the front page of Midas website - http://www.midas.com Friday 4/10 Itıs the first day of my Spring Break and I head over to Jim Dandyıs for some wings. On my way, I realize that when I hit my brakes, it sounds a bit like a plane taking off... sort of metal-on-metal. (Somehow, The Donnası ³Leather On Leather² pops into my mind and I start singing it with ³Metal On Metal² subbed in.) Saturday 4/11 Iıve realized that my brakes must be in need of repair. Usually, I head up to the Midas on Route 46, but I recently realized thereıs one much closer, in North Arlington, right next to Jim Dandyıs. (The only place in Bergen County that can make decent wings, JDıs has a Lionel train setup running about four feet above the customerıs heads, going around the perimeter of the eating area. Very cool. Wish the service was a bit faster, thoı. Ask Untamed Youth organ-meister Steve Rager.) So I head to Midas in North Arlington. Itıs 10:30 AM on the day before Easter and theyıve only got two mechanics. They ask if I really want to wait, since the earliest theyıre going to even look at my car is probably noon, with 12:30 more likely. ³No problem,² I tell them, ³Iıve got a book, plus my girlfriendıs PowerBook, so Iım all set.² OK, then. Around 12:30 or so, they go in to take a look at the Blair-mobile. The brakes needed work (that much I had figured out.) They also said something else could use work in about 3-4 months and they could do it now, but thatıd be an extra $317 on top of the $290 I already had on my plate. (Thanks, see you in the summer.) They got to work and finished up around 2:15 or so, I guess. The mechanic went out for a test drive. About fifteen minutes later, Iım wondering when Iıll be able to leave. Iıve done all the reading and writing I want and have even gotten kind of bored playing Bubble Trouble on the PowerBook. Sometime around 2:45 the manager comes to me and says thereıs a problem. ³Youıre going to have to do that extra thing now, after all?² I ask him. ³No... itıs worse than that,² he says with a grim face. ³?² ³The mechanic was test driving your car when he got run off the road by a girl who tried to turn without looking. He hit a tree.² Now, at this point, I donıt know what to say. So I donıt for a couple minutes. Finally I ask what happens next. He tells me that their insurance will take care of it. This worries me because the car is a Œ91 Mazda 323 hatchback. It was bottom of the line then and weıre seven years down the road. But the car was going to last me at least another four or five years. That vehicle has treated me far better than I deserved over those years. I was afraid they might tell me book value was 500 bucks and then tell me to get stuffed. But Mr. Midas Manager assured me they were a great company, far better than ones people can get on their own. He gave me some examples (which, of course, sounded great, but...) I see the tow truck bringing my car back. The guy tows it to the back and lowers the car. He then puts the key in the ignition, turns it, and drives it into a parking spot. (That, at least, gave me some hope.) Looking at the car, though, I see the bumper is badly dented and falling off. The hood has a medium-sized tree dent smack in the middle, causing the sides to turn up like wings. The car has almost no grille, so I donıt notice it. The windshield, however, is smashed up pretty badly. The mechanic smacked his head into it. He went to the hospital, although he insisted he was fine. The only thing I donıt know about is what might have been damaged inside. (Iım especially wondering about that thing that they said I could wait a few months on.) In the meantime, heıs trying to get me a rental. Unfortunately, itıs about 3 PM and these places seem to shut down very early. The only place that had one was about a half hour drive. He wasnıt in the mood to do it and I wasnıt in the mood to force him. I didnıt really need a car till Monday, anyway. (Iıd be on break, itıs true, but there were things I needed to do.) So he gave me a lift home, handed me his card, and told me how to deal with getting a rental (which his insurance company would cover.) Monday 4/13 I call for the rental people to come get me. They canıt get me till mid-afternoon, but thatŒs OK, since Iım not planning to do much except hit the library to get some info, and thatıs a 3 minute walk. Around 3 PM, they set me up with a Neon. Just as I get home, I realize the horn does nada. I call them up and tell them. They say theyıre busy, but theyıll get me something by the end of the day. I get a call from Midası insurance company; to be specific, itıs the claims handler. I pepper him with questions, basically finding out that theyıre not going to do anything more than either (a) fix my car or (b) give me the book value, whichever is cheaper. This displeased me and I let him know it. (Amazingly, I manage to be civil about it.) This seems unfair. If my carıs only worth $500, Iım going to be royally screwed. A vehicle that was paid off and wouldıve lasted me for quite awhile would be gone and Iıd be plunking down a couple grand, not to mention making monthly payments again. That sucks. The guy agrees, but says thatıs the way it works. I head to the library to find the NADA book. Interestingly, the trade-in value on my car is $2375. The retail is around $3525. That doesnıt figure in my options, either. The librarian is quite helpful, giving me a web address for the Kelley Blue Book (http:// www.kbb.com). This turns out to be really cool. You can configure your car exactly as it is - year, model, make, options, mileage, and even zip code (since that figures into the calculation). The trade-in comes out five hundred bucks lower on the Kelley Blue Book, but the retail is $4600. Unfortunately, I donıt know which value is used. I think they should be giving me the retail, since thatıs what itıs going to cost to replace the car. I call the claims handler and find out that he doesnıt know. He just gets a number from the adjuster, but he promises to send all the materials when theyıre done. Thanks for your help, pal. I let a couple friends know about the situation via e-mail. My old roomie, Andy, passes the message on to his brother, whoıs a mechanic. He tells me to never go to Midas. (Wish Iıd known that beforehand.) He tells me that Penske Auto has bought customers new cars when theyıve done things of this nature. I also ask Andy what value is used, trade-in or retail. Since heıd totalled his Saturn (via a lake that formed in the middle of Route 17 South) a few years ago, he had some idea. He said they used the retail value. Iım keeping my fingers crossed. Tuesday 4/14 Late afternoon and I still havenıt heard from the rental place about giving me a car with a working horn. I call them up and they say theyıll try and make it before the end of the day. Back on the phone with the claims handler, I try and get a feel for how things are going. He tells me that, if the car is totalled, Iıll get an offer, have one day to make up my mind, then (assuming I take it) theyıll send me the offer. Iıll then have to sign it, send them my title (notarized), and then theyıll cut the check. So, once an offer is made, thereıll be about a week and a half that Iıll have the rental. (In addition, he gives me an example of ³letıs say I make an offer on Friday; then youıll have to give me your answer on Monday.) He tells me I should start shopping. Iım wondering if thatıs worth my time, since I now have a better idea of the carıs worth than he does. I do start paying closer attention to car ads on TV and in print. In addition, I start checking out AutoVantage (http://www.autovantage.com) and even get some information. I also start looking for my title. I figure Iıd better find it Œcuz I might have to have it by Monday. The rental still hasnıt been replaced. Wednesday 4/15 I call up about the rental and they apologize profusely. The guy brings me a Cavalier that morning. The first thing I do is check the horn. I like the Cavalier better, although itıs scratched up a bit. This car has a tape deck. No word on my car. I look for my title and canıt find it. I get some lunch and head to the DMV in Rutherford. Iım amazed by the lack of cars parked nearby. Then I get out and see the sign on the front; this DMV location has been moved to Wallington. Back in the car and over to an old shopping center that hasnıt had any real business in ages because of a lousy location. That, however, turns out to be a wonderful thing. Almost nobody is there. Iım in and out in less than fifteen minutes, all told. Itıs the only wonderful experience Iıve ever had with the DMV. Friday 4/17 The expected call from Midası insurance does not come. (Iıll skip the boring details and mention that they still havenıt called by the following Wednesday. I try to call them and get disconnected) Thursday 4/23 I get through this time, but the guyıs not there. I leave a message, polite yet upset that he hasnıt given me any information. I ask him to return my call. He doesnıt return my call. Friday 4/24 The Bomboras play Acme Underground and I take the bus in, but you can read more about that in the live shows section. Saturday 4/25 I leave another message for the wonder boy. Heıs not in, so I wonıt hear anything before Monday. Yes, Iım POıd. I not only donıt know whether my car is totalled, but I want to know how I can be sure the car is in good shape again after they repair it (if thatıs the course they end up taking.) Monday 4/27 He leaves a message on my machine telling me weıve got some things to discuss. Unfortunately, he doesnıt bother telling me the deal. He finishes up by saying he doesnıt have my work number. Uh... gave it to you that first day, pal. I leave a message back, letting him know that he should tell me in his next message what the deal is. Tuesday 4/28 This time I get home to hear the guyıs voice coming out of my machine to let me know itıs totalled. My blinkinı car is effinı TOTALLED! What are they gonna do? Give me frigginı BOOK VALUE!!! Now, granted, itıs more than I originally thought, but when I finally find out what kinda cash weıre talking, itıs far lower than what Iıd found in the books. First off, my car has many more miles than they ³allow.² Second, there is ³pre-existing damage.² Piss Off! Those things didnıt affect the carıs performance. That flippinı car was worth FAR more to me than the $2300 he ended up telling me I could have. Wednesday 4/29 He calls me on the phone at work and says heıll have the papers faxed to me so I can sign them and get this over with. Gee, thanks. Thursday 4/30 I get the papers and look them over. The stupid adjusters never even figured in the cost of replacing the windshield (which was cracked beautifully by the mechanicıs forehead. Never heard of putting the seatbelt on, huh?) Of course, that wouldıve just put the repair costs that much higher. On my way home, I stop at the Midas location where my car was murdered. Time to get all my stuff out. I picked the thing clean, taking every last thing out, right down to the final pennies. (You wouldnıt believe how much change that car had accumulated!) Tons of tapes were hidden in there, too. The manager of the shop asked how things turned out. I let him know... LOUSY! He said he didnıt see what else he could do. I told him I could! ³What?² Yeah, like that is a real tough question. Buy me a new frigginı car, genius. Or at least pay me enough to make up for what the car was worth to ME! He says itıs not his responsibility; he doesnıt own the place. He feels bad, so he gives me a phone number to call for a Midas rep in NJ. Friday 5/1 I leave the NJ guy a message the next morning and he puts me in touch with a guy named Jim Crum at Midas HQ in Chicago. Crum gets back to me and says that Midas isnıt gonna give me a frigginı penny over what the law specifies. Heıll call the insurance guy to see if he can get more for me, but heıs not hopeful. He tells me to fax over the Kelley Blue Book info I have on my car (which is about twice as much as Iım getting.) Just in case, he tells me to e-mail it to him, too. I do both right away. However, he lets me know thereıs little hope. Gee... thanks. Saturday 5/2 Itıs obviously time to start shopping for a car, Œcuz as soon as I get the check from Midas (whichıll happen after I sign the papers), Iıll be out of a rental. Luckily, Iıve been doing tons of research on cars. My choices are: (1) lease, (2) buy a used car, or (3) get a new one. Leasing isnıt high on my list. I tend to beat the fecal matter out of my vehicles. I take them to places theyıre likely to end up getting damaged, at least on the outside. If I lease the car, I end up with absolutely jack at the end. Plus Iıll probably end up paying a mileage penalty, as well as having to lay out the long green for any cosmetic damage. Then Iıll end up either going thru the same thing again for a new lease or Iıll have to buy that set of wheels. Somehow this doesnıt sound too appealing to me. Buying a used car means either (a) buying an old piece of crap for the lousy amount of money Midas is giving me or (b) spending lotsa extra cash for a good used car. With the first choice, I feel Iım gonna get screwed paying through the nose for repairs. The latter choice isnıt much better. I keep wondering why Iım going to lay out ten thousand bucks for a used car when I could probably get a new one for that kind of cash. So, for me, a new car seems right this time out. Iıve spent a ton of time researching this in the past couple weeks. Some of my research has come via the library, but much is via the internet. (Surprise, surprise.) Somehow, Iım still in the same financial boat I was in seven years back. (Thatıs my fault, though, since I did change careers in mid Œ94.) So Iım still looking at cars around the bottom of the food chain. Some sites list ³cars that are in competition with² the vehicle youıre looking at. Through these, I get a good idea what I want. I used the ³Auto By Tel² service to have some dealers get in touch with me. So I set out this morning to start looking, going to about four different dealerships. By afternoon, I am the proud owner of a new Kia Sephia. Of course, Iım paranoid about driving my new vehicle into Manhattan, so I take the bus into town that night for the ? & the Mysteriansı show. Monday 5/4 I get the papers notarized by someone I work with. I call the Midas insurance guy, who lets me know that Iım not gonna get a dime more, but I can keep my old car and sell it to salvage. What a sport. All that means is that Iım saving him some time. He has the nerve to say that, ³at least itıs all over.² I tell him Iım far from satisfied. He asks why and I tell him that I feel like Iıve been ripped off. I had a perfectly functional car that would have lasted me another four or five years and now Iım being forced to spend my own money to get something else. I feel Iıve been cheated. I donıt think Midas has done right by me as a customer. Sure, theyıve satisfied the letter of the law, but that ³trust, service, and reliability² thing that they talk about on their web page is absolute crap. I canıt trust these guys; the service they performed included ruining my car (sure, it was an accident, but they didnıt go out of their way to make me feel better about it, so I canıt exactly feel charitable towards them); and the only thing I could rely on the whole way through was that I was getting poorer in the process. Monday 5/11 The check came. I stared at it blankly. Sure, I want the money, but Iıd prefer Midas actually do something to make me a happy customer. Iım pissed and will probably remain that way. My plans? Well, youıre reading this now, so you know what happened. Iım hoping none of you will even consider going to Midas in the future. The reason I took my car there was because theyıd done a good job on brakes and mufflers for me in the past. I should have just taken it to one of my favorite local mechanics - guys whoıve done well by me. But I figured that Midas is a big company and Iıd have more backing me up if something went wrong. Boy, was I wrong! No, Iım never going there again. Iım telling all my family, friends, and acquaintances to stay away, too, simply because of the way Midas treated me. Midas is getting a copy of this article. Theyıre also going to see this story become a web page. Iım looking to find any other bad experiences customers have had with Midas. Iıd like to put them up on the web page, too. I will only tell the truth as to what happened in my own case. Iıll ask others to do the same. In fact, I wonıt print their stories without written assurance that theyıre completely liable for what theyıve told me. However, I do want Midas to make this incident up to me. I keep thinking, ³I drove this car for over seven years and never had an accident. A Midas mechanic takes it out for a few minutes and I end up paying for it! ............................................................................... AN UNTAMED WHIRL Untamed Youth East Coast ³Tour² Summer Œ97 Text: Blair Buscareno, Photos: Roberta Schiffer Sometime in the middle of Spring Œ97, I heard from Derek Dickerson that The Untamed Youth were once again planning to come to NYC. Now, for me, thatıs reason to get excited. The only hitch was, Derek didnıt seem to know when theyıd be around. As far as I could tell, nothing was really booked. Derek waved his virtual hands at me via e-mail, saying itıd be sometime in August. But summer was fast approaching. A month later and gigs still hadnıt been confirmed. Iıd begun to wonder if theyıd actually make it here. In May, I heard from organist Steve Rager, telling me that if they did it, the shows would probably be in early-mid August. Soon, Derek was saying the same. Unfortunately, I still wasnıt seeing any hard gig dates. Finally, as summer began, dates began to materialize. First, I heard about one at Under Acme. Then one at Coney Island. Then another down at the Court Tavern in New Brunswick. Then I heard about one on a Monday evening at Coney Island High. And then a Thursday night unannounced at the Lakeside Lounge. Well, OK, these were the NYC metro area gigs; what about out of town? Well... they were booked for Providence, Rhode Island. And that was it. As Derek put it, ³so much for our East Coast tour, huh?² But, hey, thatıs six gigs in eight days. OK, they were almost all in one area, but... who the hell cared? It was gonna be fun. Still, I suggested to Derek that they try and get gigs in Boston, Philly, or even Bethlehem, PA. He tried, but I guess it was too late by that time. Remember, they had to have confirmed NYC dates first, since thatıs really where the groupıs strongest East Coast fan base is. (It certainly should be after all those wild nights in the late 80s!) OK, so the dates were booked. Now it was time for logistics: where to stay, whoıd drive them around, equipment, etc.? Well, the guys are always welcome at my place and Rager and I spent some phone time getting some of that straightened out for him and Joel. The main reason he and I were on the phone, however, was that he needed an organ. Sure, he could ship an organ out here, but the choices are (a) FedEx, etc. or (b) baggage. The problem with (a) is the cost would be prohibitive. As for (b), well... first off, a Farfisa isnıt going to work as a carry-on; and secondly, I wouldnıt have high hopes for it being playable once it finished being in a planeıs cargo hold. So, Rager needed an organ. Now, itıs true that I have a bunch of combo organs. Unfortunately, most of mine (and especially my Farfisa Combo Compacts) are not in what Iıd call stage-worthy condition. Rager did once use my Farfisa Fast 3 for a weekend, but I was none too pleased with the sound of the thing. Yeah, OK, itıs a Farfisa. But itıs not the right Farfisa. Not at all. Too... thin, maybe. Sort of like an awkward adolescent version of its big brother, the Combo Compact. What about the organ they used last time? Well, then they were only here for a weekend. And the guy who lent them that one was probably lending it to them as much Œcuz Iıd asked him to do it as because they needed it. Thing is, keyboards are his business. This time they needed it for a week; if they wanted it, the guys would have to rent it. Quite honestly, though, they just donıt have that kind of budget. This is a band that was flying in from three separate locations: LA, Seattle, and Columbia, MO. The band would be happy to break even as it was. Nope, they needed another solution. Well, I asked friends all over the NYC/NJ metro area. I even talked to friends in Pennsylvania. Thing is, everyone I know that has a combo organ seems to have them in the same condition mineıs in. Letıs face it, few bands are still using these things these days. So, it came down to my Fast 3, after all. Thing is, Rager needed it for rehearsal on Friday night at Coyote in Brooklyn. I live in New Jersey. And I hate driving around Brooklyn. However, Rager happened to be in luck. The week they were coming to town was the same week I needed to print out TS 57. And, luckily, Pete Ciccone said heıd print it out for me. I called up Billy & Miriam at Norton Records HQ and asked if I could drop the organ over before going to Peteıs. Billy asked why I didnıt just bring it over to Coyote? Well, while I kinda know some people over there, I felt kinda weird about the idea of stopping by and saying, ³Hereıs an organ for the Untamed Youth to use at their rehearsal later this week. Thanks. Bye.² Billy sorta laughed at that and said he knew what I meant. Sure, I could drop it off there. That got me to thinking. I had one other organ Iıd always wanted Rager to try. However, it had been over at my friend Roryıs for the past three years, since the last time weıd tried to play together. Iıd kept meaning to pick it up, but... it had never happened. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. This thing is just called ³Combo Organ.² Thereıs no other name. Iıd gotten it some five or six years ago at Robbyıs Music on Rt. 46 in Wayne, NJ, when Dave Amels came across them. These things were still in their original leather carrying cases, with the volume pedals and wires sealed in their original plastic, never opened. They looked to be about 20 years old at the time, obviously left over from when Robbyıs had been a distributor for the things. I took one for $125. Honestly, itıs one of my favorites. It doesnıt have an exact Farfisa sound, but itıs fairly close and it plays wonderfully. I wondered what Rager would think of it. Saturday August 9th Under Acme, NYC FINALLY! Mike Sin showed up at my place about 9 PM and we took off about 15 minutes later. We found parking fairly easily (thoı not as close as my lazy ass might prefer) and walked over to the club. We actually found ourselves there before even The Sea Monkeys (the first of the three acts of the evening) hit the stage. Not too many people around yet, but we spied Youth drummer Joel Trueblood and the mighty Mace of Bass and caught up with each otherıs lives. Turns out Sir Mace and I share a common love for Xena: Warrior Princess. The Sea Monkeys took the stage decked out like major swami/genie types. Joel likened the outfits to those of The Galaxy Trio, but the latter bunch tends to be far neater at it. Still, the SMs were playing dang good fun, melodic punk, thoı you could also hear some real raging in the guitar sounds. I tend to think that - if they wanted to - they could turn the Ferocity Meter way up. But theyıre just havinı a good time. Thing was, I wanted more hangout time and... well, it was kinda hot down there. So we went to the other room (where it was still kinda hot, I guess) and slowly the crowd built up and jabbered away about this and that. Soon enough, Œtwas time for The Church Keys. This bunch just keeps getting better and better. Every one of Œem handles vocals at one point or another and each one manages ably. Theyıve somehow found a way that each one does stuff perfectly suited to their own personal styles, yet it all comes together beautifully. Even thoı each (Œcept Lars on sax) does damned well on vocals, itıs drummer Bill Paitch that really shines at the mic, especially when he just goes into something that seems completely off-the-cuff. Fantastic. This bunch is always having a blast and they communicate that feeling well. Itıs easy-sleazy at one point, then inviting and friendly the next. (Remember, ³from 6 to 8 you get 2 for 1.²) Me, Iım hoping they take the suggestion for a cover I gave Œem that night: change ³Iıd Rather Go To Jail² to ³Iıd Rather Drink An Ale.² Ale Up! By the time the Untamed Youth hit the stage it was jam-packed. They got themselves set up and I soon found out that Rager had chosen the Farfisa. (Not, as he explained later, that he didnıt like the other one, just that he didnıt immediately know where the tuning thingamabobs were on it.) Actually, it sounded pretty decent, if not great. But that mightıve just been Œcuz the amp wasnıt powerful enough. They began the proceedings with ³Ainıt Got A Thing² and already a bunch of us were singinı along. Guess more than a few people had already picked up their latest disc. I didnıt get the set list for some reason, but Iım pretty sure that ³F.U.J.I.M.O.² was next up. Gotta love that title. Now, even thoı this is only two nights later, I canıt remember the whole list. They spent a good chunk of time on the new LP, thoı, but it didnıt matter one whit, Œcuz people were pretty nuts about it. An obvious highlight was Mace singing ³Mailbox Jamboree² and ³Beer Bust Blues Pt. 2² (about, Derek said, being losers without real jobs some ten years after theyıd first covered the original.) Any lingering doubts about the subject of ³Iım More Punk Than You² were probably dispelled when Derek said, ³Anyone who asks me what Trent Mummyıs up to is gonna get his ass kicked.² Whatta great number, thoı. And Bluesman was brilliant during this one, over on the right with his shades on, makinı with the ultra-cool. Letıs face it gang, Bluesman IS more punk than you. And in a GOOD way. After ³Scrambler,² Derek said to the band, ³See? Surf music just puts Œem to sleep.² I yelled out, ³So whatıs wrong with sleep?² Many Youth faves also made the set list this night, including their version of ³Sheıs So Satisfyinı,² ³Make You Mine,² and ³Go Go Ferrari,² as well as other new hits like their Trashmen-inspired take on ³Whistle Bait² (found on Planet Mace). Still, the biggest smash of the night was probably when they hit my fave number from that same LP, ³Life Of The Party.² This oneıs a show-stopper and belongs in everybodyıs Top 10. Once the set ended, they were (obviously) brought back on for an encore. It looked like that was it, since the boys were tired, but The Platterpuss grabbed the mic and brought Œem back in that way that only he can, ³Whaddaya say, Folks. You wanna hear some more? Letıs hear it for THE UNTAMED YOUTH!!!² And they acquiesced, laying us out all over again. By the end of this one, I was completely drenhed in sweat, yet happier than my students on the last day of school. (Heck, happier than MYSELF on the last day of school. And that is saying something!) Slowly the crowd dissipated, as people bought tons of merchandise and said their good-byes. Of course, for many of us, the night still had a few hours to go, as we hit the Lakeside. Whatta night! We showed up and within minutes we were hearing Eddie Cochran doing ³Summertime Blues,² to which it seemed like half the bar was singinı along with. There may be ³No Dancing² signs littering the place (thanks to Mayor Giuliani), but for awhile there it seemed like people were spinning each other round and round like the nightıd never end. Still, the highlight had to be when Church Keysı drummer Bill Paitch heard a tune he particularly enjoyed. Upon feeling the beat, Bill felt moved to climb up on the bar, boots and all, and stomp till heıd gotten rid of any imperfections in its surface. ³Viva, Viva RockınıRoll.² Monday August 11th Coney Island High, NYC: Barely recovered from Saturdayıs wildness, I made my way into Manhattan this evening, thanking my lucky stars that Iıd decided to become a teacher. Heck, how else would I have been able to stay out for this one without worrying about waking up in the AM? I showed up sometime around 10 PM to find the place still fairly empty. I was worried that this was gonna be it. I shouldnıt have... by the time they hit the stage, the place was fairly crowded; pretty good, considering what night of the week it was. I stood right up front, just a bit to Dekeıs left. That, however, meant that I caught the full effect of his giganto amp. Whatta frigginı behemoth! The kicked off with ³Brown Paper Sack² and I wasnıt sure I was hearing Rager at all. Eventually, I ascertained that he was actually playing at a decent volume; it was just that I couldnıt tell that well Œcuz Dekeıs amp was so flippinı loud. Still, something wasnıt quite right about the sound. After the first song, my suspicions were confirmed when Deke told Mace to turn up. But he was already playing as loudly as his borrowed amp would allow. Sir Dekus told him the amp could take more. Mace of Bass disagreed, asking if Deke was gonna pay $150 if the speaker got blown. Deke tried cajoling the God of Thunder. Mace boomed out, ³No!² The soundman came to the rescue, although it took a couple songs, as he patched Mace into the PA directly. I still donıt think he was loud enough, but maybe thatıs just me. This first set rocked like mad, as they went through faves like ³Alright,² ³KAPO,² ³Girl & A Hot Rod,² and ³Ainıt Got A Thing² and finally finished up with pal Joe Bargman getting completely psycho on, well... umm, ³Psycho² for one. And there was still the second set to go. Between sets it was time to hang out, dance a bit, and hand out the TS. It was then that I learned that Jennie the K was planning to split. Now, itıd been some time since Iıd actually really tried Ye Olde Guilt Trip on anyone. While I understood why Jennie wanted to head home (a wild weekend, work in the morning and work-related duties the next evening), I also knew she was extremely into the Untamed Youth. So I just started in with the old, ³Youıre leaving???² bit, moving into shaking the head in disappointment and then enlisting the help of other friends. Soon enough, Jennie was saying, ³Youıre making me feel really bad.² (That meant it was working. Canıt let up now.) Eventually, Ms. Jennie had agreed to stay ³for a few songs.² Yeah, like there was any way sheıd leave now. Yup, the winner and still champ. The next set was looser, as they pulled out the master list and went from there. At one point Deke was looking at it kinda shaking his head. Mace said, ³Aw, you just wanna do the new stuff.² Deke said, ³Nah, Iım just thinking about how many thousands of times Iıve played some of these songs.² Eventually, he looked at the audience, saying ³I know just about everybody in this room by first and last name, so why donıt you just yell out what you wanna hear.² Iım not sure what came next, but they soon hit ³Angel Face,² then one of my requests, ³Dance Franny Dance,² which sounded great, even though Rager says heıd never played it. The set also included ³Donıt Look Back,² which got people pretty damn psyched. Bargman took the stage again, too, with versions of ³Strychnine² and his signature tune, ³Surfinı Bird,² which found him tripping over the monitors and flying into the audience face first... TWICE! Another highlight had to be them pulling out the Dictatorsı classic, ³I Live For Cars & Girls.² Too bad Andy Shernoff had had to leave after the first set. All in all, this was a pretty wild night and it left me looking forward to Thursday at the Lakeside. In the meantime, thoı, Rager & Jet came back to my place to spend a couple nights. Joel slept straight thru to 1:30 PM, at which point the three of us hit Jim Dandyıs for a fine lunch. Poor Rager made the mistake of ordering a special, which meant he had to wait for what seemed like forever. By the time he got his food, Joel and I were ready to start on dessert. A slow afternoon of laundry and spinning records and discs led to an evening of Chinese food and Howard Sternıs Private Parts, enjoyed by Rager and Joel, as well as Roberta and me, not to mention ex-roomie Andy, whoıd come to pick up his cats. Thursday August 14th The Lakeside Lounge, NYC: Evidently, the Providence, RI newspaper promo blurb on the Untamed Youth had described them as ³feel-good punk rock.² Huh? Anyway, thatıs the first thing Bluesman and I heard upon our arrival at the Lakeside. Billy Miller handed me a couple 45s to review for this ish (including the extra-cool debut seven-incher by The Church Keys) and we all yapped for a bit. But this was an early show, so we quickly scooted inside. Miriam had said 9:30 would be kick-off time, 9:45 the latest. Turns out she was right. No fanfare, no nothing, the boys just started playing. This time out you could hear Mace just fine, probably due to the fact that Derek couldnıt play too loud Œcuz of the size of this place. Of course, it took a while before we were able to hear Rager this time out. Once we could, thoı, things were great. Best of all, the crowd was a good mix of the regular gang and others who either just dig The Lakeside (with good reason!) or were brought down by friends for a freebie gig. The band chose to mix in a bunch of favored covers this night, including ³Come On Down To My Boat² which always puts a smile on my face. I spent about the first half of the show over on the side, but when I heard them going into this one, I managed to squeeze my way into the tiny section in front of the stage. Of course, this meant more beer landing on my person, but thatıs perfectly OK. It also put me closer to the table that Deke climbed on top of a few times. (Which is how some of the beer ended up on me, I guess.) You shoulda seen the reaction of the Avenue B locals when they saw this frat/surf/garage stuff being blasted out right there in their neighborhood. Especially when Deke took to playing the guitar in back of his head. This one guy started dancing in the street. Actually, come to think of it, a number of people passing by stopped to listen to the Youth... some stayed on the street and danced, while others made their way inside to get a better listen. (Of course, there was also the nut in the window who was waggling his tongue at some of the gals in go-go outfits, but they just kinda laughed.) The highlight of the set for most people (and possibly the guys themselves) was when they invited Andy Shernoff of The Dictators (who produced their first couple LPs) up to sing a song he wrote over 20 years earlier. Deke said Andy claimed not to know the words any longer, but Mr. Shernoff was game to try, so he came up. Well, Andy didnıt remember Œem all, but Deke helped out and they got through a rousing rendition of ³I Live For Cars & Girls² which had much of the crowd singing along. The set ended far earlier than anyone would have preferred, but theyıd actually been on for a nice chunk of time (especially considering they were playing for tips and whatever they could make on merch.) Friday August 15th Sideshows By The Seashore, Coney Island: I hadnıt been out to Coney Island for a few years at least. I was really looking forward to it. I woke up when my principal called for some info that morning around 10. Rager left about 45 minutes later to meet the rest of the guys down on Ridge St. to record words (dealing with The Dukes of Hazzard) to ³F.U.J.I.M.O.² for a Gearhead magazine record. Kind of a slow day, but I got a few things done, anyway. Bluesman came over later on and we made for Coney Island with some excellent directions from WFMU air personality Dave the Spazz (who was presenting tonightıs show, ³SpazzStock.²) Suddenly we were on Surf Ave, in the midst of the beautiful neon and trash that is Coney Island. We found a $5 all-night parking lot close by and walked towards the beckoning sounds, smells, and blinking lights. I live for this kind of stuff. Sure, I may not appreciate the hip-hop blasting out of some of the rides, but itıs still kinda cool that theyıve got a DJ spinning at a frigginı amusement park ride. The atmosphere at Coney is just so alive, even if itıs obviously at least 50 years past its heyday. (Many would say 70, but Iıll be kind.) We were pretty early, but we figured weıd show up at the club first, then maybe I could find someone to hit the Cyclone with. (Last time Bluesman went on that thing, his back was acting up for a month.) One problem... it wasnıt where it used to be. Last time I saw a show at Sideshows, it was right up on the boardwalk at the corner of 12th Street in Coney Island. We showed up and it was absolutely nothing. We wandered east... nope, that brings you to Astroland Park. (A great place, but not what we were after at that particular moment.) Back west, past the old location again, past the food/bar/whatever next door... Wait! Hey, thereıs Bill & Susan from The Church Keys along with some other pals. So we started yapping. Pretty soon we ran into Frank Giordano and Greg Clark from The Pleasantries, too. I asked where the heck the new location was. Turns out Sideshows is no longer right By the Seashore. Instead, itıs on Surf Ave. on the 2nd floor, only a couple blocks east of Nathanıs. Up we went... And way too early at that. It was HOT up there. The only fan was blowing at the stage. Not a bad idea, considering thatıs where the lights were shining, but those same lights were also reflecting off the gel paper in front of them and onto the audience. Windows? Well, there was one semi-open way towards the back of the room, a few feet from the funhouse mirrors and the Steeplechase horse. But that didnıt do much for the crowd, which was considerably further up. Rot Gut were on when we arrived. I canıt say they were bad, really, but at the same time I wouldnıt go out of my way to see them. The Plungers were next. Two Japanese gals backed by a biker-looking guy. They pummeled their way through a lo-fi garage/punk set, occasionally hitting a nice melody. Covers included ³Bobbyıs Girl,² ³Come On Letıs Go,² and even Superchargerıs ³Itıs Alright.² Pretty cool. Iıd even see them again. (I kept wondering, thoı, if the name had been picked before the events of the past week, when some NYC cops rammed a plunger up an immigrantıs anal orifice. Yeah, NYıs Finest.) Then Dave The Spazzıs group, The Sea Monkeys. Well, to be honest, by this time, I was sweating my petooties off and Iıd barely even danced yet. I needed to cool down. I found my way to the stairs leading down to the roof next door, where I found a whole bunch of other like-minded folks. We could hear the sounds from within, but we could also talk, hang out, etc... in the semi-cool night air. The only thing I remember of the bandıs set was when someone said they were doing ³Him Or Me² by Paul Revere & The Raiders. Well, since The Candy Snatchers had cancelled, it was time for the last band of the night, the one most of us had come for, The Untamed Youth. Considering that it had to be at least 1:15, Iım rather glad this was it for the evening. Just about everyone who was outside came in and grabbed a spot as close to the front as they could. As hot as it was, people did not refrain from dancing. Rather, they blasted out another intense set of YouthınıRoll, making everybody sweat up a storm. Glad I didnıt have to do the laundry for this crowd. Saturday August 16th The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ: Another killer bill... The Insomniacs, The Swinginı Neckbreakers, and the Untamed Youth. Seeing as we hit The Insomniacs and the Neckbreakers in numerous other spots in this mag, weıll skip them this time. Although I donıt remember this show well enough (possibly Œcuz Iım finishing this up way past the event itself), I do recall it was the best show of the five outstanding performances theyıd done over the week they were in town. Perhaps it was having to compete with two other great bands. Whatever it was, the Youth were nothing short of astounding this night. Throw in that they were joined on assorted songs by Billy Miller (A-Bones), The Great Gaylord, and Tom Jorgenson of the Neckbreakers and youıll see that this was just a huge party. And, since it was the last show of the ³tour,² it was blow-out time. They pulled out all the stops... and so did the audience. Yep, weıd just had a close encounter of the Untamed kind - a visitation from Planet Mace, a place where Youth Runs Wild. (OUCH!) ³Itıs Maceıs Planet... We just live on it.² ............................................................................... THE UNTAMED YOUTH - YOUTH RUNS WILD (Norton) Itıs a good thing itıs taken me so damn long to get this mag out. If I hadnıt, I wouldnıt have had an Untamed Youth record to review. Timing is everything. (And they say procrastination is bad?) For those whoıve gotten tired of my rambling ways, Iıll cut to the quick. Youth Runs Wild (Norton) is yet another excellent effort from one of the finest bands Iıve ever had the pleasure to see. This is Grade A, 100% American rockınıroll. The sound is sweet and pure; the vocals are excellent; and Dekeıs guitar playing is nothing short of phenomenal. Having said all that, I should also warn narrow-minded fuzz-freaks and punknik purists that the Youth donıt spew chunk chords or spout a bunch of pointless ³piss-off² platitudes. No, the Untamed Youth can actually play their instruments. And they can sing, too. Yeah - imagine that! - a band that thinks vocals are important! (In fact, this time they brought in Davie ³Blues Theme² Allan to do backing vox. Itıs true, heıs best known as the ³King of Fuzz,² but evidently he also used to be a session vocalist and worked with such greats as The Hondells!) Of course, the #1 consideration for the Youth has always been F-U-N! (That spells ³fun.²) Thereıs a certain magic when the Untamed Youth play together. This particular lineup is my favorite of all. My only regret is that they donıt all live in the same place, which means that Youth gigs are few and far between. Luckily, weıve got this record to hold us till the next time the boys play in our particular area. As is their custom, the group treats us to some excellent instrumentals. In fact, the disc starts off with one, ³Haunted Castle Party,² where they alternate between the big party sound and the cruising-the-castle sound. Of course, Iım not sure if the castleıs really haunted or the guys are just tryinı to get the chicks scared so theyıll cling tight. Which do you believe? Yeah, I thought so. Youıll also hear ³Red Line² and ³Lightninı Louie.² On the latter, Deke not only pitches in with a truly wild guitar solo, but he also pitches in on electric piano. Two car songs appear on the disc. ³Full Blown 426 Hemi² is in full, bragging hot-rod vocal mode and provides a fine time. As cool as it is, the automotive-themed track that will most likely capture your attention is ³Mace Has Got A Hot Rod Dart.² This has got just as sweet a sound as the other one, but itıs makinı fun of Maceıs wheels. The first new car I remember my family buying was a Œ69 Dart Swinger. I loved that car. But this is just plain funny, as Deke sings ³Rusted / Busted / Looks weak / Roof leaks / Backfires / Bald Tires.² Mace puffs out his chest and claims, ³It drives the ladies Wild!² Deke launches into another one of his stellar solos as the vocals sing, ³Itıs Junk² over and over again. At the end, Mace is telling the Dart detractors to ³Shut up... Goddammit, Shut UP!² I was all set to feel bad for poor old Mace and his Hot Rod Dart, but then he blew it... I could swear I heard him shout back, during the fadeout, ³You drive a Kia for Godıs sake!² HEY! I have a Hot Rod Kia! Mace also gets in a couple of lead vocals. Last one first... Youıll recall that one of the best known Radio Birdman songs is their tribute to Hawaii Five-O, ³Aloha Steve And Danno.² Well, as it turns out, the Youth are getting the final word in on that great show with ³Where Did Kono Go?² His big hit this time, however, will be ³You Canıt Call It Beer,² in which His Baldness takes issue with all those exotic beer things that are going on. He questions the existence of oatmeal in ale (me, I only accept it in cookies), and points to Pabst for the real deal. My brother is into microbrewing. I think Iım gonna put this track on a tape for him (first track of course.) The whole thing will have you bursting at the seams, but hereıs a favorite of mine, ³Tutti Frutti brew by any name / Itıs the biggst sham since Bartles & Jaymes.² Youth Runs Wild is jam-packed with hits. ³Girl Happy² is packed with the joy of a guy whoıs truly nuts about the opposite sex. Iım with Œem completely. The song smiles throughout as the organ splashes on the bright colors as Deke sings it out proud. When the whole thing comes to an end, Joel hits the accents nice and hard. On ³Iron Cross² we hear the heartbreaking tale of the generation gap. Dad is repulsed by what his son claims is his ³surferıs badge of honor² due to the symbolism that his own dad risked his life against. The son says, ³things donıt mean what they did yesterday.² The son pleads with his pop not to make him get rid of it, as itıs his way of being free of hassles, of saying, ³Donıt mess with me.² To find out the result of this sad tale, youıll have to buy the disc. Now for my pick hits. Who needs Franny? Weıve got ³Dance Sammy Dance.² This oneıll soon be a dance floor favorite in all the cool places around town, as Rager gets a chance to show off his fancy footwork. Do it, Sammy, Do It! Itıs a Hit! Best of all, however, is ³F-olding Money,² where Deke throws in some outrageous Trashmen-like vocalizations, not to mention some more killer guitar. GENIUS! ............................................................................... THE OUTSIDERS Reunion Tour Œ97 by Sander Van Malsson In June 1996 Albert `Appieı Rammers turned 50. ``What about it?ıı I hear you cry, and ``whoıs that guy anyway?ıı Appie Rammers was the bass player of the kings of Dutch mid-sixties *nederbiet*, The Outsiders. And this 50th birthday of his was important for us, because it was at this occasion that his old mates from the band joined up with him for a bit of a musical get-together. It must have proven an enjoyable occasion, since the lads decided to play together more often, and by 1997 plans for an actual reunion tour were underway. As it happened that year a Dutch TV broadcaster was making a series about ``classic albumsıı, and they decided to do one about The Outsiders. A gig was arranged at a club called Het Paard van Troje in The Hague for May 11th of that year, and the programme was aired on TV about a month later. My heart skipped a beat or two when I read about that in the TV guide. . . not just a TV programme about The Outsiders, but talk about a reunion, too! No way I was gonna miss out on this! I managed to see the band on three occasions during their reunion tour. The first time was at the official opening of the tour in Paradiso, Amsterdam on October 10th. Next I saw them in De Oosterpoort, Groningen on November 29th, which originally was the final date planned for the tour. But the boys proved to be unstoppable, and more dates were added for December and January, and so the final time I saw them was in Tivoli, Utrecht on January 8th. The first gig of the official reunion tour, then, was on October 10th 1997 in Paradiso, which is the Mecca of non-mainstream rock in this country, and a lovely place it is too, being an old converted church. Since I donıt drive I had to go by train, which would mean leaving early to catch the last train back home, but I figured what the hell, just an hour or so worthıs Outsiders is better than nothing. When your correspondent arrived at Paradiso at about ten to nine then, the support act for the evening was already underway. Alas, I thought, I really ought to have arrived half an hour later. Bland generic rock with a lead singer who thinks heıs so hip because he has a neck-tie hanging loose from his collar, and a bass player who thinks that running around a lot is a worthy substitute for stage presence. Canıt remember what they were called now. Of course, with that last train to catch of mine, every minute I had to listen to them meant a minute less of The Outsiders, which didnıt do much to improve my mood. Well, never mind. Then, after much ado by the stage hands and surreptitious glancing at his watch by your reporter, the main treat of the evening came on stage. If you know The Outsiders, you know the routine: it was a condensed version of their *Story 16*: ``On drums. . . Leendert Busch!ıı ‹- drums starting to pound away ‹- ``bass guitar. . . Appie Rrrrammers!ıı ‹- bass tones starting to roll up and down the fretboard, and on to the next guy, except that the MC had forgotten the name of the new rhythm guitarist (Tom Krabbendam, the original one, wasnıt part of the reunion), but then, so has your loyal correspondent. ``Lead guitar. . . Ronald Splinter!ıı (yeah!) and finally, ``Vocals. . . Wally Tax! The Outsiders!!ıı ‹- the lot of them bursting into a crescendo of accelerating drums, bass, guitars and harmonica amidst much enthusiastic screaming from the audience. Well, sort of. It took a few songs for Tax to sort his harmonica out, but do read on. The first few songs, I must say, did ramble a bit. Ronald Splinterıs guitar had a breakdown in the second song, but Ronnie bravely struggled on through to the end, although it appeared for the first few numbers that he had forgotten that all this continuous distortion stuff on your rhythm guitar is something for seventies hard rock, not sixties *nederbiet*. With some mis-communication, and with a small spot of confusion during one song, some embarrassed giggling already started to emanate from the audience, and your correspondent was starting to wonder whether the guys on stage had lost it after all (a risk youıre always running with oldies bands), until, after a few songs, this seeming nervousness, or insecurity perhaps, or whatever, of the band members started to subside (this was, after all, their first real gig for their Amsterdam home audience in three decades) and, like magic, what was on stage transformed from a bunch of guys holding instruments into a band ‹- a five-membered organism working as one mind to deliver a sound, a rhythm, a BEAT ‹- this was The Outsiders! Yea, this was the band Iıd come for. This was the blistering-maniacal guitar style that your unworthy servant ineptly tries to emulate in his own musical endeavors. This was it. These guys are still really, really good. Yes, I know what I said above, but that was just by way of warming up (by them I mean, not me). Itıs not important that they took a few songs to get up to speed, itıs important that they *did* get up to speed, and my goodness they did. Fast, and very, very tight. ``Well then,ıı as you might well ask, ``what did they play?ıı All their old stuff, of course. I have it from reliable sources that they even did a newly written song at the end of the show (although it was dropped again from later performances). The ones that I managed to catch before my untimely forced exit included, perhaps even in approximately correct order, ³Story 16,² ³Monkey on Your Back,² ³If You Donıt Treat Me Right,² ³Touch,² a beautiful ³Whatıs Wrong with You,² ³Thinking About Today,² and ³Filthy Rich². Not bad for just the first forty minutes. And then, just as the heavenly intertwined wailing of Splinterıs guitar and Taxıs voice on ³Sunıs Going Down² started to sweep over the stage and into the audience, your humble servant had to step out into the drizzle to catch that last train home. Oh well, with a dozen more dates awaiting on this tour, Iıd just have to catch a few of the ones nearer to home. The second time I saw the band was in the town of Groningen in the far North-East of the country, where I'd never been before. I went there together with TJ O'Brien, who had come over from the US specially to catch a few of the Outsiders' shows. We joined up in Utrecht where we first went to plunder almost any and all Outsiders goodies from the Da Capo record store (the best beat/garage store this side of the Atlantic, the address is Oudegracht 10 in Utrecht, canıt miss it, tell Œem I sent you), then took the train to Groningen, where we checked in at our hotel. This time there would be no leaving early (which probably would have meant leaving before the gig had started in this case anyway). We had a look around town, had dinner in what turned out to be a kind of cowboy restaurant (which makes it ³ethnic food² in this part of the world, ahahaha), and finally went out to find out where this place ``De Oosterpoort,ıı tonightıs venue, was, exactly. My ticket said ``concert at 8:30,² so Iıd figured that would mean the support act starting around nine-ish, and the main act starting around, letıs say, between ten and ten-thirty. Huh. Not so. It turned out that De Oosterpoort is a big theatre/concert hall, with an old geezer dressed up like a lackey dude at the door showing you the way, and if these guys say ``8:30ıı they *mean* ``8:30ıı. By the time we sauntered in around ten past nine the Outsiders had already been playing for about forty minutes. Good grief. Well, at least I could more or less pick things up at the point I had left them in Amsterdam. The concert itself was pretty good again, the band was obviously much more at ease than at their Amsterdam gig, though the early time and the odd location (a small cinema-shaped theatre hall off the side of the main building) prevented the gig from getting into a proper swing. Having failed to see a complete set twice now, I was determined to have one final go. I found out that the band would be doing an extra gig on January 8th, and although I didnıt have enough money left by now to stay for the night as we did in Groningen, this gig was in Tivoli in Utrecht which is only about 20 minutes by train from where I live, so I figured that this time it would be possible to catch the last train home without having to leave early. I arrived with Martine, an old friend of mine, at about nine. Opening for The Outsiders was The Dexels, a local band with whom my band had shared its first vinyl back in 1994, playing not a bad selection of numbers, including a favorite of mine, *Action Woman*. First surprise of the evening was that Appie was missing on bass. I mean, his replacement was pretty good, but they were down to only three original members now out of five. Still, this was an impressive gig. Absolute pure energy, perfect playing, and yet very friendly and relaxed, as you could tell from the broad smile (as opposed to a mean sturdy looking roadie) that Wally sent to a fan who jumped on stage to dance around a bit with the band. At the end Wally introduced the other members to the audience, each receiving their round of applause, and the applause that Ronnie got was noticably louder, which made him look very, very proud. His smile at that point must be my best memory of that evening. Thereıs three types of audience you might expect at gigs like these. There are the original fans, now in their late forties or early fifties, who probably all saw The Outsiders first thirty years ago. Then there are the young kids, whoıre just going out for the night, or whoıve just recently discovered The Outsiders. And in between youıd expect the kids of the ³Eighties Garage Explosion,² now probably in their late twenties or early thirties, but surprisingly (and much to the annoyance of yours truly, who happens to belong to this generation himself), these folks were mostly absent. Itıs my guess that theyıre probably too busy having careers or kids or something (Iım happy to admit I suffer from neither of these afflictions) to attend gigs anymore. Oh well, their loss, not mine. It was great to see that The Outsiders were still very much able to put up a solid performance, and that there are still plenty of people around whoıre able to recognize The Outsiders for what they were in the sixties and again now ‹- the best neder-biet show in town. Rumors abound that there will be a new live LP drawn from recordings made of this tour. No news about a possible continuation of The Outsiders has reached your correspondent, but is has emerged that Ronnie is now playing in a new band with ex-Kliek member Marcel Kruup. Canıt wait to check Œem out, myself. Sander Van Malssen is a member of The 1-2-5. Check out their home page at: http:// svm.www.cistron.nl/music/ For more info, check out Filippo Dulioıs Outsidersı web page at http://www.geocities.com/ SunsetStrip/Alley/3486. ............................................................................... THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS ON A SURFINı RAMPAGE About 12 years ago, I was hanging out at a club in Rochester and I got to talking to Andy Babiuk and Rick Cona of The Chesterfield Kings. Andy mentioned that they really wanted to do a surf record, plus maybe a folk one, as well. Well, in 1997, Rick is long gone (as are two other original band members, Ori Guran and Doug Meech), but Andyıs still there with singer Greg Prevost. After all these years, the Kings have finally gotten around to the surf record. Surfinı Rampage is a drop-dead perfect take on the early-mid 60s LA surf vocal sound presided over by Brian Wilson with pals Roger Christian and Gary Usher. Thereıre only four group originals on this 73-minute, 32-track monster, kind of recalling the bandıs first LP, which was completely garage covers. It doesnıt matter, though, as surf vocal stuff is something that really hasnıt been mined at all. I have no problem with bands doing familiar covers, actually, as long as they do them well. Itıs just that hearing the Kings do this stuff is a reminder of just how damn great this kinda stuff is. The 90s have seen a huge resurgence in instrumental surf music, something thatıs usually credited to/blamed on Pulp Fiction, even though many of the bands were doing it before the movie came out. (But thatıs a whole column unto itself now, isnıt it?) According to press materials, the Kings spent about a year learning how to really sing so they could do this style justice. The backing vocals are nailed beautifully, while Gregıs lead still features his distinctive edge. Personally, I think theyıve done a remarkable job and their work really shows. I think the guys would agree that their take on The Beach Boysı ³Surfinı² isnıt as great as the original, but itıs a strong take. I listen to this track and the rest of the disc and somehow I see the guys heading over to Vic & Irvıs for a burger up by the shores of Lake Ontario. The cars are driving up and the kids are out for a good time. No matter if theyıre doing a slow one like ³Ballad of Bonneville² (featuring some sax sounds that fit perfectly) or takinı on ³Little Honda² and revvinı up for a ride, the Kings are once again proving just why theyıre such a damned great band. There are also instrumentals. ³Beat Œ65² works beautifully as it fits in perfectly with the vocal stylings happening on most of the disc. One of the other instros found is an original by bassist Andy Babiuk, ³Double O Surf.² Itıs a slow, moody track with, as the title suggests, a definite spy feel. Also included is the well-named ³Echo,² giving the guitar a chance to strut its stuff, surf-wise, stepping out for a wild time. The majority of the tracks on the disc are written by Brian Wilson, Gary Usher, and Roger Christian in various combinations, but there are also a few Sloan/Barri tracks like ³Anywhere The Girls Are,² ³Summer Means Fun,² and ³Tell ŒEm Iım Surfinı.² Like the rest, these get stellar care and youıre transported back to Œ64 and a big convertible with the AM radio blasting and your best gal on your arm. Itıs also worthwhile to talk about the originals the group have written for this disc. Besides the excellent instro ³Double O Surf² (mentioned earlier), theyıve whipped up three vocal numbers. ³Shelby GT 356² is my favorite of these, sounding like it couldıve been a hit back in Œ64 along with some of the originals of other tracks on this disc. The lead guitar bursts through leading the charge while the vocals are all right on and a Vox organ keeps it going underneath. (Evidently, the guys put together a video of this one; gotta get a copy of that.) ³Surf Side Steady² takes a different tack, going for the ballad side of things. Again, theyıve managed to recreate it perfectly. They leave me wondering why this kind of thing ever died out, Œcuz itıs just such a great feeling hearing it. The triangle sounds on this one are absolutely perfect. They close out the disc with the title track, a frenzied surf instro with swinginı Vox organ sounds running out front for a nice portion of the track, all alone at one point except for a wild bongo beat. Throw in a bit of a ³Wipeout² touch and this oneıs truly gone! YEOW! Thereıs a reason all those early Beach Boys records still sound so great and this disc brings that flying right to the fore. This is the kind of music that just makes everything alright. It may have been a long time coming, but Surfinı Rampage was well worth the wait. All I can say is THANK YOU!!! Along with Misty Lane #15 came a 45 by The Chesterfield Kings. What was the featured side? Yeesh... you really are slow, arenıt you? It was a cover of ³Misty Lane,² of course. Itıs fantastic to hear the Kings doing the stuff that they first flipped fans out with some 15-20 years ago. Both this and the flip, a cover of ³Little Girl,² are right on, reminding us that the Kings can still do pure 60s garage punk with the best of Œem. Unfortunately, I didnıt get a chance to pick up Trippinı Out, the bandıs 10²er for Imposible, released last year. (Itıs got six of the bandıs fave covers on it, including a version of one of my all-time favorites, ³1-2-5.²) I plead cash deprivation. In addition, the band will soon be releasing an LP called The Mind Bending Sounds of... Writing collaborations and guest performances on this one will come from members of the Jefferson Airplane (Jorma Kaukonen), the Beau Brummels, Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Music Machine, The Chocolate Watch Band, the Blues Magoos and many more. The group will also be releasing some new 45s on the Living Eye label, the first of which will include a new original called ³Wrong From Right² backed with a cover of the Lyricsı ³So What.² Another of the 45s will feature the Kings and The Lyres doing one of each otherıs best-known tracks. The Kings rampage through ³Help You Ann² while the Lyres work it on out with ³She Told Me Lies.² (The upcoming releases info on the Kings was derived from visits to the groupıs web-site: http://home.att.net/~c.kings/ Stop in there and find news on whatıs new with them, any live shows coming up, as well as various other projects they have going, along with ordering info for some of their records.) ............................................................................... THE MORLOCKS - Uglier Than Youıll Ever Be A shout from an enthused (and probably well-lubricated) cave teen ready for a fuzz injection by his fave group... ³MORLOCKS!² Then a creepy, horror-show semi-English voice intrudes on the pre-show calm, ³Ladies & Gentlemen, Itıs time to hang out in your brain With the Sons of Sound Around the icy waters underground... The Morlocks.² And a chord sears in, burning meat as it chunks down to a second... and then The Morlocks are kicking into The Kinksı klassik, ³I Need You,² treating it better than Ray and Dave were by that point. This is October of 1985 and The Morlocks are playing a show in San Francisco and all is right with the garage world. This is Uglier Than Youıll Ever Be, from a tape brought to Voxx Records by guitarist Ted Friedman. Back in 1984, I was an 18 year-old just getting into the Sound of Œ66. Sometime towards the end of that year, I picked up All Black & Hairy, an LP by a bunch of San Diego high school kids called The Gravedigger V. Sadly, the liner notes (by 99th Floor Œzine editor Ron Rimsite) informed me that the Five were no more; theyıd split soon after the LP was recorded. However, guitarist Friedman had joined up with vocalist Leighton Koizumi and a few other guys to form The Morlocks. I finally heard them sometime in Œ85, when Midnight released their mini-LP, Emerge. Unfortunate-ly, the production was piss-poor, as far as I was concerned. Somehow, I didnıt like it as much as The Gravedigger V. So I filed the record away. Time went on and The Morlocks moved to San Francisco. I remember them doing a second LP (I think for Epitaph), but they were getting heavier and that wasnıt where I wanted to be. I stuck to my Gravedigger V album. Well, as always, time passed. By the end of the 80s, San Francisco had birthed The Mummies. While The Mummies style was far more Sonics/Wailers + Billy Childish, I sensed some sort of common thread. I went back and listened to Emerge. Pretty decent stuff, but it wasnıt where my head was at by then, even if it was starting to make sense. A few weeks ago, I got Uglier Than Youıll Ever Be. Damn if that Mummies-connection didnıt come back to my mind. I kept wondering if Russell or any of the Wrapped Ones were regulars at Morlocks shows. It certainly seemed likely. The Morlocks had real garage attitude and spirit. Unlike many modern garage acts, they knew you didnıt need speed to sell a garage number. Speed had its place, just like fuzz. Choose your weapons wisely, Œcuz one size does not fit all. This disc has a healthy dollop of covers, including ³Leavinı Here,² ³Your Body Not Your Soul² and ³Get Out of My Life Woman.² (Not to mention a host of others.) But itıs the bandıs interpretation that makes it work. These guys werenıt painting a pretty picture; like their namesakes, they lived underground and it showed through in everything they did. A perennial darkness shows through, bitter at times and exultant in others. Sure, not being allowed to roam free is gonna bug us, but it also breeds an uncontrollable lust that gets its fulfillment from all possible sources. Drink deep and fast. Let it overflow. Tear into animal flesh with everything youıve got. Let passions overwhelm. Thatıs the true wildness of The Morlocks. There are similarities to The Cynics at their most primitive, as well as some vocal bits that remind you of Greg Prevost of the Chesterfield Kings, but The Morlocks pre-dated The Cynics and... well, they were no Chesterfield Kingsı clones. A couple weeks after getting this disc, I heard about Leightonıs death. It prompted a night of playing this CD, along with the Gravedigger V disc Voxx released a few years ago, as well as putting Emerge back on the turntable for the first time in five or six years. And the power of Leightonıs vocals and the untamed wildness of The Morlocks flattened me. Turn the lights way down, turn your hi-fi up, and let The Morlocks drag you down to their lair for consumption. ............................................................................... HEAD & THE HARES If youıve heard the story about how I first heard Head & The Hares, you can skip down to the next paragraph. (I wouldnıt want to waste any of your precious bowl time.) Back in 1992, I was working at 2 Penn Plaza, above Penn Station and right in front of Madison Square Garden in NYC. The commute was a painus-in-the-anus, but there were some positives: first, The Platterpuss worked a block and a half down, Eric Fuzzco was about a block or two to the west, and Chaos/Black Eye label-meister Tom Bessoir was a block up; secondly, there were some fun spots for lunch, including our favorite diner down on West 27th for ³Friday Fishcakes² (which looked more like potatoes when you opened them up), as well as Pinkyıs Drive-In; and, thirdly, Midnight Records was within walking distance. So one day the Platterpuss and I walked down to Midnight at lunchtime. Coming over the sound system was this really cool New England 60s garage/folk. The Puss asked who it was. From one step up, the answer came down - ³Head & The Hares.² We were hooked. We both bought the LP. Ever since then, Iıve had ³I Saw Erica² ringing in my mind. Head & The Hares were (and are) from Rome. The LP, released by Pennsylvaniaıs Moulty Records, said that ³Head & The Hares attend Lasagna Prep.² I appreciated that, somehow. Now, six years later, just as Stanton Park is about to release the groupıs follow-up LP, Get Hip has seen fit to re-ish the first one on CD for the digital generation. The first track, ³Try To Forget,² leads off with a jangly guitar bit thatıs quite reminiscent of The Outsidersı ³Lying All The Time,² a personal favorite of mine. While that line lingers throughout the song, the vocal melody line is quite different, sadder and wistful, with only a muted crash to signal the transition to chorus. ³1-2-3 GO!³ and theyıre into the more up-tempo ³Tomorrow Never Ends.² This one has a smooth organ dominating the mix and falls further into garage territory. They follow with cool cover of The 24 Karat Fiveıs ³Get You² which moves a bit back towards the folk side, but remains on the garage side of the fence. The guitars jangle again and I can hear The Optic Nerve at their more upbeat. In fact, many people often refer to Bobby Belfiore, Tony Matura, & Co. when talking about Head & The Hares. There are certainly similarities, but Head & The Hares are no Optic Nerve clones. ³Love If You Can² has thin harmonica strains popping up throughout to fade away only a few measures later. Follow it with their cover of ³A Message To Pretty,² which slowly sets an atmosphere, letting the harmonica choose the direction before giving way to the vocal. It does so by evoking the Beau Brummels whenever it comes to the fore. This may be one of the slowest tracks on the LP, but itıs also quite beautiful. ³How She Was Good For Me² contrasts nicely with its predecessor. It picks up the pace and provides a some nice chunk chords throughout most, only occasionally giving way to the jangle. This oneıs a definite favorite of mine, but itıs almost like itıs the 3rd batter in the lineup, Œcuz next up is my absolute favorite in the clean-up spot. ³I Saw Erica² has stayed with me for over six years, even when I havenıt played the LP for extended periods, popping into my mind unexpectedly and staying there to put a smile on my face. Again, itıs upbeat and uplifting. While I wouldnıt call it quite driving, the chiming guitars keep moving and wanting the whole way. Maybe itıs that it gives the listener the feeling of wanting to keep reaching for something truly wonderful. It gongs in with a crash and keeps things going. This guyıs seen this girl and he just wants to find her again. The riff keeps ringing on in my mind and I can listen to the thing all day. It ends up by getting more and more chaotic towards the finish. They adroitly change course after that, moving into the sad psychedelic feel of ³I Donıt Know.² It builds up at points in the song, but most of it are quite down. Later, it features a cold organ solo on top. They follow with the quicker ³From My Window² and then on to the punkier ³One Against The World.² On the latter track, they sound more garage/punk than on the whole rest of the disc. Itıs a good change of pace, with the secondary vocals offsetting the lead nicely. It seems a strange choice for a band that spends most of its time jangling, but thatıs why it works so well. Itıs back to the ringing folk-rock on ³Iıve Been Told.² Backing vocals fall beautifully, but its the return from chorus to verse that really sends me, the guitar rings back in a circle to bring us back in... and repeats it to end the song, too. ³Sorry² is a long, sad garage/folk dirge. It just screams from the pain of lost love of the worst kind - love lost because you messed up. I mentioned that The Optic Nerve often come up in reviews of these guys. Well, obviously, The Byrds should, too. They bring that home with a bonus track on the CD, a cover of ³Feel A Whole Lot Better.² The sound quality, like most of this disc, is kind of primitive, but this is quite good. Here we are six years later and the guys have finally released their follow-up, Autumn Songbook (Stanton Park). Here we find that the band has more fully developed their already keen sense of the New England sound. Most of these songs are folk-punk, with some dark psychedelic flourishes. Now, Iım not art critic, but they put me in mind of the style Bobby Belfiore (of the Optic Nerve) was painting in back in the mid-late 80s. The colors were somewhat muted and somber, even when the scene wasnıt somehow sad or longing, there was a tinge of regret. So, too, with this record. Musically, youıll find a few covers thrown in, but most of the tracks are either group originals or are written by one of the members, Roberto Sarais. ³Iım Gonna Kill You² begins things with the same feel as ³Misty Lane.² The song is fully alive, yet without the pounding savagery so many associate with such tracks. The track that hit me hardest of all of them was ³Never Be Happy.² Until the afternoon of July 5th, Iıd only had this record on as background music, trying to absorb it without actually concentrating on it. Then, that fateful Sunday, I put it on to really grind it into my cranium before starting to write. And I hear this... ³I know / Iıll never be happy without you.² I need to hear this on the day my girlfriend of seven years has just left to spend two months in Costa Rica?!? Especially when weıve officially broken up as of her departure from Newark Airport? Sorry, but the loveıs still there and hearing this just drove a spike through my heart. I think this song is going to be playing in my mind for a long time. Due to the circumstances in my own life, this may become this LPıs equivalent of ³I Saw Erica.² Iım not saying itıs the best track on here (although it is damn good), just that it really hit home. If Misty Lane does a second volume of Love Is A Sad Song, I seriously suggest they try a modern version. A song like this one could serve as the new title track. Iım happy to report that not all of the songs on Autumn Songbook bummed me out that much. Sure, there are others that recall lost love, or something along those lines. The harder, more urgent ³You Cursed Me² seems positively POıd about it. At one point, everything clears up and the guitar rings with crystalline insight, but then itıs back to the shadows of self-doubt, with shades of ³Shakinı All Over² intruding upon the conscious mind via the guitar. Thereıs also ³Why Must You Fade Away,² with the organ supplying the sad tone. However, the music also seems to recall just why itıs sad that sheıs fading away... simply because things were so good. The lament exists because there was once great happiness. This one recalls some of the celebration in the grieving process. ³I Think Iım Going Insane² is a dark, psychedelic buzz that whirls around, unsure of whatıs happening in the mind. The accents hit and wound simply because the mind is not altogether focused. Some of the best tracks feature a wavering fuzz guitar sound at all the right spots. ³Tomorrow So Far² starts on one, lets a bass line play through underneath, then KICKS IN! Up on top, we get the vocal riding out the storm. When it subsides, another wavering chord kicks us good-bye. Iım happy to report that Head & the Hares have produced another fine LP. Hereıs hoping we donıt have to wait six years till the next one. ............................................................................... LIVINı IT UP DOWN UNDER by Michael Seman The Stems January 4, 1998 Murdoch University Mudslinger is the local summer rock festival, probably named because the ground near the stage turns to mud after the crowd is hosed down by the security. This year it was run as 18+ on the first day so you could get booze (and maybe allow any performers to strip naked). The second day was an alcohol-free all-ages show. I choose that day because it would be the last time The Stems played. On the bill were Beck, Swervedriver, three local bands, and six from the eastern states of Australia. The first local band were Beaverloop. They have maintained a DIY independent attitude for about four years. Theyıve finally got national radio and television exposure, but have probably hit a glass ceiling, and will be like Fugazi in terms of success, but perhaps they sound more like Tool and Helmet. Still, their home town, they are very popular with the teenagers. There was much crowd surfing until singer Loon X-Wing begged them to stop, and they did. Then there was Jebediah. They are one of the most successful bands ever from Perth. Coca-Cola even wanted to use one of their songs in a commercial, but they refused, probably not wanting to appear as selling out. When they began, it was amazing: thousands of kids moshing up front. Their singer has a sort of fake English punk accent, but their sound is more poppy. They certainly know the value of a good melody. I imagine they will get released in other countries eventually, and sell enough T-shirts to record a second album. Just seems a shame that they have become too big to play in pubs any more. There were two bands making reunion appearances here. First was the Hard Ons, a punk band of some note who split three years ago. I found them a little disappointing. They seemed like just another loud fast trio. But at least there were enough kids who remembered them to go wild up front, very much like a bunch of drunk adults they played to in a club on New Yearıs Eve. Well at last I saw The Stems again. Although their March 1 gig last year was supposed to be the ³farewell², somebody had persuaded them to play again. I was just glad to the chance to see them one more time. After their ³final² show last year, I got out the Bam Balaam compilation with the quote ³The Stems were, are, and always will be the best², and thought it was utterly true. So what can I say about this show? Well, it was good, but it wasnıt their best. They played really well, like they had never been away, but had some things working against them. There was no psychedelic light show from Laurie Mariani (they had the light of the setting sun on stage that prevented it). Then they were limited to fifty five minutes. Last year, they played just about their whole repertoire, but this time it was just thirteen songs. But the main problem was the completely different atmosphere with crowd of youngsters who hardly knew them. Sure there were some having a good time, but many sat down exhausted after dancing for hours in the heat, and more drifted off to the other stage to wait for Beck. Dom began with a joke ³some of you were sperm when we were around², and finished with another, introducing At First Sight as ³our new single, hope it does well². It was so sad hearing one of my favorite songs live for the last time. I can only hope they break their word that that was their final show, as I really would like to see them again playing before a bunch of the old fans. The Hoodoo Gurus January 7, 1998 Metropolis, Perth Newport Hotel I was feeling sick this day, but forced myself to go. After all, this was the last performance by the Hoodoo Gurus in Perth. I think it was their ninth show in this state in about three months, but it sold out rapidly, being the ultimate. It was supposed to be the last ever. Some people even booked flights from interstate to be there. They must have been disappointed to find that some Melbourne gigs got postponed to after this one. First on were the Dumb Angels. They all dressed in metallic purple mini skirts (even the male drummer). When they formed, they were in the ³so bad itıs good² category. Two years on, they became more proficient, but havenıt lost the sense of fun. Musically they are inspired by Red Kross and the Ramones, but itıs the posing, the smiling, and the screaming that makes them stand out. Most of the lyrics would be scornful to ex-boyfriends, so hecklers should expect vitriolic put downs from a band like this. Unfortunately, there were not many who know them in the crowd, so they got the odd heckler, even though they were firing on all cylinders. Then came the trio Flanders. They used to be one of the Perth power pop bands, but have changed their sound slightly for attempt at the American market. No really, they are taking the ambitious step of organizing a tour of the USA, even quitting their day jobs. Somebody has reasoned that a ³college radio band² can still sell many thousands of CDs in the huge North American market, but in their home town, being big fish in a small pond is as good as starving. Like the first band, they were doing the half-hour slot. But here, the Hoodoo Gurus fans are a mainstream bunch, and only seemed to know one of their songs ³Anky Fremp². The old songs that I liked went right over their heads. During the break, people migrated down from the upper levels of the club, packing the floor like sardines and waiting for the Gurus. It had been a very hot day in Perth, and the air conditioning didnıt seem to be coping with 1500 bodies well, so I looked for a less crowded balcony. This was an occasion when you came to see the audience as well as the band. When the ³Spit The Dummy² banner was finally lowered, eager cheering broke out, then faded away. Dave, Brad, Mark and Rick walked on, and the audience cheered even louder. They began with an instrumental, then ³Tojo². The crowd sang along, and it seemed like people were singing along to every song thereafter, even the newer ones. I donıt think Iıve seen that before, it was astonishing. Soon we had the song that begins with the line ³I wish this night could last forever...² and I reckon lots there were wishing just that. A bit later they took requests. Again I was amazed that these guys seem to know every song theyıve ever played. To my joy, they did ³Television Addict² from one of Daveıs old Perth bands, the Victims. One of the highlights of the night, for me. Then we got more of the hits: ³Death Defying², ³Bittersweet², ³Whatıs My Scene², etc. with more happy punters singing along. A bit past midnight it was ³Miss Freelove² and they got the Dumb Angels back as go-go dancers. Another highlight - I hope somebody recorded a video of this gig. Then they walked off, and off course got called back for an encore. Two more songs, then ³Like Wow Wipeout² before they said good-bye again. They got the loudest standing ovation I have ever heard, so had to come back for one more song. It really was a special event, that I wonıt forget in a hurry. Poptopia Perth DM3, Jack & the Beanstalk, & the Dumb Angels February 8, 1998 The Poptopia festival invited DM3 and Jack and the Beanstalk to Los Angeles, but the cost of the airline tickets was something of a problem. So they organized an Australian chapter of Poptopia instead, featuring Perthıs best geetar popsters. Even without that connection, it would have been a special event for some:this was DM3ıs first gig for fifteen months. Starting the show were the Dumb Angels. They began their career this way, opening for DM3 at this same venue. Their twenty five minute set probably got them marked as a joke by some pundits, but a few years later they are still at it. Since then theyıve changed drummers a few times, learnt some more chords, and got a wah-wah pedal, but remain one of the best ³girl garage noise² groups around. They made a few mistakes, and the PA was too loud, but this is a band for whom criticizing technical proficiency would be sheer pedantic nit-picking. The Dumb Angels are simply loads of fun. Most people stayed out in the beer garden (where you could still hear it, so loud were they), but a small bunch of fans got up there to take in the true spirit of rockınıroll. I am sure had they played in Los Angeles, some talent scout would have signed them up. Jack and the Beanstalk faced a bigger crowd by the time they came on. Early in the set they did two songs called ŒGram Parsonsı and ŒRay Daviesı, both of them being something of an inspiration to Mister Joe Algeri, the singer of J&TB. Although Ray Daviesı lyrics are actually about adultery with the next door neighbor. They used to be pretty much a sixties power pop band, but later on they did some newer songs, which were more towards a seventies bogan rock sound. For example, ŒRaspberry Jamı reminds one of the Ted Mulry Gang. Like the first band, they had the occasional imperfection, but it was a satisfying live performance, plenty of dance worthy songs and hummable tunes. They have almost a standard finish: the Beatıs ŒWalking Out On Loveı, then Joe kissed his guitar before hurling it at the wall. I am surprised it still functions after those repeated assaults. Perhaps the guitar manufacturer should use him in an advertisement boasting how tough their instrument is. At last DM3 appeared, with new bass player Julian Mathews, who just four weeks earlier had played alongside Dom Mariani in the Stems reunion. It seemed like ages since DM3 had played in public, and we wondered what difference Jules would make, and what new songs Dom had been composing last year, while drummer Pas was studying at the conservatorium. And the answer is that it was quite different to any DM3 gig before. Typically they used to do a song from the Stems and one from the Someloves, but none of this time. They only did six recorded songs. There were three old songs that didnıt appear on their albums, and five new songs. The new songs were mellow and laid back compared to the ³explosive power pop² as DM3 described themselves in the band database. In part due to Julianıs bass being too loud, whereas Domıs guitar was dominant in the olden days. But there is also a shift in style: now it sounds like Big Star and the Raspberries are influences more than the Beatles, Who, Stones, Kinks, CCR and bubblegum bands. The opened with the song ŒHold Onı, which hinted at the direction they were heading in. Right in the middle of the set came their first single ŒFoolishı, which got the greatest crowd reaction. The song that followed this was the best of the newies, Mariani hasnıt forgotten about melodies. Dom dedicated a song to Carl Wilson. I was expecting that, seeing as DM3 recorded a song for the Beach Boys tribute album. They played for an hour; before they doing sets of about seventy five minutes, but I suppose Julian hasnıt learned everything yet. I would hope they do a few more old favorites next time. This show got something of a mixed response. A long time fan who accompanied me described it as depressing. Somebody else thought it was great to hear more variety in the repertoire. These new songs may sell on CD, but I donıt feel they will attract youngsters to their live shows, which is what they need, since their fans are mostly the older generation who rarely go out to pubs anymore to hear rockınroll bands. ............................................................................... THE MAKERS - Psychopathia Sexualis The Makers have made a name for themselves as out-and-out garage punks. Their basic building blocks have often seemed to be the raw sides created by the early Kinks, Animals, and Them, filtered through a love of cool mid-60s punkery and the attitude of some of the 70s snot. (Why ³seemed?² Quite simply, nobody can say for sure what made an artist create something. In fact, often the artist isnıt sure, either. My point is that I am the one stating what I believe.) If these are their raw materials, then the unseen forces that guide the groupıs hands in shaping those materials into their creations must be the environment around them. Iım one of those people that refuses to believe that anything in this world exists in a vacuum. Perhaps the Makers have often been reacting to their own hometown of Spokane. Later, their vision began to encompass the world theyıd taken a giant step into with Howl. It is to their credit that, while evolving somewhat in the making of All Night Riot and subsequent releases, the band has stayed true to themselves. This should be the most important part of anyoneıs creations. With Psychopathia Sexualis (Estrus), the Makers are being accused of selling out. I donıt personally believe this is whatıs going on. I also donıt think The Makers would mind being popular. In fact, I see nothing wrong with any band wanting to be able to make money from their labors. Sure, they like what theyıre doing. Theyıd better; I have it on good authority that the band has never sold more than 10,000 copies of any of their records. You donıt get rich that way. This disc is a major step in the bandıs evolution. The first four discs (and even the two 10-inchers) showed growth, itıs true, but itıs not hard to see how the same fans would enjoy most of the material on them. A common thread plays the lead role in each of those tapestries. That thread is still a part of Psychopathia Sexualis; itıs just that it doesnıt dominate the whole thing on this one. The Makers have made a leap. Theyıve taken a risk. They had to know when they did this that it might alienate many of their old fans. A deliberate choice had to be made. Do you play the same thing for the next ten years till it numbs your mind or do you try something different? This is a question that other bands have faced over the years. Two prominent examples are The Pandoras and The Chesterfield Kings. The former went from the garage-pop of Stop Pretending to something akin to hard rock. It bombed and Kim Shattuck and Melanie Vammen ended up forming The Muffs. (A good choice, in my opinion.) The Chesterfield Kings are a closer match for the situation The Makers faced. The Kings, like the Makers, had been doing their thing for about a decade before they unleashed The Berlin Wall of Sound. In fact, like the Makers, a quick listen to their previous recordings will show a distinct evolution. However, each of these records still appealed to most of their fans. Unfortunately, these same records had such a common thread that the band itself was probably getting tired of doing it. So the Kings tried something else. OK, it bombed. In fact, in recent interviews, Greg Prevost has said heıs unhappy with it himself. If youıre stuck playing one sound for the rest of your life, it can drive you crazy and make you just want to chuck it all. Maybe this is why so many of the mid-60s bands got into psych (well, OK, that and the drugs). Unfortunately, far too few figured how to develop the rockınıroll sound into something new and worthwhile. This is probably because few can come up with something of their own; far fewer can do that and make it palatable. Donıt get me wrong, I love it when a band wants to keep playing the same thing that Iıve always liked. On the other hand, I can understand if they want to try and break free of a role theyıve been typecast into. The question that remains is, ³Can The Makers make it work?² I think they have. Yes, theyıre taking a chance on losing their audience. But if keeping your audience means going through the motions for the next decade and doing nothing that stimulates you, then is it worth it? In other words, the Makers have been a band since their late teens. Perhaps the same things arenıt moving them to the degree that they once did. If thatıs the case, then why bother doing it again? Itıs not making you happy and youıre not making any money at it. No, this does not mean that the new disc is about making money. Rather, it means that there was no reason to keep doing what theyıd been doing. If taking this chance means losing their audience, well... at least they will have tried. A band should only do what they need to feel good about themselves. If it pisses off anyone else, so be it. Some people have already called this record ³college rock.² Others have said this is the Makers bid for popularity. At this point, I donıt think anyone can really tell whatıs going to get commercial airplay (except hits by established artists and their soundalikes... and maybe some extremely bland crap that offends nobody.) Will this record be played on major rock radio? Thatıs hard to predict. Some of the songs are still too raw for me to imagine that happening. On the other hand, I think some might catch some new ears. Itıd be easy to argue that much of the Makersı previous output was quite same-y. Iıd disagree, saying a closer listen would reveal many different ideas, but I at least would understand where the argument was coming from. This new disc is more of a departure for the band - a group that probably never wanted to be considered straight 60s garage in the first place. Fans will be glad to note, however, that the garage influence is still there... itıs just mixed in with other ideas this time. Psychopathia Sexualis is one of those discs that will take repeated listens before it can be fully appreciated. Jack Endinoıs studio ideas are not the same as Tim Kerrıs. This fits in nicely, of course, with where the bandıs head was probably at when they started contemplating what to do with this new release. This record features far more variety than anything weıve heard before from The Makers. In fact, ³Lover Lover² eases us in with a fairly standard Makersı guitar riff. Itıs not until Mike starts singing that we realize that this isnıt going to be the same old feral wolf ready to sink his teeth in at the first opportunity. Rather, heıs going to play with us, tease us. But it rocks, especially on Jamieıs guitar leads. This one actually isnıt that much different than the bandıs old sound, not at the core, anyway; whatıs different is the paint job and the frame. ³Sharp Leather Walking Shoes² continues on the same path as the first track. Itıs a bit fiercer, but itıs just as strong. ³Pants² starts a bit slower, like some of the warier tracks on Howl. It kicks in with a bit more power and then SLAMS into the chorus before easing back down into a sexual groove and going for it all over again. ³Love That Is Strange² is one of the discıs ballads. It reminds me of walking home just as a November rain lets up. Itıs downcast, but full of puzzlement. ³How can I draw the line, between passion and pain?² The melancholy beauty of it impresses me beyond measure. A swirling mass of noise twists us into ³Turn Up The Century,² a track that might have fit well on the first or third LP by The Original Sins. It swirls with psychedelic snarls, but rocks hard at the same time. ³Whiskey Dog Mind² keeps some of the same elements, but leads us into a darker corner. ³Vicıs Mood² features manager Mostly doing a cool spoken word bit thatıll probably freak out a few, especially since there are often a few tracks playing at the same time, whichıll throw people off. However, itıs nice to hear a group throwing some sort of spoken thing on thatıs not another damned sound-bite. ³Sicko Sexual² blasts right back in, with some cool echo on the end of one or two words. The band rages, but itıs once again Jamieıs guitar that really takes off. ³God in the Palm of My Hand² drops the tempo down a bit, relying on a brighter riff that even gets just slightly funky. Mike occasionally lets his voice slide down to a husky sexual invitation. The title... hmm, canıt help but smirk at what a few of my students would probably think. One of my favorite tracks is ³The Mystery,² another of the slower tracks on the disc, reminding me of a late 60s Kinksı song with a 90s production job. ³Hotel 17² has Michael moving for that seductive sound again, the band dipping down for those parts, then both coming back full force for the choruses. ³Psychotropic Supergirl² is another one of the soft ballads, with some truly beautiful backing vocals, some swelling organ from Tim Maker, and some gentle twinkling guitar from Jamie. ³Deliver Your Disease² hammers it home hard with Jamie urging his guitar further and further into the same sonic whirlpool that JT bathes in on a regular basis. Itıs the perfect closer. Many of the songs on Psychopathia Sexualis are, if you listen for a bit, not that far removed from those on Hunger. However, the variety is greater and the presentation is different. As a result, people are talking about it. Itıs a strong record. It may not immediately grab people like previous outings did, but that doesnıt mean itıs not a worth listening to; rather, youıll need to give it some time before it settles in. This one isnıt going to go down easy. And I donıt think theyıre going to be stopping here. ............................................................................... FOR YOUR EYES ONLY First up is a mini-zine from the Tailspins gang, called Trash Times. No. 1 includes an interview with Mike Stax (editor of Ugly Things and a member of The Crawdaddys, Telltale Hearts, Hoods, Evil Eyes and now the singer for The Loons). Unfortunately, itıs FAR too brief. I tend to think, however, that this might have been better handled by Tailspins. On the other hand, Iım just glad to get a chance to read it. Also included is a kinda weird, ill-advised anti-monkey thing. On the other hand, their ³Sgt. Pepper Curse² piece is rather enjoyable, pointing out how that movie killed the careers of just about everyone who participated. Send $1 and 2 stamps to Trash Times, POB 248, Glenview, IL 60025 or e-mail them for more info at tailspin@interaccess.com. Glynis Ward has certainly been working hard. She got Feline Frenzy #11 out PDQ. In addition to the usual ³Dear Miss Paisley² and ³Thatıs The Bag Iım In² columns, there are interviews with The Cardinals, The Boss Martians, The Saturn V, The Royal Pendletons, Platon Et les Caves, and The Girl Bombs. In addition, Christina Kattuah hips you to Japanese gal group The Pebbles. Now, Iıve gotta stop for a second, Œcuz I heard said groupıs ³Weıre Going Shopping² seven-incher a couple years back and I though (and still think!) itıs complete crap. Iım hoping theyıve improved. Checking out the FF ³Top 10 Tunes,² I noticed in their ³Fave 60s Garage List² (³mostly,² it says, ³from recently acquired 45s²) that they mentioned The Scepters ³Little Girls Were Made To Love,² a 45 I picked up in Rochester years ago on the cheap. Itıs great garage pop with genius lyrics, ³Little girl, little girl lookinı good / Put your arms around me like you know you should (...) / Like a head to a hat, a hand to a glove / Girls Were Made To Love.² As usual, FF has full page pin-ups of many of the groups mentioned between the covers. And, of course, there are a ton of reviews. The only thing I really wanted to take issue with was something The Cardinals said about the 80s garage groups in their interview. ³The 80s bands just imitated the 60s. But there were some cool groups like The Crawdaddys, The Tell-Tale Hearts, The Chesterfield Kings...² Iıll agree, many 80s bands did imitate the 60s far more than groups do now. However, I think that had to happen. Bands needed some direction to go in after punk. After all, that road had forked in two major directions: New Wave and Hardcore. The latter tended to forsake melody for speed, energy, and mayhem, while the former, although often embracing melody, often just got... silly. Yeesh! I mean, Iım damn GLAD that those 80s groups picked up on Pebbles, etc. and blazed a new trail. Sure, many of Œem sounded far more like 60s stuff than todayıs garage groups. Iıve always felt they had to go back to the last time rockınıroll was unpolluted before anyone could move on. The funny thing is, the bands that this particular member of The Cardinals praises are ones that really dug themselves into the 60s sound without any real desire to move beyond it. I mean, The Chesterfield Kings didnıt even do one original number until theyıd been together for five years. And Iım not faulting them for that, either, since few others were doing that music at the time. Rather, Iım questioning The Cardinalsı position here. If anyone was imitating the 60s, it was The Chesterfield Kings. Later they moved on, but... And The Crawdaddys did the same sort of thing with R&B. And the Tell-Tale Hearts were somewhere in the middle, but still extremely into the 60s thing. I just donıt get this comment at all. Still, one of the other guys in the band says, ³I dig the groups that first started the revival in very hard and difficult times and circumstances.² That I can respect, but yet another member says, ³The revival bands were just New Wave bands that covered songs from Pebbles.² HUH? Sure, in some cases there were bands with members whoıd been in punk groupsbefore, or even New Wave stuff, but many of the groups were younger, just catching on to something very cool. How the hell were they New Wave groups? OK, enough already... this has nothing to do with FF. The other thing I wanted to heap praise upon was FFıs ³Getting Organized: Finding The Keys To The Garage.² As Iıve mentioned from time to time, I play organ. Granted, I donıt play it all that well, but... well, Iıve got a bunch of Œem, anyway. (Who knows, now that Iıve got one of my faves back at my place after three long years, maybe Iıll even start a band up with The Bluesman. Heck, Uli Shitbirdsky, drummer for The Shitbirds, just moved to Rutherford and is only a half mile away from my place. I can just see the three of us playing in the bandshell in the park on the corner near my house on a summer evening.) I appreciate the vote of confidence in the organ sound that FF has offered up here. I agree that The Chesterfield Kings, The Cynics, and Miracle Workers all sounded better when they had keys in the lineup. (However, Iıve gotta say that (a) The Fleshtones are using the organ on a regular basis again and (b) I think they sound just as good when theyıre not using it. With those guys, they employ whatever means necessary to achieve their superb SuperRock sound.) One more thing... this article has given me an idea for a recurring TS feature on organs. Weıll see what direction it takes... some of it could be heavy research, some could just be dealing with favored organ tracks, maybe something with organ players like Susan Mackey of The Omega Men, Sam Steinig of Mondo Topless, Nick Contento of The Boss Martians, Mike Maltese of Fortune & Maltese, Jeff Conolly of The Lyres, etc. Weıll see. Kinda reminds me of when Dave Amels (of Voce, Inc., but better known for contributing organ tracks to The Insomniacs, Swinginı Neckbreakers, his own group The Stepford Husbands in the 80s, and various others on the Turban Renewal tribute to Sam the Sham) and I talked about starting up an organ newsletter. Hmm... possibly still a good idea. Well, thanks to FF for giving me the impetus to get moving on this again. Weıll see what happens over time. For now, send $6 from the US & Canada, or $8 for surface mail to urope and Japan, over to Feline Frenzy, 2605 39th St NW #1, Washington, DC 20007. Many months later now and Iım jumping back into the Œzine arena (hmm... mash those two together and you get Œzinarena), this time with Shindig #3. This oneıs 84 solid pages of garage rockinı action, executively edited by Mojo of The Nuthins (and ³subedited² by Paul Crittenden). There are lots of interviews and articles to catch your interest, including Davie Allan, The Perverts, Wayne Proctor (We The People), The Poets, CopsınıRobbers, The Embrooks, and more. Thereıs also an all-too-short article on The Pleasure Seekers that came about as the result of what was obviously all-too-short a chat with Suzi Quatro. The most interesting bit I found out here was that in 1967 the group was in New York and needed a replacement drummer. Whoıd they pick up but future Heartbreaker/New York Doll Jerry Nolan! He was only with them a few weeks before they got another girl, but... WOW! Wish I could lay hands on a tape of that! A long interview by mail with The Chesterfield Kings Greg Prevost may leave long-time fans with a sour taste in their mouths, as Greg spends quite a bit of time putting down ex-members of the band. He tells how he and Andy were into much of the same stuff and they put the band together. Doug Meech was also into the music, he says, but they told Ori and Rick what to look like and what to play. Considering that the Kings started around Œ78 or so and almost nobody was into garage stuff then, that seems probable. But the next paragraph finds Greg saying, ³You know, we put it together that way and it worked out for awhile and then guys quit. Ori and Rick left (...)² Awhile? Ori lasted 7-8 years and Rick another year after that! Thatıs longer than most bands stay together! Heck, many of the bands we all love only lasted about three or four years. Next, he says, ³they got less interested in music and the things we were doing.² Well, Iım pretty sure they were less interested in what the Kings were doing. I talked to Rick Cona a year or two after he left the band and he basically said he was unhappy with the way things were working out. He said he and Walt OıBrien (Ori Guranıs replacement) would bring song ideas to the band and theyıd either be laughed down or distorted beyond imagination. Walt, of course, left about a year or so after Rick. Greg says Walt only wanted to do Beatlesı songs. Itıs true Walt had a pop ear; before joining the Kings he was in the Swing Set (who did an excellent 60s pop-oriented 45 on Peppermint Records in 1985), The BBBıs, and The Insiders. After leaving the Kings, he ended up in a few bands, including a wild bunch called The Pawns. I tend to think Walt left not only because he didnıt have songwriting input and didnıt like the bandıs direction, but because he didnıt get to sing lead at all. Of course, this shouldnıt have come as a surprise. Still, I always felt that Waltıs voice (which was fantastic) was underutilized in the Chesterfield Kings. OK, I do feel a bit put off by some of what Greg has to say in his interview. It hurts me to read this kind of stuff about a band that seemed so incredible every time I saw them in the mid-80s. I mean, these guys just blew me away. Having said that, I should mention that the article does fill you in on Gregıs feelings about a bunch of this stuff. Personally, I disagree with some of what he says. And I agree with him that itıs annoying when a 20 year-old raves about the Chocolate Watchband, but puts down a group like The Rolling Stones, just Œcuz everybody knows the Stones. Heıs right, the fact of the matter is that those guys were responsible for a ton of the garage stuff that happened. Not only that, but Mick and Keith wrote some truly great songs. On the other hand, I can understand why around the time of records like Berlin Wall of Sound, many fans were turned off. Personally, I never wouldıve called them a metal band, but they certainly werenıt doing Œ66 garage any longer, something Greg claimed (in an interview in the early-mid 80s) theyıd be doing long after any ³scene² was dead. But a group needs to change somewhat, especially considering theyıve now been around for twenty flippinı years! And Greg does say, ³I donıt like it [Berlin Wall of Sound] either.² My own favorite Kingsı LP is actually Donıt Open Till Doomsday, which saw the group modifying what theyıd been doing and turning it into something uniquely their own. What I find interesting is that Greg calls that a ³turmoil record.² Weird to think that my favorite album by the band was one that came out of a time when the band was being ripped apart. OK, but weıre getting off-topic. Thereıs tons more stuff in here. The diary of the Nuthins in Italy wore a bit on me, as I didnıt hear enough (for my tastes) about the shows and the other bands. (Thereıs some of that, but more later than earlier.) Tons of records in here, too, plus some cool columns and even more articles/interviews than the ones I mentioned (including a history of The Thanes!) Shindig! Pine View, Lyndhurst Road, Landford, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 2AP. Misty Lane is known as one of the coolest garage labels in Europe, releasing records by mainly pure 60s garage groups from that side of the Atlantic, although they also throw in some surf and even put out some North American groups on occasion (e.g. The Girlbombs and The Chesterfield Kings.) Besides being a record label, thoı, theyıve got a killer fanzine of the same name. Next we meet up with a new Œzine from Larry Grogan, whose previous efforts have included Incognito and The Evil Eye. (Actually, Larry has told me that the latter may be revived at some point in the future.) Gone deals with jazz, a genre I have absolutely no expertise in. However, once again, Larryıs writing is superb, getting me interested in his subject matter, even if Iım not a major fan of the music. (Though Iım certainly more open to it now than I was some ten years ago.) The features in #2 are on Anita OıDay and Teddy Charles, as well as an in-depth piece on hard bop, featuring Clifford Brown. Also included is a page on John Cassavettesı film, Shadows. For your money, youıll also get some fantastic reviews. Send a dollar to Larry Grogan, 45 Gordon St., South River, NJ 08882. E-mail him at LGEvilEye@aol.com. Another non-garage Œzine is Jersey Beat. Jim T. is up to ish #60 and is far more organized than I think I can ever even hope to be. Like I said, this isnıt a garage Œzine; Jim covers more punk than anything else, but he has columnists dealing with TV (Ben Weaselıs ³TV Eye² is pretty dang good), electronica (written by Mick Hale, ex-Mod Fun), ska, and, yes, garage. The main one in our favored category is ³Garage Disease,² by David Brock, but long-time TS contributor The Platterpuss also gets his own column, dealing with the same kinda stuff heıs often written about in these pages. The ŒPuss says heıs in ³semi-retirement² at this point, but Iıve a feeling heıll pop up here and there. Anyway, ish #60 of JB also includes a ton of interviews, my favorite of which is with Moe Tucker. Tons of reviews, but none of 7²ers. Why? ŒCuz Jimıs got a whole Œzine dedicated to just that topic, entitled Glut. Months later, I run into Jim at Brownies. After watching the incredible Mooney Suzuki, we get to talking and he hands me JB #62. Iıll tell ya, I wish I had the kind of stick-to-it-iveness that Jim does, keeping things rolling out on a regular schedule and all. Jersey Beat is an excellent Œzine, even if its focus isnıt right in my own personal 1-3 pocket. Lots of interviews, a Jersey scene report, and tons of reviews, but my favorite part has to be the ³Farewell to Maxwells.² (Of course, with Steve & Todd taking over the club again, I guess Jim may end up having to put together a follow-up.) Reading the record reviews was interesting for me, as I found one guy who I could almost use as a perfect barometer of what Iıd like and what I wouldnıt. If he hated it, Iıd probably love it. For instance, in his review of All Punk Rods, he wrote ³Sure there are some good bands on here (...), but they are all playing some stupid ass songs about cars and shit.² SOLD! Another guy, on the other hand, was pretty much in step with me in many of his reviews. Of course, these guys both betrayed my trust on one review each. The first guy came around to my way of thinking with his review of The Donnas. Of course, in one of his two reasons for you to buy it is ³if you (do), maybe one of the four hot girls will talk to you!² Couple that one with the comp review quoted above and I kept hoping that this guy was desperately trying to mess around with the readerıs mind. Still and all, I really enjoyed this ish of Jersey Beat. The magıs been around for 16 years no and Iım hoping that Jim Testa keeps it up for at least that much longer. You can buy each of these for $2 in the magazine racks, but if youıre planning on sending money, Iıd send an extra dollar for postage. Jersey Beat, 418 Gregory Avenue, Weehawken, NJ 07087. E-mail Jim@jerseybeat.com or check out http://www.jerseybeat.com Now for Tail Spins #29. This magıs always interesting, as theyıve got a bunch of articles that not only have zilch to do with music, but are almost always interesting as all get-out. The music stuff this time includes interviews with Los Straitjackets and The Spiderbabies, but itıs the article on ³The Wild Boy² and ³Stalked In England Pt. II² thatıll really hold your interest. While Iım not into everything they review, Iıve found that one writer, Suzy Nabors, tends to be into the garage stuff. So if you pick this up, look for her name in the reviews. A sample copy is $3 to Tail Spins, POB 1860, Evanston, IL 60204. A totally new Œzine graced my mail slot today. Brain Transplant is a product of Roger Mah, out in LA, a man I know to be extremely into Aussie rock, as well as many cool punk sounds. This first issue is 46 pages long, with a reprint of a piece on Heartwork Records, along with two extended interviews. The first of these, by Roger, must have made his long distance company extremely happy, as it was done via phone from LA to Miami, where the members of The Eat are still located. This oneıs quite an interesting story. Evidently, they were Miamiıs first real punk band and ran into all the problems thatıs likely to cause. Breaking up in Œ83, they didnıt play together again for five years, when they started doing one or two gigs yearly thru Œ92. Then they figured it just wasnıt working, so they called it a day. Then the Killed By Death comps started bringing them greater and greater notoriety, with even young punk kids coming up to them and saying stuff like, ³You were in The Eat!!!² Now theyıre back in action again, showinı the young-uns how it was done. Excellent interview. The second interview is with Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman. This one comes from various pieces done by both Roger as well as Steve Gardner of Noise For Heroes. Some interesting facts emerge in here, as well, although Iıd still like to see it last even longer. Then of course youıve got a bunch of reviews. One thing I donıt get, though, is the obsession with The Fells. I mean, thereıs a whole page of reviews of stuff by these guys or with them on it. I started to wonder if some Fellsı groupie died and left Roger his/her collection. I was glad to see that some are distinctly critical of the band, although I didnıt much like reading that some of it was, ³Like some of the duller moments on the Real Kids 1st LP.² Umm... What dull moments? Thatıs one record that kicks from start to finish. But that just illustrates the fact that everyoneıs got their own opinions. Roger and I may not always agree, but weıre both OK with that. Thereıs n price listed on the cover, but Iıd say sending $3 here in the US would be just fine. Brain Transplant, POB 24310, LA, CA 90024-0310. Or write to RogerMah@ucla.edu. Various personal reasons forced me into a brief debate with myself as to whether I should mention Lo-Fi magazine. I wonıt waste your time with these, though, since I finally decided that the purpose of this particular column happens to be to point you in the direction of Œzines that may be of interest to you, the reader. Straight-up garage/60s fans will find little of interest in ish #9, as that stuff only appears in the form of a few reviews and an interview by yours truly with Insomniacsı drummer Mike Sin. (Sometime this summer, Iıll probably make that available on the WWW.) However, if youıre into swing, ska, and cocktail/lounge, there are some pretty good interviews with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Blues Jumpers, Cocktail Angst, and Metro Stylee (as well as one with a West Village barber who evidently gives the best 50s-styled haircuts.) This oneıs $3.95 in the US and $6.95 for our Canadian cousins. (Itıs got a glossy color cover, but many of you may not want to shell this kind of dough out for a mag thatıs only about 34 pages, including a good number of ads.) Lo-Fi Entertainment, Ltd., PO Box 42, Old Chelsea Station, NY, NY 10113-0042. (http://www .postfun.com/lofi) Once again, we run up against a mag in Spanish; this time itıs Snap #3. Unfortunately (for me), I canıt read the language. Roberta can, but I hesitate to ask her to read through 50 pages of garage, Mod, and power pop just so I can write a longer paragraph extolling the virtues of what appears to be a Œzine with great taste. Their feature is on Los Brincos, with pieces on The Shambles, The Mockers, The Mop Tops, The Chevelles, The Others, The Slow Slushy Boys, Jack & the Beanstalk, the Surfinı Lungs, and a bunch of cool labels, to boot. This one also came with a cassette featuring a bunch of bands the mag is into, with many tracks coming from releases on Twang Records. In addition, thereıs a CD tribute to Los Brincos that was also an option to get. (I got lucky, the whole set was brought to me by The Mockers from their last trip to Spain.) Price? Well, it says that the ³fanzine + cassette² will run you 850 ptas, while the ³fanzine + cassette + CD² together cost 2200 ptas. (Does ptas stand for pesetas?) Thing is, I donıt know what the current exchange rate is for ptas. Not only that, but I donıt think this figures in postage. My best advice is to write to Snap!! Fanzine, Aptdo. 2303, 28080 Madrid SPAIN. Mike Stax has evidently been working pretty hard on getting Ugly Things out on a more regular basis, Œcuz heıs already got #16 out. The major feature this time out is on Union Carbide Productions, a fact that is bound to upset a whole bunch of UT readers (far more, Iıd think, than the Misfitsı feature a few years back). Thereıs about 40 pages worth of UCP coverage, including a huge interview by Mike that happens to be rather interesting, despite the fact that I didnıt much care for the group when they were around. (For that matter, I still donıt now.) My only complaint is that itıs so long. However, most major features in UT tend to be all-encompassing and go on for quite some time, so itıs hard to fault Mike for doing so in this case. Hey, it is his mag, after all. Lots of other cool stuff in here, including the usual Prettiesı page, info from Don Craine of the Downliners Sect, the Bonzo Dog Band, The Black Cat Bones, about 15 pages of interviews with The Outsiders, plus a cool thing by Alec Palao on his experience as putting together the Zombiesı box. One of the most enjoyable parts of the mag this time out would have to be the memories of one Ms. June Clark, who spent her teenage years hopping about Swinging London. A nice reprint of Paul Williamsı piece on the Buffalo Springfield from Crawdaddy #8 (March, Œ67) appears, as well. Of course, youıll also run across some excellent reviews, as always. This issue ($5.95 in the US) comes with a free CD by Soundtrack Of Our Lives (a post-UCP group). Ugly Things, 3707 Fifth Avenue #145, San Diego, CA 92103. On Saturday May 30th, Nardwuar and I spent some time hitting record stores and other cool places. One spot he had on his checklist was See Hear, so we stopped in there to search for some Œzines. As always, they had tons of cool ones. The only one I picked up, thoı, was Eye Deal a local glossy cover/newsprint pages mag that has some pretty good coverage of garage acts (although theyıre a bit thin on reviews of all sorts for my particular tastes.) The cover story this time is an interview (by ex-Friggsı bassist Petula Wilde and Friggsı guitarist Palmyra Delran) with the Chrome Cranks. Thatıs not what I bought it for. Nope, I got it for the stuff on The Swinginı Neckbreakers, The Oblivians, Los Straitjackets, and the Mr. T. Experience. OK, thatıs not completely true... what sold me was that they had a review of Cave Stomp in there and I wanted to hear their take on it. Of course, that ended up being the one place I really had a bone to pick with this bunch. First off, they say there were ³too many bands that sucked.² Well, I wonıt say that every band was great, but the only group that actually sucked was The Shadows of Knight. But this oneıs a personal opinion. And, really, if you didnıt like certain bands, thatıs probably Œcuz this fest wasnıt geared towards todayıs garage scene. Sure, some newer bands were involved, but this was far more geared towards the 80s garage scene. (Read the Cave Stomp article in this ish for a better understanding of that.) The thing that really ticked me off, thoı, actually makes me laugh at myself. Why? Well... it deals with the frigginı Smithereens, a band that I was never much of a fan of back in the mid-80s. Reviewer Chris Larry writes, ³it was disgusting that when Pat DiNizio was told that Ray Davies (...) was in attendance, he begged like a dog for him to go do a song with the band. A pathetic move that quickly forced Davies to exit quickly.² Now, I canıt completely blame Larry for getting this impression, but thereıs more to the story. Ray actually showed upat this thing because The Smithereens were playing. He knows and likes those guys. I could be wrong, but I believe they may have played together before. (Iım pretty sure that The Smithereens have played with Dave, at least.) So, in my mind, Patıs call to Ray was hardly pathetic. One manıs opinion. The other reviewer (Moonie) said he ³didnıt want to see Œem (...) in almost any context.² Before this night, I wouldıve agreed; afterwards, Iım at odds with him. As to the Smithereens replacing The Makers, well... yeah, it did seem odd. Unfortunately, it was a last minute call that needed to be made. It just so happens that the ŒReens have been getting it together again and were, once upon a time, at least a peripheral part of the NYC garage scene. It also kinda bothered me that neither of these guys mentioned a damn thing about The Secret Service or The Insomniacs. Iım sure theyıve seen the latter before (that or theyıve been missing out on some incredible rockınıroll) and if they didnıt enjoy the SS that night, then they either didnıt bother showing up on time or they were chained to a frigginı rock. Having made my complaints, Iıll mention that this is actually a pretty good mag. There are also pieces on Congo Norvell, HiFi & the Roadburners, and the Royal Crown Revue. This oneıs $3 in the US, to Eye Deal, 355 E. 4th St. #18 NY, NY 10009. CIeyedeal@aol.com Finally, a quick plug for my favorite e-zine. I realize that not all of you are on-line right now, but Jeroen Vedderıs Orgie Newsletter is just about one of the coolest things to pop into my e-box, musically speaking. Granted, thereıs no set publication schedule, but he gets it out pretty damn often. Heck, we donıt even agree about many things, but heıs got tons of current news and reviews and itıs always an interesting read. Tons of cool garage and punk reading. Just e-mail him at chiswick@worldonline.nl and tell him you want to subscribe. ............................................................................... LIVE & OUTTASITE I shut down the writing on Teen Scene #57 sometime during the week The Muffs were in town. From July 22nd thru August 21st, the only shows I remember seeing were those three Muffsı gigs and the five Untamed Youth shows. Actually, inside The Muffsı week, Iıd also managed to squeeze in a Hi-Fivesı set at Coney Island High, but my memory on that one is kinda weak right now. I do remember that it was quite entertaining and they really did remind me a ton of The Smugglers (right down to them mentioning when Grant had done some shows on crutches.) Oh yeah, I also remember these well-dressed gents wearing exceptionally wrinkled suits (except for the bass player.) And refusing to engage in vulgar discussions. ³We are not a vulgar band.² Anyway, itıs not that the summer was all that slow, itıs just that I made my choices. Usually, Iım all for shows being held on weekends. Thing is, during the summer, Iıd be perfectly OK going out during the week. Unfortunately, weeknight shows donıt draw as well. And, as any real rockınıroll nut knows, shows are just that much better when thereıs a crowd going apeshit for the bands. Everyone just gets spurred on to greater and greater heights and things explode. (Sorta like Spinal Tapıs drummers spontaneously combusting. But different.) Now, as a native of Long Islandıs North Shore (yeah, yeah, yeah... I know, The Devil Dogsı ³North Shore Bitch,² blah-blah-blah), I grew up spending my summers at the beach. Sadly, my adult life has seen my bodysurfing time cut drastically. This summer I got more in than the one before, but it was still nowhere near as much as Iıd like. Thatıs my fault, though. I couldıve been going out to hang with my brother at the beach he lifeguards at in East Hampton, but I chose to hang out and spend time with Roberta. My choice. Now, while Roberta is now working four ten-hour days a week (leaving her with Fridays off), that still means that going to the beach is essentially reduced to a weekend exercise. So, unless a weekend show was something I really had to see, I chose to hit the beach when I could. That meant a reduction in rockınıroll time. Having said all that... it was a good rockınıroll summer for me. Sure, I didnıt catch every flippinı show, but I did get to see The Muffs three times and The Untamed Youth five times. And each of those things happened within a weekıs time. So, in that one month time slice I mentioned before, I may only have seen nine shows, but those were jammed into two action-packed one week slots. The other two weeks were left for the beach and getting stuff done. Yeah, I missed some good stuff (most notably Ronnie Dawson at the Louisiana Community Bar & Grill on Wednesday August 20th and The Church Keys record release shindig at the Lakeside the following evening), but I still saw a whole crapload of cool, so whoıs to complain? Alright, then... Letıs Go! A few days before it happened, Bill Luther hipped me to the fact that The Omega Men were playing (extremely) early over at Coney Island high on Friday August 22nd. Now, the fact that it was early meant that I could make that show and then head around the corner for the gig Iıd originally slated in for the nightıs entertainment. So I was set. I called the Bluesman around 7:30, asking him if heıd be up for making the scene. He said sure. However, around 8:20 or so, Roberta yelled up that Bluesman was wussing out. If I hadnıt been intent on catching The Omega Men, I mightıve grabbed the phone and tried to guilt him into heading down (gotta see if Iıve still got the touch), but time was short and... I kinda like flying solo sometimes. Parking wasnıt the best, but eventually I lucked into a space on the finally-completed portion of East 9th Street between 2nd & 3rd. I had no idea what the heck the dang parking sign said Œcuz it was so faded. I looked for another one up the block thoı and everything seemed cool so I took off. (I wonıt keep you in suspense... my car was still there later on that night and it didnıt even have a ticket. If it had, I wouldıve raised holy hell with the NYC Parking Authority.) I walked into Coney Island High to find... almost NOBODY there. Sure, there was the bartender, the coat check gals, the sound person, etc., but other than that it was the band and me. I made my way towards the stage, as they got things set up. Organist Susan was the first to see me and was extremely glad Iıd made it down. (At least there was one person there.) Really, thoı, this was a show I wish they hadnıt bothered with - for their sake. (I mean, sure I enjoyed it, but they drove some three hours or so to play a gig to hardly anyone. Whatıs the point?) Firstly, they were playing at 9 PM, a time when many NYers are still either napping so they can stay out all night or grabbing dinner. Many people donıt show up till 11. Still, about five minutes after I got there, our pals Ingrid and Eric Chamberlin made their appearance. Soon after that, Hotfoot Lozito and his friend Nancy. Then, as The Omega Men blasted into their first track, ³Mania For Blondes,² I noticed another guy Iıve been running into these past couple years, Joaquin, grooving over on the other side of the room. The first chord crash into the opening number practically popped my eardrums. Then I noticed I could barely hear Jonathan Sipes spewing out the words to this raver... and then he was suddenly way too loud. Finally, about halfway through, he was at a decent level. Now, normally Iıd just say, ³OK, so they didnıt get a soundcheck.² But thatıs still no excuse for the incredible jumps and falls in levels that were happening. It was like this person had let a cat loose on the soundboard. Then I started realizing that Ed Abolinsı bass was really booming through... more than itıs supposed to. Sorry, Sound Lady, this was NOT a rap group. Funny, the only thing she seemed to get right the whole way through the set was Susanıs organ. Now, that at least is a plus, Œcuz thatıs a huge part of the bandıs sound. Iıve spent a ton of time telling you what went wrong. Letıs get to the other side of it... the band played pretty dang well. They did the normal faves off their debut disc, including ³Susan Goes To Work,² (a personal fave of mine), ³Cat Robot,² and ³My Favorite Dean Martian² as well as moving into some newer material, plus a cool cover of The Small Facesı ³Donıt Burst My Bubble.² It was a fine set and I kept wishing more people had known they were playing. Later on, I ran into some people who wanted to know why Iıd missed The Lowbrows. I told them where Iıd been and they were saying, ³DAMN! I wish Iıd known.² Well, theyıd have their chances the following month (on a night where the O-Men had to go up against The Lyres... this band just canıt get a break!) The final insult to The Omega Men came again from the soundperson. A few songs before the end, I suddenly started hearing the kick drum above everything else. And I wasnıt the only one who noticed either. The band started looking around wondering what the heck was going on. This was NUTS! Ah, well... you canıt win Œem all. This is a great band, but theyıre gonna run up against bad conditions once in awhile. Over time theyıre gonna start getting noticed (at least if I have anything to say about it) and theyıll start building up a following. And people are gonna wonder how they missed out on some of these early shows. Catch Œem NOW, folks. Next up was a band called Echo Drive. I wasnıt really planning on staying, but Hotfoot said he was going to check them out. He really didnıt want to see The Oblivians later on, anyway, so he had time to hang out. I was gonna go, anyway, since The Lowbrows (whoıre pals of mine) were going on soon around the corner at Continental. Then this gal walks up to me and asks if Iıd be willing to stick around, since her band was up next. Well, normally I wouldıve just pleaded previous plans and headed out, but this gal was someone I used to hang out with many years back when she was one of The Assassinettes, the three gals who sang with The Soul Assassins. So, since there werenıt many people there, I told Lucy Iıd stick for a bit. They took forever to finally get going. There mustıve been some sort of problems, but I had places to be. Still, I stuck Œcuz I told Lucy I would. They started out with only the three guys on-stage, doing a kinda cool echo-y instro. I kept thinking theyıd be better off with a second guitar to beef up the sound. Still, the guy was getting some pretty cool sounds out of his Gretsch. Lucy came up after that. While the music was still fairly decent, it turned out that her powerful vocal was a bit too much for the bandıs sound. It just didnıt mesh well. The songs werenıt bad (they werenıt great, either... or maybe just not my style), but the chemistry didnıt seem to be there. About 25 minutes into their set, I realized that people had started to show up. I also realized that my time was running out. Much as I wanted to stick around to support Lucy, I had plans. And at least now the room wasnıt so empty. Pat had gone towards the bar himself, so I just kinda made my way out. I went over to Continental and asked how much time before The Prissteens took the stage. I was told I had five minutes, so I did a quick car check around the corner. I was paranoid. (Can you blame me after my towing debacle in Brooklyn a year ago?) But everything was cool, so I stuck my copy of the New York Press in my hatch and headed back to the club. I walked in just as The Prissteens kicked into their set with ³The Hound.² I made my way up front and got with the up-front bunch, who were starting to get things moving. On into ³Youıre Gonna Lose² and then a personal fave of mine, ³Beat You Up.² (Gotta love that tough girl-group sound, with the lyrics, ³Heıs my baby, and heıll beat you up.²) Itıd been some time since Iıd last seen these gals and they hit me hard with ³Staten Island Queen² as they revved things up pretty nicely. Leslie was blasting away on her Epiphone and I was quite enthused. Later on, ³Party Girl² (written on Loriıs set list as ³Potty Girl²... must be from Boston), one of those tunes that always hits me hard. Yeah, another one of those tough chick things that I go nuts for. I still donıt think their cover of The Undertonesı ³Teenage Kicks² will ever rank with the original, but I still love hearing Œem play it, as do many other fans, evidently, many of whom were singing along and bouncing delightedly. They finished out with ³Going Out,² one of their out and out ravers, charging things up and letting go. This oneıs the perfect set-closer, leaving the audience begging desperately for more. Whew! Iıve seen The Oblivians a bunch of times now. I always enjoy them, but Iıd come to realize that theyıre at their best when the room is full and the crowd is ready to let loose. Well, I didnıt really have to look around to notice that it was pretty packed, so all we had left to find out was if the crowd was well-oiled. Yup. More than I wouldıve believed possible. It took a few songs before the forward guard started moving, but not too many. ³No Reason To Live² pummeled through and more people got going. By the time Eric Oblivian picked up the sticks and Jack Oblivian came out to sing a bunch, Greg had already gotten the crowd to the boiling point. All Jack had to do was keep fanning the flames. Instead, he chose to crank up the gas, and everything spilled over beautifully. Flesh hit flesh, smiles and grins flew across the room (along with bodies, hurled happily in random directions), and The Oblivians rocked the roll in a way only they seem to know how to do. I found myself about five or six rows back when I suddenly heard a familiar creeping guitar riff slinking into my head. ³I know this bugger.² Then it hit me... just as they sang out, ³Let Him Try,² one of the best tracks off The Makersı Howl LP. (Still my number one record by those boys.) This may have been the best Iıve seen The Oblivians. (Itıs between this and GarageShock, Œ94.) A fantastic set as they fed off the crowd feeding off them. One incredible frenzied churning spiral erupting through the roof and blasting out the windows. Fuzzfest left me completely worn down. I started the school year with my voice hovering just above the 50% mark and a strength level a nice chunk below it. So I ended up blowing off the Lookout CMJ showcase that Thursday night. No way, thoı, was I gonna miss Ms. Neko Case down at the Luna Lounge that Friday night. Her solo disc had blown Roberta and me away from the first play. (Plus we figured itıd be nice to hang out with her again, as weıd had a good time driving around together back when she was the tour drummer for Cub on the Œ95 tour with The Muffs & The Queers.) I got home from work on Friday the fourth to hear a message from Mike Sansone on the machine telling us to make sure we made it down to the Neko Case show that night... with Neko in the background saying, ³Itıs the Corn Sisters.² As it turned out, Neko was not doing an actual Neko Case & Her Boyfriends show. Rather, it was a Corn Sistersı gig - Neko on vocals and sparse drum kit and one of the Vinaigrettesı gals on guitar and vocals. As a result, I didnıt know as many of the song as Iıd originally expected to. (Although they did do ³Timber² and ³High on Cruel.²) I got the feeling a bunch of these were covers, but my knowledge of cool old country material is woefully deficient. I did recognize a few of the songs, including the one they finished up with, ³This Little Light Of Mine,² more of a gospel/spiritual number, I guess. Just one of those songs I remember from growing up, done in a reverent, spirited fashion by two ladies who can really sing. Actually, thatıs what really made the set work - excellent material performed with strong vocals. Iım still hoping Neko will make it down here with Maow, or do a Neko Case & Her Boyfriends tour around here, but this was definitely enough to put a gigantic smile on my face. Afterwards there was time to catch Brenda Kahn up at Sidewalk and then head to Irving Plaza for Man Or Astro-Man? (where one or two of my students were), but... well, Neko had played so early that Roberta and I hadnıt gotten to chow down yet. First we drove towards Sixth Street in search of Indian, but parking spots were impossible to find. We ended up at Down the Hatch getting wings to go. An early night, but weıd had enough to make us smile. So, no, we didnıt catch the other shows that night. Such, as they say, is life. The next day was a big one, rockınıroll-wise, especially the afternoon over at Coney Island High - Sit NıSpin, the 5,6,7,8ıs, The Woggles, The Fleshtones, and The Swinginı Neckbreakers. Following that, the Neckbreakers were crossing the street to play an in-store at Kimıs and then people had their choice of a major Joey Ramone-hosted shindig back at CI High OR going to Brownies for Satanıs Pilgrims. So, you ask, ³How was it?² ³GREAT!² Or so Iım told. See, Roberta and I had a wedding to catch that afternoon and on into the evening, out on Long Island. Yeah, we were bumming big-time that we had to miss a day like this. However, once we got to the reception that evening (traffic on the LIE caused us to get to the ceremony as people streamed out the doors), we had a GREAT time! A bunch of old friends from high school all brought together for the wedding of our old friend Pam Dolan to Mr. Tommy Allen. CONGRATULATIONS!!! We were honored to be there and it was worth missing one of the premiere days of the NYC rockınıroll year. (And, as Pam knows quite well, Iım not one to say that lightly.) Iıd been looking forward to Friday the 11th for about a month or so - since Bill Luther told me The Autumn Leaves were gonna be over at Fez. Excellent! Their 45, ³The Ballad of Plum Tucker² was the best slice of ringing folk-rock with a country tinge since The Byrds took their turn. Plus Mr. Keith Patterson (Oı He of The Funseekers and The Spectors) was laying down the bass line. It was to be quite the rockınıroll weekend, too, so Glynis & Richard Ward (she the editrix of the most excellent Feline Frenzy and he the organmeister/vocalizer of Thee Flypped Whigs) were heading up with cub reporter LJ Cunningham in tow for some rockinı fun. Now, that Tuesday Mr. Luther had kindly informed me that for some reason this was to be some sort of industry event Œcuz of one of the other bands on the bill, so I had to make reservations (not buy tix, just make reservations by phone.) So I called up the same evening I got the advice and found myself punching through menus, all of which led to me leaving a message of how big my party was (I shoulda said 100 just to keep a buncha stupid industry types out; or at least made the call about 10 times with a large party for each... I hate crap like this). I said five Œcuz I figured me, Richard, Glynis, and maybe two others. I got a message from Luther early that afternoon that the band was going on at 8:30. Uh-Oh! I knew Richard, Glynis, and LJ werenıt planning on leaving DC before 3:30 or so. I tried contacting them via e-mail to let them know, but it was too late. Phoning mightıve worked, but I didnıt have their number at work with me. Oh well. They arrived at about 8:15. I soon told them what was up. Glynis immediately went upstairs to change. Well, we got lucky and found a parking spot close by in record time. Even so, we only got to see the last three songs. But they were three DAMN good songs. However, the next band (The Orange Peels?) turned out to be at least as bad/boring as one post on the Audities list had proclaimed. We soon split for the Lakeside. But at least Iıd gotten to see The Autumn Leaves a little bit. Live, they were every bit as good as on record. And I bought the CD immediately after they finished. The next day started early. The Omega Men were doing an in-store at the Tower Records up by Lincoln Center at 3 PM. Geez... I hadnıt even known there was a Tower up there until Iıd seen the groupıs manager post abut the gig on Bomp list early that week. Regardless, we got up and made our way into town, again getting lucky, parking-wise. We got into the store and were immediately bombarded by a huge cardboard cut-out of the group attached to a rack filled with their CD. Made Œem look pretty important. I asked the staff where theyıd be playing. A rather rude counter clerk said ³over by the stage.² (Well, OK, thanks, but... WHEREıS THAT!?!) I asked, as politely as I could, just what part of the store that was in. ³The corner.² Now, even if this place had been merely a square, thereıd be four corners. And it wasnıt a square. Not to mention that it had a second level. I decided this was getting us nowhere and decided to mosey around till I either found it or started to hear some sound. Soon enough I stumbled across rhythm guitarist Mark Ebeling sitting on a small, low stage, only sort-of in a corner. (There were racks behind the stage, so...) Pretty soon we ran into a few friends, too, whoıd shown up for the afternoonıs festivities. I soon noticed there was no mic stand. Hmm... guess that meant Jonathan wouldnıt be doing any vocalizing this afternoon. Considering, however, that their set tends to be 2/3 to 3/4 instrumental, anyway, that wasnıt likely to be a problem. They started up and a crowd began to gather. As they did, the Tower clerks (including the rude one from earlier) pushed the display rack into easy access for those digginı on the band. Over to the left, a little black kid about ten years old worriedly asked one of us (Glynis, maybe?) if this was one of those bands that broke their instruments. He got a friendly smile, with an encouraging ³No,² for an answer. He seemed happy. And he really was enjoying them. It made me think that all it takes to get a kid to like good music is to expose them to it early on. Unfortunately, thatıs much tougher that it sounds. But I digress. As I said, this was an all-instro show. And that meant Susanıs organ got to take center stage even more than usual. That made me extremely happy. OK, so I wasnıt getting to hear the killer garage raging of blasts like ³Mania For Blondes,² but it just wasnıt gonna matter. The group was swinging. Best of all, they werenıt just playing to the normal crowd - they were reaching new ears whoıd never hear them otherwise. While I doubt they sold that many of the discs right then, Iım pretty sure they opened some new ears and garnered a few new fans. There wasnıt all that much dancing going on in the store during the show. Why? Well, I think people felt weird dancing in a record store. Some people did go for it, thoı. I kept wondering if that was legal at a record store. I mean, youıre not allowed to dance at most bars in town Œcuz Hizzoner hath decreed that it destroys the quality of life in the city. (To quote Plasticland, Iım ³sipping the bitterness,² once again.) After the show, we hung out for a bit then drove down to Midnight Records. Weıd meant to also hit Kimıs, but by that time we needed to get dinner. See, LJıs reason for coming up was to see The Mekons at the Mercury. Unfortunately, you can only get tix for that place at the club. And I hadnıt had a chance to do that of late. I tried the night before, but the door guy told me the Saturday night gig was sold out (even thoı the girl on the phone had assured me that Iıd have no problem getting tix for it if I just stopped by Friday evening.) The only way, he told me, Iıd get in is if I showed up around 8:30. He told me they let five people in if theyıre there early. We decided to make it by 8. That meant we had to have dinner at a reasonable hour. So we decided on Indian down on Sixth Street. WOW! Iıd almost forgotten how much I love going down there. And the rest of the gang did, too. Over then to the Mercury. The girl there didnıt know anything about this five people thing. She suggested we wait outside. So I went outside with Richard while LJ, Roberta, and Glynis had a drink at the bar. We only needed two tix, thoı, since Glynis, Richard, and I were headed over to Fez at 10. LJ soon came out and, about fifteen minutes later, a guy came by who had a ticket for himself, but not for his new gal. He sold his to LJ for face value. Now we just needed one for Roberta. Well, as it turned out, that happened, too, about 8:45. So we told them to have a good time and decided to find a way to waste some time. We decided to hit a new record/collectible store up on East Seventh called, I think, Strange Cargo. As it turns out, we ran into our pal Dylan there. The place was owned by his buddy and bandmate. The subject of their band, The Defilers (yeah, I know thereıs a band in the Midwest with the name already), came up and they said theyıd just recorded a tape. I said to throw it on. Then, WOW!!! Some beautifully nasty garage tones torched our cilia and cleared the wax out of our lobes. I canıt wait for this bunch to start playing live. We told Dylan where we were headed that night. We actually had two gigs on our agenda. He hadnıt known about either one. Turns out few people did, especially about the second one. After Glynis found some cool 60s teen mags and other stuff, we split for Fez, where Lo-Fi Lee was presenting Spy-Fi Night. Now, the fliers had all had The Omega Men at the top, so most people figured they were the headliners. The fact that the ³Spy-Fi² term came straight from the title of their CD, The Spy-Fi Sounds Of The Omega Men (MuSick), sure made that seem pretty likely, too. Well, luckily, weıd caught them that afternoon and knew the true score. I donıt think they were pleased. (Not only about this, but for other reasons, as well, which I wonıt go into here.) For those of you whoıve never been to Fez, itıs a two-level place. The upper level has its entrance inside the Time Cafe at street level. Itıs the kind of place that non-East Village types show up at to pretend theyıre in the East Village, but with none of the true East Village type atmosphere. Just the way the patrons like. Go into the Fez, through late-20/early-30 something Wall Street types slick in their suits and dresses, then towards the back and finally a staircase with a door person ready to sock you for ten bucks so you can go downstairs where youıll have a two-drink minimum at the tables. (I always wonder what theyıll do to you if you nurse it and never get around to that second drink; or if you just leave.) Well, weıd just paid ten bucks to see what we knew was gonna just be one band. No blinkinı way we were buying overpriced alcohol, too. (Or, in my case, what would most likely be a $3 Coke with a ton of ice in an 8 ounce glass.) Call us cheap, but weıd been spending money all day and had another show still to hit. Handing over ten bucks at the door to see one band (who we knew would be getting a very small amount of the eveningıs take) was kind of galling. The place is filled with tables from front to back and even along one side. We chose to stand off to the left near the bar. Eventually, I moved over towards the back where Iıd have more of a straight-ahead view. There was one spot I figured I could get away with standing - near the bandıs manager and his little merch table. The group started off with a ton of their more garage and soul-oriented stuff. They blasted through ³Mania For Blondes² and some of their best vocal stuff, still playing more instros than anything else, but it almost seemed like they were waiting to unleash their most quote-unquote ³spy-fi² stuff until they were good and ready. The promoter even came up to their manager, asking worriedly if the band would be doing any spy stuff, since that was the theme of the evening and all. The manager assured him they would. I thought it was kinda funny, seeing as how the promoter had taken the ³spy-fi² term straight from the groupıs disc. He knew what it sounded like... and everything theyıd done so far was from that thing. Guess they just werenıt playing it in the right order for him. Well, thatıs how the cookie crumbles when you stomp on it. (Maybe Iım being too harsh towards the guy, but I really felt the band was getting a raw deal.) Once they finished their second killer set of the day (giving me double-proof of just why theyıre one of my absolute fave bands these days), I gathered the troops... Glynis, Richard, Dylan, and now Dinos, as well. And I soon ran into my friend Kelly, too. We told her where we were headed and she asked if there was room. Well, Iıve got a little Smurfmobile (a Mazda hatchback), so there wasnıt, really. I mean, Iım probably the smallest of the guys and I was driving. Dinos is one TALL guy, so heıd be in the front passenger seat. The back fits two comfortably, three if you squeeze. And Glynis is a tall girl. Richard and Dylan are decent-sized guys, too. Was there room for Kelly? If she was into coming, weıd find a way. She did. So we found one. Simply put, we spread her across the laps of people in the back. We got to Maxwells over in Hoboken just as Mondo Topless hit their last chord. Ah, well. We still had The Lyres to go. What was amazing was the extreme lack of a crowd. Sure, there were maybe 50-60 people there, but thatıs not much considering how well these guys used to do there. Of course, the fact that few people knew that they were playing mightıve had something to do with it. This, in turn, had more than a little to do with the lack of any advertising. Which, when you boil it all down, is caused by the fact that the new management has all but completely ruined what was once the best club Iıd ever hung out at. The Lyres started off kinda shaky, but picked up about midway and started really making things work. Things soon started to fall apart and Jeff went back to cracking the whip, with little effect. Iıve seen The Lyres a ton of times over the years. This was among the weakest. (And certainly the worst of the 90s.) I canıt help but think the lack of a crowd had more than a little to do with it. It was sad. That said, there really were some stellar moments. Unfortunately, they werenıt sustained throughout the set. There are some whoıll be ready to predict doom for The Lyres. Idiots. One unworthy gig does not an end make. Iım betting that they blow the doors down at Cave Stomp in October. Once this gig was over, Kelly split for her place in Jersey City and Dinos and Dylan caught a lift back to Manhattan. Glynis, Richard, and I had to go park near the PATH and wait for Roberta and LJ to arrive from Manhattan. We ended up parked in front of some meat market Hoboken club. AAAUUUGGHHH! Eventually, we couldnıt take watching some of these people and went to sit by the exit from the trains and just wait. Well, the DC contingent departed late the next afternoon, but I still had some rockinı out left to do for the weekend. The Parisian pariahs, Steve & The Jerks were gigging at the Lakeside Lounge. To be honest, I was tired and in no mood to go out again. Once I got there, though, I knew I was where I needed to be. A bunch of the gang was there already, meaning we had some hangout time. Eventually, the nightıs attractions took their places. They jumped right in, assaulting the audience with everything in their considerable arsenal. Jagged edges abounded, thrusting wildly, and twisting in for maximum effect. These guys were ALIVE! A couple weeks later I found myself at Tramps on a Friday night, getting ready to check out Southern Culture on The Skids. Opening the show were The Exotics, whoıd impressed me when theyıd played Don Hillıs this past Spring. As a result, I wanted to see them. So I made sure Roberta and I were there early. Somehow, that meant we got there even before the flippinı doors opened. Youıd think, after all these years, that I wouldıve learned. Oh well... so we hung out against the building, across the sidewalk from the big tour bus SCOTS were employing for this trek. Rick came out and we chatted for a bit... Mary followed some time later. So at least we got a chance to chat before the proceedings. The Exotics sounded great. I mean, definitely a great time. Mostly instro, with a nice sprinkling of cool vocal numbers (including some old favorites). They got a bunch of us dancing and in the mood to keep things moving. Unfortunately, the next band up (whose name my mind has blissfully blanked out) was one of those sorta hippy-dippy pseudo-Dead things that drives me nuts. As a result, I ended up spending most of their set cruising around the crowd chatting with various friends. Somehow I still managed to make it up front for Southern Culture, although the place was jam-packed. I hadnıt heard the new songs till this night, but some (and I forget the names, at this point) of them were pretty incredible. The notable difference this time out was the addition of an extra musician, who played a utility role with keys seeming to be the main position. A nice touch, I thought, especially when they hit an old soul number. The rest of the band was playing well, but once again the club left me with a disconnected feeling. I just donıt feel right when thereıs a separation of a few feet between the stage and the crowd. The unified feeling is gone. Of course, thereıs also the fact that the crowd is no longer just the old gang, whoıve been fans for a bunch of years, but instead a whole crop of new folks who just got into the band when they got signed to DGC. And thereıs nothing wrong with that... heck, it helps the band make the music they want and support themselves doing it, rather than having to work some crappy job, hit the road and live hand-to-mouth, then head home to find another lousy minimum wage thing. Maybe it wouldnıt be as much of a problem if the show was at a cooler place (although NYC is woefully low on places that SCOTS could be booked into that Iıd be happy to see them at. Guess thatıs my problem.) The show was fun... just not the wildness of years past. Maybe itıs time I started catching them out of town again. Anyway, afterwards, we went downstairs to say good night, but didnıt stick around Œcuz it seemed like there were a ton of people and it seemed like they might be a bit tired (and, quite honestly, so was I). Wednesday October 1st marked the first dance by the Hub City Soul Club, spearheaded by Mod Man Bill Luther down at the Melody Bar in New Brunswick. I had off from school the next couple days, so I figured Iıd head down. Well, as it turned out, the day was long and I was beat. So I stayed in. (Sorry, Bill.) Then came my two days off - both spent working on installing Mac OS 8. (Read about that whole bit in the Days In The Life bit. - ed.) Iıd already e-mailed Fleshtones Fan Numero Uno, Steve Coleman, that I was planning on catching this one. I was pretty excited, too... Iıd never seen the boys at CBGBıs. In fact, in all the time Iıd been seeing them (about 12-13 years by this point), I didnıt ever remember them being booked there. The Church Keys were on the bill, too, so I figured thisıd be a pretty cool night. As afternoon turned to evening, and evening to night, however, I started feeling like maybe I didnıt want to go out. Iıd called Bluesman earlier in the evening to see if he was up for some Super Rock, but he hemmed and hawed, saying heıd call me back. In Blues-speak, that usually means heıs bagginı. Sure Œnuff, I never did hear back from him. Roberta tried giving him a ring, but his dad said he was out shopping. That meant Blues was a definite no-go. As to Mike Sin, well... Iıd both e-mailed him and left a message on his machine. But I didnıt hear from him, either. So, by 9:45 I was seriously contemplating blowing it all off myself. Thing is, I kept saying to myself, ³The Fleshtones! Come ON!² I kept thinking I needed this one. And I did, too. I got a parking spot on East 4th, just off the Bowery. And pretty quickly, too. Passed Eric Fusco coming up from the club. He told me that, for some unknown reason, it was no re-entry tonight... and that the Church Keys had already played - at 9 OıClock! Yeesh. Before I went into the club proper, off to the left I saw stairs leading downstairs. Since Iıd had waaay too much cola with the dinner Iıd just scarfed down, I needed a bathroom but quick. Even if it was at CBGBıs. So I figured there just might be one down this flight of stairs. What did I find down there but a whole lounge. Very cool. Couches, comfy chairs, coffee tables, end tables, One room has a big screen. The other is a long room, with a bar and a small stage at the end, tonight inhabited by a DJ that was evidently going out live over the Net. I just kept going till I found the bathrooms towards the back. They were clean! I headed back the way Iıd come and ran into Danny, Price, and Pat at the end of the bar. I asked how long this lounge had been open. ³Two months,² Danny told me. (Iım cutting this whole bit short, Œcuz the conversation took a turn, via Pat, towards The Beastie Boys, with him saying they were ³Pat Boones² and me disagreeing.) After awhile, we headed upstairs. Canıt remember who the band was, but the lead singer sorta reminded me, looks-wise, of a cross between John Felice of The Real Kids and John from The Hentchmen. His movements, however, were kinda like a minimalist David Byrne. The same sorta herky-jerky bits, but like Rick Moranis had pointed his thingamajig from Honey I Shrunk The Kids at them or something. Easy to see in a small club, but I kept thinking this guyıd be in severe trouble in a larger venue. Not only that, but the rest of the band just kinda stood there doing nothing. For some bands it works, but, except for a dang good cover of ³Six Days On The Road,² these guys just werenıt exciting me. Stab City did (potentially, anyway). They were next. I was right up front and ready to see what all the fuss was about. A bunch of people I hang with were on the floor, getting set to check these guys out. I figured the Farfisa Compact on stage was a good sign. The first song, however, failed to do anything to me except get me wishing itıd end, so we could get to the good stuff. I figured Iıd go for my old three-song rule. Sure enough, the second song got me. Got me to move to the back of the club that is. To me it just sounded like boring early-mid 80s rock, going nowhere and taking its time getting there. It was lingering like a bad cold stuffing up your sinuses. I was going nuts. The worst thing was that, after they finished that interminable set, a couple friends came back and said they were great! ACK! One even said they sounded like Television, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, and The Doors all thrown together. Well, first off, I was never into Television. So sue me. As to the Voidoids, I still think the best thing they ever did was ³Love Comes In Spurts² with ³Blank Generation² a close second. Some of the rest is cool, but if I was going out to colonize some distant planet and could never come back to Earth, and was told I had a certain budget to spend on records to add to my collection before I left... well, I canıt guarantee The Voidoids would make the cut. Iıve already got the two songs I want on either tapes or comps, anyway, so whatıs the difference? As to The Doors... I like most of their stuff. But these guys did NOT sound anything like Œem - not to my ears. I just thought Stab City sucked. Iım not trying to be mean; I just couldnıt stand these guys. I was practically crawling up the walls the entire set. No, sorry, it wasnıt that ³you had to be up front,² Œcuz I had been. Thatıs why I moved to the back. I apologize to anyone whose feelings are hurt by this. Musical taste is personal. Iım sure I like a ton of stuff other people think is complete crap. Of course, I donıt muh care. To me, Stab City sucked. Live with it. Time, at long last, for some true vindication via the American Beat of The Fleshtones. They blasted right off with ³Dig In,² kicking it out and letting fly with the Super Rock sound that any true rockınıroller will go absolutely hog wild for. They even managed to turn my mood around. (And it was pretty piss-poor after Stab City.) They were alive, they moved, they all sang, playing with exuberance. In other words, they were The Fleshtones. ³Weıre Back!² declared Zaremba. ³Last time we played here was in 1980. Hilly said heıd call us.² And they launched right back in, playing a set of mostly recent material, including current faves like ³Laugh It Off² and ³Goddamn It.² Much of the set was punctuated by Zaremba blowing some pretty wild harmonica, raving things up big-time. ³1980,² he said again. To which somebody responded with a request for ³Shadowline.² ³We didnıt play it then, either.² Keith took the mic for ³Cominı In Dead Stick,² one of the few oldies they hit this night. And it sounded great as always. ³Letıs Go² followed it and the entire audience was dancing it down. A couple more and it was time for the encore, led off by ³Let The Doorbell Ring,² always a great stompinı blowout. Then it was time for true Vindication... Keithıs guitar led it off and The Fleshtones did themselves proud. ³Men,² said Zaremba before the encore, ³Men who play RockınıRoll.² Friday the 10th and Eric the F is holding a combined b-day/new digs party. He says itıll be 6-10ish, after which weıll all cruise down to Coney Island High for the live entertainment portion of the evening. Well... first off, there was no way I was gonna be able to get into the city before 8 without quite a bit of hassle - and thatıs talkinı about a normal week where I havenıt been working average days of 11 hours. I needed down time. Even if I couldnıt sleep, I just needed a few hours with as little human contact and synapse-firing as possible. In short, I needed to veg. Which I did... and quite well, too. Well, I got to Coney Island High just on the dot of 10 PM. And, sure enough, nobody from the party was there. Why wasnıt this a surprise? Duh... it was obviously a damn good time; who was gonna wanna leave? (Nobody from the party ever did make it, either - not even later on.) As it turned out, Iıd gotten there just in time for The Bobbyteens to take the stage. While this trip was their first to the Big Worm-home, it wasnıt their first gig here; that honor had been bestowed upon the Lakeside Lounge the previous evening. School night; count me out, call me a wuss, whatever - just remember that I know the Pledge of Allegiance again (thanks to homeroom every AM). Yeah, thereıs something in my favor. On the other hand, it does set me apart... how many other Œzine editors can say that? (And, no, Iım not talking about those of you who are still in high school.) Iıll be honest - the only stuff I knew by this bunch before this was the ³Hey Roxy² single (reviewed in TS 57 - ed.). Didnıt matter a bit. They jumped on the set like it was some unbroken horse and proceeded to take the audience on one heckuva wild ride. Yeah, they did hit the 45 I knew, but the rest of the set was just as great, and I found myself singing along with choruses rather often... not bad, considering I didnıt even know most of the stuff. Call it punk, garage, glam, or whatever... they just trashed up their rockınıroll beautifully. The only downside was that Tina seemed to be losing her voice. I donıt think it bothered the audience at all, thoı I think it mightıve bummed her out. It wasnıt long before the 5,6,7,8s took their turn. They launched right in, too, with Yoshiko spitting out a constant stream of sizzling guitar bursts as they burned through the smoke with ³Jayne Mansfield.² She kept it up the whole way, too, even Diddleying around for a bit to mix up the pitches. The set was coming to a close with ³Ah-So² and ³Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow,² but they went for one more, closing it with the one the whole crowd seemed to have been waiting for, ³Bomb The Twist.² WOW! These girls have improved mightily in the last few years. (Yeah, I was impressed.) This was shaping up to be a damn fine night to be out rockinı and rollinı. Could The Prissteens match the othersı performances? Wonder no longer - they SLAMMED their way through the best set Iıve seen Œem do yet. (A damn good thing, too, considering how much time there was between the 5,6,7,8ıs and them. But, like I said, they quickly got that annoying bit out of our minds.) Mighty Joe was laying down the Big Beat this night and keeping the band thundering into the night. Leslieıs leads were right on. Simply put, this was The Prissteens showing just why they were billed above two out-of-town groups, at least one of which has a pretty big name, garage-wise. Some older songs mixed with some newer ones, some slow with fast, some happy, some sad. And the set closed out with my current fave Prissteens pounder, ³Runninı Wild.² YEAH! This one moves and gets me stomping every time. Now that is rockınıroll. Speedball Baby were next. Some friends asked me my opinion of them and I gave it, based on the last time Iıd seen them, a couple years back. Simply put, I didnıt like them. However, the first couple songs of the set had me starting to reevaluate - they were sounding like a harder version of Gun Club. Then the next couple songs came. Ah, well... Just not my thing. I didnıt get much sleep that Friday night. I didnıt hit the hay till after five and it wasnıt much past nine when the telemarketers started in full-force. I did get a ton of stuff done that day, thoı, before I had to try and nap. Unfortunately that, too, was interrupted by a bunch of phone calls. At 8:15 it was time to leave. The Bobbyteens had told me they were going on at 9 over at the Continental. Well, I was on time. Unfortunately, as it turned out, they had the 10 PM slot. Opening were a band calling themselves Bad-Ass Franklin. They started out the set with some guy with no shirt, clad in a towel taking the mic and proclaiming, ³This is a song about tits.² The first line? ³This is a song about tits / Whatıre you gonna do about that?² Nothing, pal. Nothing at all. Except tell you just how bad you SUCK. (Badly.) I was quite glad when I found out he was actually the drummer. Unfortunately, the two ³real² vocalists werenıt much better. As Hotfoot Lozito put it when he showed up, ³I think weıve hit a new low.² Somehow I knew their set would end up with the drummer back in front. I was even afraid we might get a reprise of his big hit. Thankfully, that was not to be. Instead, we got his falsetto vocal singing out ³Where are you, Tina?² Meanwhile, the gals from the Bobbyteens were dying of laughter, since their lead galıs name is Tina. Man, these guys SUCKED! The whole time they were playing, I kept thinking, ³How are they gonna look back on this in ten years?² I canıt see how theyıd be proud of it, so that leaves either looking back in disgust or laughing at just how damn horrible they were. Or the horrible alternative: telling their kids how ³cool² they were. At 10, almost on the button, The Bobbyteens took the stage. As it turned out, they were much better this time. Tinaıs voice was completely there and the band was knocking it out full-on. Russell was banging the big beat, Danielleıs bass was booming, and the guitar was slashing out good-time bubble-glam punkınıroll chordings. Just about every song was another guaranteed good time. My favorites were probably ³Almost 17,² ³Hot City Boy,² and ³Why Do I Hang Around With You Boy?² Great sing-along choruses and good-time backing vocals. NYC could use a band like this. Snuka were next at Continental, but I was off to the Lakeside Lounge to check out The Church Keys. First, however, a stop at Coney Island High to pick up my tix for Cave Stomp. Once that errand was taken care of, thoı, I beat a hasty path over to Avenue B. I somehow thought I mightıve missed a bit. As it turned out, things were late getting started, which meant I got a chance to flap my gums a bit. Ms. Lori let me know that it wasnıt The Prissteens fault theyıd taken so long to go on - the soundwoman had just taken a long time Œcuz, evidently, The 5,6,7,8ıs had blown some fuses or something. The CKs started off with ³Chicken Baby,² featuring Bill on vocals. On song #3, Susan told us it was time for the national anthem, so we had to stand up. She was serious, too. So everybody did - for ³Viva RockınıRoll.² Later on, Lars took the mic for what the band explained was his first time ever singing lead on a rockınıroll number. Of course, during this and the next few, my attention was divided between the band and the goings-on outside. As best I could figure, some gal had gotten into it with one of the guys from the neighborhood. Somehow, her boyfriend or something came out to stand up for her. She soon gave it up and stormed off. But her guy, who was at least 18 inches shorter than the other guy, well... he was getting steadily madder. Good thing for him a couple of his buddies (none of whom wouldıve seemed imposing without a couple others around) were standing by, Œcuz the other guy wouldıve torn him apart for the crap he was pulling. Meanwhile, back on the stage... Was that Lori, ³Cryinı Ruth?² The rest of the set reeled and rocked, aled up, and hit some highs. Only one encore, thoı... canıt win Œem all. As Lars said, ³you got dough weıll play all night.² I missed out on The Upper Crust on Halloweıen. Why? ŒCuz I was sick, Goddammit! Iıd missed two and a half days of work that week, only going in that Friday Œcuz quarterly grades were due the next week and I wanted the kids to have one last chance to make things up. But going out on Friday night just wasnıt gonna happen. A major bummer, but not much I could do. Friday the 7th saw my friend Rose catching a bus to Rutherford so we could drive out to Bethlehem, PA to see The Original Sins at The Funhouse. As always, I made sure we got to town early enough so I could get my wings and logs down at 3rd Street Chicken. We got to the club probably about a half hour before they took the stage, so we hung out with some of the guys, plus one or two other friends from out there. I needed to be here this night... it was the first Funhouse gig by the band since Iıd found out that it looked like they were going to be disbanding, so I wanted to make sure I got at least one more Sinsı gig at their hometown club in. It turned out to be a great night... much of the first set was just JT asking for requests. Very nice for me that many of these turned out to be ones that I yelled out for. (One of the advantages to seeing a band so many times for about a decade.) And the second set was even better, as they just kept blasting out those fantastic sounds that have kept me enthralled all these years. Perhaps the most interesting part of the night for me, though, was listening to Kenny Bussiere on bass. The band is calling it quits (or something of that nature, at least) The next night found us all at Brownies for a 1-2-3-4 count of straight-up rockınıroll. Kicking it off were The Church Keys. Unfortunately, for me, they actually went on pretty close to schedule. We ended up missing the first few minutes, but they did their thing in fine style once again. The Botswanas were up next, keeping the ball rolling with one surprise: guitarist Price Harrisonıs brother Mark (of Snake Hips) was guesting on second guitar. A nice treat. The highlight of the night came with The Insomniacsı set. As one young lady whoıd never seen them before said to me, ³These guys are PHENOMENAL!² They kept up the chatter the whole night with references to a recent discussion on Bomp list that referred to their GarageShock, Œ97 performance, where they allegedly said to the audience, ³You motherfuckers better buy some of our shit.² (Or something like that. If true, it mustıve worked, Œcuz their stuff evidently sold like hotcakes in Paul Bunyanıs logging camp.) Anyway, so this night they spent saying ³motherfucker² quite a bit. The night closed with The Full Time Men. It was weird looking around the room and noticing that there were three men in the room whoıd filled the bass slot for The Fleshtones at one time or another - Ken Fox (the current bottom end for ŒThe Tones) up on-stage; Andy Shernoff of The Dictators; and Fred Smith of Television. This night SHOULD have been an all-out raginı party. Unfortunately, it was competing with two other shows that had the potential to draw a like crowd. I canıt remember who was at Continental (Nashville Pussy, maybe?), but The Creatures were over at the Lakeside. Now, NYCıs a pretty big place, but the garage crowd still isnıt as large as it was back in the days of The Dive. More diversified, certainly, but population-wise, it just doesnıt have enough to support three shows in one night. As a result, the energy level in the audience didnıt reach the fever pitch I was hoping for. Iım still glad I went out, but I didnıt go home drained with happiness the way I was expecting. I rarely make it out on a week night these days. Teaching high school means waking up at 6 AM. And Iım just not good at that. My body still prefers to sleep till noon. Going out late in the middle of the week means Iım gonna miss out on some beauty sleep. (Thatıs bad.) The solution, then, is to only do it when its absolutely necessary when thereıs something special going on. Well, usually that means some touring act is coming through and I cant catch em on a weekend. Tuesday November 11th, however, was another story. A couple friends of mine had started a band called The Defilers. (Yeah, yeah I know thereıs already one in the Midwest with that name, but I didnıt name em.) I actually got to hear their demo a couple months ago, while at Strange Cargo hanging out with Rich & Glynis Ward. (All three of us were mighty impressed.) So when they told me theyıd be doing their first gig on a Tuesday night, I figured Id catch the show. Roberta and I showed up at Nightingales (a club Iıve successfully avoided for the past few years) about 9:15, since theyıd said show-time was 9:30. Silly us, thinking that a weeknight would keep em close to schedule. (Well, at least we parked right in front of the bar.) We ended up waiting till past ten. Such is life, I guess. Good move on their part, tho, ıcuz a whole bunch of their friends came down and got the place pretty crowded for a Tuesday. They came on with an instrumental simply denoted on the set list as ³Intro.² The organ groaned, the guitar creaked, and the rhythm section held it all in place while the front guy shook some maracas. Then they launched into some garage of the beauteous 60s primal sort, kinda like a dirtier version of The Gravedigger V. Indeed, singer Dylanıs voice sounds a bit like Leighton from said 80s San Diego garage stalwarts. Some very cool originals along with some cool garage classics, including ³One Ugly Child.² A garage-punk take on ³Little Queenie² was also much appreciated. The set ended with a sort of ³Intro Revisited,² titled (rather appropriately), ³Outro.² No encore, mainly Œıcuz, as theyıd already explained to their friends, they just didnıt have any more songs. Weıll just have to wait till next time. On my birthday (November 15th; mark it down and send me some exotic gifts... or cash), I had a choice between The Cramps/Guitar Wolf/Demolition Doll Rods or The Secret Service and The Lyres. Well, most of you would choose the former, but no way was I gonna take a chance on missing The Secret Service (even if it was billed as a post-Crampsı party). So I ended up at Coney Island High. Heck, after the incredible show the SS played at Cave Stomp, this seemed the right choice. Well, the band itself was playing fairly well, but the bandıs upstairs set at about 11:15 was fatally marred by Wayne Manorıs falling off the stage many times. This bummed me out more than most of you can possibly know, since I remember just how great this band truly was. All this did was make people wonder why so many of us still rave about them. Worse yet, the gal booking the show asked them to do another set after The Lyres played downstairs. I had to wonder if sheıd even seen the first one. Yeesh! The Lyres did a fine set, but then it was time for the SS again. The best song was easily a new one called ³The Shuffle,² which really is great. And this set Wayne only fell down twice. I hate giving a bad review to a band I love, but this was not a good indication of the bandıs talent. In fact, it caused them to cancel out on the New Yearıs Eve show they were booked to play at Acme Underground. Who could blame them? I thought that was it, but they ended up deciding to try again a few weeks after New Yearıs... but youıll read about that later. I saw a number of shows in December. First was a mid-week show by Dave Davies up at Toadıs Place in New Haven, with The Botswanas opening. The latter did a strong set and then it was on to one of my all-time fave guitarists. The solo shows by the Brothers Davies are an excellent indication of their personalities. Ray plays with quiet support from one other guitarist, occasionally reading from his book and launching into various tales, then falling into song. Itıs quiet enjoyment. Dave, on the other hand, has a full band and just rocks out. In fact, he even laughed about Rayıs pulling out his book. That aside, the set was wonderful, as Dave whipped through some of the best of the early Kinks, but also pulled out a few later gems. Of course, he also did stuff like his hit, ³Death of a Clown,² as well as a fantastic new song heıs got called ³Fortis Green,² which is scheduled for a new record of his. This one is quite reminiscent of some of Rayıs best Village Green material, bringing to mind their childhood and the neighborhood they grew up in. Dave also did some Ray songs, all of which sounded great. Of course, one of my favorite moments came on a cover of ³Milk Cow Blues,² in which they raved up something wild. Without going into detail, Iıll just say that this was well worth a Tuesday night trip up to Connecticut. Iım quite glad I chose to see Dave play in a venue where you could stand up and rock out, rather than at a place like the Bottom Line where youıre usually forced to sit. Sitting is fine for Rayıs shows, but Dave deserves an audience thatıs ready to let loose. He got one this night. About seven or eight days later, I again found myself out on a school night, this time for a barely publicized show by The Subsonics. As anyone whoıs been reading this mag for the past few years knows, this group is among my personal favorites. They sound like nobody else around these days and itıs extremely refreshing. They played a bunch of newer material, as well as a couple older tracks. Even so, my favorite was the encore, where Christi unstrapped her bass and played merch model, as Buffi & Clay played ³10 Dollars.² ³Sheıll do anything for 10 dollars, 10 dollars...² Heck, it mustıve worked, Œcuz I ended up buying 30 bucks worth of stuff that night. Later, in the downstairs dressing room, Clay wanted people to leave or turn around while he changed. I looked at him and said, ³Clay... why? Weıve already seen just about everything tonight.² (Quite true, since those silvery pants of his come way down.) Down at the Hub City Soul Club at the Melody Bar on Dec. 13th, I caught my first look at The Sonic Mood Set, the group starring all the recently-departed Creatures. They were doing most of the same songs theyıd done with Mark Smith, but with other band members doing lead vocals. The material still sounded great, but it felt like they could use a more powerful lead vocalist. But this is early in their tenure as a band, so Iım hopeful theyıll gather more steam. Once upon a time, a trip to Maxwells was always a pleasure. These days, itıs often like looking at a bad car accident. Still, I was willing to stomach it for The Spaceshits/Dirtys/Mondo Topless/Seculars show on December 19th. Of course, when I arrived, I found out that Mondo Toplessıs van had broken down, the Dirtys had quit their tour, and the Spaceshitsı lead guitarist was no longer with them. Ah, rockınıroll. Having said that, The Seculars didnıt let the fact that there were only about 15 people in the crowd stop them from letting fly with their no-fi madness. Neither did The Spaceshits. In fact, I liked them better with the one guitarist than two. This guy played a frenzied stutter-step rhythm that absolutely blew me away. Now I canıt wait to see them again. On December 6th, the 1997 edition of The Creatures of the Golden Dawn played their last show together. What, then, was lead singer Mark Smith to do about the groupıs monthly appearance at their home club, The Funhouse, in Bethlehem, PA? After all, thatıs really not much time to get a new group rehearsed and ready. Well, as it happens, thereıs not exactly a dearth of ex-members of the group. For this night, Mark called up the original group. That is to say, he got JT, Kenny Bussiere, and Dave Ferrara of The Original Sins to come down and lend their talents to the evenings festivities. I know, I know... for a long, long time it looked like Smith just didnıt want to have anything to do with JT. Maybe itıs just that itıs been over a decade since the split. Or maybe Mark just needed JTıs help enough that he was finally ready to bury the hatchet. Whatever. They got along fine this night. Now, I mentioned three guys joining forces with Mark. Thatıs not exactly the original lineup of The Creatures. Where was rhythm guitarist Mike Smitreski, I wondered in an e-mail to Mark. Mark replied that Mike was busy that evening with a pinochle tournament. The night of December 26th actually began with the fourth show by The Defilers (and their first trip out of town.) Their organ player was, like the previous week, still out with a couple broken digits. However, a pal of theirıs sat in and did his thing on the Vox Jaguar. Pretty well, too. While The Funhouse is probably bigger than the venue theyıve played half their shows at (Nightingaleıs), the main viewing area is far smaller. Also, very few of the people here knew what to expect, so when Dylan would burst into the audience like Godzilla in 3D, he definitely got a reaction. Pretty cool. Personally, Iım beginning to think that their version of ³One Ugly Child² is their best number, with ³Love Donıt Last Forever² running second. Eventually, the reunited original Creatures took the stage. The place was pretty packed. Lots of old Bethlehem faces were making themselves seen, including some of Kennyıs mates from his pre-Creaturesı bunch, St. Johnıs Alliance. And they started out by hammering away at some of their old favorites (stuff like ³Hemlock Row² and ³I Canıt Find You²), along with some covers (³Crazy Date,² ³Last Time Around² and JT taking lead vocals on one he ³learned while [he] was in The Creatures,² The Sonicsı ³Like No Other Man,² which The Original Sins did for the Here Ainıt The Sonics comp so many years ago). The only complaint I had was that it wasnıt a constant energy. This was not as good as some of the shows theyıd done while they were still a group. Even so, it was pretty cool. It did help me understand what it is, exactly, that Mark Smith has. After all, there are many people out there who just donıt likes voice. Honestly, Iıve never really had a problem with it. No, heıs not gonna win any singing contests. But, as one Bethlehem scenester said to me recently, you donıt really need much of a voice to sing this stuff. Mark has two things going for him. Firstly, while heıs got a restricted range, his voice thas power in it. He projects well and those lungs can pump sound waves with the force of a blacksmithıs bellows. Secondly, heıs got a presence as the bandıs focal point. These things, along with Markıs perseverance, help explain why the myriad lineup changes the group has gone through havenıt stopped him. The second set was a bit better, with Steve Schlack coming on to play second guitar. (Steve joined on lead guitar when JT, Kenny, and Dave left to form the Original Sins as a full-time group. He proved to be a smart replacement, as he wrote some of the groupıs best songs of that period.) The band seemed to be having a good time and the audience was certainly primed. One of my favorite old Bethlehem dance partners, Ms. Danielle Lubene, was in attendance this night and we had a grand old time at this show. The band continued to hammer out the hits and ended it all with a wild version of ³Gloria.² The perfect ending. As it stands, JT says he may do a couple more of these shows with Mark, since the next version of The Creatures isnıt completely put together yet. The next night was to be the final NYC appearance by The Original Sins. This one was upstairs at Coney Island High and Sit NıSpin were opening up. They were sounding pretty good, but somehow I just wasnıt really in the mood to hear them. Maybe some part of me knew Iıd need my energy for later. So I picked up a pack of cinnamon Tic-Tacs at the Coney Island High store and hung back there reading Howie Pyroıs interview with Rancid in the Coney Island High Times. (Damn crappy ink smeared all over my hands.) Eventually some friends came back and we hung out. I ended up spending most of Yang Dustıs set doing the same thing. A couple of members of this group used to be in The Half Breeds. I dunno, the songs just didnıt do that much for me. Still, Francis was sounding pretty sonic on guitar. Up through this point, the highlight of the night for me was Howie Pyro spinning some primo slabs of garage wax. Some of my all-time faves, including ³Why² and ³What A Way To Die.² Personally, I think Howieıs my fave club DJ of all time. The guyıs just got damn good taste (and not just in the garage vein, either). At 1 AM by the clock behind the bar, The Sins took the stage to a pretty crowded venue. (The 20-odd Bethlehem-sters whoıd chartered a bus for the occasion certainly helped beef things up, but there was a goodly chunk of NYC types there, too.) The group presented to us was the original bunch of Sins. (I mean after they became a regular band... the lineup on the first two 45s - ³Cross My Heart² and ³Just 14² - are somewhat different.) That is to say, JT, Kenny and Dan, plus Dave Ferrara on drums. There was no set list at all. JT just asked for requests. I kicked it off with ³Sheıs On My Side² and they obliged. Actually, I ended up getting in my choices for the first five numbers, including ³Canıt Feel A Thing,² ³Beast In Me,² ³Letıs Have A Party,² and ³The Partyıs Over.² Yeah, the power approach. Eventually, I decided I ought to let someone else have a turn and the band got into ³Juicyfruit² and various others favored SinSongs. The first 75 minutes or so were mainly spent with various tracks from the groupıs first four or five discs, since those were the ones Dave had played on. The next segment featured Seth Baer behind the kit. As JT explained, it was a pretty even split, time-wise, as Dave had been with the group through about Œ92 and Seth had taken over not long after that. (No mention was made of Kevin Groler, whoıs now with The Sonic Mood Set.) Of course, in the past year or two, Daveıs been pinch-hitting more and more since Sethıs had other things to do. Seth probably played about 45 minutes and then Dave came back to finish the set. How long was this ³set,² anyway? Umm... three hours. They did selections from just about every record they ever put out, including the new one, Suburban Primitive. There were a ton of covers, but far more originals. Basically, it was the Sins kicking it out and having fun. Yeah, JT took his shoes off. And then his pants. And finally, towards the end of the set, his shirt, too, leaving him in his bikini briefs. Yeah, he went on about how it makes him feel free and stuff, but that was cool, too. I enjoy when JT starts spouting whatever comes into his head. During ³Mary Mary² he actually handed his guitar to one of his friends and let the guy play the song so he could go into the audience (clad, youıll remember, only in those black bikini briefs). He actually did a back roll on the floor. (Yeah, you could see the grime on his back when he got back on-stage.) And, yeah, they did ³Just 14² with all the savagery youıd expect, even though theyıd been playing for so damn long. Now this was the way a band should say good-bye. Yeah, Iıll be at the Funhouse on January 9th for their final hometown performance. (And I may even have to make some apologies to some other friends the next evening so I can see the bandıs final - as in ³Thatıs All, Folks!² - performance at the Khyber Pass in Philly. However, as JT sort of said that night, this may just be it ³till next time.² Sure, Kennyıs moving to Florida, but... heıll be back to visit. No reason they canıt plan a few gigs around those times. (Heck, heıs already said heıs willing to come up and record new Sinsı records if JT wants him to.) For New Yearıs Eve, I wasnıt sure what I wanted to do. Roberta left for San Francisco on an 8 AM flight that morning (not to return till 5:40 AM on the 11th), so the decision was completely mine. It was either The Church Keys and The Prissteens at Brownies, opening for Chavez and some other groups I canıt remember OR Shake Appeal, The Swinginı Neckbreakers, and The Fleshtones at Under Acme. Both were fifteen bucks, so it didnıt much look like Iıd be seeing two shows this evening, even though the timing looked like it might work out. Of course, the fact that it was flippinı COLD out didnıt exactly help matters. Heck, I was tempted to just stay in and watch a movie or something with a couple friends. (Now that would be a new experience for me on New Yearıs.) But that rockınıroll soul of mine screamed for action. (Flashback to junior high and the Middleville JHS cheerleaders going ³A-C-T... I-O-N!²) Five years ago, parking in the East Village was often tough; these days it occasionally qualifies for Major Pain In The Ass honors. And this carries through to even such areas as Avenues A & B, where I used to be able to park as a last resort without a problem. (These days, I can sometimes try and hit the Lakeside Lounge at 3 AM and have a bitch of a time finding a spot.) New Yearıs Eve is usually worse. Tonight came as a pleasant surprise. We came down 3rd Ave, made the right onto Great Jones and started looking. For awhile, it looked like we were gonna have a problem. But once we got to the actual block the club was on, we ended up with a perfect spot right across the street from the club... no going around the block over and over, nothing. We got to the door and our pal Ken was being bugged for ID. Being a city dweller, Ken has no real need for a license. And, being (as he told them) 37, heıs just not asked for ID. They still didnıt want to let him in. I looked at the guys and said, ³Look, heıs older than I am. And Iım 32.² (And showed them my license.) So they asked him if he was a cop (a question which the police supposedly have to answer honestly.) He said no. They let him in. We got downstairs and Shake Appeal were already up there. Pretty good power pop, with shades of Cheap Trick and Redd Kross. Good, but I doubt Iıd follow them around. The Fleshtones then came up for some Super Rock. True vindication, indeed. The selections tended towards material from the past couple years, with only the occasional dip back for such favorites as ³The World Has Changed² and ³Cominı In Dead Stick.² (And a brief jump into ³Shadowline² right before the midnight countdown.) The Fleshtones had fun. Soıd the rest of us. Keith was in the audience more than a few times with his guitar. And Peter even dove off the stage to be supported by the crowd. These guys have been around for two decades. Weird to think about, considering how vital they are. Finally, The Swinginı Neckbreakers took the stage. They were on fire for New Yearıs Eve. Evidently, theyıd been given a choice of doing the countdown slot (second) or going on last. They chose the latter Œcuz they so rarely get to play a long set in Manhattan. They mustıve done 30 or 40 songs in this set. WOW! They did selections from every one of their three LPs, plus some singles. I couldıve done without this one big guy pushing some of the girls around. Tom Jorgenson put him in his place, thoı, from stage, telling ³Muscles² to cool down. ³Thinking Manıs Girl² sounded as great as ever, as did all the old favorites. But it was ³Canıt Explain² (sounding to me like The Byrds with balls) and ³Super Stuff² that got me really psyched. The latter was played nice and late and there was room to move. I danced around with a big smile on my face. At one point, the band brought Peter Zaremba on up to sing ³On The Road Again² and it sounded fantastic. The melody was just right and Peter was the perfect candidate for vocals on this one. Iıd love to see them record it together. Various audience members found their way onto the stage this night, but my favorite was when Bibi Farber (currently of Glow) got up with Bill Tupper (Mr. Awesome Majesticity himself) to do backing vox for ³Shake It Some More.² Oh yeah, one last word... Jeff was just sizzling on guitar. A long set that was well worth staying all the way through for. A good New Yearıs. On Friday January 9th I found myself heading out to Bethlehem again. The Original Sins were doing their final hometown show. They had one more gig left after this one (in Philly the following night), but I wasnıt gonna make that one. Besides, The Funhouse was the groupıs home, the place they played at least once a month for a decade or more. True, itıs a small club, but that means youıre probably gonna be able to see from wherever you happen to be standing. Besides, admissionıs cheap (as is the beer). I always feel at home at the Funhouse. As always, I arrived early. Once in, I ran into bassist Ken Bussiere and ended up talking for awhile. It really bums me out that Kenıs moved to Florida. The fact that the Sins are no longer a working entity is part of that, of course, but only part. See, besides being one of my absolute favorite bass players, heıs a truly great guy. Heıs always fun to hang out with. One of the few people I know on the music scene that I constantly look forward to having in-depth conversations with. The gang in Orlando are lucky to have him. Well, soon the Sins were ready to play and they launched into two sets of blissful rockınıroll music. It was sad as hell for me to realize that this night might be the last time I heard these songs performed live. (On the other hand, Kennyıs already expressed a willingness to come up and record a new Sins disc once a year, so I tend to think gigs are a possibility, too.) But that sadness winked out of existence the minute the band played its first note. For the next few hours, The Original Sins would be alive as they ever were for me. They blasted through most of their catalog, including their latest, Suburban Primitive (Blood Red Vinyl.) I think their second LP, The Hardest Way (Psonik), will always be my favorite of all their stuff; they played the heck out of it this night. Best of all, they did what might be my all-time favorite SinSong, ³Nowıs The Time.² I was standing over by the bathroom at the time and suddenly I heard that primal blast of joy that launches it off. My mind went into overdrive, a huge smile spreading all over me. Sure, they did tons of other great stuff on this final night (yeah, including that killer version theyıve always pulled off of ³Letıs Have A Party²), but somehow ³Nowıs The Time² said it all for me. So if the crowd had only a few of the same people in it that were there when I first went to the Funhouse ten years ago, that was OK; what mattered was that the enthusiasm was still there. The crowd was still nuts about this band. Who could blame them? I made sure I was front and center for the entire second set. It occurred to me that itıs where I belonged. So I danced along with everyone else up there. No, I didnıt know most of them. It didnıt matter... we were all smiles. Nobody was going to cry any tears over the fact that they were losing their favorite band; rather, they were going to exult in this show. ³Nowıs The Time.² If The Original Sins played every song theyıve ever released, they could have probably been on-stage for a couple more hours, at least. (They must have at least eight full CDıs, not to mention singles, comp cuts, etc.) Heck, throw in all the covers they know and it could go even longer. Oh yeah, and letıs not forget the gazillion originals that they either (a) never got around to recording or (b) never released (some of which Iıve got on tape; trust me, there are bands out there that are fairly popular on the garage scene that canıt come close to this stuff.) What Iım trying to say, though, is that thereıs no way this group could ever play everything theyıve ever done. Sure, that meant there were some songs I wouldıve liked to have heard, but didnıt; but who could complain with this show? It was past closing-time when the barmaid said thatıs it, but... well, none of us wanted them to quit. Sure, theyıd just played some incredible stuff, but there was one more song I, personally, needed to hear. And since the rest of the crowd obviously needed something more... that last, final release... well, I yelled it out. ³PSYCHO!!!² JT heard me. The barmaid was none too pleased. She wanted to go home. It was late. ³Whoa, Baby!!!! / Youıre drivinı me Crazy... PSYCHO!!!² One last time, I got to hear JT crunch his guitar through it, with Kenny pounding along on bass, Dan hitting the keys, and Dave Ferrara crashing through on the drums. Pandemonium. And I was happy. Saturday January 10th was a pretty wild one for Northeast garage fans. Up in Providence, RI, ? & the Mysterians were playing with the Itchies. In NYC, The Fleshtones were at Nightingales for the second of their January Saturday night appearances. Down in TriBeCa, Rob Merchandez was debuting the NYC lineup of his group, The Baskervilles. Meanwhile, at the Khyber Pass down in Philly, The Original Sins were playing their final show together. (Not that anyone really believes it, but...) Me? Well, I chose to go to New Brunswick, NJ. First stop was The Melody Bar, where Mod Man Bill Luther was hosting the fourth monthly installment of the Hub City Soul Club, this time featuring The Insomniacs. As always, the boys did a fine show, debuting those wild-looking guitars they got in an endorsement deal - along with a cool new song or two. Itıd been a long time since theyıd played the Melody and this was an excellent return. Somehow, that small room, with its Egyptian theme, provided the perfect atmosphere. Once they finished, I hung around for only a brief while, as I had to make my way over to the Court Tavern for The Upper Crust. This was the first time Iıd seen them since theyıd gone down to a four man lineup, so I was rather interested in seeing if itıd matter. Nope. These guys were playing their first show in New Brunswick and it was jam-packed. They rose to the occasion, delivering their show in style with many of their favorites. One week later I was in Manhattan for one of the major events of the newborn year ‹ ? & The Mysterians. Itıs amazing to me just how much thinking about that band really still gets me revved. I picture that LP with ³96 Tears² and just how damned COOL those guys look. And once you throw it on the hi-fi things just get better. Getting to see the original lineup of this legendary bunch is a treat, plain and simple. Sure, many 30 year-old rockınıroll bands just plain suck, but... well, weıve covered this already, havenıt we? The Secret Service led it off. Their previous show had been uneven, so many of us were wondering what would happen this time. Before the set, I had a chance to talk to vocalist Wayne Manor. He told me how nervous heıd been at their Cave Stomp show - heıd never before done a show without having something to drink beforehand. As a result, their next show he obliterated himself. This time, though, he had his OıDouls and was ready to give it a go, nervous as he was. As it turned out, the band was a little shaky to start, but they soon got it moving and things really started to fly. They even had some new songs - something that really amazed me, considering they can only practice when guitarist Rob Normandin is down from New Hampshire (which mean holidays and weekends theyıve got gigs.) The best of the new ones is called ³The Shuffle,² which features Rob on a monster guitar riff, leading on to a frenzied chorus with call-and-response ³Yeah-YEAH!² stuff sending things flying. Iım hoping theyıll get a chance to take this into the studio. The Prissteens were up next and got things running wild as always. One of their fathers was in the audience, but Lori kept slipping up and embarrassing her with things you just donıt mention in front of Dear Olı Dad. All of this made for an entertaining evening. The band rocked it up and all was well with the world. The Lyres took the stage next. The set didnıt vary much from what theyıve been up to of late, but it was a good time. I think Jeff was once again quite thrilled to be sharing a stage with the Mysterians. This gig (and ones in New England a week earlier) was taking place because ? & the Mysterians were in town recording at Krispy Kreme Studios with ex-Viper Jon Weiss overseeing the proceedings. (Keep your fingers crossed for an LP to come out.) The band came on and, if anything, they were better than last time. ³Canıt Get Enough Of You Baby,² ³18,² ³Girl You Captivate Me,² and ³96 Tears² (twice, of course) had the crowd going nuts. I was pressed right up against the front with a huge smile on my face (almost as big as the bassistıs). Yeah, ³Itıs 10 OıClock and Itıs Too Late, Baby!² Afterwards, I had a chance to talk a bit to them and mentioned how excited some friends were about the trip the band was making out west. They said they were up for it, too, but they promised to come back to New York again soon. (And on May 2nd, theyıll be here.) February? Who remembers February? I do recall that it didnıt snow. I really sure if I felt like driving down to Asbury Park on Friday March 6th. I was tired. Iıd tried napping, but somehow the phone kept ringing just as I was about to drop into blissful sleep. And the Bluesman didnıt seem like he was completely up for a night of rockınıroll wildness, either. Somehow, though, we pulled it together. Iım still thanking myself for that. We ended up with a parking spot just outside the door of The Saint. Good thing, too, Œcuz The Donnas were already on. That was a bummer, but we caught at least half the set and were more than happy we did, too, Œcuz they were absolutely GREAT! Some people seem to prefer their earlier Radio X/Super*Teem incarnation, but Iım more into this stuff. More power, more rock, more fun. And, OK, I do like Donna Aıs twist-y moves up there. Thereıs something charming about her lack of any kind of polished act. It gives the songs more of a smiling innocence. Flatus came on and did a solid set of punk-pop, including, I believe, a strong version of ³Rockaway Beach.² Following them, The Groovie Ghoulies came up to do their thing. Since Iım now writing three months down the line, Iıll just mention that this was their usual fun set. Somehow I really enjoy seeing bands in places out of NYC. Sure, I have a great time in town, too, but itıs nice to get out and see bands with a smaller crowd. Still... the next nightıs shindig at Coney Island High was pretty damn great. Roberta and I showed up very early, meaning we sat through a horrid band called the Primadonnas. Sorry, but they sucked. The Donnas were up next. Roberta hadnıt seen them yet, but she, too, ended up loving them. The only disappointment for her was the shortness of the set, which couldnıt have been more than half an hour. What was nice was seeing how many kids were there really getting into these gals. The only reason we stayed up front during The PeeChees was Œcuz we wanted to be up front for The Groovie Ghoulies. I didnıt much like the PeeChees; Roberta was less tolerant - she absolutely HATED them. The GGıs, thoı, she had a great time with. After that, Bluesman drove her home. Me, I headed up to Downtime, where The Creatures of the Golden Dawn were just finishing up. Next was a local surf act doing an interminable set of too many covers. They were good musicians, but it got kinda boring. And it meant that The Insomniacs didnıt go on till some extremely late time. AAAUUUUUGGGHHH! But they played for quite awhile, even though there werenıt many people there. They pulled out some of the really old faves for this one, since they were gonna be on for quite some time. I really enjoy it when they do this, Œcuz it means we get to hear stuff I normally only get to enjoy when they play out at the Funhouse in Bethlehem (when they do a couple long sets.) Nearly two weeks after my car had a chance encounter with a tree whilst driven by a Midas mechanic, Acme Underground was the site of a show of shows, including The Vendettas, The Vacant Lot, and The Bomboras. I e-mailed Mike Sin that morning to find out if he was going. He thought he was and asked about my car. I responded that its fate was still unclear, but that Iıd either take the bus or drive the rental to Hoboken, then catch the PATH train. By dayıs end, I hadnıt heard from him. I left a couple messages that night, but I guess me olı pal Mike was out. So I caught a bus and a subway, getting some reading in on the way. To be honest, I kind of enjoyed the experience, if only because I felt really alive doing it. True, there was a trek ahead of me on the way back, but the great thing about living in Rutherford is that in the middle of the night buses run every hour on the half hour (well, they do on weekends; weekdays they miss an hour somewhere. During rush hour, they arrive every six minutes!) So getting home is not a problem. And I had some reading material. Later on that night I found out that The High School Sweethearts were supposedly on earlier, but nobodyıd let me know, so I missed Œem. The Vendettas were the first group I saw. I knew them from their debut 45, as well as the fact that one of their guitarist/singers happens to be Ms. Buffi Aguero, drummer of one of my favorite bands, The Subsonics. Iıd thought the group had four members, but there were only three this night - Buffi and another gal (on drums), plus a guy on guitar and vocals. They came across as a sort of garage/punkabilly. Pretty cool stuff, occasionally very ragged and rough, Buffi back to the crowd, shakinı her hipsınıstuff at the crowd. (Something more than a few guys were quite happy with.) She and the guy (John?) traded lead vox song after song, which worked pretty well; you never tired of a vocal style, yet neither really outshone the other, meaning you didnıt want one to stop vocalizing so as to give the other the mic. At one point his hand started seizing up, so he couldnıt really pick anymore. As a result, he ended up strumming up a frenzy, practically shredding strings. That kind of frenetic thing whips me around like mad. I got a huge grin on my face. At one point, they did a song for people to slow dance to. (Not that anyone did.) Well, the whole thing wasnıt slow, but on those parts, Buffi sounded downright sweet. Her voice had that plaintive feel that some of the best Patsy Cline stuff does. WOW! I wish theyıd do some more like that. It worked well Œcuz it went from the slow parts to a real rocker and back, Suzanne building those drums up to fever pitch and then letting them die down. Another highlight came when they put the vocals together, something they ought to do far more often, as it really works well for them. Talk about a double-shot! Afterwards, I went for a t-shirt, but they were all out. The bowling shirts didnıt fit (they were womenıs shirts), but I bought one anyway, figuring Iıd give it to Roberta. Heck, I got a very cool Vendettas sticker, too, so why not? Plus bands can always use the money when theyıre on the road. The Vacant Lot wasted no time, slipping right into gear with ³Good As Gone.² Right away, it was plain to see they were really ON! They blew into the Boyce & Hart classic, ³I Wonder What Sheıs Doing Tonight² and things were definitely moving. Pete then introduced the next song by saying, ³Weıre finally playing this at the right time of year,² an easy clue that they were about to launch into ³Almost Summer,² another early Vacant Lot favorite. I found myself singing along quite a bit this night. A new one was next, currently untitled, introduced as ³ŒAı Song Fast.² I leaned over to Church Key skin-pounder Bill and said, ³Or, as the Raunch Hands wouldıve said, ³Pussyface in ŒAı.² The next set of sluggers included their Estrus Gearbox hot rod favorite, ³Cheater Cheater,² along with their excellent take on The Dictatorsı ³Loyola,² ³All Because of You,² and a fast version of ³One Fine Day² that gets me every time. Hmm... that one might fit in well with The What IVıs sets. I sense a rumble. Later on they hit ³Nobody Loves The Hulk.² I canıt remember exactly when it was, but somewhere in there I noticed a certain drunken guy from South America (who doesnıt want to be named and threatens lawsuits when I oh-so-journalistically report on his doings) picking up my beloved jean jacket (strategically placed between the two monitors). I went to grab it away from him, but he kept hanginı on. I ripped it out of his hands, so he gets in my face. I stiff-armed him away and he kept saying something completely unintelligible. I basically told him to go to hell. He must not have understood Œcuz he kept talking. Iıd put up my hand and turn away. Meanwhile, tons of my friends are just kinda gearing up. It was nice of them to want to stick up for me, but this is a guy Iım quite happy to take care of myself if it ever comes to that. To be fair, heıs not a bad guy when heıs unsauced. Thing is, thatıs all too rare. Happy now, guy? I didnıt mention your frigginı name. Pissant. Meanwhile, back on the stage... The Vacant Lot are onto ³Something To Believe In,² followed by their version of ³Why.² I enjoy hearing them play this, but I miss the backing vocals revving it up. I still recall the time The Voodoo Dolls had played somewhere else the same night the Vacant Lot were at Continental. Since the VDıs were staying at my place weıd driven the equipment back there, then headed to Continental to catch the last half of the Vacant Lot. Not long after we got in, the guys called VD vocalist Cam Ackland up for ³Why,² not telling him what the hell it was gonna be. I think he mustıve started singing ³Louie Louie,² which fit fine, actually. Ah, memories. They finished off by flying from their signature version of The Real Kidsı ³All Kindsa Girls² into ³I Wonıt Say Iım Sorry.² They sounded incredible tonight. Everything was perfectly on target; the sound was full and Mikeıs guitar leapt out at all the right places. They promised a single soon, so Iıll be looking forward to it. They left off by inviting us all down to Williamsburg the following Friday to see The What IV. Eventually, it was time for The Bomboras. The lights went down and they took the stage clad all in black with blacklight painted skeletons, plus blacklight painted sombreros. Quite the outfits. Mustıve been sweaty as hell. Intead of going song by song for these guys, Iıll merely say theyıve gotten even better, if thatıs possible. Throw swinginı surf sounds in with Jakeıs flaming (well, not tonight) Farfisa antics and add a dose of snotty garage punk and youıve got one killer show. The go-go gal was missed, of course, but the boys more than made up for it with their show. Well, itıs true that Jake couldnıt set his organ aflame (Œcuz heıd ripped the foil by standing on it too much), but the cymbals got lit (as did, I believe, the tom for a brief moment.) I watched Jake playing his organ behind his head, through his legs, on the floor, etc. and thought, ³and people thought Hendrix was doing something special?² Hell, Jake does this stuff with a band thatıs really moving, not crawling through a drug-hazed hippie hell. ³What time is it?² Frigginı crowd looks at their watches. ³Itıs CHUNKY Time!² Right they were, and they chunked it up but good. Slowly people started dancing. When they hit the ³Bombora Stomp² (can you say, ³Com-Man-Che² I knew yıcould) people raved pretty well. The ³Crusher² got people revved and the band came back on for an encore which was presented as ³a new song, but itıs good.² And then ³Sheıll Do Ya Wrong,² the garage raver that gets you stomping and shouting along. Damn! Before the show, Iıd asked Jake about them signing on with DGC (actually Rob Zombieıs imprint on DGC, Zombie-A-Go-Go). He said, ³maybe we can do some good for the scene.² If they keep putting on shows like this, I wouldnıt doubt it. That or the general public are zombies. Um... well, at least theyıll get some kids who are still willing to listen. I know Iıve got a few students who fit into that camp. Guess itıs time to start playing more Bomboras for Œem. On the Monday before the May 2nd Coney Island High appearance of ? & the Mysterians, I got an e-mail message from a Bomp-list pal in Australia. Evidently, his band was going to be doing some showcases in NYC the following Monday and Tuesday nights, but theyıd be in town a few days early. Was the Mysterians show still on? Yup. So we made plans to meet up at the pre-show hang-out session sponsored by Norton. Iıll skip the details and just mention that we got a chance to hang out, get a slice, and talk music. Who could ask for anything more? The Hentchmen were up first. They went full-steam ahead, sounding far better than they did their last trip through (which was sort of ragged due to their mishaps on the road.) Some new songs, some old ones and, at the end, my favorite part of their repertoire, ³Red River Rock,² a number I always want to sing the words to. (OK, yeah, I know itıs an instro, but itıs based on ³Red River Valley.²) The Demolition Doll Rods were up next and Chet was up there in his usual get-up as their go-go boy, slapping his butt cheeks (shorts riding way up) as he bent towards the crowd. Now, with most bands out there, this might seem somewhat odd; with the Doll Rods it just makes perfect sense. The DDR have come a long way since their first area show some years back. These days, their greasy stripped-down R&B stew is among the tastiest on the planet. If it werenıt for The Prissteens, this wouldıve been a night of all-Michigan rockinroll. (Heck, Andre Williams and Co. were even in the audience, since their gig had been cancelled at the last minute.) I was way up front for the hometown hellcats, ready to bounce-and-shout-and-let-it-all-out. Of course, so was another couple. As I stood up front, waiting for the band and talking to my friend Nancy, I got distracted by what was going on behind her back. See, there was this couple getting frisky. ³OK,² I thought, ³Maybe theyıre just going through the motions.² Well, he pulled a bit away some time later and it became obvious that this was no dry run. ŒNuff said. The Prissteens came on and got us all runninı wild. All the hits, all the time. I love hearing Œem play Wreckless Ericıs ³Whole Wide World,² even if they mess with the lyrics, changing ³girl² to ³boy² and all that nonsense. Cımon, gals, we wanna hear Œbout you lookinı all over for that girl. Maybe she is in Tahiti. Anyway, the kids were hot tonight (³so hot tonight.²) Runninı wild, indeed. Finally, it was time for the main attraction. Iıll cut this short and say they played yet another fantastic show. The set list read almost completely the same way as it has the past few times Iıve seen them, except they added a few theyıd recorded at Krispy Kreme in January. ³What?² you ask. Well, think The Lyresı ³Donıt Give It Up Now² and Suicideıs ³Cherie Cherie.² Of these, the latter sounded best to my ears, soft and sweet and bubble-gum chewy. They sounded good on the Lyresı number, but Iım just too damned used to seeing The Lyres do this one themselves. Anyway, the place went crazy as always. Can you blame us? This is ? & the Mysterians! Canıt wait to see Œem in Central Park on the 4th of July! Still paranoid about bringing my new car into Manhattan, I headed down to the bus stop around 8:15 PM on Friday May 15th. According to the schedule, that meant Iıd be on a bus within 5 minutes, since they come pretty damn often. Except tonight... frigginı thing didnıt show till after 9! By that time, about 7 of Œem had passed heading in the opposite direction. When I finally boarded, I asked the driver what was up. ³Delays.² Thanks. That helped. So now you know why I didnıt make it till near the end of The Defilers opening slot at Acme Underground that night. At least I showed up in time for ³Cave Girl Love,² as the band banged the rocks together hard enough to turn Œem into powder. Puerile garage-punk action is the Defilersı stock-in-trade; beautifully primitive. Finally, they finished out with ³Love Donıt Last Forever,² their, uh... ³hit.² Glad I at least made it for these two. Itıd been a looooong time since I last saw Johnny Chan & the New Dynasty Six. In fact, they may have still been doing predominantly covers at that point. But at this point I was looking forward to checking Œem out again, partially due to the raves of a few friends with taste and partially Œcuz I really like their debut disc. They got into gear with a version of ³Blues Theme,² giving way to their own ³Hey!² When they lit into an old fave of mine, ³A Girl As Sweet As You,² I found myself singing along till Johnny changed the title lyric. HEY! They bounded through a set of mainly originals (many from the disc), stopping for a few covers (including an old fave, ³Going All The Way²) along the way. When they did ³Iım Right,² I couldnıt help but think of a Dictatorsı song with those same sentiments (³I Am Right²), although these are two completely different tracks. These boys not only dress well, but they also happen to play some mighty good rockınıroll. Iıd been waiting for about 3-4 months for my chance to see The Master Plan, a group that includes Fleshtones Keith Streng and Bill Milhizer, along with The Dictatorsı Andy Shernoff. Unfortunately, most of their previous gigs have been on school nights. They started off with Andy singing one of his originals, ³Whatıs Up Wit Dat.² WOW!!! This is pure Shernoff! This song deserves to be a hit single. Pure rockınıroll fun all the way through, this is a song that had me singing along by the second chorus. Other standout tracks included ³Kickinı It Old School,² Keithıs vocal on their version of ³Tin Soldier² and ³Find Something Beautiful,² not to mention a version of ³Way Down South² with Pete Linzell on sax. Still, the only other number that measured up to the first one was when they brought a pal up to the mic for the absolute BEST reading of ³Movinı On Up² (yeah, the theme from The Jeffersons) that Iıve ever heard! This one was transformed into a punk/soul shouter of the highest order. If these guys want to do a fantastic 45, theyıll take ³Whatıs Up Wit Dat² and put it up top and then back it with ³Movinı On Up.² The Swinginı Neckbreakers have been ruling the NYC metro area garage scene for the past four or five years now. Youıd think people would be sick of them. Itıs true that many of the old faces arenıt around any longer, but somehow theyıve attracted new ones. Call it staying power if you like, but what it comes down to is balls-out rockınıroll done with absolutely no frills. This is a band that keeps it simple, letting the music stand for itself. This time out, they picked and chose from most of their recordings to provide yet another extended set of sweat-filled fun. Me, I got lucky... my friend Kelly was in the mood to dance it down, so dance we did. Life is, occasionally, quite good. My memory of Saturday May 23rd at the Continental is rather jumbled. No, sorry to disappoint you all, but there were no foreign substances in my bloodstream at the time. (Like Jonathan Richman once wrote, ³Iım Straight / not like... Hippy Johnny.²) Itıs just one of those nights that ran together for me. I got home from Long Island around 8:30 and called Johnny Bluesman (this issueıs cover model), who said heıd be at my place in an hour. We missed Snuka, which didnıt bother me too much as previous performances havenıt done much for me. We did manage to catch The Cash Registers. Hereıs a band that did absolutely zero for me a couple years ago, but have come on with a vengeance. What youıre getting is punk rock with enough melody to sweeten the pot, but enough blowziness to keep an edge on things. The sax adds texture as Mitroıs guitar punctuates things with short bursts of punk-rock cool. The groupıs lead vocalist comes off kinda like a slothful Johnny Thunders, shirt mostly undone, with the closed buttons resting on his belly. Thing is, it seems completely unaffected... and it works. These guys are a band to watch. The Lazy Cowgirls (the main reason we came out) took the stage in front of a pretty crowded club and proceeded to do their thing. They were hard and fast and got a few people revved up, at the least. The crowd didnıt really go as wild for them, thoı, as the Candy Snatchers. Nothing against those guys, but their records do nothing for me. Still, seeing them in a setting like this is kinda fun as long as Iım already there. I like to just kinda let the atmosphere overwhelm me and become part of that mass of bodies. Still, for me, the best band of the night by far was The Cash Registers, with the Cowgirls finishing not far behind. I didnıt know about The Wogglesı Friday night (June 5th) gig at the Court Tavern in New Brunswick till two days beforehand, when I received an e-mail message about the show from Sit NıSpin. I arrived early that night - well, early for The Court, anyway - 10:30 PM. (While NYC clubs are hell-bent on early start times, this favored venue rarely gets the first of three bands on before 11:15. Heck, they even keep the door to downstairs closed.) I ran into Montague upon my arrival, and we chatted amiably until he went to get dressed for the show. I soon ran into Palmyra Delran of The Friggs, the other act on tonightıs bill. We caught up on each otherıs lives till she, too, had to go do band stuff. Somehow, The Woggles had ended up first on the bill. This alone could get me going for a few paragraphs (no insult meant to anybody), but weıve got better things to do, especially since I donıt really have too much to say about this show, anyway. The Woggles did their usual stellar performance, despite being pushed on to a relatively small crowd. They kicked it off with a cover of The Fleshtonesı ³Theme from The Vindicators,² doing quite well by it. I later remarked to Manfred that Iıd really enjoyed it. What surprised me was that he really didnıt think it was a good opening number. (I think he may find it trite to start with an instro.) Heck, I thought it worked perfectly. The Friggs went on next. Having been somewhat disappointed when Iıd seen them last (May, Œ97), I was hoping things had gotten better. Unfortunately, I still have a problem with Lexi up there singing songs that Ms. Jezebel did. Nothing against Lexi, but I find her interpretations to be a bit over the top. Maybe itıs just that I donıt want to hear these songs done differently. Or maybe itıd work better for me if the group wasnıt called The Friggs. (Very few bands can successfully replace the lead singer.) I actually thought newer numbers (ie. ones I didnıt recognize) sounded OK. Perhaps the group should move in that direction. I will say that I enjoyed Palmyra singing ³On The Scene,² not to mention Sue Stanleyıs always excellent backing vocals. Walking around that night, I saw a face that I never expected to see. Later, we chatted, and the gal said, ³Guess what? I joined Sit NıSpin on bass.² ³Yeah,² I replied, ³I kinda figured that... I couldnıt think of any other reason youıd be down in New Brunswick.² So, whoıs the mystery gal? None other than Ms. Monica, ex-bassist for Our American Cousins. She provided a real shot of energy for them this night, too, really getting into the show. The surprise cover of the evening? Sit NıSpin doing ³Pills.² And it worked. After the show, Dan Electro and Buzz Hagstrom took off for NYC, while the Professor and Montague followed me back to ritzy Rutherford. (Aaaah... Shaddap!) No sooner had we arrived than they announced that it was time for food. OK, sure it was 3:45 AM, but they were hungry. Well, that meant a trip to Tommyıs. I only wished that the boys couldıve seen it back in its days of gloried chrome, before it exploded. As it turned out, theyıd been to this place with me before. Heck, we even remembered where we sat! The next day, we met up with their pal Jenny, from Illinois, who Iıd met the previous evening at the Court. (Weıd talked about some great Aussie 80s rockınıroll, since sheıs spent a whole bunch of time living in Adelaide back then. Lucky gal! She got to see the Stems!) Whereıs we meet? A diner, of course... this time the Claremont on Rt. 3. (Next time, boys, itıll be the Tick Tock.) This is when Manfred told us the ³Cole Slaw² story. I donıt pretend to have a tenth of Manfredıs storytelling ability, so Iıll just stick to what I remember. (However, if you put a cheeseburger in your mouth and picture Manfred telling a story, youıll get a better idea.) A few weeks earlier, the band had been opening for Southern Culture in Boston. Theyıd been on tour with them for a bit and this was another stop on the way. They found themselves in Boston, at a club run by some guy named Buddy. (³In the South,² Manfred opined, ³he probably wouldıve been called ŒBubba.ı²) He got a hold of Manfred before the show to talk to him about how long the set should be. ³Thirty minutes,² proclaimed Bubba... err, Buddy. ³You guys are like the Cole Slaw. Nobody ordered you. You just came with the platter.² I showed up early that night, once again catching the bus in, taking the A-train down to West 4th and walking over to Acme. Iım getting very used to this routine. First up for the evening were The Bernie Kugel Syndrome. Many of you will remember Bernie as the singer for The Mystic Eyes. Also in his band this night was ex-Splat Cat Yod Crewsy (also of the Dark Marbles) on bass. Most of their set consisted of covers. Mainly well known stuff along the lines of ³Little Girl,² ³My Little Red Book,² a couple Sonicsı numbers, ³Taste of the Same,² and ³Shake Some Action² (done as a tribute to that eveningıs star, Mr. Roy Loney), but also some lesser known (to many) numbers like ³Love For A Price,² done a bit slow for my taste (probably Œcuz Iım used to the Projectilesı version.) Of course, they ripped Gene Vincentıs ³Say Mama² to shreds, spitting out the pieces like a rabid dog. Canıt wait to hear that one at 45 RPM (evidently upcoming). It wasnıt until about the fifth song that things really kicked into gear, when they hit a new original by Bernie, entitled ³I Pay The Rent.² WOW!!! Now that one needs to be a single, guys. You know it has to be a really killer show if The Woggles are relegated to second out of four. They launched in with ³I Got Your Number,² and within minutes Montague was in the crowd and on the ground, getting everyone all geared up. The audience was dancing right from the get-go. The set consisted in large part of tracks from Get Tough and their latest disc, along with a few new tracks, like ³Doinı the Montague.² (Evidently, theyıre working up theme songs for each member of the band.) My current favorite is ³Ramadan Romance² (but Iıll talk about that more in the disc reviews.) Of course, they also hit some old favorites, like ³Carnivore² and ³My Baby Likes To Boogaloo.² Thereıs a reason The Woggles are one of the top live bands today; simply put, they know how to put on a truly great show. This was one of them. Third on tonightıs dance card was the act most of the crowd had evidently come to see, Roy Loney, ex- of the Flaminı Groovies. Backing him - The Bitter Hearts, including members of The Headless Horsemen and The Waittresses. Before I go any further, it needs to be said that this was the absolute PERFECT band to back Roy up. Why? Well, bassist/guitarist Peter Stuart is probably one of the biggest Grooviesı fans to ever walk the planet. AND he happens to be an extremely talented musician. This night he played a variety of roles. Even better, Roy seemed incredibly happy to have Peter and the rest of the band backing him. I think he felt almost as honored by their sincere love for his music as they did to be playing it with him. They did a ton of tracks from Teenage Head, wowing the crowd at every turn. The place was jammed and I heard they were turning people away! (Maybe Roy should come back more often. I donıt think heıs played New York since the live record he did here around 1990 or so.) One of my favorite moments in the show came when Roy did little more than add some backing vocals. They did ³Whiskey Woman,² with Peter saying, ³This is where I get to do my Cyril Jordan impression.² Now, this has never been one of my favorite Grooviesı tracks; it just spends a bit too much time on the slow end. Tonight, however, as the band got further into it, things really started moving, like a locomotive picking up speed and breaking loose, momentum carrying it ever faster. I just let myself listen and be absolutely blown away by The Bitter Hearts. (This is why I was so bummed when I found out a week later that they had to cancel their opening slot for The Neanderthals and The Kaisers.) But it was Royıs show. Earlier on, heıd brought up Lenny (the) Kaye to join in on guitar. For the last half of the set, he brought up one of his fellow Phantom Movers to get in on the fun. Truly, this was a great set of rockınıroll. I only wish Roy would play here more often. I admit I was somewhat POıd that a bunch of audience members left before seeing The Fleshtones, especially since they did one of their best sets in awhile. Whatıs great about the ŒTones is that they keep themselves so current, rather than relying on their old favorites. Sure, they play some of them (³World Has Changed² and ³Cominı In Dead Stick,² for instance), but a good portion of their set comes from recent discs. Of course, most bands that have been around for over twenty years simply donıt have enough good new material to do that; The Fleshtones do. ³God Damn It,² ³Laugh It Off² and ³Sissy² are just as good as hearing the ³Kingsmen-Like Medley² (which, admittedly, was great to hear them play again.) A highlight of the show came in the encore, when they brought The Woggles up for a rousing rendition of ³Theme from the Vindicators.² Me, I danced wildly the whole way thru with one of my favorite dance partners, Ms. Kelly, whoıs always up for cutting loose on the floor, provided the band moves her. (And if it moves her, you can be sure itıs damn good rockınıroll, Œcuz this gal has high standards.) The next afternoon, I played another version of ³Theme from The Vindicators² for Manfred, done by a Long Island band from the 80s called The Vindicators, a group that included Rob Normandin of The Secret Service and Chris Xefos (then of The Plastic Device, but later of King Missile.) It really bummed Manfred out that the single appeared to have the whole a little off-center, completely killing any enjoyment one could get from it. (Well, at least the other side sounds OK.) Such is life. On Saturday June 13th, it was back to the Acme Underground. We hit the road around 9, figuring that, with 3 bands, the first would go on around ten. Well, after a quick Happy Birthday to the Platterpuss, I headed downstairs to see what was up. At 9:45, The Crusaders had evidently been on for a half an hour. DAMN! Their Fat, Drunk, & Stupid disc is a current favorite of mine and Iıd missed most of their set. Well, at least I still got to see a few songs. Damn, they were great... lotsa fuzz and they looked great in their purple Crusaders outfits with the cross on the front and the eye-masks. And this was the kinda garage that any fan of the genre should love, a few chords, some words thrown on top, and a bunch of guys who want to have a great time. After their set, I got a chance to talk to them, and it turned out that they, too, were major Stemsı fans. (One of the guys had even seen them play 27 times. Lucky!) The Neanderthals were next up, once again sporting their masks and leopard-print skins (not to mention the black canvas hi-tops.) A few people in the audience found them a bit slow. I suppose itıs a valid criticism, although one I donıt particularly subscribe to. True, they donıt play too fast, but they do keep things moving. The caveman schtick works pretty well, with ³Arula-Mata-Gali² coming in as my usual favorite. Still, the whole set was a good time, with another highlight being their version of ³Girl & A Hot Rod² (known to many via The Untamed Youth version... or, for New Yorkers, The Church Keys rewrite as ³Girl & A Hot Dog²). They came back for an encore and did a truly swinginı version of ³Double Shot (of My Babyıs Love)² by The Swinginı Medallions. It turned out to be the perfect closer, with everyone smiling a huge smile and dancing around. The Kaisers were the headliners and, as far as Iım concerned, thereıs a damn good reason. These guys are one bunch of killer Mersey-men. You just donıt get to hear Beat music enough these days. Many fans were somewhat disappointed that they didnıt hit the new LP, but since I didnıt have that when I saw them, it didnıt bother me one bit. They hit a few Holliesı tracks, as well as many other covers, but the absolute best song they did had to be a new one called ³Shakinı and Screaminı.² WOW! Melody, a beat, and killer backing vocals. Itıs still dancing around inside my head a week later. After the show, I spoke to Chris Cush of The Bitter Hearts, telling him I was looking forward to seeing them the next night. Mr. Cush proceeded to bum me out, telling me that theyıd had to pull out Œcuz their drummer was in Europe. AAAAUUUUUGGGHHH! On the way up the stairs, I ran into promoter Todd A. I asked what time the next nightıs show would begin. He said that since the Bitter Hearts had cancelled, probably around 10. I replied that, as long as he was without an opening act, why not get The Crusaders to do it again, since they didnıt have a show? Evidently, he liked the idea (heck, maybe heıd already been thinking it!), Œcuz a few moments later The Crusaders came up to me to inform me that they were doing the show. I promised to show up extra early. No way was I gonna miss out on a whole set by them twice! On Sunday, Mike Sin and I arrived extremely early. I was probably at the club no later than 9. I spent a bit of time chatting outside with a couple of The Crusaders, as well as Johnny Chan and a few others. About fifteen minutes later, I was downstairs thinking how much people would bum out if they knew just how damn good these guys were... and then found out theyıd completely missed them. Seriously, I wish theyıd come back at least once a year and that theyıd get to play second out of three, so more people would show up and see them. I know few of you out there have probably heard them, but you owe it to yourselves to check them out. Their recordings are definitely worth picking up, but (as with most good rockınıroll acts) theyıre far better live. Chunks of fuzz were flying around as these guys traded off the lead vocals, ripping it up for the few of us whoıd known enough to show up to see these Aussie wildmen. As if the rest of the set wasnıt enough, they finished up by hitting a few chords that sounded really familiar to me. Could it be? Yup, a truly rippinı version of ³Television Addict² by Hoodoo Guru leader Dave Faulknerıs late 70s Perth punk act, The Victims. And The Crusaders did it magnificently, proving how close garage and punk truly are. Now that was the way to leave me wanting more! The Neanderthals were up next, once again, doing much the same set as they had the previous evening, right down to the encore. But, hey, itıs not like we get to see them very often, so it was a good time. Of course, it was The Kaisers that were bringing in the crowd, although not as much of one as the previous evening. (Thatıs the problem with Sundays. But, heck, I didnıt care, it was the last week of school coming up and I didnıt have to face students the next day. Finals week is a great thing.) They varied the set a bit, still hitting a couple Holliesı tunes and that new favorite of mine, ³Shakinı & Screaminı,² but they also played a few new ones that went over really well. Eventually, a few people moved out of my way and I was right up front, shakinı and screaminı myself. They eventually let loose with one of my all-time faves, ³Letıs Stomp² to which I did exactly that, stomping like a sweat-drench idiot, with a big grin the whole time. Beat It Up! My main goal on Friday June 19th was to see The Nines, since I havenıt seen Evan Shore play in quite some time. As Bluesmanıs car had broken down, Iıd once again caught the 190 bus into Manhattan, this time taking the N train down to 8th Street, since I was heading over to Brownies. I walked in to find Mooney Suzuki on-stage, looking incredibly cool in black pants and black band tees, with the singer coming across as a VU-era Lou Reed, shades and all. I rushed up front, even though Iıd never seen them before; their music was magnetic, drawing me straight up. Somewhere between garage and psych/punk, these guys put on a show. Iım told they started out far more into the indie rock thing; if so, theyıve come a long way. They were truly riveting. At one point, the bassist and drummer just walked off the stage, leaving the two guitarists to work it out for themselves. And so they did. It was like some kinda freak-out jam without being a stupid hippie thing. (Nothing against all you stupid hippies. Yeesh, lighten up.) These guys were so attuned to each other... I couldnıt even tell if they had any kind of guidelines, but it all made sense and was pure rockınıroll. Eventually, the rhythm section sauntered back on-stage and they all kicked right back in. WOW! Yeah, you could say I want to see these guys again. When one of Œem asked if I wanted to be on their mailing list, I jumped at the chance. The Quadrajets were up next. Yawn. Iıve got a couple of their 45s, which are actually fairly decent, but this was just too rock-ist. It seemed very early 70s and didnıt thrill me at all. Who knows, maybe in a more packed crowd, it mightıve flown with me, so Iıll check Œem out at Treblefest. This time, thoı, I spent most of the time catching up with Evan Shore. By the time The Nines went on, there was almost nobody left. Too bad, too, Œcuz they sounded pretty good. At this point, theyıre a trio, so thereıs not quite as much sound coming out. The vocals tend to work best when theyıre shared, since I donıt find that either Evan or the bassist have strong voices... Solid voices, yes, but not great ones. When they sing dual leads, thoı, it adds up to far more than the two together. A fair smattering of old Voodoo Dollsı tracks made their way into the set, as well as some favored covers. It was actually a pretty good set, and Iıll be seeing them again. Afterwards, I wandered around the East Village. School had ended for me that day, so I felt free and decided to just wander around... Lakeside, Niagara, Two Boots, Arlene Grocery, Baby Jupiter, etc. Yup, life was good. I tried Bluesman a bunch of times on Saturday, but didnıt manage to get him till about 8:30. 45 minutes later, he was at my place and we were making tracks for The Bowery Ballroom, a new place down on Delancey, just east of the Bowery. We were seeking the Savage Beat of The Dictators. According to other friends whoıd arrived early, we were lucky to have missed the opening act, Honky Toast. With a name like that, they shouldıve known. The New Bomb Turks were next up. These guys have never thrilled me, but I figured Iıd give Œem another chance. (Yeah, I know, a bunch of you seem to think theyıre the hottest thing since Atomic Fireballs, but in my book theyıve usually ranked in the same category as the deservedly short-lived 7-Up Gold.) They werenıt bad, I guess, but except for a couple more power-pop oriented numbers midway thru, I just donıt see what all the fuss is about. Eventually, it was time for the nightıs main attraction... The Dictators - Adny Shernoff, Top Ten, Ross the Boss, Handsome Dick Manitoba, and JP ³Thunderbolt² Patterson. They started with ³New York, New York² and never looked back. I had only two complaints: first, Rossıs guitar wasnıt loud enough; second, the whole band wasnıt loud enough. Remember, Dear Soundman, itıs ³Faster AND Louder!² The set included both sides of the new 45, ³Who Will Save RockınıRoll?²/ ²Savage Beat² (Imposible in Spain, Norton in the US), as well as a new instrumental, which I believe is called ³Channel Surfing.² Top 10 took the lead on this, playing a low-end surf guitar sound. Speaking of the new stuff, the Handsome One said theyıd do a new record this year, as ³The Genius² (thatıs Shernoff, by the way) has been writing new Dictatorsı material. The set also included old favorites like ³Stay With Me,² ³Two Tub Man,² ³Master Race Rock,² ³Weekend,² and ³Science Gone Too Far,² along with some of the Manitobaıs Wild Kingdom hits (³Party Starts Now² and ³Haircut & Attitude²), as well as the 45 from last year, ³I Am Right.² As always, HDM was King of Men, beautiful NY attitude and style. Of course, although he claims that he is always right, he did seem to slip up during one of the encores. He started talking about what a god Brian Wilson is. OK, so far weıre in agreement... just one thing, everyone knew they were gonna play The Rivierası ³California Sun.² And Andyıs just kinda lookinı and wondering just what could possibly be going on in the mind of the Handsome One. What the BLEEP does Brian Wilson have to do with ³California Sun?² The whole thing finished with Handsome Dick dedicating the final song to Chris Cush (guitarist for The Bitter Hearts, ex-Headless Horsemen, and the proprietor of Mojo Guitars), for bringing Roy Loney into HDMıs bar one night. As a result, the ŒTaters finished up with ³Slow Death.² The perfect end to another great Dictatorsı show. Yeah, these guys in their mid-40s can rock the roll better than most kids half their age. Why? ŒCuz theyıre the frigginı DICTATORS! It wasnıt until the afternoon of the Dictatorsı show that I happened to pick up the Voice and notice that The Subsonics were slated to play Continental on a Tuesday night. Needless to say, I was somewhat displeased. This is one of my absolute favorite groups. Why the heck are they playing on a Tuesday night. I asked this question of the good folks on the Bomp list. The main answer coming back seemed to be that this is just the way their booking agent set things up. Well, Iıd kinda figured that. Honestly, the only reason I was upset was Œcuz it meant many people I know would miss the group Œcuz Tuesdays are tough for them. And I understand that completely. This wasnıt a problem for me, thanks to my being on summer vacation now, but Iıd gone six months earlier when they had a mid-week show, as well. That, of course, is because I rate this trio as one of the few bands worth losing a ton of sleep over and feeling like hell the next day. Well, Johnny Blues and I arrived to find a pretty well-attended show. Of course, there werenıt as many as youıd expect for the group on a Friday or Saturday night, but Iıve seen far fewer attendees for weekend shows by other bands. However, Iım still not sure how many of these people were there specifically because of the Subsonics. After all, there were quite a few people watching the previous act (Little Pork or Little Pork Chop.) To be honest, they werenıt bad. They mainly did a sweet country thing, but every once in awhile they burst into a down and dirty garage/blues number. There was also a good-sized crowd for the post-Subsonicsı act (name unknown), so my questions were never answered. Still, the crowd seemed quite appreciative of the group, so I canıt complain. I only wish more of the usual gang couldıve witnessed just how damned great they were. I was right up front straight from the start. The Subsonics swing it out sans set list, just yelling Œem out and letting fly. This set drew heavily from the most recent disc, including a few of my favorites, like ³Frankenstein² and ³Ten Dollars.² A bunch more came from Everythingıs Falling Apart, most notably one of my favorites, ³I Made You A Clown.² The show ranged from the slow, pretty melodic numbers to out and out mayhem, with stops at solid rockınıroll. No matter what, though, everything was pure Subsonics. That is to say, everything was pure perfection... in the most chaotically beautiful sense of the word. This is a band primed for bigger things. There was Buffi, looking for all the world like the Catwoman, standing up and pounding along, sometimes seeming like she was off, till you understood that the effect created added so much more than somebody just playing along. Christy, up there with a big blonde wig and a glittery silvery top, looking better than ever, thumping that bass like nobodyıs business, anchoring it all. And Clay... silver, glittery shirt and black shiny pants, spending half the set with the mic stand tilted, held by his knees, somehow seeming like he was jumping out of a picture like an early 3D movie, fracturing those frets like a madman. The Subsonics are unique. The sound vibrates straight on through, reverberating into all those hard to reach places, leaving you scrubbed raw and baptized into the truth of rockınıroll. For about one year now, drummer Uli Shitbirdsky (aka Stuli Stool Pigeon) has been living in Rutherford, NJ. Somehow, thoı, weıve rarely run into each other. However, on Friday June 26th, both of us were psyched for the big show at Acme Underground. So we headed down to Station Square and caught an 8:30 bus into Manhattan, then the A-train down to West 4th. We got to Acme about 1/3 of the way thru The Sea Monkeysı set, just as they were powering into Paul Revere & The Raidersı ³Him Or Me.² From the first note, I could tell these guys were on. In fact, this may very well be the best Iıve ever seen them. Every song they played was absolutely top-notch energy, lots of melody, and quite alive. The Spaceshits were doing their first NYC appearance with their new lead guitar player. Seeing as they had to have a minimum of equipment so as to cross the border, they were borrowing a ton of equipment from the Sea Monkeys. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the tuner and the rhythm guitar was off for awhile. Still, they played a damn good set. The first couple numbers were pretty much on the order of what weıve come to know them for. However, they spent most of the set on newer songs. What amazed me is how damn good they were without rehashing the same stuff theyıd been doing. One or two were power-pop/punk, revved and gone. Another bunch veered closer to garage territory, but my favorite sounded a bit like ³Teenage Head,² with the bass flying low and mean. Perfection. One thing I didnıt understand... how the hell the lead singer, on the most humid night of the year so far, could not only where a jacket with a hood, but also another hood underneath it (which completely covered his face)! Yipes. Youıd sweat less in a sauna. The Beautys were next. They werenıt bad, but I just wasnıt all that into them. Finally, it was time for The Splash 4. I have a fair amount of stuff by them (as, Iım assuming, do many of you), but records and live shows are two different animals. The thing that really knocked me out during the set was Liliıs guitar playing. OK, beyond the fact that she was loud as FUCK, she did things that just kept bringing the attention back to her. The songıs just careening along and then she throws in these little blasts of guitar genius... WOW! (Oh yeah, and that red guitar she plays is incredibly cool-looking... some Italian thing called a Zodiac.) My only complaint was that they didnıt play longer. Electric Frankenstein? Well, yeah, they were next... besides the fact that The Who at Wembley probably didnıt seem this loud, I just donıt care for their stuff. I bought a Spaceshitsı shirt from Blacksnake, then Uli and I struck out for Port Authority, with ³Him or Me² still on our minds. The next day, I hit the road around 11:15, stopping at the start to tank up both on gas and some caffeinated-and-carbonated refreshments. About two hours later, I was out at SUNY Stony Brook in Stony Brook, Long Island, a place I hadnıt been since Œ88, when Iıd gone out for a Secret Service show. (A night Mike Sin will remember best for getting onto a boat tied up in Northport Harbor later on and getting the inside scoop on the demographics of selling the nickel/dime bag in the local environs. And, of course, for changing out of his work clothes into his going-out duds only to have me look at him when he came downstairs - at the house of Martin ³Psych-Out² Spichalıs parents - and say, ³What took so long? You look the same.² And have Martinıs parents cracking up in agreement. Poor Mod.) But I digress. (Surprise, surprise.) Anyway, Michael, host of WUSBıs Dead End Radio (90.1 FM on Tuesday nights) was recording a live set by The Splash 4 for broadcast the following week. The given time was 2, but... well, sometime around then the station got a call that theyıd be an hour and a half late. (I think the people driving them had been up quite late the night before and rounding up the troops took longer than expected.) It didnıt matter much to me... I had nowhere to go. As it turned out, Iım glad I stuck around. The band set up in a classroom across the hall from the stationıs studio. Watching them was an audience of six (myself included), all of whom were quite thrilled, even if this wasnıt exactly a room that was conducive to goinı nuts. (Of course, all of us were probably too out of it still from the previous night to contemplate that.) Rather, we just hung in and let the band blow us away. This, of course, started right off as Lili plugged in. Talk about LOUD! Iıd thought the previous night was something, but now she was in a smaller room and the two of us had lifted Michaelıs guitar amp onto a chair, tilting slightly up, so it was pointed straight at the ears. Lili hit another chord... ³I like this amp. Itıs loud!² Now, Iım a guy who almost never wears earplugs. I went to get some toilet paper to wad up and stuff in my ears. (Not that it helped much.) Their set was much the same as the previous evening... ³Trudie,² ³Filth City,² a cover of ³Keep Your Hands Off My Babe,² etc. What really struck me here, thoı, far more than the previous evening, was how deep the bandıs roots are in rockınıroll. Sure, they play some pretty abrasive punk rock with more power than a runaway train, but listening to them in this context, I realized how much a part of their sound older garage stuff (and even some soul and R&B) really is. I was able to hear things that I hadnıt before... certain things about Jackıs vocal, some elements of the rhythm, but most especially Liliıs guitar sound. Itıs just the way that theyıll be powering thru a song and suddenly she lets fly with some little burst up the neck. Iıd be looking somewhere else and suddenly Iıd hear her sally forth with another one of those bits of pure rockınıroll and Iıd immediately turn to look. WOW! Iıve never found my attention drawn so much to a guitar player before. Yeah, OK, youıre all saying, ³Sure, youıre just looking at her Œcuz sheıs an incredibly attractive female.² Well, itıs true... she is quite attractive. But itıs her guitar that gives the Splash 4 their shape and color more than anything else. This isnıt to take anything away from the guys, who do a killer job, as well; itıs just an acknowledgment of how damn incredible Lili is on guitar. I ended up back at our place around 7:45. Roberta had convinced me to drive in (she hates the bus) by saying sheıd split the cost of parking with me. (Iım still not ready to park it on the street.) Of course, Iım still paranoid and I watched the guy park my car. We were heading over to Acme to see Neko Case. The first act, Jennie Mae, wasnıt bad (nice voice), but her music just wasnıt my style. To be honest, I later realized that many of the people in attendance were more of the alt.country crowd. There were a few people I knew, but this was hardly the bunch I usually see at shows. Roberta and I went back inside the main room early enough so we still got up front for Neko. Later, I turned around and noticed that the place was packed. Now that blew me away. But weıll skip back a bit. Neko is one of those truly alive people. Itıs something I really love her for. While setting up on-stage, she was dancing around to the tape that was being played over the PA. As she came off to go get something from the dressing room, she came by Roberta and me and danced with us for a bit. On her way back, she did the same thing, with a HUGE smile on her face. These are the things that put a smile on my face. She got up and proceeded to deliver a wonderful show. From the moment she began to sing, the audience was in heaven. The woman has a bee-yoo-ti-ful voice. But sheıs still pure Neko, with no pretensions of doing things any way but her own. She doesnıt stand there like some delicate flower; nor does Neko Case make those weird arty, singer/songwriter moves that seem so contrived; and she doesnıt act like a cowgirl, either. Nope, Neko does exactly what she feels like doing at that given moment. That might mean just singing and moving her body a bit; or standing on an amp and belting it out; or jumping up and down with a huge smile on her face, happy to be up there playing; or even humping the guitar playerıs leg. But whatever sheıs doing, itıs because itıs what she feels like doing. In fact, her attitude still seems extremely punk. The music, however, was pure country. Beautifully, old-style country - some heartbreaking, some smiling, some joyous - all great. Perhaps the biggest thrill of the night for me, however, came when they broke into a version of John Fogertyıs ³Almost Saturday Night² (on his self-titled 1975 LP for Asylum). Thatıs always been a big favorite of mine and Iıve never heard anyone else play it live. (Thank you, Neko!) The crowd applauded Nekoıs performance enthusiastically. Unfortunately, we didnıt get an encore. Ah well... always leave them wanting more. Saturday the 4th of July and itıs bus-time again. Why? ŒCuz ? & the Mysterians were playing in effinı Central Park! I showed up about 20 minutes before showtime, walking into the Summerstage area only to feel an Insomniacsı frisbee whizzing by my legs. It took me a minute, but then I realized that Mr. Evan Davies (web-meister for The Upper Crust, Swinginı Neckbreakers, and The Untamed Youth) had tossed it my way. Moving on... As time drew near, Evan, Justina, Jahna, and a bunch more of the usual crowd made our way forward. This was a rare experience... Like the Pretty Things sang, ³I never see / the people I know / In the bright light of day.² So much for never, huh? Crazier, thoı, was the fact that we were gonna see The Mysterians in daylight. Heck, ? would have a reason for the sunglasses. As is their custom, manager Luvern came up and introıd the group as they eased into ³Do You Feel It?² (And we did.) They went through all the songs that we all love by now (those who didnıt know them last October certainly do by now, thanks to both their live appearances in town, as well as the live disc), along with a few newer tracks theyıve recently laid down, including covers of songs by The Lyres and Itıs All Meat. Actually, ? has rewritten the lyrics to ³Donıt Give It Up Now² (I think it has something to do with the state of employment in the auto industry in Michigan.) Instead of ³Take what you need,² ? is singing, ³Take all you can get.² Rather than skedaddling off the stage after ³96 Tears,² they just stayed on and did the encore, ³Beware Joe² followed by the one Iıd been yelling for, ³8 Teen.² Whatta monster that one is. Throw in the beach balls that were going throughout the set and it was quite a time. Rocket From the Crypt? Well... theyıve improved. It was cool seeing Holly Golightly get up to sing a song with them. And they certainly had energy. I still donıt see myself buying one of their records, but Iım glad I stuck around. ............................................................................... SEVEN NIGHTS TO SUPER ROCK by Eric Fusco In the past six weeks I have been lucky enough to see the Fleshtones seven times and the Full Time Men once. How could this be, you may very well ask. Did I join the band as their roadie? Not that lucky. Have I become some sort of Fleshtones/Dead Head who followed them around from city to city, selling live tapes and T-shirts of teddy bears doing the Power Stance ? No way, Jose. Then how? This past January The Fleshtones did an ³Artist In Residency² at Nightingales Bar, 13th & 2nd Ave., in New York City. They also played Nightingales on Dec. 27th and Under Acme for New Yearıs Eve, with the Full Time Men logging in a gig on Jan. 16th at the Continental. And as far as I can tell, besides Ken, Keith & Bill, I was the only person to make every show. The New Yearıs Eve gig was great. I was finally paid back for the New Yearıs Eve show seven years ago that was canceled because the club was shut down that afternoon. It was worth the wait. They blasted through an amazing set and were on stage for midnight. The place was so cheap, they did not even include a champagne toast. The Fleshtones had brought their own bottle (BYOB) and those of us up front who had glasses, got to share in the booze. Every time Peter Zaremba would head to the side of the stage for a re-fill, heıd also refill mine. Then Iıd spill some on Ken Foxıs shoes. Oh well, it was New Yearıs Eve, after all... That Saturday started the January Nightingales Stand. Each week they opened the show with the chestnut ³Soul City². The reason for this was that filmmaker Henry Jones would bring down the original film of the video of the song. Legend has it that Henry and Peter were school mates at the School Of Visual Arts, Henry had a film project and Peter suggested he make a video of his band. In honor of the homestand at Nightingales, Henry would show the film as the Fleshtones provided the audio. Some nights the two were even in sync! The first night of the month it was the core band, no horns. They did their new material off of ³More Than Skin Deep² like ³Sissy², ³Love Machine² and ³God Damn It² and some OLD stuff, ³Cominı In Deadstick², ³Atom Spies², and some Roman Gods-era material. The third night saw the triumphant return of Gordon Spaeth as the Wheelman, along with Steve Greenfield also on sax. This nightıs material was split between their new stuff, More Than Skin Deep, and Hexbreaker songs. For the finale, Peter tried to get the band to do a medley of ³Burning Hell² and ³The Endless Tunnel². Sounds like it would work doesnıt it? They are both in the same vein of R&B/Bluesy sound. Well, they are both covers, too. Sadly, the Z-Man had not informed his band mates that he was going to do this and well, they are not really in same key and the tempos are different. I am not saying it sounded bad, but I will always remember the confused look on Keith Strengıs face while he was trying to figure some way to segue from one to the other. The fourth night was the most packed. Sax man Steve Greenfield was joined by trumpet player Joe Loposky. The band seemed to concentrate on the ³vs. Reality² songs, ³Way Down South², ³Whatever Makes You Happy² and ³Got A Line On You². The show was a blow out. The fifth night was my favorite. The barmaid asked me if I was with the band. I said yes. I got drinks cheep !!! I got too drunk. I danced my ass off. The song choices ranged all over their catalog. Peter pulled out his guitar (!) for ³Marjoe², something I had only seen once before. During a break, the six Fleshtones hooked into a Super Power Stance. (The SPS is when you link elbows with the guy next to you.) Again, something Iıd seen them do only once before. My favorite moment in show was during ³Get Down With It². For those who donıt know, the song instructs the crowd to ³Get Down With It² by getting down on the floor. The lyrics of the song during a break says that ³Thereıs a girl over there/She ainıt doing it right². Invariably there will be a girl, usually seeing the Fleshtones for the first time, who ainıt doing it right. Peter will point her out, and refuse to continue the song, until she gets down with it. This time the chick in question, an English girl no less, refused to get down with it. The crowd was chanting: ³She ainıt doing it right/ She ainıt doing it right/Thereıs a girl over there/She ainıt doing it right/ She ainıt doing it right/ Thereıs a girl over there/etc...² All the time pointing, in unison, at the girl. She was screaming for it to stop and got very embarrassed. And all she had to do was get down with it. Will the English never learn ??? There were so many great songs, itıs hard to say which was the best, when they happened and what happened around them. I do remember Peter, Keith & Ken playing on the bar, them exiting out the door singing ³Weıll Never Forget². I held the mic stand over my head so Peter could sing into it from on top of the speaker stack. On the last night, I got to call the band back on stage for the encore. I took a page from the Nature Boy, Ric Flair (13 time World Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Champion!) and said, ³The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be, The Fleshtones! And remember, itıs not being the band that counts. Itıs staying the band! And the Fleshtones are that band ! Whooooo!² It didnıt take much after that to get them back on stage... One night I spoke to Peterıs wife about the scheme behind the Nightingales stand. I said that it was turning out how I expected and I thought that the bandıs plan for doing this was to build up word of mouth. Iıd spoken to Bill Milhizer some years ago, and he said that part of their early success was due to the fact that they would have parties with free beer and everyone would come for that, but stay for the music. This month long gig seemed like a great opportunity to get people to come back again next week, with their friends. And then their friends would come back with friends and so on and so. Mrs. Z was just shaking her at me the entire time. ³There is no scheme behind this, Eric.² she said, ³These guys just do stuff and sometimes it works.² So was there a planned progression that each week mimicked the evolution of the band from album to album? I doubt it. It was just that magical chaos we like to call Super Rock. ............................................................................... THE EVAPORATORS (plus The Goblins & Skablins) Nearly four weeks after buying my new car, Iım still paranoid about bringing it into Manhattan, so Iım once again catching the 190 into town. Itıs pouring out, so Iıve got my trusty umbrella (which does a fair, thoı far from perfect job.) Once in town, I stand on another long line for a token, then catch the A train down to West 4th, managing to come out at the 3rd St. side and then walking across to the club. Iım so early that the doors arenıt open yet. So I sit there with a recent issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Unfortunately, itıs far from their best (some kinda theme issue dealing with movies that ends up being mostly pointless unless youıre familiar with a large majority of the books, movies, and performers... and Iım not); too many lists and not enough stories. This is not making me want to re-subscribe. So my attention wanders, catching snatches of conversation, absolutely none of which is actually interesting. Around 9:30 or so the doors open. I get stamped and head downstairs, where The Evaporators are soundchecking. I say hi to Dave Carswell (guitarist for The Smugglers, as well as many others) and then to Nardwuar. We briefly catch up with each other, then I let them take care of business. I sit along the wall and look to the back. There I see Gary ³Pig² Gold, a guy I probably havenıt run into for a couple years. These days heıs involved in various projects, including The Ghost Rockets. He introduces me to his wife and we all get to talking about a subject dear to our hearts - pop music. He fills me in on what some old friends are up to and I tell him about some of my current faves. We also spend some time talking about The Swing Set, a group from Rochester, NY that put out one 45 in 1985. (Two of the members later formed The Tonebenders in NYC, while another replaced Ori Guran in the Chesterfield Kings.) The crowd is sparse, but some friends are there. In fact, some of the people whoıve shown up are actually more people I rarely see, including ex-Shitbirdsı drummer Uli Shitbirdsky, who lives about a half mile down the road from me in Rutherford (yet we never run into each other.) There are also some faces I recognize, but donıt know. And Iım glad to see them, too. The evening begins with a set by The Goblins (The Evaporators minus guitar and bass.) Nardwuar gets into it right away. In no time at all, any uninitiated audience members are soon aware that this set is more about having fun than anything else. Nardwuar leads the crowd into learning the second song, saying that here in New York, we had a governor named Mario Cuomo. In Canada, on the other hand, he says they have some kinda gas station/convenience store called the... ³What, Gary?² (Nardwuar is speaking to Gary Gold, a fellow Canadian.) Turns out itıs the Domo. So this song is called, ³Mario Cuomo works at the...² (Yeah, weıre too dense to guess.) Finally, some bright person figures it out... ³The Domo!² ³Mario Cuomo works at the Domo.² This becomes a chant. Now, in many cases, this just wouldnıt work. But Nardwuar makes the crowd get into it. He doesnıt let up until heıs got participation... and weıre not talking about one or two of us. The same thing happens with ³Uhh!² as he spends more time off the stage than on, letting Scott bang the drums and running to an audience member to stand and make them say, ³Uhh!² whenever itıs time. The Skablins are now on-stage and they hammer out a couple more before making way for The Evaporators (a quick costume change.) Now, I wonıt pretend to be an expert on Evaporatorsı songs, so telling you song names would not only be meaningless to most of you, but to me, as well. (OK, Iıve got the set list, but that doesnıt mean too much when you only know a few of Œem... donıt worry, thoı, Iıll mention those.) By the end of The Evaporatorsı set, I think only one person hasnıt thoroughly enjoyed himself... turns out itıs a guy from the next band, The Blowpops. But weıll get to them. Now, it seems kinda obvious that not everyone in here knows who the hell these Vancouver nutjobs are. It also becomes apparent that they donıt really care Œcuz theyıre having FUN! Imagine that... FUN at a rockınıroll show. Wonder of wigged-out wonders. Nardwuar doesnıt do much asking in getting the audience to participate. Rather, he just kind of grabs you and motions what he wants you to do, in some (most?) cases dragging you into place. The sane part of you wonders why youıre going along with it; the fun-loving part bashes its boring brother on the noggin and gets you moving. In one case, this merely meant that one guy was made to act as a human mic stand. (Somehow I kept getting flashes of my cousin Jeremy having to hold up the crown or something over his brother Marcıs head during the latterıs Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony. Ouch.) Iım luckier... Nardwuar grabs me and this attractive young lady that Iıve seen around at a fair amount of shows of late and brings us up on-stage, positioning one of us on each side of him behind his Acetone organ. He holds one of our hands each in the air as he plays. Then he heads off to the audience and pantomimes that we should play the thing. So I start bashing out some chords, while the lovely lady beside me starts hitting some thirds. (Yeah, see... I did take music lessons once upon a time. Iıll spare you the details... for now.) Nardwuar eventually finds his way back to the stage with a couple of bigger guys. He puts each of them on one side of the organ, facing each other. He motions for them to put their hands underneath, and for me and my partner to do the same. He then takes his seat on the top of the Acetone. We are made to understand that it is now our task to lift him. We do... and he starts playing the thing. Nice work, ŒWuar! Various other wonderful things happen (including getting us to go round in circles together, dancing with various members of the crowd... including one attractive young lady who really knows how to shake it down) and soon everybodyıs got big smiles on their face. They go through a few tracks I know (including ³Iım Going To France²) and a couple that sound familiar (like a French version of what sounds like a Beatlesı song.) When they get to ³United Empire Loyalists,² Nardwuar gets to talking about history. This throws a few people for all of thirty seconds and theyıre back with him even more than before. They finish up without playing ³Welcome To My Castle,² a disappointment to a few members of the crowd, I suppose. However, they more than make up for it with ³Happy Day,² in which Nardwuar seats the audience in a few rows and has us jump up at various points. Somehow, the set ends with everybody deliriously happy. I just wish more bands could do that. Time for past tense. Afterwards, The Evaporators sold their merchandise and made way for The Blowpops. Who sucked. Big-time. Hey, just one manıs opinion. As far as I know, this wasnıt the same bunch that did something on Get Hip a few years back. ŒCuz these guys blew chunks. One of Œem looked like he was in Loverboy. Which wouldıve been OK if theyıd sounded good. But they didnıt. They sounded HORRIBLE! (Get the point yet?) It gets worse, thoı... all the pretty girls skedaddled but quick! And who could blame them? I ended up going downstairs to hang out with Dave Carswell and Evaporatorsı bassist John Collins, along with their pal Sean, who was down from Hamilton, Ontario for the weekend. We all caught up with each otherıs lives, universes, and everything, telling stories and laughing. Soon, Dave from Jack Black ended up down there, too. His stories had us in stitches... mainly about some really odd people who stayed at his house one weekend. The spice of life. After a decent set from Jack Black, I jumped in the van with The Evaporators, who were staying at my place the next couple nights. We drove up 6th Ave and came upon Limelight. Some kinda video thing was going on and Nardwuar pulled out his own vid cam, asking me to open my window and narrate the scene, which I did gladly. (A chance to have my voice in a Nardwuar video? Damn right Iım gonna take it!) But we were searching for a place that Nardwuar could grab a soda with ice in it. He wasnıt into the idea of McDonaldıs, so that pretty much left the pizza places. Nobody wanted to go for pizza itself, thoı, so theyıd nixed the idea of St. Markıs. That meant we were driving up 6th Ave. looking for pizza. We finally found one somewhere around 27th St. Whaddaya know... we found the ONE pizza place in NYC that doesnıt serve Coca-Cola in a cup! Life in the big city. Upon returning to Rutherford, I set the guys up in various spots upstairs and then came down. Nardwuar looked at some of my records and we chatted till Roberta yelled to Nardwuar that he didnıt have to stay up politely listening to me if he was tired. Actually, it was a pretty mutual conversation thing... Nardwuar asked me questions, I answered and asked him some. Fun. So, Ms. Roberta, donıt you be making me and Nardwuar feel like we canıt be talkinı (unless youıre tellinı us weıre being too loud, that is.) HARRUMPH! ............................................................................... SINGLED OUT All the glory these days seems to be going to The Kaisers. They deserve the accolades, too. Unfortunately, The King Normals are somehow managing to evade all notice. Thatıs a shame because it means many Beat fans are missing out on something special. With their new EP, Colors (Hillsdale), the boys have apparently added a fifth member. This has not served to diminish them one iota, but instead has just added to the beautiful racket they specialize in creating. I have only one criticism of the group (albeit one that some garage fiends will probably laugh at): Iıd prefer them to work on the sound quality of their recordings. Having gotten past that, Colors is yet another installment in the King Normals Book of Beat. On this one, they reach back a bit and remind us that Beat groups had a real jones for American 50s sounds. Itıs on ³So Natural² that this comes furthest to the fore as they reach to the heart of the Sun rockabilly sound and step it up a few paces, without removing it from its natural environment. Their version of ³Please Donıt Fight It² is another reminder of this, although it steps just barely over the line into the Beat era. ³Colors (Dress In Black)² starts out slow and soulful in a big lonely cavern and builds to a fever pitch before dropping back down. ³Merry-Go-Round² is more straight-up rockınıroll with the feel of a train making its way down the tracks between stations, not quite full-steam, but certainly moving. Overall, the King Normals still have that killer Milkshakesı sound that I love them for, but theyıre definitely coming further into their own. I just wish theyıd do a full LP. One tasty slice of Estrus Crust this time came courtesy of The Ray-Ons, out of Denver. These guys appear to be a fairly unknown quantity amongst those Iım in contact with, but Lipstick Pickup Lines shows a band thatıs bound to turn some heads. ³24K Leather² has them sounding like the Saints, but more clipped. The tones on sustained, choosing instead to slash around in all directions at once. ³Brakes Are For Pussies² steals some chording from Radio Birdmanıs ³Aloha Steve & Danno,² but - while certainly pretty good - doesnıt quite capture the immediate thrill of either that or the first track on the side. I get the feeling that there are gonna be a bunch of people raving about these guys pretty soon. Thing is, Iım still not sure if Iım gonna be one of them. Part of me is ready to bounce off the walls, while another part of me isnıt as thrilled. What to do? Well, personally, I believe rockınıroll is at its best in the live context. Live music tends to be loud (especially when you stand up front the way I do.) So, the solution is to turn this the ____ UP!!! Do that and suddenly itıs much easier to get into this stuff. Itıs still not gonna put them in the running for 7² of the year in my personal book, but now Iım thinking they just might be a pretty decent live act. While critics may write off The Seculars Social Skills (360 Twist) 5-songer as being a bit ³same-y,² it might be smart to consider that most of these are just short, wild blasts of no-fi punk/garage madness. In fact, considering the incredibly short intervals between tracks, Iım wondering if this was simply a live recording (it says it was recorded at KIVA, Fort Collins) that was transferred straight to tape. It certainly sounds like there was no real studio stuff applied later on. The title track claims ³I ainıt got no social skills² and, upon listening, youıre a firm believer... listen too many times and you start realizing you probably donıt either, leading you to start screaming along with the chorus. The same kind of thing happens with ³I Believe In Dr. Rokkett.² As the vocal chants the title over and over during the chorus, it starts clinging to your cranium and you join in. What will these Seculars do next? Itıd be easy as hell to simply write off The No-Talents as just one more lo-fi punk band. Thing is, as with anything else, thereıs good lo-fi punk and bad lo-fi punk. Personally, I think that thereıs way too high a crap-to-cool ratio in that particular subgenre. Way too many bands have foisted complete manure upon a public that seems to be throwing themselves on the ground asking to be buried in dung. The No-Talents, though, manage to rise above it, with Liliıs slashing guitar ably abetting Ceciliaıs get-off-MY-road vocals (which have definitely improved over their first 7².) ³Easy Girl² (Incognito) feels like a blind cab ride on a pothole-heavy NYC street. As cool as that one is, my pick is the last of the four tracks ³Youıre Guilty Too,² probably due to the pounding drums backing some slurred, meaty guitar with the tone set all the way on Nasty. Thereıs a damn good reason so many people go completely nuts over The Mr. T. Experience: they play incredibly catchy pop tunes with tons of energy. Their latest 45, ³And I Will Be With You² (Lookout) is filled with an irresistible bounce and a nice big fat production. The first track down finds MTXıs Dr. Frank duetting with Kim Shattuck of The Muffs on the Elton John track ³Donıt Go Breaking My Heart.² Itıs not bad, but itıs also nowhere near as good as I wouldıve hoped. Maybe itıs the choice of material or maybe their voices just donıt sound right together. I get the feeling many people are gonna rave about this, but itıs just not working for me. Weird, too, Œcuz I love just about everything Iıve heard by these two individually. I wouldnıt turn this off if I heard it on the radio (oh yeah, like thatıs likely!), but the only reason Iıll probably be throwing this on the turntable at home is Œcuz it comes right before the final track on this 45, ³You Alone² which is easily the best offering on this seven-incher. The melody soars as the bandıs right in their best groove, with killer dual-vocal bits diving in and out as the band careens around with a huge smile. This oneıll give happy feet to everyone on the dance floor. (Yeah, you could say I like it.) Itıs been some time now since Junior Varsityıs first 7²er and theyıve done nothing but get better. Pep Rally Rock (Twist Like This) finds them moving in on the ³Be True To Your School² crowd, urging the listener on with fun, Super Sugar Crisp garage rockinı pop music. They know how to have a good time, too; just check out the beatnik jazz breakdown on ³Bobby the Beatnik.² ³Thatıs Our Name² is one of the few themes Iıve heard a band do in recent times that doesnıt drop their name right in the title. (Instead, they get to it in the song. Smart.) More pure, peppy, poppinı and great for the cheerleaders to get going on. Flip it over for ³Friday Afternoon Pep Rally² (OK, I think I got Œem backwards, but thatıs life). This one just got me wishing the pep rallies were this fun where I teach. (Of course, when I was in junior high, Iıd often cut out of them since I walked home and nobody would know I was gone.) Maybe I need to convince the powers-that-be to import Junior Varsity from Texas this September. For those who want a check on what this oneıs like, think Œ63/ı64 surf vocal good times. As great as the rest of this is, itıs ³One X One² that really touched me. Itıs just really sweet. The spoken mid-section is the best, ³I saw you at the drive-in with another girl, sharing popcorn (...) I cried in my Slurpee. (...) But I know that someday Iıll be One X One with you.² Sigh. (OK, so Iım a sucker for that teenage heartache stuff.) I was pretty pleased with The Razzelsı ³Canıt Forget About You² EP (Get Hip), since I was unfamiliar with them. Herein lies some excellent power-pop, ranging from the ringing slow-mid tempo love-sickness of the title track (think The Shoes with more smiles and a good kick in the pants) to the punkier ³Excuse Me,² which will probably appeal to more fans. Iıd like to hear more. The Flashback V called it a day some time ago, but Misty Lane convinced them to dig into the vaults for a few unreleased gems. They came up with four. ³Where is Wally?² is a tribute to Wally Tax that definitely recalls the frenetic insistence of some of my favorite Outsidersı material, although this would benefit from a better production job. (Of course, these tracks were never meant for release.) The groupıs version of The Red Squaresı ³You Can Be My Baby² is fairly faithful to the original, but I prefer The Insomniacsı version, although the organ on this sounds great. The other tracks (a cover of ³It Takes A Long Time Cominı² and an original called ³I Have Seen Her²) are also worthy, although not as wild as those on side 1. Like many of you, I was extremely bummed when The Element 79 broke up. Well, Michael Daboll has emerged with a new trio called The Down-n-Outs, who are screaming out their arrival with The Low-Down Sounds of... (Hipsville). With ³Canıt Go On² the band goes full-on into some wild-ass garage rockinı, nasty and mean, combining all the best elements of 60s, 80s, and 90s garage sounds. ³I Saw A Girl² is a virtual snot-fest, with hail-stone sized chunks spewing forth all over. Iım starting to be glad Iım not female, Œcuz I donıt know if Iıd want to be a girl these guys saw, not with that kind of attitude, nosirree! Underneath, the rock is turned over for ³How Many Times² and we find these guys have a gentler side. The guitar both rings and buzzes, mainly sounding pretty, but occasionally revealing the other side. As it turns out, these guys are pretty damn sick of being treated like crap by some girl (might explain the attitude on the other side, huh?), so theyıre asking the question we all must ask at one time or another, ³Why, Baby!?!² And theyıre understanding that itıs been good, but itıs just about time to blow up the bridges. Iım guessing this will satisfy both the modern crowd looking for punk-styled garage, but still appeal to the more purist types. I first heard about The Insect thru Feline Frenzy. This Ohio bunch sallies forth with a 3-songer on 360 Twist, starting with a cover of the Northwest Companyıs ³Hard To Cry.² While I prefer the recent Nomadsı version, this one is solid with a strong guitar lead. Underneath is the best track, ³The Styler,² an instro killer that is, indeed, quite stylinı rave-up R&B with the harmonica taking the lead. I get shivers thinking how great this must be live and loud. Like his hero Jeff Conolly, Sam Steinig of Mondo Topless has weathered a number of lineup changes. Somehow, though, Samıs stew just keeps getting tastier. His Vox Continental leads the charge into the jungle to meet the ³Amazon Queen² (GI Productions) and the band sings it out with garage-rockinı glee. This is one trip theyıll never forget. Side the second adds another solid original, ³Leave Me Alone,² and a Creepsı cover entitled ³Just What I Need.² Theyıve revved this one up nicely, but keep the elements that made it great in the first place. Itıs nice to hear another band covering one of the great mid-80s garage combos. (The Woggles paid tribute to these Swedes a couple years back with ³Hi Hi Pretty Girl² while the Soul Assassins used to do ³Down at the Nightclub² as a regular part of their set.) Last ish, I introduced you to the swinginı sounds of a bunch of French gals called The Godzillas. Well, now itıs time for Th e Return of The Godzillas (Larsen). As if you werenıt expecting that title. This is another EP chock full oıcovers, starting with ³Go Godzilla Go.² If this rewrite of everyoneıs favorite gorilla anthem had been playing in the commercials for the megabudget new Godzilla flick, I just might have gone. On ³For My Man² they again remind me of The Del Monas. Flip it over and they try their hand at ³Telepathic.² Itıs not as stark as The Goriesı original, so it loses a bit of the power, but itıs kinda cool to hear it done with a bit more sound in there. ³Get Off My Life² gets perhaps the most drastic rewrite, as itıs both slowed down and brightened (although only a tad). As a result, this old garage-punk rant is transformed into almost an intimate dance of seduction. The ³take off² lyric is coupled with body language that says ³you are gonna be sooooo sorry² as it undulates and mesmerizes. I get the feeling that any guy getting this earful is gonna think twice before messing up. In the past few years, Fortune & Maltese have vaulted themselves into my personal pantheon of rockınıroll coolsters. These guys have played some great frat-rock, cool folk, and various kinds of garage. Their latest 7² for Larsen Recordz, ³Bewitched² (co-written by Mike Maltese and Royal Pendletonsı wildman Mike Hurtt), finds them getting back to the raving garage-punk snot sound. The drums are battered to pieces, the guitarıs on overdrive, and the whole band is turbocharged. Down below, ³Donıt Wanna Cry² is more of the same. Man! Talk about a smokinı debut slab oı wax. The Church Keys musta aled up but good with a case or three of Ballantine before staggering down to Big Plate Studio to set down these three tracks Œcuz this snack platter finds Œem at the top of their form. ³Viva Viva Rock And Roll² (Norton) sees the Lakeside Loungeıs number one customers lettinı loose with a down-and-dirty, pure-as-pissed-in-snow take on the Chuck Berry classic, makinı it all their own. Heck, theyıve turned this one inside out and back again, somehow shaking out all the dust that had accumulated, breathing a real rockinı joy into it. The fun doesnıt end there, thoı, as they start off the flip with a live favorite, ³Peephole.² On this one, theyıre still in Chuck territory, but this time itıs not a track written by Mr. Berry, but, instead, a look into what it mustıve been like when the police knocked and those doors flew back a few years ago at the Berry homestead... you know, when Olı Chuck got caught with those videos from the womenıs bathroom. They set the stage musically by playinı it low and sleazy, with drummer Bill Paitch takinı the mic, in a spoken narrator style. Warning: this oneıs not for the easily disgusted. Lastly, we get a boozy instro entitled ³Staggerinı² with ex-A-Bonesı saxman Lars blowinı it hard and loose while one guitar grinds on the bottom and the other staggers, happily inebriated, in search of a bar stool. This oneıs gonna be high on my Hit List for some time to come. The Untamed Youthıs Planet Mace sessions produced a couple extra tracks, two of which made it back to NYC, where the moguls at Norton Records whooped with delight (then settled down and pressed up a 45.) ³Go Girl Go² is a mid-tempo upbeat pop rocker solidly in Youth Central that tells the sad story of a guy whose best gal goes away to New York to become a go-go girl on TV. He asks her to come back where she can be herself, but... well, he may have taught her everything she knows, but sheıs dang happy beinı just that. A heartbreaking tale, but quite a pretty little tune, with Ragerıs organ providing just the right amount of color underneath. Flip this flapjack over and the boys take on Herbie Duncanıs ³Hot Lips Baby² with Derek letting out a Trashmen-like wha-ha-ha demonicınıdemented yowl. This oneıs considerably wilder than the upside, rockinı things out from the get-go. Another (Show Me) blowout from one of the best bands of the past ten years. From Untamed Youth guitarist Deke Dickerson comes the Solid Sender EP (EccoFonic), wherein he comes closest to the sounds he was making with his old bunch The Dave & Deke Combo, musically.... mostly. First up is ³Sparkinı,² as Old Deke plays the light-hearted rıbilly nice Œnı pretty while he and his baby go sparkinı. Sounds like the voltage was way up. Next Deke offers a change-up, ³Double Zombie,² an instro where he handles all the instruments. Link Wray in parts, swinginı jazzy Les Paul guitar in others, this Zombieıs either Double, like Deke declares, or heıs got a split personality. Either way, Iıd suggest staying out of his way and just listening as he goes about a nightıs work. Flip this snack pack over and youıll find Deke paying tribute to the Travelinı Texans with their ³Beatinı On The Bars.² Here heıs further into the country/rıbilly style with a splash of ³Who Shot Sam?² thrown in. Itıs all about meetinı some gal in the bars and, well, it ends with, ³Oh, man, you donıt understand... she said she was 20!² Things finish off with the EPıs title track, another nice pure rockınıroll track. Dekeıs vocals on this whole EP are just plain fine, clear as a mountain stream and flowing steadily the whole way thru. Dekeıs best solo record to date. Last summer, Imposible released a new 45 by The Dictators. As Spring Œ98 draws to a close, Norton has released it (with better sound) in the US of A. ³Who Will Save RockınıRoll?² is easily my favorite Dictatorsı track since the stint a few of Œem did as Manitobaıs Wild Kingdom. OK, so they havenıt released much in that time, so let me amend that: this is one of my fave 45s this issue. ³Murray the K / Is not here today / (...) I saw the Stooges / Covered in bruises / (...) My generation / Is not the salvation / Who Will Save RockınıRoll?² All this over a great melody line that wouldıve been right at home on Go Girl Crazy. Thatıs right, Adny can still write Œem and the boys can still play Œem. This one deserves commercial airplay. Of course, those stations probably threw away their turntables at the start of the decade. Besides, how many of Œem would be willing to play a record with the line, ³I wish Sgt. Pepper had never taught the band to play!² Ross The Boss flies on this one, while Top Ten crashes out the chords. This blinkinı thing effinı screams! Down on the bottom, they let fly with the ³Savage Beat,² for everyone who goes for primitive pounding. The verses are just that, ³Banginı rocks together / Howlinı at the moon / Brontosaurus burgers / On the barbeque.² Meanwhile, the choruses are pure Stoneage Romeos-era Hoodoo Gurus. Itıs a Hit! For those whoıve been unimpressed with some of Deniz Tekıs recent recordings, Get Hip presents Deep Reduction, the Stump Wizards backing Sir Deniz. ³Black Tulip² is deep inside the Birdman maelstrom, sounding like ominous thunder on the way, somewhere between ³Snake² and ³Hand of Law,² although thatıs an admittedly poor comparison. Simply put, this has many of the best Birdman elements in it and the vocal phrasing is much like Rob Youngerıs. Unfortunately, the mic gets handed over for the flip and we end up with a far weaker track as a result, even if the guitars do still slash and burn. Just in case youıve been wondering why everyoneıs been raving about The Hellacopters, Get Hip has reished their 1995 EP. This is for those looking for the hardened rock side of garage-punk, with nods to the Nomads, MC5, Birdman, and The Dictators. They meet their influences head on and come out with something all their own. This one is raw power, maximum volume, balls out, fierce rockinroll. Iıll admit that I prefer Blaineıs old band, 9 Lb. Hammer, to his current confabulation, Nashville Pussy. I also realize that some of you out there are gonna call me a wimp as a result. If thatıs what it takes to make you feel better, so be it. Having said all that, I was surprised how much I liked ³Go Motherfucker Go² (Get Hip). This is easily the beset recording Iıve heard from the group. Up top you get wild rockinı with the whole band steamrolling their way straight towards whatever kind of oblivion theyıre currently craving. Down below, they throw a ton of Go JuiceTM into their collective engine and rev ³Milk Cow Blues² faster than Iıd like (Iım partial to The Kinksı version), but it works pretty well, especially with the heavy guitar sounds they slam in. Iıve been a fan of The Royal Pendletons from the first time I heard them. They take a bunch of styles and make them all their own, sometimes combining them, sometimes letting them stand on their own. Their latest seven-incher appears courtesy of Blood Red Vinyl. ³You Can Always Love Again² is a nasty-ass garage pounder that only a truly tunnel-visioned garage purist wonıt go absolutely ape over. Throw in ³Keg Tapper² for the instro crowd, wild and woolly with a driving surf feel. Their cover of ? & the Mysteriansı ³Hanginı On A String² is faithful, yet pure Pendletons. Oh yeah, and itıs insanely irresistible. ³Game of Love² finishes it out back in the trashy garage fun department, with Mike Hurtt grabbing the mic and letting fly. Frigg A-Go-Go blew me away with their first seven-incher and kept up the onslaught with their full-length. They keep right on coming with the primal garage/blues of the Frigg-A-LiciousEP (360 Twist). ³Jenny Walker² is what some of the 60s British R&B bands probably wished they could manage, with a real fuzz beat providing a swagger-march with tons of snot. Just to make it a bit more palatable, the keys add a nice flavor-enhancing riff on top. Special mention should also go to ³The Beat of My Heart,² as everybody frantically dives in and pummels toward a common goal, eventually gelling into a triple-team fighting force wiping out anything that even dreams of wandering into their path. Itıs been awhile since I heard a new one from The Primate 5, so I was pretty happy to see the Nova EP (GI Productions). Itıs good to see theyıve kept with their original idea, laying down low garage grit replete with organ on the title track. They also provide a bit of ³horror-garage² (think a faster version of The Worst) on ³Goinı To A Graveyard.² ³Haki Tai² provides an instro break just on the garage side of the surf fence, while ³Tzunuikwa² heads back into the fray with a nice bright organ sound leading the way, mating the 80s and 90s garage sounds quite well. Another slice, please. Some weird stuff going on in the liner notes to The Mount McKinleysı Genius In Modern Music Vol. 2 (360 Twist). OK, maybe not so weird, but they seem to be dissinı Get Hip something bad. Or maybe itıs all in fun? Anyway, this is another solid release for the group, although it didnıt quite fuel my fire the way their Get Hip disc did. ³No Come Down² and ³Blue Spell² are raw, freakout garageınıroll numbers with a slightly drawn-out quality to the vocals. ³Here Comes Last Summer² is my pick of the platter, an instro rundown with enough fuzz lying low to trip up the unsuspecting and the tremelo waver to finish the job. In the past year or so, The Von Zippers have become one of my favorite groups. ³Hot Rod Monkey² (Screaming Apple) is just one more reason, with a good time garage-rockinı sound mixing it up with some basic hot-rod melodies. The combo organ cheeses along throughout, ably abetting the slightly distorted vocals. In short, itıs just plain fun. The flip, ³You Destroy Me,² isnıt quite as great, but it more than holds its own in a chunkier garage fashion. ............................................................................... STEP ON MY BIG TEN INCH... RECORD Oh yeah, like I could possibly resist that headline! How many chances am I likely to get to do a whole column of reviews of fairly recent ten-inchers, anyway? Hmm... maybe I should revisit old ones and have this kinda column every time? The first 10-inch EP I ever picked up was Cheap Trickıs Found All The Parts. Honestly, Iım not sure I got another one before I found one by Whirlwind. Or maybe I got The A-Bonesı Tempo Tantrum first? Not that it matters. Really, I guess The Loyal Order of Ten Inch Record Nuts should send out a long-distance dedication to Get Hip this time out, since theyıre the ones that sent me a bunch of Œem all at once. Weıll kick this off with Thee Headcoats, a group that should need absolutely no introduction to the readership of this mag. Their contribution is The Jimmy Reed Experience (Get Hip), an eight-song tribute to the master. Put simply, this is a Blues disc by a band that knows its roots. Too many people seem to forget how much the blues meant to groups like The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, and the early Rolling Stones. Those were bands that built upon the foundation of their influences. On this disc, Thee Headcoats remind us that they, too, share a love for that sound; here they let it shine through. With Holly Golightly adding backing vocals on many tracks, the band takes on six Jimmy Reed numbers, including extremely well-known tracks like ³Bright Lights, Big City² and ³Ainıt That Lovinı You Baby² along with slightly lesser-known tracks on the order of ³Upside Your Head.² While they sound excellent on all of these, itıs ³Honest I Do² on which they completely outdo themselves. Johnny Johnsonıs harp cries out plaintively as the rhythm sketches a backdrop to be painted in by the lead guitar. While none of the others deserves the term ³mindblowing,² this one surely does. For this alone, Iıd recommend grabbing the EP. However, besides strong covers of the other Reed tracks, the group tacks on a couple of Childish compositions, ³I Remember² and ³I Got Everything Indeed.² Both have heavy Reed influences (which, I suppose, is why theyıre on this collection), but they show a definite Childish stamp on them. In other words, Billy the C. and the gang have done just what some of my fave British acts of the early-mid 60s were in the process of doing - molding their influences into something of their own. Itıs true that Thee Headcoats are much further along in their musical timeline than were the Pretty Things or the Rolling Stones when they did this. However, Thee Headcoats have certainly done their own thing over the years, as well. Here they do something that groups like The Stones could never manage to getright some 20 years into their careers - make a record that hearkens back to some of their earliest influences... and make it sound good! (Letıs face it, the Stones would overproduce the hell out of it. Maybe they should ask Childish to produce. Now that would be interesting.) Anyway, of the two Childish compositions, I prefer ³I Got Everything Indeed,² in which Childish proclaims ³Iıll take whatıs mine / Now gimme yours.² Iım hoping he does material from this platter when he does those poetry/blues performances this summer. Flying thru the rapidly shutting elevator doors known as the deadline of this esteemed publication comes Wailinı With... The Woggles (One Louder). Just in case you happen to be among the crowd that judges a disc based on song numero uno, the boys in the band sock it to you from note numero one of track the first, ³Ramadan Romance.² This is one of those garage grabbers that takes hold right from the get-go and never lets up. Yeah, itıs a dance party favorite. The big beat continues on with ³Tear Me Down² as they stomp like mad. After the guitar lead, the bass gets to walk out on its own for a bit before the Professor comes in with an ?-like talking section. ³Iım The Green Fly² is a number I keep wondering about. Just what the hell does it mean to be the ³Green Fly on [somebodyıs] shit?² OK, sure, that might bother the guy, but on the other hand you could also be reducing yourself to being a pest on somebodyıs long-forgotten excrement. Thatıs not exactly an exalted position in my book. Sure, I know which way they meant it... Iım just not sure the guy on the other side of the statement is gonna be bothered by it. Well, except for the fact that heıs probably gonna be scratching his head for awhile trying to figure it out. Not that it matters, Œcuz this oneıs yet another wild shouter. ³Sweet Tea² is the groupıs instro ode to the homemade version of the bandıs non-alcoholic refreshment of choice. In the liner notes, Montague claims we Northerners have no idea how to manage, substituting instead the awful instant stuff. Now, while Iım with Œem on the hell that is instant tea, I should mention that Grandma B. has made me some pretty damn good sweet tea over the years. (My friend Lisa also recently handled this chore for me quite well the other day.) However, I should also mention that I personal prefer unsweetened iced tea. (And am quite proud of my own version of this.) (Note: This oneıs also available in the currently popular CD format. OK, OK, thatıs the version I have.... I just liked it in this pot better. More exposure.) Throw in the seductive vibes of ³Play Pretty,² the out-and-out garage grit of ³Do Me Wrong² (\kinda reminding me of Gonnıs ³Doinı Me In²), the crazed wildness of ³I Donıt Need Your Love,² and finally a cover of Arthur Leeıs ³Feathered Fish² and you, too, will soon be Wailinı With The Woggles. Consider yourself lucky. On Wild Guy (Get Hip), The Titans let loose some more of that rockabilly/punk mix theyıre becoming known for. Although I canıt call any of the tracks weak, itıs not too hard to pick the winners here. ³Long Gone My Baby² is more rockabilly than punk, featuring more melody than most of the tracks on here. The guitar soloıs pure rockabilly happiness, but the whole songıs chock full of tasty morsels. ³Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde² is a rockınıroll raver, keeping the beat simple and up-tempo, ready to flip, flop, and fly at a momentıs notice. Itıs the guitar solo, again, however that really hollers. While this is a solid release, Iıd recommend those just checking them out to try their Instant Disasters CD first. Of course, this ten-incher is likely to be cheaper, so if youıre on a budget, thisıll be your ticket. One of my favorite new discoveries in the past year or so would have to be Rocket 455, blasting off a launchpad somewhere in the dirt and grime of the Motor City. Their Sees All-Knows All-Tells All (Get Hip) deserves all the Stooges/MC 5 accolades it gets, but, as welcome as those might be, thatıs just not enough. As Iım sure most of you know, those descriptions have been so overused this decade (usually for bad heavy rock/punk outfits) that itıs ceased to mean anything. Consequently, when a band like Rocket 455 come around that truly deserve to inherit the crowns of the almighty, the crown has been turned (via the reverse-alchemy of reviewers everywhere) to tin. So, picture if you will, the raw intensity that both those legends must have had way back in their early days. Run that thru a nice powerful fuel injection system and youıre on the right track. ³Sister Fuchsia Jane² fires a garage salvo to announce the attack, soon joined by a barrage of artillery to wage this war right. The guitars shoot flame and shells like a messed-up cross between the Heartbreakers and The Stones. Rachel Nagy performs guest duet vocals on ³Motor Oil² as the two vocals spew their own verbiages into some kind of makeshift Molotov cocktail, set to explode like a trashy Sonny & Cher as the drums thump a demented Diddley further distorted by the rest of the gang. They also take on The Flaminı Grooviesı ³Dog Meat,² running it through a grinder so it comes out like a grittier NY Dolls. Respect, too, is due for ³Queen Cobra² (written maybe for she who rules the Detroit Cobras?) and ³Johnny Lawless.² However, they go supernova at the end with ³Gleason Rocket.² (Maybe this is the way Ralph was gonna send Alice to the moon?) This thingıs overflowing with everything thatıs great about sleazy punkınıroll. Thereıs a certain Birdman feel at points, not to mention some outer-space guitar effects to set it apart, but itıs the way the bile just comes tumbling out that makes this so damn good. ³Dıja think I was a rocket scientist / Lik YOU?!?² The Maharajas are of two minds, as is shown on Something Moody... & Groovy (Teen Sound). The moody side certainly is. Three of the four tracks on this side tend to be a bit too despondent for my tastes. ³It Has Happened To Me Before² is lonely and dark with a brooding organ. Donıt get me wrong, some of the best garage tracks deal with love gone wrong. But too much mopingıs just not good. I would have preferred maybe two tracks in this vein. Still, I kinda like ³I Still Believe² which almost reaches Beau Brummel-Land. The track that works best for me is ³I Tried For A While,² with some fuzz force adding power to this downcast piece. ³Seems nothing ever goes my way² is a sentiment that just about everyone has probably had run through their mind at one point or another. The ³Groovy² side is more my speed, with the thumping cool or ³I Need to Know² providing a nice big stomping beat. However, itıs ³Iım The Greatest Lover² that does the most for me. After all the bumming out they did on Side One, itıs nice to hear some cool braggadocio in here. Besides, this one really kicks it into gear. Iım hoping these guys will sally forth with a full LP sometime soon, hopefully concentrating on their wild side. The Slow Slushy Boys 10 Fabulous Hits (Larsen) has been playing around my place and in my car for quite some time now. This is probably the best material Iıve heard from the group as Denis & Co. have managed to add some of the best elements of 50s rockinı pop and 40s arrangements to their 60s influenced sound to create something of their own. The color and decor of most of these is provided quite ably by a Hammond organ, with some smooth horn sounds adding an excellent flair. The guitar itself works well to add both structure and rockınıroll cool to this establishment. In fact, the only flaw is probably the drum sound, which doesnıt come through with quite as solid a foundation as one might hope. Still, this is an essential release for anyone looking for some excellent popınısoulınırockınıroll. Many of these tracks include a certain Motown feel (in fact, ³Welfare Cheese² has a Gordy writing credit), not to mention some excellent vocal arrangements. On ³Whatıs the Matter With Me?² they even throw in some short a capella sections that work beautifully. If only more bands would work on vocals! On ³Pretty Baby² they move a big band feel into the 50s with horns rolling in and announcing themselves oh-so-smoothly. They finish up with a more rocking guitar sound on ³How Can You Love Me?² The chorus is a sing-along with the drums keeping the beat and everybody else just joining in the vocal. As the song nears its end, the old lounge favorite, ³Delicious² plays under the instruments. This is one helluva cool party platter, sounding different than just about everything else out there. Congrats to the Slow Slushy Boys on a fine effort. ............................................................................... DIAMETER = ONE FOOT OK, I know it seems like thereıs precious few of these this time out, but thatıs largely Œcuz many of the LP reviews are in other sections... mostly dealing with comps, but also in places like the Untamed Youth and Head & The Hares sections. The first I heard of The Vendettas was via some pieces of news about The Subsonics. As it turned out, Ms. Buffi Aguero was playing guitar and singing in this group. Down at Fuzzfest last year, Buffi invited me to come see them play, almost across the street from the Star Bar. Unfortunately, the way I figured it, that was the time Mystic Eyes would be on. Such is life. Well, anyway, within a couple months, Iıd picked up their self-released 45, ³Canıt Stop²/²Gasoline.² Some months later, I learned that 360 Twist had re-issued that single. And now the group has a self-titled debut LP out. This happens to be book-ended by the tracks from the seven-incher. ³Canıt Stop² just so happens to make the perfect introduction to the group, combining all the jagged edges of garage, punk, and rockabilly. The group actually features two lead vocalists (both of whom also handle guitar duties), one female (Buffi) and one male (Johnny Vigneault). Having two vocalists sometimes gives a group a split identity, especially when theyıre of different genders. However, these two both attack their songs with the same sort of aggression. The LP is not without its change-ups. ³I Die Inside² is a ballad that has Buffi sounding sweet as hell in a country lost-my-love kinda way. I just wish she sang more songs like this. Even so, the wild caterwauling thatıs found on most of the record is pretty damn great. I guess Iıd just prefer one or two more along these lines. ³Rosalyn² ends side one by stompinı, shoutinı, and workinı on-outinı. Whack it good! Side the Second features more of the same. ³Youıre So Cheap² comes across like a Jonathan Richman track in its simplicity, but itıs revved and spattered with mud. ³Please Kill Me² is this sideıs trick pitch, working the red light district directly opposite ³Earth Angel.² The album comes to a close with the flip of the single, ³Gasoline,² sounding for all the world like a screamınıshout version of ³Blank Generation.² As good as this LP is, though, I far prefer them live. Thereıs just something about hearing this kind of madness blasting through your ears... While The Insectıs 3-song 7²er was a nice introduction to the band, it didnıt come close to preparing me for The Detroit Sessions (360 Twist). This is filled with some truly tremendous garage whomping (the psycho guitar of ³Scene Maker² or the Diddley-overdrive ³Hyena²) mixed together with some blistering blues-harp wails (³Talk About Me² and ³Mule Train,² the latter of which also features a couple of the Hentchmen). ³Itıs Another Day² includes shades of ³Fluctuation,² but it rubs harder and faster, creating the friction necessary to melt and fuse it. Listening to the vocals, I wonder if this guy stuffed some marbles in his mouth beforehand; it doesnıt sound bad... I just canıt make out more than a few words. The dual vocal on ³People Show² is an excellent effect, especially since one of these guys sounds like heıs half-talking his way through. Meanwhile, the guitar says something all its own. The group also knows enough to throw in a change of pace once in awhile. To that end, they include a cover of The Dantesı ³Canıt Get Enough Of Your Love², as well as ³Itıs Alright,² both nice slices of garage-pop. The power of good folk-punk comes through with the closer, ³Magnetic Mary Jane.² Another track with dual lead vocals, this oneıll ring thru your mind for quite some time after the needle lets go. I suppose the Evaporatorsı I Gotta Rash / Goblinsı (and some Skablins) We Are Thee ³Goblins² From Canada split LP (Nardwuar) could easily be throw into the comps area. However, considering that the Goblins are two of The Evaporators and, I believe, The Skablins are all of the Evaporators, it seems kinda silly to think of it as any sort of comp/various artists thing. Besides, there are few enough reviews in this section! When Nardwuar was here a month ago, he was telling me about some of the travails of booking a tour. One time, he called up a club and was asked by the booker just what kind of stuff The Evaporators played. He replied that they did ³fun rock.² In fact, thatıs exactly what both The Evaporators and the Goblins/Skablins are all about. Now, itıs true that itıs even more fun live than on record, but Iım finding that Iım truly enjoying this record. All too many bands out there are just way too serious about what theyıre doing; Nardwuar & Co., however, just want to have a good time. Better yet, theyıre dedicated to ensuring that you do, too. So, OK, some of the songs may seem silly to you, but if youıll just loosen up, youıll find out that this whole LP is chock full of fun music. Some of this is punky (³Slap-Ham²), other parts are kinda garage (³Pouvatel,² aka The Holliesı ³Come On Back²), yet other sections are truly poppy (³Mercury Outboards Have Plastic Propellers²) The Goblins/Skablins side is also fun, with even more emphasis on having a good time. In fact, none of the songs on this side are above 2:11 (with the exception of the interview bit). Who can resist ³Uhhh?² A simple keyboard riff repeated with drums behind it and the lyric, ³Uhhh² thrown in at various points. Better yet, of course, is Nardwuar encouraging you to grunt along at the live show. Whatıs this with the Skablins? Simply a ska version of the Goblins. And, quite honestly, itıs rather fun. As with each of his releases, there are a couple of ³Nardwuar vs.² interviews. This time Nardwuar encounters Prime Minister Jean Chretien, bringing up the subject of protesting (with some hilarious results... good to see the PM has a bit of a sense of humor). However, far more interesting are the eight and a half minutes Nardwuar spends chatting with Iggy Pop, bringing up various moments in Iggyıs history. Itıs great to see that Iggy still likes to have fun, too. Once again, Nardwuar has thrown a free CD version of this release into the LP. No extra charge, gang. Kinda makes you wonder how the hell the majors get off with such high prices on their CD releases, doesnıt it? (By the way, the CD ends with Le District Ouestıs original version of ³Iım Your Buddy,² done as ³Je Suis Ton Copain.²) By the way, for those who donıt want the CD or the LP, but are incurable Nardwuar fanatics, for $6 post-paid you can also get this on 8-track. Just write to the address listed in that particular section of this mag. ³This... is the sound... of Sexxxxx.² Well, OK, thereıs not actually a voice saying that on the Demolition Doll Rods (In The Red) LP, but there might as well be. ŒCuz no matter what the lyrics are, every single one of these evokes the image of unbridled lust. Sure, there are songs about drag racing (³Motor City Dragway² is about the closest they come to a pop song, with a nice melody augmented by some well-arranged and executed backing vox; ³Queen Bee Drag Racing² just rips and rides hard), but most of this stuff either has lyrics that suggest the sexual intent or the sound itself practically screams it out as a certain peak is reached. The Doll Rods are the most logical Goriesı progession of anything the ex-band members have done. No, itıs not as sparse as the Gories, but itıs not exactly fleshy, either. But thereıs meat on those bones... nice, supple meat. Itıs raw R&B with an occasional deep blues. And itıs pure rockınıroll. ............................................................................... BUBBLING UP DOWN UNDER Most of the people I hang out with would probably say that the Aussie scene reached its peak in the 80s. Iıd agree. However, thereıs still some fantastic stuff going on in the Land of Oz, from pop to punk to garage. The DM3 have long been one of my favorite bands. I bought their first one sight unseen, ordering with the Platterpuss from an on-line record store based in Australia. It ended up costing me about $25 for the one disc, but I didnıt care. Iım a long-time Dom Mariani fan, back from the time of the Stems and right up through The SomeLoves (and a lucky owner of the StoneFish 6-songer, too). This is a guy who writes some of the absolute best pop-rockers youıre ever likely to hear. Until now, the only US releases the DM3 have seen are, I believe, on 45s or comps. Bomp has taken some of the best tracks from the groupıs Australian discs and put them together on the 20-track Dig It The Most. (And you will.) This is Power Pop the way it should sound - like pop music with rockınıroll power. Yeah, thatıs right, like The Who singing ³Pictures of Lily² or ³The Kids Are Alright.² Throw in ³Shake Some Action² era Flaminı Groovies, some Beatles Œ66, or combine the best Kinksı rockers with their most beautiful pop tracks and youıll get an idea of how damn great the DM3 are. The only thing that pisses me off is that these songs arenıt hits. They certainly have the right production and enough of a radio-friendly sound. All my favorites are on here, including the incredible ³1x, 2x, Devastated.² This may be one of the absolute best power pop tracks of all time. By the second chorus youıll be singing along and ready to throw it right back on as soon as itıs done. Of course, youıll be doing yourself a major disservice if thatıs all you listen to (but, OOOOHHHH, that guitar solo just soars!), as ³TV Sound² (credited only to Mariani on this disc, but co-credited to his SomeLovesı partner, ex-Lime Spider Daryl Mather, on the Road to Rome disc) is another killer pop track with one of those choruses thatıll be echoing in your head all day long. Thatıs a specialty of Dom Marianiıs. Of course, he also manages to write lyrics that sound like some thought went into them, which helps. And then thereıs the arrangements, with allthe right touches, including perfect backing vocals. Listen to ³Pleaze You,² as the guitars run and ring, chiming in all the right places, Mariani singing, ³Iıll do my very best for you now / And do it over if you want me to.² Thatıs right, pop perfection. Heck, thereıs even a killer instrumental, ³Roman Around,² that manages to throw an almost-Hoodoo Gurusı drum bit in with the usual great Mariani guitar sound (and a cool organ playing along) to create a track that wouldıve fit perfectly in a Stemsı set around 1986. Today it sounds even better. Everything Iıve ever heard by Dom Mariani has blown me away. Unfortunately, far too much of that has only been available in this country via import. Many thanks to Bomp for making the DM3 available domestically, so my friends can now tune in to the DM3 and understand what Iım talking about. Somewhere between The Stems and The SomeLoves lie The Summer Suns, a group that - not coincidentally - included the nominal leader of the former two, Dom Mariani (currently lauded by those in the know for fronting The DM3). The EP that Get Hip has released was originally meant for band members only, featuring the 1986 lineup that had been playing together regularly for some time by then. Fan demand caused the group to make a couple hundred copies, which sold out almost immediately (well, according to the press materials, anyway.) This was a time when The Stems were still flying high, a garage-pop act that few (if any) could match. It also happened to be about a year after (what I believe was) the first SomeLovesı 45 was released. (Fans should note that, at the time, the SLıs hadnıt yet become Domıs main group.) Mariani must have been a pretty busy guy, Œcuz Œ86 was also the time of the 6-songer he did with an instro surf outfit, The Stonefish (well worth seeking out, by the way.) Dom Marianiıs various projects, however, have little to do with the Summer Suns, beyond the fact that he was a member of the band. Why? Well, quite honestly, one Kim Williams was responsible for all the songwriting, as well as lead vocals. In the Summer Suns, Dom Mariani played lead guitar and sang backing vocals (something he does beautifully, by the way). Listening to this 8-songer, itıs tempting to compare them to The Rooks, thanks to excellent melodies and some fine playing (as well as strong vocals). However, The Summer Suns tend to have a brighter disposition to their sound; thereıs more of a warm, inviting smile here... a happier heart, if you will. Most of the tracks on here are nothing short of excellent. ³Sheıs My Kinda Girl² filters mid-60s pop through the lens of the mid-80s without falling headlong into the tritenesses being offered up by many of the groupıs American contemporaries (who, nevertheless, were heard constantly all over college radio at the time.) This one doesnıt wait, but makes things happen, no basking in the sun, but playing in the warmth of Spring. ³Angel Angeline² is darker than the rest, but retains great power, sounding somewhat like The Shambles in their harder moments. The only peeks at the sun come when the chorus parts the cloud for the songıs titular angel. Occasionally, Marianiıs backing vocal helps Williams create a ³feathered² sound to the vocal, layering things so theyıre gentle and soft, as on ³Brighter Than The Sun.² Here the guitars play with just enough strength to warm things up without burning, jangling beautifully in all the right places. Domıs vocals have much the same effect on ³All Away,² where they foreshadow some of the sounds that would later be heard when The SomeLoves reached full bloom. Notable, too, on this one is the way Williamsı lead vocal sounds stunningly like the Jazz Butcher. This one ends with ³Girl In A Mexican Restaurant² conveying that feeling you get when you see someone when youıre out somewhere that somehow strikes that chord inside that immediately lights you up. You want to meet her/him, but know that it has to be now or never. Some are blessed with the courage to go right ahead and say something; the rest of us bemoan what could have been. But for those moments when your paths have crossed, everything in the world is perfect. This one has the melody and tempo that capture that to a T. I think I first came across You Am I via a link on the Tomboy Records ³Scene Report² page (http://www.ar.com.au/~tomboy/scene.htm). The description was interesting, so I wrote to the PR address and asked them for more info. They went one better, sending me a copy of Hourly, Daily (Sire). (Having just dropped Roberta at the airport this AM, I have to wonder if this title has anything to do with parking rates.) I found it to be an interesting aural experience. Some of it moves towards the power-pop end of the scale; while other parts feature beautiful baroque orchestration (³Heavy Comfort²); a nice folky track in ³Please Donıt Ask Me To Smile² (with an occasional pretty-picking acoustic lead); yet other tracks remind me of what someone once called the ³psychedelic salad days² of The Kinks. Granted, this has a more modern sound to it, but itıs truly fine music. While I tend to doubt that itıll appeal to the hardcore garage crowd, this will make some major fans of the power pop crowd. As I read the bandıs press kit, I learned that these guys are pretty popular in Australia. Then, while reading Bomp-list one day, I ran into a post from a guy Down Under who mentioned that he played drums in a band that plays many big festivals (like Big Day Out, sort of the Aussie Lollapalooza). Seeing his initials, I thought he just might be the drummer of You Am I. I e-mailed him and asked. He responded, ³Is that a bad thing?² No, of course not. I told him Iıd enjoyed Hourly, Daily. He said that live they cover stuff like The Kinks and The Creation, and listen to it quite often while touring. In fact, he told me, Iıd probably like their next one much more. As it turns out, these guys (especially Rusty, I guess) are big garage fans. In fact, when The Crusaders were here, they mentioned how helpful You Am I are to the garage groups in Australia, having them open shows and such. The groupıs #4 Record (Warner Brothers) features guest appearances by Benmont Tench of Tom Pettyıs band, The Memphis Horns, plus Kim Shattuck (Muffs) and Lisa Marr (ex-Cub). This disc has some harder rockers than the last one. In fact, the sound shows the group is still evolving. However, there are songs that probably would have been just as comfortable on the previous effort ³Top of the Mornı and Slip of the Day²). Of course, there are also some truly cool power pop numbers (the very alive ³Billy²). The most fun song for me was ³Radio Rumble² (which, oddly enough, is the one with Kim & Lisa singing backing vox). Itıs a fun, upbeat poppy number with great ³R-A-D-I-O² backing vocals that, at one point, become ³Ronnie James D-I-O.² Itıs nice to see a bunch of guys with good taste and some real talent are doing well in the music biz. OK, itıs not garage stuff theyıre playing, but theyıve got some excellent melodies and cool harmonies. I hope they break through in the US. How refreshing it would be to hear something like this become a hit. On The Great Slump Forward EP (Tomboy), The Challenger 7 (featuring ex-Kryptonicsı Ian Underwood) prove themselves worthy successors to some fine Hoodoo Gurusı sounds. Much of this 7² is sun-drenched mid-tempo material that takes the listener a bit of time to dig into. However, once you do, youıll feel amply rewarded. ³Because We Can² features some sonic swellings that bring to mind a huge font of potential energy, eventually bursting through the dam and carrying everything away before dissipating. There are also prettier tracks, such as ³Blot,² but the power is still there. On all of them, they maintain a strong beat and excellent harmonies (one of the strong points of the band.) They appear again on a split 7², first with a number called ³Whereıs the Playground, Suzi?,² more of the same as the EP, although here they let it go down, pick up slowly, hit just hard enough at the chorus, etc. The melody is what sells this one, though. Their other track, ³Candelabra² is the most upbeat track Iıve heard from them, with a bit of a chunkier punk feeling, as well as a Birdman influence making it fly high. The best part of all is the imagery brought to mind by the line, ³Youıve been holding up a candle to the sun.² The other side of this split is handled by The Pyramidiacs, whoıve been around for quite some time now. These guys, too, have some nice harmonies, as well as definite 60s influences. Theirıs is a more straight up brand of rockınıroll, with ³Call You Round² just on the quicker side of mid-tempo. ³Sober,² on the other hand, is ballad-type pop, even radio-friendly (in a good way). The guitar sound at one point sounds like theyıve even thrown in some cool tremelo. Very nice. I first heard of The Hekawis via a Telstar 7²er from a year or two back. Iım not sure of the release date of ³Flowers In The Night²/²On This Day² (Wild Eagle), but this is a damned fine slab of garage-ian wax. Somehow, the hole on mine was too small, so it wouldnıt spin till I managed to hollow it out a bit better. Even then, itıd occasionally pause, but one must overcome obstacles in order to achieve true vindication. Or something like that. Up top, you get an upbeat organ-fueled slice of garage cool, with the guitar occasionally checking in with a more basic/50s rockınıroll feel. However, itıs the slower, more deliberate, ³On This Day² that emerges as the more powerful of the two tracks. The organ slices into the night as the guitar roams the vacant streets. Throw in some cool harp blowinı towards the end and youıve got one killer 45. The discerning film viewer will note that the title of The Crusadersı Fat, Drunk, and Stupid (Dionysus) is the beginning of a quote from one of the truly great artistic achievements of the 20th Century. (And if you donıt know which one it was, you need to hit the video store and ask the fat, drunk, stupid guy with the remote in his right hand and the chips halfway between his lap and the gaping maw that passes for his mouth.) The music found on this disc just so happens to be possessed of the same sort of love for trash of all kinds, manifested by the band in a fuzztone demolition derby. These guys assault your ears with the kind of trash every garage-nik canıt help but start jumping up and down, banging rocks (or those that make up his head) against his cave wall. They jump right in with ³Sheıs My Woman,² sporting the sort of intensity that would drive weaker persons to a padded cell. ³One Eyed Bikini Monster² may be devoid of lyrics, but thereıs just some things that need no explanation. This oneıs got his shades on, navigating the maze of towels on the beach pretending to be lost, when in reality heıs a wolfhound on the prowl, using those cool 60s sunglasses to hide his true purpose. Ya dirty dog, ya! Titles like ³I Dig Your Holes,² ³Fishermans Basket,² and ³She Wants More² may irk some of the more excitable female fans, but anyone whoıs willing to just let the fuzz pound through their brains (³No Brain, No Pain² sayeth the final title) is gonna get a damn good pounding of it. As my pal Ognir would say, ³Itıs Primitive!² ............................................................................... DIGITAL DERRING-DO Before I even get into this, I need to apologize to 360 Twist. The first few reviews you see here are of discs they sent me sometime early this year. I wrote these reviews sometime during the Spring of ı97, intending them to be in TS #57. It wasnıt till I got the final copies back that I found these werenıt in there. ³How could that have happened?² I wondered. Then I remembered. Iıd written these reviews after school one day, on the PCs, intending to put them on disc and bring them home to my Mac. Well, simply put, I forgot. So, to 360 Twist, I truly am sorry about this. Here they are then, three excellent releases. The first time I saw The Hectics was last year out at Treblefest. Quite simply, they blew me away and Iıve been a fan ever since. Even so, I wasnıt expecting such a killer debut CD. Everything I Need (360 Twist) is filled with some of the best things about rockınıroll: itıs frenetic; itıs got melody; and it just plain rocks. They kick it off with their ³Theme Song,² with a guitar that rides in that dark, choppy surf kinda way while they hit it straight on. ³Everything I Need² keeps the energy up and throws in some more melody and punks things out a bit more. I couldnıt help but chuckle when I heard ³Jesseıs Guy,² as the title reminded me of ³Jesseıs Girl,² a teenybopper hit by, I think, Rick Springfield when I was in high school. The title (and the sentiment, ³I wish that I had ³Jesseıs Guy²) are pretty much where the similarity ends, thoı. Some are gonna quickly jump and say this trioıs Supercharger-in-reverse (two girls and a guy in this group), but - while thereıs definitely a shared attitude and a love of some of the same music - this group records better and gets both more melodic and more hardcore (³Bathmat² slashes the chords pretty nicely and gets harsh when necessary) than the SF bunch. (Donıt worry, Oı Purists, Iım not sayinı The Hectics are better or worse than Supercharger; Iım just pointing out that the Denver bunch are not rippinı off the Radio X gang.) Not only a keeper, but one thatıll get repeated plays here at the homestead. Each night of Treblefest, ı96 opened with one of Denverıs hometown combos. My favorite of these was The Element 79, not because I didnıt like The Hectics or Boss 302 (Œcuz I dug both of Œem in a big way), but simply Œcuz these boys played the music that was closest to my heart: molasses-thick garage soup that hearkened back to the pure cave-teen sounds of ı66, with maybe a stop along the way for The Miracle Workers around ı84. And thatıs exactly why Iım ravinı like mad about Dig Out! (360 Twist). Starting with the heavy vibrato instro sounds of ³The Creeper² (a guy Iıd stay away from if heıs half as creepy as this tune makes him sound) and then stomping, double-time into ³Walk On By,² these guys are really givinı it out both barrels. They downshift into ³Leave It All,² with the Rickenbackers ringing sadly as Michael Daboll tells the object of his affections that sheıs gonna end up without him if she keeps it up. Itıs not done in a mean, malicious way, but almost as if he pities the girl Œcuz she just canıt seem to do what she needs to be happy. Then itıs time to blast off again, with ³Mystreat Me,² a solid raver that owes a debt to The Telltale Hearts. Looking for a good old-fashioned snot-cruncher? ³Same Old Thing² will do you nicely. The disc closes with ³Every Night,² the tune Iım betting will win ³Most Likely To Be Mistaken For The Makers.² I mean, this one has the attitude, power, and confidence (not to mention the sound) to fit in any set by Spokaneıs finest. Not only that, but itıs the perfect way for the Element 79 to leave you. This oneıs a monster. I still say The Hate Bombs are best experienced live, but you can say that about most great bands. Their first full-length effort, Here Comes Treble (360 Twist), is a damn good step in the right direction for their discography. Their previous efforts (all 45s) were more than simply worthy, but this one has some truly stellar moments, the first of which is track two, ³Sheıs No Good,² which jumps out of the speakers thanks to an aggressive guitar track. (It also benefits, like much of this disc, from well-placed backing vocals.) More points are gained for some killer organ playing; and I dig that bubble-sound. I can easily picture The Wogglesı Manfred Jones jumping on-stage to take guest lead vox for ³Shake,² as itıs completely in that style. (In fact, the two bands complement each other tremendously.) Now, itıd be easy as hell to go track by track on this one, but whatıs the sense? Iıd be wasting time youıd be better off spending running down to your local music emporium to grab this bugger (then running home and cranking it up. Then thanking me.) It crunches, it rages, it swings, it moves; just buy it. While I didnıt get The Penetrating Sounds Of... Frigg-A-Go-Go disc in time for last issue, itıs yet another killer disc brought to you by the boys at 360 Twist. This thing is one SCHMOKINı garage rager. People have compared the singerıs voice to Mike Maker, which is definitely a decent description, but these guys have a sound of their own, with fantastic organ and electric piano sounds abounding. Theyıve got a freaky frenetic sound that they occasionally drop just to set you back up for another thrashing. There are also similarities to DMZ on here and thatıs yet more high praise. This is a band Iım dying to see, especially if it could be at a garage fest with tons of screaminı garage/punk crazies ready to get sweaty and wild. I just listen to the frenzied rhythms, the nasty, snarling guitar lines and killer keys and Iım ready for action. Thereıs absolutely no reason to start talking about songs with this bunch Œcuz every single effinı one of Œem rocks like the dickens. A Teen Scene Top Pick! Well, I guess itıs been about a year or so since the last disc by The Satelliters, so here they are, back with their follow-up, Wylde Knights of Action (Dionysus). Before I go on, I want to say that this is certainly a worthy disc. Having said that, Iıve gotta tell you that itıs not as good as their debut, Hi Karate. It just doesnıt rage forward with the same steam-blast as that one did. OK, now letıs get into why youıre gonna want this disc, regardless. This one sneaks in with a creep-tone Vox organ and swamp-moss fuzz instro, kinda reminding you what it might be like to spend Halloweıen with The Addams Family. The second track, ³Fuzz-Out² picks up the pace, but stays pretty much in the same territory. Itıs not till ³Four Steps To Her² that they turn the mic on. And then suddenly theyıre reminding me of The Makers, albeit in their earlier days. Gotta love the way the guitar bubbles like hot lava. Wish this one hadnıt ended so quickly, Œcuz itıs definitely a highlight. Come to think of it, thereıs a few other tracks on here that call The Makers to mind, albeit with a healthy appreciation for The Gravedigger V (especially on ³Why,² where the singer reminds me a ton of the Fiveıs ³singer² Leighton Koizumi.) The covers on this disc (The Standellsı ³Riot On The Sunset Strip,² Holland-Dozier-Hollandıs ³Leaving Here,² and Murphy & the Mobıs ³Born Loser²) are a nice touchstone, but I mightıve preferred more originals. Their version of ³Riot...² sounds like itıs using a Farfisa for an organ part that originally called for Vox. (Yeah, I know, stupid criticism, maybe, but Iım pretty nuts about organ sounds.) ³Leave Your Mind At Home² is an obvious (but welcome!) tribute to The Fuzztones (the mid-80s NYC version), hammering at all the same areas and even stealing a few musical phrases from tracks on the ŒTones LP of the same name. ³Downliner² hits the Œ66 punk sound with a nice Œ84 touch. ³Thrill Me² tends a bit too much into psych-fuzz territory for my tastes, but thatıs a personal thing. Many out there ay dig this kinda thing. One of the highlights for me is ³Hometown Ways,² as it slows things down to move towards the garage-punk semi-ballad that tugs at the heartstrings so well. This sucker wah-wahs the chord answers to the lyrical lines and pulls that much harder. (I get the feeling this oneıs gonna be getting repeated plays here at TS HQ.) Before I mentioned that I wouldıve preferred more originals rather than the covers. Let me amend that: the version of ³Born Loser² is pretty dang great. The guitar is fat and chunky and the vocals get spat out like a baseball playerıs chewing tobacco when heıs pissed off. Attitude all the way. ³Driveby Œ65² has a title that reminds me of Zebra Stripesı ³Intro Œ66² for obvious reasons, but the similarities pretty much end there. This one dances along on a high-tension wire with the organ controlling the action. The disc closes with ³Trip To Your Soul,² slow and deliberate, almost into psych territory, but with just enough garage-rockinı attitude so that youıre not gonna miss the snot-nosed punks perpetrating this assault. And theyıre gonna take their time, too, Œcuz that way you know whoıs just put you through that ringer. Yeah, that trip to your soul wasnıt as pleasant as you mightıve wanted it to be. Ah, crap. Maybe I was wrong... this disc may just be better than the debut. YEAH! The 3rd disc from Trentonıs own - The Swinginı Neckbreakers. Oh No, that wasnıt a complete sentence! (Yeesh, you oughta see what happens when I run a grammar checker over this. Iım lucky the machine doesnıt explode.) No matter, Œcuz the boys are here to Kick Your Ass, courtesy of Telstar Records. Theyıve thrown together ten originals this time, with only four covers checking in, perhaps to prove to themselves that, if they just put their minds to it, they really can come up with a bunch of great rockınıroll. (I donıt think their fans needed the proof, but weıre damn happy to hear these tracks, anyway.) ³Pool Hoppinı² reminisces about that favored suburban summertime pursuit, given the power treatment here, but with melody intact. ³Wild Wild² ratchets the Sweat-O-Meter up past the breaking point and keeps right on burning. ³Better Times² features minor-key discord with excellent vocals, driving, throwing in a couple lines from The Kinksı ³Iım Not Like Everybody Else² for good measure. The group also throws in a bunch of stuff dealing with their lives, including one about Tomıs day-job, ³Iım The Mailman.² More interesting to me, however, are the tracks that deal with the idea of family. This is something that is often ignored in garage/punk (or even most pop, for that matter). With ³Creation,² they manage to combine garage power with a proposal for creating something with a loved one (maybe a relationship, maybe - gasp! - a child.) Yeah, thatıs right, it really is possible for garage rockers to marry and have kids and lead ³normal² lives. This song glories in how good something like that can be. Later, in ³Daddyıs Little Girl,² Tom warns his daughterıs future suitors to watch their step. The group also checks in with a couple new ³dance numbers.² The first of these, ³Do The Stand,² is a nasty, flying flip-off to audience members who do their best statue imitations. The guitar rips like mad, daring these idiots to break outta their crusty mold. Later on, you graduate to ³The Flop.² All for of the covers send me reeling, starting out with ³This Must Be The Place² as drummer John Jorgenson seems to drink a couple of Jolt Colas with Mountain Dew to cool him off, Œcuz they absolutely fly through this one. The first time I heard them do ³Super Stuff² (at Maxwells, I believe) I was incredibly psyched, Œcuz Iıd first dug into the Rock Gardenıs original on Pebbles 13 back around 1984; I couldnıt believe anyone was covering it! ³Canıt Explain² has become one of my favorite parts of the bandıs set. Evidently, itıs a Love song that the boys have really made into their own, while keeping the ringing beauty and the Byrds-like quality of the chorus. Their version of ³Rip It, Rip It Up² does just that. The studio version has, amazingly, truly done justice to its live counterpart. Sweat flies in every direction with the only disappointment coming when the band has the nerve to stop playing it. The Swinginı Neckbreakers have done it again. Their sound is completely intact, as they keep rocking like nobody else. Thereıs a reason these guys are considered one of the best garage-rockinı combos. Simply put, theyıre just on a much higher level than most of the bands out there. Just a glance at the track listing of Do The Alkeehol! (Aquatone) will give the impression that The Aquamen are true connoisseurs of liquid spirits. Or maybe theyıre just willing to guzzle whatever the hell ends up in their immediate vicinity. This is a group that spends a goodly amount of time away from the mic (drinking and singing at the same time can get messy and is a waste of spirits), spending a bit of time in the surf camp, a bit more on other instrumental efforts, and their recovery time belching out some pretty good garage stompers. As it turns out, the straight-up surf stuff (³Gin & Tonic² and ³Beans & Rice,² for example) didnıt really do much for me; Iıve heard better. However, when they venture outside those boundaries, their instros can be pretty cool. ³Wild Turkey² finds the guitars barely clinging to the rails, pausing briefly, accelerating again, but easing slightly off the throttle. ³Blue Hawaii² is an interesting collision of the Bomboras doing something like ³Sheıll Do Ya Wrong² with a laid-back Hawaiian thing complete with chimes. They even throw in a nice surf guitar solo at one point. ³Rioja² is more on the spaghetti western side of Instro Country. Wild and untamed, speaking to the gunslinging wildman in all of us. Some of the best of the instro insanity comes in ³On The Rocks,² although itıs hardly surf. The organ doesnıt dominate, but plays a crucial role in defining the songs slightly alien feel. Either these guys are from some party planet, or theyıre playing host to some crash-landed aliens in need of a quick pick-me-up. My favorite tracks are those with more garage stylings, such as the title track, which is easily one of my favorites on the disc, throwing some buried-alive distorto-vocal in and whomping it on. Youıll find more mischievous garage-rockinı fun on ³Panty Raid.² They even throw on some backing vocals (thoı theyıre a bit too far in the background). Just pure pounding fun. (Getcher mind outta the gutter, pally.) Finally, for bonus tracks, they include four ongs from a previous EP. This stuff is fair, but unlikely to set your world on fire. The best of these is the closer, ³The Godfather.² Taking the movie theme as its jump-off point, they expand upon it and leave it in the dust, occasionally shooting at its feet to see how itıll dance. Iıd like to see these guys cut down on the surf stuff and build up more of the garage and non-surf instro material. Itıs been quite some time since The Smugglers came out with Selling The Sizzle. And weıre still waiting for a new full-length, but in the meantime thereıs the Buddy Holly Convention 6-song CD-EP (also available as a 4-song 7²) on Lookout/Mint. The whole thing kicks off with ³Melee In Madrid,² a rollicking party number. They crash and bang all over and itıs time to kick down the doors and invite everyone in town to come out and play. They ease up a bit and let some more melody shine through on ³Cans of Love,² sweetening the pot with some tasty little call-and-response guitar bits, giving way to a nice guitar break mid-way through. ³I Want/Need/Demand Action² is the first of the two non-vinyl tracks. All I can say is, Iım glad Iım not anti-CD (the way I was at the turn of this decade) Œcuz this revs it up in pure Schmugsı style. Yeah, no way you can call it garage, but it isnıt quite punk-pop, either. Letıs face it, these boys are just plain-old rockınıroll. This one bops around with a smile, upbeat and ready to fly. The EPıs title cut refers to the groupıs choice of eyewear. (Inside the CD package, youıll find the perimeter decorated with pics of the group and their friends decked out in said specs. See how many you can name.) ³Sheıs A Machine² is distinguished by some ultra-cool Hammond organ sounds topping the groupıs standard sound with some cool jazzy/soul stylings. Things finish with the other non-vinyl track, ³I Love Spoons,² a ballad that fits beautifully as a sort of goad-night kiss on the steps. (That transference of energies that leaves the other in your thoughts into Dreamland and straight on till morning.) Nice job, guys... now get your tails in gear and give us a full albumıs worth. What can you say about a band that starts out their latest disc with a lyric like, ³I met her at the Haunted Mansion / She said I look like Charles Manson.² Donıt worry, though, after she tells him he looks just like ET, it turns out they end up together. So goeth the story of ³Tunnel Of Love² by The Groovie Ghoulies on Re-Animation Festival (Lookout). Quite honestly, though, as I tell my Bob Dylan-loving student, Scott, lyrics donıt matter one bit to me if the song doesnıt do something for me. So, yeah, the Ghouliesı lyrics are fun, but itıs their sound that makes me want to listen in. Heck, I canıt just listen when the Groovie Ghoulies are playing (be it live or on my Hi-Fi); Iıve gotta MOVE!!! Be it jumping up and down, bobbing around in my seat, or boppinı about the room, this bunch just has it. I played this one for my brother Glenn when he was over recently and he went nuts for it (and we donıt usually agree on music). Most of the stuff on here is upbeat rockınıroll that some are probably gonna call punk-pop. Personally, I donıt give two brown ploppy things what you call it - itıs FUN! And that goes for the slower stuff, too. OK, ³School Is Out² isnıt really slow, but itıs got a pretty melody and doesnıt move at the speed of, say, ³Chupacabra² (which is a particular favorite of mine live Œcuz it just gets people stirred and shakinı.) ³Zombie Crush² is a complete tempo-turnaround, slower and creepy. Next track, ³Graceland² and you hear Kepi doinı a parody imitation, sayinı, ³Now, HOLD IT, fellas. That donıt move me. Letıs get real gone!² The guitar kicks it into gear and theyıre on a wild ride towards Elvis-land, the rhythm steady as she goes, the bass always keeping the hint of the title, while the guitar goes lead-foot on the gas pedal and lets it loose on the wide-open road, top down and on their way. ³Itıs a HIT!² (Well, it should be, anyway.) Cool vocal effect on ³Maze Effect,² whirling into your mind like a 3D maze in DayGlo green and purple. Some great chunky chording comes in for cool garage sound on ³Satisfy Me,² even sounding a bit at times like certain parts of Radio Birdmanıs ³Aloha Steve and Danno² (not the song, just that particular section of guitar banging.) Perfect, too. As the finish line moves into sight, Roach lets her guitar sing the melody to intro ³To Go Home² and everything seems right with the world. I get the feeling this oneıs the closer and the final track is sort of the bonus. Yeah, that final number, ³If You Need Me²... Thatıs right, the writing credit to Wilson Pickett, but most people are probably far more used to hearing Mick and Keith lead their bunch through it. Thatıs something Iıve always loved about The Groovie Ghoulies - their taste in covers - be it Billy Braggıs ³A New England² or their live take on ³2000 Man.² And they always manage to make it work. Why do I love the Groovie Ghoulies? ŒCuz they make me feel good. Yeah, most of the time itıs a jump-around, big-smile-on-the-face type thing, but then thereıs those slower, more heartfelt times that hit me just as hard and mean so much to me. Thank you... I really do appreciate it. (Those of you who canıt take sincerity can, in the words of Grandma B., ³Go scratch!²) For more pop-punk pleasure, I throw on Revenge Is Sweet, and So Are You (Lookout) by the Mr. T. Experience. These guys somehow seem to be able to do it disc after disc. More bounce to the ounce, or something like that. Every single track on here is Chock Full OıMelody. Not just melody, but that juicy stuff that bursts out as soon as the band tears into it. This is one of those discs that I can keep playing all day long and keep feeling happy about it, a big, stupid grin stretched right across my face. Yeah, thatıs right, the kind youıd like to just punch off me (but canıt, Œcuz this damn discıll put it right back on). Even the slower tracks, like ³Hell of Dumb² (with a cool country guitar solo in the middle), sprinkle happy dust on me. Some great titles on here, too, like ³The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful,² ³Who Needs Happiness (Iıd Rather Have You)² and ³Swiss Army Girlfriend.² While there are definitely some interesting lyrics on here, itıs the music thatıll rocket you out of your chair and onto whatever passes for a dance floor. ³...And I Will Be With You² has a cool beat to it and would probably slow down the rabid pace of the sweating maniacs in the front, but itıll also be time to just catch their breath. Perfect, really, Œcuz it means a chance for them (uh, OK, me) to smile as the sweat pours down, realizing that it just doesnıt get any better than this. If their debut 7² EP last year told me The Decibels were worth watching, then their first foray into full-length form, Create Action (GI Productions), vaults them to the top echelons of my power pop pantheon, along with the DM3 and The Yum-Yums. These guys play Mod-influenced pop with tons of energy, but lose absolutely NONE of the melody. Picking highlights off this one is nearly impossible. The whole disc is filled with perfect pop moments, be they slow (³Change²), mid-tempo (³She Cries²), or upbeat (³So Youıre In Love Again²). From the circular ringing start of ³Good² right through the final Mod-pop call-to-arms of the title cut at the end, this oneıs a winner. The Bluesman and I have spent numerous rides into Manhattan singing this disc at the top of our lungs, desperately trying to recreate the vocal nuances of such genius gems as ³Some People² (³Some people want to go to heaven... Without Dying!²), a track that I can easily hear The Mockers doing. (Itıs eerie how similar in style this track is to some of their stuff.) I thought these guys were something else when I heard their 7²er a year or two back, but even that could never have prepared me for how great this disc would be. Iım cutting this review short,ı cuz Iıd rather listen to this than flail around trying to tell you how great it is. (Yeah, that means you should buy it.) Bom-Bom-Bom-Bomp! Bom-Bom-Bom-Bomp! Thatıs the drums and organ leading the charge into ³The Lido² at the start of The Tonicsı Looking For the Good Times CD (Lance Rock). This one came in just after I put out the last ish, so itıs been out awhile. Doesnıt matter, thoı, Œcuz itıs gonna drive you wild. ³The Lido² alone is enough of a raver to have you scrambling for your action gear. While Vancouver scenesters probably know everyone in the band, the one I know is Smugglersı guitarist Nick Thomas, who handles drums and vocals in this combo. This oneıs a major dance number that should get any decent crowd jumping around with happy feet. It makes me wonder if the Vancouver crowd is more upbeat than the NYC bunch. If so, maybe itıs time to move. Thereıs nothing like an audience in the mood to hear some great rockınıroll and let themselves loose. ³Another Piece of Me² is another cool one, with some good backing vocals adding flavor and the organ underneath providing color. ³How Do You Like Me Now² features one of the gals (I assume Alexandra Morris, since sheıs listed as the primary writer on this) singing and it comes across a bit too much like The Brentwoods with higher fidelity recording. Some will probably like that aspect, but it left me flat. Things pick up immediately after, however, with ³Scooter Girl.² ³Any day now scooter girl / Youıre gonna be my scooter girl.² OK, so itıs not like weıre talking superb poetry, but thatıs not what rockınıroll means to me. This is just one of those songs pining for that cool-lookinı girl and saying youıre gonna get her. Thereıs also a part with some spoken vocals coming behind the music, which plays a good beat throughout and lets the organ lead without leaving behind the rest. The disc features four instrumentals (all different, all good), including my personal favorite, ³Battlestar Galactica.² Itıs possible that these guys completely wrote it from scratch, but Iım guessing the main theme is taken from the show (my mindıs fuzzy, since itıs been eons since I last saw that stellar show... and las yearıs book by actor Richard Hatch, who portrayed Apollo, didnıt have the theme playing inside.) It has that majestic feel of the rag-tag fleet making their way across the galaxy, fleeing the Cylons and the traitor Baltar. The Blue Squadron launches to protect the fleet, with Apollo and Starbuck in the lead. Cassiopeia and Athena do their thing and Commander Adama leads them all. Come to think of it, they did a damn good job with this. Next up, of course, is their big hit single, ³Get It In Your Feet.² Hear this and you will. Iıve written about it before, but youıll go nuts listening to this. One of the great garage dance numbers recorded in the last year or two, without a doubt. The final track is a version of Billy Childishıs ³Best Things In Life² done in style. The vocal ends up sounding much like Billy and the only real difference is that theyıve thrown the organ nice and high up in the mix. Since this is one of the best songs Billy the C. ever penned, Iım pretty damned glad the Tonics have brought it back for people to go nuts to. I canıt wait to hear the next Tonicsı record. The first time I saw Johnny Chan & the New Dynasty Six was at Garage Rage, held at Coney Island High in December of Œ95. Freddy Fortune of Fortune and Maltese had mentioned that Johnny Chan was a former bandmate of his from a group called The Covingtons. Unfortunately, it was early on in the bandıs time together and they were doing almost completely covers, and doing them without great distinction. I saw them again about a year later and theyıd improved somewhat, but not to the point where I needed to see them. Recently, some friends have mentioned that the group has improved mightily. Unfortunately, they havenıt played any shows Iıve been able to make. (Note... I saw them about a month after I wrote this review and they really have improved!) Then I heard that they had a new CD out on Dionysus, So... You Want Action. Iıll cut to the chase - the bandıs gotten better. Much better. Theyıve turned themselves into a garage-pop force to be reckoned with. They blast off with shouts of ³Hey!² (which just happens to be the title), grabbing your attention straight off as the guitar line just goes over the line to drag you in for the party. Thatıs right, Couch Clutcher, youıre gonna have FUN, this time! They move more in the pop direction with one of my favorite nuggets, ³A Girl As Sweet As You,² then head on to the first of the two tracks Chan wrote with Freddy Fortune, ³Baby What Ya Tryinı Ta Do?² This oneıs more on the raging side of things and lets fly with some monster sounds. The instrumental ³Aw Shucks!² has a guitar line thatıll remind you a bit of ³You Ainıt Seen Nothinı Yet.² Itıs the garage/folk-pop of ³I Need You² (the first of two group originals to share a title with a Kinksı song) that provides a nice change of page, slowing things down and letting the Rickenbacker ring. Flip forward to ³Good Girl² for a ³Sheıs About A Mover² feel, albeit faster. The second of the Chan/Fortune collaborations is a folk-popper called ³Time Has Gone² which most likely pre-dates the penning of Fortune & Malteeıs ³Leave No Stone Unturned.² Lots more garage stompers on here, including ³You,² ³Over It,² ³My Baby,² and ³Iım Right.² Of course, Iım nuts about the pop ones, too, like ³Till the End of the Day,² starting slow, with the guitar starting to sing a lonely tune before the rest pick it up and fill it out. They do some more cool covers, too, like ³Be A Caveman² and ³Little Black Egg² (titled ³Shiao Hei Dan² here, which is supposedly Mandarin Chinese; sorry, I took French). They close out with ³It Donıt Stop You,² blasting into the rhythms of ³Tobacco Road² until the chorus. So, yeah, this bunch has no problems lifting some favored musical moments where necessary, but theyıve put together a solid first effort. Itıs good to know that thereıs one more band for me to see in town. My first experience with The Autumn Leaves came with their excellent ³You Didnıt Say A Word² 45. Now theyıre back with a full discıs worth of sometimes lonely, occasionally dark, sporadically uplifting, but always excellent psychedelia. These guys can truly play (not to mention sing!) They start with the ³Theme to the Autumn Leaves,² evoking such thoughts nicely with low-end vocals and a trail mix western beat driving it home for the season. The song is restless and beautiful, adorned with occasional high backing vocals. They follow by downshifting into a beautiful Byrdsong type thing called ³Everynight² that chimes, rings, occasionally slides, sings out, and even hits a full organ washover. WOW! For a truly haunting number, check out ³Phantom Girl Blues,² which does occasionally break out of the murky depths to stomp a bit before being sucked back into the delicious depths. ³A Place Called Somewhere² is another standout, picking up the pace and getting you moving in a nice country-slide kinda way. Things wind up with ³Summerıs Gone² (interesting how I picked up this disc at the bandıs NYC show just as the school year started.) More ringing guitars with harmonies working throughout, this one captures its title perfectly. (Oh yeah, both tracks from the 45 are also included.) Iım a pretty big fan of The Rooks. I donıt see them too often for some reason, but they play some of the prettiest pop music Iıve ever been fortunate enough to hear. The songwriting is fantastic and the bandıs arrangements are superb. With Methods of a Mad Rook, Not Lame gives us a chance to peek into the songwriting mind of lead Rook Michael Mazzarella. Only a couple of these songs have appeared in any form before, and those only with different arrangements. These are all demos, some of which either have already become Rooksı songs or may someday get that chance. Theyıre kind of like a painterıs sketches; the outlines of beauty are there, but color has yet to be added. In fact, Michael acknowledges the other Rooksı contributions to the band in a note in the CD booklet. This one-time only limited edition of 500 disc is a wonderful look into a songwriterıs mind, but itıs also heartening to realize - simply by listening - that the rest of the band plays a large part in making the songs come out so beautifully. Donıt get me wrong, these songs have their own fragile beauty. This disc shows off Michaelıs incredible talent to the utmost. This is definitely something any true Rooksı fan (or any lover of excellent songcraft) needs. I missed out on Frenchyıs first disc, but their latest, Cheıs Lounge (Dionysus), has been playing the part of change-up in my pitcherıs repertoire of late. After playing with garage-rock fastballs, psych-pop curves, and power-pop sliders, this one throws me off-balance. Hmm... thatıs not quite true. I mean, yeah, itıs completely unlike tons of other stuff I listen to, thatıs true, but it has the interesting effect of settling me down and opening me up to new sounds. Time for another metaphor then: it cleanses my palette while at the same time offering up delectable appetizers of its own. First up is ³Rocket Machine,² with a swinginı rıbilly thing happening, horns punctuating things to give it a smooth, smilinı feel while jumping around the whole way. But track two, ³Jailbird Blue,² is a sultry lounge-y blues lament. I love the vibes that enter about ten seconds into ³Tag On Your Toe,² with a nod to the intro to ³Strychnine² playing a cameo in a picture youıd never expect to spot it in. Itıs kinda obvious Iım going track by track right now and I will stop right after mentioning the next selection, a cover of Mickey & Sylviaıs classic, ³Love Is Strange.² When I first got the disc, it was the first track I played - I had to hear what theyıd do with it. Maybe thatıs Œcuz Iıve been on a major Mickey & Sylvia kick of late (which, in turn, has made me realize just how damn great ³Love Is Strange² really is.) So, uh... how do Frenchy sound doing it? Well, they stay fairly faithful to the original. While I like the female vocal here, I donıt think the male counterpart is quite as cool-sounding as Mickey Baker (nor for that matter, is the guitar player sounding as cool as Mickey, although he does a fine job). Thankfully, they didnıt try and ape the spoken (³How do you call your Lover-boy?²) bit. Rather, they insert their own to fit - ³Hey, Toots... How do you see your Lover-boy?² ³Tall, rich, and handsome...² (For the rest, youıre gonna have to let go of some long green.) Extra points, by the way, for thearrangement of the other instruments. Nicely done. How about the rest? Well, ³Cat In A Bag² is a nice, upbeat one that shines not only because of the bright feeling, but some nice trumpet work; ³White Sands² gives me that 1930s/40s Hollywood feel for Egypt/Siam, a real mood piece; ³When I Get Low² is another mover, albeit with a sort of ³Puttinı On The Ritz² mask, and I like the sax on it, not to mention the vocal stylings... To be honest, thereıs nothing on this disc I donıt like. Vocalist Carla Lease does an excellent job of conveying the many moods the music calls for, but so does the rest of the band. Perhaps what I find most intriguing is how well they arrange the music. No, theyıre not garage, nor surf, certainly not power pop or mod, or even psych. Heck, not even really rockabilly (although they touch on that, at least)... Doesnıt matter, gang. Good music is good music. I advise some of you to check out your parentsı and grandparentsı record collections sometime. If you listen with an open mind (something notoriously hard for human beings, it seems), youıll probably find something wonderful. (Hmm... somehow I find it hard to imagine someone 50 years from now recommending that their readers check out something like Michael Bolton or Puff Daddy. And if I find Œem doing that, Iım gonna have to... well, do something, anyway.) To finish this one up, then... I found this refreshing. In fact, I liked it better the second time I listened than the first. And the third and fourth listens saw it growing on me even more. Now I want their first disc. In the first installment of their ³British Inversion² series, The Stool Pigeons swallowed their Hermanıs Hermits records and then let them flow out the exit chute. This time out, theyıve exhumed Gerry & The Pacemakers for Gerry Cross The Mersey (SFTRI). ³Iım The One² is also available as a single. Itıs flip, ³The Way You Look Tonight² is a gentle instro that recalls a night in the tropics. (Heck, it even got me thinking of South Pacific.) But we were talking about the disc. Herein, youıll find all your favorite Gerry & Co. songs... ³Hello Little Girl,² ³I Like It,² ³How Do You Do It,² ³Donıt Let The Sun Catch You Crying,² and, yes, the retitled ³Gerry Cross The Mersey² (subtitled ³Inversion Theme no. 2). Now, obviously, thereıd be little point in redoing a bunch of Pacemakers melodies if you were going to play them exactly the way Gerry & the Boys did over 30 years ago. So The Stool Pigeons have reworked many of them into light-hearted pop-punk fun. Whatıs interesting is that you soon realize just how damn good these songs really are. I know a few people who never really liked Gerryıs vocal style. (They said it was sort of like he ³rounded the words² too much.) Theyıll be happy to hear that Lisa Jenio (ex-Pussywillows) has done a superb job with the songs herein (no, umm... rounding errors.) Perhaps the songs that work best for me are the ballads, like ³Away From You² and ³Donıt Let The Sun Catch You Crying.² It just blows me away how pretty these are. The emotion just flows out of these like a torrent of tears. Kudos to The Stool Pigeons for reminding us just how many great songs Gerry & the Pacemakers had. Extra points for managing to rework them so they sound fresh to modern ears. People on the West Coast have been raving about The Donnas for a couple years now. Personally, the only stuff Iıd heard by them was on the radio and a sound clip on a Donnası web page. It was about what Iıd expected from what Iıd heard - lo-fi Ramonesı type stuff. It was good fun, but didnıt send me running back to the record player over and over again. In the last 8-10 months, though, Iıd been hearing that the group was doing more of a Runaways/Kiss styled thing. Some were pissed about it. (Yeesh, gimme a frigginı break! They were still in flippinı HIGH SCHOOL!) Well, The Donnas graduated last year and this year Lookout released the groupıs second disc. (Iım told theyıll be re-ishing the first LP on Super*Teem this summer.) This oneıs exactly what recent comments led me to expect - except much better. Yeah, itıs definitely not Ramonesı style at this point. Yeah, itıs 70s. But it ROCKS!!! American Teenage RockınıRoll Machine is pure rockınıroll, all ten cuts of it. The guitar plays the riff and the drums start whacking along. Everything comes together and Donna A. steps in, ³Donıt do this, donıt do that / Iıll grow up when Iım ready / I donıt wanna be just a weekend kid / I wanna party whenever I can.² Definitely a rockınıroll machine. Want proof? Listen to that mean-ass guitar solo! The drums start off ³You Make Me Hot,² 1-2-3-and-4, 1-2-3-and-4. Obviously, thereıs sexuality in their sound and many people are probably gonna get all pissy about this, but itıs a strong sexuality. The Donnas are directing the action, taking everything firmly in hand and doing what they damn well please. Song after song, this is pure rockınıroll. Check out ³Gimme My Radio,² as they yell out, ³Radio, Radio! Radio, Radio!² to kick it off, then lead with ³They took away my TV set / and my cheeba cigarette / I wanna be like Nikki Corvette.² Very cool. ³Looking For Blood² is probably the most metal-sounding. So, yeah, thereıs a metal feel to the band, but The Dictators have some metal tones to Œem, too. LikeThe Dictators, The Donnas know how to put it together. Songwriting is the key and they manage to make seemingly dumb rockınıroll lyrics work. ³Iım lookinı for blood / I got revenge on my mi-i-ind.² Itıs about the sound! And what a frigginı sound. I keep getting these pictures in my mind of cool JD movies with the kids doinı what they damn well please, Œcuz thatıs exactly what The Donnası records sound like. Check out the fade-in and out of crowd noise throughout ³Wanna Get Some Stuff.² Somehow this really is the kinda band that I can see playing an arena. (Though of course that means standing right up against the stage wonıt be quite as do-able, any longer.) The Donnas have a sound thatıs part pop, a bit metal, and some punk, too. It all comes together in a perfect package on this disc and all I can do is hang on tight. The Runaways, Kiss, and the NY Dolls come to mind (and maybe a bit of Suzi Quatro, to). They donıt sound like the Ramones at this point, but thereıs still a bit of that bandıs pop sense shining through. Donıt dismiss the Donnas as some image group, either, Œcuz this bunch can truly play. ROCK-ROCK-ROCKıNıROLL! In the past five years or so, weıve seen live documents and repackagings of old 70s punk outfits rise up like the zombies in Return of the Living Dead. A bunch of them have even been documents of group reunions ten years (or more) later. Some have even tried to clean up the sound and ended up sounding like this resurrection was happening in a sterile white lab, completely antiseptic and out of context. Here then are The Dead Boys, Twistinı On The Devilıs Fork (Hell Yeah/Bacchus Archives) live at CBGBıs in Œ77/ı78. Just to let you know exactly what youıre getting to start with, the back cover says: ³Warning: Low-Fidelity Raw Live Document of The Dead Boys During Their Heyday, No Reunions, No Overdubs!² That out of the way, we dig in. Well, as it turns out, theyıre quite right... the sound isnıt cleaned up (the inner sleeve informs us that these tracks came from ³disintegrating cassettes.²) Quite honestly, though, I kind of prefer it this way. Most of the live tapes Iıve got of groups Iıve seen over the years are noisy, too. On the other hand, most shows I see at clubs the size of CBıs arenıt giving me hi-fi sound at the show, either. The fact that I stand right up front probably doesnıt improve matters (not that I care). The sound of this disc actually gives me more of a live feel. As to whatıs on it, well... Dead Boysı stuff, obviously. (Sorry, couldnıt resist.) Thing is, if youıre reading this mag, you probably know the Dead Boysı catalog; and if you donıt, my mentioning song titles isnıt gonna do a damn bit of good. ³Son of Sam² is introıd as a new song and theyıre not quite sure theyıve got it down yet, but it comes across pretty well. Evidently, some joker threw a bottle during that one, Œcuz Stiv challenges him to throw one now, while heıs not singing. No bottles are forthcoming and Stiv asks why the guyıs afraid to throw one now. Unfortunately, we donıt find out what happens Œcuz they go into what happens Œcuz the disc switches to the Œ78 show as Stiv declares, ³This is for Pope John Paul George Ringo the First² and launches into ³(I Donıt Wanna Be No) Catholic Boy.² And before ³Hey Little Girl,² he says, ³Hey, I just wanna tell ya, thereıs a lotta rock stars here tonight,² in a voice that reminds me a bit of The Chesterfield Kingsı Greg Prevost. Personally, Iıve always loved the Dead Boysı version of the Syndicate of Soundıs classic. Anyway, even though itıs true that the soundıs not all that great on this disc, you can still hear the intense guitar heat burning like a huge magnifying glass through everyoneıs skin and ripping away at their guts. Thereıs a reason people still love The Dead Boys. In the spirit of said Dead Boys, weıve got The Mullens. All I can say is WOW!!! This stuff blazes all over and it really does owe a debt to everyoneıs favorite sonic reducers, but thereıs also a garage snarl to it. Whatever... their self-titled debut for Get Hip is one of the absolute best things Iıve heard in the past six months. Every time I throw it on, I get an urge to supercharge and leave the air burning in my way. From the kickoff of ³Step On The Gas² on into the follow-up, ³That Lip² (which gets a bit more chunky and even throws a hint of the Heartbreakers into the background), this one keeps up the energy throughout. Iım desperately hoping theyıll leave their Dallas, TX stomping grounds and hit the Northeast this summer sometime. Thereıs something truly on fire about The Mullens, a burning heat that has them drinking sand and spewing it in every direction just for fun. Choppy rhythm and sizzling guitar, thrown together with a snotty vocal and it comes together beautiful. ³I Stink² is another favorite, frenetic in its pace it reminds me of The Boyfriendsı ³I Donıt Want Nobody (I Want You)² to some extent. Then thereıs ³Not So Nice² that sees them further towards early Saintsı sounds than anything else, except that theyıre moving much faster. It just has me dreaming of what itıd be like to see these guys with the right audience, one that was primed to explode, Œcuz I canıt imagine anything less being worthy of them. I almost blew out a pair of speakers cranking this one out... itıs just the kind of thing that screams for attention, practically biting you the whole way. ³All Fours² moves back to the slow side of mid-tempo, wavering in and out with some majestic chord-banging, just slow enough to ring in your mind and have a real effect. (At least for the verses) The more I listen to this, the more I realize itıs the kind of stuff that shouldıve changed the face of rockınıroll twenty years ago. Unfortunately, things went wrong then. Happily for us, then, The Mullens have updated it for toda and are playing with enough energy and passion that we can hear it and maybe even see them. This is what rockınıroll is all about. Iım desperately hoping theyıll come up here and burn my ears. ............................................................................... VINYL PARTIES Size 7: First on our list is a 6-song EP from Larsen whose name Iım completely unaware of. (Sorry, I donıt have a cover for it.) The most gratifying thing about this comp is how into the 60s garage styles these bands are. While each has its own take on the matter, they work well together. Of course, I have my own picks. The Waistcoatsı ³On My Way² goes for the measured side of garage R&B, recalling a bit of the Pretty Things. At the same time, they donıt try to take it too easy, letting the punk snot flow freely in the guitarıs revelation that they see the truth. On the other hand, I found The Stupid Baboonsı take on ³I Just Wanna Make Love To You² to be too freaky and fast. By now, youıve probably already found out how much Iım into The Splinters. Their track, ³Love Is Not Everlasting² is the most garage-y of anything Iıve heard from them, mainly due to the clanging guitar sound. Once again, the high female backing vocal adds an extra dimension. The Coyotemenıs ³You Canıt Be My Love² is filled with energetic garage-pounding, with the 60s influences ripped into the now by the collar. The other tracks - The Roadrunnersı ³Iım Crying² and The Hermitsı ³Whatıs the Word² - are worthy additions, but the latter (also known as ³Thunderbird²) suffers in comparison to that of The Raunch Hands about 12 years ago. Misty Lane presents Web of Mystery Vol. 2, with one band from each of four countries. The Fiends represent Canada with the haunted garage of ³Blinded By Love,² a fast oozing curdle thatıs reminiscent of The Morlocks. The US contestants are Thee Flypped Whigs, giving us ³Preacherıs Daughter.² The song itself is pretty cool, but unfortunately, it sounds like this was recorded in the practice space with the bass amp next to the recorder and everything else on the other side of the room. Itıs too bad, Œcuz the organ, especially, sounds like it would otherwise be pretty cool. Australiaıs entry comes from The Breadmakers, doing an instro, ³Stormville Groove,² that says its by the Stormville Shakers. (Heck, for all I know, they made it up.) Whatever, itıs swinginı 60s running for the psych line with the organ running the show, ending up somewhat reminiscent of the better sides by the James Taylor Quartet. Finally, Misty Laneıs hometown favorites, The Others, check in with some true folk punk on ³Thatıs All She Wrote,² with ringing guitar and a nice shove into the chorus to bring things to a boil. The fine folks at Solamente Records have teamed The Woggles with their pals in Hillbilly Frankenstein for a nice doubleheader. The Woggles lead off with a live favorite, their version of Leiber & Stollerıs ³Saved,² a throw-your-hands-up-and-shout-Hallelujah R&B shouter with low fuzz bass. They finish off their end with a version of The Pretty Thingsı ³Buzz the Jerk² thatıs been soaking in the Professorıs secret sauce just long enough so all the juices have sunk in. For their part, Hillbilly Frankenstein have contributed a couple of originals, ³Raw Bone² and ³Satanıs Circus.² On the former, the guitar drives it hard, while it burns like mad in the latter. It took me awhile to get used to the vocals, but eventually they fell into place. I was quite thankful, as the instrumental track is just plain amazing on this one. Size 10: Somehow, the record execs over at Middle Class Pig have teamed up The Hefners with a group called Schwarz for the labelıs initial outing. I first came across the Hefners while perusing alt.music.banana-truffle. I suppose it was one of the band members (or maybe it was one of their friends), but a link to their web page came up in the sig. I promptly filed it in my 60 Second Swinger folder for a glimpse back for the subsequent edition of said e-zine. Once it was time to do it, I went over and checked out a couple sound clips. As soon as I heard ³Dance,² I was hooked. The boys have a definite Childish influence, but theyıve molded it into something all their own. They start struttinı right off with ³The Walkinı Song,² describing both musically and vocally the way theyıre styling their way down the street, practically having to push the girls out of their way. Next, they proclaim their obsession with ³Short Haired Girls,² singing that they ³drive me wi-i-ild.² Tell me Œbout it, Buddy-Boy. (Of course, Iım all for long-haired ladies, as well. No discrimination here at the top of the TS hierarchy, Nosirree!) Iım always a sucker for songs that start with some kinda spoken thing. So when I heard them state, ³Before you came along / I sang these sad, sad songs / Now that you are here / Thereıs just one more thing I want you to hear.² What, you ask, does that turn out to be, ³Love.² That spoken bit kinda reminds me of The Contoursı resolve in the beginning bit of ³Do You Love Me?² Like those guys, The Hefners donıt sit around mooning about their love; rather, they choose to celebrate it by rockinı out. As I mentioned earlier, ³Dance² captured me immediately. Better yet, however, is hearing it straight through on the record, with the party noises adding to the effect of this instro playing the mood of a dance. Just to get the vibe right, thoı, theyıve spiked the punch with some tremolo organ. They finish off their side with ³Fun (at the Playboy Mansion.² Hereıs something most guys have only dreamt of, night at Hughıs Heaven. Love the lyrics, too, ³Hughıs a great host / Yeah, we go there all the time.² Obviously, these guys are major wheels. And they let this party rip, with some cool broken guitar type breaks. Cımon boys, bring on the Bunnies and rip it up some more! What I donıt get is how the hell Schwarz took the other side? Was there some kind of nepotism involved? Were the only two bands this label had ever heard of The Hefners and Schwarz? Did nobody else like the name of their label? Where the Hefners gave forth with eight - thatıs right, eight! - tracks, Schwarz manage a measly three. This wouldnıt bother me at all, but they tend to be somewhere in that nebulous prog/psych/jazz area. ³Panamanic Sunset & Armenian Moon² (yeesh, if youıre gonna have a title like that, at least change it to something more science fiction-oriented!) reminds me of the free-form sections of The Doorsı ³The End.² Unfortunately, thereıs nothing that snaps the spine inside, neither musically nor lyrically. In other words, it made me yawn. Whatıs scary is that itıs probably the best track on their side. Size 12: After hearing Volumes I & II of Motor Cityıs Burning (Total Energy), Iım not sure I want to hear more. Sure, thereıre some good tracks on each one. However, thereıs also a heavy dose of early 70s rock that does nothing more than remind me of how lousy a period that was for rockınıroll. A good many of the tracks on these comps were previously unreleased; in the case of, say The Upıs Œ71 ³Come On² (interminable guitar wanking) and the boogie-rock of Uprisingıs Œ73 ³Long Hard Road² on Volume I, I certainly wish theyıd stayed in the vaults. They can take Bootsey X & the Lovemastersı Œ87 skronker, ³Pusherman of Love,² with them. The MC5 fare a bit better with ³Looking At You² from Œ68. This is decent power-psych, but nowhere near as cool as ³Kick Out the Jams² or ³Rambling Rose.² Iggy & the Stoogesı ³Death Trip,² from Œ73, moves us back into the pocket. Stee-rike! Of course, if youıve already got Year of the Iguana, thisıll be a repeat for you. Things pick up on side 2 with Sonicıs Rendezvous Bandıs ³Electrophonic Tonic², a Œ78 blast of real rockınıroll, bringing to mind the MC5 translated straight into punkdom. In other words, in the midst of punk, these guys have injected a shot of straight-up rock, hold the water. The Ramrodsı ³Iım A Ramrod² is a Œ78 punker with a definite Iggy fixation, seeing as thereıs more than a shade of ³I Got A Right² makinı it work. The Dirties close the first volume with ³Asshole Boogie,² giving us some more of their screeching, pounding, craziness. The second volume starts with Iggy Pop & James Williamson doing ³Consolation Prizes² from Œ77. Itıs a pretty nice look at the lighter side of Iggy, a pop track with a solid backbone, but, again, you may have it already on Jesus Loves the Stooges. Most of the rest of side 1 is pure early 70s stuff that nobody I hang out with probably wants to listen to. Detroit with Mitch Ryder is just proof that, while Mitch still had the voice, it was the Detroit Wheels that kept him rolling. Obviously, these guys broke down in a bad part of town and had their car stripped. And thatıs one of the better of the non-Iggy tracks on side 1. Of the other three, the one that truly galls me is ³After Your Heart,² a 1972 track from SRCıs Lost Masters LP. Listening to this, I kept thinking, ³Maybe if theyıd truly lost the masters on this, then Styx would never have happened.² Yeah, this isnıt quite that bad, but just take one or two more illogical steps and youıll find your way to ³Come Sail Away.² Blech. The saving grace of this LP (of both volumes, in fact) is the second side of this one, with ? & the Mysterians, The Hentchmen, The Gories, 10 High, and The Silencers. Whatıs sad is that the weakest track is the Mysteriansı ³Love Says.² Itıs not bad, but it is lightweight pop that doesnıt show off the bandıs abilities. For instance, the sax on here couldıve easily been cut out and Bobby Balderramaıs guitar cranked up (to make it audible.) The Goriesı ³Queenie² was done in their rehearsal space and, consequently, suffers in sound quality, but it does make me wish I couldıve been there. Iım reminded of just how great a band they actually were. The other tracks are just as strong as youıd expect from these groups. I have to wonder at the choice to only hand over ten tracks on each LP. Personally, I wouldıve cut out some of the early 70s junk and subbed in more punk, plus some better recent material, like the Demolition Doll Rods, Rocket 455, The Detroit Cobras, and the Dirtbombs. Need 80s stuff, instead of Bootsey X, how about throwing in the Hysteric Narcotics! For now, however, if youıre going to pick one of these up, definitely make it Volume II. Of course, I hear they also released these on disc with 5 extra songs, so your mileage may vary. One segment of the French rockınıroll Mafia has banded together to produce We Are A Happy Family? (Bloodbrother). The eight bands included not only have been in previous acts together, but in many cases are doing at least double-duty. Most of the groups on here appear to still be together. My French is extremely rusty (in fact, Iıd be embarrassed to try and speak it at this point), but I believe only Les Godzillas are among the dearly departed. (And even that could be wrong; I only took French to satisfy my language requirement, anyway. Nothing against them, itıs just that it didnıt interest me at the time. Now, of course, I regret that.) As long as weıve pulled Jackoıs old bunch out of the hat, letıs stick with them. For their part, they give us ³Tu Perds Ton Temp² and ³Lisa, Lisa,² a couple shots of trashed-out 60s Beat a la The Downliners Sect and The Pretty Things. The Loud Mufflers (featuring No-Talentsı singer Cecilia Maneau banging the kit) are more into the wild 50s side of things, with an instro called ³Battery Explosion² and a cool version of ³309². Los Kogars are the surf/instro act to watch on here, with a version of Link Wrayıs ³Ace of Spades² and their own ³Ape Rape.² For the Mods in the audience, meet Bang. On ³Another Sickness² they sound like the lighter side of the early Who, with the falsetto vocal singing over the lead. On ³Straight Shooter² they dig the fuzz without sacrificing their identity. Les Teckels, the only group to have three tracks on here, are also the only act I donıt much like. Of course, Iım not into the Oi! thing. Fans will also be happy to note that this LP includes two tracks each from Steve & The Jerks, The No Talents, and The Splash Four. I hear there were only about 500 of these printed up, so youıll have to keep your eyes peeled. From the fine folks at Misty Lane comes Love Is A Sad Song, a collection of mid-60s tracks that have a common theme: the guyıs been dumped. In other words, most of these are ³cry-in-your-beer² laments/pleas/whiners. (Well, OK, in many cases itıs more like ³cry-in-your-Coke² since they were probably zit-faced teens.) My only complaint with this comp is that so many of them are just plain old ballads. I mean, nothing against ballads, but throwing them all together can be kind of wearing. I kept wanting to tell these guys to get a grip and turn that sadness to rage.. itıs just so much more satisfying! That said, there are some excellent tracks on here. The Mor-Loks ³There Goes Life² has a nice ringing folk-punk sound with a pleasant melody. ³Donıt Walk Away² comes from The Cherry Slush, the same bunch who gave us ³I Cannot Stop You.² Funny thing is, I like this one even more. Itıs got a pretty sound and enough of a beat to set it apart. I kept wondering what the hell was wrong with The Trips. These guys have just been tossed in the trash and left in the gutter and all they can do is sing, ³At Least Sheıs Happy.² Yeesh, you got it bad, pal! Who the hell cares how she feels, buddy? Sheıs obviously erased you from her mind, you might consider yourself for a bit. Yell! Scream! What, you really thought singing about it, putting it on a record, and then playing it at shows was gonna get it out of your system? Hell, NO... itıs not even like youıre gonna get a break when youıre older. Some labelıs gonna come along and comp it and some old high school numbnuts friend of yours will bring it to your 30th high school reunion and show you. Then youıre gonna bum out all over again, Œcuz youıve just been thru a frigginı divorce and thereıs the damn girl you wrote the song about, sitting right over THERE with the guy she dumped you for. And you, loser, are probably gonna play your damn 45 over and over again. Let this be a lesson to all you youngsters out there. The LP ends up with the title track by The Grdes. Now hereıs the theme done to perfection. Sure, itıs a bummer, but these guys were masters of the form. Personally, I think they shouldıve started with this one, just in case someone committed suicide before they got to it. ............................................................................... SIX SIDES OF THE MANTS The Mants are coming on strong as one of the bands to watch on todayıs garage scene. These guys are wild and raw and they prove it all over again on The Mant From U.N.C.L.E. (Lance Rock). First up is ³Friends To None,² an instro explosion that just keeps on spewing chunks rapid-fire thru the noggins of whatever chump chances to blunder into its way. Crank the stereo way up and your earsıll start bleeding with pleasure from the pummeling theyıre gonna get. Itıs like these guys are going after you with spiked gloves. The guitars are serrated and each oneıs on fire. Down below they command you to ³Bow To Your Masters.² These guys come on like The Rip-Offs with a more garage bent. Itıs kind of what youıd get if you crossed those guys with their pals, The Mummies, then stole Man or Astro-Man?ıs collection of SF/spy samples. They finish off this one with a quickie instro called ³Fuzz From Planet X² with a heavy-handed guitar spitting out chunks of nasty throughout. Now, my copy of the above 45 came with a special bonus second slab packed in. Up topıs another shot of cool called ³The Red Monkey,² again minus vocals except for some crazed yelping here and there. This oneıs got a cleaner (but hardly scrubbed) guitar sound and falls more on the garage side of the fence than punk. Next is another one, heavier and meaner, called ³Creeper,² no words at all. Yeah, these guys do a ton of instros and itıs like... instead of merely saying, ³Let us demonstrate to you that all instrumental rock be not surf,² they decide to shove their punked out version of Davie Allan & The Arrows down your throat and thru the other end. ³So, uh... whatıs on the other side of this here bonus disc?² Same stuff, McGuff. Here comes that squeakinı Red Monkey all over again, finishing off with that ³Run Chicken Run²-styled guitar bit at the end, then on into ³Creeper² just to ram it all home. Personally, I think this goes the one-sided 45 concept one better. (ŒSpecially since youıre gonna be spinninı it so much that youıre bound to wear one side all the way down.) Meanwhile, the bandıs also put out I Smell Woman on Estrus. The feature track manages to combine dirty garage and good-time fun. Itıs sorta like a guy whose tongueıs practically at his knees Œcuz of the particularly curvaceous hottie across the room... then she turns around and catches his eye and - just when heıs about to break eye contact and turn lobster-red - she hits him with a dazzling smile that says that no harmıs done. Everythingıs cool and they both walk away happy. On the flip, youıll find a couple of instrumentals. The first, ³Countdown to Mant Attack² isnıt surf, but it does occasionally catch sight of a wave, albeit one of a ferocious Mant attack heading right this way. Finally, the band provides you with a sample bottle of ³Insecticide² to ward off whatever pests are, umm... pestering you. Be they nosy neighbors, neıer-do-well no-goodniks, or nasty nincompoops, just give Œem a blast of this one and thank the Mants for setting you free. ............................................................................... THE SPLINTERS From France we meet The Splinters. According to Denis (whoıs also in the Slow Slushy Boys), they played together for six months, doing some shows and laying down nine tracks in the Larsen studio. Basically, says Thee Slushy Ruin, ³I wanted to play with two friends of mine (Jyle, drummer of the Juanitos and Joe Tequila, ex-bassist of the Vindicators and ex-singer of the Santa Cassine Kids) and record new songs. And we did it.² Is That You? (Wiped Out) is a collection of three different types of 60s-sounding tracks, all modernized (in a good way), partially with some weird kind of distorto effect on the vocal. This is especially apparent on the girl-group inspired title track. This is my fave cut, with a real longing/wanting feel played just right. ³Old Crock² is more upbeat, adding a garage-pop feel, yet with the vocal still slightly bent. The high backing vocals on here add a nice feel. ³Prozac Stomp² could have been killed by the near-unintelligible vocals (of course, that might be the point). However, this call-and-response dance number revs it up nicely past the ³Donıt You Just Know It² batch into the passing lane. The group also handed over a few songs to Larsen. In general, thereıs not as much vocal effect on them, making the lyrics more intelligible (so itıs easier to sing along, should you so desire.) ³Caroline² is more on the pop side of 60s garage, with a little bit of soul. ³Nobody Knows² begins with a cool bass groove, soon joined by an organ. Throw in some excellent response-style backing vox and youıre almost in Soul Central. The whole thing is suddenly shaken up, though, by a guitar wrenching it towards the garage. Both this one and ³Motherly Mum² (whose special guest organist is Denisı 12 year-old son, Axel) are strongly reminiscent of The Slow Slushy Boysı 10² also reviewed this ish. That final number is again on the soul R&B side, albeit with a bit more of a 50s hint. Fans of the Kravinı Aıs may also hear some of that groupıs sweeter sides popping up in this one. Extra points for the pretty backing vocals. For now, The Splinters are inactive. But Denis says itıs quite possible theyıll play together again sometime in the future. However, for the past two months heıs been playing with a new trio called Stompinı Harvey & The Fast Wreckers (two guitars and drums.) As for The Splinters, theyıll have a track on a Mahoi Records EP with The Early Hours, The Satelliters, and Dollybird, as well as another one on the second volume in a French garage comp series that Denis is putting out. ............................................................................... STRUMMINı MENTAL MuSick Recordings is making a name for itself in instrumental rockınıroll circles. Besides the Eddie Angel and Omega Men material discussed last issue, theyıve got the Evening In Nivram Shadowsı tribute out (see Comped! ‹ ed.) as well as a couple new discs by The Fathoms and The Space Cossacks. The Fathoms jump Overboard on their disc. The bandıs sax definitely helps define their sound, which has heaps of straight-on surf, but also throws in some delicious spicy snacks. ³The Haunted Shore² is truly well-defined, musically speaking. The guitars play an eerie emptiness that manages to define a hidden cove thatıs bound to be filled with the ghosts of pirate ships past. The sleazy sax on the slow, low-down ³Cruisinı The Zone² somehow brings to mind a Quentin Tarantino character driving a big old convertible down 11th Avenue around 1 AM on a Friday night, looking over the goods. ³Turquoise Blue (and Primer Gray)² picks up the tempo with a ³Tequila² background and a sax out for a rooftop all-nighter after picking up his date for the evening at a local bar. ³Tracking Bigfoot² has more of a clip-clop Western feel, although itıs a bit faster than you might expect. Just about everything on hereıs worth your time, but more high marks are due ³Git My Goat² and their version of ³The Hearse.² Also in the MuSick stable are The Space Cossacks. Their new one is called Interstellar Stomp and most of the titles found on it are science fiction based. First is a version of ³Third Star to the Left,² a track that actually sets the tone for much of the disc - space themed, but more cold, hard Gregory Benford-style SF compared to MOAM?ıs Lucky Starr, Space Ranger style. Tracks like ³Red Sunrise² (slightly quicker than its predecessor) fit into this mold. Personally, I donıt find ³Solaris Stomp² to be spirited enough for the second word of its title, but it is a well-executed, mid-tempo clean picker. Rattled around in the wrong hands, ³Neutron Sabre² could be mighty dangerous. Here it is wielded by the masters and an exhibition of austere beauty and grace is the result, as it twinkles and darts in its deadly dance. On a distant planet in a remote, as yet unspoiled corner of the galaxy, there is a planet made of thousands of small islands with beautiful shores. Of these, ³Black Sand² is the most beautiful, with itıs distinctive coloring and gentle tropical breezes. ³The Cossack² is one of the non-space themed tracks, it goes for the other half of their name and is quite the lively surf screamer, taking chances with every wave, but riding somewhere on the Black Sea. The last track Iıd like to mention is ³Transatlantic Orbit.² Now this one cooks! Itıs got a wild western gallop feel to it, kind of what you might expect from an OK Corral showdown out in the Asteroids. Iıll be looking forward to gigs by this bunch. OK... letıs go trippinı. The gang down at Solamente Records HQ in Brooklyn, USA sent their talent scouts in search of some of the swinginıest surf sounds of the South and those inebriated wastrels actually did the job, bringing back a pair of tracks each from The Penetrators (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) and The Space Cossacks (Fairfax, Virginia). The home office head honchos, believing theyıd finally have a good reason to trim some excess fat from the employee roster (and thereby cut the costs to the corporate health plan) were rather taken aback when these two losers actually returned to town and were suspicious when told the two had actually found the goods. Still, they figured they had to give a listen, so they took the tapes and gave Œem a listen (while the talent scouts surreptitiously went thru the liquor cabinet). Surprise! This stuff turned out to be just what the company needed. So, the mucky-mucks called down to marketing and gave Œem the scoop, asking for advice on just how to package this. The only guy left down there (hey, it was a Friday afternoon in the summer) was the guy from the mailroom delivering the latest ish of Skin Is In, a, umm... trade journal. So this pimply guy answers in squeak-tone, ³Uh... howzabout, The Penetrators meet The Space Cossacks?² And so it came to be, with The Penetrators winning the coin toss and opting for first ride. Their opening shot is ³Redlined² and they do just that, catching the biggest one in sight and riding it hard all the way, getting every bit of force that sucker has and sucking every erg of energy out of it. Their second ride is ³The Truant,² an instrumental storyboard letting you know just what the antihero is doing with his day off (filling up the cooler with some cold ones, then hitting the surf till the crowd hits, when heıll take up residence in the coolsterıs spot in the dunes.) His rides arenıt as wild as those in ³Redlined,² but theyıre still pretty revved, anyway, even if itıs kinda cloudy out. (Heck, what could be bad about a day out of scool, impressing the gals on the beach?) The Space Cossacks choose the ³Neutron Sabre² as their number one weapon. They let things sing out, slowing things down here and there to let the melody have its way, showing you the beauty of their chosen method of destruction. On the other hand, they pick things up, guitars screaming to let you feel the sabreıs point when youıve got too much of a smile on your face. Next, they exit the water and let the opposition have a ride while they cue some aquatic pals for a ³Shark Attack.² They sit there on the beach drinking a cold one with a huge smile on their faces, singing joyfully about what the opposition is encountering. Cold-blooded, these Space Cossacks. My kinda people. Those Space Cossacks just canıt stop, can they? They team up with label-mates The Fathoms to bring us yet another split seven-incher. The two tracks here are solidly in the SF instro camp. The guitar on ³Red Sunrise² shoots forward into the sunrise of this planetıs red giant primary. On ³Space Probe² they move at mid-tempo like a marshal in the Badlands riding his territory. The guitar sings of the loneliness of space that the brave hero must encounter. Roberta says he combats some of his loneliness with Tri-D vids like ³Barbarella Does The Badlands.² Sure, itıs confiscated contraband, but a manıs gotta do what a manıs gotta do. The Fathoms bring us back to Earth with a theme called ³Fathomized.² Thereıs lots happening, musically speaking, on both this and ³Commanche.² The latter is the truly astounding contribution, with some really great jazzy/Latin parts. A drunken sax spews happiness into a smoky bar; the percussion breaks heat up the dance floor with the sound of sex; the guitar joins in with some jazzy fun; the bass plays the heartbeat. This split may be the best instro release Iıve heard this ish. The first non-MuSick release on the CD side comes courtesy of Continental Records, another fairly young label. For their first full-length outing, theyıve brought us The Del-Vampsı Play With Fire. Like The Omega Men, they do some vocals in addition to their instro numbers, although these tracks are a distinct minority. Four Fireballsı tracks kick it into gear. Of these, ³Yacky Doo² and ³Rik-A-Tik² are the best. The former starts out moody, but soon picks up steam and makes way for a sprightly little guitar-picker. The second is more good-natured stuff thatıll remind you a bit of a bit of Buddy Holly without vocals, something that shouldnıt come as a surprise, since the Fireballs recorded with Norman Petty. The first original, ³Drag Strip,² begins a pattern that appears on many of the tracks, wherein the guitarıs mixed way too far down when it really ought to be taking precedence. The drums, on the other hand, dominate while everything else is buried. This one does pick up the pace, even if the recording drags it down. Too bad, Œcuz I think this one would really fly, otherwise. Somehow, though, it leaves me wondering if they used a studio or just put one mic in the room (and too close to the drums at that.) ³Youıve Got Me By The Brain² and ³About Me² are the vocal numbers, both trashy garage, with cool fuzz and leering snarls at the mic. Most of the instro originals are full-on surf tracks. ³Mister Lou² is the strongest, with the guitar nice and big and flying around with double-picked madness. I donıt know the origins of ³Faraway Places² (the credit says the band arranged it), but the guitar line sings kinda like part of ³Sloop John B.² I wonder if theyıve got the same grandparents. The two hidden tracks include a short spoken Simpsonsı goof, as well as a ³live² track. Except for the sound quality objections I noted earlier, this is a nice debut. Los Mel-tonesı Surf Before Sunrise (Halakahiki) has acted as the soundtrack for my internet sessions for the past week or so here at TS HQ. (Nothing like surf music for surfinı. OUCH!) The title cut checks in as the first wave and its obvious these guys donıt let the day creep over them, but rather go for a sprightly ride right off. No time for grogginess, either, as they must then fend off the ³Return of the Surfinı Headhunters.² (Yeah, I know... you thought those buggers woulda known when they were beat after the major drubbing they took last time out.) Evidently, these guys also like to let their guitars sing about their wheels, as on ³Custom Cruiser,² which sounds like just the rod to go hunting for honeys in, as it creeps along the seashore, top down for maximum girl-watching action. ³Fault Line² is noteworthy for the ethereal, wordless female vocal that pops up once or twice, kinda like some Star Trek theme with a more inviting smile. One thing that always floats my personal tote-boat is a slow, night-time melodic instro number. These guys do themselves proud on ³Sands Go Vermilion,² reminding me just why Iım planning on spending more time this summer out at the beach my brother lifeguards at. This track brings those evening BBQıs readily to mind - time to recall an excellent day in the sun, hang out with some good friends and your best gals, and plan for the next one as if itıll never end. Thereıs more to Los Mel-tonesı collective life than cars, girls, and surfinı. No, weıre not really talking beer, but fermentation of sorts does find its way in, as they wax instrumental ³In Praise of the Lime,² that key ingredient in many exotic beverages, played here by a swinginı, yet altogether cool, combo organ. Squeeze on, my green-skinned friend! As it turns out, the boys also dig the spy vibe, as is shown on tracks like ³Special Assignment,² ³Infrared,² and ³Villa of Mysteries.² Of course, theyıre also into luaus and all associated with them, as seen in ³Polynesian Adventure² and ³Breakers at Hanali.² They finish, quite rightly, with an upbeat, straight-up double-picked reverb killer entitled ³The Last Papaya.² So many readings are possible so as to boggle a misbegotten English profıs mind. Me, I like simplification - this oneıs a ravinı good time, as is the whole disc. All hail the surfinı sultans of the St. Lawrence - Los Mel-tones! Ten years ago there were few, if any, instro bands out there. In the past five or so, however, it seems like you canıt flush the toilet without someone starting up a surf outfit. (Yeesh! Talk about lack of privacy!) Now, the thing is, as with any musical style, the more there is of it, the lower the percentage of quality. In fact, after awhile, I start getting downright bored with it. Too many bands seem to just catch a wave and let it carry then in toward shore, forgetting that youıve gotta DO something with it to get those style points. Worse yet, so many people think that the only kind of instro rock that can possibly exist is surf. Not so, folks... try listening to Link Wray, will ya? Thing is, few out there can do Link justice. (Rick Miller of Southern Culture is one.) When I first read the description of The Switch Trout I wasnıt as excited as I mightıve been five or six years back, when the idea of an instro act was something somewhat new. But then came my next helping of Estrus Crust with the groupıs Rod Action EP. Up top was ³Shake Some Rod Action,² writhing and twisting with an amphetamine shakinı fit. This guitar was workinı to drive the devil out. ³Jack Pot² took over, letting up a bit, but putting on a more dangerous air, then jamming the gears for a bit before downshifting... then blasting off yet again. Flippinı it over, I found ³In The Kitchen,² which must be a reference to the meatier taste of this stew. Nice and filling, but hot, Hot, HOT! ³Cyclone² finishes it off, guaranteed to pick up Dorothy and Toto and fling Œem to kingdom come, leaving said Kansans with extremely bad hair after theyıre forced to wiggle their respective butts off. Now this is an instro record Iıll be playing for quite some time to come. The Boss Martiansı first recordings with new drummer Joel ³Jet² Trueblood (of Untamed Youth fame) come on The Intoxicating Sounds EP (Continental). On the ³Continental Theme,² they drive their woody straight up Surf Ave. on a beautiful morning; time to get trippinı. After a fine day in the sun, itıs time to hit the lounge for liquid refreshments. They call out for ³More Booze, Less Ice,² musically recalling a day of excellent rides, some near spills, and that incredible wave that was just barely out of reach. The problem with the ³More Booze² theory is what begat the one vocal track on here, ³Rob Royıs Revenge.² Thatıs right, this track fondly warns that the in-hatch must sometimes do double-duty for out-flow. And somehow it just doesnıt taste quite as good going backwards. They finish up the night by going for a ³Highball At Hattyıs,² their favorite libation at every good surferıs favorite watering hole. By now, everyoneıs well-lubed and a staccato-guitar picks its way around the floor, singing of the eternal moment. The Italian combo I Cosmonauti have the right idea, but their Sea Storm EP (Misty Lane) ends up sounding fairly pedestrian. The version of ³Hawaii Five-O² seems unnecessary, as does ³The Cossack.² However, ³(Death of a) Matador² is a nice depiction of bullfighting that moves the group a bit more towards the spaghetti western sound. Evidently, The Phantom 5ive suffer from Road Rage (Misprint). The title track, especially, is filled with a nice big fat production that makes this pop nicely. They run fast and wild on this road, flipping off whoever gets in their way, resulting in the inevitable CRASH! On the flip they make a powerful run through The Venturesı ³Ginza Lights² before reaching deep down for the best of the lot. ³Jeopardized² is a hyperdriven version of the ³Jeopardy² theme fed thru a hot rodblower on the way to the beach. Bright and fun. ............................................................................... CD COMPS THE NOW: (Youıre Only As Good As) The Last Great Thing You Did is Lookoutıs ³Artist Exhibit 1997.² Listening to this one, youıll soon realize just how damn much these guys have to be proud of. I wonıt lie and say I love everything here, but with releases by The Hi-Fives, Mr. T. Experience (who managed two Lookout releases in Œ97), Auntie Christ, The Smugglers, Squirtgun (quirky pop-ska with occasional punk thrashing), The Phantom Surfers, The Groovie Ghoulies (like MTX, appearing twice), The Go-Nuts (for those who missed their Robert Earl Hughes release, their ³Snik Snak Skaduliak² is an absolute must), The Crumbs, the Bomb Bassets, The Parasites, and The Queers (with one of my favorite song titles of the year, ³This Sandal Shit Has Got To Stop.² Itıs true that not everything on hereıs absolutely great, but itıs a damned great comp and... Geez, as I write this, theyıve got it listed on their web-site for four bucks. Yeah, FOUR BUCKS!!! Yeesh, what more do you want? Nothing Beats A Royal Flush, subtitled ³18 Classic Canadian Crap-Outs² not only features some incredible rockinroll, but also the band choices for their royal flush. The Shinolas (who use American Standard), with syrupy organ, swirl down with ³Aqua Vulva² and get the seat nice and warm. Maow get the honor of second squat (using a hole in the floor) with ³Rebecca Lash² playing it up in female rıbilly style with that same punk-spunk they showed on their debut disc. (Hey, when are they gonna get around to another one? Bad enough that you didnıt make it here on tour last year, gals, but donıt leave me hanginı, huh?) Ever since I heard the demo cassette by The Knurlings a couple years back Iıve been hoping to get some more stuff by Œem. ³Cemetary Stomp² is a nice monster-garage rewrite of ³Devil Dance.² Extra points for the creep-tone organ. Huevos Rancheros chime in with ³Trouble a-Brewinı,² a solid instro trip through the badlands. I know quite a few people whoıd thrill to see a title like ³Skeleton Hill 90210,² thereby giving Curse of Horseflesh a listen when they might otherwise just not bother; good thing they deliver the instro goods once again. Things turn straight down the dirty back alley when The Fiends turn on the fuzz for ³Just In Case You Wonder,² nasal snot vocals, dancing keys and all. And then The Mants dive into the dumpster and come up with a ³Brass Knuckle Sandwich,² emerging dirty and smelling like, well... last Tuesdayıs lunch, but the soundıs just what youıd expect from a bunch of guys who dove deep and found a treasure such as this. The Tonics chip in with ³Mindbender,² a garage instro that completely switches gears about 30 seconds in, then shifts back about 20 seconds later. Cool and stretching out, without giving an inch. The Von Zippers take on ³Betty Lou Got A New Tattoo² and trash it up like nobodyıs business. This bunch is becoming one of my favorites. The Irritations punk it up in a sorta rıbilly hiccough way, but more frenzied. I was real psyched to find the good folk at Roto-Flex also got The Spaceshits involved with this project, Œcuz theyıre another of my current fave groups, playing a part somewhere between The Devil Dogs and Teengenerate. Their ³Backseat Boogie² is another highlight of this disc. Things finish off with Chixdiggitıs ³2000 Flushes Yellow.² This may be the best track Iıve heard from them (although I shudder to think about being anywhere near that particular bowl.) Staying in the same geographic area, weıll move back a little bit in time for On Guard For Thee (Au-go-go). First on the battlefield are The Von Zippers with ³Mega Volt² and they certainly fire their energy weapons with gusto. The Stand GT handle the second wave, preferring to beguile their enemy with melody while still keeping the beat. Cub stand up and the enemy thinks theyıve got everything figured - after all, these gals are sıposed to be nice. Too bad, suckers, Œcuz the gals tell Œem to ³Get Off The Road² (otherwise youıll be consumed.) The Smugglers appear with a real raver named ³Babe,² not quite in whatever passes for normal territory for them, but definitely a potent shot. Crash 13 were an unknown quantity and the enemy tried general defenses. Sorry, suckers, but ³Maybelline² is filled with a delightful melody, upbeat rhythm, and excellent backing vocals in all the right places. The stakes get raised with, ³Does anybody give a SHIT? / Does anybody give a Flying Fuck!?!?² Yeah, the enemy started feeling bad for poor Maybelline. Iıve been pretty psyched about The Tonics of late, probably Œcuz I love that damn organ so much. Here they chip in with an instro called ³Astro Turf² that gives the enemy some nasty-ass rugburns. OK, so maybe itıs not deadly, but... that HURTS! Like anyone else with any musical taste a couple years back, I was a big Bum fan. Here they remind their opponents about ³Mrs. RockınıRoll.² Some time later The Stinkies get their turn and use ³Whipped Cream & The Lonely Bull,² a mix of instro guitar tripping that practically has their enemy applauding. Who wants to fight when youıve got guys like this on the other side? It all ends when The Evaporators bring on the ³Grouse Mountain Scenic Railway.² At this point, itıs obvious to the other side that itıs time to leave town, whatıs left of their tails tucked between their legs. Some of the liner notes to Fuzzy Logic (RPM USA) suggest that this is a modern garage comp. I disagree. I think itıs quite true that garage is represented on here. Listen, for instance, to the killer sounds presented by The Walking Screams on ³And I Know.² The Letdowns ³Hot Topic² certainly qualifies, too, with the organ dancing around as guitar chunks fly out the windows till the chorus, when they lean out the window and all hang a big moon at whatever they happen to be passing. The Bent Sceptres do a solid job with ³All Around The World,² too. The Dweebs might also be lumped into the garage camp, too, although their track, ³Girl Called Maybe² isnıt all that close to Garage Central. Still, itıs in the neighborhood, anyway. Garage Sale finish up the disc with ³One More Time² and theyıre definitely crunching it up in the style their name might suggest. Somehow, thoı, the vocal sounds like Tim ³The Toolman² Taylor when he starts going into that macho-guy voice thing. Anyway, what Iım saying is that I wouldnıt call this a garage comp. Thatıs OK, though, Œcuz thereıs some other cool stuff. For those who havenıt heard The Botswanas, thisıll give you a chance to hear ³Soul Kiss,² one of their absolute best numbers. Their labelmates, The Big Bad Johns also appear, donating their ³hit,² ³Double Wide.² Serene Dominic & the Semi-Finalists sound better here than I remember them on a 45 a year or two back. ³$100 Weekend² is pretty solid gritty rockınıpop. Thereıs also some nice power pop with hints of The Replacements, courtesy of Max Mueller on ³Right Time.² Then thereıs The Beltways, chipping in with ³West Virginia Bound,² enjoying the rockinı side of country-rock. No, itıs not country, and itıs not wimpy. Hmm... maybe The WFBJıs term, ³Rig Rock² is better for this one. Overall, Fuzzy Logic is a solid comp. If youıre only looking for one particular genre, though, youıre not going to get what youıre looking for. On the other hand, somebody looking to hear some sounds theyıve yet to experience might ruly enjoy being turned on to some cool stuff. Unsound is envisioned by its creators as a series designed to ³make great home-recorded music available to the general public.² The debut offering is Volume 1: Pop (To MıLou) which features 24 tracks by 18 different acts. Perhaps the most interesting thing to me is that many of these tracks sound better than many regular studio recordings. First up is Jeremy Morris, who appears with ³The Actor,² a number that sounds quite close to The Beatlesı ³A Day In The Life² at various points. His other contribution, ³Where Were You?² reminds me of a mellower version of the lazy side of early Cheap Trick, kind of dreamy with the vocals kind of flowing over your ears like a gentle stream. Ed James shows up with a truly infectious number called ³Party At Joeıs.² Personally, this wouldıve been my choice to lead off this collection, as itıs an upbeat pop number that kinda reminds me of being under 10 in the early 70s and listening to WABC. Iıve been finding myself singing this one quite a bit when my mindıs on a completely different track. Edıs other offering, ³Turn It Around,² is also a nice piece of 70s AM pop, but beyond the sweet-sounding vocal, it doesnıt appeal to me, perhaps because itıs simply ³too 70s² for my own personal tastes. Ed also appears as part of Pet The Pig! (the group members are denoted as Grunt, Squeal, and Oink) with a track called ³Talk Show.² Personally, Iıd place it musically right between Edıs two solo tracks on here, with a slight nod to Joe Jacksonıs ³Is She Really Going Out With Him?² in the bass part at the beginning. (The lyrics are kinda fun, thoı.... ³Injections of silicone and hip reductions / when she travels itıs by alien abduction.²) The Welcomats start ³Tattered & Frayed² with a descending bit that reminded me of ³Waterloo Sunset² but gave way to a sort of nouveau rockabilly kick. The energy on this one puts it in line for one of my fave tracks on the disc. These guys show up twice more on the disc, first with ³She Gets Around² (atmospheric twanginı) and then ³Emerald City,²which gets into a sort of end-of-the-world bit, with the keys eventually coming in for a sort of redemption at the end, leaving you hanging out to wonder where the story goes from there. The Joe Ward Trio features a woman named Liz Corrigan singing a song called ³To The Kiss² that reminds me a bit of the slower, more introspective moments of the early Pretenders. While Ms. Corriganıs voice is a bit higher than Chrissy Hyndeıs, the same feeling comes about as some of the more tender moments of Pretenders I or Pretenders II. Aaron Skye offers up ³Susieıs Song,² a dreamy, sometimes shimmering, melody that, even after the first listen, I found was already imprinted on my grey matter. Lane Steinberg, according to the liner notes, has recently been recording as Noel Cowardıs Ghost, but I seem to remember him being in The Wind around 1984. ³Frustration² is a pop-rocker that bangs nicely, yet offers the kind of chorus thatıll capture an audience completely unfamiliar with the band on-stage. Laneıs other offering, ³Living In A New World,² is one of the few actual scratchy entries on this disc. On the other hand, itıs also a nice bouncy number that keeps it up with a big smile and even hits a carnival-type organ sound at various points. When I was first listening to this, I was kind of letting it just sort of wash into me. So when I heard ³This Girl Of Mine² I jerked up in my seat. HUH? This was an old Tonebendersı song. Well, a look at the track listing and I soon found out that the artist in question was ex-Tonebendersı bassist Mick Hargreaves appearing with The Ghost Rockets on a rearrangement of this old favorite of mine. A 60s folk-rock melody with a slight pop bit going on is arranged with just enough twang to sound a bit different than Mickıs old band used to manage it. Iım glad itıs included Œcuz the only recording I have of this song is on a rapidly decaying tape the Tonebenders used to sell. (Iıd almost forgotten how much I loved those guys.) I wasnıt sure how long I was going to be able to wait fr ³Hurts² by Robin Stanley to get to the vocal. A gentle acoustic strummed its way a bit longer than I felt was necessary. However, when they got to it, the simple guitar melody chimed its way into my heart. The surface noise on Ray Carmenıs ³Save My Soul² is supposedly courtesy of an old Five Americansı 45. The track itself is a toe-tapping pop number with the happy organ thrown high into the mix. I first saw Shane Faubert play around 1984 with The Cheepskates, when they were a slightly different kinda thing on the NY garage scene. Since then, Shaneıs done a ton of records and has become a respected recording artist. Here he appears with The Skyecats on a track called ³Anybody Like You² that comes across as typically excellent Shane. Itıd be easy to just say this is more pretty just-past-mid-tempo pop, but thatıs not good enough... if you know what Shane sounds like, well... thatıs the only way I can get this across to you. Oddly, Shaneıs track is followed by Scott Finterıs ³Outside Looking In² which reminds me a bit of The Cheepskatesı ³Christmastime With You² from one of the Midnight Christmas Mess comps. The Breetles contribute ³Restaurant Scene² and ³Betsy Jean.² The latter, while being a pretty basic-sounding production, is the one that appeals the most to me, with a nice touch of ³Act Naturally² style Beatles. While not the last track on the disc, the last artist to make an appearance on this disc is Gary and the Portastudio, also known as Gary ³Pig² Gold. Garyıs done tons of stuff over the years, so I wonıt even try and catalog it (although I will tell you to look for his music writing, Œcuz itıs some of my favorite). ³Goodbye To Greatness² is a simple pop number that owes something to both the Beatles and The Kinks, but is unmistakably Gary The Pig. Overall, an excellent comp; one that reminds me that I should really be going to see some of these people play once in awhile. I look forward to more volumes in this series. For some solid Garage-Punk action, you need look no further than Invasion of the Insectoids (GI Productions). The Satelliters jump you in the alley and force you to listen to ³Iım Crawling² as they pound it out primitive-style. Super-snot vocals and an organ that plays the main riff throughout the chorus, but at other times pounds the same monotonous note till your skull disintegrates. (Ah, Beauteous Noise!) Mondo Topless contribute one of their best tracks to date with ³Stomp.² Itıs taken quite awhile (not to mention numerous band members), but Sam and the boys are starting to put Philly back on the garage map. Samıs Vox dances and swirls throughout as the band romps around. ³Iıll Do Anything² has The Decibels, one of my favorite bands right now, sounding lots like one of my fave bands of the 80s, The Stems, in their early, straight-up garage period. The Perverts contribution is a title thatıs sure to piss off some activist types - ³Iım Gonna Set Your Beautiful Body On Fire.² Of course, if theyıd just listen to it, theyıd find out the boys arenıt trying to hurt anybody. Au Contraire! Theyıre just your normal lustful garage-niks, letting the fuzz reign, the guitar rip it up, and their hormones rage. The Primate 5 join the fray with ³The Devil Dance,² once one of the most potent weapons in the A-Bonesı arsenal. This oneıs a bit trashier, but itıs still a damn good time. A ³Primitive Man² is what Lightning Beat Man claims to be. Listen to this one and you may just agree. Iım guessing he recorded this one at home. Kinda reminds me of The Dootz on the Train to Disaster comp some years back. All hell breaks loose when The Monsters break out of their cage. Fast and furious, they assault everything in their path on ³Out of My Life.² A true garage barrage. Wild and woolly, these guys are gonna get you whether your asleep or awake. The Spider Babies are the perfect follow-up, moving a bit further into the punk direction. The Neumans continue in the punk area, but they lighten the mood without losin the tempo. The Silverkings, on the other hand, not only smash the lightbulbs and throw a cement block through the sliding glass doors, but theyıre moving back towards the garage (probably to get a tire iron for some more fun vandalizing the neighborhood. Canıt help but wondering if the house they started with was their parents.) I gotta wonder if Beyond Lickinıs parents know about their moniker. They say they ŒDonıt wanna wear a ³Butt Plug,²ı sounding kinda garage creepy, with a sort of Billy Childish-type vocal. ³Last Damn Pin² - thatıs what The Gnats were after before their demise. Sloppy and wild, these guys slid across into their neighborıs lanes. Iıve no idea if they managed to get their own ³Last Damn Pin² in the end, but Iım sure they managed to swipe a couple beers from people in the next couple lanes over. Tiger Mask Trash Au Go-Go (Dionysus) came as an incredibly welcome surprise, seeing as I had no idea the concept had even been thrown together. (I guess thatıs gonna stun the bands, considering this has evidently been in the works for three years.) Anyway, Tiger Mask is a club in LA that plays home to some of our fave rockinı combos when they swing thru Hollywoodland. As it happens, itıs a pretty damn fine list, too. The Neanderthals get things cracking from the get-go as the drums bash out ³Too Many Nights In A Gin Mill² crisp and quick, soon to be followed by a band looking forward to yet another wild night of crazed fun. WOW! The Countdowns bend the guitar riff to ³Hey Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut² on ³Pussy Stank² just enough to keep from getting the lawyers on their collective ass, playinı it over and over as a semi-instro as they occasionally declare, ³Pussy Stank... and so do Marijuana!² before the guitar again lets it rip in true garage-punk/R&B style. This one blows away most of whatıs on their own disc. Iıd like to hear Œem sounding more like this. The Bomboras tell us about ³Ilene² in perfect Untamed Youth style. Heck, except for the vocal, I probably wouldıve guessed this was the Youth bunch; the guitar sings out nice and clear and the organ sings along underneath as they party it up. Excellent. The Loons keep the party going, as Mike Stax raves on up top, letting the band do their own stomping the whole way through. They bang it out in a cool British R&B style, something like a couple early Milkshakes tracks taken down & dirty. I think I could go on about these guys all day. I was pretty surprised to suddenly hear ³Steppinı Out² steppinı outta my speakers. Who was taking on one of my old Paul Revere faves? The Boss Martians! Somehow they sound a bit different here, probably due to the vocal adopting a lean and mean swagger. Pretty cool hearing the BMıs gettinı scrappy. I keep my Kapın Korn Nut button in my desk at work and occasionally wear it. Mr. Dietze, the business teacher once asked me about it. Now I never stop hearing about it. This from a guy who collects casino chips. (Next time, Iım gonna ask him how his buffalo chip collection is doing. Seriously, thoı, heıs a great guy. He even knew who Rat Fink was when he saw him on another button of mine.) On this disc, The Go-Nuts provide us with a tale of the snacking habits of the animal kingdom, ³Watering Hole,² which may just be their rockinıest track yet. Thereıs far less horsing around on this (thoı itıs still present in abundance) and far more rockınıroll fun. Yeah, thatıs right, theyıre really letting it rip this time out. The Bobbyteens and The Foxations are among my least favorite groups on this disc. Itıs not that theyıre bad, itıs just that theyıre up against some pretty hefty competition on this. I have a feeling Iıd probably be in rockınıroll heaven seeing either of these groups at the club in question; itıs just that if they shared a bill with some of the other groups on here, theyıd be outclassed in my mind. The former bunch bring things outta the 50s and 60s and up to an updated version of the 70s punk/glam thing, with ³I Did Not Love You/Gimmie Gimmie,² sounding kinda like a lower budget version of early Joan Jett, but a bit faster. The latter bunch keep some of the punk spirit while the guitar plays a garage/R&B line (with an occasional nod to Cheap Trickıs ³Sheıs Tight²). Unfortunately, the vocal is a bit too scrunched to excite me. The liner notes mention that The Saturn V Featuring Orbitıs contribution, ³Long Time Ago² has a Coastersı feel to it. Canıt argue with that one, since thereıs a definite storyline with bass vocal spoken interjections (kinda like on ³Yakety-Yak.²) This bunch gives forth with a truly enjoyable take on the late 50s/early 60s rockınıroll good times sound. I canıt help but be glad these guys exist. We need more bands like this in our lives. A real surprise to me was hearing The Untamed Youth do ³Fight Fire.² I mean, Iıve seen these boys play more than most people I know. Hck, theyıre easily one of my favorite bands in existence. This song happens to be a long-time favorite of mine, going straight back to when I was about 19 and the song was immensely popular among the 80s garage set. At first, it didnıt seem like the boys had a handle on it... but about 30-40 seconds in I suddenly realized they were getting a hold of it. When they hit the instrumental break about halfway through, they suddenly reached escape velocity and rocketed straight out of the atmosphere. After that, there was no turning back. Now itıs the Thursday night before Memorial Day and Iım wishing I took Kelso up on her offer to drive out to Chicago to see the Youth play with SCOTS tomorrow night. DAMN! The Tiger Mask must be popular with the rıbilly/swing crowd, too. Yeah, swingıs getting pretty damn popular these days, but... well, that doesnıt bother me in the least. It just so happens to be fun music. Rumble Kingıs ³Musta Been Drinkinı² is a good time roller thatıll get anyone with a pulse itching to get out on the dance floor. Psychobilly is often taken too far to the psychotic extreme. ³Vampire Love,² by The Phantom Rockers, isnıt that bad, but itıs also nothing special. 13 Kats are - with members of The Stray Cats, Rockats, and Polecats - sort of a rockabilly supergroup. In fact, they sound quite like the better moments of their previous bands. Many people I know say these guysı previous groups were complete crap. Itıs hard for me to agree with that. Sure, I know The Stray Cats werenıt as authentic as some might have liked... or maybe they sounded too ³put on² to be real. But they were popular when I was in high school and, if it wasnıt for them, I might not have ever gotten into some of the cool 50s stuff that I did. (Sure, I already had a love for some of it beforehand, but The Stray Cats - and, to a lesser extent, the Polecats and Rockats - made me dig deeper.) Either way, these guys sound like theyıre having a damn good time on ³Hell Bop.² Deadboltıs ³Magimbu² clocks in as a sort of ³hrror-billy²/R&B; cool, but not essential. The Huntington Cads play the surf straight up on ³Ann Isabel,² providing the perfect set-closer. Of course, that just sets the stage for the encore - one of the absolute BEST bands on todayıs scene, The Hate Bombs, doing a killer take on ³Cry Into The Night² (Q65). Whatıs amazing is that, as good as their recordings are, the groupıs live sets are umpteen times as great. Putting it all together, Tiger Mask Trash Au Go-Go is a damn good collection of rockınıroll. A few tracks are weaker than the overall top-notch quality, but even those are better than bad. (Theyıre good.) THE THEN: Kim Fowley is one of those music biz enigmas. Most garage fans know him from ³The Trip² and for putting together The Runaways. Now you can check out Outlaw Superman (Bacchus Archives), a collection of singles he either played on or produced from Œ62 - Œ77. This is a wonderful collection of both oddities and real rockers. It leads off with what Kim terms in the liner notes as a ³Œ65 production of a ŒSliver Sixtiesı Teenage Soap Opera,² although somehow it sounds to me as if it wouldıve made more sense happening a couple years before that. Basically, Debbie & Tommy are this high school couple thatıve been going steady for a couple years. Debbie falls into La-La Land and we get an aural dream balloon wherein she dreams that she had Tommy want to tie the knot. Well, her mom and dad are away for the weekend, so they call her sister to get her to help them out. Well, she freaks and they start looking for friends whoıll help Œem out. Of course, all think theyıre nuts. Eventually, Debbie wakes up and has seen the light - she should wait till she graduates and sheıs sure. Ah, such are the ³Memories of a High School Bride.² Also credited to The Players (a Fowley confabulation) is ³The Rebel,² another teen drama. Next up are The Memories with ³Little Bitty Girl² doing a cool Œ62 R&B raver. The US Rockets present a Œ63 instro called ³Bodacious² that chugs along nicely with some sax blowing hard over the top for awhile. Johnny C. & The Blazes drop in for a couple instro tracks written by Fowley called ³Inferno² and ³Ebony.² The first is notable for its instrumentation... thereıs tons of it all over, with organ washes and lots of cool kitchen-sink quirks. The second track looks more towards the basics, although there are still some interesting parts added. A basic rockınıroll rhythm augmented by some hipster-cool guitar sounds ably abetted by an organ sidekick. One of the coolest things about this disc is how beautifully Kim and Co. rip other tracks off. My favorite of these is ³Big Fat Alaskan² by Donnie and the Outcasts. ³Iım a big fat Alaskan / I ride a white polar bear.² Ten Blubber Points to the genius who can figure out (without music) just what songıs being aped here. The best part, however, is the semi-spoken interjections. The first time you hear this one youıll be rolling. As if that wasnıt enough, however, Kim appears with Bo & Peep, doing ³The Rise of the Brighton Surf.² ³There is a town called Brighton / Itıs by the deep blue sea / Leather jackets and Bill Haley records (Oh yes) / Thatıs all that the eye, it can see / There was a Mod named Tony / Who had a Bird named Jill / He used to ride her on his scooter / And this used to give her a very deadly thrill.² Uh, OK, so Iıve overdone it quoting the lyrics. Sorry, but this is just too damned funny. Is the source tougher to figure out from just the rewritten lyrics? OK, then, 25 Mocker points to anyone guessing the answer on this one. By the way, you donıt have to worry too much about what happens with the clash at Brighton, Œcuz Kim has brought in the Martians to bring Peace, Love, and Rainbows. (And if that wasnıt enough, youıll get a real kick out of all the stuff he just throws in at the end.) Things really start raving, though, when The Grains of Sand show up with ³Goinı Away Baby.² Long-time garage fans already know this one, but itıs pretty wild hearing this in this context. The organ plays the defining role as this rages all over the effinı place. Sure, the guitar sets the rhythm, but the organıs got the point and makes this one ride like a tilt-a-whirl. Kim writes that ³Golden Apples of the Sun² is the flip of that classic and that weirds me out. This oneıs pretty damn psychedelic for 1965, in a dark, anti-Paradise kind of way. The Laughing Wind pull in with ³John Works Hard,² described by Fowley as a ³garage Mersey treasure.² It really does sound like it could be a Freakbeat treasure. Working well as the follow-up for that is ³Secret Police² by The Belfast Gypsies (also known as Them.) Also dark, but this time further into the paranoid/desperate sound, frantically trying to hide. A few more psych selections follow, but Iıll pick it up with ³Man Without A Country² by King Lizard, a Fowley composition that has a sound close to CCR. The next track is the only one on the comp actually credited under Fowleyıs own name. Somehow, however, ³Hound Dog Savage² is one of the weaker tracks of the package, a late 60s boogie psych-Blues that just seems forced. Moving to 1972, Kim becomes Jimmy Jukebox for ³25 Hours A Day² and ³Motorboat.² These are both incredibly Bowie circa Ziggy Stardust. OK, not exactly what every reader hereıs looking for, but I enjoyed them, especially the latter track which picks up the pace a bit. By the next year, heıs Lance Romance and is sounding like Tim Curry in Rocky Horror on ³Hollywood Nights.² Kim writes that he wanted The Orchids to ³become a female Ramones.² While ³(What) If Boys Got Pregnant?² is an interesting novelty, itıs just not that great, musically speaking. Kim notes that a later version of the band signed to MCA and failed. It got me wondering what he thought this particular version actually accomplished. The collection finishes up back in Œ64 with ³The Worst Record Ever Made² by Aletha & The Memories. ³Do you know how hard it is to yell into a microphone for two and a half minutes? Itıs pretty hard. Shows you how desperate we all are. And shows you how desperate you are for listening to this.² Yeesh. Sorry, Kim, this isnıt the worst record ever made... it beats the hell out of most of what I hear on commercial radio when I walk into some store with lousy taste in music. OK, itıs silly and stupid, but... itıs still kinda fun. But as he says at the end, ³Maybe it wasnıt the worst record after all.² Is everything here excellent? Far from it. Is it all interesting? Well... no. But most of it is either interesting, fun, funny, or actually rocks in some sort of cool way. Perhaps not an essential disc, but well worth your money. Pebbles may be the most famous of all garage comp series. Sure, Nuggets led things off, but that was just one comp. Pebbles played a large part in the garage resurgence that came of age around 1984 or so. By that point, the series was around five years old and many of the tracks found therein became the inspiration for not only the groups creating the new scene, but for the audience members. So here we are, roughly 20 years after those first Pebbles comps came out and AIP has released The Essential Pebbles Collection. It might be argued that this is somewhat of a misnomer; after all, ³essential² would seem to indicate that these are the absolute must-have tracks. As it happens, this double-disc collection does include one disc of what have, indeed, become classics to garage-hounds the world over. On the other hand, the second disc includes what are termed as ³Insanely Rare Bonus Tracks.² What does that mean? According to the notes, all but two of them are previously unreissued. Obviously then, referring to them as essential may be a bit premature... personally, I think they need to stand the test of time before being called essential. On the other hand, there are some dynamite tracks on here. But weıll get to that in a bit. Weıll start with disc one. A couple dyed-in-the-wool garage fiend friends of mine have wondered just what the point is of ³Disc One - The Best of Pebbles Vol. 1 - 10.² After all, long-time garage fans have heard all this stuff already. Rather than list what tracks are thrown on, Iıll merely mention that the Surf volume (Pebbles 4) is not represented, although the psychedelic one (#3) is. (Personally, that wouldnıt have been my choice, as I far prefer surf to hearing Teddy & The Patches doing ³Suzy Creamcheese.²) A 10th disc is represented, though, that being the Ear-Piercing Punk LP that was recently re-ished on CD. The question remains... whatıs the point? Well, if youıre gonna ask that, you might as well ask why anyone ever puts out a Best Of LP by any artist, or why people buy soundtracks and comps of oldies material. There are two easy answers: first, itıs nice having collections of your favorite sounds; and second, thereıs a whole new generation of fuzz-fans out there. This gives them a chance to check out some great stuff without having to go buy every volume. Personally, I like having this disc Œcuz itıs like hearing all the songs in a different context. There are some truly stellar tracks on here - The Grains of Sand with ³Going Away Baby²; The Lyrics and their snotty defiance on ³So What²; The Tree with the primal pounding rant of ³No Good Woman²; The Gentlemen with their fierce lament on ³Itıs A Crying Shame²; the superfuzz stand of ³One Girl Man² by The Lost Agency; The Trolls with one of my all-time faves, ³Every Day & Every Night²; the slow, organ-led ³Do Like Me² by The Uncalled For, which still echoes between my ears some 14 years after I first heard it; and Gonnıs ³Doinı Me In,² which need not be elaborated upon in this mag. The only major thing I can find wrong with Disc Two is that there are no liner notes to tell me about the bands. I donıt collect every comp in existence and I donıt have any of the reference books that have been written over time, so I canıt tell you what other tracks some of these bands might have done. The Motifs start it all off with ³Someday,² a solid mid-60s track with occasional moments of the drums pushing things to the next level. ³Sinnerisme² is, I assume (since the liner notes leave out the article), by Les Sinners, considering that (according to the liner notes of Pebbles 13) those guys had two LPs by that name. And, of course, being that this is in French, itıd make sense for this to be the French Canadian group. A fairly mellow beginning gives way to a good mid-tempo number that thumps hard on the base note of each chord. The Thunderbolts ratchet things up a bit with ³Heart So Cold,² starting things moving a bit faster and with some nice spirit. The Strangersı ³What A Life² prepares us for take-off, as the guitar steps out front for some good-time fun and the vocalist tells it like it is. Peter & The Wolves version of ³I Can Only Give You Everything² is listed merely as ³Only Everything² (it seems just to save space.) While I donıt think anyone will ever match Themıs version, this oneıs got good snotty vocal and a cool organ solo in it. The Thornsı ³Iım In Love² is a nice piece of garage-blues, although some might argue it goes on a bit long at 3:26. I used to love hearing The A-Bones playing ³Iıve Had It,² so it was cool hearing a version here by The Banshees, even if the fidelity was truly low. Extremely cool here as a fuzz guitar spits venom, giving way to a relatively clean solo before jumping back into the fuzz freakout. The noise that flies forth on this one makes it one of the best tracks on the disc. The last track, ³Go Go Girl² is credited to ³unknown artist² (as are two other tracks on this disc.) I could swear Iıve heard The Untamed Youth doing this one recently. Guess Iıl have to ask Deke. As long as weıre checking in with the AIP gang, letıs move over to English Freakbeat Vol. 3. The Sons of Fred can hardly be called spectacular, but their December Œ65 single, ³I, I, I Want Your Lovinı² is a pleasant enough pop number, with decent backing vocals and a nice lead midway through. The flip side, ³She Only Wants A Friend,² is darker on the verses, but comes back with a bit of a smile on the choruses before fading back to grayscale. And, yes, like the liner notes suggest, thereıs a definite Holliesı feel. Not long after recording ³Why Must They Criticise?², The In Crowd became Tomorrow. At this point, though, they were sounding a bit like Sonny & Cher with a nod to the Stones. Thee present ³There You Go,² one of my favorites herein. Itıs a mid-tempo number with a good melody and a feel for the DC 5. (And the guitar breakıs pretty damned wild, too.) The UKıs give us ³Your Love Is All I Want,² a track that reminds me a bit of some of my favorite Tonebendersı numbers from about 10 years ago. (Obviously, the UKıs had the sound first. On the other hand, they were hardly original.) Good mid-60s pop-rockinı, with simple ³who-needs-money² lyrics. Bryan & The Brunellesı ³Jacqueline² is a moody ballad with a pleasing melody and an organ that plays just barely loud enough to suggest a sense of longing. The Ways & Means are another group with a darker mood, at least on their contribution to this disc, ³Breaking Up A Dream.² Some excellent vocal arrangements on here contribute to the overall effect that reminds me a bit of parts of The Actionıs version of ³The Place.² The Answersı ³Itıs Just A Fear² comes on with the vocal attack of The Zombiesı ³Woman.² They keep it up with a relentless insistence. I get the feeling this one mightıve been something special in the live setting. Moving on now to the ³Bonus Tracks.² (Why, on Track 13, are we at the bonus tracks? I mean, the cover says ³16 British Beat-Pop Pounders,² and there are 25 tracks. Iım confused!) I know some people may get off on the novelty of finding an English group covering ³Surf City,² but Iım not one of them. The Raving Savages were evidently Screaming Lord Sutchıs backing group and supposedly includes both Nicky Hopkins and Ritchie Blackmore. I only wish Iıd known about this 15 years ago when said Ritchie Rainbow would show up to Sparks in Huntington, Long Island to jam with Guitar Pete & The Asphalt Rockers. I get the feeling playing this one mightıve made him leave. And if someone told Guitar Pete about it, maybe we wouldıve been lucky enough that it wouldıve embarrassed him so much that heıdıve hung up his own ³axe.² (Yes, they were called the Asphalt Rockers. And this was way before Pavement, Tar, Gravel, and Dusty Dirt Road In The Heat Of Southwestern Summer.) If only we couldıve found some way to dump Miss Pink. (Now that weıre done with that tangent...) I suppose some are going to be drawn to this comp for the three tracks credited to The Ravens. That band happens to be the name of The Kinks before they were rechristened. As fans know, brother Dave was the bandıs founder, although Ray ended up writing most of the groupıs songs. The back cover claims the tracks presented are from early demos, supposedly before Ray even joined up. ³Iım A Hog For You Baby² is the stompinı classic we all know and love, a bit lo-fidelity here, but - they are supposed to be demos (and rather old ones, at that.) ³I Believed You² is a nice enough tune, but Iıd say thereıs a good reason The Kinks never did anything with it. ³This I Know² sounds unmistakably Ray, despite any claims to the contrary. Itıs a lonely acoustic ballad that even has Rayıs lyrical feel. The participants of the Kinksı mailing list have generally agreed that this is actually a Œ65 demo by Ray and has nothing to do with The Ravens. Regardless, Kinksı fans will want to have these three songs just because... well, itıs the frigginı Kinks! Next we meet up with The Quakers, an R&B outfit hailing from Leicester. Both sides of their first single appear here. ³Sheıs All Right² rips it up nicely and is another track that bears the stamp of a live raver. ³Talk To Me² is a fair number, as well, heading a bit closer to the blues and not tearing it up as much as its partner. Things pick up a bit around the 45 second mark and the break moves pretty well. The Frays appear with a heavy hitter in ³Keep Me Covered.² The attitude comes on tough and hard in this R&B blast, with some cool harp-blowing, occasionally abetted by a hard-ass guitar sidekick. The Favourite Sons have a bit of a Mod feel to them on ³Walking Walking Walking.² The musicıs not much more than four chords played repetitively (kinda like ³Empty Heart²), but I get the feeling Iıd like to hear this one spinning at a dance party some night. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich are hardly an unknown quantity. They appear here with ³Heıs A Raver² and come in with a decent effort, notable mostly for an organ break leading to a nice guitar shot. Interesting also to listen in and here the thick accents at a time when so many English groups were doing their damnedest to dump it to sound American. The disc closes with the second track by The Talismen (who appeared earlier with ³You Break My Heart²), ³What Kind Of Boy.² This oneıs a fair sight better than the other track and moves nicely, if not well enough to truly get me moving. Overall, Iıd say the comp is decent, although not an absolute must. On the other hand, thereıs English Freakbeat Vol. 4. This oneıs flippinı CRAZED!!! It gets right into the action with a nicely rocked up version of Otis Reddingıs ³Security² by Thane Russell & Three. This one reminds me a bit of the version The Lyres have been known to do over the past decade or so, although harder and a bit less soulful. An excellent job. The track listing seems to have mixed up the numbers by Cops & Robbers, a band profiled in the most recent edition of Shindig! (See the ŒZines section. ‹ ed.) First up is ³Youıll Never Do It Baby,² a pretty fair example of English bluesy R&B. A far more atmospheric track is ³Iıve Found Out,² which comes on with a bit of an Animalsı ³House of the Rising Sun² feel. Personally, I prefer the former track. Another group mentioned in the recent Shindig! is The Clique. Their track here, ³She Ainıt No Good,² is a mid-tempo groove-punker that The Vipers probably couldıve done proud had they tried their hand at it. Iım still blown away to think that ³Things She Says² could possibly be by the same In Crowd as the bunch that gave us ³Why Must They Criticise² on Vol. 3. I mean this thing rages along with tons of adrenaline-fueled passion. Give me more like this! I get the feeling Ms. Roberta would quite enjoy Mal Rider & the Spiritsı ³Forget It,² mainly Œcuz sheıs such a major fan of Manfred ³The Professor² Jones of The Woggles. The vocalıs rather similar and Mal & Co. also know how to smoke it. Evidently, the Upper Crust werenıt the first cool rockinı combo to don 17th century garb, Œcuz the liner notes of this comp tell us that The Snobs were doing it 30 years earlier. Their ³Ding Dong² is a cool romper that gallops nicely, sort of on top of a ³Walk, Donıt Run² type background in parts. The Sons of Fred return for another three tracks on this volume. Their version of ³Baby What You Want Me To Do² gets a nice groove going, with the guitar stepping lively at various points walking then flying. ³Sweet Love² is more of that minor Animals thing, but doesnt quite work, with the vocal sounding a bit too pinched for my tastes. That vocal thing is still evident on ³Iıll Be There,² but the tempo on this one is way up and theyıre movinı, so it happens to work. The guitar fires off some rapid-fire cover bursts and this thing smokes. The liner notes on The Soul Agents indicate that their family tree eventually saw them growing into Elton Johnıs backing band. So, while I donıt think ³Donıt Break It Up Now² is all that impressive, it turns out that they had far worse in their future. Iım not saying this is bad, just that itıs sort of tepid compared to much of the rest of this disc. Their next track, ³Mean Woman Blues,² is better, but still just seems like a bunch of guys trying to be something theyıre not. Itıs got a cool Diddley shuffle, but it doesnıt have enough conviction. Their last track on here is ³I Just Wanna Make Love To You,² which is the best of the lot, but still suffers from the lack of real feeling. When they sing the title line, they could just as well be saying, ³I Just Wanna Watch Barney Rip Off The ŒKnick-Knack PaddyWackı Man With You.² OK, maybe not quite that bad. The Syndicats, on the other hand, knew where it was at. ³Crawdaddy Simone² is beautiful British 60s R&B at its most feral. This ranks up there with The Pretty Things. The organ and guitar both show what theyıre made up and the whole band really raves up at the break. Iıd love to see somebody give this one a live treatment now. PHEW! Tony Dangerfield somehow throws some rockabilly into the mix here, with ³Sheıs Too Way Out.² Itıs decent, but nothing special. The Wheels definitely disappoint me on ³Call My Name,² which somehow keeps bringing ³Midnight Confessions² to my mind. And that song never appealed to me. Mickey Finn & the Blue Men present us with an organ-dominated take on ³Reelinı & Rockinı² which picks up the pace a bit, but we still havenıt gotten back anywhere in the neighborhood of The Syndicats. That has to wait till The Others take on Bo Diddleyıs ³Oh Yeah!² The shuffleıs right on, the guitar belts out its challenge, the band pummels forward, and - unlike The Soul Agents - they really seem to mean it. Especially cool is the low-down part which culminates in just the kind of explosion you need. The Primitives present us with an Italian-language track, ³Johnny Noooo,² which is OK, but didnıt really get me reelinı, being just short of the wildness level necessary. Shorty & Them come forth with a passable rendition of ³Dimples,² that sounds like it mightıve worked quite well when youıre surrounded by a bunch of screaming kids ready to shake it some more. Four Degrees let fly with a version of ³Too Much Monkey Business,² a song Iıve always enjoyed. Personally, I like the Secret Serviceıs take on it much more, but thereıre numerous reasons for that (not the least of which is Wayne Manorıs voice), but this has a good spirit to it. ³Iıve Got My Brand On You² is a slower blues number with a sad old piano lament behind it. In fact, the piano solo is what sets this apart and makes you sit up and take notice. It all ends with Stovepipe No. 4 and their strong take on ³Pretty Thing.² Granted, itıs nowhere near as powerful as that of the band that took it for their name, but itıs still pretty cool. Overall, if youıve gotta choose between Volumes 3 and 4, itıs an easy choice: Volume 4 wins hands down. Why? It just rocks more. Perhaps the biggest surprise, comp-wise, that came my way this time out is Surfbeat Behind The Iron Curtain (AIP). A text box on the back says, ³All tracks recorded behind the Iron Curtain, 1963-1966.² Of course, the country icons shown next to the track listings list groups from Japan, Italy, the UK, and the Netherlands, in addition to those from the DDR, Poland, Germany, Romany, and the CSSR. This kinda left me wondering exactly how that damn curtain was hanging, but Iım more interested in the music than some lines drawn on a map, so Iıll stuff that into a gopher hole somewhere. A Romanian combo called Sincron start it off with one titled, ³Pe Linga Plopii Fara Sot.² Good thing itıs an instro Œcuz Iıdıve never gotten the lyrics straight. Anyway, itıs fairly standard surf material, with a slight ethnic accent found in the phrasing; enjoyable, if not excellent. The Capras come from Germany (the icon on the back for Germany is of a VW Bug) and give us a slower surf track entitled ³Beginning of Autumn.² I wouldnıt call it sad, but more of a look back at the joys of summer, knowing theyıre gone for another year. A long flight and youıre in Japan for T. Terauchi & the Bunnys, a group thatıs been getting its due in the past few years. Here they present ³Theme From an Unfinished Symphony,² with some excellent guitar leads sparking the passion into overdrive. This is one of the discıs standouts, as it also falls back to a rather mild passage with a clip-clop feel and some organ, as well as smooth guitar passages. Still, itıs those driving, wild guitar races thatıll thrill you. OK, how does a British group end up on a comp with this title? OK, OK... Iım stuffing that complaint back into the gopherıs pad I mentioned before. (Maybe Bill Murrayıll catch the damn thing this time.) Whatever. The Eliminatorsı track, ³The Saint,² from a Œ66 LP on Pye called Guitars & Percussion is almost completely what the LPıs title suggests, except for a jazzy organ section. This one moves on the slow range of mid-tempo an is notable for the cool timpani sound. They also appear later on with a fuzzed-out reading of ³Wipe-Out² that still relies on the timpani. (I wonder if the guyıs mom had given it to him for Christmas and it became his favorite toy.) The liner notes call Mefisto ³one of the great mid-60s Czech bands.² Not knowing any others, I can neither confirm nor deny. Either way, ³Return of Gemini² is a nice instro partially due to its excellent use of piano to set a mood. There are some backing vocals, but no words, giving a rather majestic affect when added to the piano. The next track that really appeals to me is the cool ³Nocny Alarm² by The Alarm out of Poland. Itıll remind you a bit of The Mar-Keys in its organ sound, but the guitar first plays mainly a slightly sustained chunk-chord progression (which, quite honestly, wouldıve been better off if it were a little further down in the mix, Œcuz it starts to wear on you), then flies into a sort of biker-psych solo. Thereıs even a slight horn touch in parts! The Boomerangsı ³Crazy Guitars² are just that. Thereıs a cool shuffle feel underneath, but the guitars play a few distinct passages: a swinginı upbeat dance thing; a slightly psyched out lead; and even something with a Shadowsı feel to it. One of my faves from this disc comes from the DDRıs Trocadero Sextett who had one album ³which is 85% awful ŒGypsy Jazz² and 15% pure R&R.² ³Leicht Verdreht² is of the latter variety and has a lowdown Link Wray feel, although without as much swagger and grit; still cool, thoı. ³The Bumble Beat² is a kinda fuzzy thing by Orchester Charles Blackwell. Itıs got about the sound youıd expect for a song with this title, although the sax throws an Eastern European stamp on it. The Klaus Lenz Sextettıs ³Corso² starts with a low bass line,joined a couple measures later by a modest organ, then a guitar, then percussion, and finally the lead guitar arrives to give the orders. Personally, Iıdıve been happier if the organ had kept the dominant position, but this still works well,with the lead occasionally firing out directions. One of the most fun tracks on this bit is the Slava Kunst Orchestraıs ³Lucifer in Coelis.² This one acts as almost a novelty track. The sax plays the lead most of the time with an almost oom-pah backing, but the vocal lines are the hilarious part. ³Lucifer... in Coelis.² A real ³Happy Organ² thing also takes over for awhile. And then some cool high backing female vocals. I canıt tell you what sheıs saying. Of course, I canıt tell you any of the other words that are spoken either. Thereıs a great part where sheıs basically going ³Dom dooby-dooby,² etc. She also loses the high thing for a faux-sexy throat thing. But the backing chorus ³dıda-da dai-dai-dai² is great. And then thereıs the Three Stooges vocal part... This thingıs fantastic! (And itıs gonna make it onto some tapes in the near future, I can assure you.) The Thunderbirdsı ³Twistinı Safari² has a sort of rockabilly background, but throws in a surf guitar sound (no doubt to get the swimsuit sweeties to show up at their gigs). The Black ŒNı Whites appear with ³Take Blya Moja,² an interesting track that pairs a cool Beat backing with some clean low guitar lines, moving in the direction of The Shadows, but with a slight surf-tone to it. The Javalins blast out of The Netherlands with ³Javalins Rock.² (And they do.) This one quick-steps all the way, no matter whoıs at the helm, be it the guitar, sax, or piano. Quite the toe-tapper. It all comes to a finish with Czechoslovakiaıs Karel Duba & His Guitar Men and ³The Coach,² a number that seems like it might be great for a western soundtrack for awhile, then seems to fly off the track into some sounds that are just off for that. No soundtrack work for you boys, youıre too damned HAPPY! Still, itıs a cool track. NOW TIPS ITS HAT TO THEN: The only stuff Iıve ever owned by Los Brincos are a couple tracks on mix tapes friends have made over time. To be honest, I donıt even know where those tapes are right now. (Anyone whoıs ever been inside my car knows its like dumpster with an engine. And at home Iıve got tapes in about five different places.) Anyway, a friend went to Spain and brought back Get Ready To The Brincosis (Snap!), a tribute to Los Brincos. Whatıs especially cool to me is most of the groups are Spanish. The disc begins with Los Imposibles taking on ³Lo Que Yo Quiero,² with chiming guitars and pretty harmonies, ringing and beautiful. From San Diego, CA, then, comes The Shambles with ³Nadie Te Quiere Ya.² This oneıs a bit more haunting than its predecessor, but succeeds admirably. After this, I was expecting most of the material to be just like it. Then came The Stupid Baboons with ³I Try To Find,² the first English language number on the disc, which comes across with a swinginı R&B garage sound. Personally, Iıd like to hear some more stuff by these guys, who reminded me here of The Telltale Hearts to some extent. La Rutaıs contribution, ³Iım Not Bad,² isnıt quite as wild as the previous track, but itıs got a solid beat and features a nice Merseybeat-oriented sound. The Mockingbyrds take us straight into the garage homeland with ³Baila La Pulga.² Whew, what a ride! The organ dashes all over and gets all riled up as everyone else hangs on tight. The guitar briefly wrests the wheel away, but the organıs the real swinger. Los Buges give us ³So Good To Dance² a solid mid-tempo garage number that features some cool noise underneath. The organ plays support and gives the number color. Quite honestly, most of the stuff on here is more than worthy of your ear-time. The Gravestones actually appear twice, with the second one (the ³extra track²) being the one I prefer, ³No Puedo.² A solid 60s Beat number with some organ flavoring and a good melody. I didnıt know many of these groups (not being as knowledgeable about the curren crop of European acts as perhaps I should be) and this was a welcome treat. In Europe, The Shadows were huge. Here we are now, forty years since they began and their sound lives on. Sure, they never broke in the US, but some of the cream of todayıs instro crop are here to turn you on to some of the sweet sounds of Hank Marvin and the boys. An Evening In Nivram (MuSick) features contributions from The Omega Men, The Huntington Cads, The Fathoms, The Space Cossacks, The Boss Martians, Davie Allan & The Arrows, Satanıs Pilgrims, and Teisco Del Rey, as well as a bunch more. The Omega Men have been doing ³Main Theme² for quite some time now in their live shows, so fans will be pleased to get their hands on a recording of it. Many people know ³Apache,² so its nice to hear The Falcons take it on. The lone vocal track on here is The Boss Martiansı contribution, ³Donıt It Make You Feel Good,² a nice smooth pop number from Œ64. Itıs not going to appeal to all the rockinı ravers out there who need everything to be ragged and rough, but for those who appreciate a nice number for dancing cheek-to-cheek with that special someone, well... this is perfect. ³Tales of a Raggy Tramline² sees Davie Allan applying his trademark fuzz sound to bring out the inherent wildness of the number. (Whenıs Davie gonna come play NYC, anyway?) One thing that keeps getting caught in my pal Patıs craw is how so many music writers seem to consider all instrumental rockınıroll to be surf. Well, that happens to be part of the reason The Shadows never made it in the US in the first place, according to the liner notes. In 1963, Atlantic titled a Shadowsı release Surfing With The Shadows, hoping to cash in on the big craze. What they didnıt get was that rockınıroll without words played by Fender guitars is not necessarily surf. And that meant it didnıt wash with the DJıs of the time. Hopefully this tribute will not only entertain you, the listener, but also help you to understand this basic fact. Long Live The Shadows! Two shots are fired, piercing the deserted dusty road that serves as the townıs center. An ultra-fuzzed guitar plays an overture, ³Outlaw Kill,² by Hank Ray & Thee Executioners. Our hero reflects for a moment on what heıs had to do, reholsters his gun and slowly walks to his horse, saddles up and rides. Another guitar gives a howl as he rides off alone into the distance. Not being possessed of encyclopedic knowledge, I canıt say how many of the tracks on Spaghetti Vol. 1: Duck You Suckers (One Million Dollar Records) are originals and how many are covers. That means I canıt really call it a tribute to any particular ³group.² Still, the spaghetti western sound is definitely a genre thing that many associate with a certain era, so Iıll throw it in here. The Hellbenders let us in on whatıs happening back in town with ³Have A Good Funeral.² The bad seed has been put to rest, but he was some motherıs son, so the job is done. Sad, itıs true, but even she canıt help but be glad that he wonıt be around to cause trouble any longer. Later on, we catch up with our hero as the best of the genreıs current practitioners, Death Valley, play their ³Larry Storch Trilogy.² The hero is riding through the hills, in search of some other members of the ruthless gang that killed his fiancee and everyone but a lone child in the poor border town that had taken him in when he was orphaned as his family journeyed west. (Now that is what they call laying it on THICK!) Heıs eating ³Baked Beans & Chicken,² courtesy of The Daytonas, who somehow donıt seem to fit my own particular idea of spaghetti western sounds, probably because the vocals sound too beach-y. The Charles Napiers bring us back to reality, providing our hero with ³A Fistful of Pasta.² Night has fallen and dinner is cooked over an open fire. Heıs alone and the wind blows. He hears the sound of a distant townıs bell ring, but prefers to camp on his own, as he wonıt have to tell his tale this way. He hears shots and horses and moves to investigate. He realizes heıll have to head into town now. There he finds out where the gang is headed. ³40 Miles To Vengeance,² say the local lawmen, The Penetrators. They tell our hero that itıs their sworn duty to take this gang. Whether he wants company or not, theyıll be taking on the same enemy. Theyıd like to ride with him. He accepts, understanding they are kindred spirits. Time is of the essence, so they saddle up and go. The Plantronics let us know that ³Los Diablos² are out there. More shots are fired and our hero and his friends now spur their mounts to greater speed. Vengeance is at hand. The 40 miles are a hard ride, but eventually they run into ³El Loco de la Sierra² as The Satelliters have named the groupıs leader. Unfortunately, theyıre holed up in dangerous country and the battle is bloody. The bad guys are gone, but we have many wounded. ³Thereıs A Pale Moon² as Hank Ray plays the outro. Our hero has triumphed, with the help of those who rode with him. Itıs a victory, but only in that a scourge has been defeated. Many lives have been lost and he knows life can never be the same. He rides slowly on, bidding the others good-bye and good luck. Alone again... moreso than ever. ............................................................................... CD ANTHOLOGIES If youıve been reading along at home with me over the past bunch of years, you know Iım a huge cub fan. Considering that they broke up some time ago now, I didnıt think Iıd get another chance to really write about the group that first blew me away some five years ago. WRONG! One of my absolute favorite Aussie labels, Au-go-go, has released Mauler, subtitled ³A Collection of Oddities.² What youıre getting is mainly comp cuts, alternate takes, and B-sides from singles or CD-EPıs you might have missed out on. Just to keep completists on their toes, thereıs one unreleased track, too, ³Pregnant.² Iıd love to know why this was unreleased till now, Œcuz it truly shows the group at the top of their game. True, itıs not as innocent and playful as the groupıs early material, but itıs melodic and alive, really moving at a good clip. Like all of Cubıs best tracks, itıll put a smile not only on your face, but in your heart, just from the sound. Huge fans probably have the single and EP tracks (and anything that came off an LP), but thereıs a chance youıve missed out on some of the comp appearances, like the bandıs take on ³You Know He Did,² from Sing Hollies In Reverse. Still, many of you have most of the tracks on here, so itıs a toss-up if youıre going to want to pick it up just to get a few tracks. On the other hand, itıs a nice way to hear the songs in a different setting. Letıs face it, all too often we get used to hearing tracks in the same setting (this also happens when you make mix tapes)... kinda like weıre used to seeing the same people in the same places. Hearing those tracks in a different setting sometimes brings them alive in new ways; new things come out about them. Personally, Iım thankful that Au-go-go put this out Œcuz it means Iıve got that much more Cub in my life. Itıs weird how some music just works its way into your head. I mean, I listened to The Green Pajamas Indian Winter (Get Hip) that first time through and it seemed unremarkable; itıs not that it was bad, just... well, it didnıt really reach out and grab me. That, however, is not grounds for writing a bad review. Something like that means that I need to keep trying. I ended up leaving it in the CD-ROM drive of my computer; that way it starts up when I power on. Wouldnıt you know... in a few days it had slowly started growing on me, kind of like the ivy on old colleges. It was comfortable, too, starting with ³Kim The Waitress,² a song that I seem to remember from when I was in college. This collection is filled with 45s and unreleased stuff the band did from Œ85 till Œ96. Most of it is sort of mellow psychedelic folk-rock/pop. Roberta passed by, hearing it for the first time, and said the guyıs voice was too whiny alternative for her. If sheıd said that the first time I listened, I mightıve agreed; by that point, though, I was too far gone - Iıd already become enthralled by the soft comfort of it. ³I Have Touched Madness² seems like Syd Barrett should have written it. The guitars hit a moody psychedelic drone and a broken-down melody leads to the chorus of the title as a sax finds a way to make itself known yet unobtrusive. ³Streets of London² is more Œ67 Beatles with a bit of XTC as the Dukes of Stratosphear. Throw in a more up-to-date, yet fitting, guitar solo and the track is truly something special. I keep listening to this, trying to pick out certain tracks as better than others, but different moods bring me to different songs. This disc works quite well for me as relaxation, especially while Iım working on a project. Itıs not party music and it wonıt get you raging or even in a particularly happy mood; on the other hand, if youıre into gently trippy psychedelia with a dark-side flirtation, this is for you. For a good portion of The Story So Far... (Get Hip), a collection of Œ89 - Œ94 recordings by The Lears, youıll be swearing youıre listening to a bunch of undiscovered vintage Byrdsı recordings. Of course, at times they sound a bit closer to other jangly folk-rockers. This is most apparent on ³Coming Home Today² which sounds incredibly like The Optic Nerve on some of the tracks that Tony Matura sang. The acoustic ³Someone Elseıs War² is my favorite track, hearkening back to the Byrdsı Œ65. It rings with a gentle melody and an actual - GASP! - statement, ³Propaganda fuels the war machine / Mr. Politician, itıs time to come clean (...) Whatever happened to our ideals? / Freedom, truth, and brotherhood (...) We wonıt fight in someone elseıs war.² During the Gulf War, there were more than a few local folkies who had songs offering their thoughts on the matter; this song outdoes them all. ³Poor Mr. Greedy² is darker (as it should be, given its subject matter), yet it rings true. ³Thee Iguana Theme² finds the band on an instrumental psych-out, showing another facet of their personality. ³Well He Knows² runs to the garage side of the 60s folk-pop realm, with the guitars kicking up with a smile and the vocal occasionally moving into the spoken realm. Again, I find myself reminded of some Optic Nerve material. The disc ends with the trippy ³Electric Mushroom Voyage,² at 5:05, itıs nearly two minutes longer than anything else on here. However, with a name like that, youıd probably expect no less. Donovanıs Brain turns out to be the musical meanderings of one Ron Sanchez, a guy Iım almost positive I met at GarageShock, Œ94 on the first night. Ron does just about everything on Carelessly Restored Art (Get Hip) except play drums on this collection of material heıs put together over the past four years. While this appears to be one manıs psychedelic vision, heıs taken some friends along for the trip, including all of the Young Fresh Fellows. Iım not what youıd call an expert in psychedelia, so Iıll stick to what I know. This disc often plays like a sun-drenched Sgt. Pepper with a blotter full of early Pink Floyd. I especially enjoyed the simple keyboard lines on ³Everything I Know Is Wrong,² most of which is a note hit over and over till it bores a hole into your mind, kind of like if you stared at the sun too long. Throughout this disc, the languorous melodies stretch themselves out with a lazy, satisfied smile. A couple tracks stray from this path (³Dandelions Are Back² comes to mind), but only slightly, picking up the tiniest bit of steam while retaining the flavor. If youıre looking to jump up and down, youıve got the wrong disc; of course, if you just want to relax in the sun, youıve come to the right place. ............................................................................... UNEARTHED & RE-ISHED Any true garage fan is familiar with the incredible sounds that emanated from the Pacific Northwest in the early-mid 60s, thanks to bands like The Sonics, The Wailers, and The Kingsmen, among many others. Every once in awhile, though, a new nugget is unearthed. Thanks to Hillsdale, the Northwest has yet another couple gems to show off, thanks to a group from Spokane, Washington called The Mystics. In 1965, they recorded a couple tracks that somehow never got released. Well, it took more than 30 years, but at least we can hear now just how damn great these guys were. ³Iım In Love² is right up with the best of Œem, sounding something like Don & the Goodtimes with certain elements of The Wailers. The organ is an essential element of both tracks, but itıs on the toe-tapping instrumental ³Check Point² that it really plays a major part. Throw in an eager guitar and youıve got what shouldıve been a hit. The fine folks at Norton Records have dug deep into dusty Dallas vaults and come up with another winner. This time itıs Gene Summers, backed by his group, The Rebels and the result is a four-songer entitled A Gene Summers Record Date. The material features unissued demos from 1958, three of which are alternate versions of sides released by the Jan label. These, however, include Geneıs backing group rather than the studio musicians found on the actual 45s. Also found is ³Fancy Dan,² released here for the first time. This oneıs an up-tempo raw rıbilly raver thatıll have your toes tappinı and your fingers snappinı in no time flat. On ³Nervous,² the group is joined by vocalists The Five Masks, as they throttle down a bit and Gene letıs his vocal wobble oh-so-good, lettinı that gal know just what she does to him. Couple these with two more wild rockers, ³Gotta Lotta That² and ³Twixteen,² and youıve just enjoyed four tasty Texas treats. If I understand correctly, Platenclub Utrecht is a group of record collectors over in Holland whoıve banded together to put out EPıs by old Dutch Beat groups. To my knowledge, theyıve released three thus far. From Group $oall, we get the Stephanie 3-songer from recordings made in Œ67. The title track is an excellent slow blues reminiscence with soulful vocals. Underneath, we find an alternate take of ³Will You Teach Me How To Love,² as well as another unreleased gem, ³Well Iım A Boy,² another strong, soulful beat number with a moderate tempo. Another one of Platenclub Utrechtıs releases is a 4-songer from Peter & the Blizzards. I must admit that the tracks here came as something of a surprise to me. The other tracks I have from these guys are on Transworld Punk, one of them being the excellent punker, ³Bye Bye Baby,² later covered by The Telltale Hearts. On here, we find four unreleased tunes from Œ66 that show the band in a far more pop mode. My favorite of these, ³A Picture of You,² shows the mid-60s pop being overlaid with an almost 50s rockınıroll/pop vocal melody. Itıs actually quite good, but quite a departure from what I would have expected. ............................................................................... EVEN MORE MUSIC DISCS: Letıs start it off with The Tiki Tones and their latest, Suburban Savage (Dionysus). Canıt say as I know much about tiki sounds, so I canıt exactly say whether theyıre doing that or not (thoı all the tiki-related stuff mentioned in the insert sure seems to point that way.) Everything hereıs instrumental, although not quite surf. Some of the guitar sounds will be familiar, although theyıre more laid-back for the most part (although they occasionally do check the surf.) What appeals to me is the luxurious organ backdrop that sets the mood for the guitar to laze about in. This disc appeals to me in some of the same ways as the Frenchy disc mentioned elsewhere, although this isnıt as musically varied. Maybe what I like is that I donıt find it intrusive. There are times when I want music merely to be on, without demanding my attention. It can simply set a mood or fill in the empty spaces, putting you at ease... Iım of two minds when it comes to The Delstars. When theyıre playing their cards close to their body (³Look Ma, No Vocals!²), theyıre a pretty decent hot rod instro outfit. Unfortunately, when they plug the microphone in, things take a turn for the worse. This attitude actually applies both to their live show (I saw them about a year ago) and their recorded material. Perfect evidence comes in the form of the first two tracks on The Sound Of Power (Revco/Swizzle). ³Tantor² revs the engine and lets it rip, with the only words being the inspired shout of the title, and the lead guitar burning its way around the curves. Then comes ³Oldsmobeetle² and a vocal that somehow reminds me of bad bar band blues / southern boogie. ³Musta got a hold of some bad weed / Paranoia plants a king-size seed.² But not only is the vocal annoying me, but the instrumental backing is swirling down the old crapper, too. Or maybe itıs just the lead guitar, Œcuz if you listen to the rhythm backing on most of the vocal tracks, itıs pretty decent. Unfortunately, the lead is mixed up high and the rhythm sounds like it got let in the trunk. OK, Iıll stop accentuating the negative and bring out the positive (after all, there are seven instros to six vocals). The non-vocal stuff is solid and worth a listen. Guess when I want to listen to these, Iıll have to program the old disc player... Taking a look at the cover of Blower Explosion (Skunk), the latest from Del Noah & the Mt. Ararat Finks, youıd figure this was gonna be a solid set of hot rod tunes, most likely of the instro variety. Those are certainly there (check out the kickoff title track, with exactly the guitar and drum sounds youıd expect - and the obvious title shout - but thereıs also a sax adding an extra flavor. In fact, thatıs the groupıs secret weapon. Iım guessing ³Del Noah² is meant to be their theme, a tribute to the biblical wonder who survived an ancient El Nino. In this case, thoı, heıs turned into a heroic surfer. It kinda makes it on the surf vocal level, but doesnıt completely capture me, possibly due to some vocals that are a bit too put-on for my liking. Their take on ³The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow² hints at their love for more than just regular rockınıroll sounds as this starts moving into cool cartoon soundtrack territory, that sound that still owes a debt to the swinginı sounds of the 40s. Their version of ³Chicken² throws in some more varied instrumentation, as well (flute, for instance); a nice touch in my mind. The disc throws in lots of soundbites, including some that sound like they were created by the band. Would you believe Dan ³Grizzly Adams² Haggerty actually appears on backing vox on a couple tracks on here? Yup. One of these, ³Sasquatch on a Snowmobile² is a pretty fun rip (although more so on the verses than the chorus), with a wild party sound going down. On ³Theme From ŒThe Big Payroll Caperı² they get into the crime soundtrack bit, with the sax assuming center stage for a majority of the tune. While I find that I prefer their instro stylings to the vocal tracks, I really enjoyed their version of ³Spinout,² although it doesnıt measre up to the original (possibly because the lead vocal just isnıt strong enough). Still, the sax makes it all work. I find ³Re-Satch-A-Go-Go² (a semi-instrumental, meaning thereıs some vocals thrown in, but only briefly) to be one of their best tracks, possibly because it not only tastes great, but itıs less filling, thanks to a sprightly alto sax blowing the melody. ³The Enchanted Dragstrip² ends it all on a lounge tone. I wouldnıt call this one an absolute must, but few will be sorry they bought it. Extra points for having a guy named Blair in the band... The New Salem Witch Hunters have been around for quite some time now. Funny thing is, I almost never hear anyone in the garage crowd mention them. Iım not saying these guys are anything ultra-special, but theyıre far from horrible. (Yeah, thereıs a quotable.) Perhaps the lack of acclaim has something to do with their style being so far from what most people on the scene seem to be most into. Their latest, Colonial Root Cellar (Get Hip) finds them spending most of their time mixing garage sensibilities with pretty psychedelic melodies (³Run Run Run²). They do pick up the tempo a bit further, as well, with my favorite being ³12 Many Girls,² wherein the band spices things up with a flavor that sound equal parts World Famous Blue Jays and Nine Pound Hammer. The organ renders the whole thing that much more flavorful and they end up with a winner. On a couple tracks, the lead vocal sounds like Sky Saxon with a bit of Roky Erickson. At first itıs a bit disconcerting, as it seems that everythingıs being changed around. Pretty soon, though, it really starts to work ­ especially on ³Any More Than I Do,² where the chorus really sells the song. Probably my favorite track is ³Bye Bye Baby² in which theyıre definitely in the garage camp, yet without merely chunking a bunch of chords together or ranting their way along; rather, itıs upbeat and bound to get you moving. Again, this disc probably wonıt see them making regular rotation at my place, but theyıll cetainly get the occasional spin... The Countdowns Right On Sound (Scooch Pooch) has some great basic rockınıroll sounds on it, but theyıre buried under the noisy rubble of a building thatıs just been imploded. Yeah, exactly the kind of thing some folks on the garage scene go absolutely nuts for. This isnıt completely my thing, but it sure has some great moments. The instrumental ³Wray Gunn² is a real cooker, lowdown and cool, eyes peeled for any action that might come its way. Some of their tracks are more rockabilly than garage, like ³On & On & On² which definitely has a real 50s feel to it (or would without the feedback and assorted noises)... The same label hands over The Hookersı Satanıs Highway. The promo schtuff says theyıd be quite happy to be labeled a ³punk AC/DC.² Early on in the disc, I figured that description was fair, if not perfectly accurate; midway through, though, itıs just gotten too close to speed metal to do a damn thing for me. Evidently, the singer played drums with 9 Lb. Hammer for awhile and was a founding member of Nashville Pussy. I can hear the latter, but the former donıt show up as much. The guitar-playingıs pretty wild and the band really rips through every track (kinda like a big jagged-edge knife through the skin of an unsuspecting horror-movie victim), but I doubt Iıll ever listen to it again... Maybe Iım just a wuss, but The Motards are just too damned messy for my personal tastes. Maybe Iıd like Œem better if Iıd seen Œem, but... well, I never have. I donıt hate Œem; I just donıt particularly care for their abrasive, punk-with-a-nod-to-garage sound. As a result, you wonıt be surprised to hear that Saturday Night Special Ed. (eMpTy) doesnıt exactly get my wings flapping. On the other hand, it sounds pretty much like the last Motardsı disc, at least to my ears. So if youıre into them, youıll probably go nuts for this... Right up front Iım gonna let you know that the only thing I ever really liked about The Sinister Six was the album cover with the 60s-chick type gal on the front. So donıt be surprised when I let you in on the fact that Sinisteria (Get Hip) doesnıt exactly get me saluting the flag. That said, itıs actually OK. Thatıs not exactly a rave review, I know, but thatıs about the best I can do on this one. Elements poke their little green heads out of the noisy punk scum here and again, showing that these guys have some cool garage leanings. At their best, I hear some really cool 9 Lb. Hammer-meets-garage-crash influences (³Seen Better Days²). At their worst, thereıs lots of pointless cussinı and yellinı. I have no problem with that kinda crap if it seems appropriate, but on tracks like ³Stompinı,² it just seems like itıs in there Œcuz thereıs absolutely nothing else to put over the music. (Of course, if the music wasnıt the instrumental equivalent of the lyrics, I wouldnıt give a ratıs petootie.) Iıll finish up by focusing in on the best track on here, ³Little Miss Go-Go Boots,² the one track that had me flippinı over the jewel case for the title upon the first listen. Besides having a cool chorus, this one really flies hard, kinda like Sator on ³Pigvalley Beach,² but with more garage and just the right sprinkling of pop... Hot Damn! are back with Big Fat Lover (Hell Yeah). Iım still not a big fan (still a bit too harsh and brassy for my particular tastes), but I do like this one better. The title track has a vocal that sounds like a semi-spoken, petulant Debbie Harry, at least on the chorus and features some pretty rockinı lead guitar (although I wish that were brought a bit further up front in the mix). My favorite is easily their take on ³Beavershot,² featuring a thicker mix than you might be used to for this one, made all the better by the excellent sax and piano sounds thrown in. The vocal shouts, exhortations and exultations make it all come alive. The guitar solo just brings it on home. ³Hot Head² ranks in the meat of the order for me, probably due to the guitar singing a duet with the vocals. Overall, this oneıs got a stronger sense of ongwriting than the groupıs first disc. There are still some tracks that donıt light me up, but this is a band thatıs definitely into the sexual side of rockınıroll, be it lyrically or musically. How many others delve this deeply?... Iıll come right out and say that Dead Moon are a group Iıve never been able to acquire a taste for. As a result, Hard Wired In Ljubljana (eMpTy) means little to me. However, itıs not a bad live record. The sound is decent and you get a pretty good idea what the group sounds like at a show. The atmosphere translates pretty well, if you turn it up and turn the lights down and let the sound reverberate through your flesh. The version of ³Milk Cow Blues² doesnıt work for me, though, especially after having just listened to a live Dave Daviesı tape. Their take on ³Play With Fire² is slightly better, with Toody taking the mic and Fredıs guitar making it sound that much more fragile. Iıd still rather listen to the Stones, thoı. They recapture my interest by ending up with the wildness of ³Diamonds in the Rough,² at its best a frenzied interpretation of the 13th Floor Elevatorsı sound. The middle, where they take it down, doesnıt do too much for me, although I can see where itıd work pretty well live. No, Iım not a Dead Moon fan, but this isnıt bad. Iım guessing that those who actually like this bunch would probably want to own this... I get the feeling The Titans are a killer live band. The tracks on Instant Disasters (Lance Rock) seem like they were written for that setting rather than the recording studio. Thatıs not to say that ³No Way Out,² ²Drink-Drive,² et al donıt absolutely ³Rip Off The Road Map,² Œcuz they most certainly do, with a guitar sound thatıs a bit like a slightly more punked-out Raunch Hands. That is to say that these guys and gal arenıt just another Japanese punk band, as they have some cool rıbilly/greasy R&B influences that get chucked in with some chunks of garage stew. That done, they throw some punk sauce in for fun. Their version of ³Mainline² is haken up to the point where ³Diddy Wah Diddy² is about to fall out. Nice take on ³Motel Room In My Bed,² as the dual vocals sound great (Akaneıs got a real nice voice; the band should bring her to the mic more often.) ³Do Anything² finds them closer to a punk Mighty Caesars. Pretty damn cool stuff... I didnıt flip out over rockınıroll till my grandparents took me to see Grease on Broadway for my 10th birthday. (Well, yeah, OK, Iıd obviously listened to WABC and stuff from time to time, but music just wasnıt all that important to me yet.) Before 1975 was out, Iıd picked up re-ish 45s like ³Splish Splash² and ³At The Hop,² as well as an LP entitled Elvisı Gold Records Vol. 1. For Christmas, my brothers and I got Dick Clarkıs 20 Years of RockınıRoll. So, uh, what the hell does this have to do with Highway 13ıs Been Up To The Devilıs Business (Get Hip)? You had to ask. What Iım trying to say is that I developed a love of 50s-styled rockınıroll long before I ever got into 60s stuff (or, for that matter, punk or anything else.) I wonıt say I became a rockabilly expert or anything, but I certainly knew who Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, and Carl Perkins were by the time I reached high school. And that was more than I could say for most other kids my age. (For that matter, I wouldnıt be surprised to find out my parents didnıt know, either. Mom had been a big Pat Boone fan ­ and she was the hipper of my two parents; the closest Dad got to rockınıroll was The Four Freshmen.) Back to Highway 13. One thing I noticed immediately upon opening this disc up is that thereıs a guy with my name in the band. Believe me, there arenıt that many guys named Blair out there, so when you see one mentioned itıs kinda mindblowing. Funny thing is, thereıs another group reviewed in this same ish with a guy with my name. Wonder of wonders. Betcha youıre wondering when Iım gonna get to the music. (Thatıs right, gang, this is my flippinı fanzine and Iıll get to the point when I damn well please.) Scary thing is that this is gnna be pitifully short compared to all my yappinı. For that I apologize to the boys. Thing is, this is just a real nice rockabilly disc. It doesnıt blow all my corks to kingdom come, but it presses most of the worthwhile buttons, with solid songwriting and fine musicianship. More importantly, they sound like theyıre enjoying themselves. I canıt see myself throwing it on every day, but thatıs probably got more than a little to do with the fact that this just isnıt where my musical headıs at these days. ³Dirt Nap² is a pretty cool lowdown instrumental, changing the pace a bit by moving to the dark side. It makes a perfect lead-in for ³Kachunga,² which comes across as ³Ubangi Stomp² getting dunked in a swamp. Oddly appealing. Occasionally the lyrics seem a bit obvious to me on various tracks on the disc, but I think most of you know me well enough by now to realize that this kinda thing doesnıt exactly play a big role in my assessment of a disc. Speaking of which - this comes across as a decent rockabilly disc, although not an absolute must... Before Not Too Cool (Dino) came in the mail, Iıd never heard of Foreign Objects. Believe it or not, the rockınıroll scene of late 70s/early 80s Western Massachusetts does not happen to be an area Iım well versed in. When I first got this, I listened a couple times and then put it back on the shelf. Well, here I am months later sitting down to review this stuff (or, in some cases, see if I really want to waste paper, ink, and hard drive space), not really expecting to care all that much about this disc. Iıll be totally honest and say that it seems unlikely that Iıll whip this out more than once or twice a year. On the other hand, thereıs some cool Dictatorsı sounding material popping up here and there. Besides sounding a bit like the ŒTaters with Shernoff on vocals, they share their love for junk culture, especially wrestling (³Wrestling Is Real,² ³Itıs A Jay,² ³RockınıWrestling Roll,² ³I Hate Strongbow,² and ³Genius of Lou Albano² should tell you that.) You can lso hear that they probably werenıt all that popular with the punk crowd of the time, since their sound is far more indebted to plain old rockınıroll than any desire to tear things apart. The band also had an affection for 60s garage classics, covering such tracks as ³Hey Little Girl² and ³Strychnine² (the latter of which is the first part of a two-song medley that ends up in ³Thereıs A Kind Of Hush,² something I would never have believed possible.) I get the feeling that, had I been around at the time, I probably wouldıve been pretty passionate about this bunch, as much for their sense of humor as anything else. OK, itıs not a spectacular disc, but this comp is definitely a good time... Hovorka is the group; John Hovorka is the driving force - songs, voice, and all instruments except for drums and percussion (well, and harmonica on one track) - on Drive All Night (Metal Snowball). Johnıs best-known for having written ³Wah-Hey² (some know the A-Bonesı version) and probably for his time in The Turbines with Jack Hickey (who did a few hitches as guitarist for The Lyres), as well. (I personally remember The Turbines as being one of the many great Boston bands of the mid-80s that set my neurons popping whenever I contemplated just how much rockınıroll coolness was bursting out of that city.) This is a decent effort, although Iıd recommend it to fans before those unfamiliar with what Hovorkaıs done before. Iıd have preferred the disc to sting more; I kept waiting for a sharp thwack. The songs are solidly structured mid-tempo rockınıroll. ³Dirt Road² probably ranks highest in my own mind, thanks to a chorus that will eventually wear a path in your mind, just like the ³Dirt Road² itself. I havenıt seen John recently enough to ask if ³Big Motor Man² is a holdover from The Turbines, but the songwriting credit suggests it might be. This one is one of the leaner/hungrier tracks on the disc, In Search Of (without the once-pointy-eared guy). Throw in a fair version of ³Route 66² and youıve got a pretty fair record Thing is, Iıd still like to see The Turbines again... The first time I listened to The Montgomery Cliffs Andiamo! (115 Records), I was less than thrilled; it seemed a bit generic. When I came back to it a couple months later, however, I realized these guys could make a pretty good pop/rockinı racket when they so chose. There seems to be a bit of an Elvis Costello influence, which would bother me if their vocals or playing sounded like him. (Yeah, thatıs right, I donıt like Elvis Costello. Lump it.) However, these guys merely have a similar feel to their songs. Of course, I also hear a heavy dose of Smithereens and a bit of Squeeze. Maybe thatıs why it works for me. They hit harder than Iıd originally realized and Iım glad I gave them a second listen. Good vocals, solid songwriting, and powerful playing combine for something special. Now Iım sorry I couldnıt stick around to see them a few weeks back. Bill Jones, I bow to you; you were right... I never liked The Smiths. Musically, they were OK, but Morrisseyıs voice was one of the most irritating things Iıd ever heard. Unfortunately, Lawrence Hayes of The Potatomen often sounds like Morrissey. Too bad, too, Œcuz the guitar on parts of Iceland (Lookout) owes a debt to the surf sound, which is a definite positive in my book. ³In A Different World² minimizes the Morrissey sound, probably due to the fact that the vocal is kept to shorter notes. As a result, it ends up working pretty well for me. ³Drown In My Beer² was probably my favorite, with a really great barroom piano tinkling playing the atmosphere throughout. (Cub fans will be pleased to find out that duet vocals on the choruses are delivered by Ms. Lisa Marr)... Itıd be pretty easy to dismiss The Cretins as generic pop punk. Listening to Weıre Gonna Get So Laid (Melted), you get a pretty good idea that theyıre probably fans of The Queers. (In fact, B-Face plays bass on two of the tracks on this disc.) They actually come in sounding a bit like a cross between that bunch and Flatus. Is i generic? Well, possibly. Personally, I donıt think any of these are about to give me the same feelings I get when I listen to groups like The Queers, Mr. T. Experience, or the Groovie Ghoulies. On the other hand, when I turn it up and let myself go, this rocks pretty damn well and I find myself singing along, letting the short guitar lead on tracks like ³Mason² snap, crackle, and pop a few synapses for a bit of fun. They donıt have quite the melodic sense of my favorite pop-punk acts; at least, not on most of Œem. ³Agoria² is a fantastic counter-example, what with a great upbeat attitude and a melody that starts singing itıs way into my brain, sticking around long enough that it gets some semi-permanent storage space, so as to be recalled quickly. This oneıs not perfect, but itıs fun... A Secret History of... The C*nts (Disturbing) is a comp of selected cuts from the groupıs five LPs. The letter I got from C*ntsı vocalist Mike Pocius called them noise-garage punk and thatıs an excellent description. Evidently, these guys formed in Œ77 in the midst of the punk aesthetic. I canıt say everything here appeals to me, although there are obvious garage elements running throughout. I guess it just doesnıt come together for me. However, there are some I like. ³Hey Little Girl² (not the Syndicate of Sound song) is actually a pretty good Romanticsı type garage-pop number. On the more punk side, ³My Babyıs An Atomic Bomb² is pretty raging, especially the guitar (which sounds a bit like JT in one of his psycho solos). Other notables include ³Brianıs Got An Axe² and the ³C*nts Theme² (the Farfisaıs too far back in the mix, but I like the part). VINYL: Yeah, vinylıs a cool format, but that doesnıt mean any sounds appearing on said material are guaranteed cool. Electric Frankensteinıs Sick Songs (Get Hip) 10-incher is offered as Exhibit A. This NJ bunch offers a pretty straight-up interpretation of non-commercial 90s punk rock. Theyıve got some of the elements I like (guitars that singe your eyebrows when theyıre in the mood, some attitude to the sound, etc.), but somehow it doesnıt come together, possibly because the vocal is just too obviously punk rock for my tastes. This kinda thing sounds best loud, but Iıve got no inclination to hear it... One of the more recent Estrus releases Iıve picked up was a three-songer by The Goners. In general, these guys remind me a fair amount of The Beguiled, who also plumbed the murky depths of the garage. There are hints of the Gun Club on here, as well as some Childish references. The three tracks presented show a band that actually has more than one speed (bugs the hell outta me when a bandıs stuck in high and canıt come down), with the mid-tempo ³Down the Road² reminding me a bit of a buried ³Hidden Charms²... Some friends tell me that The Frantic V are known as one of the top bands on the Greek scene, but I was somewhat disappointed in Play The Quinta (Teen Sound). Itıs actually a decent release, but it just never seemed to hit its stride. Most of it is cool organ-dominated garage fare, but itıs average at best. In fact, my favorite track was ³Quinta,² an instro that I believe is supposed to recreate the cool scene of this hipster hangout in Athens circa Œ66. Basically, itıs Nite Klub Theme Music Œ66. Personally, I wouldıve preferred a more combo organ/go-go style to the sprinkled-keys effect on this, but itıs fairly cool nonetheless... While I canıt say I found The Cab vs. The Jekylls (Larsen) to be an actual disappointment, I canıt exactly call it an overwhelming success, either. On ³Daisyıs Day,² The Cab come across as sort of Mod-Lite (think The Style Council with a slight bit of cool). While ³Piss Off is the same genre, thereıs a bit more melody and itıs engaging enough to grow on you, albeit a bit slower than I might like. There are elements of the Shambles here, with a very slight pinch of The Decibels melodic sense. However, I think The Cab could take major lessons from both those groups. I had higher hopes for The Jekylls, since Iıve got another single or two by them that I liked more. ³Waiting For The Bus² is standard garagey fare, pretty energetic and enhanced by organ slashes. Iım trying to figure out the point of ³Italian Song,² a psych instro. Perhaps itıs acting as a soundtrack for a cheesy Italian porn flick?... Kek Œ66 present us with their ³Land of Dreams² (Larsen), some pretty folk rock straight in the 60s mold, with ringing guitars, warm harmonies, and a gentle melody. Flip it over, thoı, and theyıve thrown off the granny glasses to get into the upbeat swing of things. Theyıre still in the 60s mold, but this time theyıre solidly inside garage territories, although theyıre still wearing some pretty pop smiles... Everyone seems to be raving about The Quadrajets. The Real Fucked Up Blues (360 Twist) is probably the best Iıve heard them, but Iım still not convinced. I found their version of ³Hidden Charms² faster than Iıd like. Iıve always believed that songıs power is in its growl, something that needs time to really have an effect. This one works, just not as well as it could. They saved the best for last with ³Crawl,² with a sparse arrangement that gives it more of a home recording feel. This gives you the impression of some guys just sitting around and playing for their own enjoyment, inviting you in for a cold one and some good company... I had a feeling Thı Lunkheads were gonna be some kinda drunken-fun rockınıroll stupidity. As it turns out, Swinginı Sinners (360 Twist) has proven me right. This is likely to make a decent party platter, but itıs hard to pick any standouts. This isnıt a bad LP, just not a great one. They do get points, however, for managing to make The Soupreensı version of ³Like A Rolling Stone² look proficient. ............................................................................... THE SOVEREIGN SOUNDS OF... THE SIRES Recently, I received a couple Siresı EPs courtesy of TS contributor Steve Coleman. From 1996 was High & Mighty (Twist). It took me awhile to get used to the powerful low-end female fierceness of Ms. Domi, but after throwing it on a tape that got me to and from work for a few weeks, I started really digging in. This oneıs filled with lots of garage snot, fuzztone abounding. ³About Time I Put Her Down² finds them in heavily into chunky snot-punk, just the way I like it, somewhere around the nastiest sides of Pebbles. The mainline of ³Baby Makes It Hard² is a bit like ³Same All Over² without quite being on it. The groove created is excellent and the rhythm booms. On Rule! ...Okay! (Twist, Œ97), they provide more of the same. On ³Itıs Only Words² they add more backing vocals into the mix and brighten up the tone. Perhaps my favorite track, however, is their cover of ³You Werenıt Using Your Head,² probably because it varies the normal sound by having Andy Sire take over the mic. As a result, they go out of their own heads with the kind of simple chords that first drew me into the garage scene way back when. ............................................................................... SOME RECORDINGS BY... THE OTHERS The Others hail from Rome, Italy. Their main songwriter, Massimo Del Pozzo a/k/a Brian Œ66, is also known as the editor of Misty Lane fanzine. In addition, he runs Misty Lane Records, as well as a newer label called Teen Sound. The only time Iıve seen The Others was at Fuzzfest, Œ97, but it was quite memorable. The band actually has a slew of releases to their credit and even had a few there with them. Rather than trying to detail their discography, I figured Iıd check in with the ones I got at Fuzzfest, as well as their latest LP. In 1995, the group released a 7² EP called Going Around With... on Misty Lane. This one sets the tone for most of what youıll read about in this column. The group concentrates on ringing 60s folk-punk with definite pop sensibilities. This particular waxing features three originals, along with a cover of The Love-Insı ³Thatıs All She Wrote.² A cloudburst of fuzz fury announces the start of ³Love & Care,² soon clearing away for a cool morningıs stroll in a wooded glen. While the fuzz occasionally blots the sun from the sky, itıs a momentary blip on the screen. In Œ96, the band recorded Dreams - The Woody Pad Recordings (Psych-Out). This collects 14 of the bandıs favorite covers, reminding one perhaps of the folk-rock LP Andy Babiuk told me The Chesterfield Kings wanted to make about ten years earlier. Itıs true that not everything here is pure folk-punk, but this certainly does represent the majority. However, I found that I liked the changes of pace that much more as a result. Weıre treated to a version of The Satansı ³Lines & Squares² which falls into light Beat-pop territory; a version of ³Enough of What I Need² doesnıt quite measure up to the original, coming out a bit undercooked, yet still tasty; and ³I Donıt Mind² features a hefty helping of Farfisa cheese, even raving up into ³Gloria² territory for awhile. Last year, the group released a 4-songer for 360 Twist. This oneıs almost completely filled with more of their pretty folk-rockers, including the folk-punk of ³Canıt Help But Cry² (which moves a more than a few clicks past mid-tempo), a cover of Gene Clarkıs ³Elevator Operator² and ³Youıll Never Know.² As a result, the pure Pebbles-punk of ³Do You Believe What I Say² is a stand-out, all without thrusting the beat past where it belongs. Recently, the group released Everythingıs There, a new LP for Teen Sound. Unlike Dreams, this one only has four covers, compared to ten original compositions. This one showcases a bit of diversity, although they never lose sight of the jangle. ³Come To Tell,² the first number, turned out to be my favorite. The group kicks it in slow, but itıs definitely in gear. However, itıs as if all the parts are working separately toward a common goal, rather than in concert. While it all meshes well together, it also creates the fantastic effect of being able to see the machinations of each, in addition to the whole. ............................................................................... END NOTES Untamed Youth guitarist Deke Dickersonıs new rockabilly group, Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics have recorded an LP for Hightone. Keep an eye out for it. Crypt is hoping to release the next Revelators album this fall. Around the same time, Enormous Horsepower is looking to release a garage/punk comp put together by Jeff Kopp with some ³unissued Revelators cuts, as well as [material by] The Cripplers, Geargrinders, Thee Lordly Serpents, Trip Daddys, etc. This September marks the eighth anniversary of the Œzine youıre reading right now. Of course, youıre probably far more interested in the fact that itıs also the ten year anniversary of the birth of The Smugglers, who will be releasing Growing Up Smuggler: A Ten Year Anniversary Live Album (Mint/Lookout) to commemorate the occasion. Personally, I think they shouldıve used the title I suggested, They Slept With The Bluesman (And Everybody). Thereıs tons more to talk about, but Iıve run out of room. To keep a bit more up to date, check out http://shell. idt.net/~blairb1/60second. html. Iıll even try and re-do it every two months or so from now on. Gıbye. ............................................................................... WHERE TO GET ŒEM 115 Records 6 Spring Lane Plymouth, MA 02360 360 Twist PO Box 9367 Denver, CO 80209 Au Go-Go GPO 5420 Melbourne, Victoria AUSTRALIA 3001 Aquatone 205 Bartlett San Francisco, CA 94110 Blood Red Vinyl 2134 NE 25th Portland, OR 97212 Bomp/Alive/Marilyn/Total Energy PO Box 7112 Burbank, CA 91510 Continental Records PO Box 4336 Bellingham, WA 98227-4336 Dino PO Box 802 Northampton, MA 01060 Dionysus/Hell Yeah/Bacchus Archives PO Box 1975 Burbank, CA 91507 Disturbed 3238 S. Racine Ave. Chicago, IL 60608 EccoFonic PO Box 304 Hollywood, CA 90078 eMpTy PO Box 12034 Seattle, WA 98152 Estrus PO Box 2125 Bellingham, WA 98227 http://www.estrus.com Get Hip PO Box 666 Canonsburg, PA 15233 Gin-O-Sonic 205 Bartlett Sn Francisco, CA 94110 http://www.aquamen.com GI Productions PO Box 6948 San Jose, CA 95150 Grimsey Records PO Box 541 Stillwater, MN 55082 Halakahiki PO Box 1674 Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Hillsdale PO Box 641592 San Francisco, CA 94164 Hipsville 2020 S. 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