This week I'm going to ask you all to read the audioblog disclaimer first. OK? Good, because in this case, a few of these recordings have been rereleased and a couple of these bands still exist.
Nothing gets orphaned in the music industry quite like an outdated compilation LP, as some of the artists represented sink into obscurity while others rise to fame or at least cult-fame. Basically, few record companies would bother tracking everybody down to wrangle all the paperwork necessary to put out an outdated, obscure compilation. Here are two examples, both from 1979-80, both from California, and both covering the arty days of the post-punk era.
First up, shown above, is the incredible Darker Skratcher LP, released in 1980 by the Los Angeles Free Music Society, a highly incestuous clique of art-damaged musicians. You may read more about LAFMS here. This collection features 45 Grave's first release, a lock-groove by Non, and such criminally-overlooked bands as Monitor, Human Hands and B-People. It's possible to find a copy of this today, but be prepared to drop some bucks. Here are three of my favorite tracks:
Boyd Rice and Daniel Miller: Cleanliness and Order (2:51, 3.6mb mp3)
Dennis Duck: Davey the Worm (2:59, 3.9mb mp3)
Human Hands: I Got Mad (3:04, 3.9mb mp3)
And next, forget Urgh, A Music War, here's the best live post-punk album ever recorded:
Can You Hear Me? documents an arrangement in San Francisco so sensible it hurts: why not play your noisy, unpopular, challenging music in the Club for the Deaf, where you can't bother the regular patrons? Read more about it here. This is less arty than the Darker Skratcher stuff, but even less likely to get rereleased thanks to a very expensive copyright problem caused by Tuxedomoon's Rolling Stones cover. The Dead Kennedys' complete set, however, has been released in its entirety, but the rest of these, even the Tuxedomoon tracks, have been totally orphaned.
This record, recorded in 1979 and released in 1980 by Walking Dead Records, is so good, and the live recordings are so excellent, that I just went ahead and uploaded the entire thing:
Dead Kennedys (5:51, 6.9mb mp3)
Police Truck, Short Songs, Straight As
KGB (5:53, 7mb mp3)
Dying in the USA, Picture Frame Seduction
The Offs (7:52, 9.3mb mp3)
Hundred-Dollar Limo, Die Babylon, I've Got the Handle
The Mutants (8:21, 9.9mb mp3)
Tribute to Russ Meyer, Monster of Love
Pink Section (8:00, 9.5mb mp3)
Jane Blank, Francine's List, Been in the Basement 30 Years
Tuxedomoon (7:30, 8.9mb mp3)
19th Nervous Breakdown, In Heaven Everything is Fine
Right-click or control-click on the links to download to your computer and enjoy on the mp3 player of your choosing. Next week: Disco for children, and, no, it's not a good idea.
8 comments:
I had my hands on the Darker Skratcher album once in a used record store in College Park, but I let it slip through my fingers. "Cleanliness & Order" was a freaky fave of my friends and mine in High School. You rule, PSP!
I guess this week's installment of Monday Audioblogging is a dud. John, your comment made it all worthwhile.
I've been making do with a cassette copy for years. I got this copy on eBay recently for a mere $30, which was lucky.
Far from it Sparklepony. I like that you can switch from a dying dog to the Dead Kennedys. I have to say though the Kennedys music isn't profound or emotional enough to make me cry like the dying dog did.
Sum'bitch. I used to own that Darker Scratcher album (the cover is hard to forget). Tossed it out when I got over my artsy-noise-music phase.
Whoa. Nice post Sparkle P. The sound mixing on that DK set is unbelievably clarified. Awesome.
Yay! Great to see LA artpunk getting some attention, since it's usually focused on the more rockist bands of that era. Thanks for the chance to actually hear what have been an intriguing "see also" references in the LA punk story.
Hello PSP, on the hope that this is emailed to you (didn't see anything on your site), I'd like to add your site to the dcblogs.com/live feed. Your work is outstanding, always cracks me up ... if interested, just write: dcblogs@gmail.com
kob
HOLY CRAP, I say! SparklePony strikes again, albeit in the distant past! (just found this post, a few years late)...
John: The copy you saw in College Park may have been the one I eventually bought (Record/Tape Exchange, Rt.1?)
Sold mine when I sold the whole damned vinyl collection, like an idiot. Haven't heard this material in a king's age. And PSP, those three are perfect choices...
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