feedtime — Shovel

According to Wikipedia Shovel (1986) was feedtime’s most critically acclaimed record, which makes me think I need to go spin it again. I enjoy a little primitive noise rock once in a while, even now that I’m elderly. But this just didn’t do it for me today. There were a couple riffs that held my attention, a few great songs, and some occasional moments where they reminded me of Head of David. Still, I don’t think this one will stay in the collection.

For the concerned grammarians in the house I want to point out that the proper spelling of feedtime is with a lowercase f.

feedtime at Wikipedia

White Zombie — Soul Crusher

The article on Wikipedia about White Zombie lists Soul Crusher (1987) as their first full length record, but there were a few EPs before this. I had one with a black and white cover, but I think I sold it when I had my own record store. I had read about them in Maximum Rock and Roll and decided to buy it when I saw the record at a store in NYC. Even though I knew better I decided to buy another White Zombie record, today’s offering.

This stuff is nothing like the stomping-metal-disco-monster-movie-rock that made the band famous. Their early work is more noise art than metal, although Soul Crusher did begin to introduce something akin to riffs. Still, it can be hard to listen to. I used to enjoy extreme music just because it was extreme, new, different. Nowadays I need something else, or more. The psychedelic album cover might make you think “stoner metal,” but don’t be fooled. This music is closer to Pussy Galore or the most irritating Sonic Youth than Black Sabbath. Rob Straker’s vocals (he wasn’t calling himself Rob Zombie yet) sound like a more angry and annoying version of Mark Arm (Green River, Mudhoney).

I’m not likely to ever play this again, but I might keep it as part of the White Zombie collection.

Einstürzende Neubauten — Strategies Against Architecture 80-83

• Artist: Einstürzende Neubauten
• Title: Strategies Against Architecture 80-83
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary?
• Acquired: ?
• Keeper: Yes

I have the perfect Halloween soundtrack for you: Einstürzende Neubauten’s Strategies Against Architecture 80-83. These guys are the uncrowned kings of noise and experimental music. This early compilation is particularly eerie, and metallic, in the literal sense of the word. Typical “instruments” listed for each song include “hollow metal object”, “metal plates”, “scratching metal”, “air conditioning duct” and so on. What vocals are there, are, how you say… distressed? And check out a few of these Halloween-ready titles: “Tanz Debil (A Dance of Mental Illness)”, “Schmerzen Hören (Listen with Pain)”, “Draußen ist Feindlich (Outside is Hostile).”

Of course, the band expanded beyond this type of music over the years. And they have put on some noteworthy live performances in their time. I have never seen them in person, but I did get to see leader Blixa Bargeld once with Nick Cave.

They have a MySpace page. The two songs there are very pretty, and not at all like what this album is like.

You should read this Wikipedia article about Einstürzende Neubauten. No self-respecting art school student should be without some of their music.

Phantom Tollbooth — EP

• Artist: Phantom Tollbooth
• Title: EP
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: When? Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: No

Funny thing, when I was listening to this EP by Phantom Tollbooth I kept thinking it sounded like a more metallic version of The Minutemen, with lamer, scratchier vocals. Then, I looked up some info I saw that Trouser Press had something similar to say. It has some decent moments, and if you’re into noisy art-rock you might dig it. We have more than enough of that stuff. I don’t need to hear it again.

Naked Raygun — Vanilla Blue

• Artist: Naked Raygun
• Title: Vanilla Blue
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987? — Maybe when I was working at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA
• Keeper: Maybe

Christmas has made me so slack. We’re on the road now, but I played a buncha records and loaded up the pics right before we left. This one is Naked Raygun’s “Vanilla Blue.” For no particular reason I never really got into this band, but I like this song. I’m not sure how to describe it other than to say it’s interesting. The flipside is called “Slim” and it’s not so interesting. I think it’s just some samples of Slim Pickens from some old movies with some silly music backing it up. That’s three somes in one sentence y’all. Check out that sweet colored vinyl!

Various — No Age – A Compilation of SST Instrumental Music

Various -- No Age - A Compilation of SST Instrumental Music

• Artist: Various
• Title: No Age – A Compilation of SST Instrumental Music
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 – Bought it when I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

This SST compilation of challenging instrumental music is full of big names, cult names, and just names. Check out the list below and decide for yourself which artists belong in which categories. I have records by many of these folks and I’ve also seen a number of them live. I don’t know if I’ll ever play this double album again. Some tracks were fantastic, but some were just annoying post-prog-rock-for-nerds. Again, decide for yourself who belongs where.

• Black Flag
• Blind Idiot God
• Henry Kaiser
• Elliott Sharp
• Lee Ranaldo
• Lawndale
• Glenn Phillips
• Pell Mell
• Paper Bag
• Scott Colby
• Lawndale
• Paper Bag
• Universal Congress Of
• Steve Fisk
• Gone
• Alter-Natives
• Elliott Sharp
• Fred Frith & Henry Kaiser

Tad / Pussy Galore — Damaged I / Damaged II

• Artist: Tad / Pussy Galore
• Title: Damaged I / Damaged II
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Bought it for myself at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

This is a combo 7 inch with Tad on one side and Pussy Galore on the other. I suppose I could’ve filed it under P, or Various, but I have it under T just because. In our actual record collection that is. Both songs are Black Flag covers, “Damaged I” and “Damaged II”, which were both on Black Flag’s break-out album uh… “Damaged.”

I guess that original record made a big impact on folks for trendy indie artists to be recording covers from it only eight years later, in 1989. Another 16 or so years later and that seems a little strange. I bought the original Black Flag “Damaged” album in 1981. I loved it then as an angsty teenager, but it’s not the kind of thing you want to play often. Same goes for this 45. It’s kind of fun to have two cultish bands doing covers of a cultish band on a 45, limited edition of 2500, but I doubt I’ll ever play it again. And in the late 1980s no record label was cooler than Sub Pop. So cool in fact that even though my brother and I owned a record store we had to get this one just like everyone else, by joining the Sub Pop Singles Club.

Of Cabbages And Kings — Face

• Artist: Of Cabbages And Kings
• Title: Face
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Bought it for myself when we had RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

This is not happy music. OCAK has had its share of stars from the music world underground. Including members of The Swans, Glenn Branca, and drummer Ted Parsons. Ted was the long-time drummer for one of my all-time favorite bands, Prong. I’ll drone on about Prong when we get to those records.

Like I said, it’s not feel-good music. It’s heavy, but not metallic, more primitive with some occassional jazzy “out” playing. That weird album cover looks like the Pixies’ stuff, but I don’t think it’s the same artist. Not sure about keeping it. If you search for them you might find another band with the same name from the ’60s. Try adding the album title.

La Muerte — Death Race 2000

• Artist: La Muerte
• Title: Death Race 2000
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Bought it for myself when we had RIP Records.
• Keeper: Yes

I was reading about these guys at Trouser Press and I realized that I got into them near the end. Apparently in their earlier work they were influenced by Birthday Party/Nick Cave. I never noticed from this record which is heavy, in a more conventional way, but the vocals are similarly intense or insane, you decide. In some ways it’s similar to Head of David in the way the riffs are layered up to create these fantastic metallic dirges, but, again, the vocals are way more intense.