Freddie Got Fingered

For some reason, Tom Green was briefly in the world's awareness for another split second before something actually interesting happened. He also still seems to get work.  Good for him.

The rest of this post has nothing to do with him. It's about Finger.

Everywhere (1990)

They were from the Raleigh/Durham, Chapel Hill, North Carolina scene and plied their trade at the very start of the 90's while everybody was getting into grunge and acting like they invented punk rock or something.

 

Another State of Mind (1991)

They played a surprisingly straightforward form of alternative rock. Nothing earth or genre shattering, but pretty damn listenable in a way that was most certainly not fashionable at the time. If nothing else it would certainly make for a fine background for hanging out at whatever bar they were playing. They did a bit of touring and then the drummer quit.

  Ship Full of Holes (1992)

Looking at some of the rest of the story, it seems that individuals got sucked into the country/Americana void never to return. The guitarist here seems to be now employed in Keith Urban's backing band after a stint in Son Volt. Well, at least it's a steady paycheck making music. 

At least they also left behind these three singles to pay loudly while cruising around in a beater car on a summer Tuesday night with the windows down.

Right in the Feelies, man.

Fa Ce La (1979)

The Feelies apparently exist again after a prolonged hiatus. Their kind of nerdy uptight, frantic itchy guitar playing was unlike anything else going on at the time. It takes a lot of junior high school wedgies to craft a sound like that.

This is their debut on Rough Trade.

Dig it.

Paris (1979)

Meanwhile across the pond in Nottingham, England the Fatal Charm made this record while seemingly being a hundred times less nerdy than the Feelies.
They had a girl in the band so at the very least we can surmise that they were somewhat more able to interact with the opposite sex. 
This is their debut.

Their mums must have been so proud of them

Fasting

Killing some time. It's either this or I sit around and eat something bad for me out of sheer boredom.

Like Fast Food (note clever segue)

Fast Food (1980)

An accompanying promo letter says that these guys  hailed from Long Island City, NY. The first side is the smooth side for the ladies. The b-side is the loud paranoid side. Overall much better than the drummer's shades and the bass player's suit vest would have you believe.

It would have to be to overcome the less than appetizing front cover, now wouldn't it?



Fast Floyd & the Famous Thunderbirds don't have that problem

 

Tigerman (1983)

It's a much rawer take on 50's style rockin' and rollin' with saxophones and heaps of attitude, sex and style. I mean, Elvis sang "Tigerman"too. 

'Nuff said.

If rock and roll and sex and saxophones are your cup of tea, this may be in your wheelhouse. Or you could just stare at the cover. Makes no difference to me.

Obscured by the Mists of Obscurity

So it's the middle of the night. I had thought I'd go somewhere earlier, but it got later than I wanted because I've been spending too much time dicking around with this crap. Lucky you.

Fashion Central (1994)

So about the only thing I've ever found about this band is a small video for the song "Count Me In" attributed to a band named Schwa (though Fashion Central is named in the comment) There's girls exercising in the video. It's otherwise just about the catchiest little pop tune you're ever likely to hear today and maybe most of tomorrow as well.

It also says they were from Richmond, VA. As far as I'm aware this is their only released work.
It's kind of unfortunate. I quite enjoy all three songs on this one.

Ekstasis (1977)

The Fans were one of the first of the independent bands that would appear in the fertile crescent of the Athens, Ga scene that also spawned bands like the B52's & REM. They put out three singles and didn't become famous. One of the main guys in the Fans was Kevin Dunn who made a few records on his own that will appear at some point down the line.
This record owes a bunch to the artier side of  concurrent UK at the time but owes a lot more to Roxy Music than the Sex Pistols. Lots of what were probably very very expensive at the time synths and a cover of the Tornadoes 1962 hit instrumental "Telstar" which was produced by the incredibly innovative record maker Joe Meek before he a bit off the deep end and shot his landlady and himself.  Everybody else lived happily ever after.

The last one of these

[10/12/17- Julian Knowles of Even as We Speak had reported a previous post of another pair of singles to Mediafire. He must have missed this one. I'm going to remove the link anyway.

And once again, I make this cruddy blog out of love and a desire for others to hear things they might not otherwise get to. If you're unhappy with that let me know and I'll gladly take it down.

If you're interested in more Even as We Speak.

If you're looking for more of their out of print items.]



Back again, I see.

The third of four Sarah singles by Even as We Speak that I've got.

Blue Eyes Deceiving Me (1993)

Try it. You'll like it. I have nothing more to add


Meanwhile an ocean away:

 

the Extra Glenns (1993)

This is a collaboration between lo-fi home recording king John Darnielle better known to record as the Mountain Goats and another lo-fi hero Franklin Bruno (of Nothing Painted Blue fame) making some lo-fi recordings as the Extra Glenns.

 Now you're up to speed.

Compilation 13th

Warfrat Tales (1983)

A1	–The Last	Try To Rise
A2	–The Leaving Trains	Leaving Train
A3	–100 Flowers	100 Flowers
A4	–Earwigs*	Stop The Clock
A5	–Wednesday Week	Boy You Got Me Good
A6	–The Rain Parade*	I Look Around
A7	–The Question?*	Brand New World
A8	–The Poin	Pot Head
B1	–100 Flowers	From The Fire
B2	–The Question?*	Shall Be Love
B3	–The Rain Parade*	This Can't Be Today
B4	–Wednesday Week	Anyone Like Me
B5	–Hector And The Clockwatchers	Mishap At Greebsley's
B6	–The Leaving Trains	Creeping Coastline Of Lights
B7	–The Last	Brand New Drug

From a Land Down Under

[10/12/17 - So I got a notice from Mediafire that Julian Knowles of Even as We Speak had reported this post so I'm removing the links.

And as it says in the sidebar here. I post this stuff out of love. It's things I like and want to share so other people can hear it, but if anybody responsible for the music in question is unhappy,  just let me know and I'll gladly take it down. 
For the most part the few times in the past where someone who's band it was stumbled upon my cruddy blog they were glad somebody was still listening a couple of decades later. But everybody is different and I respect that.

So if you're interested in Even as We Speak follow the link to their website and get new stuff from them. (Not these though. They're long out of print. Try Discogs)]






It's still that same day in March I was talking about several posts ago.
My jaw still hurts.

Nothing Ever Happens (1990)

The band is Even as We Speak.  This was their first seven inch for Sarah Records. It incorporates their previously released 1989 "Goes So Slow" 7" on Phantom and adds a couple more songs. "Blue Suburban Skies" and a cover of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" which had been a Top 10 hit in Australia back in 1986.

That should be enough to go on.

 

One Step Forward (1991)

Their next release. Also on Sarah Records.  It's another record by Even as We Speak. Yep. That's what it is. (see above for more info)

Acquired Taste

I just feel like posting this.

the Crucifucks (1984)


Yeah, this hardcore classic is huge and angry and funny and the singer's voice is grating and hilarious. I suggest listening to it until it all seems perfectly normal. There is no going back at that point. You're committed. This is your life now.

August is With Me I Know

Just another post.

As I type this, it's still March. I'm months out with posting. I could die in my sleep tonight and this blog would plod onward like the Mary Celeste without me.

Anyway, I got a crown today. My jaw is killing me and I'm groggy from a painkiller I took earlier when it was quite unbearable. I'm going to attempt to eat soon. I'm hungry.

Factual (1982)

Factual were a new wave synth band from Nashville, TN. There seems to have been a pretty lively scene there for a big chunk of the 80's that never got noticed by the outside world. I wasn't aware anyway. This is pretty much my first taste.

For my part I have to wonder if the graphic artistry for the sleeve and the band name is simply homage to the aesthetics of Factory Records, an attempt to fool the unwary, or some kind of in-joke. Maybe they just wanted a better record deal.

Speaking of in-jokes.

 

Whipped Cream Mixes (1996) 

These days mashups are all the rage and more or less kind a genre unto themselves and infinitely more entertaining than face swaps which I'll never understand the appeal of. But back in the vague and hazy days of the mid-90's such things were relatively unknown or conceived of. I mean, who would have otherwise thought of taking vocal tracks from Public Enemy and matching them up with tracks by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass? The genius's at Evolution Control Committee is who.

My first exposure was walking into a local record haunt the moment they were unboxing that day's shipment and the curious clerk putting it on to see what it was. Much laughter was had. It's still pretty damn funny. Your mileage will vary. But I'm amused.

Exes

You know the drill

the Exile (1977)


One of the first Scottish punk bands. You might expect that with songs like "Jubilee 77" and "Fascist DJ" that they'd be a lot more pissed off than they actually are. While I'm sure it sounded a lot different back in 1977, but these days it kind of sounds like an average pub band trying to sound angry. It does have that DIY spirit and was rehearsed, recorded & mixed in all of three hours, so I have to give them props for that.  Plus they certainly deserve some credit for being first and all that but the Damned they aint. (That soccer hooligan mustache isn't helping their cause much either.)

Even so the cheapest copy on Discogs is $54 which is more than 100 times than what I paid for it. So some folks must think more highly of it than I do.

 

the Expelaires (1979)

This one I like a lot more. They were from Leeds and after a couple of singles they all went on to form the cores of a bunch early 80's goth favorites. The Mission, Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry, Sisters of Mercy... I'd hazard to guess they may have worn less black and eye makeup for this single.