Records Blog - what's that noise ???!

Stereo Total - Oh! Ah! (1996)

The first full-length album by German-French electro-mod-chanson band Stereo Total, originally released on cassette in '95, but soon followed by a proper CD release, and again re-released with bonus tracks. Features strange glam-pop covers of 80s disco (Push It!), French chansons, and creative originals (Dactylo Rock being my favorite), mostly sung in German (with a lovely French accent). The title of the album is more of an accident; originally supposed to be untitled, the graphic designer of the cover included some pop-art call-outs, "Oh!" "Ah!", to liven up the design, leading to the eventual adoption as the official album name.

The Dirtbombs - Ultraglide in Black (2001)

Soulpunk from hell! The Dirtbombs cover various lesser known tracks by a bunch of well-known soul shouters (such as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Sly and the Family Stone), and infuse them with as much passion as any of the originals. Detroit garage punk legend Mick Collins of the Gories brought together two drummers and two bass players to accompany him in this project. This is their best album, a raucous fusion of Mo-Town and Garage Rock with an incredible intensity. Their live shows are not to be missed, but if they're not playing in your town soon, this album will do.

Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)

Not only their first but their signature record.. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is a classic in the Punk world. Filled with political and left-wing sound, this record has a lesser production quality then the later albums. Filled with 14 tracks of enjoyable, fun songs...

The Pop Group - We Are All Prostitutes (1998)

This release collects singles and scarce tracks from the Mark Stewart-fronted punk-funk unit, titled after its defining Rough Trade single. At ten tracks and around 36 minutes running time, this certainly leaves you wanting more of the band's agitated post-punk sound, which was the seed of Mark Stewart & the Maffia and Rip Rig & Panic. "We Are All Prostitutes" is one of the vital non-expendable singles from the early-'80s era of neo-dub, punk, and funk as propagated by the Slits, A Certain Ratio, and African Head Charge. The Pop Group remain one of the most looked and underrated and politically charged bands of the era. This is an utterly inspired release, and fans of Public Image L ... Read more »

Jad Fair Roundup: 8(!) albums inside

Jad Fair is America's anti-music poster child, the personification of DIY. Both as a member of Half Japanese and with his countless solo albums, he continues to baffle listeners with his unwillingness to conform to any conventions, be they as universal as being able to play an instrument or sing in tune. If you do this once or twice you are simply being ignored, but Fair's tenacity made it impossible to overlook him. Similar to his friend Daniel Johnston, with whom he collaborated on two albums, he's achieved a cult status because his passion for music is simply inspiring.

That is not to say he hasn't progressed - his later albums are far more accessible than his early releases - but that's often due to the ... Read more »

DM & Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life (2003)

Underground Hip Hop fans will enjoy this classic. A collaboration between Jemini (aka Jemini the Gifted One) and DJ/producer, Danger Mouse. This was before the time that many people even knew who Danger Mouse was. Some of his best work to date..

Aesop Rock - Labor Days (2001)

After finding an eager online audience for his dense soundscapes and even more complex rhymes, New York MC Aesop Rock released his most potent combination of words and music on his Def Jux debut. Crammed with references to history and mythology, as well as the usual pop-culture name checks, Aesop's lyrics remain unusually verbose and intelligent here, but he's also able to spin them into compelling stories. The best example is the bittersweet, follow-your-dreams saga of "No Regrets," which chronicles a woman's sacrifices for art from childhood to old age. Besides the wealth of detail, the song doesn't sugarcoat the loneliness of its subject, even as it shows her at ease with her choices. And on "9-5ers Anthem," Aesop -- who still works a day job himself -- allays any concerns about him being a hip-hop elitist, offering a shout out to the blue-collar masse ... Read more »

The Rudy Schwartz Project - Salmon Dave (1993) & Günther packs a stiffy (1995)

Two albums compiling early tape-only releases by Joe Newman, the wacky brain behind the Rudy Schwartz Project, who keeps mentioning Frank Zappa as often as he can in an apparent attempt to gain exposure by association. Of course, the only thing he has in common with Zappa is questionable mental health, but he's managed to receive respect from Jello Biafra and Zoogz Rift, so he's doing something right.

If you've never listened to the RSP, these albums are probably not the best place to start. In fact, some of these songs are outright horrible. And if you hate college humor, don't even bother - this is as immature as it gets. His other two albums, Bowling for Appliances (which has gr ... Read more »

Alec Bathgate - Gold Lamé (1996)

"50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong, I guess they knew it all along
If you want to be a star, go today - buy a suit of gold lamé."

After posting all these Chris Knox albums, it is about time to pay homage to the other Tall Dwarf, Alec Bathgate. Not nearly as prolific as his counterpart, he nevertheless was an important ingredient to the Tall Dwarfs, and listening to his solo album you can immediately tell why. He's the guy with all the wacky ideas that made the Tall Dwarfs songs so intriguing. Where Knox excels in song-writing, Bathgate keeps it all interesting by making sure the loops are always fresh and just crazy enough to keep you hooked. As a result, Gold Lamé sounds a lot more like a Tall Dwarfs record than some of Knox' later solo output.

Circle Jerks - Group Sex (1980)

Keith Morris once described his brief tenure as Black Flag's lead singer by saying, "I was the Tasmanian devil, the court jester; I was the dog on the chain who was let out of the cage." So it made sense that after the beer-swilling frontman decided to move on, he would form a band even less subtle and more obnoxious than Black Flag (who represented punk rock at its most brutal in 1979). Group Sex, the first "album" from Morris' group the Circle Jerks, barrels through 14 songs in just under 16 minutes, and pretty much defined the state of the art in SoCal hardcore, circa 1980: raging minor-chord guitar bashing (courtesy of Greg Hetson, later in Bad Religion), speedy drumming (Lucky Lehrer punctuates his manic four-four stomp with short, frantic rolls whenever possible), and a bassist (Roger Rogerson) trying to keep up with it all while Morris bellows abou ... Read more »

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