Frankage

This is one of my favorite records of all time. The Descendents were (cue cliche) ahead of their time. Their pop punk stylings foreshadowed Greenday, the Offspring, Weezer and all the inane pap that was to follow (Blink 182 et al.).

After about 2 decades, I've been listening to this album a LOT again, and it's made me marvel at just how good they were. This to me is their best. It also marked the first appearance of lead singer Milo Aukerman, inspiration for the Milo character that was featured on most of their covers. And he was going off to college, hence the title (duh).


Later, they went more for the pop side of their sound, leaving behind their more creepy negative side - both in terms of lyrical content and the Black-Flag-influenced sound heard here.

Today I found out that founding member, guitarist, and the man responsible for their darker lyrics, Frank Navetta, passed away last Halloween (2008). He had quit the band back in 1958, burning all his gear to become a fulltime fisherman in Oregon.


So this entry becomes my belated tribute to Frank as well as to the Descendents. Rest in Peace.

TWO THINGS AT ONCE (MGTC, Bonus Fat)

1. "Myage" – 1:59
2. "I Wanna Be a Bear" – 0:42
3. "I'm Not a Loser" – 1:28
4. "Parents" – 1:38
5. "Tonyage" – 0:56
6. "M 16" – 0:43
7. "I'm Not a Punk" – 1:04
8. "Catalina" – 1:46
9. "Suburban Home" – 1:40
10. "Statue of Liberty" – 1:59
11. "Kabuki Girl" – 1:10
12. "Marriage" – 1:39
13. "Hope" – 2:00
14. "Bikeage" – 2:14
15. "Jean Is Dead" – 1:33

BONUS FAT:

1. "My Dad Sucks" - 0:36
2. "Mr. Bass" - 2:05
3. "I Like Food" - 0:16
4. "Hey Hey" - 1:35
5. "Weinerschnitzel" - 0:11
6. "Global Probing" - 1:08
7. "Ride the Wild" - 2:30
8. "It's a Hectic World" - 1:50

This is Radio Joe on Private Satellite

Joe Strummer spins his favorite tracks from around the world on these U.S. rebroadcasts of 8 episodes of Joe's "London Calling" radio show he did for BBC's World Service in the late 90's. The thing i get a kick out of the most is his love for Colombian "cumbia", as seen in the above video.

Get it all, in 3 parts:

** 1 * 2 * 3 **

For the full songlist and streaming audio, check out the Public Radio Exchange page!

Back to Basics

Often described as the "one-man Clash", Billy Bragg is much more than that. As much as I love "The Only Band That Matters", Billy's songs are political in a way that the Clash's songs never were, mining a much more personal and confessional vein. This record (which is actually his first two albums plus an EP on one CD), to me, has him at his best, and while it does contain some amazing protopunk-sounding tunes, for me his most affecting are songs like "A New England", "The Saturday Boy" and "A Lover Sings".

Before he was "The" Billy Bragg, he was in a band called Riff Raff. Whilst researching this post I found a nice blog with a complilation of their singles. So head on over to SOMENOISE if you want to check that out!!

BACK TO BASICS

1. "The Milkman of Human Kindness"
2. "To Have and To Have Not"
3. "Richard"
4. "Lovers Town Revisited"
5. "A New England"
6. "The Man in the Iron Mask"
7. "The Busy Girl Buys Beauty"
8. "It Says Here"
9. "Love Gets Dangerous"
10. "The Myth of Trust"
11. "From a Vauxhall Velox"
12. "The Saturday Boy"
13. "Island of No Return"
14. "St Swithin's Day"
15. "Like Soldiers Do"
16. "This Guitar Says Sorry"
17. "Strange Things Happen"
18. "A Lover Sings"
19. "Between the Wars"
20. "World Turned Upside Down"
21. "Which Side are You on"

And here is a more recent song that has some great lyrics - "Waiting for the Great Leap Forward":

Bizarro World

This was my first Wedding Present album. I bought it because I had heard "Kennedy" and "Brassneck" in the heyday of MTV's 120 Minutes show (which, despite its string of annoying hosts - most notably, Dave Kendall and Matt Pinhead .. er, I mean, Pinfield -, was really good). Not as good as Seamonsters, but definitely a great, great album. And David Gedge has a heart of gold and is supernice, so go out and get this if you likey.

BIZA
RRO

1. Brassneck

2. Crushed

3. No

4. Thanks

5. Kennedy

6. What Have I Said Now?

7. Granadaland

8. Bewitched

9. Take Me!

10. Be Honest

11. Unfaithful

12. One Day This Will All Be Yours

13. It's Not Unusual

14. Brassneck [Single Version]

15. Don't Talk, Just Kiss

16. Gone

17. Box Elder

Darkness and Doubt

This is a record from 1985, by a bunch of friends from Leeds. Foreshadowing alt country by a decade, this was their 3rd album, and a comeback of sorts, having briefly disbanded after their 2nd, not very good album, recorded for Virgin records.

They are currently on their 30th anniversary tour in the UK, Spain and the U.S., so catch them if you can (because I can't!!).

Ridiculously deep, and deeply silly, these are The Mekons!!:

FEAR AND WHISKEY


1. Chivalry 04:03
2. Trouble Down South 04:15
3. Hard To Be Human Again 03:59
4. Darknes And Doubt 05:14
5. Psycho Cupid 02:52
6. (Dancebird On The Edge Of Time)
7. Flitcraft 03:23
8. Country 02:54
9. Abernant 1984/85 02:21
10. Last Dance 03:12
11. Lost Highway 03:02
    
    

HOLE IN THE GROUND

Revalushan Rock

Ok so I figured before I lose the 10 or so regulars who never leave a message (hint hint) but do seem to check back once in a while, I'd better put somethin new up!! So here it is, point blank, without any of the bla bla, no nice lil picture: The Clash's rehearsal tapes in preparation for "London Calling", aka,

The VANILLA TAPES.

As a bonus, here is a clip with the boys running through "Louie Louie" instrumentally as well as London Calling producer, and ex-Mott-the-Hoople, Guy Stevens going bonkers with a chair.

Seamonsters

(from Sweetness Online)

Ok, technical problems all sorted out now. Back at ya with one of my favorite records of all time, The Wedding Present's Seamonsters. While their earlier work was punker and their latter work was some of the best pop rock ever, this strikes a perfect balance between the two. Recorded by noizemeister Steve Albini in just 12 days somewhere in the heart of Minnesota, Seamonsters is agreat cd full of texture, feedback not-for-feedback-sake, and excruciatingly personal lyrics. I read somewhere that WP frontman David Gedge's lyrics are like phone conversations with his lover, but I would say that they are more like breakup letters. Anyway, judge for yourselves:

The Wedding Present: "SEAMONSTERS"

1. Dalliance

2. Dare

3. Suck

4. Blonde

5. Rotterdam

6. Love Nest

7. Corduroy

8. Carolyn

9. Heather

10. Octopussy 11. Niagara 12. Dan dare 13. Fleshworld

David Gedge on Steve Albini:

He's a great engineer and apparently works pretty fast.
Gedge: It's weird because people say "how does he do it?" and it's very basic really, I mean it's kind of like old school in a way in that his heroes are people like George Martin and the BBC engineers. It's basically get a band, tune the drums, tune the guitar, it's all good equipment, it's an acoustically suitable room, great microphones, well-placed and he records it, and it's like, yeah it's kind of obvious really. Why change that? People spend six hours on the snare drum sound or longer and you've kind of lost the mood of a band playing together, you know?

"Bewitched":


"Brassneck" unplugged:


"Flying Saucer":

Entre Casa y Babylon

Born in Spain, grown up in Paris, France, Manu Chao absorbed influences of all kinds - punk, hardcore, rockabilly, ska, dancehall reggae, flamenco, African music, RnB, etc.

Now a solo artist, this was the last album by his band Mano Negra. I first heard this when a penpal sent a TDK cassette of it to me when I was in college. This was one of my favorite albums for years.

While maybe not as palatable to english-speaking ears as to spanish/francophone ones, I think this CD from 1994 still holds up in a BIG way. Later, when I was in New Orleans and discovered all the great, unknown New Orleans 50's RnB, I found that the song "The Monkey Speaks His Mind" was not a Manu original, but a NOLA hit penned by Dave Bartholomew (which you will soon see here). Then, back here in Medellín, I discovered one of my favorite Cuban artists, Bola de Nieve (also to make a future appearance on HSR), and I recognized Bola's song "Drume Negrita" as being the original of "Mamá Perfecta"!! Talk about mindblowing!

This album was written between Paris, New York, Buenos Aires and Bogotá, after a crazy tour on a train that was transformed into a traveling circus that went from the Colombian Atlantic coast to Bogotá (and which some credit for the demise of the band).

The song "El Señor Matanza" ("Lord Massacre", kind of) was about the political/social climate at that time and still to a great extent, at this time (no matter what Prez Uribe would like you to believe). Including guest cameos from people like Fidel Nadal of (Argentina's answer to the Bad Brains) Todos Tus Muertos, and backing vocals from one Jello Biafra, you are respectfully invited for a stay at:

CASA BABYLON:

"Viva Zapata" – 2:04
"Casa Babylon" - 2:34
"The Monkey" - 2:47
"Señor Matanza" - 4:06
"Santa Maradona" - 3:27
"Super Chango" - 2:53
"Bala Perdida" - 2:13
"Machine Gun" - 4:25
"El Alakran" - 3:50
"Mama Perfecta" - 1:54
"Love And Hate" - 2:28
"Drives Me Crazy" - 3:38
"Hamburger Fields" - 3:14
"La Vida" - 2:41
"Sueño De Solentiname" - 3:51
"This Is My World" - 4:57

The video for SEÑOR MATANZA, filmed in Bogotá:

The Have-Nots: >>X<< Part 2

Ok, so finally, I was able to upload cd2 through sendspace.com! X's Billy Zoom was always one of my guitar heroes. He was the baddest of the bad and the coolest of the cool, to quote Run DMC!! I even got a guitar that was the closest approximation to his Gretsch (that i could afford), a silver sparked Silverjet. Mine is a Dearmond, sparkle blue, big bigsby tremolo.

This is Billy with his Silverjet:


This is my Dearmond without me! :

Not too shabby, buddy!

Ok, and now, what you're really here for, the music:

MAKE THE MUSIC GO BANG! CD2:

26 (CD 2) Wild Thing (7" Single Edit) (3:33)
27 (CD 2) Poor Girl (2:53)
28 (CD 2) Call of the Wreckin' Ball (2:57)
29 (CD 2) Someone Like You (2:42)
30 (CD 2) What's Wrong With Me... (3:45)
31 (CD 2) Burning House of Love (3:55)
32 (CD 2) My Goodness (4:37)
33 (CD 2) 4th of July (4:06)
34 (CD 2) You (3:30)
35 (CD 2) When It Rains... (4:33)
36 (CD 2) Surprise Surprise (2:52)
37 (CD 2) I'm Lost (2:57)
38 (CD 2) See How We Are (3:49)
39 (CD 2) Skin Deep Town (Live) (3:19)
40 (CD 2) Around My Heart (Live) (4:26)
41 (CD 2) Just Another Perfect Day (Live) (4:34)
42 (CD 2) Devil Doll (Live) (4:39)
43 (CD 2) Big Blue House (4:05)
44 (CD 2) Clean Like Tomorrow (3:58)
45 (CD 2) Country at War (4:15)
46 (CD 2) New Life (3:24)

The Haves - >>X<< Part 1

Here is the first half of the 2cd best-of set in honor of the band X, pithily entitled "Make The Music Go Bang".

"Los Angeles" was the first "punk rock" record I ever bought and they have been one of my favorite bands since, throughout all their phases. They were, I think, one of the first truly "Americana" type bands, mixing punk, rockabilly and kitsch in a way that had never done before.
I have been having a hard time uploading the second cd thru sharebee or zshare, so i think i will try it again tomorrow through a different service. Enjoy, people all over the world (and you know who you are). (And leave a message why don't you??).

John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom,DJ Bonebreak are:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

MAKE THE MUSIC GO BANG! CD1:

1 Adult Books (Single Version) (3:14)
2 We're Desperate (Single Version) (2:03)
3 Angeles (2:24)
4 Your Phone's Off the Hook, But You're Not (2:25)
5 Johny Hit and Run Pauline (2:50)
6 Soul Kitchen (2:26)
7 World's a Mess; It's in My Kiss (4:28)
8 Unheard Music (4:45)
9 White Girl (Single Mix) (3:29)
10 Once Over Twice (2:31)
11 Universal Corner (4:33)
12 Some Other Time (2:17)
13 In This House That I Call Home (3:33)
14 Beyond and Back (Live) (2:41)
15 Riding With Mary (Single Version) (3:12)
16 Hungry Wolf (3:47)
17 Motel Room in My Bed (2:41)
18 Blue Spark (2:08)
19 Have Nots (4:46)
20 Under the Big Black Sun (3:24)
21 New World (3:25)
22 Breathless (2:19)
23 We're Having Much More Fun (3:08)
24 True Love (2:15)
25 I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts (4:15)



BEYOND AND BACK:


DEVIL DOLL:

Version Pardner

In October of 2004, Mojo Magazine released this CD, of artists that influenced the Clash, a precursor of another compilation published by Trojan Records. Here, I am including the best four from this cd, IMHO - previous versions of the songs that The Only Band That Mattered covered:

EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS: This is actually a cover of a cover, since Motown singer Brenda Holloway first did it in'64. This is the Spencer Davis Group version, sung by "Higher Love" doofus, Steve Winwood. But he's got a voice o' gold.

WRONG 'EM BOYO: Originally by 60's Jamaican ska group The Rulers

RIDE YOUR DONKEY: This is a song that was beautifully covered by Joe on "Earthquake Weather," as done by the Tennors, the originals.

WHITE MAN AT HAMMERSMITH PALAIS: Live Mescaleros stylee.


And to top it all off, here are three songs from a Mr Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., better known as "Dr. John". This is from the record "Gumbo", released in 1972:


LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL (Which JS plays on piano in the film "Rudeboy")


STAGGER LEE (Which in "London Calling" segways into "Wrong' Em Boyo")


JUNKO PARTNER (Covered in "Sandinista!")

I haven't been able to find any actual evidence to back me up here, but I think this album really influenced Joe Strummer, considering the lyrics and phrasing of these versions. Junko Partner is a very old New Orleans song, and Stagger Lee is even older I believe (check out the S.L. mythology) but N.O. music was not very widely distributed in the early days, so most probably JS heard it via Dr. John.

Also check out this great essay by Peter Scholtes.

and this mindblowing youtube clip:

True to form, my first new post is a few days late. Oh well.

Today's goodies come from The Pogues.

These gents (and lady, occasionally) play Irish folk music with punk abandon. I had the good fortune of seeing them in NYC in 1991, at the Beacon Theater, which was kind of a mixed blessing type thing, since I never got to see/hear Shane MacGowan, being as he was.. indisposed (for three months) and had to be replaced by honorary Pogue and legendary Clash frontsman, the late, great Mr. Joe Strummer, one of my heroes. While Shane's toothless mumbling is irreplaceable, it was still one of the best concerts I ever did see. If anyone has the bootleg from this show, PLEEEASE: gimmie.

Ok, so for this grand occasion, I will be featuring three bonus tracks from their first two albums, Red Roses For Me and Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. And two live recordings on the forementioned Strummer/Pogues tour, doing two Clash classics.

Without further ado, the tuneage:


- London Girl
- The Body of an American
- Wild Rover
- I Fought the Law
- London Calling