101ers - demos

101ers Pathway and BBC Demos, March/April 1976

Info on the 101ers, Joe's pre-Clash band, "a gritty, R&B-styled London pub band."

Rancid

Sorry about the delay!-

Rancid's self-titled 1993 release was requested (by Chromerobot, who has a great hip-hop mix posted over at one of his blogs right now, check it out!- part 2 is on the way), and I was going to post it but luckily for me (because my stuff is strewn all over the house right now, including my external hd, wherever it is. . .) the always fantastic Weapon of Sound included it in a recent post.

Thanks to "Semi-anonymous" for pointing out the link (and for the kind words)! I should have seen it- I had the text file up the other day, grabbing those Social D live recordings.

You can find the Rancid link in the comments here, but I recommend going over to WoS and downloading the whole links file- it's got some Social D, Horrorpops, Pistols, Stray Cats. . .

It's time to. . .

. . .Kick Out the Jams - MC5

Rather than try to capture their legendary on-stage energy in a studio, MC5 opted to record their first album during a live concert at their home base, Detroit's Grande Ballroom. . . this is an album that refuses to be played quietly (Deming).

the Briefs will Steal Yer Heart

I was going to describe the Briefs, by comparing them to the Vandals, not as earnest as them, perhaps a bit more cocky, plus vocals akin to those of the Exploding Hearts. But my sister, who is the big fan in the household, describes them better, especially by pointing out that "they admit to having a Buzzcocks fixation," something that comes through on the 28-minute Steal Yer Heart, an album with a definite Buzzcocks vibe without being a rehashing of every anti-love song written.

There's the anthem-ish "Criminal Youth," the hilarious "Getting Hit on at the Bank," and the blistering "Can't Get Through." And then there's "I Can't Work" a song so nerve-jangled and strange it feels like audio panic attack. . . Romance schmomance (fictional or otherwise). The Brief's new record is a platter full of anti-love songs for anyone who has ever had a bad case of rotten love. Think of it as a soundtrack for tenderhearted hooligans and sweet-as-sin heartbreakers to break up by. Just give it a spin and you'll come crawling back for more. XX

Another review points out that the album isn't all about "goofy or sad love songs. Steal Yer Heart also holds some of the best punk anthems I've heard in a while, 'Normal Jerks', which is a typical punk song about not wanting to be a part of the 'regular world', but it's so catchy, with a great chorus to sing along to, that it keeps it fresh and fun" (XX). The frequent comparisons to the Buzzcocks and other older outfits risks suggesting that the Briefs' album is stale, something we've all heard already. But Steal Yer Heart is bursting with energy, a short and sweet romp that allows for the Briefs' own style and sound to come through.

Steal Yer Heart

buy it

hello hello everyone! moving was "fun" (and in typical fashion i ended up finishing right before they came to pick up my shit), but now i'm back home in sunny socal (where it's raining).

thank you very much for the comments and the kind words! they're always incredibly encouraging, and putting a face to readership definitely energizes me to work harder at finding good and new music. and as for the chastising- anon #1 was pretty upset that i'd dare touch the temple, even though until 50-60 years ago it was hanging out in egypt for anyone to touch. all i have to say is that it isn't about impulse, and if you've ever done something like that, you'll know what i mean. still, i can take it as a sincere expression of concern for antiquity and its material legacy. as for the met and the trek across central park, johnny rotten's sweater was ugly as ever, and i'm not sure if i found monty's house.

And, don't forget to pick up the Clash's the Clash at Regnyouth if you don't have it already. And, you're actually not seeing this plug because Jim isn't paying me, but you can grab the new Muse single at his blog, or though microcuts.net- it's being compared to everything from Britney (I disagree) to the Scissor Sisters (more applicable), but it's definitely Muse. Also, I saw Nick Cave's The Proposition this weekend with my Nick Cave-crazy sibling. You can pick up the haunting soundtrack at Pop Music, and check out the film, too. Quite good.

A few things

(the short version: 1-thank yous. 2-les nouvelles choses at bring me the heads. 3-strummer is god. 4-me and my excuses. 5-the music.)

1. Again, thanks for the comments everyone!

2. Mr. Bring Me the Heads is back from the dead with a fantastic post, so hop on over there for some nouvelle Nouvelle Vague (get it ha ha. omf). Haven't listened to it yet, but looks good, as you'd expect considering the last release.

Bring Me The Heads: Nouvelle Vague - Bande A Part

3. OK Strummer fans- if you haven't already, go get the 101'ers Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisted. Go go go!

4. There will be a lull in posts for a bit- I finished my finals, finished all that fun shit, and now I get to. . . move out. The fuckers here kick us out the day after finals. So things are being unplugged, the external HD is disconnected, and so on. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to equally distribute weight between my two College Boxes (if you're in school right now you may be using these guys too. . . i hope it works out.) I had this great idea that this week would be really sunny and I could go to Central Park or something but oh no. Either way, I'm going to go check out Montgomery Clift's house over on the East Side (no, I'm not in the habit of going to celebrity houses. I'm from LA. But it's like going to see the Joe Strummer mural downtown. Right? ps- If you come to New York, definitely check it out). And then I'm going to the Met to see Johnny Rottens' ugly sweater. . . and that Egyptian temple they've got. Last time I got yelled at for touching it.

5. So here to keep you occupied is Adam and the Ants. I had heard Deutscher Girls on a compilation, and was very impressed. Enjoy it- I've been listening to it while packing. I'm trying to figure out how to describe it to someone who hasn't heard much of them. It's like Marc Bolan, the Buzzcocks, and Louis XIV got in a horrendous car crash in the 80s with like, an ice cream truck while on acid or at least sugar. Not that that says much- anyway, very fun-pop-bouncy-cocky stuff. The weakest track is the last, but it's hardly metionable- it's a solid, consistently exciting selection.

Antmusic - the Best of Adam Ant

Ska Core, the Devil, and More. . . Noise and Other Disturbances

1st- Thanks for the comments everyone!! I'd love to hear (I'm desperate to hear) about what you think of whatever music is posted, requests, general thoughts on. . . like. . . life. So keep 'em coming!

2nd- I think I promised some Mighty Mighty Bosstones, so here are 2 albums (Ska-Core. . . & More Noise. . .) for your Monday.

2 for 1

Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg - The Clash

I got such a nice comment in the last post, I was inspired to post this. I'm quite comment-starved. Ha. . . ha. . . Also, finished Passion is a Fashion the other week. It was quite depressing (you become pretty emotionally invested), and a good read. Borrowed it through the amazing NYC public library system. You request a book and it comes to you. Back home, you gotta wait like a month to get one book, and if it comes, then it's up to your local branch to decide if they want to let you know.

ANYWAY-on to the music.

Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg Disc 1

This is Disc 1 of Mick Jones' original version of Combat Rock and currently circulates as a bootleg. It was determined to be too long and messy, and Glyn Johns was brought in to cut down the album and cut stuff out, resulting in the Combat Rock you've got in your home. Information can be found here. See comments for tracklist

Originally planned as a double album entitled Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg, the idea was scrapped after internal wrangling within the group. Mick Jones had produced the first cut, but the other members were dissatisfied and producing duties were handed to Glyn Johns, at which point the album became a single LP. X

This was intended to be a double album entitled 'Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg'. The rest of the band dismissed it, and called in producer Glyn Johns to cut it down to size for a single LP. All songs became shorter, and a lot tighter, with more pronounced vocals, a much 'tighter' mix musically, and less vague sound effects and extended rapping. Also, four tracks (Cool Confusion, First Night Back In London, Beautiful People and Kill Time) were cut. X

Anyway- anyone have Disc 2 or DOA or Clash on Broadway Outtakes?

Laurel Aitken

Laurel Aitken - Godfather of Ska

Wikipedia says-

Laurel Aitken (April 22, 1927–July 17, 2005) became famous as one of the originators of Jamaican ska music in the late 1950s.He is brother to singer Bobby Aitken. Aitken was born as Lorenzo Aitken in Cuba. He recorded one of the earliest ska records, the double A-sided "Little Sheila"/"Boogie in my Bones" (1958). It was also the first record on producer Chris Blackwell's Island Records label. He had massive hits through the 1950s to the 1970s, while recording for such renowned ska labels as Blue Beat Records, Pama Records and Trojan Records. He moved to England in the 1960s. Aitken, who is also known as "The Godfather of Ska", performed live almost until his death (he suffered from a serious illness following a heart attack about a year before he died). He had a loyal following among Skinheads and other music lovers. He died from a heart attack in Leicester, England on July 17, 2005.

So check out where it all came from, then go grab yourself some newer stuff- Plan B has a great selection, in addition to other genres. I'll try to put up some Mighty Mighty Bosstones this coming week. Credit to mystery original uploader.

Unclogged by X

Hey hey, first reader request! Which brings me to: if you ever requested something and I never saw to it, give me a heads up in the latest post- I probably was totally out of it and then the post got pushed back into the archives. So sorry this one took so long--

Unclogged - X

Live acoustic set: "The result is a setting that somehow flatters both Doe's warm neo-country croon and Exene Cervenka's idiosyncratic yowl." (C Koch)

&&&
You can find a nice big X post here. And grab yourself some Reverend Horton Heat. Those two links bring you to Lagrima Psicodelica- fantastic selection.

Enjoy :) Remember, comments appreciated, requests welcome!

is anyone there?

Anyway. Hey everyone. I'm really tired right now and listening to Copland, as in Aaron, who is fantastic.

And here's some Sex Pistols: Filthy Lucre (rapidshare, rar). Or you can buy it (but you don't want to).

Sticking to the well-flogged anthems, the lads rumble with pro efficiency and a broad wink ("fat, 40, and back," mutters a scripted Johnny) through a near-complete set list. They run low on gas halfway through these 54 minutes, but there's no denying the nostalgic kick for fans of a certain age (whose emotions will swing between glee and revulsion). --Jeff Bateman