Pacific Radio Fire

Nomos/Men/Rayos X 1/7/11

2011-01-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the absence, I really have no excuse other than the usual job/school bullshit. Hopefully we will be posting more in the new year but in the meantime all those in the Los Angeles area should check out the show above. The recent Nomos 12" on deranged was one of my favorite records of the year and the Men have an lp on the horizon with Sacred Bones. Vinyl Rites just printed up some more Nomos/Men split cassettes and I believe the Men will have a new 7" with them. Either way its 4$ donation and put on by good folks so you really have no reason not to. The address is 5917 Miramonte Blvd. Los Angeles Ca 90001 and doors open at 8, see you there.

Rain - La Vache Qui Rit

2010-06-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

After a long delay in posts (school and work are taking their toll), I figured I'd post a real (and mostly unheard of) treat. Everyone has a Dischord record they love. It is one of those labels that has released an unbelievable amount of brilliant records. One record that most people wouldn't say is their favorite Dischord record is La Vache Qui Rit. Released during one of my favorite eras of music, the Revolution Summer era in DC, La Vache Qui Rit is one of my personal favorites of the Dischord catalog. With Bert Queiroz (Untouchables, Youth Brigade, Double-O) on bass, and Scott McCloud (Lunchmeat, Soulside) adding some guitar, this band was destined to be of the highest quality. But, sadly, after only a year or two together, a handful of shows, and a couple of recording sessions, Rain disbanded. "Worlds At War" would be featured on Dischord's "State of the Union" compilation and La Vache Qui Rit would be released posthumously as a 12" on Peterbilt. While listening to this record, I can really hear how much bands in the 90's (Cap'n'Jazz, Jawbreaker, etc.) would be influenced by these Revolution Summer bands. Enjoy this gem.

Rain - La Vache Qui Rit

The Wendys - Gobbledygook

2010-04-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Wendy's were a post-punk band from Scotland in the late 80's and early 90's. After opening a show for Happy Mondays, Shaun Ryder's dad told them to send a demo tape to Factory Records. Factory loved the demo tape and decided to sign The Wendy's releasing this record in 1991. It's unfortunate that this band signed to Factory when they did (the label was nearing its demise), but it doesn't take anything away from how genius of a record it is. Every song is catchy with post-punk guitar riffs and great lyrics. Any fan of Factory Records and post-punk bands will love this record. Hopefully someday this band will catch on with people. But for now, they remain in the shadow of their far more well known label mates.

The Wendy's - Gobbledygook

The Meters - The Meters

2010-04-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have been listening to The Meters' first record a lot lately. What strikes me the most is their ability to weave in elements of jazz, blues, and funk perfectly. They are also remarkable in that this is primarily a funk/blues record with no lyrics that still has some of the catchiest songs I've heard of those genre's. Their story goes like this: Art Neville performed as a solo artist as early as his high school years around New Orleans. He met up with George Porter, Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste, and Leo Nocentelli and they became The Meters. They were the house band for the famous producer and musician Allen Toussaint and played as the back-up band for Dr. John along with recording their own records. Their self-titled debut came out in 1969. It was and is one of the premier funk records ever released. Those that have never heard them have probably heard the song "Cissy Strut" from movies or commercials. The rest of the record matches that song in greatness minute after minute. This funky record will be enjoyed for years to come.

The Meters - The Meters

The Lilys - Eccsame the Photon Band

2010-03-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

When I started writing about music my intention was to turn people onto records and bands that I thought deserved more attention than they initially received. Every time I listen to "Eccsame the Photon Band" I think of how many records since it have sounded similar and gotten way more attention. For whatever reason it seems like band leader and only constant member Kurt Heaseley will keep his unbelievably good songs in obscurity forever. Like I said the music on Eccsame sounds vaguely familiar but still unlike anything up to the time. It was released in 1994 and I think it is a perfect milestone from the nineties showing what had happened up until then and what was about to come. You can hear traces of the shoegaze style band they were on their debut album "In the Presence of Nothing" but everything feels much more crisp and realized this time around. The guitar is especially spaced out on this album but in a way resembling Spacemen 3 more than My Bloody Valentine. You can even hear traces of sixties california pop like the Byrds on a few songs. I know this doesn't sound groundbreaking considering whats going on these days but I don't know of any other record that put all these elements together so flawlessly and ends with such an amazing outcome. Hopefully sometime soon I will post the Lily's first record which is pretty drastically different but still super good.

The Lilys - Eccsame the Photon Band

Fuel - Monuments to Excess

2010-03-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

In the late 80's and early 90's, the best bands playing the type of music Fuel played came out of Washington D.C. Revolution Summer bands like Embrace, Rites of Spring, Ignition, Fugazi, etc. were playing great post-hardcore that usually consisted of two guitars, more melodic jams, and catchy songs. Surely Fuel heard these bands and decided to play the type of music that makes this record so awesome. Coming out of the Bay Area, Fuel first released the EP Take Effect on Lookout Records. Then later that year they released "Monuments to Excess", which made the Revolution Summer sound popular on the West Coast. Songs like the Fugazi sounding "Disengaged" to the emo-instrumental "2:52" show that sound more than ever. Then songs like "Remains To Be Seen" and "Incomplete" have a more west coast punk sound. This record is definitely a classic.

Fuel - Monuments to Excess

The Itals - Rasta Philosophy

2010-03-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

In terms of Roots Reggae, especially in the 80's, there was nothing better than The Itals' "Rasta Philosophy". In 1976, Alvin "Keith" Porter, Ronnie Davis, and Lloyd Ricketts formed The Itals. They were all successful prior to the band (Davis and Ricketts were in The Tennors and the three worked together in The Westmorelites). In an era when most Reggae was focused on Dancehall, The Itals kept Roots Reggae alive in a huge way. Prior to this release, The Itals had written songs focused on social issues. With this release, they just focused on great, mellow, Roots that makes its listener want to sit on a Jamaican beach and let loose of all of life's problems. The title track is awesome and there isn't a bad track. Not long after this record was released, Ricketts would go to prison and therefore wasn't allowed to travel to the U.S. The Itals had David Isaacs join, who's awesome in his own right, and they still tour. This album also won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 1987.

The Itals - Rasta Philosophy

Grateful Dead - Fillmore East 2/11/70

2010-03-04T11:11:00.000-08:00

Since I promised I would periodically post Dead shows, I figured today is as good a day as any to do just that. For this post, I'm picking another one of my favorite Dead shows for a few reasons. First, this show has Pigpen on keyboards. There was a long line of Dead keyboardists, but Pigpen was the original and definitely one of my favorites. He could jam on the keys, had an awesome bluesy voice and could tear up the harmonica as well. He was a heavy alcoholic (Southern Comfort his choice drink) and he would end up drinking himself to death just 3 years after this show at the age of 27. I also love Pigpen because of this story: The Dead were playing a string of shows with The Doors. Pigpen and The Doors' Ray Manzarek happened to use the same keyboard at the time. Manzarek noticed this and asked Pigpen if he could use his keyboard so they wouldn't have to move too much equipment around. Pigpen told Manzarek that no one but him touches his keyboard and a fight nearly broke out. Pigpen was an intimidating dude. Manzarek ended up using his own keyboard. My second reason for picking this show is the fact that Duane Allman (who would end up dying only a year after this at the age of 24 from a motorcycle accident), one of my all time favorite guitarists from The Allman Brothers, plays guitar for the whole second set. Because of that, this is one of the best concerts I've ever heard period. Two of the best guitarists of all time playing spacey jams for 2 hours? Yes. Dark Star>Spanish Jam>Turn On Your Lovelight is one of the best Dead jams I've ever heard and Allman plays a huge part in that. Enjoy.

Grateful Dead - Fillmore East 2/11/70 Disc 1
Grateful Dead - Fillmore East 2/11/70 Disc 2

Magic Sam - Black Magic

2010-02-24T16:46:00.000-08:00

Magic Sam was born Sam Gene Maghett in Mississippi. He learned how to play guitar and sing from listening to Muddy Waters records. When he was 19, he moved to Chicago and signed with Cobra Records (the label that launched Buddy Guy's career). He recorded the remarkable "Black Magic" and released it in 1968 on Delmark. He had a phenomenal performance at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969 that got him bookings all around the U.S. and Europe. He ended up dying of a heart attack at 32 before he left for the tour. With his death, blues and music in general lost an influential and perhaps soon to be star blues guitarist and songwriter. This record is one of my favorites, from the swinging "I Just Want A Little Bit" to the straight up blues tune "I Have The Same Old Blues", this record is awesome from start to finish.

Magic Sam - Black Magic

SS Decontrol - The Kids Will Have Their Say

2010-02-16T17:46:00.001-08:00

I've been wanting to do an SS Decontrol post for a while. I've been on a early 80's punk tear recently and this record is without a doubt at the top of my list. There were a lot of good bands around in the early 80's but none of them were playing the type of hardcore SS Decontrol was playing. They definitely resemble a lot of the DC bands at the time (they were from Boston), but they are even harder with Springa's scratchy, almost indecipherable, voice and their extra sped up songs. This record was a split release between Dischord and X-Claim records in 1982 and still isn't available on CD. The only version of these songs I can find are rips of the LP.

When this record was released, they only pressed 1,000. Therefore it's insanely sought after. I saw a copy at Amoeba Records in Hollywood up on the wall for $150 without the insert.

I was in San Diego a while back and I went to the Taang! Records store with some friends. All I wanted was this record on CD because I had been listening to a poor ripped version of the LP for a while. When I went to the SSD section all they had was a note that said "SS Decontrol records out of print until we find Springa". I guess he's lost and they need to find him before they can legally release their recordings on CD. So, if anyone knows where Springa is, let us know. Then we can hear a better quality version of this record! For now, here's a rip of the LP. I'll also post the awesome follow-up to "The Kids Will Have Their Say", "Get It Away". Gotta stick together like glue.

SS Decontrol - The Kids Will Have Their Say
SS Decontrol - Get It Away

Double-O - You've Lost EP

2010-02-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

There is nothing better than harDCore. Starting with Teen Idles then continuing with Minor Threat, SOA, Government Issue, etc., the harDCore scene began in Washington, D.C. with a bang. While bands like Black Flag were writing songs about drinking and being wasted (awesome in their own right) on the West Coast, bands in D.C. were writing about Straight Edge and being pissed off about the state of things in general. After bands like Minor Threat and SOA broke up, the Revolution Summer era began in D.C. and brought bands like Embrace, Rites of Spring, and Ignition. Somewhere in the middle came Double-O. This band was unique in terms of their composition, like the synthesizers in the beginning of "Death of a Friend". They had awesome guitar jams with great lyrics and an even greater logo. I'm not sure if this record is even available on CD. This copy is a rip of the 7". It was a split release between R&B and Dischord in '83. Have you ever heard anything bad from this era that was released on Dischord? Me neither.

Double-O - You've Lost

Teenage Fanclub - A Catholic Education

2010-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

Like a lot of my favorite albums "A Catholic Education" by Teenage Fanclub doesn't really fit neatly into any category. This is probably the reason that they gained popularity so quickly and why so many consider this record a classic. In my opinion this record is a perfect marriage of the better aspects of britpop in combination with a big star influence which would play a bigger role in later albums. One thing I enjoy about this album is that throughout the album the songs are actually pretty varied but the songwriting and musicianship stay consistent. For some reason the term "solid" always comes to mind when I think of this album because it really seems like everything came together perfectly. Even if you have heard "Bandwagonesque" or "Thirteen" and felt like Teenage Fanclub weren't your thing I would recommend giving "A Catholic Education" a try.

Teenage Fanclub - A Catholic Education

Jay Reatard 1980-2010

2010-01-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

It's pretty much impossible to write something that will do Jay Reatard justice. So instead of writing much of anything, I'll let his music do the talking. I'll post a few of his records that I enjoy. Luckily, he released a lot before his passing. 22 full length records for a 29 year old is insane. I'll post his first record on Matador and as a solo artist "Blood Visions", Lost Sounds' "Black-Wave", and Nervous Patterns' "Nervous Patterns". Everything he released is worth checking out but these records are a little sampler of his talent. He went far too soon.

Jay Reatard - Blood Visions
Lost Sounds - Black-Wave
Nervous Patterns - Nervous Patterns

Death - ...For the Whole World to See

2010-01-06T11:11:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone. For our first post of the new year I'll give everyone something to seriously jam to. This record was originally recorded in 1974. After being out of print for far too long it was finally released in 2009 by Drag City. Comprised of three brothers from Detroit, they changed their sound from an R&B group to a punk sound after hearing fellow Detroit acts MC5 and The Stooges. After releasing this record, Death got an offer from Columbia Records. After refusing a name change, they decided to change their style once again and disappeared until now. In my opinion, "...For the Whole World to See" could have ranked up there with MC5's "Back in the USA" and The Stooges "Fun House". Since this record came out, I've been listening to it and thinking that it is already climbing the record ranks in my mind and may soon reach the greatness of the best material MC5 and The Stooges released. These Detroit bands were ahead of their time considering a lot of bands today are copying their sound. The song "Freakin Out" is a great punk jam that reminds me a lot of early 80's punk bands and of what bands today are trying to sound like. "Politicians In My Eyes" is a great tune that could have been a hit had this band had the recognition they should have had when this record was released almost 40 years ago. Enjoy.

Death - ...For the Whole World to See

Portraits of Past - 01010101

2009-12-30T11:59:00.000-08:00

Portraits of Past was a band from San Francisco in the mid-nineties. Their genre was "screamo" before the genre existed. Talk about ahead of their time. They remind me a lot of City of Caterpillar in terms of their song order (some singing, some screaming followed by a few minutes or more of mellow jamming followed by more singing, etc.) I have always loved bands like this but it's always hard to find a band that plays the style just right. Portraits of Past is one of those bands. When this record was released (on Ebullition in '95), since this band was so ahead of its time musically, it didn't sell well. Ebullition decided to recycle all the leftover covers and inserts they had of the LP, which turned out to be a huge mistake. A few years after, interest in the band started to escalate drastically to the point that Ebullition had to re-press the LP. Since they had recycled any trace of the original LP cover and insert they had to create a new hand screened version of the cover. I'll post the original cover at the top of this post and the re-pressed cover at the bottom. This record isn't available on its own anymore but I heard that Ebullition just released a Portraits of Past discography with these songs, the songs from their split with Bleed, and some live songs. I definitely suggest picking it up. I also heard that Portraits of Past is reuniting for some shows and releasing a new record.

Portraits of Past - 01010101

Strictly Ballroom - Hide Here Forever + First two 7"s

2009-12-24T14:24:00.001-08:00

I uploaded this to mediafire the other day for Kevin so I figured I might as well post it here too. Strictly Ballroom were a band from Los Angeles around the mid nineties with members that were all mutually connected through KXLU. For those of you who have never spent some time in Los Angeles KXLU is by far one of the best radio stations I have ever encountered in California let alone the world. I will leave a link for their website at the bottom of this post which I would highly recommend checking out, especially Bomb Shelter with Uncle Tim Friday nights from 8 to 9. At the time when Strictly Ballroom were beginning Jimmy Tamborello, who is now known as Dntel and one half of the Postal Service, was the music director at KXLU where he met the rest of the band including Chris Gunst of Beachwood Sparks/Mystic Chords of Memory and sometime member Jimi Hey of All Night Radio and a number of other good bands. On their first self titled 7" Strictly Ballroom played pretty basic mid nineties post hardcore that reminds me of early Unwound and maybe even a little Native Nod. On their second 7" they started to adopt a slower pace with a more atmospheric sound which people thought sounded like a combination of Brian Eno with the energy of a hardcore band. If you look up Strictly Ballroom you will see the ridiculous term that was probably invented by critics at the time to describe their music but I think its better to let words like that stay in the past. Their last record "Hide Here Forever" was their first full length and most memorable release. It is by far my favorite record of theirs and I think for the genre its probably one of the best releases period. If you are a fan of any of the people involved in Strictly Ballroom than I think it would be worth checking this out just to see what they were doing early on. The picture above is Henry Miller playing ping pong with a naked woman, it has nothing to do with Strictly Ballroom.

KXLU

Strictly Ballroom - Hide Here Forever + First two 7"s

Tear It Up - Nothing to Nothing

2009-12-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Tear It Up was (I'm assuming they're broken up because I haven't heard anything about them in a couple years) a little known punk band from New Jersey that should have been more known. They play punk the way it should be played. They idolized bands like Jerry's Kids, VOID, Black Flag, etc. but played shows with Hardcore bands and therefore gained a little influence from that scene as well. I saw them a few times in the early 2000's and this record was always my favorite. I think I related to them more than any other band because they played the type of punk I grew up listening to in the South Bay of California (Descendents, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, etc.) They were definitely one of my favorite bands at the time and I still listen to this record often. Listening to this record makes me want to skate and wear torn up pants. They were somewhat out of place in the Hardcore scene and maybe that's why they never got the recognition they should have had. Anyone that's a fan of punk or hardcore in general will dig this band. Plus it's out of print, so check it out. Tear it up, tear it down.

Tear It Up - Nothing to Nothing

Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love

2009-12-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

After Born In The USA, the Boss was on a high musically and critically. He had released one of the best records of all time and felt that he had to live up to those expectations somehow. His answer was to make a record that people would not only enjoy musically but that they would also feel in their heart. So he started recording Tunnel of Love, some songs with members of the E Street Band and some without. Much of the time he was in the studio alone, using a drum machine or a synthesizer to back up his voice and guitar. What he wanted out of it in the end was a record that people would enjoy not just for its catchiness but its lyrical content. He wanted to make a record people could relate to. For an artist like Springsteen, that was a tough step to take considering that he'd been so secretive with his lyrics pryer to this record. Songs like "Brilliant Disguise" (one of my favorite songs of his), "Two Faces", "Tunnel of Love", "One Step Up" and "Walk Like A Man", all seem to be about his failing marriage with his now ex-Wife (except for "Walk Like A Man" which is about his relationship with his Father). In my opinion, he met the expectations people had after the success of Born In The USA. But, he met those expectations in a way people didn't expect and that's what makes the Boss such a fantastic and endearing musician.

Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love

Happy Birthday Kody

2009-12-03T15:36:00.001-08:00

Today is my brother Kody's birthday. I couldn't think of a better gift to him than a bunch of good tunes. Some of these songs he's probably heard before and others are songs that I've always thought he should hear and never got around to showing him. From birthday related tunes like The Smiths "Unhappy Birthday", Fugazi's "Birthday Pony" and The Clean's "Getting Older" to some old favorites of mine like At the Drive-In's "Heliotrope" and The Replacements "Bastards of Young", this is a mix Kody and other fans of these bands will definitely enjoy. So Happy Birthday Kody. Enjoy this mix!

Track list (in alphabetical order):

American Football - Never Meant
Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky
At the Drive-In - Heliotrope
Big Star - September Gurls
Built To Spill - Randy Described Eternity
Cap'n Jazz - Oh Messy Life
The Clash - Somebody Got Murdered
The Clean - Getting Older
David Gray - Babylon
Drive Like Jehu - Golden Brown
Fugazi - Birthday Pony
The Jam - That's Entertainment
Jeff Buckley - Morning Theft
Leondard Cohen - Avalanche
Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
Primal Scream - Movin' On Up
Radiohead - Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2)
The Replacements - Bastards of Young
Rival Schools - Good Things
The Smiths - Unhappy Birthday
Sunny Day Real Estate - 9
Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie
Weather Report - Birdland
The Zombies - The Way I Feel Inside

Happy Birthday Kody mix

Aesop Rock - Ghosts of The Barbary Coast

2009-11-26T00:03:00.000-08:00

Aesop Rock is probably the best MC/DJ in underground hip-hop today. His last record "None Shall Pass" was an awesome mix of mind-blowing flow and brilliant production. Aesop's style is like no one else's and his lyrics toe the line between brilliant and incomprehensible. I'm stoked for his new single "Ghosts of The Barbary Coast" which clocks in at 6+ minutes. I just downloaded it and I've listened to it 5 times in a row...so I figured I'd share it. Thank you Aesop for constantly releasing awesome jams.

Download his new single for free from Def Jux:
Aesop Rock - Ghosts of the Barbary Coast

V/A - Back From the Grave Vol. 1

2009-11-21T15:01:00.001-08:00

In my opinion the "Back From the Grave" compilations are the gold standard of late sixties proto-punk garage compilations. When my favorite local record store of my youth closed it's doors years ago the owner put together a huge stack of discounted records that I think he intended for me to discover over time, as I would have if the store would have remained open. Amongst other classics in this stack was "Back From the Grave Vol. 3" which I didn't get to until about a year and a half after the store closed. At this point I had already grown to love the Nuggets compilations and a lot of the groups on them but "Back From the Grave" seemed a little less polished and maybe even more amateur at times which only made it appeal even more. Aside from the great songs, the first three records have really cool pictures of campy horror characters doing all types of rebellious rock and roll activities such as burying disco records and torturing squares. If you like your psychedelic rock and roll a little dirty and by bands that probably never played farther than a few hours driving distance from their garages than the first three "Back From the Grave" compilations would find a welcome home on your stereo.

V/A - Back From the Grave Vol. 1

The Marked Men - Fix My Brain

2009-11-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know too much about this band so I'm doing my first really short post. They're from Texas and released this record on Swami Records in 2006. I'm surprised this band hasn't gotten more attention. They play catchy rock that's impossible to dislike. They sound a lot like the other great bands on Swami. A fan of any of those bands (Hot Snakes, Rocket From The Crypt, etc.) will love this band. Enjoy.

The Marked Men - Fix My Brain

Steely Dan

2009-11-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Steely Dan is one of my favorite bands. They had a perfect way of blending rock and jazz that makes you want to jump out of your chair and dance. Donald Fagen's voice was the perfect level of strange and unique. Walter Becker (guitar) and self-proclaimed nerd Fagen (piano, vocals) teamed up perfectly in every record they made from Can't Buy A Thrill to Gaucho. They met in the late '60's and played in various groups (one of which had Chevy Chase on drums, no joke). They immersed themselves in a beatnik lifestyle and Fagen said it was "probably the only time in my life that I actually had friends." They named themselves Steely Dan, after a strap-on dildo in William S. Burroughs' "Naked Lunch". They signed to ABC records and were told that Fagen's voice was not "commercial" enough. They were reluctant to play shows because Fagen had serious stage fright. But, they released Can't Buy A Thrill in '72 and not long after they released Countdown to Ecstasy. Perhaps because of Fagen's stage fright and/or because Becker and Fagen wanted to focus strictly on studio recording, they only toured from '72-'74. They released Pretzel Logic in '74 and had a huge hit with "Rikki Don't Lose That Number". They stole the piano riff in the beginning of "Rikki..." from a Horace Silver song called "Song For My Father" and considered themselves jazz musicians as opposed to rock musicians and it shows it the cleanliness and difficulty of their songs. After Pretzel Logic they released four more great records in Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Aja, and Gaucho. The fact that they could blend rock and jazz so nicely and Fagen's unique voice is why this band still resonates with people today.

They started touring again in 1993. I saw them a few years ago at Verizon Wireless in Irvine, CA and they were awesome. They sound just like they did on their studio recordings with some fun lines and riffs thrown in. They played the show with Michael McDonald as the opener. Many people don't know that McDonald was a back-up singer for Steely Dan for most of their records. When they played "Do It Again" they brought McDonald out with them to play piano and sing back-ups and Fagen said something like "Here's Michael McDonald. We used him as a back-up singer for years and got more than we bargained for. Here's what 'Do It Again' would have sounded like in 1974." Amazing.

Tracks:

Do It Again (from Can't Buy A Thrill)
Only A Fool Would Say That (from Can't Buy A Thrill)
Reelin' In The Years (from Can't Buy A Thrill)
Bodhisattva (from Countdown to Ecstasy)
My Old School (from Countdown to Ecstasy)
Show Biz Kids (from Countdown to Ecstasy)
Rikki Don't Lose That Number (from Pretzel Logic)
Any Major Dude Will Tell You (from Pretzel Logic)
Black Friday (from Katy Lied)
Rose Darling (from Katy Lied)
Your Gold Teeth II (from Katy Lied)
Any World (That I'm Welcome To) (from Katy Lied)
Kid Charlemagne (from The Royal Scam)
Sign In Stranger (from The Royal Scam)
The Royal Scam (from The Royal Scam)
Aja (from Aja)
Deacon Blues (from Aja)
Peg (from Aja)
FM
Hey Nineteen (from Gaucho)
Time Out of Mind (from Gaucho)

Steely Dan Mix

Super Spooky Halloween Mix

2009-10-31T11:06:00.001-07:00

I love making kitschy mixes and what better an opportunity than Halloween. It was unsurprisingly easy and fun to make so hopefully you have as good a time listening to it as I did making it. Enjoy!

Christian Death - Desperate Hell

Black Sabbath - Electric Funeral

25 Cents - The Witch

Pierced Arrows - Frankenstein

Scientist - Cry of the Werewolf

The Cramps - Human Fly

Ink & Dagger - Bloodlust

Buddy Knox - I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself

King Diamond - A Mansion In The Darkness

Beat Happening - Black Candy

Dr. Octagon - halfsharkalligatorhalfman

Venom - Raise the Dead

Chrome - Jonestown

The Wipers - Alien Boy

The Gories - Ghostrider

Roky Erickson - I Walked With A Zombie

Samhain - Unholy Passion

Heinz & The Wild Boys - Big Fat Spider

Motorhead - I'm Your Witchdoctor

Public Image Ltd. - Graveyard

The Dream Syndicate - Halloween

Super Spooky Halloween Mix

Saccharine Trust - Paganicons

2009-10-22T15:18:00.001-07:00

I've always wondered why this band never got more recognition. Coming out of the South Bay in the same era as Black Flag, Descendents, Minutemen, etc., this band had a style a little different than what those other bands were doing but in a good way. They blended slower melodic guitar parts with straight punk and made it sound great. "We Don't Need Freedom" is probably their most well known song and the lyrics play on the idea that freedom in this country only causes more problems. I saw an interview with Henry Rollins where he says that this is one of his favorite songs and that Saccharine Trust was one of his favorite bands. Also, to make this record even more rad, Mike Watt produced it.

My girlfriend's dad ("Earl Liberty" while he was in the band) played bass on this record and actually does the "Monday Night Football" part in the Black Flag song TV Party. He left Saccharine Trust after this record to join Circle Jerks. He has some crazy stories to say the least. He has the bands logo tattooed on his arm (the cross making a T and a snake wrapped around it making an S). He was telling me that he got it with Henry Rollins. They were sitting at some house and they decided to get their bands logo's tattooed on their arms. So, Henry got the Black Flag bars and "Earl" got the cross and the snake. He was telling me about one night when he was at a Black Flag show at a house party and ended up in the hospital. I'll post what he said in an interview in 1982 after it happened: "This party with Black Flag in Carson. Cops came and broke it up. One of the cops asked me if I knew the girls whose house it was, went out front, tried to look for her. Cops out front told me to go home. My ride was in the backyard. One cop put a stick in my stomach. The two other cops came up and started pulling out their night sticks, so I ran for it. It was a dead end street. I jumped a brick wall and hit a fence behind that, and fell 20 feet. Broke my leg. Knocked my teeth out. Opened up a hole in my jaw." He told me he saw Descendents, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, and just about every other great punk band of that era. He also played shows with Minutemen and Black Flag. Awesome.

Along with the record I'm posting a video of "Earl Liberty" playing bass on "Live Fast Die Young" with Circle Jerks in 1984. I'll also post the TV Party video.

Saccharine Trust - Paganicons

Groundation - Here I Am

2009-10-10T14:18:00.001-07:00

The new record by Groundation "Here I Am" has some differences from its predecessors but is still a phenomenal record. The all white reggae band from Northern California is hands down one of the best reggae bands right now. This record, unlike past Groundation records, has longer songs that go from Dub to Jazz to Reggae. With members that are top of the line musicians (Saxophone player Jason Robinson heads the Jazz program at UC San Diego) and knowledgeable in the history of the genre (Singer Harrison Stafford taught Reggae History at Sonoma State), you know you're getting great music everytime these guys release a record. This record also features members of The Congos and Pablo Moses. I got a chance to see them the other night and it was a seriously genius performance. If you get a chance you should check out a show as well. These guys are not only great musicans but great song writers and great performers. What more could you ask for? Also check out their other records, especially Hebron Gate.

Groundation - Here I Am

Groundation website

Boyracer - More Songs About Frusturation and Self Hate

2009-10-06T16:49:00.001-07:00

For whatever reason Boyracer kind of reminds me of a british equivalent to Jawbreaker on this record. Even the cover art kind of reminds me of the bay area aesthetic that punk bands like Jawbreaker, Crimpshrine and Green Day were using back in the early nineties. As you probably know by now, around these parts we love Jawbreaker so these are all good things in my world. Although its not out of the question that Boyracer did get some influences from Jawbreaker and their peers I think they are actually a great representation of the quality things about lo-fi independent music at that time. I think a good measuring mark in the history of the band is that "More Songs About Frustration and Self Hate" was released first on Sarah records and then later on Slumberland. I know that both of these labels have a lot in common but the reason I pointed it out is because I always interpreted them as being interested in the same types of music but with a different set of artists. I think the fact that Boyracer are one of the few groups to release records on both labels kind of just illustrates what I was talking about when I said they seem like they really understood what was going on in America at the time from the sound to the aesthetic. There is nothing groundbreaking on "More Songs.." but I think it is one of the better artifacts from the awkward early nineties. Personally, its one of my favorites from the Sarah records catalogue and I think it stands up today just as well as it ever did maybe even better.

Boyracer - More Songs About Frusturation and Self Hate

Public Image Ltd. - First Issue

2009-09-22T20:05:00.001-07:00

I have always preferred the first record from John Lydon's Public Image Ltd. much more than anything that the Sex Pistols ever recorded. Its not so much that I have something against the Sex Pistols, I own Nevermind the Bollocks.. but I think its just that I really like Public Image Ltd.'s early records. The Sex Pistols were one of the first punk bands I had ever heard of when I was a kid and in the nineties John Lydon was completely irrelevant in terms of music so I didn't have that high of expectations for whatever he did in between. I guess as a kid I also felt that when "punk" musicians tried to experiment too far, in the case of Public Image Ltd. including reggae and kraut rock influences, they sometimes loose what made them great in the first place. Obviously I was wrong, at least in this case because First Issue is probably one of the best "punk" albums ever recorded and still stands the test of time like a lot of their contemporaries didn't. Although the music on First Issue probably sounds less like the cliche that "punk" has come to represent at this point in time it really is a much better representation of what it should mean. First Issue was never originally released in 1979 due to Warner Brothers feelings that it wouldn't move enough units because it sounded weird. It is still not available for purchase in the United States which is a shame.

Public Image Ltd.- First Issue

forgetters/Thorns of Life

2009-09-16T23:13:00.001-07:00

So ex-Jawbreaker and Jets To Brazil frontman Blake Schwarzenbach announced recently that he had a new band called Thorns of Life with Aaron Cometbus on drums. I was as stoked as any sane person would be. But, today I heard some good news and some bad news. Bad news first: Thorns of Life already broke up. Good news: Schwarzenbach already started a new band called "forgetters" with ex-Against Me! drummer Kevin Mahon and Caroline Paquita on bass. Here's what Schwarzenbach posted on his facebook: “the name of this band is forgetters. (no “the,” no capital “f.”) we played our first show on August 22nd in Crown Heights. members are: blake (guitar/vocal); caroline (bass/seaweed); kevin (drums)." I'm excited to hear it. They're playing some shows on the east coast starting this weekend. With that said, I'm going to post a bootleg I found of Thorns of Life playing in Berkeley on January 31, 2009. More good news: Thorns of Life sounds a lot like Jawbreaker. Let's hope forgetters sounds like Jawbreaker too. If you've read this far, and on a completely different note, you'll be happy to hear that Pavement is reuniting. No joke.

forgetters blog

Thorns of Life - Berkeley, CA 1/31/09

Grateful Dead - Boston Garden, Boston, MA 5/7/77

2009-09-15T14:11:00.001-07:00

When approached about the growing trend of Grateful Dead soundboard tape trading Jerry Garcia said something to the tune of: "After we play a show, it doesn't belong to us anymore, it belongs to the fans." After this, the band decided to give away soundboard recordings of all of their concerts for free (before the internet of course). When Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir decided to take soundboard recordings of Dead shows off the internet in 2005 (his excuse being: "I have to put my kids through college", this coming from a man who was in a band that pulled in $50 million in concert ticket sales alone IN THE LATE 80'S), he did Dead fans across the world a great disservice. Phil Lesh, the Dead bassist and advocate of keeping the shows online, was angry at Weir for a good year or two. When I started getting into the Dead 7 or 8 years ago I realized that there was a never-ending world of Dead music and shows waiting to be discovered. Within a year or so I had hundreds of CD's worth of soundboard Dead shows. (As a sidenote: soundboard versions of Dead shows were recorded directly from the amps and microphones through a "soundboard". As a result, these shows are of the greatest quality possible at the time these shows were recorded and were far superior to the other source of recorded shows which were through audience tapings.) Now that the soundboard recorded shows have been taken off the internet, Deadheads have had to either go underground or start paying for officially released concert recordings.

With that said, in defiance of Bob Weir, I have decided to start posting full soundboard Dead shows every now and then. Because, like Lesh and Garcia, I feel that fans should have the right to own these concerts and acquire them freely. Because these concerts really do "belong to the fans".

The first concert I'm posting is one of my favorite Dead recordings: May 7, 1977 at the Boston Garden. 1977 was an awesome year from the Dead and May of '77 was arguably the best month the Dead ever had. I have a recording of every show the Dead played in May '77 and they are all amazing. They are on target every night and it is the best era song wise as well. This concert has my favorite version of Cassidy, an awesome Terrapin Station that segues (which I'll indicate with ">") into Samson and Delilah, and an unreal jam to close out the concert: Eyes of the World > Drumz > The Wheel > Wharf Rat > Around and Around with U.S. Blues as the encore. If this is your first Dead show, you're in for a real treat. Put on your headphones, lay back, and enjoy this amazing experience. If this isn't your first Dead show, you'll see why I chose this show as my first Dead post.

Setlist:
Bertha
Cassidy
Deal
Jack Straw
Peggy-O
New Minglewood Blues
Mississippi Half Step >
Big River
Tennessee Jed
The Music Never Stopped

Terrapin Station >
Samson and Delilah
Friend of the Devil
Estimated Prophet
Eyes of the World >
Drumz >
The Wheel >
Wharf Rat >
Around and Around
E: U.S. Blues

Note: the picture of the band above is not from the Boston Garden show but from 5/28/77 in Hartford, CT

Grateful Dead - Boston, MA 5/7/77 Disc 1
Grateful Dead - Boston, MA 5/7/77 Disc 2
Grateful Dead - Boston, MA 5/7/77 Disc 3

Keith Jarrett Trio - My Foolish Heart: Live at Montreux

2009-08-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has had the pleasure of hearing Keith Jarrett's solo concerts knows that he is an amazing performer and perhaps the greatest pianist of all time. His remarkable ability to perform solo for over an hour and have the listener completely in awe cannot be matched by anyone else, living or dead. Jarrett's performances with his trio; consisting of Jarrett on Piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums; are a delight as well. You know that Peacock and DeJohnette are great musicians to have the ability to keep up with a pianist as unbelievable as Jarrett.

Keith Jarrett gained popularity playing with Art Blakey and Miles Davis. After playing with them and with a group of his own, Jarrett played his first solo concert in 1973. In 1975 he released "The Köln Concert" which was extremely popular at the time and is considered his most popular work. "The Köln Concert" became popular not only with jazz fans but also with stoners in the 70's which helped the record gain popularity. Jarrett still plays solo concerts every now and then (he's 64) but has been focusing more on the Keith Jarrett Trio who play mostly standards. In the 90's, Jarrett battled chronic fatigue syndrome and had difficulty performing but has since reinvented himself and works around it.

I had the chance to see the Trio play at UCLA's Royce Hall and I can honestly say that it was the best concert I have ever seen, period. When Jarrett plays, as you'll notice in this recording, he tends to mouth the notes he's hitting on the piano. At first, it is kind of annoying but the more you listen to it, the more you realize that it adds to the improv. Most of the time, he'll mouth the notes as he plays them, which is insane when you realize the speed he often plays at. I went with a friend and we were laughing every now and then because his playing and pure talent was so ridiculous. They played an awesome version of Thelonious Monk's "Straight, No Chaser". Jarrett is also known for his temper. Before the concert, Jarrett told the audience that he did not want flash photography at any time during the concert. Right before the Trio went offstage for intermisison, someone in the crowd took a picture and Jarrett went off on the person, telling them that they "had no respect for the musicians" and that they should "think twice before coming to see them again". I thought it was pretty hilarious but Jarrett was dead serious and pretty damn pissed.

I've been wanting to post a Keith Jarrett record for a while. I'll post one of his solo concerts soon. This concert was recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2001 and features some great covers such as Miles Davis' "Four" and Monk's "Straight, No Chaser". The Trio is in top form. Enjoy.

My Foolish Heart: Live at Montreux (Disc 1)
My Foolish Heart: Live at Montreux (Disc 2)

Victor Jara - En Vivo en el Aula Magna de la Universidad de Valparaiso (May 29, 1970)

2009-08-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

In 1973, after the U.S. backed coup of the Marxist socialist President Salvador Allende in Chile (who was replaced by dictator Augusto Pinochet), Victor Jara was rounded up along with thousands of others who supported the socialist government. They were taken to Estadio Chile (Chile Stadium) where most of them were tortured and/or killed. Jara first had his hands and ribs broken. He was then shot in the head and several times in his body and died. His body was dumped in the road near Santiago, he was 40 years old. The guard responsible for his death was found guilty earlier this year for Jara's murder. Jara was an extremely popular musician in Chile and throughout the world. His songs, which were mostly protest songs supporting rights for the poor, became anthems for supporters of Marxism in Chile during the reign of Pinochet's abusive regime. He has been a influence for folk singers throughout the world and is without question one of the greatest folk singers the world has seen. It is extremely unfortunate that the world lost such a remarkable musician and thousands of others because of the United States' fear of the spread of Communism. Pinochet attempted to burn any trace of Jara's music, but with the help of his fans and socialist defectors of Pinochet's Chile, the majority of his music was smuggled out of Chile and lives on, and we are blessed to have the chance to hear it. In 2003 Estadio Chile, the site of Jara's torture and death, was renamed Estadio Victor Jara in honor of Jara and the other socialist supporters who were killed there.

All of Jara's studio records are phenomenal, but this concert in Valparaiso, Chile is an amazing representation of Jara's spirit and energy. I'll also post a poem written by Jara during his imprisonment. I'll post some of his studio records in the future. Enjoy this concert, which we may have never had the chance to hear if Pinochet would have been successful in erasing Jara's music from history.

"Estadio Chile"

En Vivo en al Aula Magna de la Universidad de Valparaiso

Les Rallizes Denudes- '77 Live

2009-08-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

I have been totally obsessed with this record the past few days. To be honest I have never heard any of Les Rallizes Denudes studio work but apparently they were a band since the late sixties up into the mid nineties in their home of Japan. I have to admit I didn't really know what to expect from this record but I was definitely pleasantly surprised to discover a quality live recording of timeless feedback drenched psych-pop. Apparently in Japan these guys had a pretty nice cult following and from the sound of this record its no shock why. Les Rallizes Denudes play pretty straight up psychedelic rock and roll and from the sound of it they do a good amount of improvisation live. You could draw an easy comparison to the Velvet Underground. On this record there is only one song that hits below the ten minute mark but don't be afraid, there is plenty of structure to every song which is actually the best part. Unlike a lot of other groups who play this type of improvised rock and roll, you never feel lost and the song never seems to take the backseat for experimentation. It is always humbling to find a gem like this to remind you that there is still tons of amazing records out there that will slowly reveal themselves as time goes on.

Les Rallizes Denudes - '77 Live

Tonstartssbandht- An When

2009-08-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the name Tonstartssbandht I thought without a doubt that it was some obscure german kraut rock from the seventies. Can you blame me? Especially since I read about it on the Zamboni Soundtrack blog which actually covers a lot of records from that genre. Much to my surprise Tonstartssbandht do not play kraut rock but instead play rad Big Country rip offs, Spacemen 3 covers from another dimension and sludged out noise anthems amongst other things. Apparently Tonstartssbandht are two brothers from New York and from the sound of this record I would expect them to fit in nicely with the scene going on there right now (Captured Tracks, Underwater Peoples, Sacred Bones,Woodsist). Although a lot of what is on "An When" sounds familiar, I think there is enough different to keep it interesting the whole way through. It sounds like whoever made this record was having a lot of fun and I think that translates well through the songs. You can order a copy of the CDR directly from the label that released it off their myspace which I will link below.

Tonstartssbandht- An When

Does Are Myspace

The Parasails-Skylife

2009-07-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

I got this tape in the mail the other day. I am actually a little surprised that I haven't already seen this tape plastered all over the internet. "Skylife" by The Parasails is another beachy, Jersey Shore influenced alias taken by Matt Mondanile of Ducktails and Real Estate. If you are a fan of either of those two bands than "Skylife" should pretty much be a no brainer. I like the fact that Mondanile and a majority of the Underwater Peoples seem to remain true to their overall aesthetic regardless of whatever alias is being used at the time. When buying records I have always appreciated this approach because it shows that more thought is being put into their releases farther than their sound. We are all familiar with groups who become dependent on this idea, using it as a gimmick but I think they set a good model by keeping it fairly vague and focusing mostly on the music over anything else.

With all that said, this tape fits nicely into the rest of what he has done but still differentiates enough to take another title. Throughout "Skylife" there seems to be about nine different tracks which change and progress at about the same pace as his earlier tape "Ducktails II". Even though this is a limited run tape it has a lot of variety, there seems to be a good balance between the different styles we have heard from him in the past. Although it might not seem like it but this would probably work as a pretty good introduction to all of the bands he has been involved in. If you listen closely you will even recognize what might have been a demo for the Real Estate's "Atlantic City".

This tape was released on a label called El Tule Tapes which I wasn't familiar with before. The tape looks and sounds great and the shipping was super quick so I will definitely be ordering form them again. If you do decide to order this tape, which you should, I would also recommend checking out their tape from Women In Tragedy. It was recently posted along with a few other releases on the No Not Fun Not No blog that can be found in our blogroll.

El Tule Tapes

The Parasails-Skylife

The Band

2009-07-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

It's hard to explain how much The Band was an influence on my taste in music. When I first heard Music From Big Pink (named after the house The Band lived and recorded the record in Woodstock, NY), I was completely blown away. It was like nothing I had ever heard before. When the record first came out, people like Clapton and George Harrison thought it was unbelievable, and All Things Must Pass showed Big Pink's influence. I remember reading somewhere that people at the time were blown away with The Band opening the record with a slow song (Tears of Rage). At the time, it was considered a risk. What bands wanted to do was to hook people in with powerful, fast songs. The Band, who's direction was mostly led by musical guru Garth Hudson, thought it better to focus on the quality of their songs rather than trying to hook people in with quick, powerful songs. I heard a story that when Hudson joined The Band, fearing that his parents would be furious that he was throwing away his musical knowledge in a rock and roll band, charged each member $10 a week for "music lessons". He was so knowledgeable musically that if any member had a question regarding music theory, Hudson was the first person they'd turn to, and he always had the right answer. Also remarkable is that every member of the band could play at least 2 instruments except Robbie Robertson (guitar). After the release of their second album "The Band", it was evident that The Band had created a new style of music, based off of country and toeing the rock and roll line. They had even been dubbed "Country Rock", a new genre named for their style that they were hesitant to accept. They didn't want to be stuck in any single genre at all. They had some success with "Stage Fright", "Cahoots", and "Northern Lights - Southern Cross", but The Band was beginning to fall apart. Robbie Robertson was becoming overly authoritarian and Levon Helm took offense. Robertson was putting only his own name on the writing credits of songs that had been written by others in the band, or the band as a whole, and the rest of the members weren't happy. With touring taking its tole on all of the members, and their health beginning to decline, they decided to have a last concert which they called The Last Waltz. They invited friends from throughout their career. Fan favorite Richard Manuel (who song on the beautiful Whispering Pines and In A Station) ended up hanging himself in 1986, ending any hopes of a reunion with all of the original members. Rick Danko would die in 1999. Hudson, Robertson, and Helm still perform.

I saw Garth Hudson 6 or 7 years ago and although he is noticeably aging, he can still rip the piano and saxophone like you wouldn't believe and you could see the emotion in his face when he performed The Weight and I Shall Be Released.

Tracks:

1. Tears of Rage (from "Music From Big Pink")
2. The Weight (from "Music From Big Pink")
3. This Wheel's On Fire (from "Music From Big Pink")
4. Chest Fever (from "Music From Big Pink")
5. In A Station (from "Music From Big Pink")
6. Across The Great Divide (from "The Band")
7. Up On Cripple Creek (from "The Band")
8. Whispering Pines (from "The Band")
9. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (from "The Band")
10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (from "The Last Waltz")
11. Don't Do It (from "The Last Waltz")
12. Such A Night (with Dr. John) (from "The Last Waltz")
13. Helpless (with Neil Young) (from "The Last Waltz")
14. 4% Pantomime (with Van Morrison) (from "Cahoots")
15. Life is a Carnival (from "Cahoots")
16. Acadian Driftwood (from "Northern Lights - Southern Cross")
17. Ophelia (from "Northern Lights - Southern Cross")
18. The Shape I'm In (from "Stage Fright")
19. I Shall Be Released (from "Music From Big Pink")

THE BAND

Cold Cave-Love Comes Close

2009-07-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Fortunately for us Heartworm decided to make the LP of "Love Comes Close" one of the pre-order options on the Insound site. If you haven't taken advantage of Insound's pre-order deals before I would highly recommend keeping an eye out for them in the future. I like the deals mostly because you are guaranteed a record that would probably sell out in stores super quickly and they send you the album you pre-ordered in mp3 format on the release date. If you are obsessive about release dates like me than you can probably relate to the agony of knowing that a record you have been waiting for is sitting pretty in the new arrivals section of your favorite record store while your copy is in the mail somewhere. Getting the album you pre-ordered in mp3 format on release day will at least make the wait for it to arrive in the mail feel a little shorter.

Sweet deals aside, I have looked forward to all of Cold Cave's records so far which have been mostly 12 inch singles and I was excited to see what they would do with room to stretch on an LP. A handful of the tracks might look familiar from the most recent "Edsel and Ruby" EP and one more from "The Trees Grew Emotions and Died" EP but they all sound as if they belong together on the record, by no means is this a compilation record. My favorite track so far is "Youth and Lust" which reminds me of one of the more synth heavy tracks from New Order's "Power, Corruption and Lies". Another track I especially like is "Heaven Was Full" which kind of sounds like Gary Numan & the Tubeway Army in the best way possible. The addition of Caralee McElroy of Xiu-Xiu, who plays synths and sings, rounds out their sound making them sound much more like a fleshed out band. On their past records I always thought it sounded like writing traditional songs was backseat to experimentation and creating an atmosphere kind of like Blues Control does. I am not saying these bands sound anything alike, I just think that Cold Cave's early recordings have that in common with them. I am going to hold off on posting anything from this for now because you should all buy a copy from Heartworm. You can find a link to their site in our links section and you would be a fool for not checking them out. Aside from awesome records by Cold Cave, Prurient and Nisennenmondai they also release a ton of awesome printed material. I really enjoyed the recently released book "23" which is a collection of short pieces and art by a number of interesting and familiar voices such as Wes Eisold, Kid Kongo Powers and Mark McCoy. The book was compiled by Max G. Morton of Cold Cave who also includes ten new pieces of writing. Everything Heartworm has released so far has appeared to be painstakingly thought out and I think out of the multitude of things they are involved in there is at least something of interest for anyone.

Heartworm

Cold Cave Myspace

ZZYRUS Blog

2009-06-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let everyone know that I am going to start writing for the ZZYRUS blog occasionally. By no means does that mean that Pacific Radio Fire is shutting down or that things will slow down here. If anything things should be speeding up little by little. If you have been enjoying what we have been providing here than I would suggest you add ZZYRUS to your favorites. From now on it will be in our blog list as well.

Cult Ritual-LP

2009-06-22T17:27:00.001-07:00

I highly recommend everyone to visit the Youth Attack site in our link section to get your self a copy of the new Cult Ritual LP. This is the debut album from one of the most quality bands around right now period. On previous releases Cult Ritual have altered their sound rather drastically from record to record and this one again follows a different direction. If you have never heard of Cult Ritual I would recommend picking up their earlier 3 EPs first but this record would not be a bad place to start either. I would imagine that the dudes in this band have nice record collections.

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Mounting Flame

2009-06-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

The jazz-rock fusion age of the 70's got pretty weird at times. But Inner Mounting Flame is a great record by Mahavishnu Orchestra, led by John McLaughlin. He was most famous for playing with Miles Davis on his "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew" records. The name Mahavishnu Orchestra came from Sri Chimnoy (nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize) who was a spiritual guide to McLaughlin and others like Santana. This record starts out pretty intense with "Meeting of the Spirits" then calms down with songs like "Dawn" and "Lotus on Irish Streams". All the musicians on this record were top tier musicians of the 70's and McLaughlin's guitar playing and composing border on insanity. Bands trying to copy McLaughlin's style these days, like Mars Volta, don't come anywhere close. They just end up sounding like untalented 15 year olds making a bunch of noise. Then 30 year olds with tight pants, a lot of hair, and no knowledge of music don't know any better and think it's talented jamming. Listen to this record, compare the two, then you'll notice the difference. "You Know You Know" is sampled in Mos Def's song "Kalifornia". Enjoy.

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Inner Mounting Flame

Happy Birthday Andrew

2009-06-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun tunes I put together for my brother on his birthday tomorrow. Although we both have very different tastes in music we did grow up in the same house so I think we can't help but see eye to eye on a bunch of stuff. It's been a while since we had a chance to talk about music but I know you like some of the more classic tracks on here and I think you will dig the rest as well. Happy Birthday Brozef.

I know everyone else that reads this blog might not be interested in this but this playlist is full of awesome songs that you should enjoy either way.

Happy Birthday Brother Playlist

1.Funkadelic-Good Old Music

2.The Beach Boys-Til I Die

3.Black Merda-Reality

4.The Brian Jonestown Massacre-Cabin Fever

5.Can-Tango Whiskeyman

6.Elijah & The Ebonies-Hot Grits!!!

7.Eek A Mouse-Slowly But Surely

8.Herbie Hancock-Watermelon Man

9.Index-Shock Wave

10.The Flying Burrito Brothers-Cody, Cody

11.Jackie Mitto-Good Feeling

12.Jacob Miller-Forward Ever

13.Les Fleur De Lys-Moondreams

14.Mission of Burma-Academy Fight Song

15.The Music Machine-Hey Joe

16.People Under the Stairs-Pulp Fiction Featuring Murs

17.Red Cross-Annette's Got the Hits

18.Otis Gayle-I'll Be Around

19.The Velvet Underground-Sweet Jane (Live @ Max Kansas City)

20.Syd Barrett-Octopus

The Garbage and the Flowers-Eyes Rind as if Beggars

2009-06-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

This band reminds me of a kiwi sonic youth with touches of the Microphones at times. The Garbage and the Flowers are another Flying Nun group from the eighties that played music that is still completely relevant today. I was actually pretty surprised the first time I heard this record because it seems so close to a lot of the semi-structured experimental garage stuff going on these days. Another reason I especially like "Eyes Rind as if Beggars" is it seems to be a little bit more folk influenced than a lot of the other mid to late eighties flying nun groups. Also on a few tracks they take a slightly more straightforward rock and roll approach that would have fit in with nicely with the paisley underground in Los Angeles.

The Garbage and the Flowers-Eyes Rind as if Beggars

Jerry Garcia & David Grisman - The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 12/8/91

2009-05-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Jerry Garcia and David Grisman had been performing together since the early 70's (Old and In The Way) but they played their first show as a duet in 1990. They would play 19 shows together and this may be the best show I've heard. They played three shows at the Warfield in San Francisco in 1991 (12/7-12/9). Because Jerry's health was on a steady decline throughout the late 80's and early 90's (he had gone into a diabetic coma in 1986 for 5 days. He produced one of my favorite quotes when he woke up: "Well, I had some very weird experiences. My main experience was one of furious activity and tremendous struggle in a sort of futuristic, space-ship vehicle with insectoid presences. After I came out of my coma, I had this image of myself as these little hunks of protoplasm that were stuck together kind of like stamps with perforations between them that you could snap off") and because of his death in 1995, you could consider these shows with Grisman to be his last great shows outside of the Dead. Even though Jerry was in a rough patch in his life, when you see videos and hear shows of him with Grisman, you can see that he is extremely happy and it definitely shows in this recording. Their cover of Miles Davis' "So What" is brilliant. Enjoy.

Jerry Garcia & David Grisman - The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 12/8/91 (Disc 1)
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman - The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 12/8/91 (Disc 2)

Culture - Two Sevens Clash

2009-05-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

Culture released their debut album in 1977 when "the two sevens clashed". Marcus Garvey, the leader of the "back to Africa" movement had predicted that there would be chaos on July 7, 1977 when the "sevens" met. When the title track was released, people in Jamaica were so convinced of its message that on 7/7/77 businesses and schools closed, people shuttered themselves in, and the military was on edge. This should give you all a little lesson on how important this record was and is to the island of Jamaica. The singer and brains behind Culture, Joseph Hill, was looking to write a record that would be a testament to his devout Rastafarian beliefs. Many reggae bands get the short end of the stick because people tend to have a hard time looking beyond Bob Marley. Although Marley and the Wailers are great, people will be smart to look beyond; Culture is a great place to start. The 30th Anniversary Edition was just released in 2007. I'll post the entire original record. If you want some bonus tracks, you'll have to buy the Anniversary Edition. Here's a quote from the liner notes:
"One day Joseph Hill had a vision, while riding a bus, of 1977 as a year of judgment -- when two sevens clash -- when past injustices would be avenged. Lyrics and melodies came into his head as he rode and thus was born the song "Two Sevens Clash" which became a massive hit in reggae circles both in Jamaica and abroad. The prophecies noted by the lyrics so profoundly captured the imagination of the people that on July 7, 1977 - the day when sevens fully clashed (seventh day, seventh month, seventy-seventh year) a hush descended on Kingston; many people did not go outdoors, shops closed, an air of foreboding and expectation filled the city."

Culture - Two Sevens Clash

Knight School-The Poor and Needy Need To Party

2009-05-12T20:30:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of action over here at Pacific Radio Fire, we were bumming out pretty hard about swine flu and sealed ourselves in my grandparents fallout shelter for the past week. Although we were deprived of sunshine in the shelter thank god my Grandparents were wise enough back in the sixties to think about entertainment down there and installed a turntable and stereo. So you can imagine how much it sucked being down there for a week but we totally got to listen to a ton of records! One of my favorite records during the week was "The Poor and Needy Need To Party" by Knight School. Out of all the bands doing the lo-fi jingle jangle sound this is probably my favorite. Although there are a bunch of bands with this sound right now I have noticed that this genre lacks good full lengths. Even though "The Poor and Needy Need To Party" is only twenty-four minutes long it sounds and feels like a proper full length record. I doubt it is in Knight School's plan at this point but if they needed them the record would be chock full of singles. They also have pretty amazing song titles such as "Gardeninginging" and "Pregnant Again". If you like short, super catchy songs that don't take themselves too seriously and stay stuck in your head for weeks than I would recommend ordering a copy from this website "Lost Music". If this is Knight School's debut I am excited to see where they go from here. On a side note I just realized this band reminds me of Beat Happening for three reasons: Sloppily drawn kitties on the front of the record, two dudes and one girl and sometimes the drums sound like childrens blocks being smacked together. I am going to post the record because in all honesty I love the whole thing. If anyone want's me to get rid of the link ask. JK on the swine flu.

Knight School-The Poor and Needy Need To Party

Nerve City-Catholic School

2009-05-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

As far as I know Nerve City is the alias of one dude named Jason Boyer from Richmond Virgina. Nerve City plays lo-fi garage rock with a definite influence from blues and sixties surf music. I know this probably sounds like fifty other records you have read about this week but I think Nerve City brings enough to this genre to stand out. One thing I specifically dig about "Catholic School" is although it is only one guy there seems to be a lot of different instruments being played in a lot of different ways. It seems like a lot of bands misuse the title "lo-fi" or "garage" as an excuse to sound shitty or boring. The use of less polished recording equipment and technique should be to communicate some of the urgency that the band has live not as a crutch to hide badly written songs. With that said, Nerve City has plenty of well written songs and no matter what type of recording they are using at the moment they shine through. On "Catholic School" Boyer fills each song with organ, slide guitar, handclaps and just enough reverb to tie it all together. Another reason Nerve City stands out is that they haven't released any type of long playing record yet their songs are varied from jangly folk(Dogs) to creepy garage rock(Junkyard). I will post the now out of print "Catholic School Demo" in its entirety because it is out of print and its the record that got me into them. Nerve City has plans to release a bunch of stuff in 09 like an LP on Sweet Rot and a few EPs on different labels so keep your eyes open.

Nerve City Myspace

Nerve City-Catholic School

Jarvis Cocker-Further Complications

2009-04-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

I am not going to post anything from this record because its not out and obviously someone is not happy about it being leaked. Its awesome though. I really liked the first one but this sounds much better. Everyone should grab a copy of this when it hits stores on May 19th on Rough Trade. Thanks again Steve Albini!

The Middle Class-Out of Vogue

2009-04-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

"Out of Vogue" by the Middle Class is titled by some as one of the first hardcore punk records ever released. I feel that "first ever" debates when concerning music are usually completely pointless. From what I have observed in my lifetime terms like "hardcore", "lo-fi" and "post-punk" are usually made by people who don't really get it in the first place, such as journalists and record executives. People are usually more comfortable with things if they can place them into a definite category, especially when those people are trying to turn a profit. Okay, so whatever, this might be the first "hardcore" record ever, this fact has nothing to do with why its good to listen to. The music on "Out of Vogue" is definitely fast for the time, considering it was released in January 1979 (the same month as Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown" EP). Comparisons to early hardcore bands like Minor Threat and Bad Brains are inevitable but I think that the Middle Class were actually doing something a little different. Most hardcore bands at this time came from big cities like Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC but the Middle Class were from a small suburban town called Santa Ana in Orange County. A few years later this area exploded with punk bands like the Adolescents, TSOL and Agent Orange. Obviously the Middle Class' influence was felt by somebody because all of those bands share more than just geography. When listening to the Adolescents, Agent Orange or the Middle Class I have always noticed the slight influence of sixties and seventies surf and pop groups. Obviously Agent Orange covered the Dick Dale song Miserlou and in the liner notes of the Adolescent demos Tony Cadena talks about how he has always loved Cheap Trick. Growing up in a place that is pretty similar to Santa Ana, I can say that its hard to escape certain musical trends and often times there is just not much else to be into due to location. If this sounds good Frontier just released a CD with all of their early material including their first two singles and some demos. I will post the whole "Out of Vogue" 7".

The Middle Class-Out of Vogue

The Wild Poppies-Heroine

2009-04-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

I really don't know much about this band so I guess I will start off with what I do know. The Wild Poppies were from New Zealand and released music sometime in the eighties. Although they were not on Flying Nun you can definitely hear that they shared a lot of influences with their artists. Other than that pretty much nothing is known about this band which is kind of cool in a mysterious way. Judging from the cover artwork and album title I wouldn't be surprised if substance abuse had something to do with them disappearing off the face of the earth. There has to be some reason they are completely unheard of because this record is solid front to back. Most of the songs on "Heroine" have that signature New Zealand jangle on them and really strong pop song writing. For me its one of those records where every time you listen to it you walk away with a new favorite song. As far as I know none of the Wild Poppies catalogue ever made it to CD format and I think you would probably have a hard time finding a physical copy of any of their records on vinyl so I am going to post all of "Heroine". Be warned, can cause physical dependence.

The Wild Poppies-Heroine LP

Tones on Tail-Everything!

2009-04-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

I just recently moved a good portion of my record collection from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Anyone who has ever had to move their collection or even part of it knows what a herculean task it can appear to be. The good part is that forgotten favorites will resurfaces due to the fact that you literally haven't seen them in years. Unfortunately my copy of Tones on Tail's aptly titled career retrospective "Everything!" fell victim to a few year long disappearance when I moved out of Los Angeles. Luckily while I was home visiting my parents I helped them do some spring cleaning and this psychedelic goth gem was returned once again to my ears. Tones on Tail initially started as the side project of Bauhaus towards the tail end of their first run that included Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins and their roadie/friend Glenn Campling. Although Tones on Tail only lasted about two years I always perceived it as an opportunity for Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins to experiment and do things they felt restricted to in Bauhaus, as well as lay the foundation for Love and Rockets. Tones on Tail never released a proper studio album but I think that their utilization of the single format actually helped them reach farther in a different direction. It is apparent from listening to Bauhaus and Love and Rockets in that order that Ash and Haskins were aiming for something very different with the latter. I think having the anonymity of a side project group who released only singles let them have the freedom to sculpt their desired sound without having the pressure to deliver cohesive albums. Since the career of Tones On Tail was so short lived but prolific I can't help but get the feeling that they had specific goals, did what they wanted, achieved their goals and moved on. The music on "Everything!" leans more on the experimental side in comparison to most of Bauhaus or Love and Rockets but if you like either of them you will undoubtedly like this too. I am going to post a few songs for this one.

Tones On Tail-Rain, Lions, Twist 3 song zip file

Jerry Garcia & John Kahn - Oregon State Penitentiary, Salem, Oregon - May 5, 1982

2009-04-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find a place to start with Jerry Garcia's music. You could spend a lifetime listening to Dead shows, analyzing jams and recordings and still not tap the surface. Personally, I find that Jerry seems to shine the most in his solo shows. He began playing with John Kahn in May of 1970 with the Jerry Garcia & Howard Wales project. After that, John Kahn was in every side project Jerry did without the Dead (Jerry Garcia Band, Legion of Mary, Old and In The Way, etc.) These collaborations eventually led to Jerry and John Kahn playing as an acoustic duet in the early 80's. This show at the Oregon State Penitentiary is without question one of my favorite of Jerry's side project shows. It is by far the best recording I've heard of a Jerry Garcia & John Kahn show and Ken Kesey was supposedly in attendance. They play a few Dead songs (Friend of the Devil, Ripple, Dire Wolf), songs the Dead played all the time (Deep Elem Blues, Jack A Roe) and a few of Jerry's own songs and favorites (Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie, Bob Dylan's It Takes A Lot to Laugh, Run For The Roses, Rubin and Cherise). I get the chills everytime I listen to this version of Run For The Roses and I find myself coming back to this show again and again. Supposedly, the Dead crew disliked John Kahn for his encouragement of Jerry's drug habit, especially in the 90's. John Kahn would die of heart failure (May, 1996) a little over a year after Jerry died of a heart attack (August 1995), both deaths most likely due to drugs. I couldn't find a picture from the show so I posted the best one I could find of the two together. Enjoy the show!

Here's a note from a guy who was there: "One thing I remember was a deranged guy hopped onstage during the Reverend Chumliegh's (sp?) act and kind of made for a slightly tense atmosphere. And I think Jerry was without John Kahn for the first two songs and pretty nervous. Kesey had us all hyperventilating, bless him."- Paul

Jerry Garcia & John Kahn - Oregon State Penitentiary, Salem, Oregon - May 5, 1982

Pacific Radio Fire by Richard Brautigan

2009-04-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

This is the short story by Richard Brautigan that I borrowed the name for this blog from. You can find it in his collection of stories called "Revenge of the Lawn". I doubt I will ever post anything like this ever again but it seemed relevant enough to share.

Pacific Radio Fire by Richard Brautigan

The largest ocean in the world starts or ends at Monterey, California. It depends on what language you are speaking. My friend’s wife had just left him. She walked right out the door and didn’t even say good-bye. We went and got two fifths of port and headed for the Pacific.

It’s an old song that’s been played on all the jukeboxes in America. The song has been around so long that it’s been recorded on the very dust of America and it has settled on everything and changed chairs and cars and toys and lamps and windows into billions of phonographs to play that song back into the ear of our broken heart.

We sat down on a small corner-like beach surrounded by big granite rocks and the hugeness of the Pacific Ocean with all its vocabularies.

We were listening to rock and roll on his transistor radio and somberly drinking port. We were both in despair. I didn’t know what he was going to do with the rest of his life either.

I took another sip of port. The Beach Boys were singing a song about California girls on the radio. They liked them.

His eyes were wet wounded rugs.

Like some kind of strange vacuum cleaner I tried to console him. I recited the same old litanies that you say to people when you try to help their broken hearts, but words can’t help at all.

It’s just the sound of another human voice that makes the only difference. There’s nothing you’re ever going to say that’s going to make anybody happy when they’re feeling shitty about losing somebody that they love.

Finally he set fire to the radio. He piled some paper around it. He struck a match to the paper. We sat there watching it.

I had never seen anybody set fire to a radio before.

As the radio gently burned away, the flames began to affect the songs that we were listening to. A record that was #1 on the Top-40 suddenly dropped to #13 inside of itself. A song that was #9 became #27 in the middle of a chorus about loving somebody. They tumbled in popularity like broken birds. Then it was too late for all of them.

The Honeycombs-Here are the Honeycombs

2009-04-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty obsessed with this record lately. At first look this appears to be your standard British invasion sixties pop but if you take the time to listen it becomes obvious it has a lot more to offer. A cool fact about The Honeycombs is they were one of the first groups of the time to have a female drummer, who's name was Honey Lantree(pictued above in the center). Also, their first single and ultimately most popular song "Have I the Right?" was produced by legendary English record producer Joe Meek. I have got to admit up until pretty recently I had no clue who Joe Meek was. With a little bit of researching I found out that Meek had a really interesting story that unfortunately ended with tragedy. Here is a condensed version: Meek produced a string of successful singles on the British charts, when his commercial success ended he sank into depression and ended up murdering his landlady before committing suicide(Eight years to the day after his hero Buddy Holly died). The main thing that Meek is remembered for is his imaginative and innovative production style. When listening to the Honeycombs its hard not to notice how different it sounds from other recordings of the time. Meek was a pioneer in the field of production and developed many studio techniques such as direct input of bass, echo, reverb, sampling and over-dubbing that are now standard practice. Even though the Honeycombs have a pretty standard pop sound the way they are recorded makes their songs sound full and lush. I think another reason I liked the story of Meek was his commitment to finding the perfect sound rather than what was marketable at the moment. Unfortunately he was working in the field of recording at a time when unprofitable music was seen as not having much value which probably had something to do with his feelings of isolation and severe depression. I am going to post "Have I the Right?" not only because its well known but also because it is a good example of the sound that Meek produced when he was at his best recording bands. The second track I am going to post is called "It Ain't Necessarily So" because its a really cool song, boo ya.

The Honeycombs-Have I the Right?

The Honeycombs-It Ain't Necessarily So

Chain and the Gang-Down with Liberty...Up With Chains

2009-04-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else remember when Ian Svenonius was interviewing Henry Rollins on his show Soft Focus? At one point they brought up the idea of freedom actually being a constraining concept by referencing the awesome Saccharine Trust song "We Don't Need Freedom". Anyone who has followed Svenonius in any of his musical projects is probably familiar with his satirical wit that he seems to incorporate in to everything he touches at least in some part. Keeping that in mind I think his new project "Chain and the Gang" is a good extension of him and some other interesting musicians taking that idea and running with it.

People seem to either really dig Svenonius and his multiple artistic endeavors since the Nation of Ulysses or they don't seem to have the patience for them. Not to say that listening to the Make Up is some type of transcendental experience that only a fortunate minority can enjoy but more that he is interpreted by some as being redundant. I guess I feel like in this situation there is no reason to fix it if its not broken, I haven't reached that point in my listening to his records where I feel like they are monotonous. With that said, I have been playing the shit out of "Down with Liberty, Up with Chains" by Svenonius and his new group of familiar faces. I read that he originally intended to record a spoken word record with Calvin Johnson in his famous basement and this is what resulted. I can definitely say that I am glad it did, maybe that spoken word album would have been the thing to make me loose patience.

A look at the cover of this record is a great explanation of the ideas and overall aesthetic that you will get with Chain and the Gang. I think the actual music on the album has more of a blues influence than most of his more recent releases but there is still plenty of catchy garage rock as well. It seems like on this record he really perfected the call and response rhythm with his vocals which he is already kind of known for. Bottom line is if you like what Ian Svenonius has been doing for the last two decades than this will probably be a welcome addition to your collection, if not you probably gave up a long time ago.

Chain and the Gang-Trash Talk

Chain and the Gang-Deathbed Confession

The Halo Benders

2009-04-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

Doug Martsch and Calvin Johnson. This sentence should be enough to get you excited about whatever it is I am about to write about. For the purpose of focusing on their collaboration records together I won't write in depth on either of their former bands (Built to Spill and Beat Happening) in this post. Even though I love listening to the records that both of these bands released I always find myself running back to the Halo Benders records faster. I think the reason for that is the way the two front men decided to approach the band. I feel like a lot of the time when there are bands where two formerly known and definitely talented people are involved there is too much pressure to create some type of groundbreaking record or something that outdoes their past. The reason The Halo Benders appealed to me is because I never perceived them to have any pressure about making something "more" than their former projects. Basically what you have here is Calvin Johnson and Doug Martsch making songs on top of each other more other than collaborating. My favorite songs have always been the ones where they sing together throughout, usually not quite at the same moment but enough apart that you can make out each of their lyrics. Another interesting thing about their process as a band is they write lyrics separately which is obvious once you hear them. I think the point of this is that neither one of these extremely talented dudes tries to out-do the other. Even when they are literally playing different songs on top of each other it sounds natural and comfortable. Not to mention its funny, Johnson has always expressed his good sense of humor through his art and now that I think about it Martsch has a lot of really witty lines as well. I always loved the title of the first Halo Benders album "God Don't Make No Junk" which I believe was stolen from an old blues song of the same title in true Johnson fashion. I am going to post a Halo Benders song called "Virginia Reel Around the Fountain" from their record "The Rebels Not In". I made a mistake earlier and said that it was a cover of the Smiths song "Reel Around the Fountain" but other than the titles the songs have nothing in common.

The Halo Benders-Virginia Reel Around the Fountain

Bored Games-Who Killed Colonel Mustard

2009-04-19T09:13:00.001-07:00

There are a million different reasons to love this record. First of all it was released on New Zealand's legendary Flying Nun label label in 1982 kicking off the career of singer Shane Carter and the golden age of the label. Carter later went on to form the Doubly Happys and then the Straightjacket Fits, both releasing records on Flying Nun. Carter was only seventeen years old when Bored Games were active, even though this EP was released a year after the band broke up. You can find a really great video out there for the song "Happy Endings" that shows his age if you look hard enough. Even though this record is probably the least known item in Carter's career its definitely my favorite. If you are familiar with the early eighties Flying Nun stable than you probably know what this sounds like and already dig it. If you like early eighties punk with a spoonful of pop then you will love this. I guess if I had to compare it to something I would say the Spiral Scratch EP from the Buzzcocks. Even though I do feel guilty comparing Flying Nun bands to their better known contemporaries because usually they were better. I will post this whole record because its only four songs and I think they work best together since it is basically this bands complete discography.

Bored Games-Who Killed Colonel Mustard?

Grouper

2009-04-16T21:46:00.001-07:00

I realized today that there is not a single female mentioned in any of the posts on this blog up to this point. I have been meaning to write about Grouper for a while anyways and this seems like a perfect time to do so. Liz Harris aka Grouper is the Portland based one woman drone machine responsible for last years amazing "Dragging a Dead Dear up a Hill" LP. Although her music definitely does drone repeated listens reveal layer upon layer of melody. On her more recent releases the vocals and guitar can be heard a lot more clearly which reminds me of something like "Souvlaki" era Slowdive on codeine-promethazine. I have yet to hear a bad record from her let alone a bad song so I would say its safe to pick up whatever you can find from her. I know a lot of her earlier releases were vinyl only and are pretty much completely out of print by this point. One song below is from her record "Cover the Windows and theWalls" and another from "Dragging a Dead Dear up a Hill".

Grouper-Follow In Our Dreams

Grouper-Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping

Pissed Jeans-Shallow

2009-04-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

For better or worse I think did it backwards with Pissed Jeans. When "Hope for Men" was released almost two years ago I picked it up based on a review I read that said they sounded "My War" era Black Flag and the Jesus Lizard. When I see music journalists using either of these bands for reference points I am almost always skeptical and rarely interested. Keeping all this in mind I would have to say Pissed Jeans are the real deal. Even though it took me forever to get Pissed Jeans debut "Shallow" I think it is my favorite of their two full length records. Although its a short record it really delivers a lot of quality tunes in about the same time period it would take for you to watch an episode of the Fresh Prince. This is the type of record where one song gets stuck in your head and when you listen to it you decide to start it from the beginning and let it play to the end. Both of the tracks below are off their record "Shallow". Buy their records, you wont regret it.

Pissed Jeans-I Broke My Own Heart

Pissed Jeans-Wachovia

Ornette Coleman-The Shape of Jazz to Come

2009-03-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

People had differing opinions on Ornette Coleman. Miles Davis said that Coleman was “all screwed up inside” during some interview. Davis later recanted what he said but the statement never went away. Roy Eldridge had this to say: "I'd listened to him all kinds of ways. I listened to him high and I listened to him cold sober. I even played with him. I think he's jiving baby." You never really knew what you were going to get when it came to his music. “The Shape of Jazz to Come” came out in 1959 and was one of the first avant-garde jazz records ever. People were shocked and blown away with the fact that the record had very little chord structure and seemed to be all over the place musically. He’ll start off with a main theme followed by wild solo’s that last a few minutes then he’ll dive back into the main theme and start over again. Sometimes every band member will be soloing simultaneously causing a mess of noise that somehow comes out perfect. This record was pretty much responsible for starting a whole new type of jazz (avant-garde, free jazz) and was groundbreaking for jazz in general. I posted a song from the record and a link to his official site where you can see his discography and some videos.

Band Members for “The Shape of Jazz to Come”:

Ornette Coleman – Alto Sax
Don Cherry – Cornet
Charlie Haden – Bass
Billy Higgins – Drums

Coleman is 79 and still playing live and recording in the studio. Check out his newest record Sound Grammar where he plays alto sax, trumpet and violin and tears them all up. It was recorded live in Germany and won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for music.

Ornette Coleman-Eventually

Ornette Coleman Official Site

Shellac

2009-03-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Steve Albini is the fucking man. I am having a really hard time thinking of a place to start with this. Since this is a Shellac post I won't go too far into his earlier band Big Black but they basically started industrial music but played it a lot cooler than anybody else has since. In 1992 Albini started Shellac with Todd Trainer on drums and Bob Weston on bass. Out of all of Albini's personal music endeavors I think that Shellac has always been the band that I got the most excited about. I've always really admired Albini for being publicly outspoken about his recording techniques which range from denouncing the "producer" title to not accepting royalties from his recordings. I think you would have to search far and wide for a record collection that doesn't contain the mark of Steve Albini somewhere in it, even if the owner of the record isn't aware of it.I became a fan of his almost subconsciously. By the time I found out who he was I already had a bunch of records from bands he had worked with like Nirvana, Jawbreaker and the Pixies . I think he has had such a prolific career because people can easily relate to him. He always seems to keep things simple and focus more on what the band already has, bringing that out rather than trying to make them what they aren't using studio techniques. I am going to leave a few different Shellac songs from different albums that I really enjoy. Their sound has taken on changes throughout their career but I think its safe to say if you like what you hear than you will probably be into everything else they have released.

Shellac-Song of the Minerals

Shellac-Squirrel Song

Sore Eros-Second Chants

2009-03-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Aside from the cover artwork, I am really surprised that I haven't seen more about this band. Sore Eros is one guy from Connecticut who used to play in Ariel Pink's backing band. It's easy to hear that he would fit in well with Ariel Pink's band but I think this record stands up to anything Ariel Pink has released. At first listen "Second Chants" seems too be hazy and meandering but after a few listens you realize that each song has a really strong melody behind the wandering. Each time I listen to this record I find a new song that seems to really stand out. It also works great as a cohesive album, each song fits perfectly into the next creating a layered hypnotic feeling that is present throughout the whole album. With certain artists this could be annoying or monotonous but I think Sore Eros succeeds in keeping you interested and engaged. I read that Shdwply Records only made about 500 of these but on their myspace page they say it will be repressed soon on 180 gram vinyl which will make it sound even better. I will leave the address for Shdwply records below as well as two tracks from the record.

Sore Eros-Lips Like Wine

Sore Eros-In My Heart

Shdwply Records

Obits-I Blame You

2009-03-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

I feel like its only right that I get something from the John Reiss/Rick Froberg camp on this blog. Although Drive like Jehu broke up way before my time I always loved their records and tried to stay up to date with as many of their post Jehu projects as I could. I even saw the Hot Snakes play a few times when they were touring in support of their last record "Audit In Progress". Obits is the new project from ex-Hot Snakes and Jehu singer/guitarist Rick Froberg. I heard that after seeing a recording of their first show Sub-Pop approached them with a several record deal. Pretty impressive for a new band with only a handful of shows under their belt. The attitude behind the band seems to be just play and make records and let everything else kind of fall in to place. From the looks of it their plan has been working out so far. Make sure you pick up their Sub-Pop debut "I Blame You" on March 24. If you pre-order it from the Sub-Pop site you get a bunch of far out stuff for free including a "magical-seeming Obits Lenticular card" designed by the band themselves as well as a link to a special steaming website of "I Blame You" which will be available up until the release date.

Obits-Talking to the Dog

The Mayfair Set- Self Titled 7"

2009-03-11T14:27:00.001-07:00

This is the new self titled 7" record from a new but familiar band called the Mayfair Set. As is the case with the Mayfair set sometimes hype actually pays off. The band is made up of one part blank dogs and one part dum dum girls. I think that even though both bands play a similar style of music they bring totally different things to table so the mixture seems just right. If you like either of these bands than this 7" will be a welcome addition to your record collection. Two fuzzed out gloomy jams to get you through the last stretch of winter. You can buy it straight from the Captured Tracks myspace which I will link below.

Captured Tracks

The Mayfair Set-Already Warm

Cam'ron-I hate my job

2009-03-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Cam'ron is back! I just saw this video for the first time and its pretty on point. I am excited to hear his next full length "Crime Pays" which is supposed to be released on May fifth. I always thought Cam'ron was a relatively down to earth dude despite his outspoken appearances on Bill O'reilly and CBS news. You gotta love the low budget video and it's good to see him doing fine without the rest of the Diplomats. Make sure you watch the video up until the point where he interviews for the job. Listening to Cam tell the guy in the suit that his mom would recommend him because he does everything around the house is classic!

Charm City Suicides- Self Titled

2009-03-10T18:28:00.001-07:00

I don't really know much about this band. What I do know is that their self titled record is filled with awesome blood on the wall/fyp style sloppy garage punk. Sometimes they almost remind me of a less controlled ink and dagger or early icarus line. I went to the youth attack website to try and get a little more information on this band and all I found is that this record was originally put out on a label called Vermin Scum and that they broke up before it was released. The website also mentions that it was recorded on a boom-box.

Charm City Suicides-Pesticides Rock

Charm City Suicides-Pit of Sorrow

Thorns Of Life

2009-03-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

I know that I am not alone when I say that I could use some more Blake Schwarzenbach in my life these days. For those who aren't familiar Jawbreaker was one of the best punk bands of the nineties and Blake Schwarzenbach was their singer. I recommend picking up a few of their albums such as 24 revenge therapy, unfun or dear you. After jawbreaker called it quits Blake went on to form another band called Jets To Brazil. Now that the Jets have been in the ground for a few years we have Thorns of Life. In a recent interview I read Blake made a comment about not being sure if his new band sounds more like Jets or Jawbreaker. From these videos the band definitely sounds more jawbreaker to me, which I don't mind. This might have something to do with Aaron Cometbus playing drums or maybe its just Blake returning to what he knows best. Either way, I cant wait and I feel a little better about no new Cometbus issues for a while.

The Swirlies-Blonder Tongue Audio Baton

2009-03-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be a lot harder to choose selections for this site than it is. I guess I expected it to be a much more painstaking process than it is turning out to be, which is a good thing. Anyways my second post is from one of the great forgotten "shoegaze" bands of the nineties. As we have seen from the recent my bloody valentine reunion people are still just as excited about this type of music as they were in the nineties. The reason I chose to write about the Swirlies is because they don't seem to be brought up as much as some of their british comtemporaries at the time and its never really been clear to me why. Although the Swirlies were from Boston and I guess a lot of the focus at the time was on the british shoegaze bands like MBV, Ride, Chapterhouse and Lush. Don't get me wrong I love all of these bands as much as the next person but when I first heard the Swirlies it sounded perfect to me, too perfect to not be compared to the bands mentioned above. Another thing that I like about the swirlies is that their songs rarely rely on studio effects or pedals. Their songs are usually just extremely well written and well performed, something that wasn't always true for a lot of their more popular contemporaries. The song I am going to post is called "Jeremy Parker" from their record Blonder Tongue Audio Baton. I think it is a pretty good introduction to this unfairly ignored band. If you enjoy the track check out the Blonder Tongue Audio Baton record which is still available on Taang.

The Swirlies-Jeremy Parker

The Melvins-Lysol

2009-03-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

There is really not a whole lot to say about this band that hasn't been said already. It seems to be the one band along with Black Sabbath that any person remotely into hard music agree on. Its probably due to the fact that they are so fucking good. "Lysol" is not one of the most popular records by the Melvins but it was the first one that I picked up. Apparently when it was released there was quite a bit of controversy about the title which was a registered trademark. Shortly after Lysol was released the Melvins record lable at the time changed the title of the record to "The Melvins". So chances are when you hear this track and run out to your local record store to buy this record you will find the self titled version. Everything else about the record is just as brutal as the original including the painting of the indian on the cover that was bitten from a beach boys live record. Below is a link to my favorite track on the record, Roman Bird Dog. So if you are into any of the sludgy metallic drone bands that are popular today check out this record because in my opinion the Melvins did it way before it was cool and they did it way better.

Melvins-Roman Bird Dog

Welcome

2009-03-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Pacific Radio Fire. This blog is maintained by a few friends who have been collecting records together and alone for years. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we would like to keep the blog music heavy and light on bullshit so if you happen to be into the music we post please subscribe or check in with us whenever. Hopefully we will be updating it enough to keep everyone (including ourselves) interested and wanting more like so many publications do for us. I think we would eventually like to both post ten records each that in our opinion are crucial records in anyones collection but I wanted to get things running while we are getting weird over these introduction lists. So hopefully we will have those lists soon so you can get a feel for what type of posts you can expect from this blog but until then I will be experimenting to figure out exactly how we want to do this.