I'm Stalling.

It's bright and early on a Saturday morning and I've been up all night per usual. It's the time I might normally be going to bed, but the landlord is here fixing the toilet and bathroom sink. I have to be up for it.
Well, probably not, but I doubt I'd be able to sleep in the room next door to this activity.
So I'm digitizing records and making with the posts. (I also hope the downstairs neighbor is at his girlfriend's if he wants to sleep in...)

Problem is that I got some new stuff that needs to match up with stuff that is already done and just waiting for the typing part. It's a dilemma.

So instead I'm going back through and seeing what I missed.

Which brings us to this post.

Now you're up to speed.

the Catholics (1980)

I don't know diddly about these guys except that the label is Washington DC based, they do a very white medley of James Brown hits and the other side is a pretty decent tune called "Motor Drive".
That's all I needed. I spent a dollar or less if I recall.

the Cartoons (1983)

The studio they recorded this is in Glasgow. I will assume that the band also hails from that same city.
One side is called "Gee George"

They also do a cover. This time it's a cover of Roxy Music's "Love is the Drug".  What does it sound like? Look at the picture of them on the back cover.

Like that.

Triple Play Harkening Back Towards the Beginning

This one completes something started at the beginning of this mess.

December of 2014.

That seems like a lifetime ago.
I was so young and full of life. Now look at me. I'm a hollow shell of my former self.

I can't go on and then I do.

It's the other singles by the Hi-Sheriffs of Blue

Ain't But Sweet 16 (1980)

I have nothing to add. According to Byron Coley these guys missed the arbitrary cut-off date to be considered part of the No Wave scene by a matter of weeks.

Cold Chills pts 1 & 2 (1981)

Half of the band was in Boston's the Girls. One became a semi-famous painter.

Tweet split with John Miller (1981)



This is a limited split seven inch they did. The insert explains things so I don't have to.

Oh Yeah, Baby.

Not our usual fare, but you've probably gotten used to that by now.
This one just makes me laugh....

The Sounds of Love...A to Zzzz (1972)

So there's this record.
You've got some weird experimental early 70's synthesizer soundscapes on one side and some Switched on Bach type versions of Ravel & Mozart on the other.

How do you tie these two things together?
It's surely a head scratcher.

I got it.

We'll have a woman moan, whimper and breath heavily over the music for the entire Lp.

Problem solved.

Um...Yeah...Whatever

Another day. Another post.

Civil Rice (1983)

I'm not sure what I'm actually supposed to make of Einstein's Riceboys. They're kind of an odd gumbo of contemporary ideas in a single package that missed the mark a bit more often than it hits it. A bit of punk rock, some synth nonsense. Post-rock, New Wave, Annoyance. It's all in there.

Maybe I'm being harsh. I haven't really listened to this very much. But the initial impression was that I really didn't need to. Perhaps at a future date I will revisit it and change my mind, but for now it's an interesting period oddity out of Milwaukee that may or may not appeal to the average consumer.

I don't know. You listen to it. Tell me what you think for once.

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