Recent Record Finds

I have been having a good run on finding good records lately. I am supremely excited about some of the finds, while not entirely "rare," certainly good tunes for sure. Here are some brief thoughts on records scored in the last week or two.

Angelic Upstarts “Woman in Disguise” 12” Anagram 1982 --Angelic Upstarts have always been kind of a puzzling band in a lot of ways to me. Musically they progressed greatly from their initial recordings to their last consistent record (1987's Blood on the Terraces). By the time they released "Woman in Disguise" in 1982, three years from their first single, they had soften their edges greatly and produced a pretty great, short pop record. They only remaining sonic similarities to their oi! days are the rather dead-pan, proletariat vocal delivery by frontman Mensi.

Anvil “Backwaxed” LP Viper 1985 -- "Backwaxed" is an odds and sods for Anvil; a band now know by their semi-eponymous named documentary documenting the "band that could have been." The story is very sweet following the film, now they are playing stages that they only dreamed of a few years ago. "Hard and Heavy," "Metal on Metal," "Forged on Fire" all hold enough good material to warrant purchasing; but, and even the band notes after this, they had good songs but not really great recordings following this period. Fortunately "Backwaxed" documents the odds and ends of this early period plus a few of the hits; unfortunately most it is mostly chopping room floor level material. Anvil has some classic solos, great hard rock/nwbhm riffs, and a good drummer; but the vocals are what probably kept this band from being on the upper-escutcheons of heavy metal; and this record really proves it. Vocals dripping with cheese, not really refined, and playing a backseat to the music. The great metal bands blended vocals with the music, in Anvil it is an afterthought.

Bauhaus “In the Flat Field” LP 4AD/Expanded (Italian Import) 1981 --As I sift through endless travel websets to get the best airfare for my mini-vacation in which I plan on seeing The Cure and Morrissey perform in the same week (yes this is 2011, not 1989); I am listening to the pumling "In the Flat Field," the first LP from Bauhaus, another favorite of the clove-smoking, black fingernail polish set. The thing that always strikes me, at my age, is what happened to "goth." I mean, I know it still exists in some pockets; and younger kids like some of it sonics and imagery (see witch house); but what happened to goth circa: before Marylin Manson fans claimed the mantel and shit on it to death. No jnco's, yes brooding mystery and anger. The thing that always drew me to "goth" music was that there was, in fact, a large swath of sonic sensibilities to the scene. Even within one band Bauhaus you see a distinct evolution from the repetitive, rhythmic pummel to a more refined and ethereal sound. I tend to like first records alot, it is probably because for a band it is their earliest statement, and often the one they had the most time to craft. "In the Flat Field" is brutal in comparison to even "Mask." It is jarring, ugly, and out of tune at times; it oozes with discontent, more punk than most "punk" records.

Bauhaus "4AD" EP 4AD 1983 --Sometimes comp EP's like this, collecting a few singles don't seem like the best use of money. I mean, if you have the singles, or in some cases the LP's that the record comes from it is kind of frivolous. But with "4AD" Bauhaus give the buyer not only great material, but a good curatorial sense of what the band was about. A lot of bands would have filled the rest of the time/space with bad demos or bland live takes; but "4AD" is fluid and tends toward the minimal by design. Not nearly as pummeling as "In a Flat Field", nor as filled out as "Mask" which saw the band expanding their sound with keyboards and more defined production; "4AD" is a good look at a growing young band.

Booker T. & the MG’s “Soul Dressing” LP Stax 1965 --"Soul Dressing" is the second LP From Booker T. & the MG's. You would think that the three years between "Green Onions" and "Soul Dressing" would produce some bigger numbers; sadly it did not. Really there isn't a song worth mentioning outright as a standout on this record as all sit in the same pocket of good-but-not totally memorable tunes. The period between "Green Onions" and "Hip Hug Her" is seen as a fallow period creatively by some (and by others as their creative high point!), the band was at the time creating monster tracks for so many others that they didn't really pay attention to their own brand some argue; it certainly is the lull in hits. That said each track swings, the playing is precise in that loose-tight way that the MG's mastered and fans of intrumental work probably drool at anything they did. The record is their first attempt at putting together a real cohesive album; "Green Onions" was more slap-dash to cash in on the hit. I always find myself going back to transition albums for rotation, but I think with them I mainly would stick to "Green Onions" "Hip Hug Her" and "Doing Out Thing."

Broken Bones "Dem Bones" Fall Out 1984 --I honestly am kind of surprised that this made it to the shelf at the record store I bought it at. I thought for sure someone would have scooped it up. I am even more excited that it was only $7! I usually don't talk about record prices here; but it is such a good buy for a classic piece of punk recording. Featuring former members of Discharge, Broken Bones were a more straight-forward, cross-over band that sat well with the emerging hardcore-come-thrash sound. Some people have called Broken Bones one of the biggest Hardcore bands of all time and one of the most vital, various U.S. mega-bands such as Metallica have acknowledged them as one of their influences; the great debate for me will always be Discharge V. Broken Bones, and this record makes a very good argument for Broken Bones being the stronger of the two bands. Listening to this record for the fist time in probably 10 years is like hearing it again for the first time as a young and angry teen; it is music to destroy shit to... Kick, punch, fight.

The Buff Medways “Medway Wheelers” LP Damaged Goods 2005 --Wild Billy Childish. This man is insane. Not mental, just the amount of work and output this guy has can be explored for years. So you know the Headcoats, you know the Milkshakes, you know the Mighty Caesars, well in 2001-2005 he played in the Buff Medways. Fuzzy, sloppy, garagey-of course; what do you expect. I really like the Buffs cheek, their sound seems more sarcastic and bitter in some ways, yet nostalgic and parochial in other ways. This period of Childish's music is one of my favorite periods really; it sounds more singular and less paroting. In a career with more records than this blog has probably covered it is hard to pick a starting point, although the 1959 retrospective has a bit of everything, this record has the gist of it boiled down.

James White & the Blacks “Contort Yourself/Heat Wave” 12” ZE records 1979 --This is an extended disco remix of the classic Contortions track. It is REALLY good; "Heat Wave" not so much. I really like that it kind of took very minimal elements of the original while maintaining its downtown late 70's NYC edge; that is a very hard feet to achieve. My main beef with the release is just how bad the flip side is. I would have liked either a double A side, or the original on the flip. So disco "Contort Yourself" > "Heat Wave" < shit.

Mission of Burma "The Horrible Truth About Burma" Ace of Hearts 1985 --Caustic, loud, repetitive tape loops float over the classic Mission of Burma sound providing a live document of a band that was both idiosyncratic and somehow classic at the time of their own premature demise (first time). Recorded on their 1983 farewell tour, with Martin Swoop playing the fourth man to the trio; "The Horrible Truth About Burma" is one of the very rare live albums that serve as a great entry way into a band. It is a truly first rate album: slightly unhinged, blistering and full of energy.

New Order “Blue Monday” 12” Factory 1983 --What cheek! To release a twelve inch that mythically lost money on for each copy you sold forcing a change to a non-dye-cut sleeve. A few things to say about "Blue Monday" it is one of the longest singles to chart in the UK at over seven minutes long, it is the best selling British 12" of all time and the 76th biggest selling single as of the early 2000's; all this, and it is not eligible for a "gold record" because Factory was not part of the British Phonographic Industry Association. All this, as a a record on the whole I rather like it. It is easy to say, but I am a fan of New Order; not as big of a fan of Joy Division, but a fan none-the-less. While I tend to like their more rock/pop based and post-disco songs more than the synth based songs, "Blue Monday" is so morose, so filled with dour tones that I would put it up there in the pantheon of great pop songs.

New Order “Chapter III” 2LP bootleg 1988 --Never have heard this bootleg before. The sound quality could leave a lot to be desired but the songs themselves are amazing including versions of "Blue Monday" and "Perfect Kiss" that both top ten minutes. It is with records like this that you can really begin to grasp the interplay with rock and dance music that New Order was pioneering. The crowd was clearly split in exuberance on the two facets of the band.

New Order "Movement" Factory 1981--What a debut album! You have to hand it to New Order; to release an album that pushes the sonic boundaries past their comfort zone just one year after the release of their last Joy Division album "Closer" and the death of bandmate Ian Curtis. Most would not be able to pull it off, but New Order did in a big way. An amazing transitional document from their pulsing, rhythmic Joy Division sound to their more "techno/synth" records that would define the band; on "Movement" more than any other LP you can vividly see the transition; coupled with the "Ceremony" 12" you see a band working through grief and maturing musically by leaps and bounds.

The Rapture “In the Grace of Your Love” 2lp DFA 2011--The Rapture unleashed an, almost, generation defining single "House of Jealous Lovers." For many in their early/mid 30s the song defined a time when dance music was on the verge, a little more care-free time that mingling New York minds found punk and dance combining. If not generation defining, it certainly was one of the big songs in defining the dance punk genre which walked hand in hand with IDM and Electroclash. As someone who inhabited the same space at this time I have a certain sentiment for that single, as well as the rest of the "Echos" and "Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks" era. They followed up "Echos" with "Pieces of People We Love" which was less "boots-and-pants-boots-and-pants" and more party soul influenced, now with "in the Grace of Your Love" the band finds themselves in a more disco-influenced mood woven into elements drawn from bands like Roxy Music. My first listen found me thinking the hit was the jam; and the rest of the record was too comfortable. But on second listen I find that this record has elements that will most likely let it endure past its initial release, something I can not say for "Pieces of People We Love." It is a more artistic statement than simple dance punk.

The Wailers “At the Castle” LP Etiquette 1962--Okay, I have three copies of this record, and will probably always buy it if the price is right. It is a good gift record, it is a good record for playing endlessly until you need a new copy because your old one wore out; it is one of the finest pieces of American rock n roll ephemera there is. Gail Harris' voice on "I Idolize You" is stunning, the music is loose and free, and songs like "Dirty Robber" with Rockin Robin Roberts singing are so completely perfect that it really does no justice to even talk about it. Seriously, if you don't have this, do yourself a favor and go buy it today... Because it is essential.

The (Young) Pioneers “Free the Young Pioneers Now” LP Lookout 1998 --I always liked Born Against, but really the (Young) Pioneers were so different than their hardcore predecessor. (Young) Pioneers really were ahead of their time; "folk punk" acts like Two Gallants, Against Me, Tim Barry, etc really owe a bit of debt to (Young) Pioneers; not to be punny they really were pioneers in some regard. "Free the Young Pioneers Now" released on Lookout (or Lookout! ???) was the last full length release for the band, a release that found them surprisingly smoothing out a lot of their rough (by design) edges. Probably a little less singing through the green bullet mic? But the record is a great statement of blending folk, rock, and punk with a political edge into a really fluid and concise album. To me they were one of the better live bands of the late 1990's, and their whole catalog is worth while. I sold my copy of this record years ago to move to NYC along with a lot of others and I am glad to have it back.