January 2007

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

17 Pygmies - 1983 - Hatikva

17Pygmies - Hatikva

Philip Drucker, alias Jackson Del Ray, is a curious and somewhat mysterious figure whose music is undeservedly little known. Drucker was an art student who first came to most people's notice as a founding member of Savage Republic. The band was initially musically primitive, with frequently out-of-tune instruments backed by percussion as simple as Drucker pounding on a 50-gallon oil drum, but there were hints of Greek and Middle Eastern music in their sound. As the band matured, these elements became more pronounced, but so did the rivalry between guitarist Bruce Licher and Drucker over who was in charge of the band. A close associate remembers that virtually every rehearsal ended with a bitter argument, or at least with one member of the band sulking in a corner somewhere.

Drucker quit at least twice only to rejoin the band, and in 1982 he started a side project called Seventeen Pygmies with fellow Savage Republic alumnus Robert Loveless and drummer/vocalist Debbie Spinelli. The release of the Hatikva EP in 1983 showed that the new band was vastly more sophisticated than the old and gave a strong clue regarding the source of the more interesting elements in Savage Republic's sound. The Middle Eastern stylings on Hatikva are much more pronounced, and both the songs and arrangements are much more sophisticated. Seventeen Pygmies released two more full-length records, Captured in Ice and Jedda by the Sea, which gradually moved away from the folk influences and toward a soft, distanced, and melancholy sound. ~ Richard Foss, All Music Guide

Drucker and Loveless launched a side band, 17 Pygmies, to delve into lighter, more melodic music than Savage Republic. Retaining the group's tribal percussion and Arabic feel, they added electronic keyboards for Hatikva, an EP which crosses Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "The Sheriff," a spaghetti western soundtrack and a Caribbean rhythm fest. Only a thousand copies were originally pressed, but it was reissued by an Italian label. (Trouser Press)


Hatikva was 17 Pygmies' first release. It came out on Resistance label RR-0001), in 1983, in a limited edition of 1000 copies. Later (1988) reissued on the italian label Viva (REVI-003) again in 1000 copies and in 1995 on the Lazy Dog/Meshcalina Productions in Greece in a CD including Jedda By the Sea & Hatikva.
Cover art by Robert Loveless
Hand Colored by The Pigs and Friends!!!


Line-up: Jackson Del Ray, Michael Kory, Robert Loveless, Debbie Spinelli.



SIDE 1
Lawrence of Arabia
Child Bride
Cheganca

SIDE 2
To No Avails
Vows



cover of the italian reissue

After a coincidental 17 year absence, Jackson Del Rey and Louise Bialik have revived the 17 Pygmies name, returning with a seasoned elegance, not a vengeance as might be expected from hints by both Del Rey's vigorous 2005 release I Am the Light and for a collective once noted as a reference point to a young Godspeed You Black Emperor.

In 2005 Philip Drucker released I am the Light as Del Rey & the Sun Kings, an album with some brutal in-your-face moments with rocking guitars and guttural vocals. It's the rare points of elegant beauty, however, like the instrumental "Rose Garden (for Saadi)" which are reminiscent of a song like "Kristalnacht" from Welcome, and perhaps it was the reception of a strong track like this which made him reconsider the 17 Pygmies thing. I'm glad he did. 17 Pygmies resurfaced in 2006 with a 7" single "Last Train"/"Mocha Polka." The A-side with its drum machine and synth recordings hints more to the pop aesthetics of Captured In Ice period while the instrumental B-side is a fiery accordion, clarinet, drum and string jam. 13 Blackbirds is far more subdued, graceful, and tender.

13 Blackbirds is the 17 Pygmies of Welcome, except there's no goofy interludes, Philip Drucker has reclaimed the name Jackson Del Rey and Jeff Brenneman (an original member of White Glove test) has joined Louise Bialik seemingly at the center of the group, once again joined by various other players of stringed instruments and singers. While first listens immediately demonstrate the fantastic piano, guitar, and vocal work, they also show the group's very calculated arrangement—like the organic/acoustic and unique soul mashing like Blood-era This Mortal Coil and Lovetta Pippen-era His Name Is Alive—subsequent repeat listens over time bring out the great strength in the songwriting. Songs like the simple guitar and vocal "Cras Amet" or the instrumental piano melody of "Ubi Sunt?" I can hear long after they're over while the string arrangement on "Lila Pausa" is out of this world. The vocals of the song "Lotus" are buried deep in echoes and reverb while prominent beats like some of the best Scala music from the '90s.

Packaged in a very Constellation Records-looking earthy gatefold cardboard sleeve, 13 Blackbirds is packaged with 13 Lotus, a CD of 13 remixes and reinventions of the song Lotus by various artists. It's filled with a couple beat-friendly takes, like the "Bum 'n Bass Drop" version by Freakshot and the hip-hop "Notorious P.Y.G." version from once 2Pac remixer Lea Reis. Jo Gabriel's sparse piano version is probably the most striking while Echo Wanderer give two echoey versions which are a throwback to the spacey dub/rock overlap that signalled the untimely end of shoegazing in the mid-'90s. It's a complete contrast to 13 Blackbirds but nothing is surprising me about 17 Pygmies now that they've surprised us all by their return.

I'm excited that 17 Pygmies have returned. In an effort that isn't unlike their Welcome album, 13 Blackbirds/13 Lotus is quite ambitious. The payoff here I feel is far more enjoyable, however. If anybody's wondering where Debbie Spinelli ended up, her creepy group the Spirit Girls also have a release on the Trakwerx label. I hope that with this Trakwerx label the 17 Pygmies back catalogue will become available again, but as the notes say in the sketchy looking 1995 CD of Jedda By the Sea/Hatikva, my guess is that some of those masters are long lost. Of course, you could always try digging around auction websites for this stuff but with the recently re-sparked interest in Savage Republic, the competition for this stuff will be fierce. With any luck 17 Pygmies are forming some sort of live ensemble, and in the age of myspace, they seem quite approachable and amicable, so a letter campaign to them probably can't hurt. (Written by Jon Whitney)

Links
Marnie's "Songs Hurt Me"
Paniolo's "City of Refuge" - in both Jackson Del Rey was involved
Go to Trakwerx blog to read more reviews
Go to Trakwerx Label for the above mentioned new releases
Go to MySpace.com to hear some songs from them.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

16 Horsepower - 2002 - Live at Lowlands Festival, Holland (25-08-2002)

Setlist

01.Outlaw Song
02.For Heaven's Sake
03.Black Bush
04.Sinnerman
05.Blessed Persistance
06.Clogger
07.Single Girl
08.My Narrow Mind
09.Splinters
10.Brimstone Rock
11.Sac of Religion
12.Poor Mouth
13.Heel on the Shovel

ripped @192kbps
with cd covers

enjoy!

your download link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/11121224/16_HP-_25-08-02_live_at_lowlands_festival.rar

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Medusa Cyclone - 1995 - Medusa Cyclone

1 Gravity Serpent
2 Burner
3 X-Plodo Sun Hat
4 Black Dawn
5 Chemical
6 Inch of Mercury
7 Half Doll Violet Star
8 Atomic Hand
9 Dream House
10 Assigned Frequency
11 Helium Head

The hypnotic world of Medusa Cyclone began in 1992, following the breakup of
legendary Detroit psych/punk outfit ViV Akauldren. ViV keyboardist and Medusa Cyclone
frontman, Keir McDonald, wanted to continue the space-rock approach that made ViV
famous on both sides of the Atlantic. Medusa Cyclones first release was in 1992 on Manta
Ray Fleet, a Detroit-based 7 label started by McDonald and Chris Girard. Although Manta
Ray Fleet worked in small runs of about 200, the label enjoyed a strong following in the lofi
underground of the early 1990s. Early fans included Stephen Malkmus and Mark Ibold of
Pavement.

Eventually, a split single was released with the lo-fi legends in 1996--
Pavement Dancing with the Elders b/w Medusa Cyclone--Chemical. A self-titled CD---
Medusa Cyclone--soon followed to considerable critical acclaim. Standout tracks included:
Chemical-a lethal sonic mix of Can, Faust and Wire, Dream House-a seductive narcotic
from the same planet as Syd Barrett, and Helium Head, a sonic vortex leading to another
dimension. Medusa Cyclones shows during this time could best be described as an echocharged
sonic assault taking the audience to the world beyond beyond. Gigs included
support dates for Pavement, Bardo Pond and Cul de Sac.

A second CD, Mr. Devil, was
released in 1998. The album was a full dose of sonic madness and included The Smith
Can the Devils spawn of trance rock, End Cloud an underwater dream on a 90 degree
summer day and Invisible World a Japanese gamelan-influenced gem blurring the line
between time and space. During this period, things were looking good. Mr. Devil was
doing well in Finland and the UK, and had generated chart activity on CMJ. It was
especially popular in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. But when NATO began its security action
against the Milosovic regime, airplay stopped after a government takeover of the national
public radio station.

Three years have passed since Mr. Devil and much has changed for
Medusa Cyclone. Still, one thing that hasnt has been McDonalds need to dream another
record. So he enlisted the help of legendary Detroit drummer, Mike Alonso-- Five Horse
Johnson, Speedball, Bantam Rooster plus other Detroit luminaries: John Nash, The
Alphabet, Volebeats, Matt Smiths Outrageous Cherry, Robert Wonnacotts RF Energy and
McDonalds brother, Gavin. The result is nothing less than Medusa Cyclone's best record
yet.

source: http://cdbaby.com/cd/medusacyclone1

Download Link 1:
http://rapidshare.com/files/10543691/medusa_cyclone.rar

Download Link 2:
http://rapidshare.com/files/10508578/helium_head.rar

Saturday, January 6, 2007

The Leaving Trains - 1997 - Favorite Mood Swings : Greatest Hits

1. Cigarette Motel
2. She's Looking At You
3. A Drunker Version Of You
4. Black
5. What Cissy Said
6. With Dr. A.W.O.L.
7. 27 Days
8. So Fucked Up
9. Temporal Slut
10. Sue Wants To Sleep
11. The Worst
12. Any Old Time
13. Dude The Cat
14. I Love You
15. Dream Until You're Sore
16. Submariney
17. Relapse, Recover
18. Fuck You, God!
19. Gas, Grass Or Ass
20. Bob Hope
21. Rock 'N' Roll Murder
22. Kids Wanna Know
23. Ice Cream Truck
24. Osmosis
25. Stowaway

Too many indie bands have never really learned how to rock & roll. Fortunately, for 18 years, L.A.'s Leaving Trains have never forgotten. Not many of their eight LPs have been true masterpieces (there is one for sure: 1986's killer Kill Tunes, which serves up the first four tracks here); Singer/guitarist "Falling" James Moreland, the band's lone constant, always insists on warts-'n'-all, crank-'em-up, let-'em-fly productions. Hey, he was doing that long before it became fashionable (before Sebadoh and GBV even formed), without ever resorting to lo-fi home studio production. Every Trains record has sounded loud, not cheap! So while Moreland can be accused of inconsistency, both in his albums and his myriad lineups, there's no denying that Moreland's untamed, unwieldy, humming punk-'n'-roll records have rumbled through a dozen post-R&B rock & roll styles with real abandon. This collection leaves today's legions of smug and ironic, or (most of all) horribly insular, one-dimensional bands gasping in the restrictive boxes they've nailed themselves into. Thus, now is a good time for a Trains overview -- a smart idea for a hit-and-miss band, too. There's not a boring minute on this extended-length, 25-cut CD. Perhaps a case can be made that two dozen tracks are AWOL, but FMS heads for the songs that smack one silly in adrenaline rush and pent-up pounding. In your face? You betcha! In short, Moreland wants to mess with you, because he thinks rock is a challenge, an incitement, a need to get wild and free, not a polite party or a postmodern reflection. This CD is the best evidence that Leaving Trains would gladly destroy your party instead, with the sheer force of brash, soul, chops, and attitude, and they won't wait around for your gratitude.

AMG


DownloadLink:

http://rapidshare.com/files/10402757/leavingtrains.rar.html

The Screaming Tribesmen - 1987 - Bones + Flowers

1. I've Got a Feeling
2. Igloo
3. She Said
4. Girl in My Dreams
5. Casualty of Love
6. In His Shoes
7. Our Time at Last
8. Dream Away
9. Talk Another Language
10. Living Vampyre
11. Colour Me Gone
12. Don't Turn Away

Bones + Flowers is the most appealing effort by Australian combo Screaming Tribesmen -- a melodic pop album that resembles a muscular Let's Active. "I've Got a Feeling" was distributed internationally and featured on MTV's 120 Minutes at the time, and the Tribesmen's appearance in the midst of the Church's breakthrough with Starfish seemed to presage an Australian Invasion that never came to pass. Screaming Tribesmen might have better reached the "alternative" audience if they hadn't looked like a heavy metal band; likewise, the band's name and album art didn't come close to matching the mood of their music. The Tribesmen didn't last long after the commercial disappointment of Bones + Flowers, but the album remains a sturdy collection of recordings, with the catchy, jangly "Girl in My Dreams" and "Dream Away" as highlights.

AMG


The Screaming Tribesmen was a band formed in Brisbane by Mick Medew, John Hartley & Murray Shepherd. They took the Australian independent scene by storm with a series of singles on Citadel Records. Their earliest hit "Igloo" was penned by Medew and Died Pretty frontman Ron Peno.

After relocation to Sydney, and a number of line-up changes the band settled on its most successful lineup of Medew, ex-Radio Birdman & The Hitmen guitarist Chris Masuak, bass player Bob Wackley & drummer Warwick Fraser (ex-Feather & Hoi Polloi) who replaced Michael Charles after the recording of the "Date With A Vampyre" EP.

The "Vampyre" EP reigned at the top of the Australian independent charts for over 40 weeks, while the band toured constantly in support. The follow up "Top of the Town" EP released on the boutique Rattlesnake Records label saw a change in direction for the band as it morphed into the sound of their first full length release "Bones and Flowers".

"Ive Got A Feeling" - Rage - 1988

The band toured the US on the strength of the album and at home they enjoyed a run of Australian Alternative #1 hits as well as gaining Stateside attention with regular airplay on the US College Radio circuit. Their 1988 single "I've Got a Feeling" featured heavily on US MTV's 120 Minutes, hitting #1 on the KROQ charts in LA and #7 on Billboard's modern rock chart.

There's nothing tribal about the sound of these Aussies, and they don't scream either. Their music is full of pop-song harmonies, including "oohh" and "ahh" background singing, jangle chords and repeated refrains. From beginnings as a post-Ramones punky ensemble (on the first four-track EP), they've gone through an assortment of members and sonic textures but all of their releases have been exercises in good old pop-rock. Move a Little Closer, a compilation of the band's first two Australian singles ("Igloo" and "A Stand Alone") could easily mix and match with a stack of mod-revival albums, while the squealier and grungier guitar chords of Date with a Vampyre (also four songs) nudge their sound closer to garage territory.

Top of the Town contains six songs by a new lineup that reveals an ongoing transition towards more mainstream pop-rock. "You Better Run" is the most impressive track, and a fair precursor to the excellent Bones + Flowers. The album launches the Tribesmen into a new international league, offering richly played rock-melody songwriting (by ex-Radio Birdman guitarist/pianist/producer Chris "Klondike" Masuak and singer/guitarist Mick Medew) that's got all the needed attributes for major stardom. Standouts: a new version of "Igloo," the wittily '60sish "Our Time at Last," the peppy Anglo-popping "Dream Away" and the Rockpiling "Living Vampire." The CD has two bonus tracks.

Despite the album's appeal and high commercial prospects, nothing much came of Bones + Flowers. By the time of the disappointing 1989 12-inch (five songs, including covers of Lou Reed and the Dictators), Medew was the only member remaining from the LP's lineup.

[Andrea 'Enthal/Ira Robbins]

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=118877769


DownloadLink:

http://rapidshare.com/files/10417877/tribesemen.rar.html

Spherical Objects

Spherical Objects - 1978 - Past and Parcel

01.Born To Pay
02.Situation Comedy
03.You Can Become
04.The Crystal Tree
05.If I Can Choose (Oh Babe)
06.Lover Flow
07.Drama Queen
08.The Face I Want To See
09.What Goes On
10.Past And Parcel

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

Spherical Objects - 1979 - Eliptical Optimism

01. Metropolis
02. Show Me
03. Comedians
04. Eliptical Optimism
05. Ten To Nine
06. Another Technique
07. I Should Have Left Him
08. It's So Good To Be Alive (Tonight)
09. Lying Again
10. I Don't Remember
11. Walk Away
12. Lucy
13. I Remember You

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

Spherical Objects - 1980 - Further Ellipses

01 Regular Condition
02 Take A Chance
03 The Root
04 Don't Worry About Me
05 The Final Part
06 Buy It
07 Moving On The Run
08 Mama Tried
09 Places And Spaces
10 The Conductor-Set Free

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


Spherical Objects - 1981 - No Man's Land

01 One Way Out
02 Terminal Romance
03 Cruelest Twist
04 Jericho
05 Memories In Blue
06 Twist
07 Don't Ask
08 Wipe
09 Resting Place
10 No Man's Land

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Manchester's Spherical Objects were led by Steve Solamar, a singer with an intensely personal viewpoint. His songs concern typical subject matter, but utter lack of selfconsciousness invests his writing with more openness and introspection than you're probably hoping to hear. . .
Elliptical Optimism has the same lineup and a more textured sound, featuring organ (prominently) and trumpet (occasionally). The songs are instrumentally inventive. Further Ellipses takes a danceable turn, playing it smooth and rhythmic with more horns and synthesizer and less guitar. Solamar's singing continues to resemble David Thomas. The musical development is impressive, the songs are good. No Man's Land, which announces itself to be the final Spherical Objects album, has a different lineup from the previous three and sounds it. Gone are the keyboards and horns, replaced by rudimentary guitar/bass/drums plus patches of Solamar's wailing harmonica. There are some very pretty songs that are slowed down to add emotion, but overall the initial impression isn't as strong as Further Ellipses. A strange way to go out, No Man's Land is a record that slowly reveals itself to be quite lovely in spots. With the help of Manchester indie scene fixture Steve Miro, Solamar managed to dam his stream-of-consciousness long enough to allow for the collection of the Noyes Brothers' atypically unrevealing double-LP set. More experimental than the Objects' concurrent work, Sheep from Goats owes more than a little to German groups like Can. While a few of the redundant, largely free-from instrumentals could easily be dispensed with, there are moments worth remembering, from the amusing (an apparent Fall parody dubbed "Bo Scat Um I.D.") to the lovely (the side-long "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time") to the freakishly prescient (an excursion into what sounds like modern-day computer-enhanced hip-hop christened "Byte to Beat").

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

The Heart Throbs - 1990 - Cleopatra Grip

The Heart Throbs - 1990 - Cleopatra Grip

01 Tossed Away (3:56)
02 Dreamtime (3:54)
03 Big Commotion (Remix) (5:04)
04 In Vain (4:30)
05 Slip & Slide (3:19)
06 Here I Hide (Remix) (4:32)
07 Calavera (6:01)
08 I Wonder Why (3:31)
09 She's In A Trance (3:44)
10 Blood From A Stone (Remix) (3:25)
11 Kiss Me When I'm Starving (4:34)
12 White Laughter (5:15)

* Rose Carlotti - Lead Vocals/Guitar
* Rachel Carlotti - Bass/Backing Vocals
* Mark Slide - Drums
* Stephen Ward - Keyboards
* Alan Barclay - Guitar

The debut album by Liverpool's Heart Throbs (led by the twin sisters of late Echo & the Bunnymen drummer Pete DeFrietas) slots neatly into the overriding musical styles of U.K. indie pop circa 1990, mixing the post-punk directness of the Primitives, the swirling, dreamlike textures of the shoegazers, and the flirtations with dance rhythms introduced by the previous summer's Madchester explosion. However, the Heart Throbs definitely had their own unique style; for one thing, singer Rose Carlotti's lyrics, from the suggestive album title on down, are forthrightly female-centric in the manner of the Au Pairs' Lesley Woods or early PJ Harvey. It can be difficult to hear Carlotti behind Martin Hannett's echoey, hollow production, which shifts the guitars to the forefront, but the intent of songs like "She's in a Trance" and the searing, My Bloody Valentine-like "Kiss Me When I'm Starving" remains clear regardless. The slightly poppier singles "Tossed Away" and "Dreamtime" are the album's highlights but, while a couple of the songs coast by simply on atmosphere, Cleopatra Grip is a luxurious and compelling listen. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide