Mind Crash
A POKE IN THE THIRD EYE WITH A SHARP STICK
The following reviews originally appeared on my MySpace blog and are repeated here for no good reason...
"I Don't Wanna" by "Sham 69" from their Debut 7" Single
Now I remember why 1977 was so important! Production is as rough as a bears' behind, but none the less, this three track EP was and is quite special, not least because of the cover (you'll know what I mean if you saw it!). Reminds me so much of the first Minor Threat single (OK, so it's the other way round, but you know what I mean...). Raw punk rock before the music business inevitably affected them.
"In & Out (Extended Original)" by "Radical Noiz feat. Adeva" from "In & Out - EP"
One of those tracks that I'd been looking for ages and almost became convinced it didn't exist, and then it appeared as if by magic. What confused me was the original had a Fat Boy Slim sample, the Fat Boy Slim took their original and mixed it with his original for his Glastonbury live set, so several version exist, none exactly like the live version! Also not helped by an awesomely similar and thoroughly recommended version by ATFC - someone out there must know how to help me unravel this confusing mess? :)
"The Oldest Story (Swag Dub)" by "P'Taah" from "Uptown - Ubiquity Club Classics"
Upbeat Funky electro house that makes parts of your body move uncontrollably (no, not those parts, you sickos!).
"Jamming in London" by "The Master Musicians of Jajouka featuring Bachir Attar" from "The Master Musicians of Jajouka"
I got into this Moroccan musicians collective many years ago via the Brian Jones/Psychic TV/Byron Gyring connections. I've always had a strange an inexplicable soft spot for Moroccan drumming & pan pipes. This track - no idea how old it is - features some ace drumming and even a bit of vinyl scratching! It doesn't get much more laid back than this!
"You Really Got Me (Live)" by "The Kinks" from "Come Dancing With the Kinks - the Best of the Kinks 1977-1986"
A song which always sounded like it had arrived a decade too early. This is a super-fast live version finally fulfilling the prophecy that this was just destined to become a punk record! Didn't the Stranglers do a cover? If not, they should have!
"Tied Up Too Tight" by "Hard-Fi" from "Stars of CCTV"
A band that are starting to sound more like The Clash than the Clash ever did - even contains references to West London!) This is yet another catchy power pop outing - just impossible to avoid singing along with the chorus and backing vocals.
"Totally Wired" by "The Fall" from "Totally Wired - The Rough Trade Anthology"
Hard to believe that I had this on 7" single back in the day (along with "Fiery Jack" and "Glam Racket", this is one of my fave Fall tracks). Fond memories of the Peel Show - didn't they also do a track for a Peel session called "Bingo Callers Break Out"?? Would love to hear from someone to confirm. Contains the immortal Mark E Smith line "You don't have to be weird to be weird"!
"Time for Deliverance" by "Do Me Bad Things" from "YES!"
Like, whoah! What the fuck? I caught these playing this track live on Tim thingy's live football/music show, you know the one I mean? They look like/were described as a cross between The Rocky Horror Show and The Scissor Sisters(!). I think there are about 100 of them or something in the band - a really nice, catchy, poppy and equally strange mixture of influences - recommended!
"Girls Like Us" by "B15 Project" from "The Very Best Of Street Vibes (Disc 2)"
Was it really that long ago (1999?) that UK Garage arrived on the scene? This is the perfect example of Jungle/R&B/pop cross-over - superb beat, catchy vocals - and if you can stomach the almost painful patois rap that breaks out unexpectedly half way through and would be better suited to Sean Paul track - then you'll hopefully enjoy this soulful journey to the dark side (of London).
"Warm Leatherette" by "The Normal" from "Death Disco - Songs from Under the Dance Floor, 1978-1984"
For those old enough to remember 1978, this came out as a Double A-Side single with the equally brutal TVOD on the flip side. I seem to recall Grace Jones doing a cover of this too, which is odd by anyone's standards. This track is a crucial addition to any history of electronic music - it's simple, effective, subtly funky and as for the lyrics, well see for yourself:
"A tear of petrol
Is in your eye
The hand brake
Penetrates your thigh
Quick -- Let's make love
Before you die"
© Daniel Miller 1978 (inspired by J.G. Ballard's "Crash" novel?)
“Not if you were the last junkie on earth” by “Dandy Warhols” from “...The Dandy Warhols Come Down”
And pleasantly surprised I was to find too, when I went along to catch the Dandy’s live in London, that they were behind this track, which I’d caught on the radio back in the 90’s but never found out who it was by! Wonderfully catchy, you can sing along with your mom, “I never thought you'd be a junkie because heroin is so passé”
“Subculture (Reconstruction Pt. 2)” by “DJ Liquid” from “Remixed”
Nice, hard mix of acid, electro and big beat/drum & bass; kind of rumbles along like an express train, guaranteed to make your windows shake and your neighbours deeply upset if played aloud. Will bust your ear drums or make you step out in front of moving vehicles if played on headphones.
“Nothing (Headcleaner Rock Mix)” by “Depeche Mode” from “Remixes 81-04 (Disc 3)”
Fucking hell! I couldn’t leave out the boys from my home town now, could I? It would have been easy to choose 1 of 10 tracks from the remix box set, but this one rocked my world on several levels – a heavy duty guitar-based remix that makes a pleasant change from all the sometimes predictable DJ remixes.
“Come Get My Lovin' (Original Version)” by “Dionne” from “House Nation”
Another track to pound your neighbours/eardrums into submission, this is just simply a stunning piece of house history. And if you were around back in the day, you’ll know first hand what kind of effect this track could have on the dance floor. They don’t make ‘em like they used too… probably…. But then again….
“Rely On Me (Aquanote Vocal Voyage)” by “Petalpusher” from “Naked Music Essentials, Vol. 1”
But then again… warm, fuzzy, jazzy, atmospheric, bouncing deep and meaningful house music from the soul. Slips into your subconscious when you are least expecting it and before you know it, you’re humming it, whistling it, singing even (very embarrassing when you find yourself singing out loud in the office). Just far enough off centre and away from the main stream to stand the test the time, as with the Dionne track above, which still sends shivers after 20+ years!
“She Sends Kisses” by “The Wrens” from “The Meadowlands”
This is a beautiful, melodic track, which builds up slowly and tenderly - maybe a little bit “Radiohead” even, but that’s not a sufficient explanation as there’s an element of 60’s psychedelia in there too. Whatever – you need it in your collection, trust me – you’ll not be disappointed!
“I Turn My Camera On” by “Spoon” from “Gimme Fiction”
I owe this discovery to my new found and oh so cute myspace friend Lori Ann. This track starts out like some kind of cheap country & western ho down, whatever the heck that is, and then builds into one of the coolest and most diverse tracks I’ve had the pleasure to hear in a long while. Rock/Pop/Indie/Boy Band? (just kidding on that last point!).
“No Yellow Lines” by “ Mount Sims” from “Wild Light”
OK. Like, what the fuck? As I may well have bored you about in the past, reason I love iPOD/iTUNES is you can discover new frontiers like this. Retro-electro or authentic real-deal? No idea. Don’t give a fuck either way. Pumping, bubbly, electronic pop – but nothing can prepare you for the vocals: Sounds like some kind of stadium rock vocalist, but in the nicest possible way!
“The Regulator” by “Bad Brains” from “Bad Brains”
Regular readers (yeah right, like that could happen J will know how much I love DC’s BB’s – I originally had this track on a real battered ROIR cassette tape and played it, literally, until the tape disintegrated! Can’t really be sure what HR is hinting at, but some kind of police/government oppression type scenario, no doubt. Whatever, he’s fucking angry and this track has a monster killer bassline from hell – punk rock inna dredd fashion. You simply must indulge.
“TANK” by “The Stranglers” from “Black and White”
I have to confess to having lost interest after the first two albums; how could it get any better than “Rattus”? Having seen live them recently (see review elsewhere), I have to admit be being pleasantly surprised to find some stuff post “No More Heroes” still had that Stranglers feel to it (also recommend the recent “Big Thing Coming”, where they seem to have recaptured that original essence). Anyhow, TANK is a fantastic, if slightly dated, Stranglers punk choon – check it out if you haven’t already.
“Let’s Rock” by “Phonky Riot” from “House X-plosion Vol. 1”
“As you move your body, to this mother-fucking house beat, think about the things you did today, think about the things you did yesterday, think about the things that you plan for tomorrow, but don’t forget tomorrow is not promised to any of us, it is the now that really means anything, it is the now that we’re concentrating on, so as you move your bodies, to this universal music, think about the now…. The universe is moving with you, as you rotate your body back and forth, left and right, the universe is moving with you, feel the music, feel the universe, this is the microcosmic, international, house music, give me your ear, put it to the speaker box, let it rock…” – God how I miss Ecstacy J
“ Ohio” by “ Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young” from “So Far”
Shit, maybe I’m turning into a hippy? I mean, I do like Love, Jimi Hendrix, The Velvets, Zappa, and now this: a gen-you-wine protest song straight out the 60’s! Starts out quite bluesy and drifts along in a laid back, flared trouser, smoke-a-big-fat-one stylee. But never one to be governed by genres or worried about stereotypes, I gotta admit, this is a real classic – I hold my hands up – Peace and Love Brothers and Sisters, Peace and Love.
“ Babylon / Bad Habit (Accapella) / Dreamin (Accapella)” by “Nu-Rythmix / Atfc / Loleatta Holloway” from “Masters at Work -- In The House (Disc 2)”
Always a big fan of MAW, having had the ultimate pleasure of experiencing one of Little Louie’s UK visits first hand (now the story of that night alone could fill a blog in itself!). This mix kinda lays down a challenge to all those living souls who claim not to want or be able to dance – just try it in the comfort of your living room; try not moving a muscle to this mix, or the underlying and awesome “Bad Habit” by “ATFC” – what have you got to lose? J
“Street Spirit (Fade Out)” by “Radiohead” from “The Bends”
I made the mistake of saying I wanted this played at my funeral. I say “made a mistake” because playing music at funerals ruins the tracks for years after for all attendees as they forever more associate the track with death and depression. Thankfully, for this track, it’s already so laden with death and depressive imagery that this should not be problem! If you like your music mean and moody, then look no further… astonishing track, awesome video – very dark.
“Flesh (The Original Mix)” by “A Split Second” from “Essential Selection Summer 1998 (Disc 3) - Twelve Ibiza Classics - Adventures In Wonderland”
“Haunting”, “Chilling”, picture the scene, slumped in the back of a car, being driven home from an all-nighter the day after, various chemicals swirling through the blood stream, then this comes on the pirate radio station… oooh. Another song from that Electro-Goth vein that cropped up in Ibiza and the ensuing madness that followed. Strangely fits in so well with “Bring Forth The Guillotine” by “Silver Bullet” and “What Time Is Love” by “KLF” (another song guaranteed to send shivers for eternity” and “Security” by “The Beat Club” – from an ear toward the end of the 80’s where everything and anything could be mixed together at will or at random, who cared, so long as it had that electronic beat.
“Theme from 'The Warriors'” by “Barry de Vorzon” from “Warriors (Film Soundtrack)”
So, you’re starting to see how my mind associates things? No? Well, certain pirate stations and rave DJ’s as mentioned above would also occasionally drop this track into their Saturday night/Sunday morning sets, and to good effect. With the recent release of the PS2 game, and resurgence of interest from today’s “YOOTH” in the film, this track can do no wrong. For those of you who were into the film first time round, this track always guarantees to put you right back on those mean New York streets any time you hear it – power electronic rock, rolls like thunder.
“Freedom” by “The Last Resort” from “Skinhead Anthems” (and now “Violence In Our Minds” compilation).
And the synchronicity continues to flow…. (work it out for yourself)… Whether you were into the skinhead scene, or the Oi! scene, or the politics… none of that matters one shred if you really like punk/metal music. This track is an absolute classic, in terms of power, originality and the sheer venom in the lyrics and their delivery. If only this hadn’t been recorded on a dodgy 4-track, but then, that’s what punk was supposed to be about, wasn’t it? And fair play, to a certain extent, that’s why this is a classic, in the same way as early Black Flag, Sham 69 and Minor Threat releases were not exactly “polished”, yet their power is undeniable. The Last Resort deserve far more credit than they actually get in punk rock history.
“On My Own (Kaskade Mix)” by “Amma” from “On My Own – EP”
Would love to hear from anyone who owns or was involved in producing this. It’s a truly magnificent soulful jazzy house excursion for sure, but is it my imagination or is the drum track slightly out? I know 909’s have an ability to inject “realism”, but if I didn’t know better, I’d say something is up with certain portions of this. That aside (!), this is as mellow and uplifting as a fluffy rabbit in a hot air balloon.
“Ain't No Feeble Bastard” by “Discharge” from “Society's Victims [Box set]”
Whahoo! Gotta love the boys from Stoke. I don’t own this box set, nor do I intend to, but I did own the original Clay singles and the 12” EP this track originally came from. Talk about brutality – fookin’ ‘eck! In my opinion, this is their best track, others will tell you different. The sheer power of the bassline, the anger in the vocals “Ain’t no feeble bastard no fookin’ scapegoat” and the “guitar solo”(!) – sounds like a B52 flying over your house, dropping 100K of TNT onto your hungover fookin’ head.
“A new low in getting high” by “The Brian Jonestown Massacre” from “And this is our music”.
Although I have to confess to being born in the 60’s (yeah, I know, old timer or what!), being only four years old at the time rendered me unable to experience the psychedelic thing first time around. So I picked up on it “second hand”, via The Cramps and The Damned and various other punk bands doing covers of MC5 and Fire Escape songs. Inevitably, I soon discovered the Velvet Underground, Love, The Byrds, etc., but still my only real first hand exposure to Psychedelic rock came via early output from The Shamen (“Drop” is an awesomely underrated album), Spaceman 3, Loop and, of course, those early incarnations of Psychic TV.
Indeed, when I first heard of Brian Jonestown Massacre, I though it was a fictitious band name; perhaps made up as a cover for a Psychic TV reunion! Then I saw the movie “DIG”, which I know Anton (and he basically IS BJM) dislikes intensely, but at least the movie is now giving the world an intro to the music of BJM!.
When I discovered BJM had produced 12 albums in 10 years, I was, and still am, incredulous; how could this have happened with hardly anyone but a hardcore few noticing?
Anyhow, suffice it to say, and in my opinion; you can’t go far wrong by investing in “Tepid Peppermint Wonderland” (a BJM “retrospective”); I kid you not that 10 to 12 tracks on that album will easily command the title of “Classic” at some point in the future - Guaranteed!
As the Dandy Warhols admitted in the movie “DIG”; long after many bands (including the Dandy’s) have come and gone, The Brian Jonestown Massacre will long be remembered – don’t die without at least checking them out!!!!
“The Gush” by “Raging Speedhorn” from “Raging Speedhorn”.
Whoah! From the land of cold grey steel and hotel room trouser presses(!), this track hails from a time, not too many years ago, when “nu metal” was as raw as a piece of rare steak; make no mistake this is a heavy track (though milder than some of their other stuff). Plenty of growling, an absolutely thundering bassline, plus some nice switches in style and tempo throughout – all go toward making this a killer track – and you have to love a band with a name like “Raging Speedhorn” don’t cha? Don’t cha!
“Evil Eyes Again” by “The Warlocks” from “Surgery”.
Back on the psychedelic trip, so to speak, this is another post-BJM project gone well (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is another). It was a close call on fave tracks this month; though I really love “Warhorses”, which brings back joyful memories of Loop, Head of David and Spacemen 3, yet still has enough originality to attract new attention, this track gets my vote as being both tuneful and very catchy.
“Midnite Bouce” by “Midnite Fellas” from “House X-Plosion Vol, 1”.
Does exactly was it says on the tin; delivers a nice chunk of bubbly house music to be played only during the early hours of the morning to get any party (re)started.
“Action” by “The Glossines” from “Girl Gang” 2004 single.
I never really fully understood what Garage (in the 60’s sense of the word) actually translated into, in musical format anyhow. But whatever, this track is cool homage to it. Don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself for free: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=17185463
“Is it a sin?” by “Joel Edwards” from “New Music, New Attitude”.
Apocalyptic Acoustic Wonderment; reminds me so much of The Adventures during their “Sea of Love” period; Strong and equally sweet vocals over a smart, clean, easy paced beat and jangly guitars.
“Music & Wine (Satin Souls Remix)” by “Blue Six” from “Music & Wine / All I Need (Unreleased Mixes) – EP”.
Oh no! Please don’t ever ask me to make the call on whether I prefer guitar-based indie rock and roll or electronic dance music: Tracks like this remind me that I can never escape from either genre – ever! This is, without a doubt, a fantastic track. You can trace the influences back to 80’s electro-soul here too, which is no bad thing – it makes a nice change from 4x4 House – and that bassline! Sexy with a capital “Fuck”…
“Total Invasion” by “Killing Joke” from “Killing Joke (2003)”.
Whatever your thoughts on the Iraq war, this track should chill even the most hardened to the bone; Jaz Coleman’s paranoia is infectious, just watch any recent interview with him and try not to believe those conspiracy theories – I dare you! Strangely, Dave Grohl almost feels like he’s struggling to keep up with the rest of the boys here, which I know is not the case - his drumming in QOTSA was phenomenal (yeah I know he was drummer in Nirvana too!) – but to compete with the other Killing Joke drummers is a challenge indeed - I prefer Benny Boy’s skin pounding on the XXV Gathering DVD - Sorry Dave! (Like he would be reading this!). BTW, did Mr. Grohl play on this album as some kind of payback for Nirvana allegedly ripping off KJ’s “Eighties” bassline on “Come as you are”? Answers on an e-postcard….
“Going Missing” by “ Maximo Park” from “A Certain Trigger”.
Well, this is a different type of Northern Soul to the one I’m familiar with J Not since the days of The Buzzcocks have I heard any vocalist able to sing in a Northern (English) accent!!! (don’t even think about mentioning the Proclaimers – oh no!). This is just one of handful of decent tracks off this album; plenty of guitars, keys, and a tasty and addictive singalong power punk pop chorus – a very nice piece of work!
“Don’t Cha” by “Busta Rhymes and The Pussycat Dolls” from “Don’t Cha” single.
Agh fuck it; any trace of street credibility has gone out of the window with the inclusion of this one. I blame my wife - I’m sure I didn’t download this! Anyhows, I make no apologies for liking the occasional pop song – there’s a cool house remix of this track out there too – Lot’s of naughty words and lyrics make me feel a little bit cooler with this selection…. Shit! I’m all out of excuses! It’s just good alright!
“Complete Control” by The Clash from “The Story of THE CLASH”.
I always loved the early clash stuff; recently spotted this particular track appears in the Top 100 tunes of all time (Billboard). I guess I was a little surprised to see it alongside Meat Loaf and “Wacko Jacko”, but this is a really intelligent piece of punk rock. The Clash always got plenty of stick from punks for signing to a Major label (CBS) and “selling out” to the music business. Well, thank God they did get screwed over by their label (allegedly!), otherwise this track would never have seen the angry light of day – plenty to get irate about for Jones (RIP) and the boys from West London. If you are gonna make a song, then make sure you have something to get angry about – and this is snarling!
“Where’s Jack The Ripper” by Grooverider from “Mysteries of Funk”.
From one of the inventors of Jungle/Drum and Bass, this track truly breaks the sound barrier. Thankfully for true fans of the genre, Drum and Bass was always going to be a little too harsh to get absorbed into the mainstream (though I did actually here this track used in recent episode of CSI!) Cracking music or Crack music? You decide…
“Jesus Came Driving Along” by The Leather Nun from “Lust Games”.
Strangely, this track never made the double album greatest hits.. how very fucking strange… “Then I see Jesus came driving along and he parked his car. I had to ask him if he could make me a star”. This is groovy Swedish biker chic; these Hell’s Angels with guitars went from relative obscurity to sub-fame and then back to obscurity again in a relatively short space of time. But like all good rock legends, the material they turned out in between was second to none. This track in particular is awesome (along with “I can smell your thoughts” and “ Desolation Avenue”). A live version of this track was around in bootleg form and was then given away as a freebie many moons ago, and it contains one of the most awesome (substance-fuelled?) guitar solos this side of Frank Zappa.
“Nature Boy” by Nick Cave from “The Bands (Disk 2)”.
I kind of missed out on everything between “Sometimes Even Pleasure Heads Must Burn” (Peel sessions) and this gem, which I plan to rectify at some stage… but anyway, obviously a twisted genius, Nick Cave shows an amazingly poppy side to his work through this piece - and the vocals are just pure genius, “I was walking round the flower show like a leper coming down with some kind of nervous hysteria. I saw you standing there: green eyes, black hair, up against the pink and purple wisteria” J
“A Kick In The Teeth (Tiefschwarz Remix)” by Fischerspooner from “CREAM: Rock The Discotechque”.
An ace double mix CD from CREAM this one. Fascinating to see that House is still going strong after all these years; constantly mutating and reinventing itself – yeah sometimes there are periods of repetitiveness, but there are some truly brilliant tunes mixed in here. If you like this, also check out “Emerge” by the same outfit. “Musique Non Stop; Techno Pop” as Krattwerk would say – and the timing on this remix is weird too, like some kind of 3/4 off-beat debacle – awesome!
“Keep Hoping (The Beard Mix)” by Amma & The Beard from “Keep Hoping - EP”.
Yet another glorious piece of funky vocal house from this team. Dreamy, slow to build. A bassline that grabs your butt and firmly twists your cheeks around. Moving, positive, uplifting: “Keep hoping for tomorrow. Keep looking for that brighter day. This struggle will soon be over. Just believing there’s a way”.
“Pretend We’re Dead” by L7 from “Bricks Are Heavy”.
Not much to say really; this is Luscious, simple, catchy, gritty, loud and probably unintentionally very sexy piece of girl rock.
“Digital Tenderness” by Adam and The Ants from “Dirk Wears White Sox (Remastered)”.
Proving yet again that the fine line between genius and psycho is indeed a precarious tightrope to walk, where one slip can mean you hurt your nuts in a big bad way…. Stuart Goddard aka Adam Ant is without a doubt one of those pop genii that so rarely graces the planet. The sheer volume of output between ‘76 and ‘79 is quite incredible (there’s a whole unreleased album lurking about out there which is fucking jam packed full of new new super heavy punk funk classics – you have to dig deep to find out about it, but it’s out there, trust me!). “Dirk” is an amazing album and I could have picked any of the tracks as unique representations from that era. Really no way to categorise this either. Franz Ferdinand will come and go, knowing full well who they owe their fame and sound to. Nothing like the early Ants, then or now.
“In a Rut” by The Ruts from any of the greatest hits compilations, but the 7” vinyl original is best.
If you could tame nuclear power and channel it through a Marshall amp, then this is what it would sound like, I’m sure of it. Appearing to prove my theory that it can never get any better than the first single for most bands, this is, in my opinion, one of the ultimate UK “shouty” punk rock records (as well as “Right To Work” by Chelsea, “GLC” by Menace, “Antisocial” by Skrewdriver, etc.”) – it’s all very London, late seventies, but who cares…
“It’s been a while” by Staind from “Break The Cycle”
Being a big tough man J there aren’t many pieces of music that move me to tears (actually, that’s bullshit, I’m an oversensitive buffoon, but never mind…). This track (and “Outside” actually) seem to sum up that inability to communicate the inner anger that so often causes men to punch random objects. Stupid and twisted I know. This is just about the best example of acoustic-sliding-into-metal ballad I’ve come across too. Dark.
‘All Sparks’ (Cicada Remix) by ‘The Editors’ – I’ve no idea how this could have been a B-Side (can you even HAVE a “B-Side” these days?). This an astonishing remix from one of the new masters. Razor sharp, yet dreamy; it drifts along, but with a sense of purpose - If this track doesn’t awaken something inside you, then I’m afraid you may be clinically dead….
‘Be Yourself’ (Reworked by Laurent Garnier) by ‘Avril & Laurent Garnier’ from ‘Be Yourself – Single’: You know I’m a sucker for a good, firm bass line right? Check this one out; this booms along like a boomy thing switched up real loud and boomy – functional too, even educational - you can’t fail to learn SOME basic French from this track! As the man says ‘Be Yourself’ – being anyone else is just plain wrong…
‘Fuck’ by ‘Étienne de Crécy’ from ‘Commercial – EP’: This track will dig up your head and leave a gaping big hole where your brain once was. Kind of like a musical industrial earth-mover. Purely instrumental – a definite favourite in the gym, with lots of twirly synths to keep you on your toes. Subtle title too!
‘Dynamite (Raul Rincon Remix)’ by ‘Future Rock’ from ‘El'Arenal Opening Party 2006”: Ooh, this is so cheesy, but strangely compelling and very addictive. Love the (allegedly) Deep Purple (almost) sample – it works really well. Another really bouncy bass line – lots of builds and drop outs to get your juices really flowing. Get cheese, eat cheese, like cheese.
‘Unfaced Truth’ by ‘DJ Zdan’ from ‘Electro House Nation, Vol. 1’: I’m always interested when someone whacks a piece of hardcore classical music smack in the middle of a pounding dance track (think ‘Strings of Life’ by ‘Derrick May’). The break is surprisingly uncomfortable and out of place, once the drums and bass drop back. There’s some kind of sampled old typewriter thing going on in the background here too - interesting and very moody.
‘Rainbows of Colour’ by ‘Grooverider’ from ‘Mysteries of Funk’: I know this is aging a bit now this track, but I love the Bjork-like vocals. Reminiscent of Goldie’s ‘Inner City Life’ and a bit of Roni Size (OK, he’ll hate me for saying that!). Eight and a half minutes of digital crack – get addicted.
‘Paralelo’ by ‘Gui Boratto’ from ‘Electro Meets Minimal, Vol. 1’: I’m not sure why I like this; maybe it’s the relentless pounding beat that seems to bore into your very soul? Hypnotic bass and electronic swirls? Low frequency, oscillating, ear-damaging noises? Reminds me of better times had and future times to come.
‘The Dice’ by ‘Alex Gopher’ from ‘Spam – EP’: Wow, I can’t believe how minimal I’ve gone this month? Back to basics! Flutters along like some kind of cybernetic golden eagle, twisting and turning, soaring and diving – coming down out of the sky to rip the fuck out of your throat… maybe.
‘We Need a War (DJ Hell Berlin Remix)’ by ‘Fischerspooner’ from ‘We Need a War – Single’: I do believe this is the third time I’ve listed a Fischerspooner track as a monthly fave? Politics and house music? It works for these guys anyway.
OK, maybe I should try and name a non-electro-minimal-house toon to finish? Well, I almost made it ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ by ‘Shakira’ – and you think I’m joking? Or ‘When you wasn’t famous’ by ‘The Streets’ (I would love to know what THAT track is about!). Then I thought about ‘Emerge (Naughty's Chiefrocker Remix)’ by ‘Fischerspooner’, but that would be just plain crazy after listing then 3 times already. Then, I thought about ‘Your Touch’ by ‘The Black Keys’ – are these guys for real? How can two people make so much fucking noise? Did I really forget to buy tickets to see these guys with The Black Angels in London? What was I thinking?
So, I finally settled on ‘Watermelon’ by ‘The Boxer Rebellion’ from ‘Exits’ – now these guys I just have to see play live! 5 or 6 tracks now I’ve let slip by without raving about them. I need to look out for UK tour dates!!!! Awesome!
‘Off The Hook’ by ‘CSS’ – Brazilian New Rave anyone? Well why the fuck not? What else are you going to do? There aren’t many new tunes I hear that I can constantly rewind again and again, I get bored very quickly. But I rewound this one three times in the car t’other day, I love it. Works in the gym too, what with that brutal back beat. And with lyrical genius like this: “Why you want to stand so still? People gonna start thinking we’re statues”, what else can you do but marvel at such wonders?
Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies’ by ‘Biffy Clyro’ from ‘Puzzle’: I was a bit unfair on these when I first heard them, pegged them as Foo Fighters sound alike band, which would be no bad thing to be honest, but they are growing on me and they are different. So unhip that they eventually circle back into hipness (hip replacement?) – I mean some of them have ginger hair for fucks sake – whats that all about? Take your pick from this album: “Saturday Superhouse”, “Folding Stars”, it’s all good man, all good. This track just pips it though because it has the most complicated intro known to mankind. Ginger Jock Rock, you gotta love it…
‘Ring a Ding Ding’ by ‘Brakes’ from ‘Ring a Ding Ding - Single’: Anyone who writes songs about cowboys shagging monkeys deserves some attention right? This is a really rather beautiful, catchy, poppy, punk song – one more band to add to the list to see this year I think… “Hold Me In The River” by this lot is almost as good too…
‘Wasted Little DJ's’ by ‘The View’ from ‘Wasted Little DJ's - Single”: “Same Jeans” got on my nerves after about 10 plays, always a shame when a song is so catchy it wears itself out. But this is a gem, and a tasty version they played at Glastonbury too. If I only I could be bothered to Google the lyrics, I could sing along to the chorus. Or maybe not, given my singing abilities….
‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ by ‘Reverend and the Makers’ from ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World - Single’: The singer used to be in another famous band, but I can’t remember which one. That’s why I don’t write this shit for magazines. This is one of them songs that really begs the question, is it possible to avoid dancing to this? Seriously? This is mentally funky, how the fuck I managed to miss these at Glasto I really don’t know (yes I do, I was fucked). Still, they have a massive tour coming up real soon, in some very odd venues too. Time to visit the seetickets web site I think….
‘Herculean’ by ‘The Good, The Bad & The Queen’ from ‘Herculean - EP’: Heard these described as a “Punk Supergroup”, I’ll leave you to work out why that is as I’m a lazy fuck. Wasn’t sure what I was expecting to hear, but this blew me away, bits of all sorts in here, not a million miles away from Gorillas exploratory space I suppose, drifts in and out, quite melancholy “.And the medicine man here 24x7, you can get it fast in Armageddon, everyone on the way to heaven….”
OK, at this point I realise, it’s looking like a festival compilation tracklist, so time to dig deep into the vaults of obscurity…
‘Feel The Groove’ by ‘Cartouche’ from a time the world forgot… if you like your house music minimal, slightly eerie and edgy, but with a touch of classy vocal/sample, then this is for you. Must be from around 1989/90 ish? Favourite dancefloor number, when dancefloors were made of grass…
‘Decontrol’ by ‘Discharge’ from ‘If the Kids Are United - The Punk Box Set’ – I find myself listing yet another Discharge track from days of yore, when Margaret Thatcher made people angry enough to pick up guitars and start bashing drums and forming bands, a classic from an era when there was genuine venom in songs. Not for the faint-hearted…
‘Hurt’ by ‘Johnny Cash’ from ‘The Man Comes Around’: - I’m not even sure I want to know why JC ended up doing a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song… some songs are so damn painful, not because they are awful, this is an amazing song. Painful because they are so brutally honest that us men almost shed tears J I say almost… Not hard to work out what this is about. “Drugs are bad m’kay”….
‘If I don’t have you” by ‘Gregory Isaacs’ from one of them reggae samplers – This, to me sums, up what Reggae is, depressing yet optimistic, the sound of struggle, pain, but also a way out – this is a love song if the truth were known. And if you are, as you say, human, and your nerve endings still work, then this should, at the very least, send a shiver down your spine. The bassline alone is enough to make parts of your body move of their own accord – you have been warned J
And introducing a new category: the most inappropriate song to play in the car whilst the kids are in the back listening… Two close contenders this time around:
a. “Let's Get Fucked Up (Non-radio edit)” by “Smut Peddlers” from “ISM” – great 4-to-the-floor punk song which was used in Jackass The Movie (the bit where Knoxville almost breaks his skull falling off a golf buggy).
b. “Motherfucker From Hell” by “The Datsuns” from “The Datsuns” – Again, a great sing-a-long punk tune with a catchy chorus that the kids will learn in no time, even if you’d rather they hadn’t, and, unfortunately, they’ll never forget it…. Ever!
‘Hear My Train A Comin' (Live)’ by ‘Jimi Hendrix’ from ‘Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (Disc 2) [Live] – Mother of God, this is the absolute fuck. It’s easy to pick a Hendrix track, almost predictable. But this version of this track from this album, with the selection made by his own family… shit, if you play or like guitar, this is guitar sex. Quite what he was doing to his guitar whilst playing this I have no idea, I haven’t seen the footage, but it’s like the guitar is an extra limb, in perfect sync with his brain and voice… and a mere 11 minutes and 8 seconds long too, invest some time in this, you wont regret it!
‘Heathen’ by ‘Theatre of Hate’ from ‘The Complete Singles Collection’: Technically, this is by The Pack, but we’ll give the sleeve notes the benefit of the doubt…it’s always nice to hear songs written about things people hate with a vengeance. This particular one is about hating God. I’m not sure what God ever did to Kirk Brandon, but he must have fucked him off big time as this is pure fighting talk. An often overlooked couple of punk singles came out from the Pack around ‘78/’79, now they are available on iTunes you have no excuse not to check them out.
‘Find A Way’ by ‘Shelley Nelson’ from ‘Strictly Vocal Part 2’– It’s taken me four years to find a tracklist for this, ahem, ‘unofficial DJ mix’ by Richie Don. I might have mentioned I like UK Garage in a big way, and this is a vocal masterpiece. Pure genius. I think I count 144 BPM – it’s fast, but not brutal truck-in-face-fast, more adrenaline-rush fast. It’s just fast OK. Fast and beautiful, like a Porsche…
‘Cosmic Hearse’ by ‘Rudimentary Peni’ from ‘Death Church”: Like the bomber played by Dennis Hopper in the film Speed, you may wonder is Rudi Peni front-man Nik Blinko a genius or a madman? No need to ponder further, we have the official answer: he has proved himself to be both! If you are going to pen a classic, then you might as well write a 38 second classic! How much can you cram into 38 seconds? Well, a loud, catchy, tuneful, vitriolic, philosophical, mini-story, that’s what. So long has passed now without this band being recognised for their contributions to punk history that I now fear it is too late, they barely got a mention in Jon Savage’s punk history. I’m not sure how that is possible, with the likes of Jello Biafra, Henry Rollins, John Peel and a long list of important people giving praise to them over the years.
‘Find’ by ‘Ridgewalkers Feat. El’ from ‘Trance Republic Disc 1’: I have the original of this, which goes on for some 9 minutes plus. No bad thing, but this version is a more punchy version, with hauntingly beautiful and very moving vocals. Dreamy. Don’t underestimate this one on a smoke-filled dancefloor, you might get taken by surprise.
‘Nine Plan Failed’ by ‘Adam and The Ants’ from ‘Dirk Wears White Sox’: Another person who treads the fine line between genius and madman, Adam Ant is full of pleasant surprises. ‘Dirk’ is a milestone album, unlike anything else, and I throw down the challenge if anyone can tell me what previous band any of these tracks sound like? Sure, plenty of copy cats today, but unique at the time. A musical mix of punk and funk, with witty and very clever lyrics. Any of the tracks will do. A classic album.
‘Statue of Liberty’ by ‘B-Live - ace - Sovereign’ from ‘Strictly Vocal Part 2’: For a while, I thought this was Craig David wedged into this mad mix. This has some really classy vocals. Not surprised to find B-Live in here too (surely one of the best Garage MCs in the biz?). The bass line is seriously fucking mental and is actually capable of doing structural damage when played at high volume, so watch out for falling masonry!
‘What Took You So Long’ by ‘Emma Bunton’ from ‘A Girl Like Me’: I’ve said to much already…
‘Rush The DJ (DJ version)’ by ‘Dynamite MC’ from ‘Street Beats Disc 1 - Street Beats (Disc 1 - Femme Fatale & B-Live’: If you can’t see the humour in a song written by an MC for DJs to play that encourages the crowd to invade the DJ booth and steel the DJ’s record collection, then, quite frankly, your self-respect is in tatters… another track in the category of “don’t play loud indoors” as it will turn your walls to dust with its insane bassline.
‘Damaged II” by ‘Black Flag’ from ‘Damaged’: Rollins and the boys must have been off their trees when the made this album. So much teen angst and rage is contained within it that even if the sun is shining, you think the moon is made of cheese and clouds are made of candy floss, you could play this track and instantly feel compelled to tear off someones head and feast on their brains. Seriously.
Du What U Du (Trentemoller Remix) by Yoshimoto from Cream Rock The Discotheque (Disc 1)
Oooh, this is as moody as fuck, real hairs on the back of the neck standing up stuff… what’s up with that low slung guitar and slipper slip mat vocals? Someone has been killed, but in a good way…
Wake Up by Rage Against The Machine from Rage Against The Machine
Wake the fuck up or die in ignorance – how many more times do we gotta scream it? If the world got angry and danced together, it would be very funky and very noisy… just like this track, which is the soundtrack to a revolution, whenever that chooses to happen…”…I think I heard a shot…”
Hundred Mile High City by Ocean Colour Scene from Marchin' Already
Can you tell which film I’ve been watching recently? Furious 60s R&B from the 90s, you work it out… the perfect backdrop for driving your car into solid objects…
Needy Girl by Chromeo from She’s in Control
OK, who dug up Phil Lynott and put him back behind the mic of an electro-techno-disco ensemble? Rock The Discotheque indeed…
No, No, No (You Don't Love Me) by Dawn Penn from 100 Huge Hits of Reggae
Why aren’t there more female reggae singers? I don’t know. No really, I dont. Is it a man thing? Thanks to One Deck Pete for identifying this beauty for me after my pathetic attempts to sing it via e-mail. A nice set closer at 3am, OK call it 4am, but for all the right reasons…
Flash by Green Velvet from Bugged Out Classics (Disc 3)
I’m not sure I like this? Yes I am, it’s because it’s fucking mental! Like their other well known track, La La Land, which has become rather hard to get hold of for some reason: “I see a bad little kid doing bad little things? He is sucking on a balloon. Now this is not an ordinary balloon. It’s a balloon filled with a gas called Nitrous Oxide. Laughing Gas. But this is no laughing matter… cameras ready?”
Starlight by Muse from Black Holes and Revelations
What happens if you take someone who can genuinely sing, I mean REALLY sing, and you stick him in a rock band who refuse to be pigeon-holed as a rock band? Muse that’s what: “Faraway, this ship is taking me far away, from the memories of the people who care if I live if I live or die” - shed no tears, as Flipper would say (the band, not the dolphin)…
Dan Dare by The Mekons from Punk Rock
25 years to track this down. Well I wasn’t really trying that hard to be honest. I had this on a battered up old cassette tape half-inched from the Peel show back in gawd knows when. Always struck me as being a highly amusing punk track, pathetique in the Splodge sense of the word, a great sing-a-long for punk karaoke night…
Heart Attack by Low Vs Diamond from Heart Atttack EP
Wedged somewhere between Muse and Maximo Park, but original enough to make it on it’s own – it even sounds like The Beatles from some angles, and that can’t be a bad thing can it? Epic…
Theme from The Warriors by Barry de Vorzon from The Original Soundtrack
Eeuugghh! More hairs on the back of the neck stuff, not just because of the film, though god knows that would be enough (how many films have been filmed almost entirely in the dark?), but also because my favourite pirate radio station CenterForce used to play this at about 5am on a Sunday morning… and Christ it sounded good at that time of the morning…
Just take the new Presets single “My People” – How the fuck can I ever even dream of even making something so Goddamn gorgeous? Of course I can’t… can’t wait for these to escape from New South Wales…supporting Daft Punk at the mo… honours…
Then take ‘Granite’ by Pendulum? I Want to lick it - it sounds so fuckin’ sweet! Just missed out on tickets, what a shame…
Next up is ‘Lion Rip’ by The Duke Spirit – fresh from seeing these live in London just last week, this sounds so beautiful that it fucking hurts – and when you have a front woman like this, how can life get any better?
Another great live band are The Displacements – I will always have fond memories of seeing these at The Charlotte up in Leicester – they stole the show and stole my heart – and I met their mum too! Check ‘AKA The Train’ for the low down…
Another band just waiting for the right time to explode out of Leicester are the Carnabys – if it’s possible to have an authentic 60s band in the naughties, then these boys are it. Do yourselves a favour and search on MySpace for them (check ‘Yesterday It Won’t Be Long’) - you won’t be disappointed!
A blast from the past this month comes in the form of “38” by The Revolting Cocks. Al Jorgenson kicks fucking ass man and the bassline will open up your sphincter like you never imagined possible. I remember the video (You Goddamned Son Of A Bitch) as if it were only yesterday: The smoke and that white stetson….
Another memory jogger is ‘40 Miles’ by ‘Cloudburst & Culture Girl’ – Although it has clearly borrowed (ha ha) a significant amount from the Congress track of the same name (there’s sampling and there’s SAMPLING!), this track brings back fond memories of smoke-filled sound studios, of DJs playing sets on MDMA, of bags of strange, bitter tasting pink powder that seemed to last all night and beyond… memories of floors falling through due to over-capacity and excessive dancing… memories of unfinished walls, of emerging into daylight with space cadet eyes…
And talking of Acid (were we?), can it get any more acid than ‘Electronic Battle Weapon 7’ by Chemical Brothers? I think not! Come on, work that jaw to the 303 until it hurts…
Unpronounceable band names – what’s that all about? You tell me after you’ve checked out ‘Must Be The Moon’ by !!! – It’s funky and fresh. Have to confess to not liking the rapping bit, but I’ll sacrifice that for the beat and bass line – oooh…
Electro-Rock from Chelmsford anyone? No? What about Nitzer Ebb then? I’ll take ‘Family Man’ from the ‘Greatest Hits’ collection ‘Body of Work 1984-1997.any day - A little more accessible than Front 242 for me. Plus I really love the spoken word piece on this track, makes me chuckle every time I hear it ‘..with his leather strap, clap trap, and a dolly bird kissing him from his lap, her finger tips trip across him, like a road map, leading down to… his old chap…”. You couldn’t write it, though obviously someone did – ace!
And finally, you can’t beat a good old bit of screaming over a track I always find, so check out ‘Charmer’ by Kings of Leon, doing a remarkably accurate Pixies impersonation, eat that bass line people, eat it raw…