Devil Musick

UPDATE:  This post was re-uploaded 09/01/2013. Enjoy, NØ.

Various Artists - Rockabilly Psychosis & the Garage Disease,

Big Beat Records WIK 18, 1984.

decryption code in comments

This is quite simply one of the best compilations ever. This is the raw sound of some of the wildest rock n' roll tunes ever scraped up off the recording studio floor. It's a collection of original songs that were later covered by The Cramps. If you are a fan of them, then this is a must have, but even if you're not familiar with The Cramps, this is great just for the song by Hasil Adkins alone. The primordial unhinged oozing & throbbing of a complete cerebral meltdown.

The tracklist & song selection on the record (posted here) varies from that of the available cd.
The cd has 16 tracks with three different songs (marked *).
[1. Surfin' Bird - The Trashmen
2. Psycho - The Sonics
3. The Crusher - The Novas
4. *Scream! - Ralph Nielsen & The Chancellors
5. Paralysed - Legendary Stardust Cowboy
6. She Said - Hasil Adkins
7. *Hidden Charms - Link Wray
8. My Daddy Is A Vampire - The Meteors
9. Red Headed Woman - Jimmy Dickinson & The Cramps
10. *Run Chicken - The Milkshakes
11. Radioactive Kid - The Meteors
12. Dateless Night - Tav Falco & Panther Burns
13. Jack On Fire - The Gun Club
14. Folsom Prison Blues - The Geezers
15. Catman - The Sting-Rays
16. Just Love Me - The Guana Batz]

The record has only 14 tracks & begins with a classic not on the cd. So, ripped from glorious vinyl for your listening pleasure...

A1 - Love Me - The Phantom (1:28)
" 'Love Me' by The Phantom, the record that warped a generation 20 years after its release, launches this collection of psychotic delights & nervous disorders. Written in 10 minutes as the b-side to schlock ballad 'Whisper Your Love' by self confessed accidental bigamist & singer Jerry (aka Marty) Lott aka The Phantom, it was recorded in three takes & finally released by Pat Boone on the Dot label 2 years later in 1960.
A2 - Surfin' Bird - The Trashmen (2:21)
'Everybody's heard about the bird', the 'Surfin' Bird' by the Trashmen out of Minneapolis, out of the Rivington's 'Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow' & 'The Bird's the Word'. A Top-5 smash for Dal Winslow (rhythm guitar), Tony Anderson (lead guitar), Bob Reed (bass), & Steve Wahrer (drums) in 1963.
A3 - Psycho - The Sonics (2:10)
Tacoma's Sonics - Bob Bennett (drums), Gerry Rosalie (vocals & keyboards), Rob Lind (sax), Larry Parypa (guitar), & Andy Parypa (bass) cut three albums for Etiquette & 'Psycho' was featured on the third, entitled rather surprisingly Introducing The Sonics.
A4 - The Crusher - The Novas (1:58)
The Novas, a teen band from Minneapolis, cut this dedication to a local wrestler 'The Crusher' in 1964. Contrary to rumor, it is not The Crusher doing the lead vocal.
A5 - Paralysed - The Legendary Stardust Cowboy (2:25)
The Legendary Stardust Cowboy is from Lubbock, Texas, home of another great singer, Buddy Holly. According to Major Bill Smith, the Cowboy used to dress up in his 16-gallon hat & yellow chaps, go down to the drive-in movie with his guitar & trumpet & perform during the intermission standing on the hoods of cars. He cut three singles for the Major & an, as yet unreleased (1984), album, all in his unforgettable style.
A6 - She Said - Hasil Adkins (2:40)
Hasil 'Haze' Adkins, the one-man band, was born & raised at Jack's Branch, about 9 miles outside Madison, West Virginia. He made his first guitar out of a bucket at the age of seven & never looked back. 'I taught my ownself how to play & I change chords & beats whenever I think I should change...like for instance, you hit down on your strings & count 1-2-3-4, then change to another chord, well, I don't play that way.' Hasil has released 9 singles. The track on this album, 'She Said' was recorded in 1964.
A7 - My Daddy Is A Vampire - The Meteors (3:46)
The Meteors were formed in 1978 by Nigel Lewis (slap bass) & P Paul Fenech (lead guitar), with drummer Mark Robertson joining some time afterwards. Their debut recording was the sound track to a very B-movie short 'Meteor Madness', which included this track. The version featured here was recorded live in Paris in 1982, when drummer Woody had replaced Mark
B1 - Red Headed Woman - Jimmy Dickinson & The Cramps (2:59)
James Luther Dickinson has been recording his 'suburban rock' sound around the Memphis area since the 1960s. He was a member of The Jesters, who cut one of the last records released on the Sun label. It was while at the Sun recording studio that he recorded this track in 1977. The backing group used on this session was The Cramps - one of their earliest recordings. Jimmy Dickinson played piano & sang lead, as well as producing the record in an all night session, the band being locked into the studio by a time lock mechanism.
B2 - Radioactive Kid - The Meteors (1:42)
This track by The Meteors is the Chiswick single in its original form. The band split finally in 1982, with P Paul retaining the name of the group & Nigel eventually forming The Tall Boys with Mark.
B3 - Dateless Night - Tav Falco & the Panther Burns (2:49)
Called 'the brilliantine of American music, smoothing out the rough edges & greasing down the beat', Tav Falco recorded this song with Alex Chilton (guitar), Ronald Miller (bass), & Raw Johnson (drums) in Memphis in 1980. This track was recorded live as part of their debut EP on Frenzi Records & is very rare. The original band re-formed recently (1984) after Tav had cut several tracks with different Panther Burns line-ups.
B4 - Jack On Fire - The Gun Club (4:43)
This song is from the Gun Club's debut album recorded for Slash Records of Los Angeles in 1981. This version featured group leader & ex-Blondie fan club secretary Jeffery Lee Pierce on slide guitar & vocals with Ward Dotson (guitar), Rob Ritter (bass), & Terry Graham (drums).
B5 - Folsom Prison Blues - The Geezers (2:01)
Originally known as Grant & the Geezers, under which monicker they recorded one single, 'Monster Stomp', The Geezers came to the U.K. in 1983 & cut some sides for Big Beat Records. The band consisted of Grant Cleaver (lead vocals), backed by Kevin Daly, Chuck Holder, & Mark Fridland alternating guitar, bass, & drums. The Geezers were from Tempe, Arizona while Grant was from Lewisham, England. Grant was know for his strange stage antics, spending most of the time lying on the floor.
B6 - Cat Man - The Sting-Rays (2:26)
The Sting-Rays are from Crouch End & this song is a cover of the Gene Vincent classic. This version is from their last studio session with bass player M.K. shortly before he left the band to continue his medical studies. The band has cut an album & two singles as well as being featured on a number of compilations. Their unique blend of psychedelic, rockabilly, & Walker Brothers music has created a huge international following. The band features Bal (vocals), Alec Palao (snare, tom-tom, & cymbal), & Mark Hosking (guitar).
B7 - Just Love Me - The Guana Batz (2:14)
The Guana Batz are relative newcomers to the music scene compared to most of the acts on this compilation. The Batz formed in 1982 & are based in the Feltham area. The line-up is Pip Hancox (vocals), Stuart Osborne (lead guitar), Mick White (bass), & Dave Turner (drums). The track featured here was recorded during the sessions for their first EP on Big Beat. This song brings the album to a close with one of the best of the new bands (1984), suffering from the same kind of rockabilly psychosis & garagr disease that haunted The Phantom all those years ago."

Enjoy,
NØ

Good Gawd Almighty

What can I say other than...Sun City Girls!

They sprang out of Arizona in 1982 & tackled every conceivable genre
of music & made it their own. They are truly one of a kind.

In February 2007, drummer Charles Gocher lost his long struggle with cancer & the Girls were no more.













In tribute, the remaining two-thirds, brothers Alan & Richard Bishop are performing as the Brothers Unconnected, doing acoustic renditions of Sun City Girls material this Tuesday night at the Gallery Horse Cow. The show opens with a 45-minute film of Gocher's video experiments followed by two sets of music.













I'm gonna be there!

In honor & memory, here is probably my favorite:












Sun City Girls - Midnight Cowboys from Ipanema, Amarillo AM-587, 1986,1994.
(since the tracks all kinda run together, I just ripped each side in its entirety.)

Side 1:
I've Done It All
Fly By Night
Achram, Slow That Speedboat Down
Midnight At The Oasis
Gary Had Sex
Sweet City Woman
I'm Gonna Die Tomorrow
Who's That Lady
Cook Ya Homos
Love Train
Caco Demons

Side 2:
Malika
Radar Love
Canadian Dave
Tell Me Something Good
Desperado
Me And Mrs. Jones
Ha Ha

"Sun City Girls...
A Young & Inspired group of Young & inventive musicians get together in a Phoenix Studio & lay down 20 great songs on tape. Here is a group that could easily become a Top Attraction - quickly. Amarillo presents another great entertainment value."
I guess this came out on cd. in 1996, but since then Amarillo has gone out of business, so I'm not sure about the availability.


Brothers Unconnected

Enjoy,
NØ

More Holy Sh*t

Guess I'll stick with the God theme for a while. (God's Chosen People - last post).

I wanted to present something by the great Tos Nieuwerhuizen. Since I see Jesus & the Gospelfuckers (& [Dutch] Agent Orange) have been well represented on the 'net, I decided to go for Tos' next divine band, GOD.

Tos played guitar in J&tGFers, & [Dutch]Agent Orange, then he completely transformed Communion era Funeral Oration's sound with his meaty power chords & Black Flag-meets-Gen X soloing. Soon thereafter, things sadly imploded for Funeral Oration & Tos left to reappear in God. He later played guitar in Beaver (2000) & currently I believe plays Moog in the live version of Sunn O)).

"Settling Down" is a great Motörhead-sounding track, "Teste Marce" is a challenging & complex tune, but my favorite is "Stomping Ground", an awesome ragin' slab.


Konkurrel K 031/110,
Netherlands,1988

Tos Nieuwenhuizen: guitar, vocals
Michael Cavanagh: bass guitar, vocals
Daan Van Der Elsken: drums, vocals

Recorded Oct.1987 at Westlink Recorders, Pisa by GOD & Alexandro "Ovi" Sportelli, re-mixed 1988 by Ovi & Daan. Cover photo by Ed Van Der Elsken. Includes lyric sheet.

Side 1:
See Smoke, Smell Fire
The Finger
Settling Down
Lust
Wimps













Side 2:
Teste Marce
Stomping Ground
Sack Blabht
So Be It!
The Asset of Punishment

Enjoy,
NØ

God's Chosen People

Finally got a replacement copy of this slab o' vinyl after many years. Now re-upped & ready to rock ya. 11/25/2023 

Nathan Nothin' here! I know it's been a while but springtime is upon us.

This is my busiest time of year, time to get the crops planted.

A farmer can't sit in front of a computer & expect the fields to till themselves.

Working with growing plants in the earth's rich soil makes a man think about a higher power, so here's one for Old Glory...

Old Glory Records was responsible for a lot of great music by all your heroes: Assfactor 4, In/Humanity, Avail, Policy Of Three, Iconoclast or even Funeral Diner (ex-Portraits Of Past) later.

Old Glory has since gone under.

This is a really great comp. with all 12 tracks strong & rewarding. There is good variety in the styles but also contextual consistency to all the tracks that make the whole cohesive.

Here we have some of the early 90s legends (Born Against, Merel, Native Nod, Avail & Rorschach) together with some bands who never got much attention (Groove, Shadowman or Greyhouse).

Various - God' s Chosen People compilation, Old Glory Records NGR - 4, 1993.

Side 1:
Avail - Sidewalk
Merel - Newfound Snide Remark
Elizabeth Herz - Easter Island
Askance - The Living
Puzzlehead - Degenerated
Native Nod - Back to Mimsy

Side 2:
Rorschach - 21st Century Schizoid Man
Groove - Extension
Shadowman - Written Undefined
Iconoclast - Eleventh Hour
Greyhouse - Ever-Nearing Joy
Born Against - Lillian

Rorschach delivers a great version of the King Crimson classic. Native Nod (pre-Van Pelt, The Lapse, Ted Leo...) reveal their inherent potential. & Born Against whip up another of their classics. But my favorite track is Elizabeth Herz "Easter Island". Include now are all the band inserts.

Listen & decide for yourself, but I'm sure you'll all...

Enjoy,
NØ

Can I Get A Hell Yeah

3 Teams of Horses

The war is dragging on, even though we brought it home. In irony of ironies I live in an apartment over the National Guard Armory. After days of mines & molotovs I'm finally alone. I need to do some hard, hard drugs. I need to feel the needle in the mainline, charley. I know that drugs are counter-revolutionary. I know that I don't care. The Jesse James Brigade will have to struggle on their own for a little while. I need to do some hard, hard drugs.

I glanced in the bathroom mirror. Catch a glimpse of Che & Lenny Bruce on the back of the bathroom door. Shoulda told me something...but nothin'.

Four ampules will be good...more than good. But a meat shot or a skin pop, no way. I want the heaven rush from the mainline. I squirt the 4 ml. into the spoon with the same amount of water. It looks thick & viscous, but I'll bump it slow & easy. I watch the rose blossom in the clear hub of the 25 gauge. Squeeze the grape gently, if a little over-eager. I boot it twice. Have just enough time to toss the rig. Grab the hard edge of the cold porcelain sink. Ride the rocket. Wait patiently on eternity. Drift in & out of time. My eyes focus momentarily on the tiny ribbon of scarlet running down my elbow. The too-bright white of this tiled cell. The smiling leer of Marxist Che. The leering smile of dead Lenny lying on the cold porcelain of his too-bright white tiled tomb. I know something is very wrong.

I am alone. Wrong place to be during an overdose. Jim, Jimi, & Janis should have taught me that lesson. I stumble out & down. Somehow. I ooze out into the dark of a final night. Somehow force myself to breathe & walk. Walk & breathe. Two blocks. I can go no farther. Find myself yet alone in Riverfront Park. In a sudden or eternal serenity I drop to a park bench. I gaze out across the glorious star-filled Allegheny. Clearer than the night, the thought envelops me...what a beautiful & peaceful place to die. Sitting on a park bench, eyeing riverrun with grand intent, Nepenthe Drug. Driving across the surface of the lapping placid river comes a team of black Hellhorses breathing fire. The smell of brimstone wafts like incense from the sparks their anthracite hooves somehow generate from the water's surface. I can hear a bullwhip made of human hide cracking in the night. I can hear the voice of Papa Legba calling out my name. Just as I'm about to see the judgment on his face, a Dodge Challenger RT screeches to a halt at the curb in front of me with a cloud of burning tire smoke that obliterates the horses from my view.

Petey & Jodie-boy wear diabolical grins. Grab me without a word. Throw me like a mannequin into the backseat. We depart with the alacrity of their arrival. I manage to grunt, "Pantopon OD."

I vaguely hear snippets of their gaiety from the front seat...high adventure...vanquished boredom...Crazy Nathan's Od'ing...haven't seen The Mole. Every bump down Penn Ave. jump-starts my heart. I grasp a breath. My muscles have turned to poppy jello, including my airsucking diaphragm & my blood pump. My tongue is the size of the beef one I put in my parent's 'fridge as a joke. I could die to laugh. We pull up in front of V & J Pizza, local nightspot. The jukebox can be heard wailing even from here at the curb. "Sympathy for the Devil". The Stones. Dr. Petey looks in the back with a sardonic grin & intones, "Ah, the triad of coma, pinpoint pupils, & depressed respiration strongly suggests opioid poisoning. I'll have to concur with Dr. Nathan's diagnosis." Dr Jodie-boy chimes in, "I prescribe three extra-large Cokes with plenty of ice." As they disappear, I begin to.

Now out of the still silent darkness, the Obstetrician gently ties one end of a velvet rope around my neck, the other end to the harness rig of a team of glowing angelic Arabian stallions. He cracks a bullwhip of umbilicus over the nimbus-lighted heads of the steeds. Their hooves sprout Mercurial wings. They begin to pull. I am ripped from the womb of mother night with a resounding plop into the afterbirth-scented backseat of a Dodge Challenger RT. Petey & Jodie-boy are pouring a second extra-large Coke with plenty of ice into my shirt this time instead of over my head, the third one goes down the front of my pants. The freezing cold rips gasp after gasp from my pulsating lungs. My heart is pumping like an amphetamine whore. I gulp mouthfuls of caffeine sugar syrup down my parched constricted throat. The Arabians are gone. So is my nest of womb & warm. Back into this so-called life.

Once again we are flying through the night.Yet now I hear Morpheus singing on the FM coming from the JBLs in the back. Petey farts in the front seat. I feel safe leagues away. Up & up we climb to the peak of the summit overlooking it all. They carry me out. Lean me against an oak tree. "To survive or remain," Jodie-boy says. My arms are leaden. I can not move. But I am at peace. They sit on the right side & the left side. They stick the pipe stem in my mouth at intervals. The sweet hashish demands I inhale. The expansion expects exhalation. I hear the drums & songs of the long ago Senecas. I watch a pair of ruby roans drag a chariot across the sky. The war, as I had wished it, is far, far behind me. My awakening erection makes me think of yesterday's girl, remembering her name, Lost Lenore.

3 teams of horses with 3 different reasons: birthing, dying, loving this spin of the wheel. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall not fear, for friends are with me. It is not yet my time to slough off this mortal coil. I have much to do. Many wonders to show. & yet many meaningless tales to tell.

Wave good bye to my mother
& hello to Old Nick...
Bile flavored vomit
as I double over sick.
3 teams of horses
riding out of the skies:
1 team pulls the casket
when another soul dies;
1 team pulls me out of the womb
into the world;
but that other team is glory,
spins my life in a whirl
dreaming about tomorrow
& yesterday's girl.

Enjoy,
NØ

Now For Something Completely Different

Last month I posted some 45s from Scratch Bongowax & after I did, I looked through some old issues of EAT POOP! 'zine (a punk 'zine I put out in the late 80s & early 90s in inSane Jose with a lotta help from my friends).

We did shows & revu'd musick so I rely on the printed gospel to bridge the gaps in my brain-cell deficient, well, ...brain.

I found one from late '89, EP! ish. #11 that had relevance, then I found the following article, which I decided to reprint here, for your dining pleasure...a screed by none other than yours truly.

So, as usual, enjoy (& I posted up the playlist I'm listening to as I retype this to go along with the read),
NØ



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Juliana Says 'Punk is Dead!' (then it bit her)

Atlantic Records calls. Angelica, B.G.'s personal secretary. (B.G. is Atlantic's West Coast rep. for "alternative" musick - Matador, Disappearing Vinyl, & other small labels). Wants my fax #.

"Are you familiar with our 'zine?", I query, trying to be diplomatic while sensing imminent language failure.

"We've seen #9. We know all about you. S.J. Metro called you ' integral cogs' of the local musick scene. How about a friend with a fax # ?"

Holding back impolite laughter & an almost overpowering strangle reflex, still no sign of verbal awareness.

"What is this about?", obviously.

"Press conference Monday September 13 5pm San Francisco Above Paradise & tickets for that night's show for you & a guest at Slim's...Juliana Hatfield."

Now I draw a blank so I quickly check the next memory blur cylinder for a live round...a drunken night in a stolen car with a stolen keg (yo, fratdudes, thanx). It flashes through the haze...college radio...Taang thang...PoP (Aaargh!)...words like sincere & personal sting like the lashes of an electric whip...bad memories of a badder time, yet the fact I do remember might be a sign.

"Don't fax me, don't fax my friends. I'll be there. Two", thinking of free drinks & grub, "yeah."

We have an all-ages show the day before at Cactus Club. The owner, Calvin, doesn't even bother to mention the show in their Metro ad. "Not enough room." Has to get that Monday Night Football reminder in there in case some dumb jock forgets what night the game is. So the crowd, basically all the bands that are playing, plus their friends & our friends show up for a small but great funfest. What can be better than getting in to a show free, hanging out with some dear friends, getting free drinks, & listening to a line-up of bands of your own choosing? I'm working on a great frame of mind. The line-up is: Slip; Tina Age 13; Big Sissy Brigade; Route 69; Johnny Peebucks & the Swing Udders; & Scratch Bongowax. The show is incredible, & by the end, the stage is completely engulfed in discarded shirts, spewwed food, broken instruments, & dead drinks. The soundguy Wedge showed us after the show where's a broom to clean up & we laughed in his face as we beat a hasty retreat. The planned chaos had unfolded by its own design. Excellence!!!

So I'm primed for Monday afternoon's train ride to S.F. accompanied by fellow Poopster Fudgie D. Klown, awake for once in the evil sunlight, stewing in Fudge-only-knows-what juices. I'm even primed for the walk from 4th & Townsend to Above Paradise (11th & Folsom). I'm really primed, upon arriving, for free drinks...WHICH WE NEVER GET!!!...although everyone else does (like BAM can't write theirs off to business expenses, but EAT POOP! can buy their own...we've been here before). Atlantic might say they "know all about us", but now were here, & it all sinks in to their feeble minds...we're for real...HOW GAUCHE!

I spot Juliana, recognizing her habitual up-the-nose pose from her press kit, & loudly everything clicks into place, the hammer falls, my euphoric primer ignites the loaded explosive that is my remaining brain cells & in a flash it all pours over me like a spilled load of fresh manure... Blake Babies...PRETENTIOUS!!! A parasite of temporal truth crawls slowly but instinctively up my spine, as usual for my more cerebral stumbles...right time, wrong universe. However, in a parallel universe that this NOW calls HOME, Juliana Hatfield Trio...what a bunch of wankers. You can read in other sources represented that night about the first albums they all bought (one was Sat. Night Fever) or the first show they attended, their signs or mood ring colors. Juliana doesn't even have the class to take off her tres cool sunglasses in the 6pm evening club-denizen deep dark (the mainshit correspondents are im-pressed) & I want to suck the eyetruth from her orbs as she lipshits.

Q. - EAT POOP! : "So, like you know, like there are, like, lots of dudes, you know, who like, you know, love jock rock & like, a lot of womyn, like, you know, like, who like these dudes. Then, you know, there are lots of, like grrrls who, like, you know, like, love GRRRL rock, like, you know & like, a lot of guys are hoping, you know. But many EAT POOP! readers are disenfranchised young males & lost young womyn living in a serially dysfunctional world...what exactly do you say to them that will help them relate more easily to one another?"

A. - J.H. : "Duh, huh?"

Q. - EAT POOP! : "Okay, how about an easy one? I have a daughter, 11 years on this marble...she wanted me to ask you...do you really hate your sister & is she really the B-word?"

Before Juliana has a chance to be stumped again, an asshole of unusually large ego from some max rock rag who's ask about 85% of the previous questions asks another...

Q. - Max Rock Rag : "Are you really still a virgin?" (that question is right up there, or at least close, to my top-ten pertinent questions of the Century)

A. - J.H. : (who's in her mid-20s) "Well, I desire & deserve the 'perfect' man & so far I haven't met him, so, yes, technically actually I am a cherry. I masturbate but don't insert."

As if this were our post-hypnotic keyphrase, Fudgie D. & I rush to the front of the Blue Room, bludgeon the Trio boys, & quickly tie Juliana spread-eagled to the interview table. Like a crowd bitten by rabid mob-frenzy, everyone present gathers 'round, chanting "deflower...deflower". They proddingly rupture her poison hymen with appetizer breadsticks as we stand back & watch the mayhem we have spawned. When the howling throng begin dipping the sticks & slurping up the mucal dip with mirth & wit, we head for the exit. Above the ever increasing wail of approaching police sirens, we hear Juliana lamenting the loss of her hymen, her long-time friend that she lovingly dubbed 'Punk'. "Punk is dead, Punk is dead." We pass on Slim's & slither back to the pit.

"Punk is dead, Punk is dead." I wake up & bolt upright in my for-a-fleeting-moment-where-am-I? bed, cold sweating from the nightmare I had just dreamt & have just told. There is a Dark Bros. porno (Green Chicks Need Alien Dicks or something like that) on infinite replay on my leering wall-to-wall. For that lost first instant of non-remembering between sleep & waking, I had believed it...Punk was dead. But life is so much more fun than reality. Punk can never die, for punk means "life" in all its rawest wonderment. Punk is the zombie rebirth of Paul Krassner's hippie duck, but the sign around its neck now reads ANARCHY, as it runs around the Tonight Show stage until it's so dizzy it pukes on Jay Lame-o's shoe.

NØ

Nasal Sex

 UPDATE: This post was 
re-uploaded 08/27/2013.
Enjoy, NØ

Here's some good mid to fast tempo DIY punk. This one is from some friends of mine, the CENSORED Bros., Joe & Rocci, & their friend Andrew Sacco. They lived in Morgan Hill, CA. at the time I was living in San JoeHaze. They were featured in EAT POOP! 'zine & did a couple shows for us. As far as I know this is their only vinyl, although they had tapes for sale at their shows that helped pay for this record.

Nasal Sex are: Joe CENSORED - percussion, backing vocals, castanets, & corduroy slacks; Andrew Sacco - all guitars, vocals, tambourine, & kaleidoscope; Rocci CENSORED - bass, vocals, slide trombone, & pressure suit; Dave Svec - backing vocals; & Mr. Rocksonrocks - drum machine programming on "Pray for Rain". Recorded July 30,1987, December 30,1987, & November 26,1988 at Creative Sound Studios, San Jose, CA. Engineered by Dick Dias.

If you're not sure here, try starting with "Social Suicide" or "Blur". Then see what you think. The song styles are actually quite varied within their genre.

Nasal Sex - Golly (Shove a Baloney Sandwich Up Your Butt)
Deep Nostril/Circo 005, 1989.
decryption code in comments

Side 666 -

Skin Damage
Choke Chain
Social Suicide
True Minions of Satan
Pastorgasm
Blur
Tongue Tied
Billy Club

Side of Beef -

Diode
Egocentric
The Strength to Laugh
Furburger
Insecurity
Pray for Rain
The Arms of America

Enjoy (I sure did),
NØ

Soixante - Neuf

This post has been updated 06/07/2015. Read ADDED below:
                                            03/23/2026

 


Nash the Slash, who took his stage name from a murderous butler in a 1926 Laurel & Hardy movie (Do Detectives Think?), is the nom de guerre of singer/songwriter/musician Jeff Plewman. He made his auspicious debut in 1975. He wrote & performed the soundtrack to Un Chien Andalou, a 1929 silent film by Luis Bunuel at Toronto's Roxy Theatre on March 17 - a 15 minute short before the Rolling Stones' feature Gimme Shelter.

He later formed the three-piece progressive-electronic pop group FM with fellow Torontonians Cameron Hawkins & Martin Deller. They spent the better part of a year working on their debut, but BLACK NOISE wasn't released until 1979 when American Passport Records picked it up - over 2 full years after its completion. Despite the album going gold, the Canadian distributor (GRT Records) went broke, so distribution rights went to Capitol. By this point, FM had received nothing. Not until 1995, when FM re-issued the album on CD, did the band make any money from the sale of this record. To this day it sells very well on CD as one of Canada's top progressive-rock recordings, highlighted by the cult classic "Phasors on Stun".

He first donned his trademark body-bandages at a show at Toronto's The Edge - based on the near-disaster at the 3 Mile Island nuclear plant. He came out on the stage covered in green phosphorescent makeup shouting to the crowd "This is what happens!" By this time he had ventured out on his own & formed the independent label Cut-Throat Records. His first solo release was 1978's BEDSIDE COMPANION, a 4-song 12" EP of instrumental electronic music. His live theatrical shows had become infamous in the Toronto area, each based on a theme. Even his choice of instruments is unusual for the pop realm -preferring electric violins & mandolins to guitars.

The following year saw his second solo release - his first full length LP. DREAMS & NIGHTMARES was a collection of instrumental horror stories, destined to become another of Nash's trademarks. It sold over 12,000 copies in the first year - one of the most successful independent releases at that time. He opened up some shows for Devo, Pere Ubu & Elvis Costello, all the while gaining a reputation for his bizarre yet intriguing interpretations of the macabre.

He released a 7 minute twisted cover of Jan & Dean's "Dead Man's Curve" as his first ever single the next year - prior to his first tour of New York. This led to opening slots for the likes of XTC & Gary Numan for their North America tours. That summer he found himself on his most auspicious tour to date, on the same card as The Who in front of his hometown crowd at CNE Stadium. Though he offered to do the gig for free, he would end up being paid $125 - minimum union wage.

His next full album was 1981's DECOMPOSING. It was the first LP playable at any speed. DECOMPOSING gained rave reviews in Playboy magazine & The Village Voice.

1984 marked the unofficial reunion of Slash with FM cohorts Cameron Hawkins and Martin Deller. They collaberated with him on his most commercial record to date - AMERICAN BAND-AGES. A collection of re-workings of rock standards, it featured covers of Grand Funk's "We're an American Band", Joe South's "Hey Joe" and CCR's "Run Through the Jungle". Ironically, tho he'd been a solo artist for the better part of eight years at this point, he was nominated that year for a Juno for best new male vocalist - losing to eventual winner Alfie Zappacosta.

That same year, 1984, saw THE MILLION YEAR PICNIC. It contained some of Nash's greatest songs. "Swing Shift" has always been one of my favorite songs. The violin bridge before the final chorus is a simply sublime Pop Goes the Weasel, & you gotta love: 'Swing shift / soixante-neuf, tie her to a tree with a skipping rope'.

Nash the Slash - The Million Year Picnic, Ralph Records NS-8409, 1984.

all decryption codes in comments

Side 1 -

The Million-Year Picnic
Swing Shift (Soixante-neuf)
Blind Windows / Countervail
Lost Lenore
Side 2 -

Dead Man's Curve
The Chase
Pilgrim's Lament
Life in Loch Ness

 

Enjoy,
NØ

ADDED: 

Jack Bone  recently asked if I could re-upload The Million Year Picnic. I have done so, but while I was at it I decided to post up a few other related items.

First is the Nash's first band, Toronto, Ontario, Canada's prog-rockers FM & their first release. After this Nash went on to his evocative solo career...

FM – Black Noise, Passport Records, 1978.

Side One –

Phasors on Stun

One O’Clock Tomorrow

Hours

Journey

Dialing for Dharma

Side Two –

Slaughter in Robot Village

Aldeberan

Black Noise

 

 

 

 

Then a few other Nash the Slash gems I had lying around…

 

Nash the Slash – Bedside Companion, Cut-Throat Records CUT-1. 1978.

This Side –

Fever Dream

Masquerade

That Side –

Blind Windows

The Million Year Picnic

 

 

Nash the Slash – Dreams & Nightmares, Cut-Throat Records CUT-2, 1979.

Left Side –

Islands

Ylla

The Chase

Un Chien Andalou

Right Side –

Blind Windows / Countervail

Moon Curse

Lost Lenore

'Til Death Do Us Part

 

 

Nash the Slash – Children of the Night, Cut-Throat Records CUT-4, 1980.

Side One –

Wolf

Dead Man's Curve

Children of the Night

Deep Forest

In a Glass Eye

Side Two –

19^th Nervous Breakdown

Swing Shift (Soixante-Neuf)

Metropolis

Dopes on the Water (Smoke on the Water)

Danger Zone

 

 

 

 

One of the most interesting releases from M. Slash, this instrumental composition is able to be played at any turntable speed (16, 33 1/3, 45, or 78rpms) & still be musically coherent (it was recorded at 45rpms). I've included all four speed versions.

Nash the Slash – Decomposing 12" mini-album, Cut-Throat Records CUR-5, 1981.

Side One –

The Calling

Life in Loch Ness

Side Two –

Womble

Pilgrim's Lament

 

 

On May 10, 2014, Nash died at his home in Toronto at age 66, from a suspected heart attack.

 

 

RIP,

NØ

Songs For Swinging Lovers

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 08/21/2014. Enjoy, NØ.

I researched this one & the information I have is as follows: the Ralph Records RL-8108 is out of print, Do it Records is long out of business, & T.E.C. tones closed in 2001 or so, so I'm posting this ripped from Ralphing vinyl

Renaldo & the Loaf - Songs for Swinging Larvae, Ralph Records RL8108, 1981.

decryption code in comments

Side One -

Lime Jelly Grass
A Medical Man
Bali Whine
Kimbolton Gnome Song
Frass
N2O (Going Under)
B.P.M.
Spratt's Medium
Honest Joe's Indian Gets the Goat on the Way to the Cowboys' Conga

Side  Two -

Ow! Stew the Red Shoe
Bustle the Burgoo
Is Guava a Donut?
A Sob Story
Hats Off, Gentlemen!
Renaldo's Trip to Venice
Ted's Reverie

bonus tracks (from T.E.C. Tones 1990 CD re-issue)
Melvyn's Repose
Metro Stomp
The Bathroom Song


Renaldo M: guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, drums, flocdrum, glockenspiel, bamboo, diverse percussives, Ted's metal comb, loop to 'A Sob Story' & voice; Ted the Loaf: guitar, clarinet, loops, scalpel wielding, prepared guitar, hacksaw blade, bass on 'Kimbolton Gnome Song', & additional percussion on 'Ow! Stew the Red Shoe'. Recorded at odd times at Sneff's Surgery between Nov. 1979 & Nov. 1980. Mixed at Elephant Studios, London, Nov. 1980. All transmissions realized without use of synthesizers or juvenile hormones. Cover art by Gary Pinter. A Rotcod Production.

This is early Renaldo & the Loaf. Renaldo (Brian Poole) & Ted the Loaf (Dave Janssen) hail from Portsmouth, England. After collaborating for a number of years, it was in 1977 that they discovered a music that excited them, a music with direction in uncertainty, with a strange coherence in ambiguity. Noise experiments seemed to distill into songs, & the recordings on this disc bear witness to the odd events that resulted in Songs for Swinging Larvae, the first full LP to be revealed to the world.

It is true to say that a previous, tape-only album (Renaldo & the Loaf play Struvé & Sneff) did see local, Portsmouth release & it was that tape that ultimately secured them a recording deal with Ralph Records in 1981.

Made by chance & ruled by dice, ...Larvae can guide you through playful music of abandon, laid, hatched & recorded exclusively in a bedroom studio. Pursuing a weird medical/insect fetish, these songs saw the band happily abusing tape machines, plundering the hardware store, honing their scalpels & continuing to revel in the game of making conventional instruments sound synthetic.

Renaldo & the Loaf never had a definable attitude; no great philosophies, no political stance, just a want to think sideways, enjoy themselves & hope some others might enjoy it too. Not afraid to be ridiculous & not afraid of ridicule. So, welcome one & all, feel free to smile at the historic music.

I believe in bugs, do you?
So says Brian Poole!

Enjoy,
NØ

Papa's Got a Brand New...Pigbag

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 08/31/2013.
Enjoy, NØ.


Pigbag was started by Chris Hamlyn in Cheltenham in late 1980. He recruited multi-instrumentalist Roger Freeman, (an old friend from his hometown Birmingham) along with Chris Lee (trumpet) & James Johnstone (guitar / alto sax). Later Drew "Chip" Carpenter (drums) & Mark Smith (bass), both old school mates of James & former members of his previous band Hardware, were recruited for informal rehearsals. It was at these jam sessions that their first hit was developed, from an idea Hamlyn had before the band was formed.

Simon Underwood, previously of The Pop Group was invited to join, along with his old friend & tenor sax player Ollie Moore. Simon's connections with manager Dick O'Dell landed Pigbag their first gig, supporting The Slits at Bristol's Romeo & Juliets. Based on the crowd's enthusiastic response to a 20 minute performance of their first song, O'Dell invited them to record the track for his label Y Records the very next day.

Their first single, "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag", was released in 1981, taking inspiration for the title (if not the music) from James Brown's "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". The instrumental release quickly became an underground dance hit, selling many thousands of copies & appearing high in the independent charts.

Year - - - - - - - - Title - - - - - - - - - - - - UK Indie Chart Position
May 1981 ----- "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag" - - - - - - #2
Nov. 1981 - - - "Sunny Day" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - #2

This was released as a US 12" -

Sunny Day b/w Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag & Whoops (Goes My Body!!),
Stiff Records TEES 12-051981.
all decryption codes in comments

Feeling that he had created & lost control of a 'monster' with too many egos to contend with, Hamlyn abandoned the band.

Although never hugely commercially successful, Pigbag left a trail of innovation behind them. Members of the band went on to record with many other bands, with some still active today. The band are now considered an early part of the pop world's rediscovery of jazz. By the end of the decade it had given birth to a new genre: Acid jazz, however, Pigbag remained individual even within the jazz & funk scenes, due to their rough tough mix of jazz, funk & tribal music.



UPDATE: I have re-upped the link to Sunny Day as requested & have added two more releases, 1982s Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive & 1983s Pigbag (live).

Pigbag - Dr Heckle & Mr Jive, Y Records Y17, 1982.
Sleeve painting by Ralph Petty.

Side A -

Getting Up
Big Bag
Dozo Don
Brian the Snail

Side B -

Wiggling
Brazil Nuts
Orangutango
As it Will Be

BMG Records 74321 789532, re-release CD, 2000.

Plus 4 bonus tracks -

Whoops Goes my Body
Sunny Day (12″ version)
Another Orangutango (remix)
Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag (7″ version)

Ram’s Horn Records RHR 3419, Netherlands, 12“ vinyl, 1985.

Plus from NØ hisself - 2 more bonus tracks:

Side A -
Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag (Paul Hardcastle’s Electrofunk version)

Side B -
Yet another Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag 12“ single

Pigbag - Pigbag (live [mostly]), Y Records YMP 1001, 1983.
Sleeve Design by Mark Harrington

Side A -

Shack Of Scraps (Berlin Latin Quarter – 5th April 1983)
Smiling Faces (Berlin Latin Quarter – 5th April 1983)
Sunny Day (Birmingham Locarno – 17th March 1982)
Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag (Hammersmith Palais – 16th March 1982)

Side B -

Jump The Line (remix ) (Jacobs Studio – December 1982)
Global Terrain (Berlin Latin Quarter – 5th April 1983)
End Of Ubud (Munich Alabama Hall – 6th April 1983)
Can’t See For Looking (Tokyo Sun Plaza – July 1982)

Enjoy,
NØ

Soundtracks & Birdsongs

 UPDATE: I posted up side one 08/10/2013. I couldn't find side two so I'll have to dig out the vinyl & re-rip it asap, then I'll post it up too. Meanwhile...Enjoy, NØ

First the Moving Parts had a Mission of Burma, then the Birdsongs began...

The Moving Parts

In the late '70s, The Moving Parts created intensely challenging, offbeat music that few Bostonians heard. Members Roger Miller, Clint Conley & Erik Lindgren later became the core of both MISSION OF BURMA & BIRDSONGS OF THE MESOZOIC. Mandatory music for anyone into early Pere Ubu, Wire or Devo.

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic

Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic began in 1980 as a side project by half of Boston's now legendary Mission Of Burma, Roger Miller & Martin Swope. Miller & Swope joined forces with Rick Scott & Erik Lindgren for what was originally conceived as a recording project only. In 1983, they released a self-titled EP, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic.

With the demise of Mission Of Burma at about the same time as the EP's release, Birdongs Of The Mesozoic became a full-time band for all members. In 1984 they released another LP, Magnetic Flip, & began extensive touring to support its release. A year later they released another EP, Beat Of The Mesozoic, & again set out on tour.

In 1987, Roger Miller left the group to concentrate on solo projects & was replaced by saxophonist Ken Field.

Soundtracks - Birdsongs of the Mesozoic / Erik Lindgren / Pink Inc., Arf Arf Records AA-020,1987.

side one -

To a Random - Birdsongs of the Mesozoic - 23:17
decryption code in comments

Soundtrack from the film TO A RANDOM by Michael Burlingame. On this recording: Erik Lindgren - synthesizer; Roger Miller - piano; Rick Scott - Farfisa organ; & Martin Swope - guitar. Recorded May 1986. TO A RANDOM: A black & white film by Michael Burlingame, a torpid slapstick which could be described only as a gruesome ballet, a darkly comic tale of a man lost in the gap between thought & action & his reluctant foray into a new archaeology...that of the remains of his own blackened soul. The soundtrack was improvised live in synchronization with the visuals. Michael Burlingame is a award-winning Boston-based independent filmmaker.

Birdsongs' instrumentation is as striking as its music: two keyboards, guitar, & saxophone blend with electronic & acoustic percussion to produce sound "...as meditative as it is physical, as rooted in classical structure & jazz improvisation as it is in rock 'n' roll." (The Boston Globe)

side two -

The Last 68 Million Years Summed Up in Less than 13 Minutes - Erik Lindgren - 12:55

Recorded December 1985, featuring Erik Lingren on synthesizers, rhythm machines, percussion, SFX, & voice. The suite includes selections from the electronic score to "Thomas Jefferson's Orbiting Minstrels & Contraband", a 21-st Century minstrel show which received its world premiere 12 February 1986 at Northern Illinois University. When combined in this particular sequence, an uncanny story line unfolds depicting an aural account of the Cenozoic era. Erik Lindgren produces commercial music for media & operates Sounds Interesting Productions out of Cambridge along with running Arf Arf Records.








Flames in Trains - Pink Inc. - 11:00

Recorded October 1984, Pink Inc. are:
Linda Brown - vocals;
Deb Roth - vocals;
& Erik Lindgren - music.
This soundtrack was commissioned
for a performance by Pink Inc. at
"The Little Train That Could" show
19 October 1984 on Boston's Pier 4.
In this piece, Pink Inc.'s performance
activated a specific sight with moving
sculptural forms. It involves a curious
train collision & an explosion of dancing flames.


Enjoy,
NØ

Friday, The 13th

 

John Sinclair is legendary as the man who guided the rock & revolution MC-5 to early fame, as the leader of the White Panther Party, as the political prisoner in the early days of the War on Drugs whose 1971 release from a 9-1/2-to-10-year sentence for possession of two joints was secured by high-profile supporters like John Lennon & Stevie Wonder. 

But in subsequent years John Sinclair forged a whole new legend as a New Orleans-based preacher of the power of blues & jazz & popular award-winning music programs for WWOZ Radio.

"His love & knowledge of which form the basis of his wonderful spoken-word performances"
          John Strausbaugh, New York Press

This 10" disc features: John Sinclair - verse & recitation; Wayne Kramer (MC-5) - lead guitar; Marion Brown - alto saxophone; & The Blues Scholars: Michael Ray - trumpet & percussion; Richard Theodore - alto saxophone & bass clarinet; Nicholas Santenbach - tenor saxophone; Phil DeVille - electric guitar; "Lucky" Joe Drake - electric bass; & Michael "Lightning Boy" Voelker - drums. Produced by John Sinclair, Keith Keller, Wayne Kramer, & Patrick Boissel. 

 

John Sinclair - Friday, the 13th, Alive Records Alive0010/10, 1995.

Side 1
Friday, The 13th w/ Wayne Kramer
Spiritual w/ Marion Brown

Side 2
Homage to John Coltrane

Blues to Elvin

Some Other Blues
w/The Blues Scholars

ripped from nearly virgin vinyl

Enjoy,
NØ

Here Come the Warm 45s, Pt. III...

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 12/22/2013. Enjoy, NØ.

The Detonators were formed in 1979 by Bruce Hartnell & Juan Camacho in Redondo Beach, CA., to participate in the emerging hardcore punk rock scene that was exploding in southern California at the time. Just out of high school, the two life-long friends played various parties & gigs with numerous drummers. Korky Ollerton joined on drums in 1981, & with Hartnell on bass, Camacho on guitar, the band put an advertisement in a L.A. weekly paper,The Recycler, for a vocalist. Mike Mooney was signed on as vocalist & the band began working on material that was to become their first LP, Emergency Broadcast Systems. Released in 1983, the LP allowed the Detonators to gain better gigs, opening for The Dead Kennedys, Discharge, Minor Threat, The Misfits, MDC, The Dicks, 45 Grave, among others in the hardcore scene.
Touring came next, as the band was selling their records on their own label & needed broader exposure. They found that they were addicted to life on the road, which they found much more rewarding than staying in L.A. & waiting for the next decent gig to come along. On their first tour, the band was able to open for the great Portland band The Wipers, on New Year’s Eve 1983 at the 13th Precinct.

Mike Mooney did not make this trip, as he found the intensity of performing too much for his liking. Hartnell took over on the vocals; since he was the songwriter in the band, he was the only one who knew all the lyrics. It was soon decided to keep Hartnell on vocals & as second guitar, & just find a new bass player. Pat Fargher was brought in to play bass, & the band recorded a single, "Yer Child’s War" b/w "Emergency Broadcast Systems", again on their own label, Emergency Broadcast Systems Unlimited. The Detonators decided that they needed a bigger label to put out the next record, as the band had no money of their own to take on such an expenditure; several mechanical breakdowns while touring had depleted their finances.

Hoping to gain backing for touring, recording & to build on their fan base, they settled on National Trust Records in Orange County, & released Just Another Reason in 1985.

It was decided to try to go to Europe, with the intent being to tour with an established English hardcore band. A deal was set up with the Instigators, from Huddersfield, in the English midlands, & the two bands toured the continent & Britain in 1986, along with rant poet Nick Toczek. A U.S. tour followed in the spring of 1987.

At the completion of that tour, Hartnell & Camacho decided that living in Los Angeles wasn’t all that great, & they moved to Eugene, Oregon.

Darren Baker on bass & Carl Fowler on drums were soon recruited & the band continued gigging & recorded Balls to You.

The move to Eugene was beneficial to the band as a decent studio didn’t cost a small fortune per hour like it had in L.A. This allowed the band to put extra effort into ensuring that a decent sounding record would be released.

It was decided to try to do another European tour. The label, Double A Records in Wuppertal, Germany, picked up Balls to You, & a tour was put together with a Canadian band who also had a Double A release, The Problem Children, from Hamilton, Ontario. That tour took place in April-May 1989.

Upon returning, The Detonators released the “Billion Dollar Nazis” 45, & again took off on the road. After another mechanical failure, (this time in –40 degree temperatures) the band decided to stop touring as much. Only two more trips would be made, the last one in 1992, with Seattle’s DC Beggars.

Several more recordings were done, including an unreleased LP, 1,000 Points of Punk. Hartnell decided to open a rock club, John Henry’s, & settled in to handle booking chores. Camacho opened several versions of his restaurant, Sandino’s, a Mexican/punk eatery. Time & money constraints meant the end of touring for The Detonators. The band played sporadic gigs up until 1996 throughout the Pacific Northwest. They recently reformed for a reunion show in Eugene.

The Detonators side - Day to Day/Crime & Punishment/Angry Young Man
Bruce Hartnell - vocals, guitar
Juan Camacho - guitar
Darren Baker - bass
Carl Fowler - drums

recorded at John Eastman's Power Station, engineered by Carl Mueller, produced by The Detonators

The Detonators side - Day to Day/Crime & Punishment/Angry Young Man
all decryption codes in comments

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Econochrist was an influential & highly revered early 90s hardcore band.

Ben, Markley, & Jon formed a band in Little Rock, Arkansas while they were still in junior high, calling themselves Father Asshole. The band was short-lived & only played a few shows, including the Arkansas College anti-apartheid rally. Then, in 1986 the three started a new band called Criminal Mischief. Around this time a scene began to develop in Little Rock. A guy named Robo started putting on hardcore shows at a venue called The Annex. Many of the classic hardcore bands of the era came through & Criminal Mischief, being one of the town's few hardcore bands, got to open most of the shows. Eventually the band's bass player, a wealthy kid named Jason, started to grate on the others so they kicked him out. He was replaced with Andy Christ (real name Andy Branton) & Econochrist was born.

The four clicked immediately, forging a strong & unique sound that would later be copied by countless bands. It was essentially the sound of aggressive, powerful hardcore punk, backed with a nimble, punchy bass line. Andy's western cow punk bass playing merged perfectly with the rest of the band's straight-up hardcore attack. The scene in Little Rock had grown & it centered around Econochrist, who lived in a squat in western Little Rock that was constantly filled with punkers (& complete with a homemade skate ramp).

They played many shows around the Arkansas area as well as in Memphis. They released a demo tape & a 7" EP titled It Runs Deep on Memphis-based Truant Records. In about 1988 the Little Rock scene was waning, so the band decided to pack up & move to the East Bay city of Oakland,CA. The Annex closed down & Little Rock's other premier hardcore band, Trusty, moved as well, to hardcore historical landmark Washington, D.C.

However, in the East Bay scene Econochrist flourished. About this time, Econochrist replaced bass player Andy Christ & they re-recorded their first album with new bass player Jon & changed the cover to feature Jon instead of Andy. This didn't bring Andy down. He subsequently went on to play with bands like Hell's Kitchen & Samiam. Econochrist joined the ranks of the Gilman Street punk scene & became a staple in the area's punk movement. They continued to release records, play shows, & tour the country until 1993, when they decided to split up.

The members of the band have all moved on to other things now: Ben Sizemore is now an elementary school teacher, after spending time counciling street kids at the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic; Jon is now apparently "married to his dog" & working on new musical projects; & Markley drums for Strychnine, which also features members of fellow East Bay hardcore band Filth.

It has been said of Econochrist, "The thing about these guys was that they lived & breathed hard core punk rock. They lived in shitholes, toured on a shoestring, but most importantly they played kick-ass music." They will be remembered forever by the fans & the many bands they influenced - their signature sweaty, hard-driving punk backed with clear, punchy melodic bass lines developed into the sound of East Bay punk, as played by such luminaries as Jawbreaker, Green Day, & Rancid (whom Econochrist played $2.00 house parties with when they were still a trio with no record).

Mike - bass
Markley - drums
Jon - guitar
Ben - vocals
backup vocals by Econochrist, Fraggle, & Noah

recorded at Sergay's in Berkeley,CA

Econochrist side - Petty Ways/Uncontrolable(sic) Urge

Econochrist / The Detonators split 7", Insurrection Records, 1992.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The following 7" was purchased directly from the band at a Gilman Street show in 1993 shortly before they broke up.

Econochrist - Skewed 7", Ebullition, 1993.

recorded & mixed 30 - 31 May 1993, engineered by Noah Tensionspan, cover art by Neil Grimmer,
typesetting & layout by Markley.

Side A -

Withdrawal
Words Alone

Side B -

Bled Dry
Passed On

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enigmatic noise rock trio SteelPole BathTub crafted a grungy, droning, offbeat sound from a palette of fuzzed-out bass riffs, blasts of guitar feedback, & tape loops, plus a raft of alternately kitschy & disturbing dialogue samples from vintage TV shows & movies. Additionally, the band had a penchant for deconstructive covers of rock classics, some of which appeared only on 7" singles (like the one featured here). Critics were split on the effectiveness of their often repetitive compositions, with some praising their originality & others bemoaning a lack of consistent songwriting polish. A highly unlikely bet for commercial success, SteelPole BathTub nonetheless managed to score a major-label contract (albeit briefly) during the alternative rock feeding frenzy of the mid-'90s.

SteelPole BathTub was founded in Bozeman, MT, in 1986 by guitarist/vocalist Mike Morasky & bassist/vocalist Dale Flattum. After moving to Seattle, they joined up with drummer Darren Mor-X (born Darren Morey), a veteran of the local early-'80s hardcore band Mr. Epp (which featured future members of Green River & Mudhoney). The trio next relocated once again, this time to San Francisco. SteelPole BathTub landed a deal with the Bay Area indie label Boner, which was also home to the Melvins in their pre-Atlantic days. The band's debut album, Butterfly Love, appeared in 1989, & was followed in 1990 by the Lurch EP (both were later combined on a CD issue). These early releases established the band's fascination with pop-culture references & TV dialogue snippets, & led to several Bay Area side projects: Morasky teamed with Boner label head Tom Flynn in Duh (aka Death's Ugly Head); & the whole group worked with Jello Biafra under the name Tumor Circus. Fans & critics tended to agree that SteelPole BathTub really began to hit their stride on 1991's Tulip & its follow-up, 1993's The Miracle of Sound in Motion.

During the same period, Morasky & Flattum teamed up (under the aliases C.C. Nova & Bumblebee) in an electronics-oriented side project called Milk Cult, which gave their interest in sampling a whole new outlet. 1994 brought a new SteelPole BathTub 10", Some Cocktail Suggestions, which would prove to be their final work for Boner.

Slash Records---at the time a subsidiary of Warner, though they would shortly switch affiliations to London---offered the band a major-label contract, perhaps swayed by similar jumps from SteelPole influenced the Butthole Surfers & labelmates the Melvins. SteelPole BathTub's major-label debut, Scars From Falling Down, was released in 1995. Due to copyright concerns, their trademark dialogue samples had to be held in check, which placed more focus on the band's music itself. In 1996, they set about recording a follow-up, initially hoping to cover the Cars' debut album in its entirety. Slash, unimpressed with the postmodern prank & the demos of new material that accompanied three Cars covers, promptly dropped the band from its roster.

Caught in limbo, SteelPole BathTub gradually drifted into oblivion. The band members remained active, though---in 1997, Milk Cult received a grant from the French government to join an artists' collective in Marseilles, where they recorded an album that would be released in 2000 as Project M-13. Morasky subsequently went to New Zealand as a special effects technician on Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, while Flattum retired to North Carolina to pursue the visual arts while working for a software company. Flattum (now calling himself Agent Nova) & Mor-X reunited as Novex in 2002, pursuing a style similar to Milk Cult on their debut, Kleptophonica. Meanwhile, SteelPole BathTub finally recovered the rights to their lost major-label follow-up, & issued the material in 2002 on the 0 to 1 label as Unlistenable (the title being a quote from Slash executives' response to the tapes). The group briefly reunited that year to perform at the Beyond the Pale festival.

European Son

Venus in Furs

Steelpole Bathtub - European Son b/w Venus in Furs, The Communion Label #22, 1991.

Enjoy,
NØ

Sick-Sick-Sick...The Number of The Influenza Beast

Reuploaded by request April 2, 2017

This is how I feel.









Greetings from the fog.
Everyone here at Casa Nada has the flu.
My energy level is less than Ø, which is bad for me.
Ripped a CD to placate the salivating hordes.

666 - Aleister Crowley, Dressed To Kill METRO450, 2000.





A 2 CD set including a disc of original "ritual" ambient musick & another disc of original recordings of Crowley pronouncing the first & second Aethyrs (both in Enochian & English) along with many of his poems & writings, plus some interesting songs sung by the Mage himself.

A superb collection for anyone with an interest in the Occult and Thelema.

On the first disc the resonant poetic utterings of The Beast 666 are overlaid with haunting synth tracks & samples of the world of nature that admirably portray, convey, & describe the great ocean of dark chaotic elemental forces. The original dark psych musick was written & performed by one BARN JEHOVI (see Band of Pain??? for more info).



A magician of any background, or allegiance to any order or discipline should welcome
this disc as a means & aid to deep contemplative study & meditation. The symphonies of darkness are part of an other-worldly ethereal voyage.



The second disc constitutes a short assemblage of poems & Enochian invocations that are hard to decipher due to the excessive background hiss. "The only genuine recordings of Aleister Crowley" taken from the wax cylinder recordings of the 1930s. These recordings would have benefited greatly from a dose of studio post-processing & digital filtering.

Nonetheless, the power & use of Crowley's voice as a tool of the ritual magick is clearly demonstrated. If for nothing else, it should serve to connect the serious student of Thelema
with the timeless & ageless word of a Master.

Enjoy,
NØ