Dove - Wrecking Ball

Here's another reason why I'm glad Lost & Found existed when it did. I would have never heard Dove.

Dove was a Revolution Summer-era quartet originally led by Eric and Toni from Red C, with Pete Moffett on drums and Stu Casson on guitar. When Toni died from pneumonia in the mid-80s, Ben Pape stepped in on bass. Their recorded output consisted of a contribution to 1984's "Bouncing Babies" compilation on Fountain of Youth, and what I'm guessing was a single song released posthumously in 1987 on the Olive Tree sampler "DC Rox". It would take eight years for everything they'd recorded to be compiled here under the title "Wrecking Ball", their song from "DC Rox".

Like a lot of mid-80s DC releases, this is both an example of how a lot of hardcore kids progressed after the first wave crested in 1983, as well as demonstrating how much of that work is still missing in action, 40+ years on. A lot of folks rep Second Wind as a great post-Minor Threat band, but good luck not paying high collector prices for a copy of "Security". Madhouse's self-titled LP, recorded around the same time as these Dove songs, is a truly great deathrock record that I've only ever heard on dubbed tapes. I'd love to see more of the records released by DSI and Fountain of Youth around this time to get reissued, even if it's just a straight transfer from the old master tapes.

So here's a good start: you can apparently purchase the CD master for "Wrecking Ball" directly from Lost & Found for 25 Euro. Somebody get on that.

Discogs

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Post #700 - Huggy Bear - Our Troubled Youth

Huggy Bear is the kind of band I wanted to be in. Smart kids, co-ed, queer, as in "weird and outside", willing to go on Top of the Pops to to spit beat poetry over DIY guitars while preaching girl/boy revolution, making this progressive clatter during a time when punk was just breaking for the first time in a decade and a half. Even in middle age, this is still my soundtrack for throwing a snowball at a police car, for marching on the Reflecting Pool, for escorting folks past screaming Catholics outside the clinic.

"Our Troubled Youth" was Huggy Bear's half of their split with Bikini Kill, a co-released 12" between Kill Rock Stars of Olympia and Manchester's Catcall. The last time it was available was in 2008 when KRS reissued it. But there's no streaming, no Bandcamp downloads, no reissues. What we do have is last year's release of "Killed (By Kids" and the recent release of "Basic Strategies For Going Out", a 10" collecting Huggy Bear's two Peel Sessions. So, in celebration of 700 Primitive Offerings posts, here's "Our Troubled Youth". If you want the Bikini Kill side, that's available now via Bikini Kill Records.

Anyway, one of my all-time favorites. Thanks for visiting when you do.

Discogs

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various artists - Duke Reid's Treasure Chest

I meant to post this last week, but the heat caused my brain to short circuit. Which is ironic, because some Duke Reid-produced rocksteady is pretty much the perfect antidote to a hot August night.

I've racked my brain for something interesting to write about this, but, like a lot of Heartbeat comps, I find this just washes over me.like a warm breeze. So I'll mostly let the music speak for itself. There are a bunch of bona-fide all-timers here; "The Tide Is High", "Lala Means I Love You", "Ranglin On Bond St.", and "My Best Girl". All in all, a hell of a good buy at $4.

Discogs

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various artists - Blues Masters Volume 4: Harmonica Classics

Learning things about the blues is fun. For instance, I post this mainly to take the opportunity to note that it's taken more than 30 years to wrap my brain around the fact that "harp" is synonymous with "harmonica". It was on acquiring this that I realized there are at least three different "Sonny Boy Williamsons", all working wihin the milieu. There is only one Howlin' Wolf, and while "I'll Be Around" isn't "Back Door Man" or "Tail Dragger", it's still a pretty great song.

Finally, this is generally my least-favorite volume of "Blues Masters" that I've acquired. Only time and expense will tell if this remains the case, but I guess the presence of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the Fabulous Thunderbirds knock this down a few points.

Or I'm just jealous I'll never blow the harp the way these wailers do.

Discogs

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various artists - Masters Of Misery - Black Sabbath: An Earache Tribute

I've been saving this for a special occasion. But my brain gets sidetracked all the time by so many things, not to mention the correct spelling of "occasion", which never looks right to me, although the dictionary and spell check tell it is, indeed, correct. And, thus, this has been hanging out on various file sharing platforms for at least a couple of years.

The time for action is now. ADHD be damned.

I was all of 15, and not much of a metal fan, when this came out as a Japan-exclusive release in 1992. Curated by the extreme metal label Earache, and released by their Japanese distributor Toy's Factory, this collects the bleeding edge of what metal was in the last decade of the millenium, all performing songs by the sainted Black Sabbath. Sabbath was on a bit of an uptick, having released "Dehumanizer" earlier that year, having reunited the "Mob Rules" lineup. But at the time to most, Black Sabbath was the band Ozzy used to front, a group that was better known for inspiring bits in This Is Spinal Tap than any music they'd made in the past 10 years.

I guess my point is that Black Sabbath, a band never known as cool up to that point, was decidedly at their most uncool. And to have so many leading lights of the underground acknowledge a key influence that was at its ebb was a very awesome thing. There aren't any duds here, a testament not only to the lineup, but also to the songwriting chops of Iommi, Butler, Ward and Osbourne/Gillan.

This has been reissued and resequenced a number of time over the years, the first time in 1995. Cadaver's cover of "Sweet Leaf" got dropped, and contributions from Anal Cunt, Ultraviolence, and Iron Monkey added, reflecting Earache's contemporary roster more accurately. It wasn't for the best, in my humble opinion. This remains the definitive version of what is still my favorite Sabbath tribute.

Discogs

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various artists - I Give You The Head Of Corporate Rock And Roll Vol. I

If you're like me, and an interest in public radio intersects with a love of punk rock, then this one's for you, pally.

Recorded live on air at KPFK 90.7 in Los Angeles, "I Give You The Head Of Corporate Rock And Roll Vol. I" is a snapshot of the West Coast's edgier left of the dial bands, just as "Nevermind" was starting to really break through.to 14-year-olds like me. Not that I would have heard this, residing, as I did, on the literal side of a mountain in Moonshine Country, Virginia.

But I probably would have enjoyed this immensely in 1992. Calamity Jane, who I've written about here before, provides a cut. Long Gone John's taste is well represented, with Oiler, the Humpers, and Trash Can School all chiming in. Kyle Ryan would probably be stoked to see Anus the Menace, Bulimia Banquet, and Sandy Duncan's Eye contributing cuts. And operating at the center of this fuckin' sick Venn diagram are Distorted Pony and Mudwimin, making circus music for little monkeys like yours truly. There's even a Man Is The Bastard connection, as former PHC bandmate Bob Durkee's band Shoeface can also be found here.

L.A. seems like it probably was fun in 1992.

Discogs

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various artists - Throw (The Yoyo Studio Compilation)

Originally posted September 23, 2020. Reuploaded with a new rip of a previously mint-in-shrink copy.

I've been wanting to share my collection of Yoyo Recordings comps for a while, but I think I never got around to ripping the later releases. I've always liked the way that Pat Maley's recordings have sounded, and appreciated what he's contributed to the 90s Western Washington sound (if there is such a thing). If you got stoked on it, he probably recorded it: Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Unwound, Beat Happening, and Team Dresch all came into YoYo Studios and made records now considered classics. He's always seemed like the perfect person for a band to make their first recordings with.

It seems to be dormant since 2011, but the 30-some-odd releases on Yoyo from 1992 on still hold up really well. Pat released five comps during that period, capturing both a sample of songs he recorded and released. The first is "Throw - The Yoyo Studio Compilation", released on both CD and vinyl. I grabbed this years ago because it had songs from the above bands, but I think it's worth coming back to for songs from the lesser-known bands. Whether it's the lead-off song from Olympia's Kicking Giant, channelling the K/53rd & 3rd vibe of late 80s indie pop, or Anacortes' Gravel, going grungier, these songs just stick in my brain. The standout for me remains one of the earliest artifacts from Heavens to Betsy. Corin Tucker's voice is SO big on this track; even if I had heard it before I heard "Calculated", I still would have thought that she would have become a big deal.

Discogs

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various artists - Amphetamine Reptile • Peel Sessions

It seemed like a glaring omission when I saw that I didn't already own a copy of this (currently). So of course I spent the $1.99 to rescue this from a clearance rack last month, along with a Lou Reed "best of" and Boss Hog's "Girl Plus" EP. Because money comes and money goes, but one should never let a sweet deal for noise rock pass them by.

In my humble, stupid opinion, Helmet and Tar still have the standout tracks here. And that tracks with my taste, since both bands are ones that I keyed onto Back In The Day (TM) and spent my hard earned Taco Bell wages on. No $2 CDs back then, I can tell you. But I should not pay short shrift to Cows (I preferred the Heroine Sheiks) and Surgery, who had already dissolved in the wake of Sean McDonnell's death by the time I would have otherwise become aware of them.

This is one that is well worth a listen, as well as a limited edition reissue with all new Haze XXL art.

Discogs

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various artists - Jubilation! Great Gospel Performances • Volume One: Black Gospel

Clearly, the universe wanted me to have the first volume of "Jubilation", as this one crossed my hand for the bargain price of three clams. Everything I said in my previous post applies here. Perhaps I'll turn up a copy of Volume Three in the nest month, so I can complete the series?

Discogs

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various artists - Jubilation! Great Gospel Performances • Volume Two: More Black Gospel

It's complicated for me, you know? How Christianity is intertwined in American popular music. But I guess it's important to remember that Satan was a fallen angel. So why wouldn't godly sounds evolve into heathen hymns?

But here's a decent place to start if you want to dig into the roots of soul music. Sam Cooke, as part of the Soul Stirrers, leads things off on this second disc of the three disc "Jubilation! Great Gospel Performances" series. The Staple Singers, whose Stax releases are amongst my favorites, show off their spiritual side on "Uncloudy Day". I knew Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland before I dove into this, but I heard the Heavenly Gospel Singers, the Davis Sisters, and the Swan Silvertones for the first time on this comp. It's not a regular listen, but I'm glad I opened up to this, you know?

The first volume features other black gospel singers, including Aretha Franklin, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, and Clara Ward (amongst others). The third volume is all country gospel: Johnny Cash, Webb Pierce, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, and the Louvin Brothers all appear. In all, it's a pretty great series.

Discogs

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various artists - Revolution Come And Gone

I remember reading complaints about the state of the Sub Pop roster around the same time I became familiar with the label, which would have been around 1993 (I was 15; give me a break). It revolved around the expansion past the confines of Washington state, with Sub Pop putting out full lengths by bands from Boston, Cincinnati, Ann Arbor, Providence, and Kent. I never got the complaint; Mssr, Pavitt had always shown interest in music far outside the PNW, dating back to the earliest Subterranean Pop tapes. Now, with points on "Nevermind", he and Poneman could finally put out LPs for what now looks like the cutting edge of independent rock.

We complained about weird shit in 1992.

Anyway, this one's a Europe-only release from 1992, featuring a mix of tracks released between 1990 and 1992, along with a couple of unreleased joints. The Walkabouts contribute a cover of "Maggie's Farm"; Codeine offers "Cracked In Two", a "Barely Real"-era recording that wouldn't turn up again until Numero Group reissued that EP in an expanded edition 20 years later. You also get Mudhoney covering Fang, Dwarves, Hole, Earth, Supersuckers, Tad, and Six Finger Satellite, amongst others. Mark Dancey from Big Chief drew a hell of a cool cover.

This one was a penny pickup on eBay from a seller who I've been buying a ton of cheap CDs from recently. Worth every cent.

Discogs

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various artists - Zeppelin Classics

1/13/23: UPDATED WITH NEW DL LINK

Another P-Vine "Classics" comp. For my money, Thin Lizzy > Zep. But Brock Samson is a fan, so respect must be paid. And as much as I'd like to sit here, talking shit, Plant/Page/Jones/Bonham had fantastic taste and great influences. So this, like the previous one, makes for a pretty compelling comp. Imagine my joy when I found this one at Goodwill for a measly three-spot.

Discogs

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various artists - Street Jams: Electric Funk Part 2

A wise, learned soul, when browsing through racks of thrift store CDs for the little nuggets of gold to be found within, would do well to keep one eye peeled for any of Rhino's early 90s "Street Jams" series. Initially a collaboration with Steve Yano and Andrew Smith of Skanless Records, these 11 volumes are just <chef's kiss> perfect ways to dive into the early history of hip-hop, electro, and American post-disco.

The "Electric Funk" sub-series launched with two parts in 1992. While I wasn't clever enough to snag Part 1 back when it was in print, I did find a cheap copy of Part 2, complete with a lenticular cover and graffiti'ed graphics courtesy of Jesse Rothbeind (Cryptic Slaughter), a few years back. So I had a wonderful soundtrack to which to breakdance, boogaloo, pop AND lock. 12 tight tracks of early 80s electro and hip-hop were mine to share and shake to, from the likes of Newcleus and Cybotron, and even featuring a cameo from Ice-T.

This is an excellent 6 in the morning bop, when you're starting to come down from a night of party and bullshit, you're headed to the all-night taco shop for a fistful of hard shells and a horchata, and you're driving with the windows down at 5 miles an hour under the limit.

Discogs

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various artists - Blackbox Compilation

Fuck it; let's share another comp.

Blackbox Records lasted for a dozen plus singles over two years in post-unification Germany. This, Blackbox's 14th and final release, offers a pretty decent overview of their output during that time. Their second release was a four-song live 7" by Canadian pop punkers Doughboys, featuring a cover of KISS's "Stole Yer Love" which appears here. Big Drill Car also contributes a live version of Billy Joel's "Big Shot", which originally appeared on their split with Thud! While neither band shows up on this comp, Blackbox also released live 7"s from post-Necros project Big Chief and Grant Hart's band Nova Mob. Both cuts from Pittsburgh garage rockers Heretics were drawn from their 1991 single. There's even an acoustic contribution from Samiam, which showed up Stateside via their "Don't Break Me" 10".

But the reason I kept this were the two songs from Leatherface. It wasn't like I was going to find a copy of the "Eagle" 7" out in the wild back when I laid my paws on this in the mid-90s, so a chance to hear a Frankie Stubbs original, from the period between "Mush" and "Minx"...well, I was going to take that chance. I had no idea that "Eagle" was actually an ABBA song. "Dreaming", the Leatherface original on this single, also showed up on the "Compact & Bijou" EP, another Leatherface release that only existed for me on secondhand dubs until Deranged's reissue of "Discography Part 2" eleven years later.

Discogs

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Tori Amos - Europe 1992

Rabbit, rabbit, old friends. Welcome to March 2022. Apparently, I only remember to wish you a "Rabbit, Rabbit" every March.

Here's some live Tori Amos from 1992...just here, a piano, a German audience, songs from "Little Earthquakes", and a pair of Zep and Nirvana covers. I found this a couple years back on a Goodwill shelf for $3, and who am I to turn down a Tori Amos bootleg for $3? Who are you to turn it down, for that matter? You think you're too good for 30-year-old alternative rock, back when that meant something?

OK, I'll calm down now.

Discogs

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Matthew Shipp Trio - Circular Temple

As these things typically go nowadays, I've finished work around 2-3 in the morning, and I've had too much caffeine to comfortably go to bed, so I figure, "I'll just kick out a couple hundred words to burn my brain down a bit, then off to bed like a good boy," to do it all over again in 6 hours. But there's something to be said, something stuck in my head, demanding to explode, before the eyes get heavy and the brain quiets down.

I've been picking up the Infinite Zero reissues from the mid-90s wherever I can find them for a decent price. I'm down to only having a dozen left to pick up, and, had I not just spent a bunch of money on today's Vinegar Syndrome flash sale, I'd probably snag a couple more this weekend. My most recent acquisitions are a disc I'm holding for Halloween and this, pianist Matthew Shipp's third record as a bandleader. It's a free jazz take on what makes listening to Thelonious Monk so great, which I suppose is why I like this a lot. I often get lost in the avant garde from this period, but this grabs me in a way that few of Shipp's contemporaries from the late-80s do. Sadly, long out of print...so here it is for your Friday pleasure.

Only super cool kidz will own this on cassette. Duh.

Discogs

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various artists - Bumped By Karaoke (Datapanik's Greatest Hits, Vol. II)

A roundup of your usual early 90s Columbus-area suspects makes up this second volume of Datapanik's greatest hits. There are tracks from TJSA, New Bomb Turks, and Gaunt. Girly Machine, Pica Huss, Greenhorn, and Monster Truck Five had all appeared on both early Datapanik 7" releases and the lovely "Shave The Baby" comp (you can download it here). But there are a number of shooting stars making an appearance here, with names like The Boy Scout Love Triangle, G-Spot Tornados, Stupid Fucking Hippie, and Appalachian Death Ride. Folks made some unfortunate choices when naming their bands in the late 80s and early 90s. Kyle Ryan is not impressed.

What's cool about this release? It's almost completely cuts exclusive to this record. The Turks' songs all appeared on "Destroy Oh Boy", although my untrained ear thinks these may be different recordings from that classic record. The Apartments offer a trio of recordings that were only available on a Datapanik promo-only record. And that's it; you won't find these songs anywhere else.

So start your weekend with a dash of trash. Break out a half rack of cheap domestic and turn this up load. Good luck with the neighbors.

Discogs

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various artists - Freedom Of Choice: Yesterday's New Wave Hits Performed By Today's Stars

The joys of crate digging lie in the discovery of the unknown and the rediscovery of the forgotten. For example, I'm sure I should have known that, in 1992, Caroline Records and City Slang did a benefit record for Planned Parenthood that was bookended with Sonic Youth and Superchunk covering Plastic Bertrand and Devo (respectively). But I wasn't familiar with it until I turned up a copy on CD this week for $2.10 (plus tax). And what a joy it's been to rediscover it.

There are the aforementioned SY and 'Chunk tracks. I was a bit surprised to hear Mac sing in a lower register on "Girl You Want", but it wasn't unwelcome. There's a lot of the Triangle represented here, with Polvo and the Connells rubbing elbows with early Merge alums Erectus Monotone and Raleigh natives Finger. Hoboken also gets a shoutout, via contributions from Yo La Tengo and Tiny Lights. I'd also never heard Mudhoney's cover of "Pump It Up", one of my least-liked Elvis Costello songs, but, in their hands, I dug it. The "best" cut here is probably Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights", covered with great enthusiasm by White Flag. It's a weird choice that works well for me.

It's all pretty peak college rock/Lollapalooza second stage. I don't say that as a bad thing. It definitely took me back to reading about Rock For Choice shows and wondering when I'd make it to the Sanctuary Theatre to see Fugazi. It hurts my head to think that we're nearly 30 years on from this, and we probably need support for Planned Parenthood more now than ever.

Discogs

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various artists - Solid Gold, Coxsone Style

I found myself a fine little find today, amidst a post office/Starbucks run. This here is a 1992 expanded CD release of a 1971 Studio One compilation, all featuring tracks produced by Coxsone Dodd. For $2, I got myself a healthy dose of John Holt and Jackie Mittoo, of Alton Ellis and the Freedom Singers. Hell, I even got extended mixes of songs by Dennis Brown and Delroy Wilson, and didn't even have to pay extra for the privledge.

This is, by far, my favorite era of reggae. Whether it's releases on Trojan that were recorded with the export market in mind, or the antecedent to lover's rock, or just monster sounds from the island, there's just SO many qualities tracks and singles, leading to banging comps like this one. It's unfortunate that there's a ton of Heartbeat releases that have gone out of print; as I've gotten older, I'm really drawn to their reissues, even with the shitty replacement artwork. It makes a body want to work out a licensing deal or three...really restore and reissue some of Sir Clement's deep cuts.

Discogs

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various artists - Feer Of Smell

I'll keep this short because I got a new 9-5 job last week (work from home, benefits, the whole nine), which means I really shouldn't be writing at 1:30 in the morning any more. I guess we'll work that one out as time goes on, right? I'd better; it's the first grown-ass-man job I've had in over three years, and I really shouldn't fuck that up.

I sometimes feel like I was born just a few years too early. I missed out on the days of No Comment, Greyhouse, Native Nod...the heyday of weirdo, outsider hardcore, in a few cases just by months. I had just started exploring things when the last issue of No Answers came out, so while I was there as Ebullition kicked off, I felt more in common with Sam & Neil's Vermiform, a label firmly on the bleeding edge of things from its first release (the "Murders Among Us." 7") to the last (the Fast Forward CD). Some bright lad with a musicology degree will someday write a book about the Vermiform discography, and its impact of independent music throughout the 90s, and I'll be the ding-a-ling queued up to buy it.

Vermiform really nailed it with its compilations, which served as great snapshots for where the edge of the map was in a given year. Their first was 1992's "Fear Of Smell". It originally was a vinyl-only release, the first pressing of which featured distinct, hand-drawn covers, which is the exact sort of quixotic, money-losing scheme that I really appreciate. The collection of bands here is incredible: Nation of Ulysses, Moss Icon, Heroin, Infest, Rorschach, Man Is The Bastard, Tit Wrench, Native Nod, 1.6 Band, Merel, Sugar Shock and Hell No. This is ugly music for angry dorks who would rather make art than shoot up a school, the soundtrack to the last days before a band from 924 Gilman would turn up on MTV.

Plus, there's prank calls, which I think is always a nice touch, and is basically impossible nowadays, unless you're a genius like Longmont Potion Castle.

Discogs

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