This tape is the personal concept project of Jane Reaction (ex-Magic Mushroom Band) and her -then- boyfriend Joie Hinton (from Ozric Tentacles). On the recording, as musicians guested members of The Oroonies and The Ullulators, plus Gary "Moonboot" Masters and Kim Oz. Jane Reaction later on reinvented herself as Nana Obscuri. Somewhere between psychedelic dub minimal wave, Ozric Tentacles jam, Gong and some odd groove-funk outsider twee pop, etc., the vocals are sometiems too weak and instrumentation stereotypical. A bit uneven maybe, but lovely, and a rather consistent whole. Mostly it's also original anyway, and doesn't default too much on existing genres. Recommended: "Omné" and "Turkeys Dinner", maybe the longer piece "Floating In The Overflow" if you want a long jam à la aforementioned bands. Horribly under produced, but interesting mix of primitive 80s synthesizer, festival era spacerock, reggae, and even some good old fashioned new wave pop. Lot of cheap digital drums to endure that are awful, though not nearly as awful as that cassette cover. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label:
Not On Label (Evil Edna's Horror Toilet! Self-Released) – EE1 ††
Format:
Cassette, Album
Country:
UK
Released:
1986
Style:
Reggae, Dub, Psychedelic Rock, Experimental, Space Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Minimal Wave
Monomaniacal home-recordists-cum-outsider-musicians are getting to be a rather common breed, but Columbus, Ohio’s Jim Shepard was hunkered down in his primordial lair back when most people thought “lo-fi” meant listening to music on a transistor radio. Far more devoted to noise than most one-man/4-track operations, Shepard -who hung himself at home in October 1998- had a flair for carving out blocks of blue-collar art-rock that rivals fellow Rust Belt survivors like Destroy All Monsters and Pere Ubu (in its heyday). He also tempered the smart-guy sound-assemblage with a dark and smoky garage aesthetic born of toxin-laden practice spaces and beer-soaked lunch hours out behind the plant.
Shepard inaugurated his insular experimentation back in the late ’70s with Vertical Slit, a free-ranging, amorphously constructed band that laid out its lattices of scree around the leader’s extraordinary guitar constructions. You can hear bits of MC5er Fred “Sonic” Smith, Sonny Sharrock and Can’s Michael Karoli in Shepard’s alternately piercing and massaging use of feedback, while his lyrics coat everything in sight with overlapping bile and black humor. An array of cassette releases and micro-pressed records -in editions ranging from 100 ('Slit and Pre-Slit') to a whopping 300 ('The Live EP')- were excerpted for 'Vertical Slit and Beyond', a revelatory 1976-’90 compendium of isolationist howl that would be impossible to replicate in an age of networking and backslapping indie-rock support groups.
Not that the confronto-delic aesthetic that endures in V-3 (a combo Shepard put together) exactly conforms to that of the whippersnappers who have sprung up over the years. In fact, his last-sane-man-on-earth stance might be even more pronounced in this setting. [SOURCE: TROUSER PRESS]
Label:
Iron Press – none
Format:
Cassette, Album
Country:
US
Released:
1989
Style:
Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Post-Punk, Slacker Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Noise Rock, Experimental Rock
The Raw Herbs were an English indie pop band signed to Medium Cool Records, who had a number 19 hit on the UK Indie Chart in 1987 with "Don't Bury Me Yet". The band comprised Derek Parker (vocals, guitar), Kevin Bache (guitar), Steven Archibald (bass), and Brian Alexis (drums). The band recorded a session for Janice Long's BBC Radio 1 show in 1987. Brian Alexis, who had taken up teaching after receiving a degree in psychology at UEL, died on 17 May 2011 after suffering a deep vein thrombosis. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Label: Medium Cool – MC002
Format:
Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single Sided, Stereo, Flexi
Country: UK
Released: 1986
Style: Indie Rock, Twee Pop, C86, Jangle Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
This album deserves way more attention than what it receives. It’s not overly long in terms of number of tracks only capping at six of Verve’s earliest shoegaze monsters, but every minute of this album is staggering. The bass sets a fantastic groove on tracks like "Slide Away" and "Gravity Grave", but the effects on the guitars on those two tracks make them incredibly special. This version of "Gravity Grave" is absolutely electric and the noisy-ness that the studio version doesn’t have takes it to another level. "One Way to Go" is another track that blows its studio version out of the water and it’s drop in the latter half of the track gives the goosebumps.
The next track is a very rare one called "South Pacific" that has some of the best guitar work on the entire album from Nick McCabe and this track feels like it really explodes in between the verses. "Already There" is another blistering track similar in vein to it’s album-mate "Slide Away" and is another very strong addition to the album. Finally we have a live version of the early classic Verve track "She’s a Superstar". This is essential listening for anyone who’s a fan of shoegaze. [RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label: Jolly Roger Recordings – Jolly Roger 2
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition
Country: US
Released: 1993
Style: Space Rock, Psychedelic Rock,
Shoegaze, Neo-Psychedelia, Space Rock Revival, Noise Rock, Post-Rock, Dream Pop
Tracklist:
A1 Slide Away 6:02
A2 Gravity Grave 8:26
A3 One Way To Go 5:58
B1 South Pacific 3:59
B2 Already There 4:45
B3 She's A Superstar 6:45
Notes:
Live tracks recorded in London and New York in 1992.
Lori and the Chameleons are just so incredibly frustrating. A band with a wonderfully distinct and full blooded sound but whose entire output consist of a microscopic 4 songs. All of them very good, mind, but they're still just four songs.
This most shortlived of bands was comprised by Lori, who apparently dropped off the map after releasing a couple of singles, the notorious Bill Drummond, later of The KLF and dozens of other head-scratching projects most will likely already be acquainted with and David Balfe, soon to become the keyboardist for The Teardrop Explodes and Julian Cope's close friend/nemesis.
Drummond and Balfe dubbed themselves the Chameleons and, inviting Lori along, wrote these exotic, widescreen travelogues in song format. Their debut single went head over heels for Japan, the outstanding B-side to this one goes to Peru.
It bears repeating how much of a travesty it was that a band like this was only a blip in the radar for a milisecond, an experience abandoned as quickly as it was picked up, still, they gave us 'The Lonely Spy', as musically rich, evocative, mysterious and intoxicating as new wave could ever hope to become. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label: Korova – KOW 5
Format:
Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 1980
Style: Synth-pop, New Wave, Dream Pop, Art Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Webcore formed in Cornwall in 1984 and lasted until 1987. They released several self-released cassettes: 'Cinematography' (A Real Kavoom, 1984) 'The Great Unfolding' (A Real Kavoom, 1986) and 'Consider The River' (M.E.L.T. Music, 1987); 2 LP's: 'Webcore' (1987) and 'Webcore Webcore' (1988); and 2 12"s through Jungle Records: 'The Captain's Table' and 'Running for the Precedent', both in 1987.
Members were
Mick West (Vox), Phil Pickering (Bass), Paul Chousmer (Keys),
Clive Goodwin (Guitar, later became Ozric Tentacles sound engineer),
Colin Woolway (Drums), Nick Van Gelder (Drums, had played with the Ozric Tentacles earlier and went on to Jamiroquai),Dan Carpenter (Sax occasionally), Jackie Hannah and Karen Kay (backing vox).
Webcore were co-founders of the event "Alice in Wonderland" with the Ozric Tentacles in the late eighties. Paul Chousmer and Dan Carpenter later did chillout rooms for London based events and venues such as Club Dog, the Deptford Crypt, and later Whirly-Gig and Return to the Source, under the name Another Green World during the early to mid-nineties. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]
Label:
Jungle Records – JUNG 30T, A Real Kavoom – ARK 23
Format:
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM
Country:
UK
Released:
1987
Style:
Psychedelic Rock, Experimental, Prog Rock, Neo-Psychedelia
The kind of album you only read about. This album is a beautiful piece of Art. It has a maroon sleeve, front back and gatefold, with the letters Z O O embossed in gold, Zoo being the Liverpool label it was put out on by Bill Drummond, who also ran the Zoo Club where Virginia Astley and her Ravishing Beauties made their live debut in the closing weeks of 1981.
Inside we're informed that the music had been taken from a play "To The Shores Of Lake Placid" which ran from mid 1978 to February 1981 with "all titles performed by the Original Cast".
Whatever, the recordings were all made in studios and full details are given for the items by Big In Japan, and this is followed by Drummond's own band Those Naughty Lumps with "Iggy Pop's Jacket", issued as a single in January 1979.
Then The Teardrop Explodes with the original version of "When I Dream", a couple of tracks by Echo & the Bunnymen and to close side I a couple of real gems in Lori & the Chameleons' "Lonely Spy" and The Turquoise Swimming Pool's "The Wind", previously unreleased and featuring Troy Tate, who was instrumental in suggesting the Zoo Club to the Ravishing Beauties a few months later. There's another track on side 2 by the same act, called "Burst Balloons". Along with more Teardrop Explodes, Big In Japan and Echo & the Bunnymen is a track by Dalek I Love You, licensed from the Back Door label. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label:
Zoo Records – ZOO 4, Zoo Records – ZOO FOUR
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country:
UK
Released:
07 Feb 1982
Style:
New Wave, Pop Rock, Synth-pop, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Neo-Psychedelia, Punk
Tracklist:
A1 – Big In Japan Society For Cutting Up Men
A2 – Those Naughty Lumps Iggy Pop's Jacket
A3 – The Teardrop Explodes When I Dream
A4 – Echo & The Bunnymen Pictures On My Wall
A5 – Echo & The Bunnymen Read It In Books
A6 – Lori And The Chameleons Lonely Spy
A7 – The Turquoise Swimming Pools The Winds
B1 – Whopper Kwalo Koblinsky's Lullaby
B2 – Dalek (I Love You) A Suicide
B3 – The Turquoise Swimming Pools Burst Balloons
B4 – Lori & The Chameleons Touch (Version/Excerpt)
B5 – The Teardrop Explodes Camera, Camera
B6 – Big In Japan Suicide A Go Go
B7 – Echo & The Bunnymen Villiers Terrace
B8 – The Teardrop Explodes Take A Chance
Notes:
The music on this record has been taken from the play 'To The Shores Of Lake Placid', which ran from August 24 1978 to February 21 1981. The play is the first in a trilogy, the second of which, as yet untitled, began on November 10 1981 at 'Club Zoo', 'The Pyramid', Liverpool, and will close at 'Erics', Liverpool on November 15 1983.
All titles are performed by the original cast.
Track A1 - previously unreleased. Recorded T.W. Studios October 1977. Licensed from Warner Bros. Music Ltd.
Track A2 - previously released as single (Zoo Cage 002) January 1979. Recorded Open Eye Studios, Liverpool.
Track A3 - the original version, taken from the never released album 'Everybody Wants To Shag The Teardrop Explodes' (Zoo 1). Recorded Rockfield Studios March 1980.
Track A4 - original version featuring Echo, released as single (Zoo Cage 004) March 1979. Recorded August Studios, Liverpool March 1979.
Track A5 - b-side of Track A4, not the version on American copies of 'Crocodiles' or Korova Special Offer Version.
Track A6 - originally released by Zoo Records through Korova Records. Recorded Rockfield Studios January 1980.
Track A7 - previously unreleased. Recorded Rockfield Studios February 1981.
Track B1 - from the forthcoming album 'The Fuel Of The Big Machine', licensed from 'Radio Peeking Duck'.
Track B2 - originally released on Back Door. Recorded Rockfield Studios early 1979.
Track B3 - previously unreleased. Recorded Rockfield Studios February 1981.
Track B4 - Brief remix of 'hit' single (Zoo CAGE 006) previously unreleased. Not credited on the package.
Track B5 - previously released as b-side of 'Sleeping Gas' (Zoo Cage 003). Recorded Open Eye Studios, Liverpool November 1978.
Track B6 - previously released on 'From Y To Z And Never Again' (Zoo Cage 001). Licensed from Warner Bros. Music Ltd.
Track B7 - recorded for John Peel Session May 1979. With kind permission of the BBC.
Track B8 - previously unreleased. Recorded Cargo, Rochdale November 1979.
Room Nine represented a different look to the '80s Seattle music scene. Formed in the early '80s, Room Nine's moody psychedelia didn't garner the press or radio attention that the city's post-punk acts eventually did. Comprised of Ron Rudzitis (vocals), Michael Laton (guitar), Scott Boggan (bass), and Shawn Allen (drums), Room Nine was an integral part of Seattle underground rock. During Room Nine's early days, Rudzitis' home was called the Room Nine House, a place where local musicians socialized after gigs. Rudzitis shared the home with Feast drummer Dan Peters and renowned Seattle photographer Charles Peterson. Rudzitis changed his name to Ron Nine, and Allen was replaced by Scott Vanderpool. In 1988, Room Nine released the critically acclaimed LP 'Voices...On a Summer's Day' on C'est La Mort Records. The track "Sea Without a Shore" was a hit on college-radio stations, and the band even took second place on one of MTV's Basement Tapes contests. After Room Nine broke up in the late '80s, Nine formed Love Battery with Peters, former Green River and Mother Love Bone bassist Bruce Fairweather, and ex-Crisis Party guitarist Kevin Witworth. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Label:
C'est La Mort – CLMLP 002
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
US
Released:
1987
Style:
New Wave, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Neo-Psychedelia, Dream Pop, Goth Rock, Jangle Pop
At once, starting with the very first chords, one is impressed with the sheer power of Afraid of Mice album. “I’ll give you rock ‘n’ roll, I’ll play my part for you, I’ll give you everything, I’ll break my heart for you” –begins the album opener “Popstar” which has absolutely nothing pop about it. And every song on the album is lush and done with an incredible panache and throughout their whole opus Afraid of Mice show enviable variety of their music. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label:
Charisma – CAS 1155
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
UK, Scandinavia, Netherlands, France
Released:
1981
Style:
New Wave, Post-Punk, Neo-Psychedelia, Glam Rock, Art Rock
One of the freakiest and most difficult to find Bevis Frond albums, this is a limited-edition collaboration with legendary British psychedelia figure Twink (aka, John Alder, ex-Tomorrow, Pretty Things, Pink Fairies, etc.), a drummer whose previous collaborators ranged from Syd Barrett to Hawkwind. Clearly he was a like-minded soul, and unlike most other Bevis Frond "collaborations," which end up being completely dominated by Nick Saloman's singular vision, 'Magic Eye' is definitely the work of both men. Opening with a completely over-the-top spoken introduction from Twink, the album is possibly the most purely psychedelic album Saloman has ever been involved with. The nine lengthy songs bristle with backwards effects, trippy guitar and keyboard textures, and the sort of lyrics one would expect to find in such settings. ("Flying Igloos," anyone?) Honestly, the whole thing sounds like it could have been recorded in 1969. A good-humored but not silly album, this is a most enjoyable set well worth tracking down. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Label:
Woronzow – WOO 13
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
UK
Released:
1990
Genre:
Rock
Style:
Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Jam Band
Yeah Yeah Noh are an "unpop" group formed in Leicester, England in 1983. Originally a product of the DIY post-punk era, they released two albums and five singles while still together in the 1980s, and have had two compilation albums issued since they split in 1986. Yeah Yeah Noh was formed by Derek Hammond (vocals, guitar) and John Grayland (guitar); Adrian Crossan (bass) joined them for the first single along with Graham Summers (drums). Sue Dorey (drums, vocals) was then recruited to complete the line up, debuting on the second single. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Label:
In Tape – ITTI 023
Format:
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, EP
Country:
UK
Released:
1985
Genre:
Rock
Style:
Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Tracklist:
This Side
A1 – Yeah Yeah Noh Temple Of Convenience 2:43
A2 – Yeah Yeah Noh The Time Beings 2:01
A3 – Yeah Yeah Noh Mr Hammond Is Out To Lunch 3:43
While Opal's 'Happy Nightmare Baby' is more representative of the group's richly textured brand of neo-psychedelia, the stripped-down 'Early Recordings' compilation is an even better example of David Roback and Kendra Smith's remarkable songcraft. Released in the wake of the group's breakup, the album collects the majority of tracks from the 'Fell From the Sun' and 'Northern Line' EPs, along with a handful of outtakes and unreleased cuts, all spotlighting Opal's more subdued, acoustic-folk side. Peeling away the mystical haze which enshrouded 'Happy Nightmare Baby', the songs are plaintive and stark, exposing the emotional complexity at the band's core -the wistful "Empty Box Blues" and the haunting "Harriet Brown," both previously unissued, are unmatched in their beauty and grace. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Label:
Rough Trade – ROUGH CD128
Format:
CD, Compilation
Country:
UK
Released:
1989
Style:
Alternative Rock, Folk Rock, Paisley Underground, Neo-Psychedelia, Dream Pop, Slowcore, Alt-Country
Tracklist:
1 Empty Box Blues 4:19
2 She's A Diamond 2:58
3 My Only Friend 4:01
4 Empty Bottles 2:02
5 Grains Of Sand 5:48
6 Brigit On Sunday 5:13
7 Northern Line 4:40
8 Strange Delight 1:42
9 Fell From The Sun 4:36
10 Harriet Brown 3:59
11 Lullabye 7:09
12 All Souls 2:22
13 Hear The Wind Blow 3:01
Credits:
Producer – David Roback
Notes:
Track 13 is a Bonus track for the CD edition.
Mastered by Nimbus
Other Versions:
'Early Recordings' (Cass, Comp) Rough Trade ROUGH US 53 C US 1989
'Early Recordings' (LP, Comp) Rough Trade, Rough Trade Records GmbH ROUGH 128, RTD 138 UK & Europe 1989
'Early Recordings' (CD, Comp) Rough Trade ROUGH US 53 CD US 1989
'Early Recordings' (LP, Comp) Rough Trade ROUGH US 053 US 1989
'Early Recordings' (LP, Comp, TP, W/Lbl) Rough Trade, Rough Trade Records GmbH ROUGH 128, RTD 138 UK 1989
