there is always room for you

It's always a nice surprise when someone you know is in a band that's actually good...I mean, it seems like everyone's in a band or spinning discs lately. But when I actually feel like I can go out on a limb and send you in there direction, well, it's kinda rare. So, check Send For Help out...

"These boys were heavily influenced by indie heros's like Pavement, Modest Mouse, and Archers of Loaf to name some names. Formed by PA transplant/ singer/ songwriter/ guitarist George D'Annunzio and SF based guitarist Mike Damiani (west by god) who introduced drummer Ryan Eisert (west by god, Visitor Jim) to the project. "

They've only recorded three songs so far, and are going into the studio in the next month to start recording their full-length. Goodbye is their strongest track of the three...can't wait to see what comes out of the studio.

Send For Help - Goodbye
Send For Help - Ride

And be sure to check out there site, there's another song posted there as well.

Burn To Shine: Smashing!

Received the first Burn to Shine DVD on Saturday. It's actually better than I expected. The footage is really clean, having been shot in HD and the performances are pretty strong. I think I was most impressed with the overall quality of the audio recordings, though. They spent on a lot of time and preperation in making the DVD and it shows. Well worth the $12.

Trixie DVD: Burn to Shine

I like the way you move when you move real slow...

So I'm bit excited here. I finally got my turntable up and working and that means, well, you can expect a lot more obscure music popping up here and there as I get to digitizing my albums.

The first thing I went and pulled out, mainly because it was near the front of my alphabatized row in the back of my closet, was Blue In Heaven. Blue in Heaven released two full lengths: All The God's Men in 1985 and Explicit Material in 1986. They followed those two releases up with an e.p., Rock 'n Roll R.I.P., which was produced by the Edge (U2), in 1988.

Blue in Heaven was an Irish foursome: Dave Clarke on drums, Declan Jones on bass, Shane O'Neil on guitar, keyboards and vocals, and Eamonn Tynan on guitar and keyboards. Apparently, Shane was a pretty big Iggy fan, and it shines through quite a bit, especially on tracks like "Be Your Man."

So, here you go, straight from vinyl to 0's and 1's to you. And by the way, it doesn't appear that you can find this anywhere except on vinyl...so that means used. Both of these tracks are from the 1986 release, Explicit Material

Blue In Heaven - I Just Wanna
Blue In Heaven - Be Your Man

And here's about the only mention I could find on these guys, over at Trouser Press. If you like these two tracks, I can post something from their other album as well, which is a bit different sounding, mainly due to the producer (Martin Hannett), it seems.

And please, let me know what you think about the sound quality of these. I'd love to hear some suggestions for improving them.

The Rogers Sisters

Existing somewhere between Devo and the Make-Up are the Rogers Sisters...give 'em a peek when you get a chance over at:

The Rogers Sisters - scroll down...it's there...

and here's two tracks as well:

The Rogers Sisters - I Dig A Hole
The Rogers Sisters - Freight Elevator

Jennifer and Laura used to be in Ruby Falls...

here's an article about them as well:
Paper Mag

and you can purchase their albums over at Troubleman.

bloc party

Sorry for the lack of posts...work is running me over right now...anyway...

Everybody's talkin' 'bout 'em...but nobody's linked to the songs on their site yet, that I've seen...so here's a song, there's two more as well, just follow the links...

bloc party--the_answer

and follow this for the other tunes and stuff...I'm really digging these guys, yessir.

"Bloc Party - Downloads

Burn to Shine is alive!

Burn to Shine went live today...if you haven't heard of this yet, basically it's a series of DVDs in which a bunch of bands get together and each play 1 song in the living room of a house. The wacky part is, when it's all over, they demolish or burn down the house. Each release has a different "curator" that is into the local music scene and picks the bands that'll be on the DVD. The first one is out (from their website):

Burn to Shine is a film series produced by Fugazi's Brendan Canty and directed by film maker Christoph Green. This is the first installment in the series and is titled Burn to Shine: Washington DC 01.14.04. It features live performances by Bob Mould, Ted Leo, Ian Mackaye's new band The Evens, Weird War (ex-Make Up), Q and Not U (Dischord records), Canty's band Garland of Hours, Medications (ex-Faraquet), and French Toast (featuring James Canty of Make Up, and Jerry Busher of Fugazi).

Each DVD is a whopping $12 so run over and buy one!

TRIXIEDVD

The second release is looking equally exciting with performances by Tortoise, Freakwater, the Ponys and more.

How often do you feel on fire?

The Naysayer is, well, I think she says it better:

The Naysayer is the home of the bare songs of Anna Padgett. Sadness and self-deprecating humor alternate with a rollicking 'shove-it-up-your-ass' attitude. Anna's delicate guitar playing and sometimes bizarre lyrics are complemented by sparse arrangements of varied instruments. Old and new friends provide additional playing and recording talents.

And what can I add to that? Check out the songs, she has something special going on over there.

Oh yeah...bet you didn't know this:

In the summer of 2003, the naysayer discovered a scientific, measurement-based method for determining when to get a new kitten. Thus it became clear that it was time to make a new record.

What better reason could there be? Kitten Time, the newest release, was recorded by James Baluyut, of +/-.

The Naysayer - On Fire
(from Kitten Time)
The Naysayer - Waitin' and Datin'
(from Pure Beauty, her "Country Album")
The Naysayer - Woman on 11th Street
(from Deathwhisker)

There are two more mp3s available on The Naysayer site so hop on over for a visit! And, if you're so inclined, make sure to skip over to Carrot Top Records for a few more mp3s as well.

You can purchase The Naysayers over at Darla and Carrot Top Records.

UPDATE: The newest release is available over at Red Panda Records.

jUS+ pOP AnD Pl4y al0N9 tH3 w4Y

Dealership have a bit of a new sound developing...it seems that Jane is playing a bit more keyboard than before and it's having a great effect on their music....there are bits of Stereolab, Call and Response and Yo La Tengo in there. Perhaps I should add some Ladytron as well with a dash of +/-.
Check out their music video by Bubble & Squeak as well as this article over at SFWeekly.

Dealership - Forest
Dealership - Pure of Heart
and this little bonus:
Dealership - In The Car
And, well, how can you pass this up?
Dealership - Major Tom

There are quite a few more mp3s up at their site, don't hesitate to visit.

You can order their older CDs over at keiki records. Their newer release is over at Amazon.

Happy Everyday!

Reflector is Tian Jianhua (or Jian), bass/vocals, Li Peng, guitar/vocals, Ye Jingying, drums/vocals. They formed back in 1997, although I believe there were some line-up changes in there along the way. They're one of the original Chinese Punk bands, and their sound harkens back to a day long gone. I think it has more to do with their attitude of just having fun than anything else, but what do I know?

A recent show got a bit exciting...here's a quote from TWBLOG:

A day later during the third performance, Fire E.X.'s drummer accidentally broke the crash cymbal. The drum set belonged to the Beijing Rejects band, Kill Tomorrow. The Beijing Rejects immediately rushed the stage and pulled the plug on Fire E.X.'s set. When Fire E.X. didn't cough up money for the broken cymbal, the group confronted fellow Beijinger Tian Jian, who got caught in the middle. "I just wanted them to leave, so I paid them out of the door money," he explained. But Tian Jian mistakenly used the club owner's share of the ticket sales. A day later he called the Rejects' leader and asked him to return the money. When Lei Jun refused, the club owner sent a gangster after him and his band to negotiate.

and later....

About a song and a half into Reflector's set at the club Wu Ming Gao Di early on January 1, a mob of skinheads and punks descended on the stage. "They smashed a bottle over Reflector guitarist Li Peng's head," said Tian Jian. "His face was covered in blood." As three skins jumped on Tian Jian, the club manager intervened, wielding a machete. Just then, Li Peng got up from the floor and brought down Kill Tomorrow's singer with a broken beer bottle to the head.

Be sure to check out the whole story.

Anyway, here are the tunes:

Reflector - Return My Skyblue
Reflector - No. 2 New Song

Beware, the download speeds on these are pretty slow.

You can also find a couple of songs over at PureVolume.

Evens - Tour Dates

The Evens have announced some tour dates, it's strictly West coast at this time, and some locations are still be hammered out...but look out! Here they come!

Dischord | Tour Dates

The Evens are Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina. I'm so looking forward to this one...

To do these things you don't have to pay

Quando Quango where another early factory band, one that I never fully got into. There are a lot of interesting elements in their music, and Johnny Marr (Smiths) and Simon Topping (ACR) were involved with the band. They released one full-length lp around 1985, but their real success came from their 12" releases, their infectious grooves managed to earn them repeat plays at many clubs, especially in the U.K. If you're interested, you should check out these two write-ups, including a great one by Hellegonda Rietveld. Here's a brief quote from that article:

Additional collaborations were not only a source of creative fun, but also quite an honour. New Order's Bernard Sumner was a major influence, not least for advising me to buy that Roland 808 drumbox way back in 1982 and who, with Donald Johnson (aka DoJo) put his stamp on earlier productions (See: Cool As Ice: The Be Music Productions CD). Studio encounters with an extended musical family were plentiful, for example, Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Vini Reilly (Durrutti Column) and Andy Connell (ACR and Swing Out Sister). Beverly McDonald (52nd Street's first diva) added her sweet singing voice to album track This Feeling. Then there were the psychedelic Hacienda based hairdressers who cheered us up, especially on Genius. And, of course, big Mark Kamins first remixed Love Tempo and Atom Rock and then produced our album, recording it in Manchester and taking it to Arthur Baker's studio in New York for post-production.

So check out these two tunes, both taken from The Factory Story CD collection, a VERY rare find nowadays. You can, however, still get their full length CD, Pigs & Battleships.

Quando Quango - Tingle (1982) REMOVED
Quando Quango - Genius (1985) REMOVED

Say it once for me...

There's a great article over at East Bay Express about David Dondero. Check it out if you have a few minutes. This is the guy that apparently gave Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, just in case you don't know) the confidence to sing as he currently does...

Oberst recalled when he was fourteen years old and he saw a younger Dondero sing in an Omaha club with his then-band, Sunbrain. "His voice struck me," Oberst said. "It was awkward, but it made the most of its imperfections. When I saw him sing it was as if, for me, it was okay to have a weird-sounding voice."

Check out the article at East Bay Express. And here's a couple of links to some music.

David Dondero - Rosary (from Epitonic.com, you may have to register)

David Dondero - Live (scroll down a bit, there are two big files here)

You can also here a few more tracks (Real - yuck) over at Future Farmers and can purchase his albums there as well. Here's a music video for his song "If You Break My Heart."

I plague your flesh with my thoughts

Music is something that can have a profound effect on people...or at least, I feel that way. The high school years, as for so many others, were a very strange time for me. Memories are strong...both good and bad. And my emotions were a huge part of it. It seemed to be a time of extremes...and moments that would last forever. Some memories are frozen in my mind, playing out like a series of polaroid pictures.

Music was something that made the extremes tolerable...it could bring me down, level me off or swing me back up...not only the actual rhythm and music, but the lyrics as well. One of the bands that was always close by was A Certain Ratio.

Now, don't get me wrong, they have their bad moments. There are releases by them that I don't really listen to, but when they hit it right, they had the ability to transport me somewhere else. There are other bands that did that, I've posted on a few of them, but for the most part I avoid these posts. It's so difficult to explain why a band connects with me...it's a combination of mood, sound, implied intent and time. Time as in when I discovered the band. There are bands that I probably would not listen to if it weren't for the circumstance in which I came across them. They represent a memory, a specific incident...and an emotion.

So what's so great about A Certain Ratio? For one thing, their music is a bit of a journey, especially in the early years. They tried a lot of different sounds, explored some things that others weren't really doing. They made some mistakes along the way, others might say a lot of mistakes, but I enjoyed their journey of discovery. I also don't think that this led to a perfect sound. When I try to come up with a list of my favorite songs by them, I find that it doesn't center around an era, but it's a hodgepodge of selections through the years. And that's another reason I find it so hard to do some of these posts. How do I pick a few songs that'll make someone want to explore a band, especially a band that's been around for 25 years? - I know, I know, should I really count anything released after "Force"? Here's a good timeline that ends in 1986, when the band signs to A&M. -

If you want some back history on the band, I'd recommend heading over to their official site. It's actually stuffed full of info, including a pretty strong bio and some video of their first gig in New York back in 1980. Remember that ACR was one of the first bands on Creation Records, and this has a definite effect on them. Mainly because of their relationship with Joy Division and, in turn, New Order. There are moments when one has to wonder what that relationship was really like...I can't help but wonder at how competitive it was and how ACR must've, at times, felt like the little brother who had to live in their older sibling's shadow, constantly trying to step out and shine on their own. That's complete speculation on my part, but it's based on some sort of reality.

So enjoy these songs, and please check ACR out. I'd especially recommend the Soul Jazz release, "Early." It also looks like Soul Jazz is re-releasing some of their earlier albums as well. If they're handled half as well as the "Early" release, they'll be worth every penny. Here's an Amazon link of mostly import releases.

A Certain Ratio - Do the Du (from The Graveyard & The Ballroom) - REMOVED
A Certain Ratio - Saturn (from I'd Like To See You Again) - REMOVED
A Certain Ratio - And Then She Smiles (from Force) - REMOVED

Manda and the Marbles

An old friend, Steve, just turned me on to Manda and the Marbles. They've got a bit of a retro thing going on, with their listed influences as being the Ramones, Missing Persons the Avengers and the Go-Go's. I think you'd have to add a dash of No Doubt as well. I'd put them pretty square in the middle of the power-pop pudding, which I've been known to have enjoyed a bowl of every now and then.

Manda and the Marbles - Lipstick (mp3)
Manda and the Marbles - Dangerous (AAC format)

Check out their site as well, they've got some more mp3's and a music video. You can also purchase their stuff here.

Sipping courage from a crystal cup

Sometimes it's actually more difficult to write a post about a band when they've got a big history...the more information there is out there, the more likely I'll screw up.

That being said, I'm not going to write much about this band historically. Instead, let me say Ultravox is one of those bands that, in the 80's, had a HUGE amount of success overseas, charting quite a few times. But here, in the good ol' U.S. they mainly flew under the radar, unless you grew up steeped in "New Wave." They weren't my favorite of the New Romantics, and that's where I'd place them, but they were a constant. A few of my friends were really into them and as a result I heard them a lot. It also wasn't that uncommon to hear them in the clubs, either. In many ways, they have that quintessential sound...driving keyboards, dramatic vocals, piano scattered throughout and the guitar sneaking in there.

And there was definitely a lot of drama.

Both of these tracks are from the Midge Ure era, he was the second vocalist, after John Foxx.

Ultravox - Cut and Run - REMOVED
Ultravox - All Stood Still - REMOVED

Check out the official Ultravox site for lots of info and here's the AMG Cliff Note's version and here's a fan site.
And there's a lot out there available, here' an Amazon link.

Bedazzled!

You really should check this site out...quite nice and obscure...

Bedazzled!
Music, Movies, Microcode & High-Speed Pizza Delivery!

Clock DVA's Buried Dreams

If you're interested in a follow-up post to The Anti-Group that I just did, check out the Idiot's Guide to Dreaming...they just tackled ClockDVA over there. Quite a good post.

An Idiot's Guide to Dreaming: Clock DVA's Buried Dreams

Cat Power Live at KVRX

I think I'd feel bad if I didn't point you to this...6ize posted this earlier, and directed people to some Magnetic Fields songs....Here's a link to their post:

*6ize: KVRX LOCAL LIVE

But at the same site, there's a few Cat Power tracks, as well, live in their studio, and their pretty great:

Cat Power Live at KVRX

Here's a full link of all the bands that've played. It includes Of Montreal, Devendra Banhart, Call and Response and a bunch of others. Check it out!

KVRX Direct link

I'm in over my head here...

I've been wanting to do a post about the Anti-Group for awhile now, but I've hesitated...mainly because I know that I'm stepping into territory for which my brain is ill-equipped to really discuss. Why? Because I know so very little about this band, even though I have a number of releases by them. They were one of those bands that little info seemed to exist about when I originally bought their stuff, and therefore, I never amassed any tidbits of information about them. Now, snooping around on the web, it sort of makes sense. Here's what I've figured out.

The Anti-Group (or T.A.G.C) was formed by Adi Newton, whom you may recognize as being a member of Clock DVA. I didn't know this until now, as the list of people involved usually was rather cryptic: on the Digitaria release, his name is one of eleven, and his first initial and last name are all that is given. He's also second to last in the list. And now, here's a quote from this site (apparently, originally from a press release for Digitaria's release):
This group has existed for the better part of ten years. Digitaria was originally released in 1987 on Sweatbox Records, following a mini-album released the year before, and a 12 inch single the year before that. Another single and a second album, Teste Tones, on Side Effects Records, followed close behind. Soon afterwards Sweatbox Records went to the great turntable in the sky, and Digitaria vanished from circulation, taking with it all the other Sweatbox releases. In 1991 Soleilmoon issued Teste Tones on CD with extra tracks, but until now the other records were out of print. Along with predecessors Cabaret Voltaire, and a whole host of following groups, T.A.G.C. have created a body of music that helped make Sheffield, England so well known for electronic music.

And I'll follow that up with another quote, written by Rolf Semprebon and taken from allmusic:
Initially conceived by Adi Newton of Clock DVA in the late '70s as a multimedia performance project, the Anti Group, later known by the initials T.A.G.C. (the C stands for "Conspiracy," "Collective," or "Communications") showcased Newton's more experimental side. The Anti Group didn't become more than theoretical mumbo-jumbo until after Newton departed Clock DVA in the mid-'80s. The loosely defined group, consisting of Newton with D.A. Heppenstall, D.F. D'Silva, B.R.D.L. Harden, Mark Holmes, Robert Baker, and Oskar M, debuted at the Atonal Festival in Berlin in February 1985, with a multimedia show called The Delivery that was later that year released as an LP. Also that year saw the release of the 12" single "Ha/Zulu" with help from members of Cabaret Voltaire. Whereas these early records cross-pollinated improvised jazz with industrial, each subsequent release, now under the T.A.G.C. banner, experimented in some new direction. The music on Digiteria, with many of the same crew as The Delivery, is based around ancient magic cults and tribal rhythms, whereas Teste Tones offered minimalist electronic experiments. The sound-and-visual project Burning Water, also from this time and released on CD several years later, offers a far more ambient sound.

So, there you have it. The release, Digitaria, from which this track is from, was apparently "Ambisonically encoded utilising SFM techniques and transcoded into UHJ - B Format for Stereo Ambisonic reproduction. A full 360 degree soundfield will be realised if a Decoder is integrated into the users system." One of my album releases actually comes with instructions on how to connect your stereo to simulate this effect. Their last album was released in 1994. Here's an Amazon link. It appears as though most of this stuff is only available used.

Here's a link that has all of the text from the booklet included with Digitaria, which, as the song is 23 minutes long, you should have plenty of time to read. Its, well, a bit esoteric. It actually makes Nation of Ulysses' liner notes appear to be a lite read. It goes into the Dogon mythology and the history of sound reproduction.

Also, beware this is a LARGE file, I actually lowered the bit rate to make it a bit smaller, but it still clocks in at around 21 mb. This is also the reason for only one song. It's a bit of a sonic journey.

T.A.G.C. - Blood Burns Into Water / Dog Star / Balag Anti / Chozzar Over Abyss /P Re - Eval REMOVED

The only reason we fit is because we're sick

So things have been a bit busy in my world...the water main going up to my house busted...so I've had to get out a jackhammer and work away at a bunch of cement...tomorrow will be digging and laying down some new pipe. Also, my love is sick ...which makes me sad.

So, enough about me...(do you really care?)...I thought I'd sort of continue the 4AD related theme a bit here. Wow! A theme you say? Be careful...you've never done this before...you might put out an eye...



Shelleyan Orphan is not a name most people will recognize, think of the Sundays and you're half-way there. Shelleyan Orphan was mainly Caroline Crawley and Jemaur Tayle...but some of the other members are also recognizable...mainly Boris Williams, and Porl Thompson, both members of the Cure, and, I believe, Boris was Caroline's one time boyfriend (they both followed her into her next group, Babacar - there's a link to a Babacar song there (Real)). They also opened for the Cure back on the Prayer tour. They released three albums as best as I can tell.

So how does this relate to 4AD? Well, Caroline was one of the vocalists on This Mortal Coil's Blood album (a great album, by the way). So there you have it...both of these tracks are from the 1992 Rough Trade released album, "Humroot." It seems you have to go the used route to get any of their albums (Amazon).

Shelleyan Orphan - Burst - REMOVED
Shelleyan Orphan - Sick - REMOVED

In Camera

Just a REAL quick post for Erik, here's a link to one (sorry!) In Camera song, this is a link to the Teenbeat site. If you like it, the CD is on sale right now over at their site for $10. This is a re-release of In Camera's stuff, originally recorded in 1979-1982 plus some new stuff recorded in 1991. One of the members of In Camera, Andrew Gray, went on to form Wolfgang Press, along with members of Rema Rema (who, besides Wolfgang Press, went on to be involved with Adam and the Ants and Renegade Soundwave). But that's another post entirely and I'm out of time...

from the Teenbeat site:
One of the first bands to be on the iconic 4AD label. Born in London during the summer of 1978, they played a similar brand of post-punk not too dis-similar to Public Image Ltd., Joy Division, Section 25. Andrew Gray went on to form The Wolfgang Press, another 4AD band.

In Camera - Fragments of Fear

Is that it for you?

+/- are one my more recent favorite bands...they manage to combine a couple of different sounds and come up with something new. They're one of those bands that, when you're playing them, people will stop and ask you who they are.

And they've got a pretty good pedigree, too. James Balyut and Patrick Ramos both came from Versus, another strong band (James' brother is the singer and guitar player of Versus, or I guess, was). I don't know where their drummer, Chris Deaner, came from, but he definitely has the chops.

Also of note, if you're in the Washington D.C. area, +/- will be playing the big 20th birthday party for Teenbeat Records, which also includes reunions of a bunch of Teenbeat bands, including Unrest, Versus and the Eggs (if you go, buy me a shirt or something...I'll pay you back!) I've seen all three of the afformentioned bands and they were all great live, I'd recommend going.

And another bonus, Teenbeat Records is having a HUGE sale...that's right...all full length CDs are $10...that includes all the bands mentioned above plus In Camera (of 4ad fame, do you have that already, Heath?), The Fontaine Toups (also from Versus),Tuscadero and Grenadine, just to drop a few names...

So, check out +/- and if you like them, head over to Teenbeat and buy the CD's...you won't get a better price.

trapped under ice floes (redux) from you are here
surprise! from you are here
i've been lost from holding patterns
the queen of detroit from self-titled long-playing debut album
setting your head on fire from self-titled long-playing debut album

The Country Bears

A friend turned me on to these guys...he's friends of one of the band members...I've only listened once...so they don't have the grapeJuiceplus seal of approval....but I really like their name.

They've got that punk-indie thing going on...a little bit of jawbreaker in there, me thinks? If you don't like angry-screaming vocals, don't check them out.

the Country Bears - Pope Leo
the Country Bears - The Kids Got Divorced

Musical Mathematics

So I purchased some new music recently...including The Dears' "No Cities Left." It really is, I must say, a good album...and I think I figured it all out. It's really come down to math, I think...and I came up with this equation. I'm not sure if this is infallible or not, so, if you get the chance, double check my math and give me some input as to whether or not my hypothesis is right.

Blur + The Bows + The Smiths + The Dears REMOVED

Now, in a perfect world I would actually substitue Long Fin Killie for the Bows, but I don't have any of their stuff with me at the moment, so the Bows will have to do. But this equation explains why I'm unable to come to any other conclussion other than the one I did...I'm mathematically unable to not like the album.

Am I wacked or?

Frankly, dear, I'm worried as I look up in the sky tonight

Eggplant weren't around for very long...two albums in the late 80's/90's and that was it. But there are some interesting facts there...one is that both their album covers were done by Shag, yes, the Shag...before he was SHAG...and the other was...hmmm...I don't know that there is another. Oh, yeah, that made it onto the "129 Greatest OC Bands Ever" list, yeah, that's OC as in Orange County as in the television show. Oh, yeah, they were number 112.



But regardless, I've always had a soft spot in my small blackened heart for them...they worked for me...perhaps it's the Jonathan Richman like qualities or the simplicity or just the Shag covers or maybe it was that they made all their flyers at my then girlfriends work. Don't know, but there you go. Who's to explain why I like what I like. It certainly makes no sense to me.

Here's three tracks from their LP "Sad Astrology:(Amazon)"

Eggplant - Sad Astrology REMOVED
Eggplant - Confidant REMOVED
Eggplant - Breaking In My Heart (Tom Verlaine) REMOVED

And here's an amazon link for their other album, "Monkey Bars." If you like these cuts at all, either CD can be had for an amazing $2!!!! How's that for a deal?

Absolutely Kosher Records

Absolutely Kosher Records

scroll down and sign up for their mailing list and they'll send you a freeeeee cd sampler...it's pretty good, with the Court and Spark and others on it.

just for a day: call it weird, call it xymox

just for a day: call it weird, call it xymox

Some more Xymox goth-sweet-goodness up over at just for a day. Heath is the coolest, isn't he? Just when I think I know something about a band he's got a poopload of more info in his cranium.

KCRW : the dears

KCRW : the dears

Worth watching, they sound quite good live. Has anyone else made the comparison between them and blur? Something about his voice...

tracking comments

Does anyone know if there's a way to track comments you've made on other's blogs? I'd love to have the ability to know when someone makes a comment on a thread I've participated in...probably not, eh?

squiggle myself underneath...

So here I am...

It's always a nice surprise to find out a band you used to listen to is still around, still making records and touring and, it appears, never stopped. Makes you want to check out their newer music.

And it appears the Xymox (or Clan of Xymox) have been doing just that... Back in 1984, the one year old band had the fortune of being signed to 4AD...and released two albums on that label before leaving. Most of their success happened after leaving, when they signed to a division of a Polygram, I believe, and their album, "Twist of Shadows," sold over 300,000 copies. I remember hearing them on the radio at the time and being surprised...it wasn't very often that you heard a 4AD band on the radio at that time (1989), especially one you hadn't heard from in 4 years. But it made sense, once I found out about Polygram being behind the curtain.

So, musically, where do they fit in? It was of no surprise to find them on 4AD, their music seemed to fit in fairly easily, and their gothic overtures also melded well with a lot of their 4AD labelmates, especially early Dead Can Dance(who are currently touring). But there was often a bit more of a dance underscore to their music, meaning it was fairly common to hear their tracks out in the clubs in the mid to late 80's. And the vocals alwasy seemed a bit pushed back, melting into the music, which made their rhythms that much more apparent and a bit more infectious.

I'm not sure what their current sound is like, it appears they have releases in 2003 (Farewell) and 2004 (a best of) so they've stayed pretty active over the years. Here's a more in depth bio, and an Amazon link.

Xymox - 7th Time REMOVED
Xymox - Agonised by Love REMOVED

Kiddie Records Weekly

Kiddie Records Weekly

It's live! Check it out!