Sri Lanka Sex Hotel by The Dead Milkmen (1988)

The Dead Milkmen were one of those bands that I had heard about in high school, but never really heard. I probably just thought that the band was trying to be outrageous with their band name and some of their song titles(see the title of today's song as an example). And I was deep into classic rock at that point. Punk rock didn't have the same gravitas for me.

But as Bob Dylan once said, "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now". It was only after the passage of time, that I began to appreciate punk and post-punk as all part of the rock n' roll landscape.

That long preamble is my excuse for not discovering the Dead Milkmen's music until only recently. I am just starting my dive into this music now. Here is a great tune(albeit a bit NSFW) from their 1988 release, Beelzebubba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqKdfHvChCI

100 M.P.H. by Vardis (1980)

Vardis came on to the NWOBHM scene like a storm, releasing a blistering live set as their debut album. Guitar virtuouso, Steve Zodiac, led this three-piece unit that perfectly fit in with the times. I thought about featuring one of their shorter songs on this album, but went with their magnum opus instead to enjoy the extended guitar work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOrRTi-H6sQ

Names of the Devil by Belzebong (2011)

I've been stuck in the 70's for the past week, so let's launch ahead by forty years and enjoy some Polish stoner metal. This stuff really fills out the soundscape and scares away anyone who may be nearby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxjBc0sI0ug

Borneo Jimmy by The Dictators (1978)

What a great cover on the Dictators' third album, Bloodbrothers. Now, it may not top the cover for their debut in 1975, Go Girl Crazy! (below), but it's damn good.

In addition to creating awesome album covers, the Dictators made some great music. Their brand of garage-y punk is a real mood setter. So, enjoy your Black Friday with the help of Dick Manitoba and the boys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpU437TUMWM

Fencepost Blues by Arlo Guthrie (1970)

Thanksgiving is the one time of year that you gather with your family, eat turkey and assorted fruit pies. It is also, usually, the only day of the year that you hear Arlo Guthrie on the radio. And when you hear Arlo, you're hearing his classic eighteen minute anti-Vietnam War song, Alice's Restaurant. 

Well, in the spirit of this blog, I'm going to post a different song by Woody's son, released three years after Alice's Restaurant. It may be a little softer than most music featured here, but a bit more funky than most of Arlo's work. Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5AzYtPr_X0

Guess I'll Go Away by Johnny Winter (1970)

There is nothing too fancy here. Just straight-ahead blues rock with some blistering guitar work from Rick Derringer and the late, great Johnny Winter. This song is the opening track off of Winter's fourth album, Johnny Winter And.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Pym4EkyFc

Searching for a New Dimension by Mariani (1970)

If you ever come across Mariani's Perpetuum Mobile in the wild, pick it up. If it was one of the 1,000 or so privately-pressed original LPs that were never released through any distribution means, then you've got yourself a $3,000 record. But you probably won't.

You may want to buy the re-issue CD or download the tunes from this album of psych rock from 1970. Mariani, the Austin, Texas based band featured teenage guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson on lead. This is some quality stuff. Could you play this well at the age of sixteen?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR6VwS20Od8

Nova by The Bizarros (1976)

As I've recently found out, Ohio had quite the punk rock scene in the mid 70's. Just the other day in this space, I featured Mike Rep & the Quotas who hailed from Columbus. Today, we head 125 miles down I-71 to Akron to feature a track from the godfathers of Akron punk, The Bizarros.

When I first heard this song, I thought I was hearing some Velvet Underground that I had never heard before. And that's high praise from me. Something about this song just hits me in the right spot. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6qVtS2-LZQ

Cheque Book by Legend (1971)

Mickey Jupp's Legend was one of the forerunner bands to the British "pub rock" sensation to follow a couple of years later. Here is a nice example of their catchy pop rock style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9IgrjgP6l4

The Moon Upstairs by Mott the Hoople (1971)

In America, Mott the Hoople was largely a one-hit wonder with their version of the Bowie-penned All the Young Dudes in 1972. However, in the UK, Ian Hunter's band managed to have a long period of success. In fact that managed to release four relatively successful albums in the UK.

Here is studio live-recorded track from their fourth album, Brain Capers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ_NJF27bw4

Battle Scar by Max Webster (1980)

Max Webster was a Canadian hard rock band(not a person) that had much success in the 70's in Canada. However, they never really broke through in the United States. That did not stop the band from touring several times with their close friends who happened to be in a band called Rush.

In fact, towards the end of their run, Max Webster invited the members of Rush to join them on their 1980 album, Universal Juveniles. On today's track you can hear lead singer Kim Mitchell share vocal duties with Geddy Lee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMM6Bhwpy0M

Down in the Bottom by The Groupies (1967)

The Groupies were a NY based garage band from the mid-sixties that came about at the tail end of the garage rock scene. They managed to release one single, Primitive, and nothing else. About forty years later, a couple of other songs recorded back in early 1967 were unearthed for one of the Garage Beat collections.

Here is one of those recovered tunes, Down in the Bottom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmXtsBEXFvw

Rocket to Nowhere by Mike Rep and the Quotas (1975)

So how about some early punk from Columbus, Ohio? The music quality on the recording here isn't the best, but you can still feel that punk punch come through. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTriw-8sL2k

(We Are) The Road Crew by Motörhead (1980)

Man, I love Motörhead. So much so, that I've been holding on to a special occasion to feature Lemmy and the boys here on my blog. Well, there have been a couple of recent events which have accelerated my plans. First of all, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, the classic drummer for Motorhead passed away last week.

Secondly, as part of the heinous terrorist attacks in Paris, Eagles of Death Metal merchanise manager, Nick Anderson, was one of the people senselessly killed in the name of religion.

One of my favorite songs from Motörhead has always been (We Are) The Road Crew from the Ace of Spades album featuring Phil Taylor on drums. So this post is for Phil, Nick Anderson, and all of the those road crew members of touring bands who make it all possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuZC-un9S-A&feature=youtu.be

Human Being by Coloured Balls (1973)

I sure wish that Australian hard rockers, Coloured Balls, lasted as a unit for more that three years. They managed to put out a couple of full length albums with some quality heavy stuff. Here is a track off of their first album, Ball Power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfECnQZZEE

White Lace and Strange by Thunder and Roses (1969)

I don't know too much about this Philly-based psych rock power trio from the late 60's. I know that they managed to release one album, King of the Black Sunrise in 1969. And today's selection was actually covered by Nirvana over twenty years after the original.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUfrlsDeFuk

Zephyr by Mondo Drag (2014)

I love that there has been a core of new psychedelic rock bands to have formed to carry on the format into a new age. See Thee Oh Sees, Colour Haze, and Kadavar as other examples featured in this space. Today's entry, Mondo Drag, hail from Oakland, by way of Iowa.

Mondo's latest release, a self-titled full length album has a lot of gems. Check out the opener on that LP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufX0YpvcgPc

50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain by Ten Years After (1970)

My first memory of hearing Ten Years After was at a 1989 keg party in Woburn, Massachusetts. It was the end of the summer and I barely knew anyone at the party. I was invited as a friend of a friend, and my friend wasn't even there yet. I was just enjoying my beer like a wallflower, except that I was outside. Music was being played through a boombox from the first floor window to the guests below. This was when I first heard Ten Year's After perform I'm Going Home from Woodstock. I was blown away. Alvin Lee's guitar work and energy that he brought to that performance pushed me to buying the Woodstock Soundtrack CD set. I found a lot of great music on that set. But, I didn't dig too much further into Ten Years After's catalog.

I would only do a deep dive much later. Here is a plodding number from 1970 that builds in intensity throughout the song. Good stuff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugZU4ITYkuw

Law and Order by The New York Rock n' Roll Ensemble (1971)

No, this is not the theme to the TV show, Law & Order, but I would relish the opportunity to post some "Lenny Brisco" clips. This Law and Order was a track off of the fifth album by a productive band formed in the late 60's at Julliard. They released a half dozen albums of eclectic, urbane rock over the course of about five years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiHU8zzAC_k

Holy Moses by Attila (1970)

Now this is pretty f%$#ing far from Piano Man...Yes, this is Billy Joel in a two-man psych/prog rock outfit called Attila. Their one and only album was released only fifteen months prior to Billy Joel's solo debut album, Cold Spring Harbor, and the hit She's Got a Way.

The Attila album was widely panned, for those critics who bothered to review it. I'm not sure if most of the reviews happened after Billy Joel became a thing. If so, that explains it. I mean, this isn't the best album, but it's not bad. It has its moments.

Here is my favorite track on the release, Holy Moses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea-P8kaFdvA

Potential Suicide by The Wipers (1979)

If the Stooges were pre-Punk, then the Wipers were pre-Grunge. If you were never exposed to the Wipers and heard their music for the first time, you would swear this music came out of 1991. But no, they formed in 1977 and their first album was released in 1979. This Portland, Oregon-based band was a key influence for Kurt Cobain, which will become evident after hearing about 10 seconds of today's song.

Kurt and Nirvana would cover two songs by the Wipers, Return of the Rat and D-7. The Wipers would go on to record music through the 1990's. Here they are from that first, influential album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBTh8yERQMY

Lucy Potato by Teenage Head (1979)

Teenage Head, from Hamilton, Ontario, formed in 1975, but wouldn't release their first single until 1978 and their first album until 1979. By this time, the world had started to move on from punk to post-punk and new wave. However, Teenage Head wasn't having any of it. They kept true to the format and continued to play straight ahead punk rock throughout the 80's.

Here is a tasty track off of their first album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zMaySrHsqI

21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson (1969)

Prog rock is an acquired taste. It took me several attempts to get into prog rock of any sort. I think my transition into starting to enjoy this music began with Rush and some of the proggier aspects of their music. Over the years, I've been able to branch out to listen to other prog rock bands. However, I somehow managed to avoid the grandfather of prog groups, King Crimson. I think that may have been due to their complicated song titles with parts and sections. But that was my problem, not theirs.

So, only recently, after the band being recommended to me for hundredth time, I've started to dig into their catalog. And where better to begin than the beginning. Today's song of the day is the first track off of the first album, In the Court of King Crimson, and it is quite good. This album, along with founder Robert Fripp, also features Greg Lake(later of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer fame). And, it is a great piece of work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs3IgTILFzU

Solid Ground by Solid Ground (1976)

Solid Ground, not to be confused with Krautrocker's My Solid Ground, was a heavy hard rock band from Sweden. They sound like they are right out of 1971, but it's five years later. It's not hard to see how they may have been overlooked in a world exploding with punk and disco at opposite extremes. As a result, Solid Ground only came out with one LP, 1976's Made in Rock, and I'm hear to tell you it's a masterpiece. While only 200 copies of the original album were pressed, there was a re-issue from 1996. It is definitely worth picking up.

This self-titled track is their magnum opus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHNGbodQyYI

My Dark Hour by The Steve Miller Band (1969)

I know, liking the Steve Miller Band isn't cool. I get it. Throughout college in the late 80's/early 90's, it seemed like Steve Miller's Greatest Hits 1974-1978 followed me around from party to party along with his friend, Back in Black. I think people just burned out on the pop rock stylings of Mr. Miller.

So, after years of avoiding Steve Miller's music, I started collecting albums and became more aware of his catalog prior to 1974. There is some good stuff. I particularly enjoy Come On Into My Kitchen as I used to work in the food service industry. Here is another interesting tune, My Dark Hour. You don't have to listen too carefully to pick up the Fly Like an Eagle riff about ten years before that song would be recorded. I guess it is okay to steal from your own songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBD7edIADDs

The Reverend by Eagles of Death Metal (2015)

Back in the Summer, I wrote about music from the Desert Sessions. This was just one of the projects of Josh Homme. In that blog post, I made careful mention of Josh's other work with Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age. I failed to mention his work with Eagles of Death Metal, a group he formed with friend/guitarist Jesse Hughes.

As you may expect, Eagles of Death Metal sound neither like the Eagles nor Death Metal, but maybe it just might be what would be the product of combining the two. Today's track is off of the latest album by the boys, Zipper Down, which is actually a current release. Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR6Edf87fs8

I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Gladys Knight & the Pips (1967)

When I was a teenager in the 1980's, I collected hundreds of cassettes and then CDs. Before long, I considered myself an aficionado of classic rock. Back then, 16-year old me would tell you that there were not one, but two versions of I Heard It Through the Grapevine. There was the one by Creedence Clearwater Revival, popularized by the film The Big Chill. And there was the original, Marvin Gaye's version.

I was a foolish youngster. Of course there were dozens of versions of this tune. Of particular note, there was the 1979 version by the Slits, written up in this space back in January. There was also today's featured song. This version by Gladys Knight may be my favorite version. It was the first popular version back in 1967.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQRcUxNJEbs

Down the Honkytonk by Frankie Miller (1977)

I recently stumbled on the rock n' roll stylings of Scottish singer/songwriter Frankie Miller. After passing through a number of bands in the 60's, Frankie was signed to a solo contract in 1972. He managed to generate some success in the UK, but not much over in the US.

He did have some fans in the States, though. Bob Seger has commented that Frankie was a big influence on him. That is not surprising, as Bob lifted the baseline from this Frankie Miller composition for one of his big hits, Hollywood Nights! released the following year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Eqrd3hB-A

Freedom by Freedom of Rhapsodia (1972)

Now-Again Records did a great thing in 2011 when they compiled and released a triple LP of lost Indonesian psych, rock, and funk called Those Shocking Shaking Days. More info here.

What a wonderful compilation! I don't have a physical copy yet, but I've downloaded a bunch. Here is one of the psych rock tracks off of that release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM7Qx8cJwOg

Iris by the Breeders (1990)

I've always enjoyed Kim Deal's side project, the Breeders, more than the seminal band she started with, the Pixies. There is just something about the music that is heavier to me and hits the right chord.

I can remember playing their 1993 LP, Last Splash, over and over again. In fact, I thought that was their debut album for years(remember that this was before the internet). Only later did I discover that first album, Pod, that was recorded with Throwing Muses' guitarist Tanya Donnelly.

Today's song, Iris, is a brooding number with a great haunting vocal performance by Kim. Check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8sgVb6QtkE