Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs - Anthology

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww
woolly bully

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?

Big Star - #1 Record/Radio City

For Sean: Essential listening for Teenage Fanclub & Elliott Smith fans.

"The quintessential American power pop band, Big Star remains one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll. Originally led by the singing and songwriting duo of Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, the Memphis-based group fused the strongest elements of the British Invasion era -- the melodic invention of the Beatles, the whiplash guitars of the Who, and the radiant harmonies of the Byrds -- into a ramshackle but poignantly beautiful sound which recaptured the spirit of pop's past even as it pointed the way toward the music's future. Although creative tensions, haphazard distribution, and marketplace indifference conspired to ensure Big Star's brief existence and commercial failure, the group's three studio albums nevertheless remain unqualified classics, and their impact on subsequent generations of indie bands on both sides of the Atlantic is surpassed only by that of the Velvet Underground." [AMG]

Tell him what we said 'bout 'Paint It Black'

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?

Los Mockers - The Original Recordings 1965-1967

One of my personal favorite albums, I call these uruguayan garage rockers the Stones of latin america. Not only because they do a wicked cover of "Paint It Black" almost topping one of their highly noticeable influences, it's kinda hard not to notice them borrowing a few chords and arrangements here and there from early stones material like Aftermath, December Children, Out of our Heads, yada yada yada.... enjoy.

Small Faces - Small Faces (1966)

This one's for Fishscale.

"Small Faces were an influential British mod/psychedelic band of the 1960s, led by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane with Kenney Jones and Ian Maclagan (who replaced original organist Jimmy Winston). The Small Faces were all genuine East End mods and they ranked second to The Who as Britain’s premier Mod band."

"The best English band never to make it big in America."

Shake

Demon's Claws - S/T

Lo-fi, garage rock n roll from Montreal, CA. Good, simple, grimmy, boozey, this is what teenagers with no aspirations or dreams to "make it big" other than the next dead end bar would sound like.

Get it

Arthur Lee & Love - Live at the Knitting Factory, May 1st 2002

Love, one of my most cherished bands. When I found out back in 2006 that Arthur Lee had died of leukemia, i felt intense grief as if he were a personal friend. But i truly feel as if he were, his lyrics and arrangements move me deeply, and have accompanied me through thick and thin. Forever Changes is an irrefutable masterpiece, ive heard this record countless times and it fails to grow old. Well, after Artie served a 12 year sentence for firearms possesion he went on tour in 2002 with Johnny Echols(original guitarist of Love) and the "Love" band also known as Baby Lemonade(my guess is its a Syd Barrett reference). This live album is an excerpt of said tour and it includes many of my fav Love tunes, including: she comes in colors, alone again or, que vida, you set the scene, etc. etc. Here the violins and horns are replaced with some blazing guitars which really add some spice to it, one hell of a show, you can really feel the energy of the crowd. enjoy.

Thrum pum pum pum...

Turbonegro - Apocalypse Dudes (1998)

My favorite rock n' roll band's classic masterpiece! This album changed my life!

"Apocalypse Dudes presents Turbonegro's trademark deathpunk sound in a mighty rockin' fashion, "a new resurgence of glam rock'n'roll" as the Boomba announcement put it - much due to exceptional guitarist Euroboy, who was playing with the band live since 1996.

Moshable magazine commented: "Apocalypse Dudes is the perfect mix of classic 70's US punk / rock'n'roll like The Dictators, The Heartbreakers & The Ramones... every tune on this release is fucking brilliant". Even Jello Biafra was quoted as saying, "the new Turbonegro record is possibly the most important European record ever.""

Get It On!
Turbojugend San Juan

The Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic (2003)

This is one of those albums you can't stop thinking about. I listened to it all day, every day. It made me quite happy but then I found out about the tragic end of this amazing band. Now, there's a melancholic feeling every time I listen to it which in some sort of way has grown on me. If you're a fan of rock n' roll and punk, this is a must have. My personal favorites are "Sleeping Aides and Razor Blades" and "Rumours in Town". Here's some info on the band and their tragic end.

"The Exploding Hearts were a young punk band who had released just one album – the exceptional Guitar Romantic. On this 2002 disc, the Hearts eschewed those first-album hints of brilliance and went straight there. They were like a young Clash, blasting out powerful, poppy punk with a purpose. Only their purpose wasn’t the hopeless social conditions of working-class kids in England – it was the romantic, emotionally fragile psyches of American youth today. “Throwaway Style” and “Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades” below serve as two standout examples. It was songs like these that made you wonder what might come next – a London Calling for the romantically crippled?"

"During the early 2000s the band rose to prominence in the US Pacific Northwest scene with a combination of energetic live shows and extremely well received singles. The band drew their influence from early British punk bands like The Undertones, Buzzcocks, The Jam, The Boys and The Only Ones, as well as pop acts like Nick Lowe. The Exploding Hearts led a revival of 1970s-era power pop and new wave in the Seattle and Portland area along with bands like The Briefs and the Epoxies on the then-Seattle-based Dirtnap Records. They released only one album, Guitar Romantic, during their existence as a band.

On July 20, 2003 the band was in a car accident which claimed the lives of three members. Their touring van flipped over on Interstate 5 just north of Eugene, Oregon while en route from San Francisco to Portland. Jeremy Gage and Adam Cox were thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Matthew Fitzgerald, died at a hospital. Terry Six and band manager Rachelle Ramos both survived with minor injuries.

The band ceased to exist in the aftermath of the accident. Their popularity has continued to grow through word of mouth, however."

rest in peace

Turbonegro - Ass Cobra (1996)

These guys saved rock n' roll all on their own. Props on the parody of The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" album cover.
"Ass Cobra featured a move towards mid-70's punk & glam territory - in the spirit of proto punk pioneers á la The Dictators, The Ramones or late Iggy & The Stooges - plus a bit of New York Dolls' travesty thrown in. Ass Cobra paves the way harshly, with a sinister wash of cymbals, loud guitars and articulate riffs — think Poison Idea meets Alice Cooper. It is here, also, where Turbonegro developed their signature look: sailor caps, denim from head to toe, mustaches all around, and decidedly butch homoerotic accoutrements."

Here's a link to the Turbojugend San Juan chapter to whom three of this blog's posters belong to: www.myspace.com/turbojugend_sanjuanpr

Get It On