The Heptones ‎– Unreleased Night Food & Rare Black Ark Sessions

Summer time is the right time to roll down the windows, turn up the bass, and drive around listening to reggae as loud as you can stand.

In honor of that sentiment, as well as the unofficial end of summer coming today, here's a now-out-of-print collection of Heptones recordings, circa 1976, the great majority of which have never been released anywhere else. It's only been in the past couple of years that I've branched out to embrace any roots reggae or lover's rock. What I had previously dismissed as second-rate Bob Marley now opened up, in great part to all the dub I'd been finding cheap and listening to since moving to the PNW.

The Heptones were a remarkable trio of vocalists whose history together dated back to the late 1950's as a street-corner harmony group. They'd gather together in 1966 for their first recording sessions, cutting a trio of rocksteady albums for Studio One before slowing down their sound. They'd work with a variety of producers from 1971 to 1975, before convening at the Black Ark, Lee Perry's renowned studio, at the behest of Island Records to make "Night Food".

What's cool about these recordings are not only the outtakes from a group at the height of their powers, but also the intersection of so many awesome musicians backing them. Leroy Sibbles would leave the group within a year of cutting "Night Food", but you couldn't tell by the level of performance heard here. A key chunk of the Wailers would back the Heptones here, contemporaneously with the recording of "Rastaman Vibration". Credited as the Wailers All-Stars, the Brothers Barrett, Touter Harvey, and Chinna Smith all lay down some amazing riddims. Of course, the standout is the engineering of Lee Perry. This was one of the final sessions held at the Black Ark before Perry burnt it down. The production is just out of this world; the collaboration between Perry and the Heptones would continue into Perry's "Super Ape" and the final classic-lineup Heptones release, 1977's "Party Time". To me, this is a perfect jam for the last warm days of the year.

Discogs

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An indeterminate number of reflections on Sonic Youth's "Bull in the Heather" video

1. It took approximately 26 years for me to realize Kathleen Hanna was capering about during the video.
2. Kim Gordon should have sung every Sonic Youth song.
3. I hear Kathleen Hanna gave Thurston Moore a bloody lip while this was being filmed. Good.
4. Tamra Davis videos are always great.
5. In a video full of entertaining moments, the one that always stands out is Steve Shelley hesitating before picking up the beat again. It's like taking a breath, and it always gives me the giggles for some unknown reason.
6. This is my favorite Sonic Youth song, from my favorite era of Sonic Youth.
7. There's, what, four different narrative threads in the video?
1. The band playing live.
2. Kathleen Hanna dancing in the burly house.
3. Kim Gordon hopping on the bed, channeling Carroll Baker in "Baby Doll".
4. The kids running through the hazy field.
8. I went to Lollapalooza '95 specifically to see Sonic Youth because I liked "Experimental Jet Set" so much. Two girls from my neighborhood and I drove from suburban Baltimore to a horsetrack in West Virginia at the crack of dawn, stood out in the blazing sun all day, and never saw Sonic Youth because one of them got heat stroke. On the bright side, I saw Superchunk and the Jesus Lizard and Helium, all of which were awesome, bought some fake ecstasy that I now think was just a chewable multivitamin, and swore off festivals for the rest of my life.
9. There are strong links between Sonic Youth and Beastie Boys here, what with Davis directing and Hanna performing.
10. The fact that Tamra Davis hasn't directed a narrative film since 2002's "Crossroads" kind of blows my mind. She's always been one of my favorite video auteurs, she directed both "CB4" AND "Half Baked", and she coaxed a perfectly cromulent performance out of Britney Spears. She's done a ton of TV in recent years, and it's perfectly believable that she prefers that work, but I always thought she had a real strong feminist sensibility that showed through in her films, and that should have been grown more.
11. I'm fairly certain I taped this song onto an audio cassette when the video aired on "120 Minutes".
12. 1994 was the first year I was both into music and had access to MTV, the absence of which probably did more to shape my taste than anything else. Without regular watching of videos after school before that, I ended up buying magazines and zines to find out about what was out there. It meant I all but missed the punk breakout of 1994, viewing from the side of "selling out" and "no UPCs" instead of getting into Green Day. On the downside, viewing availability as a negative is the reason I wouldn't listen to the Ramones or Misfits until well in my 20s.
13. It's been well legislated long before I climbed back in the saddle, but, yeah, I still think Thurston Moore is a dick.
14. Is it appropriate to use "indeterminate" in the title of this blog when, eventually, it's going to end, thus negating its indeterminate status.
15. Am I even using "indeterminate" in a proper way?
16. Why aren't the two Crucifucks records in print? And, for that matter, why hasn't someone done a new pressing of the Crucifix LP? We have all the time and money in the world to tie up the pressing plants with a reissue of "Whipped Cream & Other Delights" (now on 220g vinyl!), but we can't get another 1000 copies of three of the best hardcore records from the 80s? Justice for Doc Dart!
17. I've officially run out of observations and reflections inspired by the "Bull in the Heather" video. Good day.

Killer Pussy - Bikini Wax

Lucy La Mode of Killer Pussy

By now, regular readers of the blog should know that the ol' Ape Mummy loves some raunch. It's what happens when you grow up watching John Waters movies and finding Tijuana Bibles in your grandad's footlocker. I still get a kick out sleazy, stylized music, whether it's the Cramps, Dwarves, Andre Williams, or Turbonegro. Does it still play as well in 2020 as it did even five years ago? I really don't know anymore; there's a disconnect in my mind between being drawn to smutty art and remaining sensitive to the sensibilities of people who I care about. I'm working on it. That's what I can do.

So...Killer Pussy. Not the most SEO-friendly name (or is it?). They came out of Phoenix, playing punky, porny new wave alongside bands like JFA, Sun City Girls, and the Meat Puppets. Over their initial five-year existence, they put out two 7"s and an LP, had a song on the "Valley Girl" soundtrack, and made their rep as funny and fun to watch. Their first 7", 1982's "Teenage Enema Nurses in Bondage" got tons of airplay on KROQ and "New Wave Theater". Then they ended, not necessarily a one-hit wonder, but definitely a bit of a novelty. They would reunite over 10 years later, and would continue to gig locally until they called it a day in 2015.

So I'm digging through the crates at Bargain CDs Records & Tapes in Everett, and I find this reissue in their dollar bin. I'm kind of shocked it's there; it's not particularly rare, but I hadn't seen one since Oglio put together a collection of Killer Pussy's recordings in 1994. Of course I snag it, along with some Criterion laserdiscs and a trucker-themed country compilation cassette. It definitely has a real "fake punk" vibe to it. Of course I'm in love. It's like a poppier, female-fronted Feederz. Could you make this today? Probably, but not nearly enough people would get the joke.

Discogs

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White Cross ‎– Deaf, Dumb And Blind

White Cross (photo from Facebook)

Once again, I find myself behind the 8-ball, watching nunsploitation with nothing on the books for the following morning's post. Let's dig into the magic murder bag and pull out some classic American hardcore.

White Cross were from Richmond, VA, and always seemed like one of those bands I'd hear about but never hear. Pen Rollings played bass on their 7", "Fascist", a year before he joined Honor Role; the rhythm section on their LP, "What's Going On", would join the first incarnation of GWAR after White Cross broke up. White Cross had their greatest national exposure via their two songs on the first "We Got Power" compilation.

Grand Theft Audio put out this shiny 5" disc back in 1995, compiling the LP, the 7", and 12 unreleased cuts, circa 1984-85. I think it's a real cool snapshot of what was filtering out into the world from those early Black Flag/Bad Brains/DOA releases. All in all, you get 41 snotty circle pitters (that's a thing, right?) that haven't been reissued ever. Apparently, they're even still occasionally gigging around Richmond, featuring three of the four members and Greta Brinkman (L7, Wasted Talent) on bass. That's fun, right? I kinda wish I'd known 5-6 years ago; I totally would have booked them to rage out in some 50 person room in Baltimore.

Discogs

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Henry Fiat's Open Sore - Adulterer Oriented Rock

How about some of that old-tyme Swedish garage punk?

Henry Fiat's Open Sore are the yang to the Hives' yin. Both bands wear suits onstage, play garage rock, and generally act like cocks of the walk. But while the Hives can headline festivals, HFOS is better suited playing in the back of a dive bar. It's all gimp masks, three chords, and attitude, paving the way for bands like Carbonas, Black Lips, Sick Thoughts. Naturally, I loved finding this out in the wild for a mere $3. It's the kind of shithead punk that I just can't get enough of, slotting nicely with my Dwarves, Sniffany and the Nits, and Queers records.

This collection of the first four years of HFOS singles came out in 2002 simultaneously with the American reissue of their first LP on Berkeley's Coldfront Records. Coldfront was run by one of the guys who wrote/edited for Hit List magazine, and reflected that zine's focus on streetpunk, garage, and Oi! They were both short-lived and amazingly prolific, putting out close to 70 releases in just over 5 years. There are some great overlooked releases in that catalog: I'll write about their Wynona Riders comp in the future, and I love their various samplers, which capture a really fun slice of American punk rock. As for Henry Fiat's Open Sore, they went on hiatus around 2004, reappearing with an LP in 2008, then fully reuniting in 2019 with a pair of new records on Stockholm's Push My Buttons.

Discogs

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Post #200: Tragedy - No End In Sight

Tragedy at Thee Parkside, SF, CA, 2008 (photo by Brian Dooley)

When I restarted Primitive Offerings a few months back, it was, in part, because the 20th anniversary occasions had really started piling up for me. 2000 was a really good year, no? It was the first year I ever really lived on my own; the Baltimore Chop and I lived in a cruddy two-bedroom apartment out in Baltimore County after I got kicked out of college. We went to shows all the time, especially since they didn't drink at the time, so I could have a few and not stress driving drunk. There were countless great records that came out that year. And the movies...oh, the movies from 2000! "O Brother...", "Pitch Black", "Almost Famous", "Ghost Dog", "High Fidelity": when I wasn't at a show, at work, or back at school, I was probably in the theatre, turning a single feature in a double. So, yeah, for me, other than going all year without a date, it was a really good year.

2000 was the year the first Tragedy LP came out. I didn't know much about them. I knew this was the new His Hero Is Gone/Deathreat band, the fourth member was the guy who ran the Great American Steak Religion label, and they were out of Portland instead of Memphis. I had really mixed feelings about crust at the time. I loved the music and the politics; I hated the scene, so I figured, much like HHIG, I'd never see these guys, because I didn't want to be the only person there looking like a skinhead. What can I say; I was super-insecure about myself in 2000.

Flash forward a couple years to 2002. The Art Space and the Bloodshed open within months of each other, each one offering slightly different yet complimentary takes on DIY punk and hardcore. It was easier navigating city shows; I lived a block from Reptilian, worked at the record store when I wasn't at school, helped remodel and run CCAS. Tragedy's second LP, "Vengeance", comes out, and it carpet bombs everything. I couldn't help but pay attention. They go on tour, and I get to see them! The gang in Kerum had this verbal meme at the time, based on a review they received from a German zine. When something was awesome, they'd yell "HAMMER!" I spent most of Tragedy's set at the Bloodshed yelling "HAMMER!" and head banging.

Time goes on. Tragedy does a split with Sweden's Totalitär in 2003, tours Europe and releases a pair of re-recorded "Vengeance" tracks, then releases "Nerve Damage" in 2006. I was in a different headspace by then; I still loved the music, but I stopped going to shows, a newlywed trying to live a straight life for my spouse. Tragedy played the Ottobar behind "Nerve Damage". I didn't attend. I still rocked the CD I'd picked up from Reptilian's new store.

Five years pass. My wife and I split up. I move back to Baltimore. Tragedy plays the first day of Maryland Deathfest, on a bill with Cathedral, Buzzov•en, Lack of Interest, and Noisear. A buddy offers to sneak me into the show, but I bail to hang out with my girlfriend, who proceeds to berate me for not going to the show. But what can I say? I had work in the morning, and standing around during a bunch of bands I didn't love for one that I did didn't seem appealing. The next year, Tragedy releases "Darker Days Ahead", their fourth (and to date final) LP. It's much closer to the metal side of crust than the punk; I'm not in love with it. For me, the best part of the record is David D'Andrea's cover art.

Time keeps on ticking by. It's 2018. I live north of Seattle, having gone from Baltimore to Atlanta to the Pacific Northwest in the course of three years. I've been laid off from my job for close to a year. I've had a breakdown which led to hospitalization. I'm living off the kindness of family, food banks, and selling off records. Things are not great. I guess at some point I'd added myself to Ebullition's e-mail list, which announces a new Tragedy 12". I debate spending the little money I have on a record, then go with downloading the EP from Tragedy's new Bandcamp page. As indifferent as I was to "Darker Days Ahead", I am that thrilled by "Fury". It was a return to the form I expected.

So it's been almost two years to the day that "Fury" was released, and 20 years since the self-titled LP came out. To celebrate, I've put together the below comp for your listening pleasure. You get my three favorite songs from each 12", along with one song each from their three single releases. Everything is ordered chronologically, past to present. This is not at all complete; I invite you to track down all of their releases. Tragedy remains a powerful force in DIY music. I hope this helps explain why.

Click here to download.

The Criterion Collection in September

John Merrick: Not an animal

I'm watching "Life of Brian" again, maybe for the 10th time, and I start thinking about the duality between comfort and interest. I've watched each of the Monty Python films at least 10 times each (surprise!), yet there remains a long list of well-regarded movies I want to see, yet haven't. And it's not, like, "The Irishman" or "Parasite" or something that's released in the past 12 months that I might have limited access to. It's shit like "On the Waterfront", "Sunset Blvd.", "The Grapes of Wrath"...the films that AFI and Empire and BFI lists are made of. Or, for a more apt example, most of September's Criterion releases. At least I have an appropriate reason to make the time to see them now.

September 8

Let's start off with a pair of reissues for films that I'm already familiar with. I've owned previous Criterion releases of "Brute Force" and "The Naked City" for years now. They helped seal my fandom for the works of Jules Dassin. These, along with "Thieves' Highway" and "Night and the City", make up a quartet of the finest film noir ever released, as well as the last movies Dassin directed before being blacklisted in 1950. Both films rank amongst my top ten favorite crime movies, with the cinematography of William Daniels and Miklós Rózsa's scores being particularly standout. These are primo post-war, naturalist films that I can watch time and again.

But why the reissue? Well, both movies are now available on Blu-ray, with uncompressed soundtracks, 4K scans and restorations courtesy of the folks at Germany's TLEFilms FIlm Restoration & Preservation Services. This gives them the visual and audio edge over the previous Region B Arrow Academy releases. Even the DVDs get some sprucing up, with fresh high-definition transfers.

I would imagine, at the very least, that Criterion will also be providing "Thieves' Highway" with the same restoration treatment, hopefully next year. It would be an excellent capper on a restoration cycle of Dassin's film noirs that began in 2015 with the reissued "Night and the City".

September 15

I've started familiarizing myself with Claire Denis's work since getting blown away by "High Life" last year. I've been slowly watching her work, via everything from laserdiscs to streaming, and really digging what I've seen so far. What's really grabbed me about her body of work is that she focuses as much on the Mise-en-scène as she does the story and character. There's a great balance present that most directors are not able to find. She also works a lot with the theme of colonialism, something I find very interesting at present, due in part to the ongoing decay of the American Empire.

So 1999's "Beau travail" ("Good Work") is one of Denis's most acclaimed films, and one I haven't seen yet, so I guess it's good it's releasing the day after my birthday. A loose adaptation of Melville's Billy Budd, it transports the setting to modern-day Djibouti, and the characters from sailors to members of the French Foreign Legion. Denis's long-time collaborator, cinematographer Agnès Godard, oversaw the 4K scan and restoration for this release, which had previously only been available in North America via a 2002 DVD release from New Yorker Video. Also included are a conversation between Denis and director Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") and the usual mix of interviews, trailers, and essays. I'm looking forward to finally seeing this.

September 22

I've never been exposed to the films of Francesco Rosi, the Italian director. But I've been digging into Italian film more during the pandemic, thanks in part to the occasional pickup from RaroVideo USA and having found a box of Mrs. Ape's foreign DVDs. I suppose I'm more open now than ever before to watching an almost four-hour film about rural Italy set in the years proceeding World War II.

"Christ Stopped at Eboli" ("Cristo si è fermato a Eboli") was originally made for and released on Italian state television in 1979. A northern anti-fascist artist is banished by Mussolini's government to one of the southern-most regions of Italy, Basilicata. Worlds collide as he encounters peasantry for the first time, leading him to embrace his medical education to aid his fellow villagers. "Christ Stopped at Eboli" makes its debut on Blu-ray with this Criterion release; it's also the first time it's been available as the uncut television version. There are some cool period extras featuring Rosi, who died in 2015, as well as a 2K scan and restoration and a fresh new English translation. This may not be something I immediately go out and buy, but I've now seen and read enough about it to be intrigued.

September 29

One of the best parts about these write ups each month is the ability to say, "I know NOTHING about this release, but it seems pretty cool." I know critics love to flex on their knowledge of everything and anything; I can dispense completely with that and just get into the joy of discovery. That's why I'm excited for the third volume of Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project. The previous volumes have opened me up to so many different eras of non-hegemonic filmmaking; I'd never have walked into a theatre to see one of these, but the double recommendation of Scorsese and Criterion is enough to pique my curiosity.

This release is a mix of fascinating Third World cinema, with releases from Cuba, Iran, Mexico, Mauritius, Brazil, and Indonesia. I'm particularly interested to check out "Lucía" (1968, Humberto Solás); its three storylines following women named Lucia through periods of Cuban upheaval sounds enthralling, and my limited exposure to post-revolution filmmaking in Cuba has always been enjoyable.

This set contains six DVDs and three Blu-rays, featuring 4K scans and restorations of each film. Scorsese introduces each film; these have always been really cool, providing insight as to why Marty reps each film and where they influenced him. Additionally, there's a documentary about "Lucía", featuring interviews with the director, his cast, and crew, as well as multiple interviews and essays.

Let's end September with a confession. I've never seen "The Elephant Man". I'll let that sink in.

I really don't even want to admit it. It's not like I don't like David Lynch. It's not like I'm not totally familiar with it. It's not like I haven't had 40 years to see it. But it's like I said at the beginning; there's opposition between comfort and interest. Yes, I totally could have seen "The Elephant Man" by now, but I probably just watched "Porky's" or "Dune" instead.

I suppose I'll rectify that omission now. Criterion's done a bang-up job with its Lynch issues over the past few years ("Blue Velvet" being a personal fav), so I expect this Lynch-approved 4K restoration will look amazing. Lynch and co-author Kristine McKenna also read from a portion of the 2018 memoir Room to Dream. There are a number of archival materials available, as well as trailers and radio spots for the initial release of the film. Finally, the addition of a 1886 letter to the editor of the London Times regarding John Merrick is the nice lil cherry on top.

"The Elephant Man" is my must have from September. The Dassin reissues can wait until a sale, or would make a most excellent gift. It's for the best that I can wait a bit on these, as the October lineup looks to be all must-haves. See us here in 30 for more Criterion.

None More Black - None More Black

None More Black, live at the Fest 7, 2008 (screencap by BlankTV)

I'll let you in on a little secret: I like the post-Kid Dynamite bands a lot more than I like Kid Dynamite.

Is it because I saw both None More Black and Paint It Black within weeks of each other on their first out of town shows? Is it because there wasn't overwhelming hype behind both bands when I saw them? They were just normal-ass bands, down from Philly, playing second support on hardcore matinees. They did, however, have superior pedigrees, and the new music ripped.

I want to say that None More Black wasn't even a full-time band when they came to Baltimore with this slab in hand. There was talk Jay was going to sing for Beau from Kill the Man Who Questions's new thrash band (which eventually became R.A.M.B.O.). So to see he and his brother Jeff show up, playing music more akin to something from No Idea than Havoc was a very pleasant surprise. There was more than a little Dag Nasty influence present, which I'm always going to get hyped for.

500 of these were pressed, all on black. None of the three songs here appeared on any future NMB releases; the band definitely slowed their tempo a bit once they signed with Fat a couple years down the road. I'd suggest going back and celebrating their entire catalog with a listen.

Discogs

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Ghostface Killah x Max Tannone - Ghostfunk

I've been fighting a sore shoulder and an ongoing headache for the past two days, which, oddly enough, makes it difficult to put ideas to pixels and talk about music. Forgiveness, please.

This is the chocolate and peanut butter of mash-ups for me. "Ghostfunk" is Ghostface Killah acapellas over afrobeat/highlife music. This shit works because of course it does. I'ma tell you right now that "Dear Psychedelic Woman" is a go-to mixtape track for me. It's a can't miss banger. I've only ever had this as MP3s, although it appears that there have been a few pressings on vinyl over the past nine years. If anyone wants to send me a copy for my upcoming birthday, I wouldn't say "no".

Here's where I point out that you can get "Ghostfunk" as a pay-what-you-want from Max Tannone's Bandcamp, and, reasonably, you should. I'm a big believer in actually paying for music, especially since there are platforms like Bandcamp which allow you to directly buy from the artist, thus ensuring they receive the greatest return on their work. Max's latest release came out in March, benefitting Food Bank for New York City. If you're into mash-ups, particularly remixes of 80s lover's rock, you'll totally be into "Trading WAV Sound System".

Discogs

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Charm City Suicides - II

What do I remember about Charm City Suicides?

I never walked away from a Charm City Suicides show disappointed.

I was in love with every Mike Apichella flier I ever experienced.

I remember being so in awe of these kids who were the same age as me, who lived less than 10 miles away from me, but were so hip and juiced in.

Flier by Nolen Strals

I'd never seen them until I went to College Park for a year, even though they all lived less than 10 miles away from me for five years. Then I probably saw every saw they played in the Baltimore/DC/NorVA triangle for the last two years of their existence.

I had two years of digital photos of Charm City Suicides on a external hard drive that disappeared in a move. I mourn their loss more so than I do my own baby pictures.

I remember Mike and Dubin giving me this CD the night they got them back from the printer and thinking, "How am I so cool that they thought to get one to me right away?"

I remember stage diving at their final show at the Ottobar with Nolen and Walker, thinking that things might never get any better than this.

They, along with Daybreak, were the musical bridge from me being a Harford County kid to becoming a Baltimore resident. They released 28 songs from 1999 to 2002, across two LPs, a single, and a pair of compilation appearances. When they were done, they were done; there'd be no encore, no reunion show, no retrospective. All that was left was a legacy of sheer abandon, ringing ears and hoarse throats.

Charm City Suicides never phoned it in. How many other musical groups can you say that about?

Discogs

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Shudder To Think - Your Choice Live 021

What do you think the high muckity mucks at Epic Records heard in Shudder To Think when they signed them in 1993/1994? What about this arty post-hardcore band said, "It's the next Nirvana!"?

None of this is to denigrate the beloved DC quartet. I really love StT, especially "Pony Express Record". I just like putting myself into the shoes of an early 90s A&R and trying to figure how a band like this, so distinctive in their mix of mid-80s proto emo, glam, 60s psychedelica, and bubblegum pop, would work on a larger stage. It hurt my head hearing "Hit Liquor" and "X-French Tee Shirt" on HFS in 1994; both singles really stood out in a landscape of Live, Veruca Salt, Oasis, and Weezer. Of course I loved it; I was a 16-year-old virgin who stayed home on Fridays taping songs off the radio. But their signing, even with the continued work that Craig Wedren does on soundtracks 26 years later, still strikes me as a wild, wonderful swing.

It's interesting to me, listening to Shudder to Think on YouTube while writing, that the next band to appear was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Has the algorithm gotten so strong as to be able to make the sonic comparison between Nathan Larson's and Nick Zinner's guitar work? Is there a thru line that I've just missed until today?

"Your Choice Live 021" was the only recorded output from the StT lineup of Wedren, Nathan Larson, Stuart Hill, and Mike Russell. Larson had joined a few months prior to this recording from Swiz,  and following this tour and their departure from Dischord, Adam Wade would replace Russell and join on drums from Jawbox. This is a great sounding document of Shudder to Think's catalog from the Dischord days, mixing tracks from 1991's "Funeral at the Movies" and 1992's "Get Your Goat". And it's inexpensive! You can probably snag one for less than $10 on a good day.

Discogs

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New music from Lydia Loveless

Lydia Loveless (photo by Megan Toenyes)

It never ceases to amaze me how solutions to life's little issues just present themselves. For example: I had no clue what to write about today, and was futzing around on Bandcamp, just killing time listening to Mikey Erg. I notice that Lydia Loveless did backing vocals on a song on his new EP. "Hey, I wonder what she's been up to?", I ask. Sure enough, Lydia has a record called "Daughter" coming out in September. Nice country!

This is Lydia's fifth full-length, and first since 2016's "Real" on Bloodshot Records. She's gone fully independent on "Daughter", and judging by the two preview cuts available on her Bandcamp, it might be her finest work yet. Her lyrics are cutting, her vocals melancholy. There's a world-weariness present here that reflects her recent divorce, the state of the nation, and the chaos of modern life. "Love Is Not Enough" is a mid-tempo jam that wouldn't be out of place on Top 40 radio in the early aughts. It leads off with a great set of lines: "Talk to me/Tell me how it feels to always see everything in a major key/When I’m drowning in ennui". "Wringer" sounds like post punk played by a bluegrass band. I'll be playing these a lot over the next month. The record also promises guest spots from Laura Jane Grace and Nora Barton. I can really relate to this theme of using failure or endings to reassess and reassert one's identity.

"Daughter" comes out September 25, and preorders are live on Loveless's Bandcamp page. "Daughter" is available as a download, CD, or two colors of vinyl. Folks who preorder the vinyl will also get a lyric sheet hand-typed by Lydia herself. Pretty cool!

Listen to the first two preview tracks below:

Vinegar Syndrome in September

I think he got the point.

I'm really excited for September's Vinegar Syndrome lineup, because I've only seen one of the five films debuting next month. There's something for everyone in September: a new AGFA release, some late 80s Charles Band craziness, an Italian gore fest, a "murder every camper" direct-to-video slasher, and an oft-overlooked Mexican Satanic horror flick. Let's dive in, knives out!

The releases from the American Genre Film Archive have been killing it this year, and September brings a queer exploitation film I've only ever seen the trailer for. "Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things" looks like a mix of "Pink Flamingos", "Dog Day Afternoon", and the original "My Bloody Valentine". Limited to 1,500 units, "Sometimes..." has received a 2K restoration from the only 35mm print in existence. Additionally, the little-seen documentary "The Drag Queen's Ball" has been added to this package, along with a pair of gay-themed short films. Everything about this release reads like a time capsule from the years immediately following Stonewall. For me, it's a must have.

My first exposure to Adam Ant wasn't via a music video, or one of the awesome/terrible Adam and the Ants records from the early 80s. I discovered Adam Ant from the poster to 1991's "Spellcaster". Today, it's known as the final Empire Pictures film released, a full three years after completion of the film. Directed by B-movie auteur Rafal Zielinski, this is the tale of an evil treasure hunt, starring Ant as the villain and Gail O'Grady as an aspiring VJ. There is no doubt in my mind that this is not a good movie. But it DOES look like a fun movie, so I'm buying a copy. The additional hook is the packaging on this, the eighth release in the Vinegar Syndrome Archive series. The releases in this series were mainstays on late 80s/early 90s late night TV, are hand numbered, and feature a specially designed, bottom loading VHS inspired slipcase, while also including a double-sided poster. "Spellcaster" is limited to 4,000 pieces, and the sold out releases in the VSA series go for crazy money on the secondary market.

When I saw "Killing Birds" in the early 90s, I thought it was SO dumb. Did the birds kill? Nope; they just blinded Robert Vaughn. But I remember it being gory and having a cool cover, and isn't THAT what really matters when you're 13 and looking for horror movies at the video store? VS issuing this in North America on Blu-ray for the first time under the title "Zombie 5: Killing Birds". That should clear some things up when you judge this film by its cover. Along with a 2K scan and restoration, the happy new owner of "Killing Birds" gets interviews with credited director Claudio Lattanzi (who apparently fronted for Joe D'Amato here) and long-time grindhouse vet Larry Revene. The bonus that stands out for me is the new commentary track by critic Samm Deighan, whose recent book in the Devil's Advocates series, "M", is pretty outstanding.

Summer may be over, but there's never a bad time to watch a direct-to-video camp slasher movie. I've yet to see "Memorial Day Massacre", but the plot looks like it's right in my wheelhouse. This has it all: an evil real estate magnate, a heroic forest ranger, bikers, white trash, a caveman, gratuitous nipples, and so many mullets. Just listing these makes me want to watch it NOW! It stars John Kerry, the only person to appear in both "Dolemite" and "Black Dynamite", and was directed by Robert Hughes, whose 1986 feature "Hunter's Blood" is absolutely worth tracking down if you're into hixploitation. VS has ponied up a 4K scan and restoration from the 35mm negative, along with interviews with Hughes and Kerry, and fresh artwork. Are you ready for an axin' packed adventure? Damn right, you are!

Finally, September brings a region-free Blu-ray release of 1988's "Ladrones de Tumbas" ("Grave Robbers"). What is this film about, you may ask? Why, it's about teenage grave robbers who awaken the sleeping body of a 300-year-old satanic priest. The maniac immediately sets out to complete his mission to spawn the Son of Satan. Bloodshed ensues. It sounds like a hell of a time! (I'll show myself out)

Now, I was sucked in by a great slipcover from Richard Hilliard, but I'm excited to give this a wag based on the description that this parallels the later "Friday the 13th" films. And I have very little experience with the 80s Mexican horror scene, so this seems like as good a place to start as anywhere. The gang at The Hysteria Continues provides commentary, and we also get an interview with director Rubén Galindo Jr., along with a 4K scan and restoration.

Someone has a weird idea of "romance"...not to kink shame!

The trade off for five releases in a month is that we sadly get no smut in September. However, each release gets a now-customary limited edition slipcover when you order via www.vinegarsyndrome.com. If you're looking to snag all three Vinegar Syndrome releases in September, you can save $35 ordering the VS September package. OR you can tack on "Spellcaster", and save a whopping $53 by ordering the VS + VSA September package. That's a good ass price!

The Hissing Choir, live at the Talking Head, 2003

Violent Noise Party #1 (flier by Eric T. Neal)

I remember this being a stressful, yet ultimately fun show.

I started booking shows at the Talking Head for a few different reasons. I wanted to be able to have a drink if I was going to be stressed during a show, and I'd gotten roofied at Gallery One at least twice during CCAS shows. I was also booking bands that would have been tons of fun at CCAS, but needed a little more room to move. When Blake asked if I'd do a show for Triac with a new Pageninetynine band, I jumped at the opportunity. It was New Year's Day 2004, it'd be an occasion to have some hair of the dog, it'd be loud as fuk. So I went about putting together a super-solid lineup to start the year off right.

Now, it all went pied shaped when, about 20 minutes before the show actually started, Rebecca from Flowers in the Attic came to me, a bunch of long-hairs in tow, and asked if her friends from Savannah could jump on the show. I said, "sure, do three songs after Shitdogs of War," figuring, "how bad could it be?" and away we went. Shitdogs ripped it, the changeover went quickly, and then...nothing. Bupkus. Zilch. I think 30 seconds into their first song, someone's guitar or amp shit the bed, and everyone stood around for almost 20 minutes trying to get the issue fixed. Once it finally got settled, I'd had two more whiskeys, and Baroness played two songs, both of which destroyed everyone.

The bands afterward weren't anti-climatic, but it set a really high bar for the rest of the night. The Hissing Choir were J.R. was Pig Destroyer, as well as Jake from Triac on drums and Mike from Pageninetynine on guitar. They were doing their best Swans impersonation, which fit wonderfully in with the rest of the night and had me thinking, wow, this is a really great show.

I had no clue anyone was recording any of it, but Andy Low of Robotic Empire apparently did, and a few years later posted it up on the R.E. page with some background. It sounds exactly like you'd expect a bootleg recorded to minidisc would sound; just ugly and cheap and dirty. It's a great encapsulation of what that night was. If memory serves, the Hissing Choir only played another few shows, none of which happened in Baltimore.

Click here to download.

Crimson Wave - 2013 demo

Crimson Wave (photo by Jeffrey Lash)

There was this wave of bands in Baltimore in 2012 and 2013 that came up all at the same time which, while they may have had dissimilar sounds, all fit together really well. There was Denny Bowen's post-Double Dagger band, Roomrunner. Angie from CCAS joined with Ian from Give to start Big Mouth. Wildhoney came out swinging with a demo and 7" that evoked some of my favorite indie records from the early 90s. But then Sophie, who'd been singing for Wildhoney, left the band to start something new with her friends, and it became one of my favorites.

Crimson Wave was fairly short lived; maybe they were around for two years. But in that time, I'd be hard pressed to miss one of their gigs in Baltimore. It fit well into that nebulous C86 world that's comprised of indie pop, twee, shoegaze, dream pop, and a million other micro-genres from the 80s that got revisited over the past 10 years. Had they been a thing in the 90s, it's a near certainty that their demo would have come out on K Records. Instead, it got a fairly limited release on Rainbow Bridge, which was based in Baltimore at the time. CW would put out a 7" in 2014 with Sean Grey's Accidental Guest Recordings, then call it a day shortly after I moved away from Baltimore.

Why bring it up now? I'd like to say it was a roundabout plug from Sam from Crimson Wave's current band, All Hits, whose new LP is out on Iron Lung. But I was really feeling dirgy today, and this is great, guitar driven, funereal music from a group of women who I miss very deeply.

Discogs

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Mineral / Jimmy Eat World / Sense Field

Sense Field (photo by Josh Withers)

A quick one, as I'm uploading about a gig of music for your listening pleasure.

This three-way split is about as peak 90s emo as it gets. Mineral, Jimmy Eat World, and Sense Field were, in 1997, about as close as one could get to mainstreaming emo. Mineral was on Crank!, and in between the release of their first and second LPs. Jimmy Eat World was a year off from recording "Clarity", and were a quartet of Arizona kids gutting it out in basements and VFWs with the slightest bit of support from Capitol Records. Sense Field had very quietly been signed by Warner Bros. the year before, and their record "Building" was actually showing up in Sam Goody. It was a weird time, especially since a lot of us had been around for all the post-Green Day/Offspring hullabaloo, and it felt like the mainstream was trespassing in the scene again.

Despite the tension present for a bunch of 19- and 20-year-olds having their youth exploited for the first time, this a pretty great non-album release. None of these recordings are available elsewhere, and Crank! pressed this on nine different colors of vinyl. It's veritable Pokemon of a split single! You get Mineral covering the Willie Nelson-penned classic "Crazy". You get Sense Field ripping through a demo version of "Every Reason", which I think tops the version on the "Part of the Deal" EP. However, the standout here is the Jimmy Eat World track, "Secret Crush", a ripper of a jukebox track at 3:08. This was the song that got me willing to listen to Jimmy Eat World.

Did I play this record on my radio show a lot? You bet I did. Did I put "Secret Crush" on a mix tape? For a girl? What am I, an amateur? You're damned right, I did. I'm sitting here, puzzling to remember if this was made for a tour, or for shits and giggles. I'm very pleased at how well it all holds up for me. I can see why the majors had an eye on developing this for a bigger audience.

Discogs

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Tsunami - World Tour and Other Destinations

I wrote some words about Tsunami very early on in the revival of this here blog, so I don't think I'll retread that ground. Instead, let's briefly review what appears on this, a collection of the D.C. band's various singles and comp releases.

-Tracks 1-5 were originally released as the "Headringer" 7" in 1991 by Simple Machines.
-Tracks 6 & 7 were originally released as the "Geniuses of Crack" 7" in 1992 by Homestead.
-Track 8 was originally released the January 1992 Sub Pop Singles Club split 7" with Velocity Girl by Sub Pop.
-Track 9 was originally released on "Teriyaki Asthma VII" in 1992 by C/Z.
-Track 10 was originally released on the "Season's Greetings" split 7" with Velocity Girl in 1992 by Simple Machines.
-Tracks 11 & 12 were originally released on the "Diner" 7" in 1993 by Simple Machines.
-Track 13 was originally released on the "Inclined Plane" 7" in 1993 by Simple Machines. This was the sixth and final release in "The Machines" series.
-Track 14 was originally released on the "Teenbeat 100" 7" in 1993 by Teenbeat.
-Tracks 15 & 16 were originally released on the "Souvenir Folder of Beautiful Arlington, VA" 7"/CDEP in 1993 by Insipid Vinyl. Track 8 also appeared on this release.
-Track 17 was originally released on the "Echos From the Nation's Capital" compilation in 1993 by Third World Underground.
-Tracks 18 & 19 were originally released on the "Matchbook" 7" in 1993 by Simple Machines. "In A Name" from "Deep End" also appeared on "Matchbook".
-Track 20 was originally released on the August Working Holiday split 7" with Small Factory in 1993 by Simple Machines. This was the eighth release in the "Working Holiday" series.
-Track 21 was originally released on the "Be Like That" 7" in 1994 by Simple Machines. "Be Like That" from "The Heart's Tremelo" also appeared on "Be Like That".
-Track 22 was originally released on the "Our Band Could Be Your Life - A Tribute to D Boon and the Minutemen" compilation in 1994 by Little Brother Records.

That leaves but a few releases uncollected: the collaborative song with Velocity Girl on the "Season's Greetings" split, their "Monster of Rock II" tour split with Rodan and Eggs, their split with Superchunk on Honey Bear, and their "Poodle b/w Old City" 7" that released prior to "A Brilliant Mistake".

There are so many things that listening to and reviewing "World Tour..." conjures up for me. The songs are tuneful revolutions; the outcome of a upbringing in DIY punk, third-wave feminism, and 70s/80s pop songwriting. Look at the list of collaborator list: Velocity Girl, Unrest, Superchunk, Bratmobile. It's a who's who of fellow travelers from the early 90s. The labels remain known for how they curated the sounds of this time: Homestead, Sub Pop, C/Z, Teenbeat. Most of all, I think of how hopeful that time was, which was probably just a function of my age at the time. But I honestly felt like we were going to take the world by the balls and do something great with it.

Discogs

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Deep Throat Anthology, Parts I & II

Linda Lovelace and Harry Reems in Deep Throat (Gerard Diamano, 1972)

I've always been drawn to the feature-length pornography of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, aka The Golden Age of Porn. It's not necessarily because of a prurient interest (although I'm not just reading Playboy for the articles, if you know what I mean). I'm interested in it for the same reasons I like watching American International movies from the same period, or listening to lo-fi, limited edition cassettes, or finding yellowing paperbacks at the bottom of a box. It's all low culture shaping high culture; in this case, it's the start of a sex-positive culture.

Also, the music slaps.

I mean, when you're describing makin' LUV to your honored partner, doesn't "BOW WOW CHICKA WOW WOW" come to mind, if not get verbalized? Even if you don't engage with hardcore pornography, the soundtracks are part of our cultural language. They were made by under-recognized composers, who often filled the role as performer. AND they were made under less-than-optimal circumstances: sometimes written and recorded within the space of one or two days.

The soundtracks to Deep Throat and Deep Throat Part II are infinitely interesting to me, and should intrigue you as well. There is little to no background available on the recordings from Deep Throat, due in great part to the U.S. government having seized the master tapes during their 1976 Memphis obscenity prosecution. So no one is quite sure who recorded what, who wrote the score...nothing. It was also a press-only giveaway, so the original pressing is worth a pretty penny.

The soundtrack for Deep Throat Part II, the R-rated sequel released in 1974, is more documented. Kenny Vance, working under the pseudonym T.J. Stone, put together an outstanding slab of sleaze soul. The two tracks featuring vocals from Laura Greene are particularly good. The soundtrack, along with lead single "She's Got To Have It", were the lead releases from Bryan Records, the label wing of noted mob-owned film distributor Bryanston Distributing Company. Bryanston, as we all know, was the short-lived distributor of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dark Star, The Way of the Dragon, and the Andy Warhol/Paul Morrissey films Blood for Dracula and Flesh for Frankenstein.

Look, this isn't my favorite porno soundtrack (that would be Patrick Cowley's Fox Movies work...duh), but it's more than just a curiosity. Give it a listen.

Discogs

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Lucero - The Coldwater Sessions

Lucero, circa 2017 (photo from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

I had thought about waxing poetic over how in love with Lucero I was from 2003 to 2011. The first time I heard them, I thought it was a perfect mix of the Replacements, Jawbreaker, and Waylon Jennings...the perfect answer to the question, "What happens when punks want to make country music?" I booked them on their "That Much Further West" tour into a warehouse called the Broasis; it was probably the largest gate I'd ever done, but I only made money off of beer. The final time I saw them was in 2011, and involved breaking up a fight between my girlfriend's best friend and a bouncer three times her size. I haven't really listened to anything of theirs since "1372 Overton Park"; I suppose I just got fixed on diving into old RCA records from the 50s, Gram Parsons and "Outlaw Country", Sturgill Simpson and Kitty Wells.

I think I downloaded this from the wonderful, greatly missed blog Captain's Dead back when they posted it in 2007. While the title makes reference to the now-legendary "Coldwater Recordings" tape, this is actually a combination of early demos and different mixes of songs from their early history; I'd guess it was recorded in 1998 and 1999, based on when the songs would appear on a general release. I thought it'd make sense to annotate what you're downloading today. I can't claim this is perfect information, so if you have better or different information, feel free to share it in the comments. Cuz knowledge is power!

1. "Heart So True" - originally appeared on the "A Heart So True" demo. Also known as "Poor Heartache".
2. "All the Same To Me" - originally appeared on the 1998 "Cowboy" demo and 2001 comp "Listen To What I'm Made Of: Songs By and For Shannon Yarborough" on File 13. Later re-recorded for "Nobody's Darlings"
3. "Dangerous Thing" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
4. "Dodging Bullets" - otherwise unreleased or re-recorded.
5. "Drink Till We’re Gone" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
6. "No Title" - also known as "Was That You I've Been Kissing?" Appeared on "The Coldwater Recordings" demo.
7. "It Gets Worst at Night" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
8. "All Sewn Up" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
9. "Raising Hell" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
10. "Banks of the Arkansas" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
11. "It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
12. "All These Love Songs" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
13. "Hold Fast" - an alternate mix of the track that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release.
14. "Ain't No Roses No More" - an alternate mix of "No Roses No More" that'd appear on Lucero's self-titled release. 
15. Instrumental - otherwise unreleased or re-recorded.
16. "Blue and Grey" - an alternate mix of "The Blue and the Gray" that'd appear on "The Attic Tapes".

As an added bonus, please enjoy the flier for the Lucero show I booked 17 YEARS AGO! Goddamn I'm getting old. I think the Spark was the fourth band on the bill, making it a real punk rock show. Nolen from Double Dagger was my photo model; I snapped this tightly cropped shot of him the night DD opened for the Buzzcocks. Crack a cheap pilsner and listen to this one on the porch.

Click here to download.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Say No To Love

Just a quick one today; I have therapy and a virtual doctor's visit and I have shop for a new healthcare plan and honestly it's just so overwhelming. So I threw on a Donnie Yen wuxia and figured I'd bang one out.

I love Love LOVE The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's first few years of releases. They were just a brilliant, modern version of that Darla/Velocity Girl/53rd and 3rd vibe that I got into as it wound down in the 90s. Their singles were perfect lil slices of pop goodness; their first two LPs still get a ton of play around these parts. Even though I hadn't followed them as closely once they left Slumberland, I was kind of bummed out to hear they'd dissolved in 2019.

The "Say No To Love" single was a capstone to their first album cycle, despite having artwork thematically in line with their upcoming "Belong" release and the singles from that record. The artwork is my favorite thing about this release; all of Winston Chmielinski's painting build around "Belong" are beautiful. It's a nice non-album single release that you just never see anymore. These would pop up on the Japanese release of their debut album in 2012 as bonus tracks, but you shouldn't have to pay $40 to hear them, right?

Discogs

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Save the Ottobar!

Double Dagger at the Ottobar, 2011 (photo by Josh Sisk)

I am obliged, in spite of the fact I haven't set foot inside in more than three years, to share that COVID-19 has endangered my punk rock home. The Ottobar is the place I spent my formative years, then a fair amount of my adult prime. It was my paycheck in college, and my watering hole throughout my 30s. To think of it closing is inconceivable.

I'm having this struggle between being expedient and being thoughtful as I write this. Time is of the essence, of course, to contribute. Yet I want to take time to consider and explain why this show space means something to me. And, as I write this, I realize how stupid it is to think it's an "either/or" situation.

The Ottobar originally opened in 1997 at 203 S. Davis St. in Baltimore, in a 3-story rowhouse amongst a block of courthouses and office buildings. The space had previously been occupied by Chambers, which was a rock club of minor prominence at the early part of the decade. It opened at a time when I was really coming of age; I'd gotten comfortable driving into Baltimore for shows, and knew enough about the city to get around and where to park. I saw some ridiculous shows in that building that felt full with 20 people in the room. At The Drive-In, Death Cab for Cutie, the White Stripes, Pg. 99, Yaphet Kotto, Braid, Le Tigre. I saw Mastodon play to a tiny crowd when all they'd released was their picture disc on Reptilian. I was there the night that Hank from the Miss got in a fight with Arab on Radar. It was the first place I got served regularly and without stress. I'd get dressed up for Salute to Satan; I'd get down and dirty for Easy Action or the Supersuckers. When Hank or Mark had to piss or step away from doorman duties, they'd hand me the door money and let me watch things for a few minutes...or sometimes longer. Especially after failing out of Maryland, it became my home away from home.

The Ottobar closed up shop at Davis St. a couple months after 9/11, and moved uptown to the former Club Midnight in lower Charles Village. I'd gotten to be friendly with a couple of the owners, and they asked if I wanted to lend a hand with the build-out at the new location. So I ended up helping assemble and paint the stage and front podium. The room wasn't so big to make it feel cavernous, but you could fit a 600 person audience in there. And starting with the first show at Howard St., they did.

An Ottobar crowd, circa 2003 (photo by Patrick Houdek)

I started working door there in 2002. I've already told a few of the stories in other posts, but, Christ, the things I saw and did. Turbonegro played the night of my birthday in 2003; my girlfriend got screaming drunk, and kept me from seeing all but two songs, so I threw a drink in her face. I DJ'ed between sets at half a dozen hardcore shows. I stage dove over and over during the last Charm City Suicides show. I watched Queens of the Stone Age play to a small crowd of radio contest winners on a Saturday morning, sipping Beam from the back of the room. I ate some speed and danced all night at Britpop Night. I learned how to play bid wiz and roll dice, and how to win amongst a crowd of drunks. We played 'til dawn, then woke up the next afternoon to do it all over again. And thank the maker this was pre-social media; none of us would ever get a straight job again. I worked there until I graduated college and got suspended from my job. I'd left my doorman post while having my first panic attack during a sold-out Converge show. It wasn't an unfair reaction, but I wouldn't go back for years.

I set foot back in the bar for the first time in four years for a Modern Life is War/Ruiner show. It felt like I'd never left, other than the people working the door. The dance floor still smelled like sweat and cigarettes and spilled liquor. My marriage was failing, yet the bar offered me stability I couldn't find anywhere else. I moved back to the city, saw Naked Raygun at the Ottobar my first weekend back, and started swinging by any time I was out after 9pm. I took my now-wife there for our second date; I couldn't name drop to impress her, since she had been going there for years as well. Until we left Baltimore in 2014, it remained our closest place to grab a drink, or to see friends, or to play pool, or to watch a band. Like I said already, it was home away from home.

And so it stands that in 2020, our second home, like so many others, is in danger of permanently going out of business. Ownership changed last year, with Tecla purchasing the bar from the former owners. What had been planned as a new era for the bar, 23 years into its storied history, has quickly soured as it became unsafe to go out and socialize. Tecla has created the below GoFundMe so we can help out in this tough time. I'll be contributing; it's the least I can do.