Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - Back in your life.

Here's a great Modern Lovers record for the kids. Put it on by the bonfire and all the cool cats'll shake them hips all night long.


Richman is the shit. Did you see that thing he did with the pick?

Rocket From The Tombs - The Day the Earth Met Rocket From The Tombs (1975)

FUCK YES!
Formed in the early 70’s by the monstrous Crocus Behemoth (aka David Thomas), Rocket from the Tombs represented Cleveland’s dying factories and urban wasteland just as the Detroit pre-punks had done in regards to their decaying city. After sometime, the group caught the eye of guitarist Peter Laughner. Laughner joined RFTT and along with bassist Craig Bell, drummer John Madansky, and guitarist Gene O’Connor, the lineup was solidified.

From the beginning, tensions ran heavily through the band as Behemoth’s vocals were unlike anything heard before (save Captain Beefheart) and could only be tolerated by Laughner. What’s more, RFTT had a thoroughly artistic approach to their music and Laughner and Behemoth, strongly influenced by Lou Reed and later Television, had an even more artistic direction they wanted the band to head in. This clashed with the other members’ loud/fast ethos that fell more in the vein of the Electric Eels and The Stooges.

In late 1975 the group would split into two radically different beings. Laughner and Behemoth (now Thomas again) would form the highly artistic punk/experimental band Pere Ubu. Meanwhile, Gene O’Connor and John Madansky would change their names to Cheetah Chrome and Johnny Blitz respectively. They in turn recruited a young man named Stiv Bators (born Steve Bator) who had once auditioned for RFTT as lead singer.

"Before the Dead Boys, there was Rocket from the Tombs. Most of the stuff on this CD you'll recognize from Young, Loud, and Snotty. Songs like "Sonic Reducer" "What Love Is" and "Down In Flames" were pretty much all written before the formation of the Dead Boys, with slight variation. Peter Laughner essentially penned the original lyrics to these songs, though they were later re-written and re-arranged by Stiv Bators. Cheetah Chrome and others later left Cleveland for New York City where they reformed the band and began playing as the Dead Boys.

This is a great collection of RFTT's only available material. Despite never having formally recorded, only one rehearsal demo and these two sets are known to exist, the sound quality is surprisingly good. The whole thing is real gritty and raw with a total Stooges/Alice Cooper/MC5 vibe to it. "Ain't It Fun" is especially great. Super mellow and strung out, like something you might hear while shooting up in a drug den somewhere. "Never Gonna Kill Myself Again" is a total Rolling Stones floor stomper and maybe has the coolest song title ever. Lots of stuff on here to keep your interest."

ain't it fun?

Richard LLoyd - Alchemy (1979)

this isn't earth-shattering but it's a worthy listen for Television fans.

Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies - The American Metaphysical Circus

Requested by Andres. More electronic/psychedelic craziness from Mr. Byrd.

"Byrd wasted no time refurbishing his nest with another group, this time a studio-only entity known as Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies. Their lone LP, The American Metaphysical Circus, is another oddball classic. Opening with some dark, electronic soundscapes laminated with haunting, moaning female vocals that segue into an awesomely catchy, lightweight, psychedelic rock song; a parody of many musical styles then follows: ’60s pop, romantic ballads, vintage hot jazz (in one speaker only with tons of surface crackle added for authentic 78 rpm record sound), old folks' sing-along piano ditties, etc. with occasional ominous electronics bubbling up to the surface. The overall “Age of Aquarius” feel is subtly twisted by beautiful, mostly female vocals belting out some fairly mentally disturbed lyrics."

Mister 4th

The United States of America - s/t

Request by Andres. Like the Silver Apples, the USA's use of electronic apparatus to bolster the song into other planes of there made them instrumental to the development of popular electronic music.

"Joseph Byrd is a composer and music teacher who's been working since the 1950s. After starting out playing in pop, jazz and country bands as a Tucson, Arizona teen, Byrd moseyed on over to Stanford college in New York City in 1959, where he became a student of experimental composer John Cage and joined the nascent Fluxus art scene. He even debuted his first minimal music works at Yoko Ono's loft! Soon after college, Byrd accepted a teaching position at UCLA in the mid '60s, but after the music bug bit him hard, he quit to play full-time. His most well-known work appeared on two LPs at the end of that decade.

Byrd's first band, the short-lived United States of America, splashed out a unique spray of rock, psychedelic and avant-garde music. They eschewed rock's staple instrument, the electric guitar, in favor of then cutting-edge electronic devices like an early, primitive synthesizer and a ring modulator, the whoosh and bleeps of which they blended in with crystal clear female vocals and searing violin to effortlessly bake a whole loaf's worth of damaged space age pop. After the release of their one and only self-titled LP in 1968, the band played a few shows, then promptly and predictably imploded due to the usual drug problems and creative differences."

USA

Silver Apples - Silver Apples/Contact

The tremendously influential duo Silver Apples were formed in 1967 and consisted of crazily creative percussionist Danny Taylor and the mighty Simeon, vocalist and player of the Simeon Machine,described by himself as:

"Nine audio oscillators and eighty-six manual manual controls...The lead and rhythm oscillators are played with the hands, elbows and knees and the bass oscillators are played with the feet."

Pulses, drones, hums, repetition, a huge drumset with strange tunings, and timeless music.

OOOSCILLATIOOONSSS