Exploring unheralded rock songs from many genres including classic rock, hard rock, psych, garage, metal, proto-punk, punk, post-punk, and the occasional blues tune...
I love the way the announcer from this clip on Youtube intros the band. "Status Quo play rock n' roll as if they invented it". Surely they did. Almost any song off of their 1972 album Piledriver could have qualified for this blog entry. This tune is a perfect example of the post 60's rock n' roll party vibe. Things were getting less serious in the rock world. It sure sounds good.
For those of you who thought I'd end the Deep Rock Mining daily song format with a underserved rockin' number, you're going to be disappointed. Similarly, if you expected a song with poignant lyrics, disappointment will follow. Instead, I'll end it with the end of the musical spectrum, the Shaggs. Enjoy their dissonance as they sing about their cat.
In all seriousness, thanks for reading the blog and I'll be back in a while with some other rock related articles, just not daily!
After several attempts to find certain Dylan songs on Youtube(even trying to post one myself, unsuccessfully), I did find this clean copy online of one of my favorite Dylan tracks off of, arguably, my favorite Dylan album, Highway 61 Revisited. I just couldn't end this daily blog format without playing a track from the greatest lyricist of the rock era. So, for my penultimate daily post, enjoy this Dylan masterpiece.
As I've noted several times before in this blog space, it took me a while to warm up to thrash metal. Once I finally did so, I gravitated to Slayer as one of my favorites. What better way to say goodbye to the genre in this format than with one of the all time greats off of their debut album.
When I started college in the late 80's(in the height of hair band nation), the coolest band in the world was Jane's Addiction. And for good reason, they had a unique sound that rocked, they were interesting visually in the age of MTV, and they always seemed like they were on the verge of self-destruction. I remember getting an advance copy of Ritual De Lo Habitual and was floored by its power. So, I couldn't end this format without featuring a deeper cut from that influential LP.
Forgive the sound the quality, but enjoy the video of this raw, electric Jimi Hendrix making his debut to the big time at Monterey. I've always considered this the concert festival I would have wanted to attend in the 60's, much more so than Woodstock.
Sometime in February/March 1997, I was going through a stressful period at work, requiring me to get into the office at 4AM for a number of days. On one such day, I was listening to some national radio show that was picked up by my local station on the way in. I remember Eddie Vedder talking up a relatively new band from the Northwest that were phenomenal. Their new LP, Dig Me Out, was the band's third release. He introduced the title track which followed. I instantly fell in love with Sleater-Kinney music. I went out and bought the new CD, as well as the first two. I played them constantly for weeks.
As luck would have it, the band was touring in support of their new album and would be playing in May at the Middle East over in Cambridge, MA. I bought a ticket(however one bought tickets in 1997. I no longer remember). It was one of the rare occasions in my concert going life that big hype was met with an equally big performance. The band just rocked from end to end cranking through all of their songs with power and determination. After the show, the band hung around and signed some autographs. Stupid me didn't bring any CD's, so I just pulled out a dollar bill. Lead singer Corin Tucker signed it, "A fool and his money...Corin". Classic. I left that show on a high and have been a fan of Corin, Carrie Brownstein, and Janet Weiss ever since. Here they are with a masterpiece of rock music off of their second album Call The Doctor.
I'm sure that when I conclude my daily blog post format, there will be some artist that I will have forgotten about and failed to pay my respects to on this site. Well, it won't be the musical genius that is Stevie Wonder. Here he is with some of his funkiest stuff that brings you right into the 1970's urban landscape.
Over the years, I've occasionally featured chanson/ yeh yeh French singers for a change of pace. And after a few days of hard rock, this definitely qualifies. And what better artist to exemplify the best of yeh yeh, but the Yeh Yeh girl herself, Francoise Hardy.
Another rock great who died in the course of me writing this blog was Lemmy Kilmister. I have featured tracks by Motorhead and the Rockin' Vickers, but here is one from his heavy psych band, Sam Gopal. I had to get one more Lemmy track in before retiring the format.
I may never reconcile the fact that the guitarist who quit the Yardbirds because they were selling out(by recording For Your Love) was the same guitarist who recorded Wonderful Tonight and a string of other MOR records a mere decade later. That paradox aside, Eric Clapton was one of the best blues rock guitarists for a stretch in the late sixties/early seventies. Of course, with Cream, he was helped out by master class musicians Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. It just worked. I remember hearing short studio songs by Cream on classic rock radio, such as Strange Brew and Sunshine of Your Love, but it wasn't til I heard some of their live stuff listening to late night radio that I really heard the band playing at the next level. I couldn't end this daily blog without a day dedicated to one of those masterful jams.
Towards the beginning of running this daily blog, I featured some early Black Flag, featuring the great Keith Morris on lead vocals. Well, now that I am nearly the end, I want to feature him again with his next band, the Circle Jerks. Enjoy.
Well, I had to get the Beatles involved in my daily blog farewell, one way or another. This probably falls in the "another" category. The Beatles, and others like Metallica and Prince, are pretty rigid about allowing their stuff on YouTube. Still, I was able to post this unreleased outtake from the Let It Be session. While it is a goof, it would not have been out of place on the Let It Be album.
As a white suburban guy that grew up in the 80's, it shouldn't be very surprising that I was a big fan of the Beastie Boys. Despite the immature lyrics and basic hooks of their debut LP, Licensed to Ill, the band went on to produce some unexpectedly great music after their big first release. Paul's Boutique is one of my favorite albums and Check Your Head, their third album is also up there. This was the release that first heard a little of the Beasties' hardcore origins. Here is one of my favorite tracks in that style...
One of the things I love about finding new music, whether in physical form or online, is discovering some proto-metal or proto-punk. Here is a Belgian band that had more a proto metal sound for 1973.
Day #2 of my farewell postings is dedicated to artist I haven't seen live who I most want to see perform. I missed him a few months back in Boston, and will have to wait my turn. Ty has also been featured in this space as a solo artist and with his band Fuzz(a real scorcher).
[Note for Readers: As I've been posting daily song of the day blog updates for the last few years without repeating artists(save David Bowie on the occasion of his untimely passing), I feel it's almost time to retire the format. Over the coming two weeks, I will wind down the format by featuring some tracks/artists that I've been meaning to get around to. After a break, I will return with a less frequent, but more in-depth articles featuring(you guessed it) underserved rock n' roll. And what a better way to kickoff the long goodbye to this format that with Black Sabbath, the greatest hard rock band of all time.]
So, back in high school in the 80's, I became aware of Black Sabbath for the first time. As I was just getting into the Beatles at the time, this music was much too heavy for my liking. Also, someone told me that they were devil worshippers. I believed that and disregarded the band as stupid and immature. It would be a few years later that I would finally hear Black Sabbath in the appropriate setting(loud in a rock club). From there, my opinion began to slowly to change, morphing all the way to a band that I hold in the highest esteem at this point. I could have selected just about any song, but I defaulted to earlier stuff, as is my custom. So, here they are from their sophomore effort, Paranoid.
Look at me featuring two 2019 tracks in the span of three days. Well, here is a newly formed French band that features the Limiñanas, along with members of Ultra Orange and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. This track is just too hip.
Only recently have I become aware of 70's British prog rockers Hatfield And The North(named after a road sign). They released a couple of albums mid-decade. Here they are with a track off of their second and final long player.
As a side project by members of Swedish band GOAT and Hills, Djinn is a seriously eclectic and deeply jazz rooted band that just released a debut self-titled LP. Here is a sample track from this wonderful release.
The Stimulators were an interesting NYC punk band for many reasons, the first being the diverse make-up of the band members. The guitarist and initial bassist were women, the lead singer was a gay man, and the drummer was a child(Yes, that is correct). After having trouble finding a drummer, bandleader and guitarist Denise Mercedes recruited her 11- year old nephew, Harley Flanagan to play drums for the band. Harley would go on to play for the Cro-Mags. Still for the early 80's, the Stimulators played all around New York and releasing one album and a couple of singles. The band would come to an end with the AIDS related death of lead singer Patrick Mack in 1983. Here is the band from their first single.
Over the years, I tried a few times to get into indie rockers' Teenage Fanclub's music, but it never really worked for me. I guess I should have followed my tried and trued advice which is go to their earliest stuff first. They do have a bit of a rockier edge on their debut 1990 LP, A Catholic Education. Here is the opening instrumental track off of that release.
Shooting Guns is a psych/stoner/doom metal band from Saskatchewan. However, I knew none of this when I clicked on the link to find out more about their 2011 LP, Born to Deal in Magic: 1952-1976. It just happens to be exactly the kind of album that would catch my eye as I'm looking for weird, underknown music while surfing the net. Still, I liked what I heard. Here is the band with the opening track off of their debut album.
I've always thought that the "anti-Disco" movement was a bit much. While disco wasn't my favorite genre, there was some funky music in there. That said, there's not denying the punk power of this anti-Disco song from this group of lad's from Melbourne.
Recently picked up this funky little gem from lesser known keyboardist/organist Clifford Coulter. Definitely worthy of your time if you can ever grab a copy. Also, great driving music.
Last month, I was traversing back to New England from a record show in Brooklyn and once I hit Massachusetts I finally found some interesting radio on the rental van's AM/FM receiver. I was pleased to hear today's featured track, which I thought at first might be live Talking Heads that I hadn't heard. It was not. The band was Royal Assassins, a band classified as "post-punk", but after sampling some of their tracks, it is harder to classify. The band released an album in 1988, but that was it. Only in the last several years, has archival information been released. Here is a live track from 1985 with a little Crazy Eddie at the end.
Johnny Adams was a New Orleans bred soul singer that bounced around the bayou and later the Los Angeles area without much success. It wasn't until he made his way to Nashville in his late 30's and signed with SSS International records where he hit the high point of his career with a number of successful singles. Here he is with a soulful number from 1969.
Continuing my very infrequent anthology on bands from Athens, Georgia(See posts on the B-52's and Pylon), here is a largely instrumental band that also helped to shape that Athens' sound.
The Taxi Boys were a side project of the Real Kids frontman John Felice. Felice, who had already played with the likes of the Modern Lovers and had worked a a roadie for the Ramones was quite a figure in the Boston music scene. Here he is from 1981 with a catchy rock tune.
V2 was one of many late to the original era Manchester punk bands that were still able to grasp some of that key punk sound. Here they are off of their debut single.
I must be on a 1975 kick, with three of the last four days hailing from this largely transitional year in music. Today's mid-seventies track is some Brazilian funk from a trio of musicians that were just starting out on a long career together. They started out with a bang. On a side note, it sure sounds like this song(or parts thereof) was on Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill soundtrack. But it didn't check out when I looked it up online. It must just sound like something on the soundtrack. Mystery unsolved. In any case, enjoy today's selection.
Were the Count Bishops a pub rock band or a proto punk band or does it even matter? They left scorched Earth wherever they played and that's what's important. Here they are from their debut EP, 1975's Speedball. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Uyz8uIVL94
Well there sure have been a lot of bands called Mother Trucker, Mothertrucker, or the Mother Truckers over the years. The first one that I could find is this UK glam/pop band that released one album back in 1974. Here is the best track that leans more on the glam side.
I feel like there has been a paucity of prog rock on this site, as of late. Well, here is some small remedy. Pancake was a prog rock outfit from Stuttgart that put out three albums in the mid to late 70's. Here they are with a track off of their debut release, 1975's excellently named Roxy Elephant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJlJc5oOzho
This Belgian cold wave band cranked out eight LPs(including live ones) in the 80's before calling it quits. Here they are sounding choice from early in their career.
About a month ago, I had the good fortune to meet one of the my musical heroes, Les Claypool, along with Sean Lennon, who are doing really interesting things with the Claypool Lennon Delirium.
Over the years, I had previously featured Primus, Oysterhead, and the above-mentioned Delirium in the Deep Rock Mining space. (In a side side note, Sean was also featured with his other band, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger) Of course, with someone like Les, there are always other collaborations to choose from. In the early 2000's, Les had a side project with a number of musician's, including some former members of Primus. Here is a track off of the band's only studio LP, 2002's Purple Onion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk-D4QYBRL4
British guitarist John Hoyles relocated to Sweden as a young man and became centrally involved in the Scandanavian rock scene. He spent time in Witchcraft and Big Kizz. He also released a solo album in 2017. Here is a track from that album.
Out of the ashes of Atomic Rooster, Hard Stuff was formed by guitarist John Du Cann and drummer Paul Hammond, along with vocalist Harry Shaw and bassist John Gustafson, who would later go on to play with Roxy Music. The band would put out two albums. Here they are off of their debut, Bulletproof. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97h4zwapa5U
Now here's a band you should know. The Lovely Eggs consist of a married couple (Holly Ross and David Blackwell) from Northern England. They've released five LPs of punk/psych/lo-fi rock music since 2009. Here they are with a video from 2015 off of their This Is Our Nowhere album.
Ruth Copeland was a British singer who relocated to the United States in the mid-60's. She would eventually meet her future husband, Motown producer Jeffrey Bowen, as he was in the process of forming Invictus Records. During this time, she got to work with George Clinton. She even co-produced the first Parliament record. a couple of years later, many members of the band would support her solo efforts. Here is an interesting track off of Ruth's second LP, I Am What I Am. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_atdXhSaHE
When researching the band Crash for this blog post, I came across a number of bands with this name. There is the 90's Finnish pop band, an 80's NYC Indie band, and a South Korean thrash metal band. However, none of those outfits were the band that recorded today's track. This song was an early 80's UK punk band who released a couple of singles. Here is one of them.
Back in high school, in the mid-1980's, I had read somewhere(probably Rolling Stone magazine) about the Sex Pistols being the most influential punk band ever. So, I ordered the defunct punker's cassette through Columbia House, just to check them out. A few weeks later, the tape of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols arrived in the mail. I was surprised to discover that the music was very familiar, it just sounded like sped-up Chuck Berry music. The lyrics, however, were quite scandalous(to my sheltered teen ears). As a result, I played this tape over and over again, wearing it out. For years, I thought that punk music began and ended with the Sex Pistols. Years later, I would do a deep dive into the genre and begin to have a much deeper appreciation all of other seminal punk bands and the scene as a whole. Despite all that, whenever I hear the term "Punk", I still think of the Sex Pistols. Here they are with their salute to the Electric and Musical Industries after being fired three months into a two-year contract.
The Climax Chicago Blues Band, aka the Climax Blues Band, produced a number of records between 1969 and 1982. That's probably why I'm always finding albums of theirs in yard sales and flea markets. Because these records don't hold much value on the secondary market, I've always assumed that the band wasn't that good. However, over time, I've managed to listen to a few of their records and they have some decent stuff. Here they are with an instrumental electric blues rocker from 1969.
Those Shocking Shaking Days, 2011's masterful compilation of 70's Indonesian funk, rock, and psych is a record that I keep coming back to. Definitely worth picking up for about $25. Today's featured track can be found on that collection -or- if you prefer, you can seek out the original Indonesian LP that will sell for over $500, if you can even find it.
Out of the ashes of Swedish garage band T-Boones, the short-lived psych rock band Baby Grandmothers was formed. They managed to open for Jimi Hendrix once and put out one single that is now worth nearly $500 if you could ever find it. Here is the B side of that single, an instrumental track that builds in intensity.
The age-old question you probably never asked, "Was Mahavishnu Orchestra the first jazz fusion band?", was something I've pondered many times. I'm still not sure, but they were definitely near the beginning. Lead by former Miles Davis guitarist John McLaughlin, and featuring Jan Hammer, Rick Laird, Billy Cobham, and Jerry Goodman on electric violin, this group of musicians definitely stand out as some of the best out there. Here they are with a shorter track that still captures the essence of what they were about.
After becoming the face of Big Brother & The Holding Company at the Monterey Pop Festival and releasing a couple of albums with the band, Janis Joplin officially left the group to record her first solo album, 1969's I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again. As with any album that featured Janis, there were many high points. Here she is with a slowed down, bluesy number featuring Mike Bloomfield on lead guitar.
Gary Walker, who had spent time drumming for the Standells and the Walker Brothers, formed his own band in 1967. By 1968, Gary Walker & The Rain had recorded and released a highly underrated album, boringly titled Album No.1. Here is a beat/psych track from that LP that is worth your time. Check it out.
Ed Hall, a band not a person, was a punk/hardcore/psych/noise rock outfit from Austin, Texas that put out six LPs between 1988 and 1996. Here they are with a track off of their 4th album, 1993's Motherscratcher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3pbgJdqeY4&feature=youtu.be
About a month ago, I heard the sad news that former English Beat and General Public lead singer Ranking Roger had died of cancer. While I was never a huge fan of the English Beat(aka The Beat), they did have some ska-based songs that bring me right back to the turn of the 80's. Today's track, while pretty popular, is one of those songs. Here they are with their unique version of the Smokey Robinson classic.
The Incredible Bongo Band was a studio created outfit of various musicians brought together in the early 70's by record executive Michael Viner to create soundtrack music for movies. While music was created to support the big screen, time was used to make some other recordings, hence the release of a couple of albums with this material. Here is an instrumental track off of their first release.
Several weeks back, Rock n' Roll lost another legend, Dick Dale. Dick was arguably the king of surf guitar. It's funny because he was actually from the Boston area. Still, Dick moved out West and made a legend of himself and his unique sound. Here he is from his 1962 long player, Surfer's Choice, where he slows it down a bit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lesNGkateWg
And now for a late-to-subgenre Welsh NWOBHM band that managed to put out an EP in 1985, but could get nothing else released prior to the band's dissolution in 1985. They did manage to reform in 2016 and are still playing some gigs today. Here they are with their most recognizable track.
Firmly in the Joy Division camp of post punk stylings, Oxford, England's Play Dead produced some high quality music in the 80's, churning out 3 studio albums, 3 live albums and a number of singles. Here they are from one of those early 45's.
I've never been a big Madonna fan. However, growing up in the 80's, it was not really possible to avoid her music. I must have inadvertently heard one of her songs every day from 1984 to 1990. That said, I found a few of her songs to be interesting over the years(Burning Up, Justify My Love, Ray of Light). Recently, though, I stumbled onto this early early Madonna track that is much more post-punk in its sound. Check it out.
Michael Bruce, rhythm guitarist for the Alice Cooper band, must that seen the writing on the wall when lead singer Vincent Furnier started to personally adopt the identity of the band name. As such, he started working on a solo album that would ultimately get released in 1975. Shortly thereafter, he and other band members would split from Alice Cooper to form their own band, Billion Dollar Babies. In any case, here is Michael with a glam centric track from his solo debut, In My Own Way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_5fe3RjQo&feature=youtu.be
Alright, it took me almost 1600 daily posts, but I'm finally getting around to Led Zeppelin. Nineteen year old me would be shocked, as I was madly in love with the band at that point in my life. They seemed to be the link between older blues/early rock n roll and hard rock/heavy metal. As I got older, though, my interest in the band's music would wane. This was due to their music being overplayed on rock radio and the fact that they repeatedly borrowed other musician's work without proper accreditation.
Still, when they were good, they were great. I thought of featuring a track from Physical Graffiti, my favorite of their studio albums(perhaps Custard Pie or Sick Again), but ultimately decided to feature what I loved most about the band, their early live energy. Jimmy Page truly sounds gacked out for this January 7th, 1970 gig at the Royal Albert Hall covering the Little Richard classic. The link below actually includes film of the unedited performance(which has some soundboard issues). Enjoy.
Puss n Boots was created in 2008 as a casual musical vehicle whereby its members could learn to play instruments they weren't accustomed to in a friendly, no pressure environment. For Norah Jones, this meant taking on lead guitar. For the most part, they were covering songs they loved. Over time, they started to develop a nice repertoire. By 2014, they recorded an album, No Fools, No Fun, to capture the feel of their live experience. Here they are covering the Neil Young classic.
Just stumbled across some late 90's progressive rock in my digital archives. Gordian Knot in a band of rotating musicians centered around bass guitarist Sean Malone. Here they are from their self-titled debut LP that has a lot of metal influences.
"Something Must Change" is the approximate translation of "Algo Ha Cambiado". At least that is my thirty year plus old high school Spanish class acquired knowledge is suggesting. In any case, this is the opening salvo to Pappo's Blues self-titled debut release. This Argentinian psych/blues hard rock band really played with an energy, especially at lead guitar. They would go on to release a number of albums in the 70's, but as usual I am drawn to the early ones.
Featuring future members of the Arrows, this short-lived glam rock band sure had a few great singles. Here they are from the B side of their final record.
Frantic, aka The Frantic, aka The Frantics, were a Billings, Montana based rock/psych outfit in the late 60's/early 70's. They managed to release one LP, 1970's Conception. Here they are with a short, harmonica infused rock song from that album.
Hammer and the Nails are a Boston-based Oi punk rock band that have been making the rounds for the last fifteen years or so. Here they are off of their first official EP back in 2010.
Most commonly known as Wilson Pickett's backup band, this funky Virginia band also had a few releases of their own over the years. Here they are from their 1974 LP, Follow The Wind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RzB_a3PLfU
Last year, I had the good fortune to see Australian psych rockers, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard live in Boston. Since I'd never heard of the opening band, I decided to come later, just as King Gizzard was starting their high powered set. That meant that I missed the opening band, fellow Aussie garage rockers, Amyl and the Sniffers. I had heard that they were good, and sure enough, I recently heard their full length release and it is confirmed. Here is a track off the album.
If you like today's early 80's funky Indian disco, you'll need about $650 of disposable income to afford a copy of the original vinyl lp. Fortunately, though, Chicago-based label Numero Group, is reissuing this classic for a much more reasonable price of about $20.
Leyton Buzzards were a London-based punk band that would eventually morph into a British pop group, Modern Romance, in the 80's. Here they are in more musical satisfying times(even if it sounds like they may be borrowing a bit from Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown).
Back in 2001, Auckland's The D4 strangely managed to get some airplay over here in the eastern United States. I immediately loved their sound, went out and bought the CD. I then promptly forgot about the band. Apparently, they released a follow up album in 2005, which I've never heard. Maybe I'll check it out. For now, I'll listen to their big "hit".
The Monochrome Set were a post punk band from England that just had a great sound. I'm surprised I hadn't gotten around to featuring them here before. Here they are from their second release, Strange Boutique, sounding a little bit like Love Tractor(or did Love Tractor sound like them?).
Aeroblus, a short-lived hard rock Argentinian band, sounds like a cross between ZZ Top and Black Sabbath. Here they are from their only release back in 1977 showing more of their ZZ Top side.
A few days ago, I was listening to my iPod on the long ride from Boston to NYC and Alan Hull's Breakfast came on. That song has been featured in this space in 2016, but I hadn't really appreciated the lyrics so much. Hull was a great songwriter. So, once I got home from my trip, I downloaded some songs from Hull's main band, the Celtic rock outfit, Lindisfarne. Here is a track off of the band's second album, Fog On The Tyne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1qFUIcSF9g
The Tragically Hip were one of Canada's rock n' roll jewels of the 80's/90's and beyond that didn't have much success elsewhere. They were a solidly good band that kept it together through their 2016 tour of Canada. By this time, lead singer Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, so the band knew it would be their last time around. Downie would die in October of the following year. Here they are from their sophomore release, Up to Here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw2krdBz7IA
Oh, to have been in Lagos in 1986, what a time to be alive, or so I would imagine. I've been listening to a lot of 80's Nigerian funk/disco lately, and there is some good stuff. So much better than the European/North American disco of a few years prior. Here is a single released by Hotline.
Inbetween the wonderful raw rock/proto punk days of the New York Dolls and the garish 80's Buster Poindexter lounge act persona, there was a short and interesting solo career for David Johansen. Here he is off of his self-titled debut LP with an aptly titled funky track.
Now, the only way I'll ever get Metallica posted on this blog site without receiving a takedown notice within five minutes, will be if it is a song title by some other band. In today's case, the other band is a Beverly Hill's punk band(oxymoron?) that is sounding a little more fusion-like in this short track off of their second album, 1989's Ten Fold Hate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anE8c1bh_gY&feature=youtu.be
Wow, what a debut single. These Greek heavy psych/prog rockers came out of the gate with quite an involved, yet enjoyable track. It's peculiar that they never released anything else. In any case, I'm glad we have something!
It's been a while since we had some heavy metal here on Deep Rock Mining. Let's rectify that with metal legends, Mercyful Fate off of their first release.
The vocals on this track(album) are a little murky, but man could this one-time Blue Cheer guitarist play. It's amazing to me that Randy Holden wouldn't release another solo album until 1997. This is some solid work.
Herb Alpert, the "A" in "A&M" records has had a massively successful career as a musician, businessman, and artist. He's really done it all. While his music was never really rock n roll, he has recorded many tracks that have made their way onto my playlists. Probably my most favorite is this selection from 1966. It is the perfect Swingin' 60's movie soundtrack song.
Before Chuck Dukowski joined the band that would become punk rock legend's Black Flag, he was in a proto-punk/metal band called Würm. They were together from 1973 to 1977. Eventually they broke up and Dukowski would go on to greater fame. However, Dukowski reformed the band in 1982-3 and they recorded and EP. Here is a track off of that fine release.
Probably about 90% of Van Halen's musical output is about good times, partying, and chasing women. That leaves a much smaller percentage of leftover tunes that were grittier songs about life in the city. This includes songs such as Atomic Punk, Mean Street, and today's featured song, D.O.A. These tracks, to me, are much more interesting.
I recently stumbled across some music by this London band that started out in the mid-70's as a sort of avant-garde outfit, but really found their voice(IMO) with a post punk sound in the late 70's/early 80's. Today's track has a bit of a pop slant that also sounds a little like a precursor to Stereolab, if that makes any sense.
Stone Axe from Houston(not the modern day rock band from the Northwest) was an offshoot of Josefus that only put out one single back in 1971, but what a single it was, a real scorcher. Check out the B side.
Cleaners from Venus, Martin Newell's band with an ever changing line-up released about ten albums in the 80's. There is a lot of music to mine here, and I've just heard a small portion. Here is a track from the 1984 album, Under Wartime Conditions. Please bear with the 30+ second intro to get to the good, unique part of the song that feels like a mixture of post-punk, noise, and fusion. It's an interesting listen.
Before Shane MacGowan was playing Celtic punk in the Pogues, he was in a traditional punk band created by Shanne Bradley called the The Nipple Erectors, often shortenend to the "The Nips". The band released a number of singles and an album in 1980. Here is one of those early singles.
Hjärter Sex or "Hearts Sex" translated into English was a short-lived hard rock band from Sweden. They seemed to have some chops, if kind of a scattered direction. In less than three minutes, there are quite a few changes in this song, one side of the only release the band ever made.
