I’m in a rush because I’m about to go “off the grid” for 24 hours for a little martial arts project. Don’t tell anyone. Anyhow, I Am Kurious Oranj by The Fall deserves a more thoughtful write-up than it’s going to get right now. I really like this record. And just like the last record by The Fall, this one is following an album by 86. Which, again, makes it even more obvious that even if you’re an arty band, or maybe especially if you are, it’s a good idea to have some hooks in your songs. Tons of hooks here.
Provocation is a lot better than the first 86 record I posted here, Minutes in a Day. It’s a full length album, and it’s less noisy. That said, it’s still arty and mostly devoid of hooks. I gotta have my hooks!
A Trouser Press article about 86 mentions Honor Role, a Richmond, VA band that Mary, and to a lesser extent I, knew personally. Those guys had some hooks.
If the cover of Phantasmagoria doesn’t make it abundantly clear, song titles like “Sanctum Sanctorum”, the sounds of organs and harpsichords, and David Vanian’s deep-voiced singing should; The Damned got their Goth on in a big way with this record. Some people didn’t like it. They were turned off by the big production and the theatrical imagery. They thought The Damned had forgotten their punk rock roots and sold out. But I love this record, and since it was their highest charting album I know I’m not alone.
Some think The Damned invented “Gothic” rock, but unlike most other all-too-serious bands that would follow, they always seemed to have a sense of humor about it. My favorites are the epic album opener “Street of Dreams”, and the surprisingly cheerful-sounding pop goth songs “Grimly Fiendish” and “Edward the Bear.”
We (Mary) have so many Nick Cave records I feel like we’re never going to get through them all and move on to the other “C” artists. But Tender Prey is a really good one and I suppose I shouldn’t complain. The usual Bad Seeds suspects are here including Kid Congo Powers who was in another band I really liked, The Gun Club. The biggest hit is “The Mercy Seat” and if you haven’t heard Johnny Cash’s version check it out. He makes the lyrics sound even more grim. Another “hit” is “Deanna,” which I really like, but my favorite may be “City of Refuge.”
Mary and I went to see Nick on tour for Tender Prey at the 9:30 Club in D.C. I remember digging the show, and seeing Blixa in person was very cool. But the most salient moment for me is when Nick first walked out on stage in his trim dark suit with a bottle of water and exclaimed with a big smile “I feel great!” Not the first thing I expected Nick Cave to say.
Acquired: 1987 – Promo when I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA
Keeper: Yes
The Bags put the rawk in punk rock, and there’s a trace of Motorhead-style metal in there too. There is a great review excerpt of Rock Starve from Playboy at Wikipedia. This is the only Bags record I have, but I also have a record by them under the name Swamp Oaf. I got this one as a promo and it included something like a media kit, really just a copy of a few articles about the band.
I never got to see The Bags live but I’m sure they tear the roof off at every show. The good news is, despite some extended breaks, the band still exists. I just came across their page at MySpace. Lyrically, they seem to have moved more in the direction of Spinal Tap and I can’t say I like the new songs quite as much as the now 20 years old Rock Starve, but they’re still rocking it. I like all of the songs on this record but my favorite is “Spread It Around.”
I’m gonna pass it on to strangers
And give it to my friends
Lay low for a little while
Until it comes my way again
Why-y-y-y-y-y should I keep it to myself
When I could be sharing it with someone else
Acquired: 1989 – Bought it at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
Keeper: Yes
Moss Side Story is a film score by Barry Adamson for a three act murder mystery that doesn’t exist. Most people that have this album seem to really love it. I really love most of it, but I have to tell you that the opening cut “On The Wrong Side Of Relaxation” really gets on my nerves. Which, based on the title, seems appropriate. I played Moss Side a number of times over the last week and most of the time I put the needle down on the right side of that song. He has also done music for real movies as well as performing on many albums with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.
I have had Gogol Bordello’s “Start Wearing Purple” stuck in my head for months. For a few reasons, I haven’t gotten around to buying the album to review it, but I can no longer in good conscience keep them a secret from my millions of devoted readers. If you haven’t already heard of them, this is your lucky day. If you act now, you get the song with the video included for free. Just click the player below. For a limited time, as an added bonus you can also hear all the songs from their new album Super Taranta. Operators are standing by.
Acquired: 1986 – Probably at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA
Keeper: Yes
No camera can capture the intense greenness of this album cover. I enjoyed The Blasting Concept Volume II more than I expected. I forgot how metal-sounding, a high compliment, some of these bands were back then. I have records by most of the bands on here, but it’s worth keeping for the few good songs I don’t have, like “Watch the Tractor” by Gone. My favorite is the Minutemen’s punkish cover of Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talking About Love.” I’ve never heard a bad version of that song, even from the garage band I played drums for in junior high.
Zvuki Mu? Ever heard of them? They are a modern art band from Russia that started in the 1980s. This is their debut album and it was produced by Mister art rock himself, Brian Eno. This album is very eclectic with everything from strange pulsing dirges punctuated by sporadic drum and vocal outbursts to accessible but nerdy art disco. Yes, it is that good. The lyrics are in Russian. I’ve read descriptions of singer Pyotr Mamonov’s lyrics as “absurdist”, but how would I know?
My two main memories associated with Zvuki Mu are that my brother and I played it a lot at our record store. We got it as a promo from our Warner Bros rep. She also got us into a live show with Zvuki Mu at the 9:30 Club in D.C. We got to meet Mamonov and the other guys, and in hindsight they did seem somewhat absurdist. In their proper business suits they reminded me more of the Dadaists seen in old photos than the average rock band. Mary thinks we also went to dinner with them, but I think that was another band. Ah, the perks of owning a record store.
In honor of artist Grayson Sigler’s birthday today we are featuring one of his more recent creations. Seen here is a Mobius Strip rendered in concrete. The artist has apparently decided to juxtapose the fluidity of this shape with a decidedly solid material. Or, perhaps his intention is to combine the seemingly infinite movement of the form with the complementary permanence of concrete. Whatever the intention, the result is an intriguing sculpture that compels the viewer to touch it. And it’s seriously heavy.
Want to know what it's like to have brain surgery? Well here's the long version of my experience. Complete with pictures and videos! Read all about the Brain Surgery Experience.
