Various ‎– Subterranean Modern [LP] (1979, Ralph Records)

One of the original forefathers in the industrial boom of the 1980s, Chrome's amalgam of distorted guitars and vocals, samples from TV, and a raw punk aesthetic (inspired by The Stooges) became much more popular in the early '90s than it ever was while the band was around in the '70s and '80s. Although active for only six years, Chrome left behind a huge discography, including nine full LPs (several of which were released posthumously) and numerous EPs and singles. 

MX-80 Sound is an eclectic art-metal-rock band founded in 1974 in Bloomington, Indiana by guitarist Bruce Anderson. Considered “one of the most out of step but prescient bands of its time," MX-80’s signature sound consisted of breakneck metallic guitar combined with atonal chord structure, cross-rhythmic percussion and dispassionate vocals. Notoriously difficult to categorize -the band has been labeled noise rock, post-punk, acid punk, and heavy-metal-, MX-80’s sonic melange set the stage for bands such as Swans, Sonic Youth, Codeine, and Shellac. 

Over the course of a recording career spanning several decades, The Residents remained a riddle of Sphinx-like proportions; cloaking their lives and music in a haze of willful obscurity, the band's members never identified themselves by name, always appearing in public in disguise -usually tuxedos, top hats and giant eyeball masks- and refusing to grant media interviews. Drawing inspiration from the likes of fellow innovators including Harry Partch, Sun Ra, and Captain Beefheart, The Residents channeled the breadth of American music into their idiosyncratic, satiric vision, their mercurial blend of electronics, distortion, avant-jazz, classical symphonies and gratingly nasal vocals reinterpreting everyone from John Philip Sousa to James Brown while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of theatrical performance and multimedia interaction. 

The music of avant-garde, electronic-oriented collective Tuxedomoon ranged from new wave pop to jazz fusion to more experimental synthesizer soundscapes (usually including saxophone and violin), which were frequently married in concert to performance art shows. Tuxedomoon signed to The Residents' Ralph Records in 1979, which eventually got them overseas exposure. 

Label: Ralph Records ‎– SM7908 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: US 

Released: Aug 1979 

Style: Space Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Avantgarde, Experimental, Post-Punk, Garage Punk, Minimal Wave, Minimal Synth, Experimental Rock, Noise Rock

Tracklist:

A1 – Chrome Anti-Fade 3:52 

A2 – Chrome I Left My Heart In San Francisco 0:27 

A3 – Chrome Meet You In The Subway 5:15 

A4 – MX-80 Sound Lady In Pain 2:49 

A5 – MX-80 Sound I Left My Heart In San Francisco 1:52 

A6 – MX-80 Sound Possessed 4:54 

B1 – The Residents I Left My Heart In San Francisco 2:02 

B2 – The Residents Dumbo, The Clown (Who Loved Christmas) 2:07 

B3 – The Residents Is He Really Bringing Roses? (The Replacement) 2:34 

B4 – The Residents Time's Up 2:54 

B5 – Tuxedomoon I Left My Heart In San Francisco 1:03 

B6 – Tuxedomoon Everything You Want 4:14 

B7 – Tuxedomoon Waterfront Seat 4:28 

Notes:
"Subterranean Modern was Ralph Records' first album involving music from anyone other than The Residents or Snakefinger. The idea was to widen Ralph's appeal by bringing a greater variety of styles into the label. To this end Ralph had four band submit contributions on the theme of "San Francisco". Each was required to include a version of Tony Bennett's I Left My Heart In San Francisco. The four bands chosen were The Residents (of course), Chrome, Tuxedomoon, and MX-80 Sound..." (notes from The Residents website) 

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