Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Nomads - "16 Forever/Salvation By Damnation" (7" - Amigo, 1987)

Hi there! Nothing's change, I'm still a bored misanthrope in a phase of self searching... This old records safari i was telling you on the previous post, drove me in places i forgot how great they were. But it's kinda strange to be shown in here... i guess... I mean, I'm in a HUGE Monster Magnet re-appreciation and maybe you can't really understand how much JOY I'm receiving listening to the "Spine of God" or "Dopes to Infinity" albums. I'm feeling like this covertly fag marine on 'American Beauty', full of guilt's being in a pleasure by listening to these new hippie freaks! And let's not forget about Tim Warren... I'm sure he's going to write me off of his books as a true punk n' roll fanatic if he ever read this, but hey -  hedonism is hedonism what can you do, right?
A garage punk band I've always loved and respected, Sweden's boast - the Nomads, never being afraid of fans' clamor. They always loved the Sonics and the Stooges as much as they loved the Blue Oyster Cult. My fave record by them (and they are MANY!) it's the Dictators' lost gem "16 Forever". They taught me the song and wasn't in my hands until recently when the good Norton fellas and their official release, gave the chance to stop my holy grail crusade on this. I still like the statement of the song! "You ain't gonna make a grown-up out of me!". Yeah, I've gotta make my wife listen just once to this song with the hope to stop bothering me for why i still like to wear my converse all stars or band t-shirts anywhere and everywhere. '16 forever' babe, sorry! B-side's "Salvation by Damnation" and it's a damn great song too, but had the bad fortune to be gathered along with the teeniest anthem ever!
PS: I'm cheating a lil bit here, cause I'm too lazy to rip the original vinyl single and what i included it's the (slightly different) album version of the song, but hey it's still great even without these 'annoying' scratches!


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Oblivians - "Soul Food" (Crypt, 1995 - CR 055)

Hi there! Just got back from my summer vacations and I'm not in the mood for...basically anythin'. I hate come backs. Anyway, the best way to find some strain i guess is to put out of your record collection some long time forgotten gem and recapture its greatness. And that's what i have to offer. Oblivians. Yeah! Amazin' band, true hoodoo voodoo spirited, swamped and rock & roll to the last cell of its DNA. Memphis soaked and even if almost everyone today seem to tag 'em under the 'garage punk' etiquette, this trio has more in common with bands like Tav Falco's Panther Burns or the Cramps than say, the Chesterfield Kings. They used to change instruments in studio and on stage. They used to pay tribute to Ramones by naming themselves with the last name of 'Oblivian' (Jack, Eric and Greg) and they used to make kick ass records! That's their debut . "Soul Food" 's exactly what proudly pronounced. A raw, pre- Elvis swamp blues hip shake of a preacher dabbled in Jim Beam. A sinner's side of view for gospels. Joint a little and see ya back (hopefully) in a couple o' days.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Don Craine's New Downliners Sect - "I Can't Get Away From You / Roses" (PYE, 1967)

I recently put out of the shelf some early Ugly Things issues to check some things on (what else?) the Pretty Things. I was immediately hooked on an excellent three piece homage (maybe the best and the more detailed ever) on the R&B-protopunk savages, the Downliners Sect. I was totally forgot the reason why dusted off those vintage (now...) sheets. BTW, did you know that the Sect turned down both Rod 'the mod' Stewart and Steve Marriott in an audition for the place of the band's new harmonica player? Did you know that Van Morrison still rates them high? Knowing those trivia or not, many have tried all over the years to undermine Sect's importance and influence. Even Greg Shaw... Yes, the man whose alone responsible (in a big part) for all this garage revival movement, in the Bomp's British Invasion issue wrote them off and hounded them! Anyway, this time pick up on a rare, beautiful and kinda strange piece of plastic - at least for all of us who know well Downliners' history and fanaticism for R&B... The story goes like this...By the end of 1966, R&B wasn't the hottest thing around. Pop, Psychedelia and Soul took over the charts, and as a result of this the bands who still wanted to play the blues started to have day by day less gigs bookings. Soon the Sect had to confront this new order. Of the known members only Don Craine (guitar, vocals) and Keith Grant (bass, vocals) stayed in place and a new band created from scratch with the additions of Kevin Flanagan (drums),  Bob Taylor (lead guitar) and...Matthew Fisher (keyboards). Have i ever told you how I HATE Procol Harum? No? Well here's the moment! MUCH! As much as post-Syd Barrett Pink Floyd or any other prog shit. But here the man's just painting with his organ. The influences of soul and psychedelia are obvious on both sides of this single, even though the raw R&B holds up for good here too. The late reissue of the record inverted the original location of the songs ("Roses" metamorphose into A side tune), but the prototype one-off Pye release had the Remains (!) song as covered by the Sect first in line. And that's an oddity. I really wonder how this tune came to Sect's repertoire cause I'm quite sure at the time at least, the Remains was a no familiar name for the British crowd. And "Roses" quite simply one of the very best songs the Downliners Sect wrote and recorded throughout their long lasting career. I'm not going nuts usually for what the mod/garage crowds referred to as "Freakbeat", but this two-sider really stands out as one of the genre's best! If you wanna hear the Sect going heavier, darker and organ driven here's your chance.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Kicks Books Hip-pocket Paperbacks!

Hip-pocket paperbacks are (so!) COOL the same way are 45rpm records! It's the same (sub)culture. When i was younger, many eyebrows raised by fellow "rock & rollers" when i was confessing my praise for books and reading in general. For them, books were for nerds... I gladly found with the passing of time that many admirers of Gene Vincent liked the same way (for example) James Elroy. Through fanzines and especially via Miriam Linna's "Bad Seed", i entered the world of vintage sleazy paperbacks. There was no return till then. I'm sure you all know already that the hip couple of Billy & Miriam entered the world of publishing again, only this time picked up on books and not fanzines. First came Andre Williams "Sweets", then Sun Ra's "This Planet Is Doomed" and now's time for the GREAT Nick Tosches to receive the baton with its "Save the Last Dance for Satan". At the moment I only have (and read) Andre's essay, but those other two mentioned above are on the way to my possession. I'm sure i'm gonna dig 'em and i strongly believe that you'll have to do the same. For many years now rely blindly on Miriam's & Billy's choices, whether that is recorded material whether it is written and i tell you never felt disappointed, not once.
BREAKING NEWS on Kicks Books:  More cool things are in the slips such as Harlan Ellison's classic "Sex Gang" re-print, Kim Fowley's "Tall Cool One" and a book Billy prepares in a long time for his (our) obsession about Fortune label! I just can't wait.
Check & order!


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Thee Mighty Caesars - "Caesar's Pleasure" (Big Beat, 1994)

I’m sure I told you this before but I’m never bored to repeat myself in some things. For White Trash Soul  there are only two people who can wore proudly the tag of the true mastermind behind the 80s whole "garage revival" movement/trend: Jeff Connolly and Billy Childish. And as much I complain for the first one for not having much recorded work out in the streets often, I do the same from the opposite for the second! It’s quite impossible to have all recorded output by Billy gathered in your record vault. And to tell you the truth you don’t have to. There are Childish works that’s (obviously) essential and there are those who simply are an unnecessary overproduction (not sonically speaking of course). I mean, I rate the man very high and he’s for sure one of the more influential figures the last 20 years but as a punk rock monolith he is should have probably know better the old punk moto of “Less Is More”, right?
But enough with complaining let’s start on what I’d like to do. I haven’t decide yet if I do it in a row or with spaces, but I want to bring you in touch with some of the best songs and groups Billy got  involved through the years, one way or another. And that means the Pop Rivets, the Milkshakes, the Mighty Caesars, the Headcoat Sect, the Delmonas etc. For sure my favorites are the Caesars and the ‘Shakes. Primitive, raw, cheap recorded rhythm & blues and rock & roll, the way 50s masters taught us. The Mighty Caesars were the punkier approach of these elements. Imagine the Damned of the first record trying play 60s R&B (where's "B" there's BEAT!) with Kinks riffs and you’re in! I’m not on the Mummies’ mind but I bet my Link Wray long plays that the Caesars were if not the basic blueprint of their sound, then one of the most important. The band was born from the ashes of the Milkshakes minus one guitar. This line up hold up for just the debut release and from their second, came to fill the drum stool no other than the ex-Prisoners hipster Graham Day! By the time the two cool chicks (Sarah of the Delmonas an' Fay Hallam of Makin' Time) came to picture, Thee Mighty Caesars were the best yet criminally ignored garage punk outfit around the globe! Make some noise and hail to Caesar!



-image taken from mindrocker.net and the Young Pennsylvanians Weblog-