Fantômas‎ – Delìrium Còrdia [12", 2LP, Picture Disc]

A pretty freaky and spooky release, this DELÌRIUM CÒRDIA by FANTÔMAS (the side-project of Faith No More's Mike Patton, Slayer's Dave Lombardo, Melvins' Buzz Osborne and Mr. Bungle/Tomahawk's Trevor Dunn). It consists of one long track of nearly 75 minutes. The album is like a horror movie soundtrack, with soundscapes, ambient, drone, metal and eerie noise outbursts. The central theme is "surgery without anesthesia" apparently; hence the bloody artwork (consisting of real surgery pictures). Both the music and the artwork are not really for the faint-hearted.

Label: Ipecac
Cat.nr.: IPC45
Year of release: 2004


SIDE A:
01. Untitled

SIDE B:
01. Untiled

SIDE C:
01. Untitled

SIDE D:
-

School Of Seven Bells - Alpinisms [12", LP]

Noticed that i hadn't written about SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS' debut album ALPINISMS yet, while at least 10 other releases by this band have been in the spotlight on this blog already. I could write a lengthy review here - but anyone who's only just slightly familiar with this band knows that this is, simply put, a great album. The beautiful Half Asleep is the first ever song i heard of them, and ever since i saw them at an ATP Festival back in 2009 i'm a big fan.


Label: Full Time Hobby
Cat.nr.: FTH068LP
Year of release: 2008

SIDE A:
01. Iamundernodisguise
02. Face To Face On High Places
03. Half Asleep
04. Wired For Light
05. For Kalaja Mari
06. White Elephant Coat

SIDE B:
01. Connjur
02. Sempiternal/Amaranth
03. Chain
04. Prince Of Peace
05. My Cabal

The Jesus And Mary Chain - April Skies [12"]

APRIL SKIES is a single that's taken from the Darklands album by THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN. Not really one of my favourite tracks of this band, and i like the B-sides better for that matter. Kill Surf City is a cool song based on the Jan & Dean classic Surf City, but my favourite is Who Do You Love -  a pretty rad version of the Bo Diddley song.


Label: Blanco Y Negro
Cat.nr.: NEG 24T
Year of release: 1987

SIDE A:
01. April Skies (Long Version)

SIDE B:
01. Kill Surf City
02. Who Do You Love

Comeback Kid - Turn It Around [12", LP]

Nowadays i don't listen to hardcore a lot anymore, and the last hardcore show i've been to must have been around 3 or 4 years or so, but TURN IT AROUND by COMEBACK KID is one of my favourite records from those days. I've seen them live a dozen times. Always a fantastic show; simply one big energy bomb. This is the band's debut album from the time when Jeremy and Andrew were still in Figure Four and Comeback Kid was "their other band". An amazing album.

I own 3 copies from the first pressing. The yellow one on the picture above is the rarest one, with only 100 copies made of that colour. Then there were 300 made on red vinyl:

 And last but not least, 400 made of so-called "blood splatter" (clear and red) vinyl:

Also 200 on white vinyl from that first pressing exist, and 1100 on grey vinyl from a second pressing on Give Me Strength. Best Times Records from Portugal made a picture disc a year later, in 2004.
Last but not least, Facedown Records (who released the CD version) did a vinyl pressing in 2011 with the following colours and quantities: 100 on black, 200 on pink, 300 on clear and 400 on green vinyl. In the old days, i would have collected all colours but i rather spend my money on other things nowadays. Doesn't mean that i don't treasure these three ;)


Label: Give Me Strength
Cat.nr.: GMS-003
Year of release: 2003

SIDE A:
01. All In A Year
02. Give And Take
03. Die Tonight
04. Changing Face
05. Playing The Part
06. Always

SIDE B:
01. Step Ahead
02. Operative Word
03. Biting Tongue
04. Something Less
05. Never Fade
06. Without A Word
07. Lorelei

Various Artists - Animal Liberation [12", LP]

Came across this compilation LP a few months ago dirt cheap; i think i paid just one Euro or so. Purely bought it for the Smiths live song. The rest of the artists ain't really my cup of tea. But hey, the royalties for this ANIMAL LIBERATION album went to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) so all for the good cause, back in the days. Al Jourgensen from Ministry did the spoken word segments by the way.


Label: Wax Trax! Records
Cat.nr.: WAX 025
Year of release: 1987

SIDE A:
01. International Intro
02. NINA HAGEN / LENE LOVICH - Don't Kill The Animals
03. Civil Disobedience Is Defense
04. ATTRITION - Monkey In A Bin
05. SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES - Skin
06. CHRIS & COSEY - Silent Cry
07. Lab Dialogue
08. LENE LOVICH - Supernature

SIDE B:
01. Life Community
02. COLOURFIELD - Cruel Circus
03. LUC VAN ACKER - Hunter
04. SHRIEKBACK - Hanging Fire
05. Meat Farmer
06. HOWARD JONES - Assault & Battery
07. THE SMITHS - Meat Is Murder (live)

Nadja - Radiance Of Shadows [12", 2LP]

I mentioned this LP earlier when i wrote about the Truth Becomes Death album by NADJA. RADIANCE OF SHADOWS, originally released on CD in 2007, is a great album as well. It features three lengthy tracks and each one takes one side of this double-LP. The last side shows a beautiful etching of a landscape.
Dark, heavy, atmospheric, noisy... just a few words that come to mind when you'd have to describe Nadja's music. It's not something i'm playing every day, but every now and then it's just a brilliant record to put on. Same as with the other album in this series: 750 made in total. I've got a copy on black of the 550 they made of that color, while also 200 copies on white exist.

Label: Conspiracy Records
Cat.nr.: CORE 064
Year of release: 2008

SIDE A:
01. Now I Am Become Death The Destroyer Of Worlds

SIDE B:
01. I Have Tasted The Fire Inside Your Mouth

SIDE C:
01. Radiance Of Shadows

SIDE D:
etching

The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream [12", LP]

PHOSPHENE DREAM is another masterpiece by THE BLACK ANGELS. It's their last full length album to date (time for a new one soon?). And once again not only great music-wise, but also when it comes to the artwork. They really know how to make excellent quality albums. A sturdy cardboard gatefold cover -although it's a 1LP- with an attached booklet in the middle, containing lyrics and psychedelic artwork. The combination of blue/red works out really well for that matter.

Label: Blue Horizon Ventures
Cat.nr.: BHV-16780-1
Year of release: 2010           

SIDE A:
01. Bad Vibrations
02. Haunting At 1300 McKinley
03. Yellow Elevator #2
04. Sunday Afternoon
05. River Of Blood

SIDE B:
01. Entrance Song
02. Phosphene Dream
03. True Believers
04. Telephone
05. The Sniper

Tame Impala - Solitude Is Bliss [12"]

One of the best tracks of TAME IMPALA's Innerspeaker, SOLITUDE IS BLISS, got released on a 12" maxi single at the time. It features 3 spaced out remixes of which the Midnight Juggernauts Remix is one that i still put on quite regularly.


Label: Modular
Cat.nr.: MODVL 127
Year of release: 2010

SIDE A:
01. Solitude Is Bliss
02. Solitude Is Bliss - Canyons 'Dow Jones' Mix

SIDE B:
01. Solitude Is Bliss - Midnight Juggernauts Remix
02. Solitude Is Bliss - Mickey Moonlight T.A.M. Remix

The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends [12", 2LP]

Originally released on vinyl for Record Store Day 2012, THE FLAMING LIPS AND HEADY FWENDS got a regular vinyl release later this year in the autumn. Although not looking really regular, as it is a fine piece of art, both the artwork and the vinyls themselves. The album contains collaborations between The Flaming Lips and various artists such as Bon Iver, Neon Indian, Nick Cave, Tame Impala and even Erykah Badu. Every side of this 2LP ends with an "eternal groove", that goes on and on and on if you don't turn it off yourself. Have never seen the original RSD version so i wouldn't know for the artwork, but there's at least one difference when it comes to the music on the album: the song I Don't Want You To Die, with Chris Martin, is replaced by Tasered And Maced with Aaron Behrens. That song had also been replacing it on the CD and digital version already, which came out in June. Not a fan of mr. Martin so i couldn't care less to be honest.


Label: Bella Union
Cat.nr.: BELLAV351
Year of release: 2012

SIDE A:
01. 2012 (You Must Be Upgraded) (featuring Ke$ha, Biz Markie & Hour Of The Time Majesty 12)
02. Ashes In The Air (featuring Bon Iver)
03. Helping The Retarded To Know God (featuring Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros)

SIDE B:
01. Supermoon Made Me Want To Pee (featuring Prefuse 73)
02. Children Of The Moon (featuring Tame Impala)
03. That Ain't My Trip (featuring Jim James of My Morning Jacket)
04. You, Man? Human??? (featuring Nick Cave)

SIDE C:
01. I'm Working At NASA On Acid (featuring Lightning Bolt)
02. Do It! (featuring Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band)
03. Is David Bowie Dying? (featuring Neon Indian)

SIDE D:
01. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (featuring Erykah Badu)
02. Girl, You're So Weird (featurning New Fumes)
03. Tasered And Maced (featuring Aaron Behrens of Ghostland Observatory)
                                                  

Slowdive - 5 EP (In Mind Remixes) [12"]

This 5 EP (IN MIND REMIXES) was released late 1993 when the Souvlaki album was out already, and gives a perfect indication that their next album Pygmalion would not just be simply more of the same. The original version of this track, electronic ambient shoegaze with a pulsating beat, was released on a 12" that came out a week before this one. These two remixes by Bandulu and Reload are probably the most off from their other work and the most extreme that SLOWDIVE ever released.


Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRE 157TR
Year of release: 1993

SIDE A:
01 In Mind - Bandulu Remix (Out Mind)

SIDE B:
01. In Mind - Reload Remix (The 147 Take)

Serena-Maneesh - Montrose Cadaveric [7"]

The tracks on this 7" (33 rpm) never made it to any of their LP's. Oxygen Please is my favourite of the two, being more shoegaze, while the A-side MONTROSE CADAVERIC leans more towards garage rock. SERENA-MANEESH is a band i really would like to see perform live some day, although it's been awfully quiet from their side for the past few years - so i actually hope they do still exist.

Label: Bad Afro Records
Cat.nr.: FRO048
Year of release: 2009

SIDE A:
01. Montrose Cadaveric (Revivise)

SIDE B:
01. Oxygen Please (Revisited)

Jesu - Opiate Sun [12"]

OPIATE SUN is another fine release by JESU, Justin Broadrick's metal-shoegaze outfit. The 4 tracks on this EP could've been on any other Jesu release, as their music doesn't vary much from release to release, but yet this band always manages to capture me with their massive sound. I've seen them play live twice, and it was pretty impressive. This EP was pressed only once in a quantity of 2000 copies, of which 500 were black. That's the version i have.


Label: Aural Exploits
Cat.nr.: AELP3002
Year of release: 2009

SIDE A:
01. Losing Streak
02. Opiate Sun

SIDE B:
01. Deflated
02. Morning Light

Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55 [12", 2LP]

 

This album 5:55 by CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG isn't her debut, as many people think, because she released an album in 1986 called Charlotte For Ever when she was 15. While that album was completely written by her dad Serge, this first album as an adult was a cooperation with Jarvis Cocker from Pulp who wrote most of the lyrics, and Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel from AIR who wrote and performed the music. And that's worked out very well. I really like this album a lot.

 

Label: Because Music

Cat.nr.: BEC5772052

Year of release: 2006

 

SIDE A:

01. 5:55

02. AF607105

 

SIDE B:

01. The Operation

02. Tel Que Tu Es

03. The Songs That We Sing

 

SIDE C:

01. Beauty Mark

02. Little Monsters

03. Jamais

 

SIDE D:

01. Night-Time Intermission

02. Everytime I Cannot See

03. Morning Song  

Slowdive - Just For A Day [12", LP]

When i wrote earlier about the reissue of JUST FOR A DAY on the Music On Vinyl label, this original pressing on Creation Records was not in my possession yet. But i recently got my hands on it, an it's great to have it of course. I'm not that much of an audiophile that i'll do a comparison test between the two versions, as they sound equally good to me. Perhaps my MOV version sounds a tiny bit better but that's probably got to do with the fact that it's newer vinyl and my copy of the original could use a vinyl-cleaning treatment. But this is a classic SLOWDIVE album of course that belongs in every serious shoegaze vinyl collection.


Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRE LP 094
Year of release: 1991

SIDE A:
01. Spanish Air
02. Celia's Dream
03Catch The Breeze
04. Ballad Of Sister Sue
05. Erik's Song

SIDE B:
01. Waves
02. Brighter
03. The Sadman
04. Primal

Boris - Pink [12", 2LP]

I own a couple of BORIS vinyl releases and i'm sure they all will be featured on this blog sooner or later, but their album PINK is still my favourite. Going from plain rock 'n roll to drone to shoegaze to sludge to noise to post-metal to spacerock, Boris is never boring to say the least. My favourite track on this album's gotta be Farewell, a song that sounds like a mixture of Isis, Jesu and Sigur Rós. Later this year they'll be playing the State-X New Forms Festival in Den Haag and i think i'll take the opportunity to finally check them out live. Must be a blast.
The copy i own of this record is on deep red vinyl from the third pressing, of which 1000 were made.


Label: Southern Lord
Cat.nr.: sunn55
Year of release: 2006

SIDE A:
01. Pink
02. Woman On The Screen
03. Nothing Special
04. Blackout

SIDE B:
01. Electric
02. Six Three Times
03. Afterburner
04. Pseudo-Bread

SIDE C:
01. My Machine
02. Farewell

SIDE D:
01. Just Abandoned My-Self

Earth Crisis / Snapcase / Strife - The California Takeover [12", LP, Picture Disc]

A classic hardcore live compilation, this picture disc by EARTH CRISIS, SNAPCASE and STRIFE. All live recordings on THE CALIFORNIA TAKEOVER are from an evening at the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles on April 12th, 1996. I'm not listening to hardcore a lot these days anymore, but both Earth Crisis (for their militant and radical attitude) and Snapcase (for their catchiness and awesome guitar riffs) have always been favourite bands of mine in the genre. Both bands were really good live bands as well; seen them a couple of times. Strife has never been a personal favourite but they're certainly not bad either. The picture disc comes in a pvc sleeve with an insert, as can be seen on the picture above, and this is how the front and back respectively look like:

Label: Victory Records
Cat.nr.: VR042 LP
Year of release: 1996


SIDE A:
01. STRIFE - To An End
02. SNAPCASE - Filter
03. EARTH CRISIS - Inherit The Wasteland
04. SNAPCASE - Windows
05. EARTH CRISIS - Ecocide
06. STRIFE - The Essence

SIDE B:
01. SNAPCASE - Incarnation
02. STRIFE - Lift
03. EARTH CRISIS - Forced March
04. SNAPCASE - Steps
05. STRIFE - Calm The Fire
06. EARTH CRISIS - Firestorm

Medicine - Aruca [12"]

As i wrote earlier, MEDICINE is a band that i only recently got into. This single, ARUCA, is one of my favourite tracks. And despite the fact that i bought the reissued Shot Forth Self Living album about a month ago, on which all 4 tracks are featured, i couldn't resist buying this maxi when i ran into it recently. If only to expand my Creation Records collection. Great artwork as well, by the way.


Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRE 135T
Year of release: 1992

SIDE A:
01. Aruca
02. Onion Flower

SIDE B:
01. The Powder
02. World Hello

Curve - Cuckoo [12", LP]

CUCKOO is CURVE's second full length, and their last good album as far as i'm concerned. I'm not too impressed by what they released after 1993. I used to only have this on tape, and since i don't have a cassette player anymore and threw away all my tapes some years ago, i wasn't able to play this album for a very long time. Until recently, when i came across this LP in a second-hand recordstore in Göteborg, Sweden. Almost forgot how good it actually is.So i'm kind of rediscovering it now :)


Label: Anxious Records
Cat.nr.: ANXLP 81
Year of release: 1993

SIDE A:
01. Missing Link
02. Crystal
03. Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
04. All Of One
05. Unreadable Communication

SIDE B:
01. Turkey Crossing
02. Super Blaster
03. Left Of Mother
04. Sweetest Pie
05. Cuckoo

The House Of Love - The House Of Love [12", LP]

This LP is a compilation from THE HOUSE OF LOVE's first two singles on Creation Records, plus two tracks that were new at the time. It was only released in Germany, before their self-titled album came out, and in 2007 it was reissued (with a bunch of extra tracks) as a CD on the Renascent label as "The German Album" for that matter. To my opinion, the early version of Shine On on this LP is much better than the polished version that became an indie hit two years later when they had signed to Fontana. But i've written earlier already of course that i think that their most interesting stuff was released on Creation.


Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: RTD/CRE 9-63
Year of release: 1987

SIDE A:
01. Shine On
02. Plastic
03. Love
04. Real Animal

SIDE B:
01. The Hedonist
02. Flow
03. Nothing To Me
04. Welt

James - Sit Down [12"]

This is such a great song. First time i heard SIT DOWN was on the ferry to Ireland in the summer of 1991 when i went hitchhiking over there with a roommate. It became more or less the soundtrack to our holiday. The single had first come out already in 1989 but it didn't do anything over here in Holland, so that's why it was new to me i guess. Or maybe it was not even a big hit in the UK during that year either. But in 1991, you just couldn't escape it over there on the islands. You literally heard it everywhere.
I checked some other things JAMES did in later years but i must say it didn't do much to me. But this song, those lyrics... just awesome.


Label: Fontana
Cat.nr.: 868011-1
Year of release: 1991

SIDE A:
01. Sit Down (Live At G-Mex)

SIDE B:
01. Tonight
02. Sit Down

Won - The Silent Decade [12", LP]

First of all i must admit i never heard of the band WON, until i got this album as a present last week. They're a Swedish band from Malmö and if i'd have to describe the music on this (instrumental) album i'd say it is a mix of afrobeat, funk, krautrock, progressive and postpunk. Some pretty good tunes on here. It's quite more polished and especially less punky than other recent bands who have similar influences (such as Wooden Constructions for example). Mainly has to do with the generally slower tempo and more extensive use of keyboards all over. I could only imagine that their live gigs would have the risk of becoming a little boring after a while, since there are only few instrumental bands that manage to grab anyone's attention for a full set (like Mogwai or Explosions In The Sky). But as an album, THE SILENT DECADE is a very pleasant one. It's available from the label's webshop.

Label: Psychic Malmö
Cat.nr.: PSYKE 010
Year of release: 2010

SIDE A:
01. Anera
02. The Silent Decade
03. Bobi Ginola
04. Idéen
05. Under Water

SIDE B:
01. Affriccio
02. A-Kraut
03. Blue Jeans

Chapterhouse - Mesmerise (Remix) [12"]

This 12" features remixes of the songs MESMERISE and Precious One by CHAPTERHOUSE, and is for that matter a special version of the regular Mesmerise 12" maxi single. No credits on the release about who remixed these songs but i must say they're not really good (as in: monotonous and boring). Picked this up purely out of curiosity somewhere recently, and i'm happy it didn't cost me too much. For collectors only, so to say.


Label: Dedicated
Cat.nr.: HOUSE 001 KT
Year of release: 1991

SIDE A:
01. Mesmerise (remix)

SIDE B:
01. Precious One (remix)

Curve - Cherry EP [12"]

Clipped, the single from this CHERRY EP by CURVE was the first song i ever heard of this band. And i still think it's one of their best tracks they ever made as well. I bought the CD maxi version at the time, but i recently came across the 12" so i couldn't resist buying it. Perfect production by Alan Moulder by the way, who would marry Curve singer Toni Halliday later on.


Label: Anxious Records
Cat.nr.: ANX T 35
Year of release: 1991

SIDE A:
01. Clipped
02. Die Like A Dog

SIDE B:
01. Galaxy
02. Cherry

The Telescopes - Everso [12"]

THE TELESCOPES have been a few years on Creation Records (1990-1992), and as far as i'm concerned that's been their finest period. This EVERSO 12" single is from 1990 and although the title track could be considered as shoegaze, the other two tracks are rather psychedelic and remind me a bit of Jefferson Airplane and the Velvet Underground. A nice find in Andra Långgatans Skivhandel in Göteborg earlier this week, this 12".

Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRE 092T
Year of release: 1990

SIDE A:
01. Everso

SIDE B:
01. Never Learn Not To Love
02. Wish Of You

Ride - Leave Them All Behind [12"]

LEAVE THEM ALL BEHIND is one of my favourite RIDE songs, as i wrote earlier when i posted about the Going Blank Again album. Last week i came across this 12" and not only is it a welcome addition to my ever growing Creation Records vinyl collection, but also does it feature the song Grasshopper which can't be found on any of Ride's albums. A cool instrumental track of  nearly 11 minutes that i wanted to have on vinyl so badly - but i never seemed to bump into this 12" single. Until last week, in a recordstore in Stockholm. Couldn't let it stay in the crate, obviously.


Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRE 123T
Year of release: 1992

SIDE A:
01. Leave Them All Behind
02. Chrome Waves

SIDE B:
01. Grasshopper

The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme [12", LP]

CLINGING TO A SCHEME is a lovely album by THE RADIO DEPT., a Swedish band from Lund that's been around for more than 15 years already - however this is only their 3rd album. Great songwriting on this one. They're quite often simply labelled as a shoegaze band but when you listen to this album you'll hear that it doesn't quite do them justice. They're much more than that. It's a fine mixture of indie rock, twee pop, chillwave and er... yes: shoegaze. Would love to see them perform live some day. This particular copy i have is one of the second pressing (white vinyl, 1000 pcs).


Label: Labrador
Cat.nr.: LAB105
Year of release: 2010

SIDE A:
01. Domestic Scene
02. Heaven's On Fire
03. This Time Around
04. Never Follow Suit
05. A Token Of Gratitude

SIDE B:
01. The Video Dept.
02. Memory Loss
03. David
04. Four Months In The Shade
05. You Stopped Making Sense

Isis - In The Absence Of Truth [12", 2LP]

IN THE ABSENCE OF TRUTH was the follow-up to Panopticon, which i still think is the best album ISIS ever made. But this is a great album as well - don't get me wrong. Especially the drumming really stands out. Like Panopticon, it's again less metal than the previous albums and also the vocals are more clean. My copy's one of the first pressing on Conspiracy Records, the European edition. In the USA it came out on Robotic Empire. Conspiracy pressed 2000 copies and 500 of them were clear/red splattered. Nice and thick quality stuff like all of Conspiracy's releases.


Label: Conspiracy Records
Cat.nr.: CORE 045
Year of release: 2006

SIDE A:
01. Wrists Of Kings
02. Not In Rivers, But In Drops

SIDE B:
01. Dulcinea
02. Over Root And Thorn

SIDE C:
01. 1000 Shards
02. All Out Of Time, All Into Space
03. Holy Tears

SIDE D:
01. Firdous E Bareen
02. Garden Of Light

Slowdive - Pygmalion [12", LP]

SLOWDIVE's third and final full length, PYGMALION, is nowadays one of their most sought after vinyl releases. It's the only one of their albums that has not (yet) been reissued recently by the Music On Vinyl label, and the counterfeit bootlegs that are floating around are of pretty bad quality.
Recently i was talking with a friend of mine about vinyl. He said he didn't play any vinyl anymore, but that he had some things in his collection that i'd told him i was still looking for - and this album was one of them. So we agreed on a trade for some other titles (mostly CD's); and as of today, i'm the lucky owner of this rare album. The funny thing is that apparently i even gave it to him for his birthday, years ago - i really couldn't remember.
Musically, i must admit it's never really been my favourite Slowdive album. It always was a little too abstract, too ambient for me. I'm a sucker for fuzzy reverbed guitars and that's something you won't find at all on this LP. So Blue Skied An' Clear is my favourite song here, because it comes closest to the band's "older" sound. But then again, Pygmalion in its genre is a timeless, brilliant album and it does make a perfect soundtrack for the late evenings, for example. So i'm really glad i can finally add this gem to my Slowdive vinyl collection.

Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRELP 168
Year of release: 1995

SIDE A:
01. Rutti
02. Crazy For You
03. Miranda
04. Trellisaze

SIDE B:
01. Cello
02. J's Heaven
03. Visions Of La
04. Blue Skied An' Clear
05. All Of Us

Ringo Deathstarr - Mauve [12", LP]

Having become a massive RINGO DEATHSTARR fan by now, their new album MAUVE was an instant buy for me. Nothing new here, but that's not what we'd expected anyway. Just a damn good noisy indie rock / shoegaze album, heavily distorted and with seductive vocals, inspired by any band that's cool like Sonic Youth, Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. Can't wait to see them live in two months when they're coming over to play at Le Guess Who fest in Utrecht.

Label: Club AC30
Cat.nr.: AC309121
Year of release: 2012

SIDE A:
01. Rip
02. Burn
03. Drain
04. Slack
05. Brightest Star
06. Drag
07 Fifteen

SIDE B:
01. Girls We Know
02. Nap Time
03. Waste
04. Do You Wanna?
05. Please Don't Kill Yourself
06. Wave

Japan - Quiet Life [12", 3LP]

QUIET LIFE by JAPAN is really a great album. It was released in 1979 and it captures the sound of their transition period, from being a somewhat punky glam rock band to an arty and experimental atmospheric New Romantic outfit. The album has danceable new wave synth tracks (like the title track, produced by Giorgio Moroder) but also tracks like Despair that would not be misplaced if they'd have appeared on Gentlemen Take Polaroids, the album's successor. Plus it has this great cover version of All Tomorrow's Parties of course (originally by the Velvet Underground). The picture above is my copy of the original 1979 pressing on Hansa.

The album has been re-pressed until 1983. Since the introduction of the CD, there was no vinyl reissue. But finally, almost 30 years after the last reissue of the album on vinyl, Music On Vinyl released a version that has not only the album but also 2 extra discs, 15 tracks, of bonus material. B-sides of singles, remixes and special extended versions. Plus a replica of the Japanese insert with liner notes is included. All of this on audiophile heavy vinyl; and to top it off, the first 1000 copies were on red vinyl and numbered.  It's one of my favourite reissues on Music On Vinyl, i can say.

Quiet Life is also the album where you'll hear the distinctive sound of Mick Karn's fretless bass at first. I got to learn them from their later (and last studio-) album Tin Drum, and this pretty unique sound, at least in pop music, was a big part of what appealed to me in their sound. Sadly a few weeks before this vinyl reissue came out, he died from cancer. Both on the original as on the reissue, he is featured on the back cover of the album. Music On Vinyl did a great job in honouring him by putting this text "In memory of Mick Karn (July 24 1958 - January 4 2011)" right underneath his portrait. It was a last-minute adaption in the artwork because the album was already scheduled for February 2011 and the sleeves had nearly been printed, when the news of his death reached the world.

original album:

Label: Hansa
Cat.nr.: 201.261
Year of release: 1979

SIDE A:
01. Quiet Life
02. Fall In Love With Me
03. Despair
04. In-Vogue

SIDE B:
01. Halloween
02. All Tomorrow's Parties
03. Alien
04. The Other Side Of Life


reissue:

Label: Music On Vinyl
Cat.nr.: MOVLP176
Year of release: 2011

SIDE A:
01. Quiet Life
02. Fall In Love With Me
03. Despair
04. In-Vogue

SIDE B:
01. Halloween
02. All Tomorrow's Parties
03. Alien
04. The Other Side Of Life

SIDE C:
01. Quiet Life (Extended Version)
02. Quiet Life (Original UK 7" Version)
03. European Son (12" Version)
04. I Second That Emotion (7" Version)

SIDE D:
01. Life In Tokyo (Remix)
02. Life In Tokyo (Extended Remix)
03. Life In Tokyo (Special Remix)
04. Life In Tokyo (Part 2)

SIDE E:
01. A Foreign Place
02. Quiet Life (UK 1981 7" Version)
03. All Tomorrow's Parties (7" Version)
04. Life In Tokyo Theme

SIDE F:
01. All Tomorrow's Parties (Steve Nye Extended Remix)
02. I Second That Emotion (Steve Nye Extended Remix)
03. European Son (Steve Nye Extended Remix)

Sloan - Smeared [12", LP]

Been looking for a long time for this great album by SLOAN on vinyl, and luckily a friend of mine was kind enough to trade it with me recently. SMEARED came out in 1992. At the time, they played the opening track Underwhelmed quite often in a club where i used to go out. The moment i first heard it i just knew i had to have that album, so i bought the CD. And i must say that particular song to me is still one of the best alternative/indie rock classics of the early nineties. Right up there with Sunflower Suit by Buffalo Tom, Homeboy by Adorable and Duel by Swervedriver, to name but a few. But not only Underwhelmed is great; tracks like I Am The Cancer, Median Strip and Two Seater are solid tunes as well. Quite an underrated band, or at least over here in Europe. They were quite big in their home country Canada i believe. Listened a bit to their later stuff as well (they made plenty of albums) but i must say i think that this album is definitely their best.


Label: Geffen
Cat.nr.: GEF 24498
Year of release: 1992

SIDE A:
01. Underwhelmed
02. Raspberry
03. I Am The Cancer
04. Median Strip
05. Take It In
06. 500 Up

SIDE B:
01. Marcus Said
02. Sugartune
03. Left Of Centre
04. Lemonzinger
05. Two Seater
06. What's There To Decide?

Snowburner - Snowburner EP [7"]

SNOWBURNER is a new groovy and bluesy stoner band from Holland, consisting of guys who used to play in punk and hardcore bands such as Daily Fire, Omission, Point Of Few and All For Nothing. This EP is their first release and it's a damn good one as well. Two very catchy songs on it, and another two come on the free download that you get with this release. Very well-produced and great artwork (by Mehdi "Godspill" Rouchiche) to top it all off, so definitely a very promising result for a debut release. Numbered copies on red vinyl, limited to 300 pcs.


Label: Black Death
Cat.nr.: BLCKDTH027
Year of release: 2012

SIDE A:
01. The Greenhouse Effect

SIDE B:
01. The Jester