Not All Maps Can Be Trusted

It seems that there is an odd and unfortunate trend in cartography of late where some maps leave the country of New Zealand off of them.

Which may or may not make you wonder if it really exists in the same way we established the existence of Ann Arbor in the previous post.

Cartography is a science after all, so perhaps New Zealand has been some kind of inside joke among cartographers for years. Like "Here be Dragons" or Finland.

An Inch Equals a Thousand Miles (1989)

So at some point Map of the World, who we know from photographic and aural evidence did in fact exist, made the jump to Atlantic Records in the intervening years from the previous post and plopped out this Elongated Player to little or no success before being sucked into the void.

It's more of the same pop stuff as the previous records done with a larger budget and a bit more production.

Unfortunately this was around the same time Grunge happened to enter the popular consciousness. 

They didn't stand a chance.

Take a moment and listen to what you missed. 

And enjoy a nice studio version of "Stop Thinking Now" which is the song they did on the live compilation that first brought them to my attention.

Ann Arbor is a Place

Ann Arbor.
It exists even if you don't remember that it does.
It exists in the past and the future.
It persists to be despite the overwhelming amount of folks in the world who are completely unaware of its existence.

Such is how reality works.

(In this dimension anyway.)

Hiroshima Girls (1985)

So back in August of 2018 the record posted on the 13th of that month was "Cruisin' Ann Arbor" a live compilation of various bands from Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of the highlights of which was a band called Map of the World.

There's a single that preceded this that I haven't pulled the trigger on, but this is the first 12" offering of jangly pop. Besides the title track this one includes a decent stab at the Willie Nelson penned, Patsy Cline made famous song "Crazy"

It's still the good shit.

Natural Disasters (1985)

They followed the previous release with this 6 song 12" that may or may not constitute and Lp. The distinction always gets a bit hazy at the six song mark. In my mind it's an elongated Elongated Player. Plus there's a reprise of "Hiroshima Girls" so it's really only five new songs.

Regardless. I like it.
It jangles. It's pop.
There's not much more to be said.

Very Pleasant Surprises

 Cruisin' Ann Arbor II (1984)

Under normal circumstances buying these unknown compilations from local scenes is almost always a gamble. Usually the bands are obscure and short lived for a reason with an occasional nugget of awesome or at least listenable thrown in.

So I wasn't expecting much from this live compilation of Ann Arbor, Michigan groups from 1984 but found myself wonderfully surprised how good it is all the way through. Plus it bucks the contemporary trend of having a lame Jam rip-off band, a shitty ska band and/or out of place random reggae band.

Instead we are treated to Power Pop, something more Rockabilly, a fine cover of Link Wray's "Jack the Ripper", some punk rock, a dash  of the New Wave and some actual fucking Jazz.

Highlights for me are the Map of the World & Evaders tracks, but you may disagree. Maybe you will hate the whole thing. I can't help that, but I'm listening to it again as I type this and I'm still satisfied with my vinyl Lp purchase.

Google preview has some contemporary words to say about the making of this record.

 01 - the Watusies - (Because I'm a) Jaguar

02 - the Slang - Not Even With You

03 - Map of the World - Stop Thinking Now

04 - Jack Nardella's Rock & Roll Trio - Jack the Ripper

05 - Azreal - Broken Dreams

06 - the State - Desire

07 - the Lunar Glee Club - Olduvai Gorge

08 - the Evaders - Just a Thought

09 - Aluminum Beach - Sliding Off my Pillow

10 - the Buzztones - Little Boy Blue

11 - Ron Brooks Trio Plus One - On Green Dolphin Street

12 - Kathy Moore-Stephanie Ozer Quartet - A-Flat Song

Well Fuck You Too (or Holy Fucking Hell Not More Fucking Boyracer)

Fuck You, Tiger (1995)

It's Air Miami again.

That is all.


And also:

Boyracer/Sabine split flexi (1993)

Yeah, more fucking Boyracer. Deal with it.

Sabine are related to Veronica Lake. They share two members in common. I'll post some Veronica Lake sometime later in this century.

You've got nothing better to do

Comped to Death

Sometimes there are just some songs that are available in a bunch of different places that are just too good not to throw up here for the fuck of it. I don't know, maybe there are still some folks who haven't been overexposed to the bottomless pit of Nuggets and Pebbles collections and are unaware of some of these things. Or perhaps you're just some kind of weirdo who really like to have crackles and pops in their mp3s so they can pretend they're having an analog experience. I don't care I really really fucking love this stuff.

 

the Rationals (1966)

the Rationals were from Ann Arbor, MI. The A side is a decent enough cover of Otis Redding's "Respect" that apparently was a minor hit in a few markets around the country, but not enough to really take them to the next level. It's Ok. But nothing special. But like lots and lots of garage 45's the gold is on the flip.

I have to say I'm not really much of a Beatle fan. (They're kind of meh to me in comparison to so many of their contemporaries and frankly I've just heard their shit so much in my life that it bores the fuck out of me and I'd really rather listen to something else I haven't heard a million times already.) All that being said, "Feeling Lost" is probably the best Beatles song that they didn't write. (See also: "Lies" by the Knickerbockers which I've had to patiently explain to more than one person was not the "Fab Four") The Rationals took the harmonic blueprints and ran with them and produced pure gold. This is one I can listen to multiple times at a stretch.

 

the Todds (1967)

This super fast fuzz monster eeked out a little bit late in the cycle of garage punk monsters, but is no less fucking awesome. In 1967 it probably already sounded a bit dated by a year or so, but who cares from the perspective of the 21st century. The Todds were obviously from Chicago, IL. (The Toddlin' Town label is a pretty good clue there.) Once again the other side is a bit of let down. A pleasant enough ballad "Things Will Change" but everything you need is in "I Want Her Back". Strap on your Go-Go Boots and go to town.

DIY 90's Style

I have the vaguest recollection of buying these singles. It would have been somewhere towards the end of the 90's based on who I think I was dating at the time. I'm also pretty sure that I got them from the band themselves after they opened for somebody at the Uptown Bar & Grill (R.I.P.) in Minneapolis. I don't remember who they opened for. I have that problem a lot more lately.

 Down

So what is it that we have here then that compelled me to part with my meager earnings to obtain copies of these seven inches from a touring band from Ann Arbor, MI?

Certainly not the graphic design. Metallic printing on dark paper is fucking really difficult to read. (Seriously, these crap level scans are actually easier to look at than the real thing which look more like they're stained than printed.)

  I would usually would try and buy merch from touring bands if I liked them knowing that my ten bucks was some gas or breakfast for somebody. I must have liked their performance well enough that I spent my cash on these rather than their tour mates. Let that be your guide.

The music itself is prime example of the state homemade recordings from the time. This is 90's American DIY recording. Lo-fi & warts and all. Raw recordings with hiss and minimal tracking to preserve what little fidelity you can muster on the shitty little machine. Passion always is more important in a take than things like tuning or being on key or fidelity. The name Down is fitting. These are not happy little pop songs. Fuzz, static and cheap mics. I love shit like this.