Ritual Device - Henge - Cassette tape on Redemption Records

Ritual Device imported the Chicago sound of Big Black, the Effigies, and the Jesus Lizard inspired punk to their hometown of Omaha, NE. With their own ire of complex guitars and screaming vocals, Ma's Ruin Records debuted the quartets hallmark noise on a 1994 split 10 with Killdozer. Continuing with the -ismist Records 7 of Rabe, the lineup of Randy Cotton (bass), Eric Ebers (drums), Mike Saklar (guitar), and Timothy Moss (vocals) settled in 1995 as they toured the East Coast. But by the time their live album Trademark of Quality Years came out by the end of that year, Ritual Device called it a day with Tommy Moss moving on to Men of Porn while Cotton and Saklar continued with Ravine.

Ritual Device - Henge - Cassette tape on Redemption Records

Hieronymus Firebrain - There - CD featuring Jonathan Segal of Camper Van Beethoven on Magnetic Records

Led by ex-Camper Van Beethoven multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Segel, the free-form underground rock unit Hieronymus Firebrain was an extension of Segel's 1989 solo LP Storytelling, comprising many of the same musicians who played on the album. After issuing a self-titled 1991 debut record on the Delta label, however, Hieronymus Firebrain's roster underwent a series of fluctuations which left Segel as the sole remaining original member; a new lineup released the 1994 LPs There and Here before disbanding. Segel and drummer Russ Blackmar soon reunited in the trio Jack & Jill.

Hieronymus Firebrain - There - CD featuring Jonathan Segal of Camper Van Beethoven on Magnetic Records

Yazoo and Yaz are actually the same band. They had to use the name Yaz in the U.S. because of copyright issues.
Vincent Clarke of Yazoo was actually one of the founding members of Depeche Mode, but left after their first album and enlisted Moyet to create Yazoo.
After two albums, Clarke and Moyet split. Alison Moyet went on to pursue a solo career. Vince Clarke continued to create other projects/bands, most notably Erasure.

Yazoo - Situation - 7 Inch Yaz Depeche Mode on Mute Records

HR - Keep Out Of Reach - CD on SST Records

An epic -- downright metal-sounding, even -- single, Keep out of Reach slots in neatly aside Bad Brains' I Against I in its slightly more mainstream but still pretty strong punch. The title track itself appears in two versions, the main one mixing hints of reggae into the music, but mostly keeping that atmosphere with H.R.'s fine singing voice. Calmer dub beats slot alongside some soaring guitar, especially toward the suddenly all-the-more-anthemic ending, and the whole is a pleasant listen indeed. The second version is explicitly listed a dub take, though most of the echo and treatment is applied to the vocals; aside from extra swirling guitar here and there, the music is pretty well unchanged. "Power of the Trinity," meanwhile, is a fine praisesong for Haile Selassie, shifting between stop-start thrash, warmer reggae grooves, more cascading guitar swells, and some highly wacky humor, H.R. is always the perfect vocalist at any point.

HR - Keep Out Of Reach - CD on SST Records

Meat Puppets - Huevos - Cassette tape on SST Records

Huevos means "eggs" in Spanish. It also, slangily, refers to balls. It's clear which connotation the Meat Puppets were alluding to when they named this record. It's as if they traded in their stoner VW bus for a muscle car. To push the metaphor further, it's as if they put away the hallucinogens in favor of Jack Daniels. There are far fewer overtly psychedelic touches on HUEVOS than on previous records. Whereas the group's records used to travel a circuitous path, on HUEVOS, the Puppets stick to the main road.You know you're not listening to your grandfather's Meat Puppets from the opening notes of "Paradise," which bears the unmistakable mechanized churning of MTV-era ZZ Top. The sound is altogether thicker, and the vocals are less from the upper chest than the lower diaphragm. But amid the balls-to-the-wall rockers like "Automatic Mojo" are starbursts of color, most notably "Fruit," with its jiggly beat and sighing backup vocals, and the molten, sublime axe work that decorates "Dry Rain."

Meat Puppets - Huevos - Cassette tape on SST Records

D.O.A. - Talk Minus Action Equals Zero - Cassette tape on Restless Records

D.O.A. is not only Canada's most important punk band; they're also one of punk's most enduring bands, period. While many of the punk acts that emerged in the late '70s broke up in the '80s - that is, if they even stayed together until then -- D.O.A. was still going strong well into the '90s. Recorded at Club Soda in D.O.A.'s native Vancouver in 1989, Talk Minus Action Equals Zero is among the albums that demonstrate how exciting and vital the Canadians can be on-stage. The lineup on this CD consists of singer Joey "Shithead" Keithley, guitarist Chris "Humper" Prohom, bassist Brian Roy Goble, and drummer Jon Card. Together they prove quite riveting on such left-leaning, angrily socio-political rants as "Fuck You," "General Strike," "Liar for Hire," and "Race Riot." This performance was recorded 11 years after D.O.A.'s formation, and it's clear that the band softened their blow very little during those years.

D.O.A. - Talk Minus Action Equals Zero - Cassette tape on Restless Records

Shadow Project - In Tuned Out Live 93 - Cassette tape on Triple X Records

The most prolific of Rozz Williams' post-Christian Death side projects, Shadow Project also most closely resembled the work that made Williams a goth icon, though it incorporated bits of his punk, glam, and experimental influences to a slightly greater degree. Centered around Williams and his wife Eva O., Shadow Project grew to share some of the supporting personnel from the alternate version of Christian Death, which Williams revived concurrently beginning in the late '80s. After leaving the original Christian Death in 1985, Williams remained effectively silent for a couple of years, though he did perform occasionally in Premature Ejaculation. In 1987, he married Eva O. of the Superheroines, five years after she'd sung backup on the first Christian Death album. Together they founded Shadow Project, which was named after a peculiar effect of the nuclear detonation at Hiroshima (some people left shadows burned into the pavement, but no bodies). Shadow Project gave its first performance in San Francisco in 1987, but didn't really maintain much of a profile until Williams and O. returned to their native Los Angeles for good in 1990. Once there, they recruited keyboardist Paris, bassist Jill Emery (who'd played with O. in the Superheroines, and also worked with Hole and Mazzy Star), and drummer Tom Morgan (ex-Flesh Eaters). This lineup completed Shadow Project's self-titled debut album, which was released on Triple X in 1991. With Peter Tomlinson replacing Morgan, the group completed a follow-up, Dreams for the Dying, that became their best-known work when it appeared in 1992. The band's lineup subsequently became more fluid, as musicians working with Williams on other projects -- including guitarist William Faith, drummer Stevyn Grey, horn man Ace Farren Ford, and drummer Christian Omar Madrigal Izzo -- floated in and out. By 1993, Eva O. had decided to focus on solo material, and Williams was moving on to other concerns, so Shadow Project played a farewell show at (oddly enough) a Denny's restaurant in Orange County. It was later released as the live album In Tuned Out. Williams and O. divorced in the mid-'90s, as Williams' heroin addiction worsened, but remained friendly. Starting in 1997, they reunited for a mostly acoustic Shadow Project album, which also featured guitarist/producer Michael Ciravolo and keyboardist Nathan Van Hala. Sadly, Williams never lived to see it released; he hanged himself on April 1, 1998, after which the album appeared on Hollow's Hill under the title From the Heart.

Shadow Project - In Tuned Out Live 93 - Cassette tape on Triple X Records

The Flamin Groovies - Groovies Greatest Grooves - Cassette tape on Sire Records

During their early period with Roy Loney as lead singer, the Flamin' Groovies made one great album (Teenage Head), one very good one (Flamingo), and one that was flawed but enjoyable (Supersnazz). When Cyril Jordan took over as the band's unquestioned leader following Loney' s departure, the Groovies shifted gears from supercharged roots rock to neo-British Invasion pop, and while every record they released had more than a few brilliant moments, they seemed incapable of making an album that was solid from front to back. Thankfully, some bright penny at Sire Records got the idea of putting together a Flamin' Groovies compilation CD, and the result, Groovies' Greatest Grooves, makes a superb case for the inconsistent but undeniable brilliance of their post-Loney repertoire. Groovies' Greatest Grooves harvests pretty much every great track from the group's three albums for Sire (Shake Some Action, Flamin' Groovies Now!, and Jumpin' in the Night) and tosses in one superb cut with Loney (the masterful "Teenage Head"), two hard-to-find ravers with short-time vocalist Chris Wilson (including the much-covered "Slow Death"), and a rough but exciting demo of "River Deep, Mountain High" cut for a proposed collaboration with Phil Spector. While Jordan's edition of the Flamin' Groovies may not have rocked as hard as Loney's, that doesn't say that they couldn't rock hard when they wanted to, as "Jumpin' in the Night," "Tallahassee Lassie," and "Please Please Girl" easily prove, and "Shake Some Action," "You Tore Me Down," and "All I Wanted" are as transcendent as pop music gets. A satisfying 75 minutes of pure bliss, Groovies' Greatest Grooves is a one-stop shopping place for anyone wanting the cream of the Flamin' Groovies' faux-Brit era, and a fine introduction to one of the best American bands of the period.

The Flamin Groovies - Groovies Greatest Grooves - Cassette tape on Sire Records

Young Fresh Fellows - Totally Lost - Cassette tape on Frontier Records

Well, at least partially lost. Recorded at a time of much band turmoil (founding guitarist Chuck Carroll had left, though he plays on most of the album, and replacement Kurt Bloch had not quite fully integrated himself into the band yet, plus this was their first official release for Frontier Records after the L.A.-based label had reissued 1987's The Men Who Loved Music), Totally Lost is the sound of a band who isn't quite sure which of several directions they could travel. Most notably, the silliness of previous albums is almost totally absent; even drolly titled tunes like "I'd Say That You Were Upset" and "The Universal Trendsetter" have a more mature tone to them than before. In keeping with this newfound seriousness, the manic, almost-punky edge of earlier albums is missing, and some songs have hints of the more rootsy feel leader Scott McCaughey would soon take both in the late-period Young Fresh Fellows and his later project, the Minus 5. A transitional album, Totally Lost is the Fellows' weakest effort since their scattershot debut, but the increased sophistication both in McCaughey's songs and the band's tighter-than-ever playing makes it worthwhile.

Young Fresh Fellows - Totally Lost - Cassette tape on Frontier Records

Bo Bud Greene - Las Olas - Indie CD on 4 Alarm Records

Indie punk-popsters Bo Bud Greene were formed in Austin, Texas in 1992 as Paint; guitarist/vocalist Anderson Bracht and guitarist Sean Mullens met through a classified ad, and quickly added drummer Tim Dittmar. The group self-released a number of cassettes with several different bassists before legal action forced their name change in 1993. Marcara Fort became the full-time bassist shortly thereafter, and Bo Bud Greene began recording singles and compilation tracks to supplement their cassette-only work. After two singles on the Last Beat label, the group recorded its debut album, Whatever, in 1995 for Backyard Records. Several more compilation appearances preceded the band's full-length follow-up, The Same But Different, which appeared on Super Cottonmouth in 1997.

Bo Bud Greene - Las Olas - Indie CD on 4 Alarm Records

The Mekons - Honky Tonkin - Cassette tape on Twin Tone Records

The third album from what could be called the Mekons' "soused socialist hillbilly-punks from Leeds" period, 1987's Honky Tonkin' built on the country-influenced musical and lyrical themes of Fear and Whiskey and The Edge of the World, where the boozy ambience of classic Nashville sounds found a sympathetic ear among this pack of political and emotional underdogs. As a set of songs, Honky Tonkin' isn't quite up to the standards of the previous two albums, which creatively kick started the band after a period of inactivity, but as an album Honky Tonkin' is one of the band's best efforts. Touring and frequent visits to the recording studio had tightened up the Mekons' sound a bit ("tight" being a highly relative concept), and while it's many miles away from slick, the more full-bodied engineering and production on Honky Tonkin' was a decided improvement on the often hollow and slapdash recording of Fear and Whiskey. And given a sympathetic recording environment for a change, the Mekons truly delivered the goods; the rollicking sway of "Kidnapped" and "Keep Hoppin'" finds room for a boozy joy in an unfriendly world, while the bitterness and defeat of "Spit" and "I Can't Find My Money" put a sympathetic human face on this band's class-conscious rage. And while this album didn't contain the Mekons' first stab at the 19th century protest song "The Trimdon Grange Explosion," this version was a remarkable meeting of folk-rock's earnestness and punk's spitting wrath which ranks with the group's most powerful recorded moments. Just short of a masterpiece, and one of the high points of the Mekons' twangy period.

The Mekons - Honky Tonkin - Cassette tape on Twin Tone Records

Grave Digger - Excalibur - German power metal CD on Nuclear Blast Records

German power metal band Grave Digger was formed in late 1980 by frontman Chris Boltendahl, guitarist Peter Masson, bassist Willi Lackmann and drummer Albert Eckardt. Debuting three years later on the Rock from Hell compilation, in 1984 Grave Digger returned with the full-length Heavy Metal Breakdown; after the following year's Witch Hunter, Lackmann left the lineup, and was replaced by bassist C.F. Brank for 1986's War Games. The group then shortened their name to simply Digger for 1987's Stronger than Ever, which saw guitarist Uwe Lulis substituting for Masson; Boltendahl then dissolved the project, finally reuniting with Lulis in 1991 and recruiting new bassist Tomi Gottlich and drummer Jörg Michael for The Reaper, credited once again to Grave Digger. Drummer Frank Ullrich replaced Michael for 1995's Heart of Darkness, with percussion duties handled by Stefan Arnold on Tunes of War; with the departure of Gottlich, Jens Becker assumed the bass for 1998's Knights of the Cross. Keyboardist H.P. Katzenburg expanded the Grave Digger lineup to a five-piece for Excalibur, issued a year later.

Grave Digger - Excalibur - German power metal CD on Nuclear Blast Records

The Chameleons - The Fan And The Bellows : A Collection Of Classic Early Recordings - Vinyl Album

The band initially released three studio albums in the 1980s. In 1981, after the band recorded a series of demos and released their first single "In Shreds", the late legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel featured The Chameleons on his radio program Peel Sessions (Many of these recordings were re-released years later, following the band's breakup. Several live albums and compilations were also released. Following the Peel Sessions, The Chameleons released their first full-length studio LP, the critically-acclaimed Script of the Bridge, on the Statik label in 1983. The album features a blend of rhythmic electric guitar textures, all of which provide a moody and intense backdrop for Mark Burgess' haunting vocals. After their third release, Strange Times, in 1987 they abruptly disbanded following the sudden death of band manager Tony Fletcher.

The Chameleons - The Fan And The Bellows : A Collection Of Classic Early Recordings - Vinyl Album

Bongwater - The Power Of Pussy - Cassette tape on Shimmy Disc Records

Earlier recordings consisted of psychedelic-era cover songs, sound collages and originals in an abrasive and/or abstract, dense and sludgy experimental style with often punishing vocals by Magnuson on the songs "Frank" (a sardonic "tribute" to Frank Sinatra) and "Dazed and Chinese" (Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused", sung in Mandarin). which approach evolved into a more poppy, sexy approach which still retained an experimental edge as well as retaining the surreal and wicked, often self-deprecating wit which had distinguished the group's earlier releases. Lengthy sound collages would often terminate or begin the songs and without warning, a spoken word monologue might cut into the music.

Bongwater - The Power Of Pussy - Cassette tape on Shimmy Disc Records

Sacrifice... continues Greg Sage's transformation from a moderately hard-edged rocker to a pop crooner -- the album's compositions are entirely pop/rock, with an entirely friendly rustic/western shuffle to them. As with Sage's solo debut, however, the surprise is that this sound is smooth and pleasant, rather than sappy or watered-down -- these are the sorts of songs that probably could have conquered pop radio in the eighties, and Sage tosses them out unassumingly enough (and with enough slight modernities -- "Know by Now") that Sacrifice... seems less like a bad adult-contemporary album and more like a sweet pop runthrough.

Greg Sage Of The Wipers - Sacrifice For Love - Cassette tape on Restless Records

Hollow - Architect Of The Mind - CD on Nuclear Blast Records

Originally going under the moniker Vaalkyrian, Andreas Stoltz (vocals/guitar) Thomas Nilsson (bass) and Urban Wikstrom (drums) eventually changed their name to Hollow upon the recruitment of second guitarist Marcus Bigren. Feeling that the name of their band perfectly fit the mood setting of their personalities and musical tone, Hollow released their debut album "Modern Cathedral" in 1998 with the accompaniment of progressive rock chords and a love for classic Rush and Queensryche.

Hollow - Architect Of The Mind - CD on Nuclear Blast Records

Lucinda Williams - The Nights Too Long - 7 inch vinyl with picture sleeve on Rough Trade Records

Lucinda Williams - The Nights Too Long - 7 inch vinyl with picture sleeve on Rough Trade Records

Lucinda Williams - The Nights Too Long - Seven Inch

Auto Repeat - Unbearable Lightness Of Autorepeating - CD on SSR Records

Viennese producer DJ Elin recorded several records for Crammed and SSR in the late '90s as Auto Repeat. These productions, highlighted by the Unbearable Lightness of Autorepeating full-length in late 1999, were constructed with the aid of George, Elin's sampler. Elin's Auto Repeat tracks were remixed by such luminary figures as Carl Craig, DJ Sneak, and Paul Johnson

Auto Repeat - Unbearable Lightness Of Autorepeating - CD on SSR Records

The final release from Fudge Tunnel, Complicated Futility of Ignorance comes off like a modern, slightly mechanized Motörhead, comparable to late Prong perhaps, but more dynamic and without any of the industrial gimmicks. This record drips with the blood of calloused hands shredded in an attempt to extricate every ounce of heaviness from the many angular and distorted guitar riffs. Not one to ever hold back, guitarist/vocalist Alex Newport leads his band (that also includes David Riley on bass and Adrian Parkin on drums) through one relentless and violent metal groove-fest after another. The quality is consistant throughout this recording, but the doom-inflected "Six Eight" and the ruthless opener "Random Acts of Cruelty" are subtle standouts. Fans of sludgy, extreme metal not yet familiar with the influential Fudge Tunnel would do well to acquaint themselves with Complicated Futility of Ignorance, perhaps the best of this group's many fine offerings.

Fudge Tunnel - The Complicated Futility Of Ignorance - Cassette tape on Earache Records

Godflesh - Slavestate - Cassette tape on Earache Records

For this EP, actually compiled from a somewhat scattered number of original singles, Godflesh tackled what the members saw as its inaccurate 䀘death metal' labeling head-on, explicitly embracing an electronic body music/industrial dancefloor approach. Some disgruntled fans even went so far as to call the collection techno, which isn't so surprising considering that the core rhythm sample of the brilliant title track is in fact taken from Stakker Humanoid's late eighties classic "Humanoid." The rampage of guitars and Broadrick's own way around singing and lyrics are still very much Godflesh in excelsis, though, as is the other, blunter drum machine burst which makes up the song. Two further versions of the song appeared on the EP as well, a wryly titled 䀘radio slave' edit that's actually even more on the edge, and the 䀘total state' mix, more a general exploration of the track instrumentally with different arrangements. Another number that appeared in multiple guises was "Perfect Skin," more in the vein of previous Godflesh songs but with an almost epic, airborne backing guitar arrangement nearly hidden by the crunching beats. Broadrick's own singing here is actually fairly restrained, while the 䀘dub' mix is much fiercer and unfriendlier, removing all singing and sounding very much like a mechanical musique concrete symphony plus guitars. Two other numbers surface without attendant mixes -- "Someone Somewhere Scorned," which has a notable electronic bass part breaking up the usual piledriving assault, and "Meltdown," a strong number that's the most reminiscent of the earlier band, though with a surprisingly lovely coda. The EP is rounded out by two further tracks from a separate single release, "Slateman/Wound '91." As might be guessed, the latter is another version of the Godflesh track, but "Slateman" is something else again, Broadrick's mournful, drawn-out singing infusing the music with a melancholy air.

Godflesh - Slavestate - Cassette tape on Earache Records

Hammerhead - Evil Twin - Cassette tape on Amphetamine Reptile Records

With power and intensity to spare, post-punk hard rock trio Hammerhead could as easily have been called "Sledgehammer" (even if a heavy metal outfit from England hadn't beat them to it). Paul Sanders (vocals, guitar), Paul Erickson (vocals, bass), and Jeff Mooridian Jr. (drums) formed the group in Fargo, ND, around 1990, and moved to Minneapolis, MN, just a few years later. Amphetamine Reptile, which is also located in Minneapolis, released all of their recordings. The band has cited Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle as a guiding influence on their loud, dark, rhythmic approach. Others have compared them to everything from hardboiled pulp fiction authors Jim Thompson and James M. Cain, to brain-pounding noise rock units Unsane, Surgery, and Bastro.

Their vinyl debut was 1991's Peep picture disc single (featuring art by ex-Replacement Chris Mars). It was followed by 1992's Load King, a tour-only single issued on gray vinyl, and 1993's live Evil Twin, another tour-only single. Their first full-length was 1993's Ethereal Killer, recorded while they were still located in Fargo. Next came the Evil Twin EP, which featured the four songs from the previous 7", two from the picture disc, and a re-recorded version of "Load King" (and was originally issued as a yellow-vinyl 10"). They had relocated to Minneapolis by the time 1994's Into the Vortex hit the streets. It witnessed the trio moving their driving, minimalist sound in a more focused -- but no less uncompromising -- direction with lyrics taking on greater importance. The Taxi Driver influence was driven home by couplets like, "Someone should clean this dirty world/someone should save the pretty girls" ("All This Is Yours") and "The rain came down/blood soaked the streets" ("Brest"). Many fans -- and Hammerhead's fans only seem to have increased since they called it quits -- consider 1996's Duh, the Big City their crowning achievement. Unfortunately, it was to be their last full-length recording, and was followed by only one more release, the tour-only Earth (I Won't Miss) single. The beginning of the end had already arrived when Sanders left the group in 1995. Other guitarists were enlisted to take his place, but none quite stuck. He went on to form more RAM (which later disbanded), while Erickson (billed as Apollo Liftoff) and Mooridian Jr. formed Vaz

Hammerhead - Evil Twin - Cassette tape on Amphetamine Reptile Records

The Edsel Auctioneer - Simmer - CD on Shimmy Disc Records

Edsel Auctioneer was a band formed in Leeds in 1988 by Ashley Horner (guitar/ vocals), Phil Pettler (bass/ vocals), Aidan Winterburn (vocals, guitar) and Chris Cooper (drums). They were named after the ill-fated Ford automobile whose front grille was supposed to have resembled a woman's pudenda. Best friends with Pale Saints, they lived on the same street in Leeds, Harold Avenue (which spawned the so-called Voice of the Harolds). In early '88 they recorded a number of songs for a small indie label in Glasgow (including Blind Hurricane) but this never got released. Instead the songs found their way to John Peel who described in Offbeat magazine the moment he heard the cassette he drove off the A12 to Suffolk in shock. Peel subsequently invited the band into Maida Vale to do a session. They recorded four songs ("Brickwall Dawn", "Blind Hurricane", "Between Two Crimes" and "Place In the Sun") and it was broadcast in late 1988 and again in 1989. On the back of this they signed to Decoy Records, a sub-division of Rhythm King records that also was the home of Mega City Four. They recorded their first single "Our New Skin/ Strung" in Camden with Iain Burgess (friend of Steve Albini) and followed this with an EP "Stickleback"/ "Bed, Table, Chair"/ "Necessary Disease" and "Unbroken Line". These first two releases were collected as a mini-album Voice of the Harolds. The music has often been classified as something like Dinosaur Jr, Hüsker Dü and My Bloody Valentine, although there were also traces of the Byrds, the Monkees and sixties garage bands as well as the Go-Betweens and the Pixies.

The Edsel Auctioneer - Simmer - CD on Shimmy Disc Records

A Chorus Of Disapproval - Firm Standing Law - Cassette tape on New Age Records

Discography collecting all of XCHORUSX's recorded work. The lp, both seven inches, the demo and live comp track are all here. Hard as nails Southern California Straight Edge Hardcore. The militant edge is not a joke.

A Chorus Of Disapproval - Firm Standing Law - Cassette tape on New Age Records

Poindexter Stewart - College Rock - 10 inch vinyl album on SST Records

Poindexter Stewart - College Rock - 10 inch vinyl album on SST Records

Das Damen - Triskaidekaphobe - CD on SST Records

Although it wasn't the only label they would call home, Das Damen was, in many ways, the quintessential SST band. Triskaidekaphobe (fear of the number 13), their third recording for the label, is all about the guitar, and the guitar playing throughout is quite good (Wayne Kramer from MC5 assists with what the credits describe as "riff rock"). Unlike Dinosaur Jr. or Sonic Youth, however, Das Damen never quite ventured into the realm of pure noise. Their approach was more like that of the Screaming Trees or even the Meat Puppets (i.e., neo-psychedelic guitar rock with a garage chaser). But the New York-based quartet lacked the very ingredient that would help the Trees go on to even greater success in the '90s: a vocalist with the range and presence of a Mark Lanegan. Urgent but undistinguished vocals prevent Triskaidekaphobe from having the impact that it should (arguably, Dinosaur Jr.'s love of excessive volume helped to disguise a similar shortcoming during their SST years). The Marshmellow Conspiracy EP, released the same year, included album tracks "Bug" (possibly as much a tribute to Mascis and company as "fIREJOKE" was to fIREHOSE) and an alternate version of "555," along with non-LP tracks "Sky Yen" and "Song for Michael Jackson to $ell" (i.e., "Magical Mystery Tour" in disguise). When representatives for Jackson, owner of the Beatles' catalog, found out about the deception, SST was forced to withdraw the EP. It was later reissued as a three-track recording.

Das Damen - Triskaidekaphobe - CD on SST Records

The Blue Humans Featuring Rudolph Grey - Clear To Higher Time - CD o New Alliance Records

The Blue Humans is the name used by experimental guitarist Rudolph Grey for the improvised performances he leads with a variety of other musicians. Grey first came to notice in the late-1970s New York post punk and art scene which also produced Sonic Youth and Swans, and played in the influential no wave band Mars. Since then, he has released solo material as well as several Blue Humans records, the latter mostly live recordings. Blue Humans members and collaborators have included Arthur Doyle, Beaver Harris, Alan Licht, Charles Gayle and Thurston Moore.

The Blue Humans Featuring Rudolph Grey - Clear To Higher Time - CD o New Alliance Records

The Pedaljets - ST - Cassette tape on Communion Records

The inclusion of a second guitarist and a desire to stretch out stylistically combine to trip up the Pedaljets on their sophomore outing. The songs, which employ slower rhythms, acoustic instruments and open space, lack distinction; where the group's first record Today Today recalled the Replacements' snottier stuff, Pedaljets sounds just like the Mats' more quiet work, but without Paul Westerberg's lyrical acumen and passion.

The Pedaljets - ST - Cassette tape on Communion Records

Bo Bud Greene - Las Olas - Indie CD on 4 Alarm Records

Indie punk-popsters Bo Bud Greene were formed in Austin, Texas in 1992 as Paint; guitarist/vocalist Anderson Bracht and guitarist Sean Mullens met through a classified ad, and quickly added drummer Tim Dittmar. The group self-released a number of cassettes with several different bassists before legal action forced their name change in 1993. Marcara Fort became the full-time bassist shortly thereafter, and Bo Bud Greene began recording singles and compilation tracks to supplement their cassette-only work. After two singles on the Last Beat label, the group recorded its debut album, Whatever, in 1995 for Backyard Records. Several more compilation appearances preceded the band's full-length follow-up, The Same But Different, which appeared on Super Cottonmouth in 1997.

Bo Bud Greene - Las Olas - Indie CD on 4 Alarm Records

Salem 66 - Frequency And Urgency - Vinyl album on Homestead Records 1987

Salem 66 was an indie group formed in 1982 by Judy Grunwald, Elisabeth Kaplan and Susan Merriam. At the time a serious all female rock band was somewhat unusual. Through the eighties, the band added and subtracted members, including Robert Wilson, Stephen Smith, Tim Condon, and Jim Vincent. The band lasted until 1989 and was an important part of the Boston alternative indie music scene during the 1980s. They recorded and released records on Homestead Records, a label founded by Gerard Cosloy. Their music was described as folk punk, but they could be called jangle pop and a loose association can be made with the Paisley Underground and groups such as R.E.M..

Salem 66 - Frequency And Urgency - Vinyl album on Homestead Records 1987

Greg Sage Of The Wipers - Sacrifice For Love - Cassette tape on Restless Records

Sacrifice... continues Greg Sage's transformation from a moderately hard-edged rocker to a pop crooner -- the album's compositions are entirely pop/rock, with an entirely friendly rustic/western shuffle to them. As with Sage's solo debut, however, the surprise is that this sound is smooth and pleasant, rather than sappy or watered-down -- these are the sorts of songs that probably could have conquered pop radio in the eighties, and Sage tosses them out unassumingly enough (and with enough slight modernities -- "Know by Now") that Sacrifice... seems less like a bad adult-contemporary album and more like a sweet pop runthrough.

Greg Sage Of The Wipers - Sacrifice For Love - Cassette tape on Restless Records

Thorazine - Merry Stupid Fucking Christmas - Red and green split colored vinyl 7 inch on Hell Yeah Records

Extremely RARE red and green split colored vinyl seven inch!

Thorazine - Merry Stupid Fucking Christmas - Red and green split colored vinyl 7 inch on Hell Yeah Records

Tar Babies - Honey Bubble - Cassette tape on SST Records

The last album from the Tar Babies is their funkiest and in many ways their most successful, though the vocals are still a bit weak and lacking in personality. Indeed, the two best cuts are the ones with guest vocalists -- of a sort. "Spaight and Ashbury" is really an instrumental that happens to be overlaid with recordings of rambling, surreal answering-machine messages. Oddly, the mix works perfectly, with the strange stream-of-consciousness monologue a mad counterpoint to the sizzling funk rumbling beneath it. "Bimbos and Idiots" is a non-politically correct rant that features a female guest vocal, and it comes off livelier than most of the other cuts. Elsewhere, the vocals on "Honey Bubble" are lacking in character -- not bad, but not memorable. This is unfortunate because most of the music here is first-rate, mixing punk, funk, and experimentalism to great effect. Funky slap bass and strident, discordant guitars mix much better than might be expected, and though the horn section never really cuts loose, there are some moments when they add a soulful or jazzy tone to a punkish riff. This band had some very good ideas and weren't afraid to experiment, and even if they didn't always pull everything off, their albums still sizzle.

Tar Babies - Honey Bubble - Cassette tape on SST Records

Corduroy - Jan Michael Vincent - Featuring members of 50 Million, Redemption 87 and Hi-Fives on Broken Rekids Records

Corduroy was an indie-rock trio from the San Francisco Bay area, in existence from 1991 to 1995. Each member had connections to other bands: singer/guitarist Wade Driver to 50 Million, bassist Mike Weisburg to the Foster Brooks, and drummer Gary Gutfeld to the Hi-Fives and Redemption '87. Although the group recorded often, much of their material went unreleased during the band's existence, their only full-length LP being 1994's Lisp

Corduroy - Jan Michael Vincent - Featuring members of 50 Million, Redemption 87 and Hi-Fives on Broken Rekids Records

Angry Samoans - Live At Rhino Records - Cassette tape of LA punk on Triple XXX Records

Along with X, Black Flag, Fear and the Circle Jerks, the savagely satirical Angry Samoans rode the first wave of Los Angeles punk. Formed in Van Nuys, California in the summer of 1978, the band was founded by singers and guitarists "Metal" Mike Saunders and Gregg Turner, a pair of erstwhile rock critics who previously teamed with fellow writer Richard Meltzer in the group Vom. After considering names like the Egyptians and the Eigen Vectors (a mathematical term -- Turner later became a math professor), they settled on the Angry Samoans, enlisted Saunders' brother Kevin on guitar, bassist Todd Homer and drummer Bill Vockeroth, and initially set out as a Dictators cover band.

Soon, Saunders and Turner began writing original material, drawing influence from the Velvet Underground, the Sonics, the 13th Floor Elevators and garage rock. After honing their primitive and increasingly thrashy sound at a series of surreal gigs (including sets at the Camarillo State Mental Hospital and a lunchtime show at Santa Monica High School, where emcee Meltzer asked if any "heroin addicts" were in the audience), the Samoans -- substituting guitarist P.J. Galligan for Kevin Saunders -- debuted in 1980 with the EP Inside My Brain, highlighted by "Get Off the Air," their pointed swipe at KROQ deejay Rodney Bingenheimer and the L.A. musical community.

Two years later, they resurfaced with Back from Samoa, featuring titles like "They Saved Hitler's Cock," "Tuna Taco" and "My Old Man's a Fatso." Soon, the band grew disenchanted with the entire punk culture, and they spent the next several years largely in a dormant state: guitarist Steve Drojensky replaced Kevin Saunders in 1984, Vockeroth went on hiatus, and Jeff Dahl temporarily stepped in for "Metal" Mike in 1985, but by and large the group laid low until 1987's Yesterday Started Tomorrow. Problems with their label and internal differences led the group to disband after recording 1988's STP Not LSD.

In 1991, "Metal" Mike issued a solo EP, Plays the Hits of the '90s; in 1994, Turner released his own album, Santa Fe, and later fronted Gregg Turner and the Blood-Drained Cows. Homer, meanwhile, resurfaced in the neo-psychedelic outfit Mooseheart Faith Stellar Groove Band. By the mid-1990s, "Metal" Mike was also fronting a new Samoans line-up which still included longtime mainstay Vockeroth as well as guitarist Alison Wonderslam and Mark Byrne as well as bassist Adrienne Harmon; their infrequent performances (only on Saturdays and only in California) remain a vital link to punk's past.

Angry Samoans - Live At Rhino Records - Cassette tape of LA punk on Triple XXX Records

Napalm Death - Diatribes - Cassette tape on Earache Records

Napalm Death are a grindcore/death metal band from Birmingham, England. The band were formed in the village of Meriden near Birmingham, England in 1981 by Nicholas Bullen and Miles Ratledge. Although other groups had previously played fast and aggressive music, Napalm Death are credited with defining the Grindcore genre (a fusion of thrash metal and hardcore / thrash punk) through their blend of hardcore punk and metal musical structures, aggressive playing, fast tempos, and deep guttural vocals. The group coined the term 'Grind' to describe the music they played with particular reference to the sound of American post-punk group Swans.

Napalm Death - Diatribes - Cassette tape on Earache Records

Defecation - Purity Dilution - CD featuring Mick Harris of Napalm Death on Nculear Blast Records

Defecation was a project by Mick Harris (Back then in Napalm Death) and Mitch Harris (Back then in Rightous Pigs and now in Napalm Death). All this legandary outfit ever released was this album entitled "Purity Dilution" produced by Dan Lixer (Nuclear Assault / Brutal Truth) and 2 tracks for "Death Is Just The Beginning" compilation. Defecation were one of the first bands to combine the elements of Grindcore and Death Metal. Purity Dilution can stand as a milestone in the history of brutal music, so if you dig Napalm Death and don't own this one, shame on you!
You just gotta check out this awesome album!

Sad Lovers And Giants - Treehouse Poetry - UK import vinyl album on Midnight Records 1991

Sad Lovers & Giants are a rock band from Watford, England who formed in 1981. Their sound blends post-punk, folk and psychedelia and has seen them described as 'a pastoral Pink Floyd'.

The band's members have included Garçe (vocals), Tristan Garel-Funk (who went on to form The Snake Corps) (guitar), Tony McGuinness (now part of the trance trio Above & Beyond) (Guitar), Cliff Silver (bass), Ian Gibson (bass), David Wood (keyboards and saxophone), Juliet Sainsbury (keyboards) and Nigel Pollard (drums & percussion).

The original line up produced two albums, Epic Garden Music and Feeding the Flame, but split up in 1984 on the verge of commercial success. They returned in 1987 after a personnel change and released The Mirror Test, Headland and Treehouse Poetry before their label, Midnight Music, went bust in and the band split once again. E-mail From Eternity, a 'best of' compilation was released by Cherry Red in 1996 after picking up the Midnight catalogue from the receivers. The band rose from their frequently raked ashes to release a brand new album called Melting in the Fullness of Time in 2002 and played in Italy for the first time a year later.
Click here to see more Sad Lovers & Giants

Sleep - Holy Mountain - Cassette tape on Earache Records

Setting heavy metal's evolutionary clock back to the stone-age days of Saint Vitus with their debut Volume One was seemingly not enough for San Jose's Sleep, who decided to time travel all the way back to the pre-historic days of earliest Black Sabbath with their second album, 1993's Sleep's Holy Mountain. Indeed, while Kyuss' Blues for the Red Sun and Monster Magnet's Spine of God are more frequently cited as the most influential and important albums in launching the American stoner/doom metal scene, not even these landmark releases compare to Holy Mountain for sheer devotion to unadulterated doom and copious weed consumption. In fact, as monolithic opener "Dragonaut" descends into a bass solo at its conclusion, one would be forgiven for expecting the band to segue straight into "N.I.B." -- such is their similarity to classic Sabbath. Instead, they grind into "The Druid," which despite a quick nod to the Sabs' "Electric Funeral," actually begins to establish Sleep's personality, as riff upon massive riff in the form of songs like "Evil Gypsy/Solomon's Theme" and the groove-heavy "Aquarian" flow from the speakers like molten lava. In an age of machine-gun double-bass drums, Sleep's most startling quality had to be their seemingly endless patience. As they slowly embark upon the mammoth power chords of the title track and "From Beyond," they also prolong the buildup of tension before delivering a final release of cathartic proportions. Besides greatly inspiring next generation doomsters like Electric Wizard, such unwavering dedication to weed would also set the stage for their controversial and unfortunate swan song Jerusalem -- featuring a single, mind-bending 52-minute track.
Click here to buy this awesome release!

Pale - And Shed Her Skin - 7 Inch members of Dag Nasty, Circle Jerks, Descendents and Red Red Meat on Elastic records

Brian Deck is an American music producer and member of band Red Red Meat. He co-founded Idful Studios in 1988. In the early 2000's, Deck produced bands including Califone, Fruit Bats, The Grates, Holopaw, Iron & Wine, and Modest Mouse.
Pale - And Shed Her Skin - 7 Inch members of Dag Nasty, Circle Jerks, Descendents and Red Red Meat on Elastic records

Lawndale - Beyond Barbecue - Vinyl album on SST Records

The second and final album by Lawndale doesn't make any astonishing advances from their first -- but how could you improve on one of the best surf-fusion albums ever made? The band's trademark interlocking guitar melodies are as energetic and precise as ever, and the compositions are as brilliant and quirky as ever. Once again, there is one highly unlikely fusion of two artists' work -- the version of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" with Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" -- and once again it works like a charm. Lawndale sounds perfect here, and there is no clue that this would be their swan song. After the recording of "Beyond Barbecue," the band drifted apart, and though they sporadically reunited for concerts and even wrote some new material, none of it was ever released.
Lawndale - Beyond Barbecue - Vinyl album on SST Records

No Man - Diamondback - White vinyl 7 inch with Roger Miller of Mission of Burma on SST Records

Mission of Burma dissolved in 1983, due in large part to guitarist Roger Miller's hearing problems, directly caused by the astonishingly loud band's volume. Miller (along with bandmate Martin Swope) joined Erik Lindgren's experimental chamber music project Birdsongs of the Mesozoic immediately, and simultaneously pursued a more rock-oriented direction with his one-man live project Maximum Electric Piano. No Man is basically a combination of the two approaches, mixing the avant-garde concepts of Birdsongs with the muscular oomph of Miller's rock & roll edge.
No Man - Diamondback - White vinyl 7 inch with Roger Miller of Mission of Burma on SST Records

Dancing French Liberals Of 48 - Spags - 7 inch featuring members of the punk band The Gits on Broken Rekids

The band formed by the members of The Gits after Zapata was killed in 1993. It was a band formed and performed in her honor and raised money for the private investigation into her murder. The tone is angry and Joe Spleen takes over on lead vocals

Please click here to see more!

Cheeseburger - Cool Tomato - 7 Inch Vinyl On Dionysus Records

Click here for more Cheeseburger Records!

Black Angel's Death Song - Nothing Equals Nothing - Colored vinyl 7 inch on Dionysus Records

Taking their name but not their sound from the most experimental track on the 1967 classic The Velvet Underground and Nico, the Los Angeles-based indie rockers Black Angel's Death Song are either (depending on one's point of view) admirably eclectic or frustratingly all over the map. Elements of folk, pop, punk, and noise show up at various times, but they're rarely integrated within the same song.

Black Angel's Death Song was formed in October 1989 by a pair of songwriting guitarist-singers, Jack Gould and Jim Miller (formerly of '80s art punks Trash Can School). The original lineup was filled out with bassist J. Francis Connors, percussionist Carol Symington, and drummer Brett Gutierrez. This lineup recorded several tracks in early 1990 that remained unreleased for over two years, but it fractured when Gutierrez entered rehab. Gutierrez was replaced by an ongoing series of part-time drummers, including Jennifer Finch of L7, but after Lisa Nardoni came into the band to replace Symington in 1991, she eventually took over the drums as well as her percussion duties.

The reformulated quartet recorded a handful of singles for small Los Angeles indies before finally completing their first full-length, Sinning With a Policy, in 1992. (The CD came with an additional eight tracks, The Brett Sessions, from those early 1990 recording dates.) Connors left the band in December 1993, replaced by the mono-named Bianca in time for the recording of the group's second album. Peculiarly, the same set of 14 tracks was released on vinyl by the Italian label Helter Skelter as Two Girls and on CD by the Los Angeles label Hell Yeah as Due Ragazze.

Black Angel's Death Song split up in late 1994, with Miller going on to re-form Trash Can School with his ex-partner Adam Seven. However, a final album, Super Everything, came out in 1996.

Click here to check out this punk rock classic!

Bea Pickles - Is It Live - Seven inch vinyl rockabilly psychobilly on Dionysus Records

A neat little 7 inch!

Big Black - Atomizer - Cassette tape on Homestead Records 1986

Do you like rare music? Click here!

Vertigo - Burnin Inside - 7 inch Austrialian import on Insipid Records

Stop by and check out even more cool vinyl titles!

Jesus Christ Super Fly - Big Shit - 7 inch on red vinyl with Frank Kozik

Red Vinyl
Hand silk screened fold out cover - very cool packaging
Artwork By [Cover] - Frank Kozik

Click here to buy this rare red vinyl record

Brian Ritchie - Sonic Temple And The Court Of Babylon - Vinyl album featuring Violent Femmes on SST Records

Features Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes

Brian Ritche - The Blend - Vinyl album on SST Records

Click here to see more Brian Ritchie