Triple Play

 

Listening to records. Typing about other records.

I still have a pile of nearly 50 singles in the "New Arrivals" pile in front of the turntable going back to last Fall. There was a solid couple of months when I was sick that crap like that took a back seat to convalescence.
Then I went on a couple of stress buying binges and found a lot of NOS copies of local stuff for the other blog (Swinging Singles Club MN) which I've been concentrating on mostly because this one was queued up so far in advance that there wasn't any sense of urgency to add to it.

Then there's the obsessive collector problem of things being incomplete which has started plaguing me more in my heightened stress levels from the past few years. I've had stuff sitting around waiting until I found those last few items that would make complete discographies. As a consequence there's a bunch of good stuff waiting around for that other single or the sole Lp.

Tonight's a "Fuck it" night.

These have been sitting around and it's all I've got, I can't find copies in the US and UK imports are much more than they're worth. And I'm not going to sit on them any longer. If I eventually find the rest, I'll post it then.

So here's three out of five singles by the Mo-Dettes.

 

 White Mice (1979)

Their first single was an indie chart hit right out of the gate with a cheap video made and everything.

There is nothing to dislike about that

Paint It Black (1980)

Third single was a stab at the Rolling Stones chestnut which was nice.

(Especially since the Stones themselves were in the first stages of what would become a slow descent into the pits of suck that would eventually culminate in horrors like "Harlem Shuffle" (which in itself is a cover) and that bane of dollar bins everywhere "Bridges to Babylon")

I like this better than anything on the contemporary "Emotional Rescue".
Suck it, Mick.

Tonight (1981)

Their penultimate single, though it was the last of new music and just following their sole Lp release. There'd be a live single as a last hurrah.

They're very 1981 fashionable on the cover though.
I dunno.
I got nothing.

You'd never know it but this whole post has taken well over an hour to get together to even this point because I'm digitizing singles at the same time and have to get up every few minutes to flip a record and run it through the restoration software so future posts don't sound as shit as previous ones like this one.

Plus I'm getting hungry.

I think I'm going to finish up the Spectres "This Strange Effect"(featuring former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock covering the Kinks) and call it a night knowing that now that I have both Spectres 45s they can finally be posted at some point in the future I feel like it and get back to the bulk of the 45s where it lies in state in "Sp". (I last left off at "Mo" and need to catch the 12" side up to it as well and that's a lot of Mancini records in between.)

Mysteries for the Mists of Obscurity.

Or something like that.

I actually had to do some internet sleuthing for this one.

And in the end you have to wonder if it was worth it.

I suppose. It's some useless facts that can roll around in your head when you listen.

So there's that, I suppose.

 Indicate Your Love (1981)

Sensible Shoes. This one was from L.A.

There is fuck all for information about this particular band anywhere on the sleeve. Just a few names and a date on the back.

I found something anyway.

It's trivial but puts some kind of context on it, I suppose.

 The singer on this little seven inch of New Wave Pop is David Baerwald who would achieve a decent paycheck briefly in the middle of the 80's as part of  David & David when they had a Top 100 release with a major contender for all-time most 80's production sound "Welcome to the Boomtown"

Not exactly my cup of poison, but hey, they hopefully got paid for it.
So there's that.
I doubt that DB saw any sort of money out of Sensible Shoes.

Good on him for having a song that peaked even at #37.
That's still better than you or I have ever done.

Red Balune (1979)


Red Balune. There's a bunch of Henry Cow connections which should give the savvy listener some expectation of the Avant Garde scratchy artsy damage that will be contained within.

You have been warned.

A Pair of Records from 1979

I am full of Beef and Broccoli.
My colon surely appreciates the vegetable fiber.
I have a window open.
Life is ok.
Even the previous year's quarantine from whence I am typing.

Hello future.

R.U.R. (1979)

R.U.R. were from Detroit in the state of Michigan.

They took their moniker from a play by Czech author Karel Čapek's 1921 titled "R.U.R." that introduced the word "robot" to the popular lexicon.

They weren't the only band to use the name, but the only one I have a record by.

 It's Rock and Roll like Detroit made Rock and Roll.

I like it and I don't dance to it.

Teenage Lifestyle (1979)

The Penetrators were from Syracuse, NY.

This isn't an original copy. It's a 2011 reissue on Windian Records but it is low fidelity, garage punk rock from the heyday.

So just cram it and jam it.
Jam to it.

There were at least a dozen or more bands that called themselves the Penetrators.
This is one of them.

Dance to it.
I dare you.

Deja Vu All Over Again

When I was in the process of typing out the "labels" while setting this post set up I realized that I was repeating a Boston/LA post from approximately the same years.

Small world.

Love is the Lesson (1982)

Monad.

From Boston. Some seriously frantic art damaged wonderful weirdness.

I scanned the inner sleeve.
You know what that means.

You should want this.

Beak (1979)

Monitor.

From Los Angeles. Some seriously art damaged wonderful weirdness.

There wasn't an inner sleeve.
Just a postcard of James Mason that seemed nonessential.

You should want this.

4 Sides. No Shit.

As per usual I'm typing this up months and months previous to it posting.

I might not normally even be doing this tonight but unfortunately for me the television I would otherwise be occupying my time with wasting my life playing some worthless video game on suddenly crapped out on me in the middle of watching something on Netflix. (Well, not exactly "watching" so much as it was on while I fiddled around with a guitar which is my personal form of "practice")

So here we are. I have to wait it out until such time as I can get to a store and replace the fucking thing that I probably depend too much on for my personal entertainment.

In the meantime I've decided that for the sake of my own personal karma I'd drop a post of the most wonderful old school punk rock shit I had in the SSC folder.

Here's some fucking lemonade.

Achin' (1981)

The Plugz.

I could blather on about the importance of this band in terms of who they were and what they accomplished and became and all that crap. But you can read up on the Wiki if you need. I don't really care.

What I do care about is how fucking great a song "Achin'" is.

And that's really all that matters.
Trust me.

The flip is a nod to their Hispanic heritage and where they fit in as young punks and thus perfect in its own way.

This was a present to myself for working some long ass overtime. It wasn't exactly cheap for what I usually am willing to spend, but I have zero regrets.

The band would later rerecord a version of "Achin" for their second Lp "Better Luck" but it really lacks the raw immediateness and passion of the original.

Accept no substitutes.

White Stains (1979)

The Molls.

I'm pretty sure this has been comped multiple upon multiple times. Deservedly so.

They were from Boston and were led by Tristam Lozaw who would go onto lead Someone and the Somebodies that I posted a while back.

This is much better.

It's loud, crass, funny and punk fucking rock.

The flip on this is a song about the famous 70s exotic dancer known as Chesty Morgan who was endowed with an extremely large bosom. (And if you're wondering is still in fact alive as far as the internet tells me.)

Also fortunately for me, I didn't have to pay a premium for this one. I got it for a couple of bucks in the 90s because it was from Boston and Peter Prescott from Mission of Burma played drums on it.

Box This

Boxing Day.

The Traditions continue, because that's what traditions do.

Elementary Particles (1979)

Mofongo is a Puerto Rican dish made from green plantains that are fried, seasoned, mashed, mixed with fried pork skins and rolled into balls.

Here's a recipe:
Mofongo

Mofungo was a noisy disjointed band that existed in NYC from 1979-1993

Here is an interview with the story:

Mofungo

El Salvador (1982)

A few years later. Still noisy and disjointed.

Like if No Wave had a sense of humor rather than just one of aloof irony.

Try it.

 It's sure to bug the fuck out of somebody you dislike.
I appreciate that in music.

A Post in a Single Color

I got distracted from what I was originally doing which was looking up whether or not I actually needed to digitize that Look Blue, Go Purple ep that's sitting there. (And the answer is yes. I could stand to upgrade my rip.)

Next thing you know I'm digging through the " SSC To Post" folder and hunting down a link for the Monochrome Set to go with a pair of nice singles I have had in there to post for approximately two years already.

I suppose I was holding out until I could flesh things out with more of their early output.'

I didn't, so today's the day for them to shine.

Eine Symphonie Des Grauens (1979)


This one like the three previous (that I don't have) were on early Rough Trade.
I personally don't need any greater recommendation than that.

Apocalypso (1980)

"Fiasco Bongo" is the kind of dub mix version of the A-side.

The aformentioned link is this:

the Monochrome Set

Drop in and give them a howdy.

Of Mice and Maps

Yeah, I'm on vacation.

Well, burning up some of the Paid Time Off I've earned and haven't used in the last few years and which I've been accruing at a steady pace.

Didn't go anywhere. Been spending my time doing a few things that require me being awake for normal people daylight  hours.

It's odd, but having time off is nice and I earned it.
I've been able to do some record shopping in brick and mortar stores I wouldn't normally get to.
Found a few things too.

This post isn't any of that stuff.

Winter Ocean Mary Go Round (1987)

This is a sweet bit of 80s neo-psychedelia from the Voxx label.
The "Fan Club" address is for Ontario, California which  is 35 miles outside off Los Angeles according to wikipedia
I can't find anything immediately on a quick google, so I'll leave the mystery to unravel itself.

I'm Talking To You (1979)

So if you've been playing along at home in January of last year I kicked the festivities off with some records by Boston band the Dark. One of the songs on their first record was called "Judy" and it starts with a quote from this record and is about Ms. Judy Grunwald who fronts this band, the Maps.

 It's a great, should have been a hit kind of record.

From what I have gathered after Ms Grunwald left the band to pursue other interests the remainder of the band evolved into Art Yard who unfortunately didn't get to release their single on Propeller Records before it imploded.

It would have been amazing.

Oh the things the were and could have been....

Same Song Twice Redux

Doing up records that I won't be posting while I type.
Less discriminating copies of good stuff, but a bit too hacked up and a mish mosh of stereo and mono and skips.
You understand.

But it did at least finally inspire me to get some actual restoration software, so things might be less shit sounding in the future (like in a year maybe when the posts catch up to the digitizing I'm doing now)

So there's that too.

Here's some Lyres singles.

How Do You Know (1979)

The very first thing that Jeff Connolly put out with his post- DMZ band the Lyres.
It's the young sound of 70's kids emulating the sounds of 60's kids that would morph into the so-called Paisley Underground that ran through the 80's.


Connolly was an avid collector 60s Garage/Punk records before it was even a thing.
My singular interaction with him was a brief chat at the In Your Ear records in the middle of the 80s when I was trying to snag a few of my own with my limited budget. When he asked me what the best record was that I had he was impressed that I'd gotten a copy of the Shames "My World is Upside Down" for a mere fifty cents from a record store that should have known better.

This particular record didn't get a reissue until 2007 because as a collector of rare records he'd always wanted to have one of his own. Both sides of this one are original compositions.

How Do You Know (1987)

Eight years and a lifetime later the Lyres rerecorded "How Do You Know" with the then current lineup.

Compare and contrast at your leisure.

It's backed this time by a version of "Stacey" originally recorded in 1966 by the Hangmen of Fairfield County which is a corker of a tune.

The  lyrics of which go :

To heck with pot and LSD too
I’d rather take a trip with you - Stacey

Goodbye to shots of white cocaine
You have put them all to shame - Stacey

I’ve sniffed glue right from a bag
Compared to you it’s really a drag - Stacey

Stacey - You’re quite a child
Stacey - You drive me wild

Lovin’ you is really in
You’re better than Coke with aspirin - Stacey

I’ve heard of the high from Dexedrine
But you’ve got a kick like a 20-mule team - Stacey

I don’t need tea or the poppyseed
Cause with you I can do the good deed - Stacey

Stacey - You’re quite a child
Stacey - You drive me wild

Some go far on magic mushrooms
But with you I’m first to the moon - Stacey

Trading your love for a million bennies
Is like selling New York for a few pennies - Stacey

People go nuts from taking goofballs
But after you I’m climbing the walls - Stacey

Stacey - I shoulda had warning
Stacey - You’re habit forming

(shamelessly copied and pasted from the always enlightening Basement Walls blog. )


And as an added bonus because I'm feeling like it

I Really Want You Right Now (1983)

The Lyres first single for Ace of Hearts.

"Help You Ann" is the winner here without a doubt and the song I first remember hearing once I'd discovered local college radio. It sounds like my high school bedroom on an already old them stereo receiver with a cassette deck in the top.

Soak it in.

No. Shut Up

A few quick ones.

Very little typing.
This band was actually quite good at what they did. They however get more or less relegated to a footnote because they had a minor hit which invalidates everything else they ever did or did before. Hate that shit.
If it's good it's good.

Insect Love (1979)

Martha & the Muffins. 

A-side is a remixed version of their first single.

Suburban Dream (1980)

A-side was also on previously mentioned first single. This is their third single.

More Mor Mor's

I'm doing other records.

Don't expect much.

3D Sound (1982)

Seriously there's not fucking diddly squat I could find about this band in a short search. Moroccos appear to be from Philadelphia and everybody was in a couple of other bands.

A side is some seriously nice catchy danceable Nu Wave. B side is an instrumental.

Does it matter?
Fuck No.

Is it good?
Hell Yes.

Suburbanite (1981)

The Morons were from Albany, NY.

This and a compilation appearance are the only evidence of their existence except in memories.


And today, a special bonus.
Just because...

The Girl Next Door (1979)

Another blink and you missed it Minneapolis group that cluttered up the Break'er Records catalog. Kind of almost Power Pop. Probably considered a "punk" band at the time.

I think I have actually less than a dollar invested in this one if I remember correctly.
Total score on my end.

Too Much To Choose From

Blah Blah Blah.

At this point I've got an extra large folder of stuff to post but then lots of it is waiting for an odd or end to complete things before I make the actual post because such and such a band put out two and I've only got one of them and want to get the other first. etc..

It's not a terrible problem to have, I suppose.

It just means I have to scroll deeper into the folder to find something to post.

And here we are.

 Pig Pen Sacrifice (1979)

A spiffy little ditty courtesy What Records? by the Martyrs.
It's the tale of a farmer who falls into his sty and gets eaten alive by pigs.
The band includes then current member of the Germs and future Nirvana sideman Pat Smear.

B side just hits a little too close to home...

Earl of Hell (1997)

British R&B/Garage/Beat sounds from the Masonics.
Lots of crossover in sound and band members with multiple Billy Childish/Hangman Records groups.
If you like that, you'll like this.
I know I do.

A dollar well spent.