MP3 Oldies

old punks web zine

MP3 Blog Archives Page 3 (song links mostly dead)

Entry Seventy-Three: 06/28/2008: Bands Get Popular For No Apparent Reason

"Gloria"

"I Will Follow"

"1000 Hours"

"I Was There"

In my experience most bands go from good to bad as songwriting minds run dry and experiments in other sounds fail miserably. A few get better over time, Leatherface the prime example with 1993's Mush. I've seen firsthand two bands to go from obscurity to superstardom by staying the same if not getting a little worse. One was new wave and the other punk. Their names - U2 and Green Day. You might have heard of them.

When Boy came out in 1980, U2 was another great new wave band in an era filled with great new wave bands, their grand distinction The Edge's jagged and soaring guitar. I remember buying the record and reading the review in Rolling Stone on the ride home. Something about talented boys making music, which I dismissed at the time, but thematically the album is filled with boy to boy/man to boy/boy to man themes. It's creepy if not almost so. My memory is like a steel spaghetti strainer, so I forget if I saw them that year in Tampa or if they cancelled. Probably the latter because I remember thinking if they were booked in the mob-controlled Agora Ballroom they would have shown up. I worked security for a show of theirs in Maryland a few years later, and I told drummer Larry Mullen he looked a little like Lou Reed. He was nice enough to laugh. Boy was very good, 1981's October just as good because they stuck with a formula that worked, then came 1983's War, their best all-around record. After this U2 exploded and the rest is history. Bono donned his Cyclops shades and resolved all the world's problems, along with fellow do-gooder Bob Geldof. 1984's The Unforgettable Fire was no better if not worse than what came before it, and both the band and their fame never looked back. I wondered what that was all about, by then my head was so far up the ass of the punk rock beast I couldn't see anything even if I wanted to. That's how punk I was!

Green Day (the group, not the Japanese holiday), was just another decent band on Lookout! Records, a great NoCal pop-punk label that did no wrong with me for a time. 1989's 1000 Hours EP was Lookout! #17, while 1990's Slappy was #35. Their albums from 1991 and 1992 weren't as good as their singles, but they were fun. They even dabbled in country-flavored songs, an oddity shared with other Lookout! bands for reasons never made clear. Were they making fun of it or having fun playing it? Who knows. Dookie came out in 1994 and I swear the collective maturity and intelligence of alternative culture took a nosedive into concrete. The album was a pale version of what came before it, and they even had the audacity of hope to re-record "Welcome To Paradise". On MTV the video for "Longview" was only interrupted for commercial breaks and both the band and their fame never looked back. I wondered once again why history repeating a second time has to be farce, but by then my head was so far up the ass of Welsh clog dancing I really couldn't see anything. That's how Welsh cloggy I was!

Today I can listen to early U2 without guilt or shame, but I avoid Green Day for the same reasons I do the swarms of teenage assholes that haunt shopping areas.

Entry Seventy-Two: 06/21/2008: Analog CyberPunk: Transmission Eleven

06/21/2008: Begin Transmission Eleven: I probably have two more entries of songs for this project, and then it's time to reconsider what stays and goes, and work on song orders and such. When it's all done I'll take time off, maybe buy a chinchilla farm in the country or tour Bavaria in a zeppelin. Until then, remember to breath. And remember, electronic post-punk new wave music is neat! End Transmission Eleven.

Patrick D. Martin: "Computer Datin'" (Category: Honorable Mention : Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

There’s only a sparse MySpace page for Patrick D., but this was a favorite of mine when it came out. The Cockney accent is fantastic. It's really just a new wave song but I can't resist sharing it.

Trees: "Delta Sleep" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

A cult favorite of sorts from one Dane Conover, a cross between Harry Potter and Where's Waldo. He was signed at the same time as Men Without Hats, and you can hear a similarity. The video for this song has Conover singing in bed, and it's just not right. More info here. The album's not an all-time classic but it has its moments. Extra credit for the one man band thing.

Interior: "Bizarre Disco" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

The Netherlands birthed a 7” single with this track in the beer of our toad 1979. I can't track down if Harry Vanda was the singer for Flash & The Pan, but he was born in The Netherlands and he sure sounds like he's singing on this one.

Inertia: "Injury Time" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Only three 7”s are listed from this UK band, spanning the years 1980 – 1981.

Grauzone: "Eisbar" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Germany’s Grauzone formed in 1979. Eisbar was their second single, from 1981. The short, jagged guitar solos are sweet.

Ruth: "Polaroid/Roman/Photo" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

According to this, their debut LP came with a 12 page booklet. Their was a promo single limited to 80 copies. Isn’t that something? I'm usually not a fan of Plop Plop drumming, but I make an exception here.

Brian Brain: "The Asthma Game" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Brian Brain info can be found here. There’s a PIL connection, so adjust your beret and pay attention hipsters! I love this one. At first I thought he was singing "Let's play the asp again",

Bitoks A La Russe: "Tu Dois Partir" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

A 1980 Belgium compilation yielded this up.

Ausgang Verboten: "Joy And Erase" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

This Kraftwerk-sounding tune is from Germany, originally on a 1984 cassette that tends to be slower and less happy. I can't get enough Kraftwerky tunes in my life.

AD Conspiracy: "12-Bar-64" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

This ditty is from a 1979 album called Conspiracy. It's a great song to do a card trick to, with great gesticulations to the back of the crowd.

Q Lazzarus: "Goodbye Horses" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Discogs.com comes through with a short bio for Q Lazzarus. “Goodbye Horses” was featured in Silence Of The Lambs, and you can watch Buffalo Bill every week on Monk as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer. Is Q Lazzarus a man or woman? Only the shadow (of his/her private parts) knows…..

Inertia: "The Screen" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

“The Screen” is my favorite song right now. I can’t stop singing “S.C.R. double E.N.” I mean, I can, but I chose not to.

Bizarre Leidenschaft: "Plasticpuppen" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

A real life German Guy told me the title means "Plastic Puppet". I rest my case. From 1982.

Greg Horn: "You're In Control" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Greg Horn was in Analog CyberPunk fave band Tone Set, and his career is summed up here. This song is from a 1983 cassette. Once again, Devo fans sit up, stop slouching, and take note.

Ad Astra: "A&R" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

From a 1983 UK compilation. A really great song for headphones. Pong gone wild.

Los Iniciados: "Resurreccion" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

According to discogs.com: “Los Iniciados were an El Aviador Dro side project which formed in 1981. They combined performance art and music to deliver their message. The line-up was constantly evolving and the member's identities were never revealed.”

Chrome: "In A Dream" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Two sites for Chrome, here and here, and their allmusic page is here. What I’d heard them before was noise, so it’s nice to know they recorded melodic tunes too. Their catalog is huge! Not that I stare at other guy's catalogs or anything.

The Vyllies: "Whispers In The Shadow" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Switzerland’s The Vyllies have a MySpace page which speaks very highly of the band. Their career ran from 1983-ish to 1987-somewheres.

Los Microwaves: "Time To Get Up" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

The Los Microwaves site is nicely done, and I’ll have to seek out more of their product. “Time To Get Up” first hit me as too new-wave quirky, but the joke’s funny and the instrumentation surprisingly intense.

The Instant Automatons: "Invertebrates" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Electronic dub reggae for white kids, at least on this one. Their site is here, with a defense of the "Free Music" concept. Yes, it did destroy western civilization.

Hilary: "Kinetic (long version)" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

“Kinetic” must have been a big chunk of her career because it’s in the URL of her website. Sadly, she passed away in July of 2007. From her looks I’d guess she was competing with Toyah Wilcox (or some such person).

Guerre Froide: "Ersatz" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Guerre Froide were solid citizens of the French new wave, forming in 1980. Ersatz was on a 1981 12”er. A great, great track.

Gleitzeit: "Ich Komme Aus Der DDR" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

1982, from Germany.

Fad Gadget: "Ricky's Hand" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

I'm generally not a fan of Fad Gadget, and "Ricky's Hand" was to me too well known when it came out to include in what I consider a comp of unheard music. but it wins the day by being as good as it is.

Circuit 7: "Video Boys" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

From what I can tell they only put out two UK singles in 1984. A nice dark tone runs throughout.

Three To Forgotten: "Kitano" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

This appeared on a 2006 compilation, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t as old as dirt. Not new dirt either.

Entry Seventy-One: 06/14/2008: The English Beat Were The Beatles, And The Specials Were The Rolling Stones

The English Beat: "Save It For Later" (From Special Beat Service)

The English Beat: "Whine And Grind/Stand Down Margaret" (From I Just Can't Stop It)

The English Beat: "Mirror In The Bathroom" (Live, from the Trojan Ska Revival Box Set)

The Specials: "(Dawning Of A) New Era" (From The Specials)

The Specials: "Rude Boys Outta Jail" (Live)

The Specials: "Free Nelson Mandela" (From The Singles Collection)

Sometimes I remember bits of trivia that were once almost common knowledge. The other day at Trader Joe's I was pondering how much they charge for arugula at Whole Foods, when what-the-hey The English Beat's "Save It For Later" played overhead and I couldn't get over how pleasant a song it is, the perfect soundtrack for shopping. Not in the pricktard anarchist conception of sheeples and forehead barcodes, but how a great band in a great style of music can write music so catchy and appealing it can be utilized for its universal appeal while not losing any of its underground greatness. In other words, "Save It For Later" isn't a sell-out and it hasn't been co-opted by the military-industrial-hygiene complex. It means I and the music I like won something, in this case my ability to hear it out of the house.

Hearing The English Beat made me immediately ponder The Specials and if I'd ever heard anything by them at Trader Joe's. Maybe "Ghost Town" and most likely "Free Nelson Mandela", but man, it would be like frickin' anarchy to hear The Specials -- except 1979 was 29 years ago, and no matter how much I shudder to think The Specials broke up to become, gulp, Fun Boy Three.

I, and by extension, you, can't think of The English Beat without also considering The Specials because they were The Beatles and The Rolling Stones of 2nd wave ska. The Specials were the street fighting men while The English Beat, no matter how political their lyrics or how many riots broke out at shows, were a band who wrote silly love songs. Here's an article on the Beatles/Stones rivalry, both real and imagined, and if you knew about it then the Beatles/Stones English = Beat/Specials idea immediately fell into place.

The first albums by The Specials and The English Beat were bookends of the 2 Tone scene, the punk and new wave contingents. The English Beat's debut consisted of variations on a theme that does repeat itself, but each song is like my child and I love them all equally - at least that's what I tell them! The next two records slowed down and branched out, much to my chagrin, but the best songs are substantial enough to cement their legacy on whatever level they were hoping. The Specials' perceived drop in quality between the first and second album was precipitous, and the view made me dizzy, but the wound's healed into a cute scar and I mostly dwell on the good times. The debut is a microcosm of all that was great (or at least tolerable) about 1st wave ska, including reviving the tradition of writing lyrics about Rude Boys where the point was to sing the words "Rude Boy" and "Rudie" as often as possible. In Jamaica they sang a lot about skinheads too, but that meant something else back in the 60's. The best rude boy songs were scenes acted out in court. They're funny.

I saw The English Beat live when they were great and The Specials when they weren't. If only I had a time machine that wasn't missing a doohickie modulator.

Entry Seventy: 06/07/2008: Analog CyberPunk: Transmission Ten

06/07/2008: Begin Transmission Ten: Links! I got 'em. I sure couldn't collect these songs without the help of obsessive record collector scum who spend the big bucks, rip the electro-tunes from vinyl, and offer them to the world. MUTANT SOUNDS is the motherload for the esoteric, from prog rock to every European version of Heino. I dare you to enter their archives. SOUNDHEAD is relatively new but he offers up good material and succinctly describes and categorizes his offerings. A very clean site and hooray for him. SYSTEMS OF ROMANCE has always given away the goods well, and you'll find a lot of full albums here. 7" FROM THE UNDREGROUND avoids the album route and posts songs I generally appreciate. PHOENIX HAIRPINS has been posting since 2006 and is a top pick of Analog CyberPunk material. DIFFERENT ILLUSION says "Hi!!!!!! I'M BRAZILIAN GUY AND HERE IS MY STRANGE LITTLE WORLD.
CAN YOU STAY HERE???" Sure, why not... End Transmission Ten.

Ciaran Harte: "Love Is Strange" (Category: Close But No Cigar: Analog CyberPunk)

1980, from the UK. This might be from their only single. This is a close but no cigar because of poorly sung backups (like Spinal Tap) and a general awkwardness that goes a little beyond DIY.

The French Park: "The Turn Of A Card" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

This appeared out of nowhere on Return Of Flexi-Pop Vol. 7., if my lazy research is accurate. This reminds you a lot of that other band, doesn't it?

Moral: "Slottet I Luften" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

From their 1984 LP, which followed a 1982 cassette. Hanne Winterberg's voice is fantastic. Here's a MySpace page fer ya.

Taxi Girl: "S.O.S. Mannekin" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Here's the Taxi-Girl website. Systems Of Romance has more info on them, plus and a video of the song and a gallon of fruit punch.

Linear Movement: "Magic Melody" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

From Belgium circa 1983. Great music for strutting down the street pointing at all your friends and enjoying the sunshine.

Die Verspannten: "Komm Besuch Mich Heut" (Category: Close But No Cigar: Analog CyberPunk)

A great song almost ruined by the Alvin And The Chipmunks/Munchkins backup vocals, that even manage to take it up a notch at times. Strange choice. Maybe it makes more sense in Germany.

Instant Music: "Do Not" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

From Germany in the year of 1980, from an untitled 10". Like Lilliput or The Raincoats maybe. There's a lot of nice little touches if you calm the frick down and listen.

Ensemble Pittoresque: "Maitre Satori" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

1983, from The Netherlands. Ensemble Pittoresque has an extensive website to check out. Crack that tin-sounding synth drum pad, funky guy!

Easter And The Totem: "Nothing There" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

This might be the same band, and it probably is. Minted around 1981. Nice one-man band material. Minimal by definition.

Soft Cell: "Metro MRx" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

I hold Soft Cell partly responsible for destroying new wave as a decent style of music, but their earliest work, recorded in a bedroom for all I know, has its moments. From a 1980 EP. available as an import CD that collects recordings from 78-82.

Days Of Sorrow: "Travel" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Days Of Sorrow were a German band who recorded a few short players between 84-86. This one's circa 1984.

Inflatable Boy Clams: "Skeletons" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

From Inflatable Boy Clams 1981 2x7"er. From San Francisco. Top 40 music for people who can smell shapes.

The Fast Set: "King Of The Rumbling Spires" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

A 1981 UK product. It makes me want to run and dance The Pony at the same time. Very sweet. A Marc Bolan cover.

Hongkong Syndikat: "Gonohrro" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Hongkong Syndikat had a long run. This is from Germany in the year1982.

Faith Global: "Knowing The Way" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

The UK gave birth to this track in 1983. The voice sounds familiar, but it's just a guy named Jason Guy.

Van Kaye + Ignit: "Thinktank" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

From a 1982??? Netherlands cassette. It sounds like the perfect music for when you're performing a sleight of hand card trick.

Stahlnetz: "Der Seemann Und Die Stewardess" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

1982 from Germany. Putting a condom on an apple? Huh? I think the song translates into "The Sperm And The Stewardess".

Fall Of Saigon: "Visions" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Superlative 1983 French lo-fi. I feel like a beatnik listening to this.

Ex Post Facto: "Ex Post Facto" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

1981 UK release. They put out two shorties and then returned to their day jobs without recording more at night and on weekends.

1000 Ohm: "Berlin" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

1000 Ohm have a little website with pictures. Belgium allowed this to be exported in 1983. I'll bet they made up a dance for this, and it spread through Belgium like mad.

Martin Dupont: "I Met The Beast" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

French fellow Martin Dupont has a site officiel. Released in 1985. It sounds like Wall Of Voodoo with Rubber Rodeo's Trish Milliken singing, so you know I'm all over this like stink on poop. The singer is Beverly Jane Crew, who's led a very full life so she can relax and smell the decaf for a while.

Wirtschaftswunder: "(Don't Listen) Politsong" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

These guys, with a name I don't want to have to type out ever again, recorded this very strange song. Released in 1980.

Trumpetto & Einstein: "Parkeergarage II" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

From The Netherlands between 1981 - 83. What's that buzzing noise?

Ptose: "Ecraser La Vermine" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

I don't know anything about these Frenchies, but by law their video can't be any more Residential.

Wonders Of Science: "Let's Start A Rumour" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Inquire here if you want to find out more about Wonders Of Science. A Very sweet little tune.

Entry Sixty-Nine: 05/30/2008: Review: The Story Of The Undertones - Teenage Kicks

The Undertones: "Mars Bars" (From The Undertones)

Sloppy Seconds: "Gimme That Zero Bar" (From More Trouble Than They're Worth")

The Undertones: "Get Over You" (From The Undertones)

Graham Parker: "Manoeuvers" (From The Up Escalator)

The Undertones: "Let's Talk About Girls" (From The Best Of: Teenage Kicks)

Sweet Baby: "She's From Salinas" (From It's A Girl)

The Undertones were a deceptively great band, but that can't be right because there was no deception. Maybe their songs were deceptively simple, which might be right, but that's not giving them enough credit. The Undertones were a great band because their songs are great, and if more people don't know it because their songs are deceptively simple, that's their lose. More songs for me. The Undertones managed to be The Buzzcocks, the Ramones, the Split Enz and The Kinks of their time and place, the time from 1978 through 1983, and the place Derry, Northern Ireland. The Undertones were a revved up yet pure power pop band, and what they accomplished is more than noteworthy. I write of them in the past tense because while they're still around they'll always be remembered with Feargal Sharkey as their singer. As is the injustice of the band system, he wrote none of their music but is widely thought of as the group's alpha and beta. The Story Of The Undertones - Teenage Kicks is well put together and thankfully short, a loving tribute to a band whose music is more interesting than their story - humble beginnings, a rise to a level of glory, the inevitable decline and breakup, and the mandatory reunion tours, except in this case without Feargal.

The first thing an Undertones fan learns is that legendary John Peel, a hugely influential figure in modern alternative music, considered "Teenage Kicks" his favorite song. Peel appears first and probably last in the film, interviewing the band and speaking of his own appreciation for The Undertones. The Undertones themselves (Feargal excepted but not by much) are unassuming to the point of mundanity, as if what they said or did couldn't have amounted to much coming from such ordinary men. Yet, that's what they were, no different than their friends and audiences except they wrote and performed songs almost unerringly perfect in melody, intensity and execution. The story of The Undertones is a simple one that could have been told in a segment of 60 Minutes. The main film is about sixty minutes long, probably made for Irish television. The DVD contains extras that could easily be added to the main piece, but there's no real call to do so. Theirs is a short story at best.

The Troubles are discussed, but the band mostly went out of their way to be non-political, as most other aspects of their days were divisive politics made flesh. Music was for them escapism, and their philosophy is nicely described as a "revolt against anger". Here in the US politics plays almost no role in most kids' lives, so they create fictitious worlds of paranoia for themselves in music and culture. Music therefore focuses on the political, some of it imagined and most of it unrelated to their actual experience, making otherwise ordinary lives a life-and-death struggle that's really important to be taken seriously.

Old 8mm film is used to great effect, and the band captured enough of their early days to make the film look authoritative and complete. Many of the interviews drag because the guys are humble, pleasant, polite, and they tend to speak slowly. Sharkey is surprisingly honest and open, and you probably learn the most about what happened through him. He never appears with the others on camera. That chapter probably closed for good when he left in 1983.

1979's The Undertones is almost their version of the first Ramones album, who were so influential to The Undertones that in the film one of the O'Neill brothers stammers and stutters because he can't find to words to describe just how important they were to the creation and direction of the band. 1980's Hypnotised was their Leave Home - more of the same, and why the hell not? 1981's Positive Touch saw the band run out of speed, figuratively and maybe literally. If you like slow ballads this would be the album for you, you puffy shirt wearing new romance crooning something or other.

As an hour long TV show this does the job well enough. I was thinking going in there might have been more to the story. Not that there has to be. Maybe the "more" of the story is there in front of me, but all I can see and hear are average men telling an average story in a pleasant way. The picture on the cover is mesmerizing. It's the exact frame of the moment that captures it perfectly. Above are three Undertones songs and three songs by other artists that remind me of these songs. Enjoy! Or not!

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Once again, this edition of oldpunks.com is dedicated to anti-fan Dutch "The Shmoo" Douchebag, who wrote that I'm a "neocon douchebag". Dutch is The Shmoo because the first thing I noticed about him via his uniformly mundane flickr album is that he's absolutely shapeless - like a Shmoo! Except, as you can see, Dutch Douchebag has the rare Shmoo deformity of external upper limbs.

Dutch "The Shmoo" Douchebag The Shmoo

In the above picture Douchebag is touching his upper lip with his tongue. It might be a secret gang signal, or something else sensual. The pant-shorts kids wear make them look like midgets. In other pictures The Shmoo sports on his otherwise featureless face various sideburns from the Drinking Class Hero © collection. As far as street credibility goes he might as well dangle a small polyester clip-on tie from each ear. As of this writing Mr. Douchebag has posted 3,764 entries onto a message board since Sep. 29 of last year, making his daily total approx. 15.6833, covering all the trivial aspects of his trivial American rich white kid existence abroad, where he entertains the locals by telling one and all that America and Americans suck. except for himself and his crew. 15.6833 posts each and every day. Wow, let's pause a moment to consider what this says about the life and time management skills of a real American jerking class hero.

Foreigners can't get enough of spoiled adult children with useless degrees and little life experience who confuse petty resentments with deeply held convictions. Shmoo in his young life has probably already fulfilled a solid 50% of whatever is applicable from Stuff White People Like for unattractive beta males who will sooner than later lose direct visual contact with their reproductive organs. Take a look at yourself, Shmoo, seriously, you'll always be a lumpy proletariat in whatever movement you think you're a part of because you accessorize correctly. If life were a movie you'd be twelve rows back in a crowd scene with the director telling you to step back a few feet.

Calm down Shmoo, I'm just having fun. I'm sure your parents support you and love you very much, no matter what it costs. Punk For Life ©, right bro? I was into this life when your parents were barely adding a "teen" to their age, so, to paraphrase Street Trash, I accept criticism from children like old people f--k.

I'm neither a midget nor a camel, but I find this clip apropos .

Entry Sixty-Eight: 05/24/2008: Analog CyberPunk: Transmission Nine

05/10/2008: Begin Transmission Nine: I was able to do most of this early because Thursday at work we had a California Snow Day. In other words and in this case, a nearby transformer blew up and there would be no electricity for twelve hours, so we all went home at 10:00 AM. Have a nice holiday weekend. Here's a joke I wrote for computers, in binary code: 000110001 100101001111 000 00111 00010011100 1011 11101101010 001001001 1101101101 0101001110 101110010001 101 1. End Transmission Nine.

Blah Blah Blah: "In The Army" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Blah Blah Blah were a weirdo band from Essex in the UK. “In The Army” was from their first 7”, released in 1979. The vocals are an angry Pee Wee Herman meets Bobcat Goldthwait when he's speaking normally.

Experimental Products: "Feeling Left Out" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Experimental Products call themselves an Electro / Disco House / Experimental band, so hey, good luck with that. Before they composed for the glow-stick generation they managed to record some decent minimal wave, including this dry, clinical ode to The Leftorium, from their 1982 self-released debut album. If this one doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, then please consider doing so, as it’s a great song to dance to.

Red Zebra: "I Can't Live In A Living Room" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Belgium’s Red Zebra do the Gang Of Four thing on this standout 1980 track. It seems like the guitarist is barely able to plink out the individual notes in time. It adds a nice little tension to the proceedings. Their site is filled with random letters that mean nothing to me. It must be in code.

Xex: "Svetlana" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

I’m not going to explain Xex to you. That’s not my job. The woman singing goes by the name “Thumbalina Gugielmo”. I luvs her voice. The best part is they’re from New Jersey!

The Parapluies: "Necessities" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

The Parapluies were from Germany, and this 1984 track is from a cassette.

Der Kunftige Musikant: "Es Is Kalt" (Category: Close But No Cigar: Analog Cyber-Punk)

This “Mommy, why is that man screaming?” classic from 1982 would have been included outside of an honorable mention if the break into unrelated noise didn’t kick in at 2:11. I swear at one time I had an edit that kept the beat the whole way through. If I find it again, “Es Is Kalt” will be promoted to the big time of Analog Cyberpunk excellence.

Arthur Harrison & Rupert Chappelle: "Interstellar Safeway" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

I’m assuming Arthur Harrison is this theremin junkie. I play a wicked Air Theremin. Weeeooooooowhaaaaaaawhooooooooo!!! Be sure to brace yourself first for the hippie caveman pic on Rupert Chappelle’s page. He too injects the theremin. This dates back to 1982.

Can’t say I know Fred but his song is nice enough. The singing is about as Roxy Music as I can handle. That’s all I have to say, so take amongst yourselves for a while. Thank you

Burlesque: "Collision Of Sex" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Not much on Burlesque except that “Collision Of Sex” appeared on a nice 1981 comp. called From Bromley With Love. Sex Pistols’ fans know of that city because of the Bromley Contingent, not to be confused with the Barmy Army. I leaned towards not including this because they sing about sex, which then and now reminds me of the disco plague we thought was eradicated long ago. Sadly, history has been written by the (disco) losers. The song itself is strong, so here it is, as is.

Monitor: "Beak" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

It’s hard not to find a place in your heart, specifically to the left of the right ventricle, for 1979’s “Beak”, especially whenever the word “beak” appears. Here’s a discography.

Jeunesse D'Ivoire: "A Gift Of Tears" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Jeunesse D'Ivoire appeared on a 1983 comp. out of Italy. The simple one finger piano progression sent this one over the top for me.

Information Society: "Der Mussolini (DAF cover)" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Information Society owns the John Holmes of discography lengths. The official site is here. “Der Mussolini” is a D.A.F. cover, a cornerstone of the industrial scene. Industrial in general, and the original specifically, are humorless, so here’s a fun cover version. I’ve always thought industrial was disco for pissed off skinny white boys.

Philippe Laurent: "Exposition Partie 5" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Philippe Laurent went by the unfortunate nickname of Hot Bip, which might be non-snickerable outside the USA. This instrumental track goes back to the 1983 or so era.

Testcard F: "If Only It Wasn't" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

A nice little ditty from the UK. It’s not on their only listed single from 1982, so I can’t say either was from whenst it came. It seems to have a bit of an Oingo Boingo rhythm.

Ende Shneafliet: "Midnight Train" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Ende Shneafliet have been around since 1982. Bable Fish says their name means “End To Shneafliet”. I’m not a big fan of Shneafliet but I don’t see the need to end Shneafliet, at least not yet. The post-punk guitar work stands out on this one.

B. Troop: "Just Because" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Not much info on B. Troop, but this, from their 1981 debut album, followed 7-inchers in both 1980 and 1981. Extra points awarded for the gosh darn real saxophone.

Absolute Body Control: "Waving Hands" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

This is the second entry for Belgium’s Absolute Body Control, an ongoing operation since 1980. Most of their earliest releases were on cassettes. The title might be “Weaving Hands” but I lean towards “waving”. What makes this a keeper beyond keep is the melancholy horn-sounding synth. If I felt human emotions I’d feel melancholy, or anything for that matter.

Alien Skull Paint: "Automatic Man" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Alien Skull Paint might be a one man operation. With a name like Holger Rixen he probably ain’t from these here parts. His first release is from 2001, which would normally disqualify this from "The Project”, but damn if “Automatic Man” doesn’t sound like it could have dropped out in the analog era, when 8-tracks still roamed free and wheatie pennies were still relatively plentiful in the general penny population. I go back to the infrequent buffalo nickel era, so put that in your bong and toke it.

Palais Schaumburg: "Telephon" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Palais Schaumburg is led by cult figure Holger Hiller, who when not leading his cult works as a language teacher in Berlin. His site is neat.

Iron Curtain: "The Condos" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

What I’ve heard from Iron Curtain I’ve liked. Mr. Curtain’s Myspace page demands “TOTAL REVOLUTION NOW!” Oh, those crazy rich Americans, with their endless freedoms and daydreams of proletariat totalitarianism. Uber-pleasant synth-pop will be the worker’s anthem as they toss off the yoke of capitalism!

I'm So Hollow: "Dreams To Fill The Vacuum" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Definitely one of the loosest songs you’ll find here, I’m So Hollow truly are both punk and cyber. The vocals go on a nice roller coaster ride.

P-Model: "Art Blind" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

“Art Blind” from Japan’s P-Model is one compelling little tune, if not eleventeen little tunes.

Picky Picnic: "My Life 1.2.3." (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

This Japanese duo released three albums from 1982 through 1989. It says on discogs.com they’re similar to The Residents. YA THINK?!

Kuruki: "Such A Liar" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

From Belgium, from 1981, from writer Sally Joy. “Such A Liar” is what you get if The Cars and Gary Numan teamed up to kick it olde skool. “Candy-O” comes to mind.

Psychic Youth: "Step In Time" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Psychic Youth seemingly put out one 7” in 1982, pressed on Long Island, NY, where I grew up. It’s the same gush of pride I get when I watch “Everybody Loves Raymond” and go a little nuts every time they mention they live in Lynbrook, which is Brooklyn inverted.

Entry Sixty-Seven: 05/3/2008: Review: American Hardcore

The Middle Class: "Out Of Vogue" (From the 7")

MDC: "Radioactive Chocolate" (From Multi-Death Corporations 7")

[5-10-08: Edited and lengthened for your pleasure] American Hardcore, based on the 2001 book, does a more than decent job packing in as much as it can while arranging it in an easily digested story-line. Complaints that it doesn't cover enough are nonsense. All the big names are included, if not interviewed, and many of the rest are at least name-checked. American Hardcore covers a four year period from the beginnings of The Bad Brains to the genre's decline into metal and literal battle fatigue. It's genre specific to the brand of suburban cretinism referred to at one time by Exene Cervenka, the Stevie Nicks of her degeneration, as the "O.C. Reich", the rich-kid idiots who destroyed the original arts-based L.A. punk scene.

I never read the book, probably because I was told it was heavily agenda-driven, and tried to be anthropological in its assertion that hardcore is a new kind of aboriginal tribe. The movie does a little of that too, at least as a set-up, but thankfully director Paul Rachman allows the interviews to veer the film into a story that tells itself. Mythologizing and anthropologizing hardcore fails as it's little more than what it was - a few smart and interesting people and a lot of dumb and useless idiots attending shows, playing shows, recording music and plucking the occasional success out the diarrheic ass of well-deserved failure. There was nothing wholly original about putting out your own records or staging your own shows, points beaten to death anyway in every UK '77 punk documentary. In retrospect everyone is a genius and everything was a smaller part of a greater whole. Brilliant.

American Hardcore basically says the 1980 American punk scene was an updated yet nearly exact counterpart to the '77 UK scene. UK Decay wasn't the same as US Prep School Malaise, but it might have seemed that way when you're young, dumb and full of fun. It's a story I've heard too many times, and I lived through it too. Every person is a unique and special individual, just like everyone else. The original UK Sex Pistols - Clash scene lasted eighteen months. The original USHC scene lasted four years.

The film's put together well and there's a load of decent archival footage and show flyer mayhem. The interviews are short, sweet and mostly on the money. Vic Bondi is the only pissed-off and didactic interview of the bunch, which makes Henry Rollin's thoughtful introspection that much more surprising, as I've never known him to miss an opportunity to tell it like he says it was.

What comes across front and center in American Hardcore is a celebration of violence, usually of the blind-side and mini-gang variety. I've never understood it myself in either music or sports. If you want to fight, then fight, otherwise enjoy the show or play a fun game of hockey or basketball. Hitting people when they're not looking is social insanity. That's the idea of fun for a lot of people, and that's one reason why I avoid a lot of people. I live in SoCal, surrounded by more kinds of senseless scumbaggery than I can count. I'm also against sex scenes in general release films. It's gratuitous and wastes time. Films should be either PG at worst or the kind of porn that would make even a sailor puke.

American Hardcore is worth seeing, for newbies and the elderly alike. Keep in mind that hardcore punk was more different than new. It was the next step after what came before it, and it was replaced by what came after. Sadly, that after was speed metal. Also take what anyone says about it with a boulder of salt. Looking at it dispassionately I can't think of a genre of music more exactly what it appeared to be on its surface. Mythologizing hardcore punk seems incongruous at best.

Was The Middle Class the first hardcore band? Or was it The Bad Brains? Hmmmmm.

Entry Sixty-Six: 05/10/2008: Analog CyberPunk: Transmission Eight

05/10/2008: Begin Transmission Eight: I spent the day ripping out the ten year old carpet in my apartment. If Frankenstein was a wood floor he'd be under my feet. Here's another twenty five songs that oughta hold you little bastards for another two weeks! Here at Analog CyberPunk HQ I'm beginning to lose my mind. It's easy to forget what I'm doing and why, and quality control has either gotten a little better through experience or unwittingly worse with fatigue. I had a vision when this began, but like David Jones in The Man Who Fell To Earth I may be forgetting my mission. Something about water I think. The lines between the various categories I've created are starting to blur.... Hey look, cute kitties!

All's forgiven! End Transmission Eight.

El Aviador Dro: "Programa En Espiral" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

El Aviador Dro is "The Greatest Spanish Synthpop Band Ever". Is this a heavily contested issue? So far in my journey this is the most fun track by them by far.

Baard: "Life In A Goldfish Bowl" (Category: Honorable Mention: Analog CyberPunk)

Here's some info on this 1982 single. I find the vocals lacking so I have this down as an honorable mention.

X-Ray Pop: "La Machine A Rever" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

X-Ray Pop now calls themselves a Cosmoblues Psychedelik band, which means they're laughing at us! They're singing in French, which is a foreign language even in France.

Ruins: "Short Wave" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

They might be from Italy but the singer sounds American.

R. Steven Moore: "What Are You Looking At?" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

No info about R. Steven Moore but this is great. R. Steven Moore, wherever you are, have a beer and put it on my account.

Pseudo Echo: "Walkaway" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

I find this a little lightweight but it deserves inclusion anyway. Sadly, their big hit was called "Funkytown".

Transparent Illusion: "The Age Of Ridicule" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

The song trips over itself near the end but it's nicely noisy and loud.

Roter Rot: "Get Away Dark Side" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Another mystery tune not destined to be covered on American Idol.

Vice: "See!" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

I love how this song combines Gang Of Four With Talking Heads.

Electronic Circus: "Direct Lines" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

The singer's voice has it's own inner harmony, like the throat singers of Tuva! Am I overstating it, yes!

Anomy: "Lone Wolf" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

The A-Side from this 1981 US single is a cover of Bowie's "TVC 15", and it's not very good. The B should have been the A and the A should have been track two on the B. C? The Raincoats are either proud or should be proud of Anomy.

Didi Und Die Herzschrittmacher: "Modern" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

This track is a bit sloppy for what I consider to be great Synth New Wave, but it gets better with time and Nyquil.

Bobby And Synthia: "Video Violence" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

There's a little Lene Lovich going on here with this band of unknowns (to me at least). It has a nice little insistent rhythm that makes me smile. Or maybe I just have gas.

Davey Duck: "Davey The Worm" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

There is no song more Residents-esque than this one. It's got it goin' on! Mr. Duck started recording in 1977, and over the years he's had his hands in a many an odd musical pie.

Nash The Slash: "Swing Shift" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Legendary Nash The Slash has an annoyingly loud web site. Here's one a little more quiet. And another. God, what old song was that where Nash The Slash is name-checked? It's on the tip of my something. It might have been Bowie or Mott The Hoople. Anyhoo, Nash started around 1976 and for all I know he and Abe Vigoda might still be alive.

Pavillion 7b: "La Manege" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

As per The Internet ©, Pavillion 7b are, were, or shall be from Dijon Mustard and this cassette was released in 1985. "La Manege" translates, probably loosely, into "Horse Gear". Yes indeed.

J.J. Burnell: "Jellyfish" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

This 1979 track from Stranglers bass player J.J. Burnell works on so many levels, like man being hit in the groin with a football. It's electro, it's reggae and it's Burnell singing like XTC's Andy Partridge. It makes a body move.

Solid State: "Recalling You" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

This synth gem is from 1983, from over the pond in Belching, somewhere near Hamburger.

Seppuku: "Under Your Control" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Seppuku allows you to download some Swedish synth music on their site. Seppuku is Japanese for committing suicide by disemboweling yourself. The little man in the picture above is not offering a stick of gum to the moon. He's about to commit Harry Caray!

Telex: "Pakmovast" (Category: Close But No Cigar: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Oh, the quantities of bad electro-disco that came from these Belgian Wafflers. I include this Telex track because it's every Kraftwerk song written up until 1978 or so processed through a "Hooked On" blender. It's also a lead-in to the next band, who do a Kraftwerk you don't have to feel bare-assed to dance to!

Komputer: "Komputer Pop" (Category: Honorable Mention : Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Komputer is too new to include in this project, but they sure know how to record a great lost Kraftwerk album! There are songs and then there are SONGS. Komputer write SoNgS.

Music For Pleasure: "The Human Factor" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

This 1980 UK single was the start of a career that lasted five years.

One Plus One: "Nite Time Rhythm" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

This one has a surf-garage thing going for it, and I dig it, man. It's a complicated little tune that comes across at first as maybe a little too simple.

Mechanical Servants: "Responsateen" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Like Anomy this has a great Raincoats vibe working. I'm also reminded of a Minneapolis group called Tetes Noires. If I mentioned The Roches would I be that much more pretentious?

Solid Space: "10th Planet" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

I've gleaned the fact that this is from a 1982 cassette titled Space Museum. The added synth embellishments are abso-fugg-lutely amazing.

Entry Sixty-Seven: 05/3/2008: Review: American Hardcore

The Middle Class: "Out Of Vogue" (From the 7")

MDC: "Radioactive Chocolate" (From Multi-Death Corporations 7")

Was The Middle Class the first hardcore band? Or was it The Bad Brains? Hmmmmm.

04/26/2008: Begin Transmission Seven: Everyone enjoys a big dump.................. of music! As every statistical one of out ten of you know, it takes a freaking long time to put these MP3 posts together. I was going to impart some wisdom or make you think about life in a new way or blah blah blah, but instead I'll see if I can come up with comments for the songs below, many of which seem to have come from nowhere. I update the Analog CyberPunk page once every two weeks, usually on a Saturday. I see you link-bangers out there coming here all the time thinking I do this for a freaking living! I'll get a life only if YOU promise to get one first. End Transmission Seven.

Comateens: "The Munsters Theme" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

While I'm not a big fan of their catalog I will say this, The Comateens have a nice website. "The Munsters Theme" came out in 1981 and I danced to it each time 'till it ended. Somewhere in the world of 0's and 1's it says it was released in 1984. Liars all.

Ceramic Hello: "Ringing In The Sane" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Ceramic Hello have a website even I could have made. This came out in 1981, and it reminds me a heck of a lot like like The Stranglers' "All Roads Lead To Rome" and the rest of 1983's Feline LP. Crap, maybe The Stranglers ripped off Ceramic Hello lock, stock and c--k!

Patrick D. Martin: "I Like 'Lectric Motors" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

From 1979, I wish Patrick D. Martin's material was more widely available. I loved it back in the day, It was before you were born but you're so hardcore now it dwarfs my firsthand experience. I understand that, so please stop e-mailing me about it. Listen to all the tracks on MySpace. They're great.

Minny Pops: "Footsteps" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Dutch treats Minny Pops record a lot of noise, but this one I like. They have a site, so like Joe Bob Briggs says, "Check it out!".

Body Falling Downstairs: "The Politics Of Ecstasy" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

These kids were from Seattle and this was recorded around 1981.

Reducers: "Airways" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

This 7" came out on EMI in 1980. It might be a little too punky to be a new wave song, mostly in the vocals, but it has to go somewhere ya know.

Oi The Robot: "Manifestoi!" (Category: Honorable Mention: Analog CyberPunk)

Listening to the Reducers reminded me of this track from Garry Bushell's first-wave UK skinhead record conglomerate. Bushell populated his oi comps with a few filler tracks of his own invention. Frankie Flame performed the electronics on this one, more than borrowing an Ultravox riff along the way. Technically this is real skinhead music.

Trick 17: "City Nacht" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

I'm a fool for many things, high on that list the toots of a saxophone. Why is the title a combination of English and German? Nothing personal, but German isn't a pretty language. It's impossible to sound sexy in German or tough in French. Japanese goes both ways with extreme prejudice. I'll leave it to you to tell me what English sounds like.

The Stupid Set: "S.W. Digestion" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Italy squeezed this one out in 1980. Here's data and songs to download.

Tara Cross: "PK-15" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Tara Cross sports a hefty discography and a lovely voice. That's all I know.

Shox: "No Turning Back" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Shox coulda, woulda, and shoulda been huge! A great pop song indeed. Here's more. The singer reminds me of Trish Milliken from Rubber Rodeo.

Social Climbers: "Hello Texas" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Here's some information on 1980-era New Yorkers Social Climbers. I completely envision cowboys doing a shuffle dance to this one.

QRN: "Very Loud Silence" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

I imagine they're French. Not much else to report.

Some Of My Best Friends Are Canadian: "Feeling Sheepish" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

If Canada was 3,000 miles to the right they'd be called The Former Republic Of Canadastan. That's right, America's hat. Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it!

Research Library: "Alien Love" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

This was on a Subterranean Records comp from 1981.

Ian North: "White Gardens" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Ian North is a musician, and artist AND he cuts hair. He grew up on Long Island like I did, yet we've never met. That's odd.

I.U.D.: "Precious" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

No info on this one but from the singing I'm guessing it's of a more recent vintage.

The Metronomes: "Justification" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

This one gets better each time I listen to it. It's pretty damn perfect, even how it ends as a cutoff. Good job, Metronomes! Super highly recommended with a bullet.

Friz Be: "I Throw Punches..." (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

I think I'd dance better to this one if I owned a tux, top hat and cane. There's a Puttin' On The Ritz thing going on with this one.

Flash Cero: "Ciudad Estelar" (Category: Close But No Cigar: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

This 1988 track is pretty good until the record scratching starts at exactly 2:47. Why, I say why?!

Kein Mensch: "Kein Mensch" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Ok, the ending with the singing German Youth freaked me out a bit, but I'm ok now....

Foundation Boo: "Nap" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

I was first going to put this in as Analog CyberPunk, but oh does it get more weird with time. I'm a total sucker for disinterested female singing. This was on the infamous Darker Scratcher LP, which helped inspire me to do this project in the first place. Blame Darker Scratcher.

Moderne: "Electronique" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

From France from 1980 from three French guys. They have a Myspace page so you know they're down with the youth of today.

{E}: "e925" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

The ending sealed the deal to make this a weird one. The comp. this appears on came out in 1979. It's hard for me to type { and }.

Absolute Body Control: "Is There An Exit?" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Absolute Body Control has been an ongoing concern since 1980, and according to their MySpace page it wouldn't hurt if I brought some glowsticks and sugary drinks to one of their performances.

Entry Sixty-Five: 04/19/2008: For My Benefactor Shane I Equate The Big Boys With OMD

The Big Boys: "Sound On Sound" (From The Fat Elvis)

OMD: "Time Zones" (From Dazzle Ships)

The Turd-log Cinder-Poo project is chugging right along thanks to blogs that cater to the synth and minimal wave markets, populated predominately by the gravely pale and deathly frail. Shane of the most excellent Soundhead one-man cyber-cabal has been nice enough to link to me, causing my internet traffic to spike from flatline to the line you get when you use an old wood ruler. The internet monies are rolling in like the Reverse Funnel System Scam, where for an initial investment of $8,000 you must spend your days defending the Reverse Funnel System Scam in hopes the next idiot who visits your carbon-copy site, by an act of god or the devil, decides to be an internet millionaire by making an initial investment of $8,000.

Shane hails from Denton, TX, with a population somewhere between 80,537 and 109,561, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Located 16.8 miles from the nearest Vietnamese restaurant, Denton is 227.30 miles north Of Austin, TX, home of the legendary Big Boys, hardcore's first and best skate/funk/punk/post-punk outfit. 1983's "Sound On Sound" comes from the out-of-print 1983 album Lullabies Help The Brain Grow, easily found on The Fat Elvis compilation. This version differs from the one on The Wreck Collection.

OMD were my favorite synth pop band until 1983's "Dazzle Ships", at the time a bit of a letdown after their classic Architecture & Morality, but it still had a few good punches left ("Genetic Engineering", "Telegraph" and "Radio Waves"). Listening to it now it's probably just as good as its predecessor, but at the time the sound experiments felt more like noodling than songwriting. According to The All Music Guide Dazzle Ships was ahead of its time. Maybe as a major label release but most assuredly not in the underground.

OMD = The Big Boys. May I rot in hell for all eternity.

Entry Sixty-Four: 04/12/2008: Analog CyberPunk: Transmission Six

04/12/2008: Begin Transmission Six: All's going as planned at the Analog CyberPunk HQ. Sorting through the digital stacks to pick weiners I've learned a few things that I probably already knew. The genre's famous for songs that start one way and then become something else. Slow buildups are also favored. As is the way with many of the best songs, new sounds are added into the mix as the song progresses, with bleeps, bloops and other digital farts stopping by for a visit. Some songs I like except for an errant repetitive sound or an annoying dance beat that doesn't need to be there. Remember kids, disco sucks. Some tracks that seem like instrumentals turn out late in the game to contain lyrics. When the vocals fail on a song they usually do so spectacularly. I wager these tend to be the one man band deals. End Transmission Six.

Zwischenfall: "Tausend Jahre" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Zwischenfall is German for "Incident", and they ran from 1983 to 1995. The song title translates into "Thousand Years". In Germany smurfs are called "schlumps".

UV Pop: "Sleep Don't Talk" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

A second selection from UV Pop. Hit that funky buzzer, (what I assume is a) white boy!

Trek With Quintronic: "Zolian Space" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Hailing from snowy Buffalo, New York, this two-piece released two albums in 80-81 on what was probably their own label. The Mutant Sounds blog nailed this as influenced by Bowie and Scary Monsters (the album, not monsters that are scary).

Ti-Tho: "Die Liebe Ist Ein Abenteuer" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Here's info on this German duo. Nice and weird, with a subdued yet insistent rhythm..

Surplus Stock: "Let's Kill Each Other" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Abrasiveness has never sounded so pleasant. From 1980 and Germany.

The Units: "Digital Stimulation" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

The Units get a little too much respect in underground electronic circles, with a career paralleling Our Daughter's Wedding. At times it seemed they didn't know what they wanted to be, and while I have a soft spot for new wave-cabaret-art school shenanigans I don't for the kind of line dance music where you clap your hands, turn in a circle as you move in a line, clap your hands, then turn in a circle on the way back, once again ending with a hand clap. The earlier on the discography the better they sound, as is the code of the universe. Their "Bug Boy" stands as the most awkward and heavy handed metaphor I've ever heard fail as music. "Digital Stimulation" gets it right. Digital means both electronic and manual. Huh. If you like this, please do seek The Epoxies.

The Party's Over: "Crash" (Category: Honorable Mention: Analog CyberPunk)

I found nothing on this but it's filled with great and assorted oddball riffs and noises. It's an honorable mention because I find the vocals aren't on par with the music.

Systematics: "Pulp Baby" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Here's info on this Australian band from back before you were born... remember kids? It's gets weirder the more times you listen. Dig those clogged sinuses! The synth and vocals chase each other well.

Low Class: "Alienation Ballade" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

There's not much to be known about Low Class except they appeared on a cassette compilation in 1984. It's a charming song of little consequence but I find it immensely pleasant and happy. I want to do the Keep On Truckin' walk to it.

Kaa Antilope: "The Break Of Day" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

From Belgium in the year of 1981. The drum machine is set to "Mexican Radio", and that's fine by me in twelve ways. The horn sounds are soothing and soaring at the same time. Yikes.

Moev: "Cracked Mirror" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Canucks Moev recorded a bunch of stuff and are giving some of it away even as we speak! Short term member Madelaine Morris has a lovely voice. This grows on you like a cold sore on the lip (so says Gravis Mushnick).

Les Georges Leningrad: "Georges Five" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Canada's Les Georges Leningrad were famous for being strange. It's impossible not to laugh (in a good, approving way) at the dueling incomprehensible vocalis on this. From 2002 or so. Or so I say.

Plus Instruments: "Big Man" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Don't know much about Plus Instruments beyond this. They might have been from New York. I'm from New York but we've strangely never met.

G-Spot: "Idol Worship" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of G-Spot? The Shadow knows, but not me. Nice.

Higher Primates: "Living In A Vacuum" (Category: Close But No Cigar: Analog Cyber-Punk)

The music works well but the singing isn't up to the task. Close but no cigar. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, but other times it's a code word for something else altogether. Take THAT, Sigmund!

Entry Sixty-Three: 04/05/2008: Run For You Life, Civilian And Military Style.

Five Iron Frenzy: "Cool Enough For You" (From Upbeats And Beatdowns)

Screeching Weasel: "Burn It Down" (From Television City Dream)

A year ago I posted the first of what I hope will be an annual tradition of sharing two songs I listen to whilst jogging around town, twice weekly before sunrise, attracting unwanted attention from police cruisers and scaring both cats and dog-walkers with my wheezing and lumbering gait. Thankfully at 4AM I'm pretty much legend. Last year's picks were "Gangland" by The Violators and the extended version of "Temple Of Love" by Sisters Of Mercy. With the correct song mix I know I could run longer and faster than I do now, but I usually just drag over some of this and a little of that. The worst is fiddling with the forward button of my MP3 player until something good happens. My feet get confused easily.

The best running songs are ones you can run slow or fast to, a magical quality indeed. 1996's "Cool Enough For You" by Denver natives Five Iron Frenzy fits that bill nicely. Holy crap, third wave ska's been around at least a dozen years. I found their first CD in a dollar bin with a sticker that read "It's Ska!", so you wouldn't think it's techno-rave crap like the cover more than suggests. The only thing third wave ska really proved was that high school band geeks need groupie love too, but here and there was some decent music. Five Iron Frenzy boasted a flawless horn section and a load of melodic shift changes. They were a Christian band, who along with The Huntingtons caught crap for ultimately being twelve times less didactic and condescending than most secular punk bands. The lyrics of "Cool Enough For You" ask "can't we all just get along?"

There's regular running and then there's the fast military march thing I do when I hear Screeching Weasel's "Burn It Down", tragically buried at the end of 1998's half-effort Television City Dream. It takes me back to the night I worked security at an arena show featuring DC area Go-Go bands, back in the earliest 80s. Street gangs marched in formation around The Cap Center, their best fighter in front, each with one hand on the shoulder of the man in front of them and the other a fist in the air. At one point a dumb cracker mozied over to drawl out there was something going on at gate 5. Hell, a street gang was trying to break into the arena, throwing cinder blocks at the security glass of the doors. Security used clubs to smash at hands trying to push open the door bars while I stood back holding the only weapon I could find - a mop. They eventually broke in and we chased them into the bowels of the arena. I was holding a nobody, having no idea what to do next, when a fist landed on my mouth. I later required stitches. As I walked around with my shirt covered in blood I remember everyone stared and got the holy f--k away from me, like I had just killed someone and was looking to do it again. Good times, good times.

Anyhoo, before the fun started I was guarding a door to nowhere when all of a sudden people looked scared and created a wide path for the riot squad of security wearing combat pants, combat boots and white security shirts, march-jogging in formation like you see in army movies. They were each like Judge Dredd, enjoying the violence more than they should but getting the job done. I was told that by the end of any given night their shirts were stained with the blood of others. If you've ever worked security at an event filled with absolute zeros you'll know why this image made me feel good. Listen to "Burn It Down" and you'll see it's not a song you run to but a fast march that gets you from Point A to the Point B where you beat the living s--t out of someone who deserves it. What great drumming.

My favorite tune to run to right now is Fear's cover of Joan Osbourne's "One Of Us" (One Of Us, One Of Us, Gooble Gobble Gooble Gobble, One Of Us, One Of Us), re-titled "What If God's Not One Of Us". A most magical running song indeed as it's both civilian and military.

Entry Sixty-Two: 03/29/2008: Analog CyberPunk: Transmission Five

03/29/2008: Begin Transmission Five: Dancing By Myself Vs. Dancing With Myself. I'm an old fart around for part of the proto-punk era, every second of the new wave era, the punk era, the post-punk era and the hardcore punk era, and a handful of the other errors calling themselves alternative music. The only time I'm sentimental about is the original new wave era, which for me ran from about 1978 to 1982. I watched it slowly grow and I watched it slowly wither and die at the parasitic hand of disco culture and the puffy shirt revolution of new romance. I loved dancing to new wave music. I was there when discos hosted "New Wave Nights" where cartoon disco pricks with huckapoo shirts and John Travolta hair were barely restrained from starting riots with us freaks and losers, we of the thrift store skinny ties and asexual dance moves. For one bright, shining moment I danced all the time and worked up a horrible sweat to songs I loved one after the next. You danced whenever you felt like it and for as long as you had wind and strength. Dehydration was also a factor.You didn't need a dance partner, and often you didn't want to because they just held you back and in place. If you did dance with someone it was often a formality where two people did their own thing next to each other. In retrospect I'm not bitter about losing my good thing because I had a good run and this is no country for old losers. At the time I did hate seeing my scene become a something else I had no interest in being a part of. I won't explain the title of this paragraph except to say one looks outward while the other is about the self, always reflected in mirrors. End Transmission Five.

Nine Circles: "What's There Left" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Nine Circles were from the Netherlands and this comes from 1982. It's a slow track that packs the wallop of detached euro-gal singing, strong synth lines and a bunch of other electronic weirdness. Be sure to note the foley artist-like rendering of the sound of two hollow coconut halves being hit together to sound like a galloping horse. .

Berlin Express: "Die Russen Kommen" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Berlin Express were from Germany and they put out one album in 1982. I can't take the singing seriously but it's a fun song all the same.

AKA: "Mental Timebombs" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

Here's what I found on White Rock, British Columbia's AKA. From between 1978 and 1980 this strange and glorious track cometh from.

Blue Sound: "Berlin" (Category: Honorable Mention: Analog CyberPunk)

Nothing on Blue Sound comes up on the intertubes. I'm not tossing it into the main category because of the singing, which isn't bad in itself but it's not of a kind with the rest. The guitar reminds me of early XTC records.

Central Unit: "Saturday Night" (Category: Honorable Mention: Analog Cyber-Punk: New Wave Edition)

Hey, finally a band with a website, and it's in Eye-talian. They formed in 1980, over there in Bologna. Their MySpace page says they're now a Nu Jazz /Progressive / Psychedelic band. Yikes. At first I had this as a Close But No Cigar selection a little because of the sing and a lot because of the swingin' salami disco lyrics, but mostly it's ok, so here it is as an honorable mention. And pastrami makes it a trifecta.

Chandra: "Kate" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

This one creeps up on you before it knocks you over and dishes out an atomic wedgie. Chandra Oppenheim was twelve when she recorded this in 1980, showcasing a jaded old soul trapped in a skinny pre-teen's body. Her website is dead, so who knows what she's up to know. I've only found a few references to her doing anything musically.

Chromagain: "Spot" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Chromagain were an Italian band who put out a 12" in 1985. I love the keyboardist working overtime tapping out individual notes.

Dalek I Love You: "Freedom Fighters" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

I remember Dalek I (also Dalek I Love You) fairly well from 1980 or so, but they were a band I knew mostly from two singles I found in used bins. Living in New York I suspected they were a UK band with a big following there but not where I was. The Dr. Who reference gave them a few extra lines of media attention. I find them uneven at best (and that's being generous), but "Freedom Fighters", their first single from '79, finds them full of focus and punk energy. The original UK punk movement inspired a lot of bands to forget they were fops for a while and to go out and rip it up a bit. Vice Versa later became ABC. Ultravox belted a few out of the park before they became a new romance band. I'll stop before I get started.

Do-Po: "Rhythm" (Category: Honorable Mention: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Italy's Do-Po released one single in 1981. I find this track a bit silly so I've added it as an honorable mention. Otherwise it does everything right.

Gerry And The Holograms: "Gerry And The Holograms" (Category: Rez Eyeballs Wink: Some Weird Ones)

An odd little tune, wouldn't you say?

Jesus Couldn't Drum: "I'm A Train" (Category Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Jesus Couldn't Drum were a two-piece band from Brighton. From an eBay sale, "Original 1986 3-song 12” EP from brighton-based duo, one of whom later joined wacky indiepopsters THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS. Title track is a great slab of electronic indiepop with a driving groove and a bit of a MORRISSEY influence on the vocals. Rare 12”, and long out of print." I like how the singer holds notes. It also gots a flute!

Entry Sixty-One: 03/22/2008: Dopplegangsters (Yo!)

PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me

Devo - Mongoloid

Until today I've restrained my compulsion to tell the world PJ Harvey looks like Julie Kavner, and that Jerry Casale resembles Dave Thomas. Oooohhhh, it feels good to shrug that weight off.... what's that, screaming voices in my head? Kill them? Kill them all?! No, voices, no! You promised!!

Someone somewhere at some time posted a link to the above PJ Harvey video, a perfect rendering of the demo version of "Rid Of Me". Harvey, whose Wikipedia entry includes "Steve Albini claimed she ate nothing but potatoes while making Rid Of Me.", has never been a favorite of mine, probably because she hit when I was neither looking nor cared to look, but there are nine of her songs in the oldpunksglobalcorp © permanent collection. It wouldn't surprise me if she has an eating disorder, the polite way of saying she either starves herself, swears by the two-finger diet plan, or only eats potatoes. She could also use a visit by the Posture Police. Julie Kavner is of course best remembered for her role in Rhoda.

Gerald Casale, he of the variant name spelling, co-founded Devo as a singer, songwriter and bass player. It wasn't until I read his chapter in In Cold Sweat: Interviews With Really Scary Musicians that I realized he's the angriest, most pretentious and most impotent figure in modern music. To this day he insists De-Evolution is real, specifically the variant he helped introduce in such cutting edge videos as "Whip It" and whichever one had them wearing toilet seats on their shoulders. Of all the bands that should known when to call it quits, Devo needed it most. If you do only one thing today, let it be listen to Casale on Devo: The Complete Truth About De-Evolution lose his mind in misplaced rage as he defends "Disco Dancer" as a pinnacle of western culture. He's desperate to be given credit for his deep insight of our twisted reality, but if you watch till the end of Devo Live you'll notice he's also desperate to be liked, like the fat kid at summer camp. Some of his commercial work is here, the best being "The Flea Master". Jihad Jerry is his alter-ego, doing for political commentary what The Grand Wizard Of Wrestling did for the repatriation of lawn gnomes. In other words, absolutely nothing. The songs on his MySpace page are better than I expected. Dave Thomas was in SCTV and now specializes in voice-over work, the easiest money in Hollywood.

Entry Sixty: 03/15/2008: Analog CyberPunk, Transmission Four

03/15/2008: Begin Transmission Four: Whenever I (or you, for that matter) log off Windows XP or NT the computer signs off with four notes from Gary Numan's "Cars", the ones that go along with the words "Here in my car". At least it does for me. Here at Analog CyberPunk Central I've divided the original song pool into a Yes Folder (903 tracks) and a No Folder (413 tracks). For the most part the Yes Folder has anything I could tolerate. In the second round the No Folder will embiggen. The androids who put together the various Minimal Wave compilations have no qualms about adding songs that at best have an electric piano in the mix. Mine is a pure, delusional vision of a time when punk, new wave and electronic music marched shoulder to shoulder down the dirty back alleys of popular culture, before new romance loosened the fist of alternative music into limp waves of the hand, and disco, supposedly on its death bed, infected good dance music with its evil clown spores. Punk became hardcore, but that's another tale involving a nasty case of heavy metal that lasted years and required many shots in the ass. End Transmission Four.

Ash Wednesday: "Love By Number" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

I hate math but I seem to love any song with a lot of numbers in it. Ash Wednesday is a person's name, and he has both a website and a wikipedia page, where I learned he's in that noisy German band with the name that babblefishes into "Collapsing New Buildings". This Australian winner is from 1980. It reminds me indirectly of "The Name Game" and "Dancing With Myself".

John Paul Young: "The Monster In Ed" (Category: Close But No Cigar: Analog Cyber-Punk)

There's not much info on Canada's John Paul Young except that his band was called "The Cardboard Brains". Thankfully he's not the same person who sang "Love Is In The Air". "The Monster In Ed" is great but the singing is horrific - what I'd expect from an off-Broadway production of Hunch; The Musical! . The best part is an ongoing noise somewhere between a ray-gun and the baby from Eraserhead. Life is about choices, and his choice to sing like this both sucks and blows.

Men Without Hats: "Telepathy" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

Men Without Hats were a one-hit wonder with four great records in their catalog. They were not a synth band by any account but a new wave band with keyboards. No Hats Beyond This Point came out in 2003, a whole twelve years after the disappointing rock album Sideways. 1989's Adventures Of Men & Women was equally lacking. No Hats takes up where Pop Goes The World left off in 1987, and while it's not as good it's pretty close. "Telepathy" is an update on The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star", and it's fun to croon along with Ivan Doroschuk. I CAN say enough nice things about Men Without Hats, but it would take a long time.

Pink Military: "War Games" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

I'm a fool for military drum rhythms and the sound of British police cars. 1980's "War Games' can be found on the album "Do Animals Believe In God?". I dare you to tell me it doesn't kick tushie.

Those Little Aliens: "Sentimental" (Category: Honorable Mention: Analog CyberPunk)

Info does not abound on Those Little Aliens, and the singing is a bit weak, but listen to that cacophony of wonderful other-worldly electronic bleeps and bloops. The best sounds are the ones you can make with your mouth, which guys know as the sounds of a money shot. Oh yeah, YOU know what I'm talking about!

UV Pop: "No Songs Tomorrow" (Category: The Unheard Synth New Wave)

UV Pop (more here) recorded from 82-96. And I quote... ahem: "UV PØP, a one-man group from the Sheffield area. John White is the mastermind behind UV PØP, a twenty-odd year old Yorkshireman with a whipcord body and a casque of oily black hair. Onstage he looks vaguely out of control, as if he might suddenly launch into an aimless destructive charge, knocking over mikes and amps."

Entry Fifty-Nine: 03/08/2008: DVD Review: We Jam Econo - The Story Of The Minutemen

The Minutemen: "History Lesson" (From The Punch Line)

The Minutemen: "Joe McCarthy's Ghost" (From Paranoid Time)

We Jam Econo - The Story Of The Minutemen is a phenomenal band documentary, jamming everything it needs to show, interviewing everyone it needs to hear from, and thankfully avoiding agendas, all in an econo ninety minutes. Nineteen deleted scenes extras (thank Gaia), along with a full interview and extra disc of three live shows. It serves as a humanizing counterpoint to their music, which I spent a maddening week with before viewing this today. The music and film explain a ton in intriguing ways which connect and divert almost as willy-nilly as their music.

Everyone reminds me of someone else, often a celebrity. Here bassist Mike Watt plays the same role as Wayne Kramer in MC5: A True Testimonial, driving around the old neighborhood (in this case, San Pedro, CA) visiting old scenes of the crimes. Where Kramer is likeable enough even with a self-serving agenda, Watt is eminently likeable and devoid of pretense. Guitarist D. Boon passed away in 1985, and when he's seen in interviews he's mostly quiet and reserved. He was a beloved figure in the hardcore scene and made friends easily. Being a fan of the E! Hollywood Story I see more than one parallel between Boon and John Candy. Drummer George Hurley as a youth looks like Tesco Vee meets Jeff Spicoli. As a middle age man he looks like a younger "Classy" Freddie Blassie. It must be the hair. Re: hair, in 1984 Hurley has the same long perm in front as members of Our Daughter's Wedding, which he swings around for the same effect.

The Minutemen's influences aren't that hard to figure out. That they were so different from their contemporaries in the emerging U.S. hardcore scene is the source of their monumental uniqueness. The most direct connections are Wire and The Urinals. The Minutemen forty second cover of "Ack Ack Ack Ack" is twenty seconds shorter than the original. If you watch Wire: Live On The Box 1979 you can see The Minutemen followed Wire's determined approach to music as an attitude and set of ideas. With both Wire and The Minutemen the driving force is the drums. Wire's Robert Gotobed played almost evasively as a percussionist. Hurley pounds away like Buddy Rich as the Incredible Hulk. Sonically Hurley can be half the band, if not at least a third (ka-zing!). Another take to their sound was that early on they added a little funk to free jazz and fed it through a hardcore blender via bass, drums and guitar. Later on they diversified and the funk came up more in the mix. The Minutemen wrote jams and songs, and I greatly prefer the songs to the jams.

The politics of their lyrics are barely touched upon. Boon's political lyrics often bogged down into standard U.S. working class (read Middle Class) kid with too-much-time-on-my-hands unlived marxist political nut-scratching. From "The Big Stick":

Now over there in Managua Square / With American made bombs falling everywhere / They kill women and children and animals too / These bombs are made by people like me and you / And we're told that we hold a big stick over them / But I know from what I've read that peace is in our hands

Now over there in Guatamala my friend / We're making mistakes there once again / Uncle Sam supports a fascist regime / That doesn't represent the people over there / We learn and believe there is justice for us all / And we lie to ourselves with a big stick up our ass

Now if we stand and yell it out / That war isn't what we're all about / Then someone will come and bring us back / To get the peace train back on it's tracks

This is what I'm singing about / The race war that America supports / Indians will never die / They'll do just fine if we let them try / Though we hold, we're never told that peace is in our hands / If we stop there is time to heal the scars we've caused / To heal the scars we've caused...

Politically The Minutemen might be U.S. hardcore's Gang Of Four. The issue is dealt with here mostly by mentioning it in passing as if nobody knew why or where the politics came from. It's odd that people seek political insights from musicians. How is a guitarist any more qualified to know about the world than a truck driver, and how is writing lyrics any more of a skill than building furniture or baking a wedding cake? It isn't.

The band name was originally intended to mean they were of small stature, the adjective definition of "minute" sounded as "my-noot". When Boon and Watt first started playing they didn't even know there was such a thing as tuning - they thought players chose between tight and loose strings. Reminiscing about his first meeting with Boon as a child, Watt trails off by saying he was "smitten by him", an endearing thing to say.

This is a great tribute to The Minutemen, a band I respect and admire more than I actually like. I like them, but I never listen to them intentionally. I'm mostly a melody guy with little use for funk or Coltrane. You can't dance to The Minutemen, but it's the perfect soundtrack for an epileptic seizure!

Entry Fifty-Eight: 03/01/2008: Analog CyberPunk, Transmission Three

03/01/2008: Begin Transmission Three: "You know, you remind me of a poem I can't remember, and a song that may never have existed, and a place I'm not sure I've ever been to." This is taking a while because I love silence. I never listen to music at home, and in my car it's mostly silence or talk radio. I listen to music at the gym or when I run. The only time I can focus on these songs is while running in the middle of the night, where I have no idea what I'm listening to and can't write notes. What I can do is imagine myself back 25+ years when Analog CyberPunk-type songs were an elusive yet beloved part of my music life. I'm also tripping up while trying to quickly sort 1,300 songs into initial Yes/No folders. I'm torn between keeping everything I like and only keeping songs that fit into this project, even if I hate a particular track. Poor widdle 'ol me... huh? wha? Oh yeah, ALL ROBOTS REPORT TO THE DANCE FLOOR!! End Transmission Three.

Causey Way: "Geological Lust" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

I almost included this as an honorable mention as it was probably written around 2000. It's a real toe-tapper though. Brian Causey was in Man Or Astroman? and is better known for writing music for Jimmy Neutron. Causey Way had a bit of a Church of The SubGenius thematic thing going, which would have impressed me more if more of their songs weren't inside jokes. Servotron had a better gimmick and a sweeter catalog.

Tuxedomoon: "Incubus (Blue Suit)" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

I couldn't post "No Tears" without also including "Incubus (Blue Suit)". There's a law. Tuxedomoon records more meandering Mediterranean soundtrack music than they should. Let's leave it at that.

Dark Day: "No, Nothing, Never" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

It took me many years to get over the fact that while a Dark Day song is original, most Dark Day songs sound pretty much the same. Exterminating Angel came out in 1980, and the dry, disaffected talk-singing of both Robin Crutchfield and "Mystery Woman" on "No, Nothing, Never" is a cornerstone of my love for this kind of music. What sounds like a violin is I guess a synth, since no string instrument is listed in the album credits.

Boyd Rice & Daniel Miller: "Cleanliness And Order" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Daniel Miller of Mute Records and The Normal joined with self-impressed noisemeister Boyd Rice to record what I call "Son Of No, Nothing, Never" around 1980. It too is a great talk-sing song. The ghost of Rex Harrison is pleased.

Rational Youth: "Coboloid Race" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Rational Youth (more here) recorded the wonderful Kraftwerk-influenced album Cold War Night Life, equaled only by Komputer, who I'll get to later. This track was released in 1981.

Tone Set: "Slim" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Various Devo songs are leaping out at me as I listen to "Slim" by Tempe, Arizona's Tone Set, from a 1982 cassette. Of what I've heard this is their fastest and most melodic number, as they usually worked with what I assume are found vocal tracks from the Ironic School of stuff you find in musty old libraries or the basement of your grandfather's house.

Snowy Red: "Nowhere" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Snowy Red might still be around as there's a Myspace page about them. This is one of their peppier tunes, from 1982. It's fun to sing along with one of the synths by going "Wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah".

Our Daughters Wedding: "Airlines" (Category: Honorable Mention: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

When their 12" EP Digital Cowboy came out in 1982 I was already a huge fan, as "Lawnchairs" was at the time the best selling import single of all time, or something like that. The first time I saw them at the Malibu Night Club there were lawn chairs hung from the ceiling. The Long Island club was on the beach, so it was a pain to do but at least cheap to pull off. I later saw them on the pier in Manhattan, where they opened for The English Beat and the Go-Gos. I have a picture of me talking to the singer and I'm wearing a military surplus jumpsuit with my feathered 70's hair-don't on top. Nice. I do miss my original hairline though. I give this an honorable mention only as it doesn't fit well into the main categories.

Kitchen And The Plastic Spoons: "Fantastic" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Kitchen and the Plastic Spoons (Myspace), from Sweden, formed around 1980. Vocalist Anne Taivanen sings a bit like Siouxsie Sioux, who's an amazon in person, by the way.

Ken Clinger: "Carla West (The Human Bird Nest)" (Category: Close But No Cigar: Analog Cyber-Punk)

Ken Clinger (more here) sounds like a basement savant, but as a fan of M.O.T.O. I've dealt with this species before. The instrumentation on this is great but the singing is silly in the worst way. I imagine Dr. Demento has it in a drawer somewhere.

Entry Fifty-Eight: 02/23/2008: DVD Review: What Poor Gods We Do Make - The Story And Music Behind Naked Raygun

Naked Raygun: "I Don't Know" (live) (From What Poor Gods We Do Make)

Naked Raygun: "Suspect Device" (live, with Jake Burns) (From What Poor Gods We Do Make)

My first irrelevant thought while watching this was being a tad disappointed it was shot on video instead of film. On film it's a movie, while on video it's a video. In my mind Naked Raygun is worthy of film stock. As the documentary ended my first relevant thought was about how it had a lamentful (not a real word) and almost desperate tone to it, as if Raygun woulda-coulda-shoulda ruled the wasteland of popular music. As I pondered this later at my gym (L.A. Crapness) the piped-in music played a song so close to commercial Bad Religion I winced. Could the Naked Raygun sound ever be commercially popular? Do you want it to be popular with every other fuggwad in Stupidtown? I hope not for your sake, and I pray not for Naked Raygun's legacy. They're American hardcore punk gods, not also-rans from the era of Nirvana, a band whose lineage goes back to Led Zepplin, not the Bad Brains.

My only other complaint is that What Poor Gods We Do Make hits its closing credits at 1:41:48. John Water's 90 minute rule applies to band documentaries exponentially more than it does to theatrical films, and 11:48 of the repeated assertions of Naked Raygun's greatness and legacy could have been easily exorcised. Jeez, was this made for Naked Raygun fans or some bored kid at a video store who picked it up because he thought it was porn in the music section?

Now that my spleen's been vented, Naked Raygun are like really, really super, and without them life might still be worth living but the suckitude of it would suck that much more. I took notes but there's not that much to discuss. Raygun got together like most bands do, played clubs and toured like many, unified their scene like some, and are legends as only few can ever be. Their last two records aren't the best, but the best of their catalog easily matches the best of any punk band in the world. To know Naked Raygun is to love Naked Raygun, and if you know Naked Raygun yet don't love them, you're as punk as Avril Lavigne.

The documentary mixes new and old concert and video footage with interviews of the band, music critics and Chicago bands both contemporaries and followers. All praise Naked Raygun, which they should, but whoever put this together lays it on thick. You show people why a band is great, not just beat the idea into their heads with surreal repetition. The only snark is directed at former guitarist John Haggerty by singer Jeff Pezzati, who seems to be wading through a sea of Nyquil. Says Pezz, "It was sad to see him go, but, you know, he went on and did his own thing... I guess." I guess? That "thing" was Pegboy, who kicked ass like Raygun did in their prime. Bitter much?

The DVD comes with a 22 track CD of live material from their 2006 reunion shows, which they reenacted well when I saw them in January. The geezer treat of both the DVD and CD is Jake Burns coming in a fraction of a second late on the opening of his own "Suspect Device". This is a steal at the list price of $19.98. As a Raygun fanatic there was no way I wasn't going to own this, but I wouldn't suggest it right away to Duh Kidz. It's filled with (otherwise) boring inside-baseball stuff and it pushes the band's legacy to a new generation with slight whiffs of insecurity and desperation, not from the band itself but by others, and how the whole shebang's edited together. For the kids you put together a compilation of their best studio work and send them off with the one piece of information that what they'll hear is among the best punk rock the world's ever had to offer. That comp should contain "I Lie", "I Don't Know", "Metastasis", "Peacemaker", "The Strip" and "Home Of The Brave". That's all I'm sayin'...

Entry Fifty-Seven: 02/17/2008: Analog CyberPunk, Transmission Two

Begin Transmission Two: Whenever I hear The Normal's "Warm Leatherette" I imagine Daniel Miller standing on a bare, brightly lit stage with a cheap drum machine and an over-wired piece of plywood populated with salvaged push-buttons, each producing either a science-fiction bleep or a jarring tone, a few defective buttons giving back an electric shock that makes Miller's face twitch as he presses them.

My initial collection of songs for possible inclusion in the Analog CyberPunk project contains 1,353 tracks, and sampling proves the 10% Rule never fails. The 10% Rule states that only 10% of any general category is of real worth. The 10% Rule applies to people, places, things, concepts and theories. There's also the 80/18/2 Rule, or more accurately, the 1/9/80/9/1 Rule. The top 1% is the creme de la creme, while the bottom 1% is the crust de la crap. The other 9% of the top and bottom round out the 10% Rule, which on the low end is a musical kick in the groin either way. The remaining 80% is mainly bulk ranging from the acceptable to the Pavlovian response of forming spittle while reaching for either the off button or a baseball bat. End transmission Two.

Das Kabinette: "The Cabinet" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

1983's "The Cabinet" is a legendary hit that surprised no one more than Das Kabinette themselves. Enjoyable to no end, it owes its lunch money and a few dimes extra to Bauhaus' 1979 dub-driven stare-at-yourself-twirl-fest classic "Bela Lugosi's Dead".

Vice Versa: "Riot Squad" (Category: Analog CyberPunk)

Before becoming the craptacular New Romance crapmeisters ABC, the core of the band formed Vice Versa (MySpace) in 1978, releasing two singles and lasting two years. "Riot Squad" is their best and most focused track.

Voice Farm: "Modern Things" (Category: Analog CyberPunk: New Wave Edition)

Voice Farm (more here and here) released a few albums on Ralph Records, so rest assured they were generally scatterbrained and sometimes brilliant. Not a band to take themselves (or to be taken) seriously, I generally like them as long as they don't go overboard with campiness. "Modern Things" has great lyrics, and for extra laffs I imagine Pee Wee Herman singing them. "It's not imitation anything / It's real plastic!" Ha!

Modern things from Germany
Modern things from Japan
Modern things from Italy
Franoise Sagan...

Beautiful things from Paris
Beautiful things from New York
Beautiful things from Berlin
All over the world

Tape decks
Lounge chairs
Beatle boots
???

You can see them in magazines
???
Immaculate photography
Everything looks brand new

They cost a lot
And they're awfully hard to locate

I always wondered who buy these things
And what those people are like
I know I'd like to have these things
And nothing...

TVs
Ashtrays
Flatware
Modular systems and packaging
Product design

Why doesn't everyone like these things
When they're part of our time?

It's not imitation anything
It's real plastic!

Entry Fifty-Six: 02/09/2008: DVD Review: Bob Mould - Circle Of Friends

Husker Du: "Chartered Trips" (From Zen Arcade)

Bob Mould: "Paralyzed" (From Body Of Song)

The minutia of Bob Mould's life is chronicled in his blog. He's a legend and also a working musician, so if you enjoy the process you should check it out. 2005's Body Of Song was a great record, with Bob coming to terms with his legacy and his love of electronic music and manipulations. Bob Mould: Circle Of Friends is a beautifully recorded document of a show he put on only a few months after the release of Body Of Song. It came out in October of last year to set up the release of his latest CD, District Line. Samples are here.

I saw this tour in Los Angeles, and Circle Of Friends is an exact rendering of what I saw that night. The DVD itself is technically perfect and the sound-sync is flawless. The set list of 23 tracks yielded only 4 fillers, and at the crazy low retail price of $19.99 you can't go wrong. Still, Bob and his band aren't tight and the show could have been better. The disc includes a video short on how Bob put his band together, and all agree that Bob was once a scary character but is now generally happy. Can a content Bob Mould still write great Bob Mould music? Why, yes, he can.

D.C. legend Brendan Canty played on Body Of Song, and he works the drums in a fashion not dissimilar to Grant Hart, which works well enough on the Husker Du songs but not the Sugar ones, where Malcolm Travis' playing is compact and powerful. Electronica/Alternative/House musician Richard Morel hits a lot of keys but half the time it's hard to make out any sounds coming from his seat on stage. He comes to the foreground on Body Of Song tracks but is a third wheel on others. Then again, when it came to Mission Of Burma everyone made a stink about Martin Swope's tape manipulations, yet I wasn't hearing much from him either. Jason Narducy is decent on bass and is younger than the rest by a generation. Bob's in decent form but I wish his guitar was amped clearer.

For the first time Bob resurrected some of his best Husker Du work, and it's always a thrill to hear "I Apologize", "Chartered Trips" and "Celebrated Summer". If I had a nickel for every time I've screamed along with the screamy parts of "Chartered Trips" I'd have $1.65 in my pocket. I'm compelled to point out a great line in "Paralyzed" that always gets my attention, and it goes exactly like this: "I wish for things that sadly have come true." I also have to say that Bob sometimes looks a whole lot like the older Pete Townsend.

It's a missed opportunity that little if anything is added to or improved on, and the playing should have been tighter. There's a few times when random notes fly into the ether for no reason. Still, it's a good enough show by a personal hero and guitar god, so if you have any inclination to buy this I suggest you do.

Entry Fifty-Five: 02/02/2008: The Present Is The Past's Future

The Normal: "Warm Leatherette" (From 7" single) (1978)

Tuxedomoon: "No Tears" (from 7" single) (1978)

Begin Transmission One: Welcome to the first installment of the Analog CyberPunk Project, to be mixed in with the usual nonsense. The main page for it is here. In the ACP Project I'll be compiling songs, mainly from the late 70's to early 80's, that I remember from my young-adult years listening to college radio and dancing in new wave clubs. It's a narrow sub-genre of my own creation, but it's as real and distinctive to me now as it was almost thirty years ago when I first heard it and fell for its charms. I get to make it up as I go along, and if I do a good enough job it might become a fact and not just my opinion. "Analog CyberPunk" is silly yet accurate, so I use it both with confidence and a slight twitch of embarrassment, and I won't use it that often.

I was born in 1961 in New York, and as teenager in the '70s I fought both the Disco Wars and The Hard Rock Cold War. As a rock and roll man I hated disco for all the obvious reasons and cheered our side's victory on July 12, 1979. As a new waver I hated the dirtballs into Led Zepplin and Black Sabbath. Both genres seemed dead, if not mortally wounded, by 1980, when new wave nearly took over the radio as popular entertainment. Sadly, as disco gasped its initial last the music establishment, from labels to clubs to magazines, did what they had to do to mutate new wave into the next disco, as in the next disposable music. It wasn't the conspiracy I thought it was at the time but the logical business thing to do, and my time in the sun lasted at least five years so I'm not complaining. I must point out that new wave and punk were interchangeable terms, and at a new wave club you'd hear everything from reggae to rockabilly to The Sex Pistols. It was all good and it seemed to mix well. I officially became a "punk" by the time Culture Club began their craptacular career around 1982.

The reason for the Analog CyberPunk Project is this: There were underground electronic new wave songs of a similar ilk I heard here and there and loved with a passion, the whole while never knowing who the bands were or what the songs were called. In recent years, thanks to the work of a later generation of disco culture, collections of songs with ACP potential have been compiled and distributed on the internet. Here's a page devoted to them. Most of these tracks will not apply, but now most everything I'll need to do this will be readily available, and when I'm finished the last of the good unheard music of my life will have been discovered, dissected and internalized. After this my hunt for music ends. The itch will have been scratched and I'll have enough great music to keep me busy well into old age and its associated dementias and physical breakdowns.

The template for Analog CyberPunk can be found most readily in "Warm Leatherette" by The Normal and "No Tears" by Tuxedomoon. I can either explain what you'll get from these two songs, or you can listen for yourself, and since I ain't 'splaining until next time you'd better take a listen. I will say this: Analog CyberPunk was what it was, not what it later became or what others think it should include. Associate Justice Potter Stewart knew hardcore pornography when he saw it, and I'll know Analog CyberPunk when I hear it. End transmission One.

Entry Fifty-Four: 01/26/2008: Title: Mid-Stream Change Of Direction. Subtitle: Back To The Future

Elvis Costello & The Attractions: "Radio Radio", live on SNL, 12/17/1977.

Dead Kennedys: "Pull My Strings" (From Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death)

As a long time two-bit record collector there was always a fear that no matter how much I bought or borrowed there would always be a plethora of stupendous songs I'd never hear or know about. Record collecting is gambling's geek-hipster cousin. Thanks to the intertubes I've been able to explore everything I've heard about and everything else even remotely related. My fear of missing out is now almost completely gone, and good riddance. Compulsive leisure activities fill up time and keep the economy humming, but it's still a compulsion which leads to both nervousness and poverty.

Next week I'll be mixing in a new project involving me identifying a sub-genre (and sub-sub-genres) of an old style of music I remember from many years ago. It involves songs partly or mostly electronic in nature, of a time when new wave supplied the melodies and punk the manic energy. In the meantime I'm collecting possible candidate tunes using track lists of the many compilations of similar and dissimilar music compiled over recent years. The candidate pool starts with about 1,000 songs. When I'm done my quest for the unheard music will end completely, for what has to be the better.

Seeing Elvis Costello stop "Less Than Zero" on Saturday Night Live 29 years ago to rip into "Radio Radio" helped make me the socially maladjusted individual I am today. So did Devo on SNL in October of '78. My first confirmed act of alternative music weirdness was in 1975, at fourteen, being able to lip-synch all of David Live. I accept what Elvis did as a deliberate if not spontaneous act, while the generally excellent History Of Rock And Roll asserts otherwise. Jeez, he was banned from the show for a dozen years! The Weird Al homage lacks punch but it's still funny.

The Dead Kennedys' "Pull My Strings" only exists as audio and lacks that video kick, but it's a fun song which I doubt ruffled as many feathers as we've been led to believe. It was performed in the capital of The Land Of Fruits And Nuts, and they were going to play the hardcore song "California Uber Alles" anyway. The crowd reaction seems great, and if they weren't invited back it was probably because nobody likes their chains jerked. Civil society wasn't brought to its knees by an off-color parody of "My Sharona". Oy.

Entry Fifty-Three: 01/19/2008: Second Firsts For My MP3 Blog's First Birthday (w/bonus birthday song)

The Damned: "New Rose" (From Damned Damned Damned)

Devo: "Fountain Of Filth" (From Hardcore Devo Vol. 2)

It seems like just a year ago I started posting weekly MP3s. To celebrate, here's "Birthday Boy" by The Residents, a song you can play for friends, relatives and your shrink to prove you're more than just a little nuts. This year I'll be defining a new (as far as I know) music sub-genre and hopefully filling CD-length compilations of said sub-genre and sub-sub-genre tracks. It's all very exciting...

The Damned weren't the first UK punk band but they were the first with a single and full-length album. I rate "New Rose" the best song of that time and place. I'm not a big fan of The Damned because they wanked a lot, especially live, and the double vocals annoy me proportionally to the amount of time I have to listen to them. I also sometimes confuse them with The Stranglers.

Devo was the first new wave band almost by definition, in their career a proto-new wave, new wave and post-new wave unit. They should have quit after Oh, No! It's Devo!, and bassist Gerald Casale is so bitter and impotent it's always fun to read or listen to his angry complaints about everything. "Fountain Of Filth" is to my ear the earliest example of a purely new wave sound you can dance to in a purely new wave fashion. It's also one of their best songs. The copyright says 1977. The Hardcore Devo collections are a great resource for both Devo demos and their dated Captain Beefheart fetish.

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