The Servants - Disinterest

The Servants - Disinterest

The final Servants album, notable as it features a pre Auteurs appearance from Luke Haines on guitar and backing vocals. It's well worth a listen if you're not a Haines obsessive as David Westlake is a severely underrated songwriter, and Disinterest is quite different from his earlier c86 era stuff.

The JAMs - 1987 (What The Fuck Is Going On?)

The JAMs - 1987 (What The Fuck Is Going On?)

And the Drummond/Cauty wankathon continues, with this, the very dawn of the Justified Ancients of Mu-Mu. Legendary sample wonderland that was ordered to be destroyed by Abba. The JAMS attempt to meet with Abba were thwarted by Sweden, who stuck as one (through the medium of a gun happy farmer) to thwart them.

Oh, and Bill Drumm...sorry, King Boy D raps. He got lyrical flow like a bungalow.

The Cavaliers - A Perfect Action (English Cricket)

The Cavaliers - A Perfect Action (English Cricket)

el. el records. The genius of Alway. Indulgence, creativity, drive and just looking jolly good. Pretentious fun for all the family. I have been after a complete version of this bastard album for years and tonight, tonight I have found it. The Cavaliers. A Perfect Action. A concept album about cricket.

The Cavaliers are....well, I've no idea who they are. Probably some dashing young turks under the watchful eye of Mike Alway. The classic el single "It's A Beautiful Game" was not enough. Oh no, an album followed, "The Thin Man From Orpington", "Son of Ivanhoe", "Sir Derek, The Retford Prince"....all were crafted and unleashed upon an uncaring world. Woe. WOE I tell you that such a classic album was left ignored and unloved. Well no more, the internet allows us to correct history's mistakes and here it is dear reader, clasp it to your bosom.

Okay, I might be exaggerating it's greatness somewhat, rather a lot even, but it's still one of the strangest albums you'll ever hear.

As a bonus, here's the Cavaliers only single. It's A Beautiful Game. It is also about cricket, but it's probably the best thing they've ever done and the b-side is a stomper of a song that has slap bass and a mantra of BOTHAM, BOTHAM, BOTHAM BOTH---AM.

Coming soon, the complete back catalogue of Gina G. Including the ill fated failed Song For Britain comeback single that was beaten by Jordan. Or I might just post a concept album about seal buggery or something.

The Divine Comedy - Europop EP

The Divine Comedy - Europop

I like Neil Hannon, which is no great surprise considering he plays the part of a louche fop to a tee. It's fairly well known that the first Divine Comedy album (Fanfare For The Common Muse) was vastly different from the usual fare. Inoffensive R.E.M. ripped off indie is the best way to describe it. This EP is from that period, it bombed, pretty much split up this line up of the band and Neil Hannon regrouped to plan the Divine Comedy we all know and love/mildly tolerate/vaguely remember, didn't they have something to do with Chris Evans? to this day. The main attraction here is the first version of Europop, which appeared later on Liberation in synth pop form. Here Neil Hannon appears to channel the nasal whine of Damon Albern and it's more generico indie. It's sort of like hearing some crap London four piece cover one of your favorite songs and drain the life out of it. Anyway, I'm not remotely selling this am I? But it's an interesting listen anyway and New Wave is actually quite good.

Ahh, I'm on holiday. Bliss. Watch out for the original version of 1987, What The Fuck Is Going On?, some Teardrop Explodes Radio sessions (not Peel) and lots more stuff I'll talk about here but forget to post.

Blacksmoke

Blacksmoke - Assorted Tracks

Seeing how the KLF related stuff has been by far the most popular thing on here (rapidshare lets you see how many downloads you've had you see, I'm wondering how it's had much more downloads that the amount of people that are on my friends list on Facebook. How very queer) I'll give the audience what they want for once.

Blacksmoke are (well, were at least) Jimmy Cauty and a heavy metal guitarist who were in the business of what can only be described as fucking shit up. Fuck the Fucking Fuckers is a man shouting FUCK a lot over big fuck off guitars while on occasion telling the listener some things that can fuck right off. It is, as you might imagine, fucking ace. Silent Night is a rendition of Silent Night over soundbites from 9-11, we've got some weird fucked up version of My Heart Will Go On and a tribute to Herbie on here too.

As a bonus, here's the KLF with Extreme Noise Terror doing 3AM Eternal which was supposed to have been part of the aborted Black Album. Not quite the same without Bill Drummond machine gunning the crowd.

I've worked out what to do with my long weekend. Fuck all. Well, I might pop up to the cultural mecca that is Hitchin for gig watching. There is still a big bottle of vodka in the fridge that means to have me though, the little tease has been gagging for it all week but I will not give in. Oh no, I'm making that little whore wait.

Denim - Summer Smash

Denim - Summer Smash

Lawrence's post Felt pop project, Summer Smash looked like it just might break Denim into the mainstream....then the whole Princess Di-smashy-smashy-bang-splat thing happened and a jolly romp about a "Summer Smash- bababa-baaaa-ba" didn't seem like a good idea after all. The single was aborted, the album was shelved and Denim faded faster than pair of Tesco Value jeans.
There are promos kicking about but they didn't include the b-sides, which I don't think were on Denim Take Over. Anyway, you've got Sun's Out, Seaside Shuffle and another version of Summer Smash here as well as the title track. Sit back, pretend it's summer and tell yourself over and over again that Lawrence hadn't lost it completely at this point.

Actually, I did have a soft spot for Go-Kart Mozart. Once.

Morrissey - Very Rare Tracks

Morrissey - Very Rare Tracks.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you an album's worth of stupidly rare Morrissey tracks. From the Morrissey demo version of what became Sandie Shaw's Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness, the (well, it was when I was younger Morrissey fan) holy grail itself, Striptease With a Difference, some Vauxhall and I demos (including a faster version of Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself), more unheard songs, some instrumentals that never had vocals put down for them and lots, lots more.

Next time: Time to put those rose tinted goggles away. The future awaits by looking sideways through the past.....yes, this means more dodgy avant-garde German bands from the 80's. Das ist Gut, baby.

Two 7" singles

The Passage - Taboos

Phil Spector meets the Orange Order in a song about sexual inadequacy. Dick Witts used to be a percussionist in the Halle Orchestra and that was never used to greater effect than in this song. Sounds like a fucking war is going on underneath all the synths, quite possibly one of the finest 12" singles ever committed to vinyl. B-side is a dub instrumental version of Taboos that sounds delightfully apocalyptic.



Antena - The Boy From Ipanema

Isabelle Antena's first project, a John Foxx produced cover of the Stan Getz classic. Somewhat sinister sounding electronic samba that the band expanded upon (minus the help of Mr Foxx) on their album. Isabelle Antena soon embarked upon a solo career, and was also Rick Wakeman's children's nanny if a sticker I saw on an Isabelle Antena CD in Soho Music/Video Exchange is true. God, the information you get from this blog eh? You'll be the toast of dinner parties for years. I spoil you, I really do.

Morrissey - Lost

Morrissey - Lost

Oh I know, I know. Shush. Y'know, it's only in the last year or so I've found myself being able to listen to Moz again, I overdosed in my teens and even into my early 20's (if with far less of the blind worship) I'd still listen to him regularly. I think it was the Albert Hall gig in 2002 that finished it, it was (until I saw Cathal Coughlan) the best gig I'd ever been to, still is in terms of atmosphere. He hadn't done anything in years, three rows from the front, return of the king, how do you top that? You can't.
Anyway, this is a japanese only mini album of the Maladjusted b-sides, which I don't think appeared on the singles boxsets that came out a few years ago. It's pretty mixed, but this is still the last period of Morrissey for me that means anything. His return was all well and good but it was missing something I could never quite put my finger on. Rose tinted glasses possibly? Probably.

NEXT TIME! - The Kalevala singles if I can find them. Or maybe even Morrissey's legendary lost "classic", Striptease With a Difference.

The "christ, some of this stuff is over ten years old...oh GOD I'm not a teenager anymore" post.

Marion - Violent Men

The first single (on Rough Trade I think) from another band cursed by the moniker "new Smiths", they even supported Morrissey at one point. Your basic meat and potatoes 90's indie band fronted by a pair of cheekbones and a nice haircut.





Younger Younger 28's - Next Big Thing

They could have been the next Human League, instead they are doomed to be confused with Vanilla (if the latter are unknown to you then please, enjoy your youth, do not seek them out, only horror that way lies) by a generation who are now all around 28 themselves. YY28 weren't half bad really, I just never need to hear We're Going Out ever again.




Bis - Action and Drama

We're here for the Les Rhythmes Digitales remix of Eurodisco. I can't honestly remember how the Scissorkicks mix goes, Action and Drama.....well, it's got a Wham reference. I *think* that's a good thing.







Normal service of rare obscurist nonsense to resume. Possibly.

Strangelove - Visionary

Strangelove - Visionary

Got a request for the first two Strangelove singles but I seem to have misplaced Hysteria Unknown. Strangelove's debut single was only released as a 12". Strangelove (for those of you who's knowledge of dodgy 90's indie isn't terribly pronounced, which isn't many of you I know) were a (you've guessed it) slighty dodgy 90's indie band who managed to keep abreast of their similarity becheekboned peers by being pretty good. Patrick Duff was a legendary frontman, vomiting into the audience, being out of his face most of the time and apparently spent his time after the band living in a wood (I've heard Moon, this might have been for the best). Made a solo album a few years back that wasn't half bad though.

I am still ill today, so the 90's indie single jihad I've been threatening to inflict upon thee all is about to happen. Just be thankful I've lost my Salad singles.

Flowers - Confessions

Flowers - Confessions

Bob Last's post Fast Product label, Pop Aural, gave us some Fire Engines singles, a Jo Callis solo single and opened with this wee gem. Don't know too much about them, I did read that the singer was married to Bob Last somewhere and that they're from Scotland. Had a couple of tracks on the Earcom 1 compilation as well.

Tired and ill. Ill and tired. Strange urge to listen to Rammstein after this weekend, cuh, I dunno. One burning shopping trolley and I'm a scary large German man reeking of petrol.

Bill Nelson - Rooms With Brittle Views

Bill Nelson - Rooms With Brittle Views

Bill Nelson reinvented himself after Be Bop Deluxe and went far, far away from that band's glam style. I've always admired him for being utterly fearless in terms of refusing to let himself be pigeonholed to one genre. This is an early solo single (on the wonderful Les Disques du Crepuscule label), and is from where this blog gets it's name. Refreshingly original sounding synthpop/postpunk.

Kalevala

Bad Wisdom - The Soundtrack

Bill Drummond and Mark Manning morph into a Finnish record label. The results are glorious. It is a real shame that the world couldn't spit out the Fuckers on it's own but we can at least be thankful that Drummond and Manning put that major oversight right.

Or/and: Painfully rare collection of lots of "fake" bands that manage to be far more interesting than most things that are real. I'll take fantasy over reality any day. Worth a listen if you're a KLF obsessive, worth a listen if you're not.

Next: Gin. Oh that's for me, not for you. You'll probably just get some more shit Britpop era singles I'd forgotten about. Salad anyone? Ooh, maybe not.

Fatima Mansions - Evil Man (Pt 2)

Fatima Mansion - Evil Man (Pt 2) CD Single

Evil Man is from possibly the finest Fatima Mansions album (Valhalla Avenue) but the real star of this CD is the remix of Chemical Cosh which is delightfully brutal. I mean anything that starts with "I'm gonna kill myself over your dead body if you fuck anybody but me" is always worth a quick spin, don't you find?

More later, probably an album or something. I'm still going through all my old boxes of records and finding much to cringe about. Strangelove singles anyone? Nope, didn't think so.

Venini - Carnival Star

Venini - Carnival Star

Russell Senior leaves Pulp and ends up here. It's....well, it's not *bad*, it's not especially good either. But it does manage to be more than just there. Which is something, I suppose. Oh christ I can't review music, I listen to it and if I don't like it I swear a lot and question the parentage of all involved. Anyway, there is a remix from Ladytron and a chap called Hugo Murder on this. I have no idea who Hugo Murder is but it sounds like he fell into a hole in modern day Shoreditch and ended up in 1999 by mistake.

The The - Disinfected EP

The The - Disinfected EP

A curio from around the Dusk era, it features reworkings of two old The The songs (This Is The Day and Infected) which are drastically different enough to be a worthwhile listen. Has a remix of Dogs of Lust by who I think is Jim Foetus/Clint Ruin/Etc. The front cover deeply disturbs me, sort of what would have happened if Matt Johnston had joined Adam and the Ants....man, now there's a What If?.....