FROM THE "BEFORE THEY SUCKED" FILE

You probably won't believe me, but the J. Geils Band used to be cool. As in sweaty, greasy, energetic and action packed. They had two LPs under their belt in '72, when they released their epic "Live" Full House album, one of the best beginning-to-end live LPs ever (at least that I've heard, and I've heard a lot). Really, it's so good that it still holds up today. Alas, they're better known for their MTV era hits, particularly the embarrassing "Centerfold."

Full House needs to be played as a set, to get a feel of the pace of their live show back then. Every song segues into the next, with comments from Peter Wolf serving as bumpers. It really isn't possible to listen to one song to fully experience it. So, here's just a taste, a cover of the Contours' "First I Look at the Purse," along with a link to a site with the full LP. There's also the Contours' original version of the same song for comparison.

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The J. Geils Band - First I Look At the Purse mp3 at 4Shared (Click on blue "Download Now" button.)
The Contours - First I Look At the Purse mp3 at 4Shared (Click on blue "Download Now" button.)
LP rip:
The J. Geils Band "Live" Full House LP download at Orexis of Death
Video:
The J. Geils Band - Floyd's Hotel/Hard Driving Man (Live 1972) at YouTube

MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH

The first thing I thought of when I saw a video of the Liverbirds was that if they were around right now, they'd be huge. The second thing I thought was that if they were around during the mid-late eighties garage and beat resurgence, they'd be huge. The third thing I thought was that if they'd been around in the early sixties, when the Beatles and the Stones were the shit, they'd be huge...wait, they were around when the Beatles and Stones were the shit! The fourth thing I thought was, why weren't they huge?

It would be tempting to chalk their obscurity up to their gender, but it's probably more likely a case of reverse serendipity. They spent the first couple years of their existence from '63-'65, their prime, playing the club circuit in Hamburg (including the Star Club, where the Beatles honed their skills). Though they did have slight brushes. They opened for the Stones on multiple occasions, and when the Kinks had their guitars stolen just before recording "You Really Got Me," they borrowed guitars from the Liverbirds for the session. But, unlike today when every person who's ever picked up a guitar has access to effective self promotion, back then location was everything. So, their fan base was where they played, primarily Germany, Scandinavia, Denmark, and Japan.

Given their similarity to the early Stones (both in sound and material), "what if?" enthusiasts would be excused for pondering what might have been if they stayed together long enough to make their own Exile On Main Street. But, on the other hand, listen to their version of Bo Diddley's "Mona" (below). The thing has a Cramps feel to it. A little in the sound, a lot in the vibe. Highly recommended.

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The Liverbirds - Talking About You mp3 at The Rising Storm
The Liverbirds - Hands Off mp3 at The Rising Storm
The Liverbirds - Roadrunner mp3 at The Hound Blog
The Liverbirds - Peanut Butter mp3 (via 4Shared)
The Liverbirds - Love Hurts mp3 at The Hound Blog
The Liverbirds - Why Do You Hang Around Me mp3 at The Hound Blog
The Liverbirds - Mona mp3 at The Hound Blog
The Liverbirds - Down Home Girl mp3 at The Hound Blog
Video:
The Liverbirds - Diddley Daddy at YouTube
The Liverbirds - Why Do You Hang Around Me? at YouTube
Read:
The Liverbirds - Feature at the Liverpool Echo
The Liverbirds profile at The Hound Blog

THINK I'LL DO THIS NOW

Todays procrastination session began with a hunt for some elusive Lawndale mp3s. A non-surf instrumental band that was on SST (home of Black Flag among many others), they're all but ignored online. It's as if they never existed. Well, today the hunt paid off, but not how I expected. I did find one Lawndale cut, "Wing Tips," but where I found it turned into a couple hour detour. It was on Dave Markey's We Got Power Films site. Markey is something like a punk rock renaissance man. He put out a couple fanzines, played in a couple bands, made some movies (both feature length and shorts), and did some music videos. You'd think that after all that, he'd be a household name (at least in punkier households), but that's not the case.

Trailer for Lovedolls Superstar Fully Realized

The first time I heard about him was in the early '80s. He had made a film called Desperate Teenage Lovedolls, about a fictional girl punk band, the Lovedolls. Despite the primitive quality (I think it was filmed in Super 8), it had a who's who of L.A. punk rock scenesters, notably Jeff & Steve McDonald (from Redd Kross), Dez Cadena ( Black Flag), Janet Housden (Redd Kross), and Annette Zilinska (Bangs, Blood on the Saddle). Among many cameo appearances were a young Saul Hudson (who would later surface as Slash, in Guns n' Roses), and Sky Saxon (the Seeds). The whole thing is so amateurish, the script so bad, the acting so limited, that it really is a hoot; like a friend's weekend film might be.

Middle Class - Situations and Above Suspicion, filmed by Dave Markey. Reunited after 27 years, filmed in November 2010. From Markey's YouTube page.

Markey's website is a full on multi-discipline time suck. Fanzines, fliers, short films, trailers for the feature films, music videos and music. Seriously, I was on there for a long time and still have only scratched the surface. Among the music videos, there's some choice stuff: Sonic Youth, Meat Puppets, Mudhoney, and the Posies. The Posies video cover of the Germ's "Richie Dagger's Crime" is remarkable in a "Relax you purist cynic, this is a tribute to the Germs, nothing more. Get your head out of your ass and enjoy it for what it is" sort of way. There are blue Circle One armbands and flags everywhere, and a nod to Shawn Kerri's Circle Jerks skanking kid logo. I'm going to avoid spoiling it for you, just dig the interpretation and prepare to smile. Punk rock has never been so warm and fuzzy.

The Posies - Richie Dagger's Crime (Note: a much better quality, ad-free version is on Markey's site, on the music video page (click on the "multimedia" tab).

The music that Markey has on his site is great too. The Lawndale song that started all of this meandering, "Wingtips," is one of 23 mp3s on his site that comprise the entire soundtrack of Lovedolls Superstar (the sequel to Desperate Teenage Lovedolls). On that one alone, there's Redd Kross, Sonic Youth, the Meat Puppets, the Dead Kennedys, Kristan Hoffman, and the Lovedolls themselves, backed by Redd Kross. On top of that, there's two other compilations. This shit is exhausting. Just go there and click on everything.

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Redd Kross - Lovedoll Superstar mp3 at We Got Power Films
The Lovedolls w/Redd Kross - Beer & Ludes mp3 at We Got Power Films
The Lovedolls w/Redd Kross - Rex Smith (I Want to Be A Cholo Chick) mp3 at We Got Power Films
The Lovedolls w/Redd Kross - Sunshine Day mp3 at We Got Power Films
Sonic Youth - Hallowed By Thy Name mp3 at We Got Power Films
Lawndale - Wing Tips mp3 at We Got Power Films
Directed by Dave Markey:
Mudhoney - Fuzz Gun at YouTube
Sonic Youth - Cinderella's Big Score at YouTube
Desperate Teenage Lovedolls trailer at YouTube
Get lost, really lost:
We Got Powers Films - The site of Dave Markey. Note: Most of the films and music are on the multi-media page.
Markey's YouTube channel
Additional info:
Dave Markey at Wikipedia
Dave Markey at Internet Movie Database

BROKEN GLASS EVERYWHERE

What was it, '81, '82? Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message" was all over the place. It was the first rap song that was really taken seriously. Up to that point only a couple songs even came close to crossing over to a mass audience. Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" and the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" come to mind. But "The Message" had, er, a message; social commentary if you will, about hard times in the inner city, drugs and violence. The LP that followed, containing a different version of the song, was an eye opener. In a time when just about every non-rap person on the planet thought all rap music was the same, they got downright funky, on "She's Fresh," and they got a little out there, using a vocoder for the vocals on "Scorpio." Shortly after the LP, they would split, and the follow-up single, "White Lines (Don't Do It)," though credited to Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel, didn't have Flash on it at all.

Though Grandmaster Flash will probably be remembered for "The Message," he was an innovative DJ as well, one of the first to incorporate beat juggling and punch phrasing (descriptions of which can be found on his Wikipedia entry). This clip below, from "Wild Style," is most excellent, especially in an anthropological sense. It has footage of Flash manning the turntables. Keep in mind that this was when this sort of stuff was still in its embryonic state. There's also footage of Lee Quinones, arguably the most respected, and historically significant, figure in the early graffitti art movement, in action.

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Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - The Message mp3 at Earfarm
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - She's Fresh mp3 at Dad's Records
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - Scorpio mp3 at Dad's Records
Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It) mp3 at Rraurl
For reference:
Kurtis Blow - The Breaks mp3 at 8106
Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight mp3 at JoCortez
Later Flash:
Grandmaster Flash with Snoop Dogg & Lynn Carter - Swagger mp3 at Rap Blog
Grandmaster Flash with DJ Scratch & Ludacris - Bounce Back mp3 at Rap Blog
Video:
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - The Message at YouTube
Visit:
Grandmaster Flash at Wikipedia
Lee Quinones at Wikipedia

CARLEEN, CAN YOU KNOCK 'EM OUT?

Look at the photo above. Think those drums are a prop? Think again. That's Carleen Jean Butler, the funky beat behind Carleen & the Groovers, a South Carolina band formed in 1970. The five piece Groovers also featured her brother, Clary (who did some time playing trumpet behind Wilson Picket) on some inspired GFOS-esque vocals. The exchanges between brother and sister in "Hot Pants" (link below) are classic: "Carleen, can you knock 'em out?" she answers coyly, "Right on!", and then, after some restrained showboating, she says "Is that black enough for you?" Ohh, if only there was some video floating around. As it is, Carleen & the Groovers released only two 45s.

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Carleen & the Groovers - Can We Rap mp3 at Aerial Noise
Carleen & the Groovers - The Thing mp3 at Now Again Records
Carleen & the Groovers - Right On mp3 at Now Again Records
Carleen & the Groovers - Hot Pants mp3 at Now Again Records
A little more:
Carleen & the Groovers at Wikipedia

ROLL CALL. IVAN JULIAN?

I can't remember the last time I heard anything about Ivan Julian. It might have been when Richard Hell & the Voidoids broke up, way back when. I'd managed to track drummer Mark Bell, which wasn't hard because he became Marky Ramone. (That move that still irks me, because the Voidoids were a much more challenging band.) Lead guitarist Robert Quinne went to Lou Reed's band, and did lots of other projects after that. (Sadly, he's retired, as in,...yeah.) Richard Hell has been busying himself pretty much the whole time too, with music and poetry (not to mention donating his "papers" to NYU). Second guitarist Ivan Julian? Hadn't even thought about him, to be honest, until I ran into a recent song "The Naked Flame." The dude's been playing for thirty more years, so he's a little more in your face these days. You know what this song sounds like? It sounds almost like a Richard Hell song, as Hendrix would play it. Check it out:

One quick aside: I feel compelled to share my annoyance regarding his shirt in the video. Yep, it's the ol' Voidoids shirt-altering routine. I think he wanted a Richard Hell connection to be made. Okay, we get it. But I do like the song, despite the "naked flame of your love" line (oh, brother,...eh Aut?) Now that that's out of the way, here's another video. I thought I'd go for a spin and look for some Voidoids stuff to contrast and compare (and what have you). Then I ran across the video below. Magnificent black and white footage of the very early Richard Hell and the Voidoids performing "Blank Generation" and "Love Comes In Spurts." This is some really good stuff, despite the partial songs and the audience interviews. Filmed at CBGB's around '76 or '77.

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Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation mp3 at Louder Soft (1976 Ork Records 45 version)
Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation mp3 (via Box.net) at Creuse ta Tombe (Sire LP version)
Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Love Comes In Spurts mp3 at Snuhthing Anything Definitive Quine solo on this, especially the way it ends.
Ivan Julian - The Naked Flame mp3 at Hyperbolium
Earlier posts:
The Fraternal Order of the Messy Hair: Richard Hell with the Heartbreakers, Television and the Voidoids

DECORATE THE COUNTER

Ladies and gentlemen, horses and mules, I stand before you to direct your attention to a most awesome post on The Hound Blog, about Rosco Gordon. Gordon is a favorite around here, particularly his stuff on Sun. (The compilation of Sun stuff, released in the late 70's, was my introduction.) Listen to "Decorate the Counter" (mp3 link below), the sound is just, I don't know, dirty. The cardboard drums, the gravelly voice of Gordon, his piano playing and some of the best sounds to ever come out of a saxophone. The sax is just filthy. Take a test run below, but, really, go to the Hound for tons more music and a lengthy bio. Among other revelations is not only that Gordon recorded for both Sun and Chess (among other labels), but that he recorded an LP in the 90s for Coxsone Dodd. (?!?) It is an Epic post.

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On Sun Records:
Rosco Gordon - Decorate the Counter mp3 at The Hound
Rosco Gordon - Let's Get High mp3 at The Hound
Rosco Gordon - New Orleans Wimmen mp3 at The Hound
Two versions of "Just A Little Bit"
Rosco Gordon - Just A Little Bit mp3 at The Hound
Rosco Gordon - Just A Little Bit ('68 version) mp3 at The Hound
The Epic post:
Rosco Gordon - Bio and lots of music at The Hound

WOMEN IN REGGAE

Here's a mixed bag. Everything from rocksteady by Phyllis Dillon, through some eighties stuff, up to some of the latest, notably Terry Lynn. It was Lynn's video (below) that inspired this post. The juxtaposition of her music and the street scenes of Kingston make the whole thing seem very current, and real. It made me realize what a large chunk of Jamaican music, primarily post-roots, that I've not really listened to. I remember where the urgency to keep up with current Jamaican music vanished. It was the mid-eighties when Eek-A-Mouse and Yellowman were all the rage. They didn't do much for me, so I stewed in slightly older DJ stuff (U Roy, Dillinger, Big Youth, etc.) I blinked, years passed, and now we have this:

In trying to round out this post, by adding earlier Jamaican women singers for comparison, I ran into some neat stuff, and some forgotten favorites (Sister Carol and Sophie George). As far as the non-Jamaican stuff goes, I threw in the Beasties/Santigold thing, just because it's new, and a lot more reggae than the Terry Lynn or Warrior Queen. Karolina (from Tel Aviv) is down there for the same reason, and Akane's down there just to represent another unlikely location (Japan). Like I said, it's a mixed bag, the only common thread is women singing reggae related stuff.

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Listen:
Phyllis Dillon - Perifida mp3 at Dinosaur Gardens
Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Rita Marley - One Draw mp3 at Passion of the Weiss
Marcia Griffiths - Feel Like Jumping mp3 at Chrome Music
Sophie George - Girlie Girlie mp3 at Matlo44 Funkpower2
Sister Carol - Murdee & Stylee mp3 (via 4Shared) at Mighty Dub Foundation (Click on "Download Now")
Sister Nancy - Bam Bam mp3 at Earmilk
Karolina & Funset (Tel Aviv)- Lion mp3 at Aurgasm
Beastie Boys & Santigold (U.S.) - Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win mp3 at Mixtape Riot
The Bug w/Warrior Queen - Poison Dart mp3 at Electrorash
Terry Lynn - System mp3 at Electrorash
Akane (Japan) - Dancehall Head mp3 at Electrorash
Video:
Sister Carol - Dread Natty Congo at YouTube
Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking at YouTube
Judy Mowatt - Black Woman at YouTube
Sophie George - Girlie Girlie at YouTube
Rita Marley - Who Colt the Game? at YouTube
Oddball:
I Threes - Is This Love (backing vocal tracks) mp3 at Bob-Marley.es
Further digressions:
Reggae related posts
New Beastie Boys

JUST LIKE UNCLE FREDDY

This was going to be a quick one song post, just because I found an mp3 of the Jamaicans' "Ba Ba Boom," a laid back rocksteady cut that's, to put if softly, remarkable in its unremarkableness. That's not to say that it isn't a great song, it's just so laid back that nothing really hits you in the face. It's been in periodic rotation on my turntable since I bought a bargain Duke Reid compilation many years ago. The artists weren't even mentioned on the cover, so it was a gamble. It turned out to be my introduction to rocksteady, the early form of Jamaican music (mid 60s) that was the link between ska and reggae. It was an important moment in Jamaican music, because it was when their music started moving away from the earlier R&B influenced blue beat and ska, and towards reggae, an uniquely Jamaican sound. The training wheels were coming off.

After traipsing around looking for other rocksteady cuts, I found a trailer for a rocksteady documentary that I didn't even know existed. "Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae" looks like a humdinger. It follows a reunion of sorts, of the legends of the genre. There's quite a few familiar names (U Roy!), and if you dig early reggae, you would do good to check it out.

To the untrained ear, the differences in the styles of Jamaican music are sometimes subtle, particularly in the music of the 60's. It can be tough to peg what exactly it is that you might be listening to. Making the distinction is humbling, but worry not. I ran into a video of Bob Marley (who, one would imagine, knows a thing or two about Jamaican music), describing the evolution of the sound, in an incredibly succinct manner. If you like Jamaican music, consider it mandatory.

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Listen (inna haphazard chronological stylee):
The Duke Reid Group - The Rude Boy mp3 at Cubik Musik
Stranger Cole - Rough and Tough mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
The Paragons - The Tide Is High mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
The Jamaicans - Ba Ba Boom mp3 at Popop
Justin Hinds and the Dominoes - Carry Go Bring Home mp3 at Everybody Taste
Alton Ellis - Rock Steady mp3 at DJ No DJ
Phyllis Dillon - Remember That Sunday mp3 at Kiss Brooklyn
The Melodians - Sweet Sensation mp3 at Renan Maitre
Errol Dunkley - Black Cinderella mp3 at For the Sake of the Song
Cornell Campbell - Ten to One mp3 at Daniel Johnson Writes
John Holt - My Sweet Lord mp3 at Slang Editorial
Watch:
The Difference Between Ska, Reggae and Rock Steady -As told by Bob Marley This is as concise as they come. Recommended.
Further digressions:
Earlier reggae related posts here

WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER

Two things hit me when I hear the Marvin Gaye songs below. One is an association; I'm riding my cheap Huffy copy of a Schwinn String Ray around the neighborhood, without a care in the world. No time tables or schedules to worry about, other than what time dinner was, and making sure I got up in time for my paper route. Ahead of me, probably an after dinner game of kick the can, and after that, life.

What hits me now, as an adult with a bit more music listening under my belt (and with far better means of hearing it), is how really great these are. The lyrics, the production, the instrumentation, the pace, and that voice. These are perfect songs, stone cold classics. They give me goosebumps, still, now more than ever. As my friend the Swami would say "I dig them the most."

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Marvin Gaye - What's Going On mp3 at Bklyn

Marvin Gaye - Mercy, Mercy Me (the Ecology) mp3 at 8106
Marvin Gaye at Wikipedia

DO YOU FEEL THE BUDOS BEAT?

Ahh, the Budos Band. Try as I might to refrain from posting the same band over and over, I was just chomping at the bit, looking for an excuse to throw some more Budos up here. (It came in the form of a Daytrotter session.) There are a number of reasons why I dig them, not the least of which is that they're playing something few people are; timeless stuff, hypnotic grooves, with an abundance of percussion, keyboards and horns. It's hard to pin down, this sound of theirs, though their seems to be a little Mulatu Astatke influence. Regardless, it's probably better not to dissect their music too much, and just go with it. Which brings me to the video below.

This guy is my hero. Dancing is something I'm not particularly adept at, and a big reason is that it's hard to lose my inhibitions. This dude has no problem, despite the onlookers chuckling at him. He has the Budos beat. I'll admit, it looks rather comical in broad daylight, but you can bet this guy has the gals gaping in the dark environs of his local night spots. Like I said, hero all the way. You go beanpole hipster!

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Listen:
The Budos Band - Chicago Falcon mp3 at Rollo & Grady
The Budos Band - Unbroken, Unshaven mp3 at Rollo & Grady
The Budos Band - Budos Rising mp3 at Ear It Now
The Budos Band – Adeniji mp3 at Rollo & Grady
The Budos Band - T.I.B.W.F. mp3 at Aurgasm
The Budos Band - Budos Theme mp3 at Aurgasm
The Budos Band - Up From the South mp3 at Scissor Kick
The Budos Band - Ride or Die mp3 at Rock Town Hall
The Budos Band - Origin of Man mp3 at Die Monster
The Budos Band - His Girl mp3 at Rock Town Hall
The Budos Band - Unbroken, Unshaken (Daytrotter) mp3 at Rollo & Grady
The Budos Band - Black Venom (Daytrotter) mp3 at Rollo & Grady
The Budos Band - 4 song download (with email address) at Daytrotter
Video:
The Budos Band - Golden Dunes (live) at YouTube
The Budos Band - Black Venom (live) at YouTube
The Budos Band - Volcano Song at YouTube
Visit:
The Budos Band official site
The Budos Band at Daptone Records

NEW BLACK LIPS

Okay, Black Lip's latest, "Modern Art," warrants posting because it has some damn fine fuzz. Though criminally buried in the mix, the repetitive riff is reminiscent of the garage fuzz of yore. But rather than feature the fuzz big in parts and hardly at all in others (ala Count Five's "Psychotic Reactions"), the Black Lips (or whoever produced this) relegate it to a Davie Allan as rhythm player role. Sooo close. I'd love to take control of this band's mixing. "First off, turn up that bass, and the fuzz, now. And, for Christsakes, turn down the vocals, do something with the nasal, turn up the sneer. Okay, let's try that." All that said, it's a fine song.

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Black Lips - Modern Art mp3 at Impose Magazine
The Count Five - Psychotic Reaction mp3 at Bag of Songs
Davie Allan & the Arrows - Cycle-delic mp3 at Office Naps Forget "Blues Theme," this is Ron Asheton type stuff. It's some wicked shit.

RIP CHARLIE ACE

The proprietor of the mobile record shack, Swing A Ling, has passed away. Charlie Ace (real name Valden Dixon) had a simple idea, bring reggae music to the people in the ghetto, so he converted a car into a mobile record shack. If you're into reggae, you've probably seen photos of his getup a zillion times. Per square foot, it's probably the most famous record store ever. And it was a fantastic idea, it's amazing that more people didn't copy it. (Jack White did, with his fancy-ass Third Man Records record truck. Link below.)

Related links:
Third Man Records mobile record truck
Swing-A-Ling car model
Other posts about reggae

LITTLE GREEN BAG BE GONE

Ever had one of those songs the won't leave your head? My most recent is the sucker below, George Baker Selection's "Little Green Bag." I ran into it on an excellent post, at the Adios Lounge, deconstructing Sir Douglas Quintet's "She's About A Mover," citing similar beats and bass playing styles. The guy over there, Lance, is nuts about Doug Sahm, which is great because I need to be more edumicated about Tex-Mex stuff in general.

Where was I? Oh yeah, "Little Green Bag" is one of those genre evaders I dig so much. Though the chorus does have a beat similar to Tex-Mex stuff, that's only one part of what gets me. The intro, the cool vocals, the simple lead, and the mysto "where the fuck has this been hiding?" feel, all kind of bombarded my subconscious shuffle list. All I know is that the band is Dutch, the song is from 1969, and it was used in Reservoir Dogs. l haven't been able to find anything else that they did that was as cool, which is fine. I don't need context to complicate things. (Perhaps this is their "Misssissippi Queen," and Baker's off somewhere commiserating with Leslie West.)

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George Baker Selection - Little Green Bag mp3 at The Adios Lounge

GARAGE SOUL, IF YOU MUST

I'd seen their name a lot and never stopped long enough to give them a listen, or read their bio. As a matter of fact, I practically went out of my way to ignore them. Credit Aquarium Drunkard for pulling my head out of my ass. They were gushing about the Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears live show, in a way that informed music fiends rarely do. I bit, and as I read further, I learned that Joe Lewis worked at a pawn shop, decided he wanted to give music a try, took a guitar off the wall and started playing. Just like that. To better the story, he didn't spend years toiling over technique, he just got out there and did it, basically learning how to play onstage. That "Fuck it, I'm doing this" attitude is the sort of thing that I lap up.

I've seen their music called garage soul, and I guess that's about as close as you could come to describing them. Like a rag tag version of the Dap Kings, with an encyclopedia of soul that's missing a few pages. The music is stylistically all over the place, but remains in the soul/blues idiom, albeit loosely. There's definitely some Stax, and Motown going on, but there's also some Canned Heat, Black Keys, and 70s guitar boogie. Some really familiar sounds on some of these, intentional or not. "Booty City" has parts that sound like Edwin Starr's "Twenty Five Miles," and "Gunpowder" has bits of the Bar-Kays' "Soul Finger" (links below for comparison). Call it what you want, I stopped trying.

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Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears - You Been Lyin' mp3 at Popdose
Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears - Booty City at Aquarium Drunkard
Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears - Get Yo Shit mp3 (via Mediafire) at Tone Agents
Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears - Gunpowder mp3 at Speed of Dark
Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears - Bitch, I Love You mp3 at Stranger Dance
Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears - Boogie mp3 at Blackout Musique
Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears - Big Booty Woman mp3 at Blackout Musique
Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears - Sugarfoot mp3 at WOXY
Related:
Edwin Starr - Twenty Five Miles mp3 at Mr. Suave
The Bar-Kays - Soul Finger mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu

WIGGLE ROOM NEEDED

Look at that picture sleeve above, and I'll bet you'll be tempted to take a pass on this one. I wouldn't blame you. I only knew of Clout because someone gave me one of their first 45s as a semi-gag a long time ago, and I wasn't entirely impressed. But "Sunshine Baby" is catchy as hell. It's kind of a reggae-ish, way over processed Grace Jones/Abba hybrid. With horns and strings, lotsa echo,..really, the works. Taken out of context, a solid addition to your Summer Jams mix.

Clout was from South Africa and started out as an all girl outfit (hence the clever design element in the "O" of their logo), adding a few dudes later. They had a hit in Europe in 1977 with "Substitute," a Righteous Brothers cover, and that really sounds like they're trying to do the Abba thing.

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Clout - Sunshine Baby mp3 at Muzik Kurier
Clout - Substitute video at YouTube
More on Clout here

THE DAY GLO HAS DIMMED

A couple of days ago, I posted a few things from Poly Styrene's new album Generation Indigo. I knew she had cancer, but the recent write up in the Guardian UK had an optimistic tone to it. So, I was shocked and saddened this morning when I found out that she had passed away. I debated about whether I should write about her again so soon, for fear of coming off like some sort of Poly Styrene glee club. But, you know what? Fuck it, I'm a card carrying member of that glee club, and have been for the last thirty plus years. Whenever I see bright contrasting colors, I think of Poly Styrene. Whenever I see anyone pull off their own style, regardless of "conventional" beauty, I think of Poly Styrene. And whenever I see someone buying in to the acquiring of unnecessary shit (which happens these days with more and more frequency), I think of the lyrics written by Poly Styrene. The 19 year old with braces was way ahead of her time. So, unashamed glee all the way.

For any of you younger folks that weren't around in the late seventies, hear me now: Poly Styrene was one of the most original, thought provoking individuals to come out of the punk movement, then and now. And I do mean individual. When seemingly everybody under the punk banner was doing nearly the same thing, and dressing the same way, Poly Styrene bucked the system, shopped at thrift stores and sang about rampant unquestioned consumerism. I wrote about her and X-Ray Spex back in November, and though I'm loath to repeat myself, I'll repeat myself anyways. (Repeating starts below the video.)



It might be hard to explain the significance of X-Ray Spex to someone who wasn't around at the time. If you've grown up knowing the term consumerism, you're more aware than most young adults were back then. In 1978, few people had any view whatsoever about consumerism, one way of another. So, try to imagine the context: While other bands were singing anarchy and white riots, X-Ray Spex wrote songs that made anti-consumerism relevant and fun. This was before any real anti-consumerism movement, before Adbusters, before "Live Simply" bumper stickers. The lyrics were thought provoking without preaching, and the music was loud. Here was a band without ripped clothing or intentionally shoddy appearance, with a singer in braces and a saxophone player, singing about subjects that were universal and doable. It wasn't mean spirited, it wasn't angry, it was simply a message; and by virtue of that, your guard down and receptors up, it was relatable and palatable. To top it off, with the combination of Poly Styrene's unique voice, and the inclusion of saxophone, they sounded like no one else.

Here are some mp3s that I linked to back then, along with some surprisingly current sounding stuff from her 1986 "Gods & Goddesses" EP and tracks from Generation Indigo.

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{MORE MP3S AND VIDEO ADDED 4/28/11}

Music:
X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage, Up Yours! mp3 at Women In Punk
X-Ray Spex - I Am A Cliché mp3 at Lumberjack Theif
X-Ray Spex - The Day the World Turned Day Glo mp3 at Undomodo
X-Ray Spex - Identity mp3 at Last Days of Man On Earth
X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescence mp3 at The Mad Makerel
X-Ray Spex - Let's Submerge mp3 at Last Days of Man On Earth
Poly Styrene - Black Christmas mp3 at RcrdLbl
Poly Styrene - Black Christmas mp3 (email required) at Poly-Styrene.com
Poly Styrene - Thrash City mp3 at Here Comes the Flood
Poly Styrene - White Gold mp3 at The Cargo Culte
Poly Styrene - Virtual Boyfriend (Creep Remix) mp3 at μ sique
Poly Styrene - Generation Indigo Minimix mp3 at The Culture of Me
EP download:
Poly Styrene - Gods & Goddesses (1986) - 4 song EP download at Fade 2 Grey
Video:
X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage, Up Yours! video at YouTube
X-Ray Spex - Identity video at YouTube
X-Ray Spex - Identity (live) video at YouTube
X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescence video at YouTube
X-Ray Spex - The Day the World Turned Day-Glo video at YouTube
X-Ray Spex - Warrior in Woolworths video at YouTube
X-Ray Spex - Art-I-Ficial video at YouTube
X-Ray Spex - I Live Off You video at YouTube
X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage, Up Yours! (live, 2008 reunion) video at YouTube
Poly Styrene - Generation Indigo track by track interview
Poly Styrene & X-Ray Spex (from The Punk Years) video at YouTube
Read:
More Than Just a Punk Rocker - NME's write up
My Secret Life: Poly Styrene at the Independent.UK
Poly Styrene - Extensive profile and interview at Sugarbuzz Magazine
Poly Styrene at Wikipedia X-Ray Spex at Wikipedia
Poly Styrene - Art-I-Ficial lyrics at Lyricsmania
More X-Ray Spex lyrics (right hand column) at Lyricsmania

OH BONDAGE, OH WELL

Poly Styrene never completed her shark jump. It's like she fell in and climbed out to live another day. I'm just glad she's on dry land. Let her get her bearings, she'll figure out what side she landed on. Despite the polish on her new stuff, it is good to hear that voice. I'm not going to call her on anything. I'm too busy avoiding the whole shark issue altogether.

X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage! Up Yours! 1977

Don't get me wrong, I do like this new stuff, but in a different way than I do X-Ray Spex. "Thrash City" has a sort of glam beat, like T Rex without the T Rex sound, if that makes any sense. All of them are thickly produced. I was hoping for sparse.

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New stuff:

Poly Styrene - Thrash City mp3 at Here Comes the Flood
Poly Styrene - White Gold mp3 at The Cargo Culte
Poly Styrene - Virtual Boyfriend (Creep remix) mp3 at μ sique
Poly Styrene - Generation Indigo Minimix mp3 at The Culture Of Me
Tons of X-Ray Spex at a previous post:
Poly Styrene's Black Christmas - NOTE: A whole bunch of X-Ray Spex
Read:
Recent profile at the UK Guardian

THEY USED TO PLAY SKYNRYD

The neighbors that that live behind me were partying last night, and I heard Jimmy Smith coming through the fence. I just turned my music off, because if there was ever anything cooler than playing a Jimmy Smith record, it's hearing Jimmy Smith seeping through the cracks of a raggedy ass fence.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Jimmy Smith - Burning Spear mp3 at One Sweet Song
Jimmy Smith - Squeeze Me mp3 at Omroep.nl
Jimmy Smith - I'm Gonna Live You A Little Bit More Babe mp3 at Die Monster
Jimmy Smith - Main Title From The Carpetbaggers mp3 at Basement Rug
Jimmy Smith - J.O.S. mp3 at Garage Hangover
Jimmy Smith - St. James Infirmary mp3 at Honey Where You Been So Long
Jimmy Smith - Sunny Side of the Street mp3 at SFU
Jimmy Smith - Lonesome Road mp3 at Mike Roy
Jimmy Smith - Scrapple From the Apple mp3 at Drummer World