Strawberry Switchblade, Self-Titled , 1985

  

 I'm always in search of new, compelling muaic from times past, as well as the present. I'm taking you back in time however, and to the eightees to be precise. There was no better time for pop than then. Pop Goth and New Wave were at their peak and I am well-known to be a fan of great female vocals. I don't really mind that little teeny bit of cheesy 80's pop if it's done well, and it's intention is to be...cheesy!

Strawberry Switchblade was a new wave duo band from Glasgow, Scotland UK in 1981. Rose McDowall later become associated with the industrial scene and contribute to projects such as Coil, Current 93, Death in June, Nature and Organisation, Nurse With Wound, Psychic TV, Boyd Rice. Jill Bryson and McDowall bonded  in the Glasgow punk scene of the late 70s. 

Since Yesterday, became a top 10 hit in the UK ,  and a huge success in Europe  as well as Japan . The track's opening fanfare came from Sibelius' Symphony No.5 and had also featured on the earlier hit "Beach Baby" by The First Class. The girls' strikingly contrasting black and white wardrobe, including the polka dot rah-rah skirts worn for the sleeve of Since Yesterday, attracted some coverage at the time. Their somewhat "Gothic" appearance was part of their ensemble and was particular to their personal demeanor. In my very personal opinion, you can tell there was a partnership with Boyd Rice and Friends. And they've a high similarity to artists such as Lene Lovich, Danielle Dax, Altered images, X-Mal Deutschland, The Wake and Dolly Mixture. If you're into the likes of the previously mentioned, this album would make a welcome addition to your music library!

 TRACKLISTING:

1. Since Yesterday

2. Deep Water

3. Another Day

4. Little River

5. James Orr Street

6. Let Her Go

7. Knows What Love Is?

8. Go Away

9. Secrets

10. Who Knows What Love Is?

11. Being Cold

12. Beautiful End

13. Poor Hearts

14. Ecstacy (Apple Of My Eye)

15. Jolene

16. Black Taxi

17. Trees And Flowers (Extended Mix)

18. Michael Who Walks By Night

19. Since Yesterday (Extended Mix)

20. I Can Feel

Listen:

Self Titled- http://www.mediafire.com/?gwmfsdfr5x5


Enjoy this rare pop album!

John Maus , Songs, 2006

 'SONGS'

Don't Be A Body | Just Wait Til Next Year

UTR003 | CD | 16 tracks, 54 mins | 20 Mar 2006 | Buy

'Songs' is Maus' debut, his life work, which was written and recorded at home over the course of five years. It's a twisted baroque pop record that brings to mind early 80's hits and coming-of-age movie soundtracks. Almost entirely electronic, the Maus sound is created from synthesisers, drum machine, bass and his remarkable vocals, which are pitched somewhere between Ian Curtis, Calvin Johnson and David Bowie

The record is a manic lo-fi masterpiece, which blurs addictive melodies, emotive lyrics and dreamy soundscapes to memorable effect. Permeated by feelings of intense nostalgia, with this album Maus has created a testimony to lost romance and to longing. These combine in such a way to make the listener feel as through they have stumbled across a lost classic. Ambitious in his musical and thematic scope, Maus touches upon timeless subjects such as the conflict between the mind and body, unrequited love, death and eternity.

John Maus  myspace
“We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves” (due April 2011)
Maus is undoubtedly an artist one would admire and any musician aspire to be. Besides having worked on is music project for years, Maus teaches at The University of Hawaii and went to Cal Arts.  he’s worked with Panda Bear and Ariel Pink and has garnered tons of respect from both of them and the DIY music community at large.  He releases his own stuff via Upset The Rhythm.  Below is one track off his upcoming release and some old ones:


mp3s ::
JOHN MAUS - ‘And The Rain’ (new single)
—
JOHN MAUS - ‘Do Your Best’

Publish Post

JOHN MAUS - ‘My Whole World Is Coming Apart’
JOHN MAUS - ‘Don’t Be A Body’
JOHN MAUS - ‘Just Wait ‘Til Next Year’
(via weekly tape deck)


above photo © Mark Blower

Source: http://www.upsettherhythm.co.uk/johnmaus.shtml

The Cramps , Discography, 1980 - 2003

... like this! - oh baby I see you in my frigidaire - yeah baby I see you in my frigidaire - behind the mayonnaise, way in the back - I'm gonna see you tonight for a midnight snack - but though it's cold you won't get old - 'cause you're well preserved in my frigidaire - yahhhhhhh.... ("TV Set") 

In the spring of 1976, The Cramps began to fester in a NYC apartment. Without fresh air or natural light, the group developed its uniquely mutant strain of rock’n’roll aided only by the sickly blue rays of late night TV. While the jackhammer rhythms of punk were proliferating in NYC, The Cramps dove into the deepest recesses of the rock’n’roll psyche for the most primal of all rhythmic impulses -- rockabilly -- the sound of southern culture falling apart in a blaze of shudders and hiccups. As late night sci-fi reruns colored the room, The Cramps also picked and chose amongst the psychotic debris of previous rock eras - instrumental rock, surf, psychedelia, and sixties punk. And then they added the junkiest element of all -- themselves.

1979 saw The Cramps opening for The Clash in New York and undertaking a second tour of the West Coast. Their gig at Keystone, Palo Alto, CA, being broadcast live by KFAT. Around this time the band came to the attention of Miles Copeland III who signed them to his IRS/Illegal label. He set The Cramps up with a British tour with The Police and in June gave their Vengeance singles a release as the Gravest Hits EP (UK Indie Chart #41, 2 wks). In July they went back to Sam Phillips' studio in Memphis with Alex Chilton to begin work on their first album, Songs The Lord Taught Us, which was not released in March 1980 (UK Indie Chart #18, 18 wks), much to the band's displeasure, and included covers of Jimmy Stewart & His Nighthawks' Rock On The Moon, The Sonics' Strychnine and Little Willie John's signature number,Fever, which was released as a single in June 1980 (UK Indie Chart #12, 9 wks).

This 1980 debut long player by the crystallized Lux Interior-Poison Ivy-Bryan Gregory-Nick Knox lineup was again recorded by Alex Chilton, this time at the Sam C. Philips Recording Studio in Memphis, in what has long since become legend material, in no small amount due to the historical/astrological coordinates at work, the Chilton/Cramps team up itself, inept studio hands being kicked out of the recording booth, Bryan Gregory´s "abrupt departure" before touring this album, take your pick.

Here we see the band having a larger go at, let´s say, scribbling down songs instead of grave robbing them from rock´n´roll´s pet cemetery - although "Tear it Up" (Billy Burnette), "Strychnine", (The Sonics), "Fever" (Eddie Cooley/John Davenport) and the very much "Psychotic Reaction" (Count Five) sound alike intro for "I´m Cramped" keep one foot firmly stomped on poverty row rock history for perspective.

A wonderfully rough edged studio noise trickery/fuzz/echo sprinkled affair that is a primordial part of what the eminent status this band holds is based on.

With this band it would be pretty minute to try and single out one album before any other for the new listener, except maybe the comps., so if you come across this in any form this should come as no disappointment for the discerning ghoul out there.

Text:   C-60 Low Noise : http://c-60lownoise.blogspot.com/2007/11/cramps-songs-lord-taught-us-1980.html



Tracklisting:
    1. "T.V. Set" - 3:12
   2. "Rock On The Moon"  - 1:53
   3. "Garbageman" - 3:37
   4. "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" - 3:03
   5. "Sunglasses After Dark"  - 3:47
   6. "The Mad Daddy" - 3:48
   7. "Mystery Plane" - 2:43
   8. "Zombie Dance" - 1:55
   9. "What's Behind the Mask?" - 2:05
  10. "Strychnine"  - 2:24
  11. "I'm Cramped"  - 2:37
  12. "Tear It Up"  - 2:32
  13. "Fever"  - 4:17
  14. "I Was a Teenage Werewolf (With False Start)" [Original Mix] - 4:48
  15. "Mystery Plane" [Original Mix] - 2:39
  16. "Twist and Shout" - 2:32
  17. "I'm Cramped" [Original Mix] - 2:37
  18. "The Mad Daddy" [Original Mix] - 3:15


Listen:
http://rapidshare.com/files/358808486/The_Cramps_-_Songs_the_Lord_Taught_Us.zip

Listen:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WZOLRD1Y

The Cramps, Look Mom No Head!, 1991

The Cramps were an American punk rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members. Guitarist Bryan Gregory and drummer Pam Ballam completed the first complete lineup in April 1976.

They were part of the early CBGB Punk Rock Movement that had emerged in New York. The Cramps are noted as influencing a number of musical styles: not only are they one of the first garage punk bands but also the first known band to blend punk rock with rockabilly, The Cramps are widely recognized as one of the prime innovators of psychobilly, and they inspired many of the early goth bands.

Their music is mostly in rockabilly form, played at varying tempos, with a very minimal drumkit. An integral part of the early Cramps sound is dual guitars, without a bassist. The content of their songs and image is humor, and retro horror/sci-fi b-movie.

Their sound was heavily influenced by early rockabilly, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll like Link Wray and Hasil Adkins, 1960s surf music acts such as The Ventures and Dick Dale, 1960s garage rock artists like The Standells, The Gants, The Trashmen, The Green Fuz and The Sonics, as well as the post-glam/early punk scene from which they emerged. They also were influenced to a degree by The Ramones and Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who was an influence for their style of theatrical horror-blues.

In turn, The Cramps have influenced countless subsequent bands in the garage, punk and rockabilly revival subgenres, and helped create the psychobilly genre. "Psychobilly" was a term coined by The Cramps, although Lux Interior maintained that the term did not describe their own style.

Here is one of my favourite albums on vinyl. Unfortunately here's the digital version. However I do own one copy on vinyl too, which makes for greater listening pleasure.

Tracklisting:
01 - Dames, Booze, Chains And Boots
02 - Two Headed Sex Change
03 - Blow Up Your Mind
04 - Hardworkin' Man
05 - Miniskirt Blues
06 - Alligator Stomp
07 - I Wanna Get In Your Pants
08 - Bend Over, I'll Drive
09 - Don't Get Funny With Me
10 - Eyeball In My Martini
11 - Hipsville 29 B.C.
12 - The Strangeness In Me

 Listen:

http://rapidshare.com/files/358814663/The_Cramps_-_Look_Mom_No_Head_.zip

Listen:
http://hotfile.com/dl/31152290/e0e1f92/The_Cramps_-_Look_Mom_No_Head_.zip.html

Listen:http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GWOBP5NI

Of A Mesh , Of A Mesh EP, 1986 + Broken EP , 1987

Here's the last post with OAM links. The first one (Of A Mesh EP) is more faster and has specific post-punk sound. The second one (Broken EP) has a lot of psychedelic moments and slightly creepier than the early works.

Tracklisting:

Of A Mesh EP
1) Burning Bride
2) Crazy House
3) Candy (Is an Axe Now?)

Broken EP
1) Guillotine
2) New Song
3) Damage
4) Life's Liquid

Download
http://rapidshare.com/files/116299518/Of_A_Mesh.rar