Oriphiel

Alright, so it's almost time for me to leave on my trip, and unfortunately I didn't get to finish Los Nuggetz. I hope you can all forgive me! Like I said earlier, i'm probably going to be gone for awhile (a week or two, maybe more), so hopefully I've made enough entries to keep you all occupied for a good amount of time!

We'll meet again, my friends! Until then, keep on being amazing people, and remember that the best music happens in the garage!

Oriphiel

My trip, as you can probably tell, was postponed (I should be leaving probably the day after tomorrow), and I found the time to make another entry!

I hope you all enjoyed The Barracudas, because I have another Garage Rock Revival act for you!

My First Holly Golightly Album


Gotta love the retro art-style!

Born in the 1960's, it wasn't until the 1990's that Holly's musical career began. After dating a member of Thee Headcoats (A pretty well known Garage Rock outfit fronted by Billy Childish), and subsequently being spurred on by Thee Headcoats to get more involved in music, they occasionally played live shows with her, and eventually helped to set her up with her own band (which she dubbed "Thee Headcoatees"). They would continue playing Garage Rock until the end of the 1990's, when they went their seperate ways. However, Holly had begun a solo career mid-way through the 1990's, a career that is ongoing to this day with the backing band "The Brokeoffs" (Her last album was released in 2014).

"My First Holly Golightly Album" is a little strange, with half of it being a compilation of older material scattered across her dozen or so previous albums, and the other half being new material. Released in 2005, it served the purpose of being an introduction for anyone interested in her music, while still putting out new songs for old fans to digest. Because of the range of material, I thought that this would be the best album of hers to look at today. Alright! Let's do this!


Holly Golightly

1. "Wherever You Were" - The ceremonies begin with a heavily reverbed guitar, and it sounds like something out of a song by The Cramps. The vocals are kept simple yet smooth, and the harmonica that comes in contributes to the retro Garage Rock sound, with everything adding up to make a great haunting number!

2. "Directly From My Heart" - Another track kicking off with a deep Rockabilly-style guitar riff, this one has three of the tools of the Garage Rock trade (an electric organ, background harmonies, and raw/sloppy vocals). She's got the vintage sound down pretty good, and if this song had been recorded analogue-style, it would have fit in pretty well on a compilation like Girls in the Garage.

3. "You Ain't No Big Thing" - The vocals here are a littler cleaner and smoother than the last track, and the reverb guitar from the first track returns. This is another song that really captures the vintage sound very well! My favorite track so far, it's definitely got a cut of class to it (while still keeping a bit of that Garage Rock edge).



4. "Walk A Mile" - She really has a thing for melancholy songs, doesn't she? This one is in the vein of the last few tracks, and is definitely a great number with fun guitar work and her trademark smooth-yet-rough vocals, but I think the album itself could have benefited from a change of pace (after all the slow songs, a fast one would have added some variety).

5. "Won't Go Out" - Kind of a Blues-shuffle, I think the deep guitar in the background serves as a good contrast with her vocals. Also, I like the Rockabilly-style guitar break that comes in halfway through!

6. "Sally Go Round the Roses" - A classic song that many people have covered (the first time I heard it was on Fanny's "Rock and Roll Survivors"). It works well with her musical style, having a penchant for slow and melancholy tunes. She's pretty good at Rockabilly style guitar breaks, huh? Anyway, it's another great track, but again, I have a craving for fast numbers...


While city-folk scramble for their money and power, the humble denizens of the country know what is best in life: Shotguns and chickens. Holly on the right, and I believe that is Lawyer Dave (of the Brokeoffs, her backing band) on the left.

7. "Your Love Is Mine" - I knew that the analogue-style would fit in great with her songs! This one is another haunting crawler that sounds like something "The Cramps" could have originally done, with it's reverb Rockabilly guitar. The backing vocals are fun, if a bit odd, and they add kind of a weird charm to the piece!

8. "Nothing You Can Say" - Well... this is one is actually really great! I didn't expect to like any of Holly Golightly's songs this much (as I was never much of a Thee Headcoatees fan), but i'm glad she proved me wrong. Right from the start, you're pulled in to the retro-style melody with a catchy bass line and fun harmonica work, not to mention her signature vocals. The guitar solo is also executed perfectly, and shares the old-world Rockabilly feeling of the rest of the album. Definitely my favorite song of hers so far, and probably the strongest song of the album!

9. "Black Night" - This one is an unplugged number with great acoustic guitar work, it definitely has a Blues/Folk feeling to it. Again, she's really got a knack for the slow and sad songs, and this one is handled just as well as the others. The slide-guitar work is pretty fun, by the way!


Only the roughest of Garage Rockers dare to play the bongo.

10. "Mother Earth" - With a smooth Jazz feeling to it, the Garage edge of this one comes from the analogue-style vocals and the return of the electric organ! It also has a dash of the Blues to it, with Holly singing about how no matter what we do or how long it takes, we all end up going back into the earth from which we sprang.

11. "An Eye For An Empty Heart" - Similar to "Black Night", with the slide-guitar returning. This one has vocal harmonies (and what sounds like a fiddle), which help to flesh things out.

12. "Further On Up the Road" - I like the twelve bar blues style guitar riff! Again, the analogue-style effect on the vocals is the perfect complement, and it works to great effect. This one is a bit rougher than the last few tracks, and casts a kind of road-house shadow.



13. "Run Cold" - The guitar and bass line that slam into you really have a "Louie, Louie"/"Have Love, Will Travel" feeling to them, huh? Or maybe I've just been listening to them too much lately. Anyway, this is another one of my favorites so far, being a great rough tune with fantastic Rockabilly guitar work and vocals!

14. "Can't Stand To See Your Face" - Man, if you like haunting and smooth crawlers, you will absolutely go crazy for this album! There are quite a few of them, but Holly gives each of them a different sound and is good at keeping them interesting and fresh. Well this is another of them, and I like it, but I think it would have sounded a bit better if sped up a little.

15. "Slowly But Surely" - This one is a nice change-up, with the electric organ taking the forefront, however all of these slow songs are kind of depressing me! Still, of all the slow and haunting numbers, this one might be my favorite, simply because it absolutely nails the retro sound, and everything works together very well to keep things smooth yet interesting.

16. "My Love Is" - Ah, I forgot the key element of slow retro songs, which this song introduces to great effect: finger snapping! Definitely takes it's cues from the love songs of old (Like Peggy Lee's "Fever").

17. "I Can't Stand It" - The end of the album! With a fast beat and a strong bass-line, this one is a great change of pace and probably should have come earlier in the album (to break up the wave of slow numbers). Again, Holly is great at hitting the vintage sound right in the bullseye.


Fun Fact: Her full name is Holly Golightly Smith, and she was named after Audrey Hepburn's character in "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

While Holly is very good at nailing the slow songs and giving them a very dark and compelling edge, the weakest point of this album is that it lacks variety. On their own, each song is great, but when they're stuck together they lose their power and end up sounding too similar. As I said before, the album could have benefited greatly from more changes of pace (not to mention experimentation). Still, tracks like "Nothing You Can Say" hit very hard, and give Holly Golightly a sound and edge that really can't be replicated. As a great collection of songs, and a wonderful introduction to Holly, I definitely recommend this album. Although I'll admit that it lacks the raw energy and speed of many other Garage Rock acts, it still has a unique bite to it that doesn't disappoint.

Oriphiel

I've got another weekly update of The Western! I'm having fun writing it, but I have to admit that it's kind of boring. To spice it up, I've decided to inject music into it, putting a video at the beginning of each entry with a song that I had in mind while writing it (or a song that otherwise fits the story). The veteran Journalists among you already know that this isn't my original idea, as it's a central part of other Journals like "Anteater's Yacht Rock Extravaganza" with his "Captain Koko" stories (which you should check out, as they're hilarious and awesome!). I'll be sticking exclusively to songs that have been mentioned in the entries of this journal. Alright, let's start the show with a song from the last entry...

Western: Part Three



One day, Rachel became bored of simply pointing her revolver at targets. Submitting to Lady Fate’s coaxing, she decided that if she couldn’t ever fire her revolver, she could at least practice quick-drawing with it. She stiffened up, legs apart, hand by the holster, just like the shootists of the saloon did when reenacting a harrowing duel. “A fine stance, little chalk. Just fine,” spoke Lady Fate. Rachel swelled with excitement and pride like never before. She reached for the gun, and soon discovered that she lacked the strength to pull it up and out of the holster; after lifting it about two inches, she let it slip out of her fingers and back into it’s resting place. “Try using a tighter grip,” said Lady Fate, “really squeeze and yank on it. You’ll have it out in no time.”

Rachel collected herself, breathing in deeply. She stood up straight once again, and put her hand by her holster. After a moment of pause, she reached for the revolver with the speed of a demon, grabbed it with all her might, and unceremoniously shot herself in the leg. She had pulled the revolver so that it was angled just enough towards her to hit her. Lady Fate seemed to die of laughter as Rachel fell to the ground, almost too much in pain to feel anything at all. But as her adrenaline faded, she soon felt a horrible dull throbbing throughout her leg, punctuated by a sharp stabbing pain when she tried to move it.

Rachel lay on the outskirts of town for what could have been a minute, an hour, or even a day for all her perception was worth at the time. She was in a numb, dreamlike state, almost as if her body was simply in disbelief of what had just occurred. All she had to focus on, besides her bleeding leg, was the revolver lying beside her. Lady fate was still there, laughing all the while. Occasionally, she would cease her hysterical laughter to add a word or two. “Well, you managed to pull it out, didn't you?” she spoke, before falling into laughter once again. “Oh, don’t worry,” she continued, wiping a tear from her eye, “it’s coming to you, little chalk. Just you wait. You’ll grab life, you’ll just grab it and limp with it all the way to the dime novels.” And the laughter started once more.

Meanwhile, the gunshot had roused the townfolk enough to put them on alert, and every parent instinctively sought out their children. Of course, Rachel’s parents could not find her, as she was in her current predicament. They, with the help of the usual posse of concerned parents, eventually found her and brought her to the town doctor. Or rather, they tried to bring her to the doctor, but seeing as he was in the saloon with a fixing to sink or swim in a bottle of whiskey, they had to make do with his assistant.

Luckily, the assistant was no slouch. She was new to the town, one of many types of travelers that drift in from time to time. There were the usual guns for hire, almost exclusively lay-offs from the coach and railroad security business, as well as the young runaways, who were inexperienced yet eager for any work. The doctor’s assistant was of another sort, one of many women who had acquired a higher education, only to find that it was nearly impossible to find a decent career beyond menial labor. Not content to live off of their family’s means, and not quite ready for marriage, these women searched for professional work in vain. Most ended up sharing the same fate as the doctor's assistant, which is to say as an assistant. But here in a small country-town she could do what no city nurse would be allowed to; practice surgery, her specialty.

Rolling up the sleeves of her surgeon-cut dress shirt, the doctor’s assistant worked tirelessly on her task. Lady Fate sat beside Rachel in a rocking chair, holding her hand and smoking a cigarillo, giving sincere words of comfort, though she did occasionally let out a weak laugh, as if remembering an old joke. The surgery went on, and though the assistant did indeed save Rachel’s leg, removing the fragments of bullet and bone that had ricocheted in all directions, it was little consolation to her patient; Rachel’s revolver was gone, confiscated by her parents, taking her dreams along with it.

Oriphiel

Well, the road trip fell through. Would have been fun to do something before I moved out, but such is the way of things. Anyway, since I now have more free-time before I move, I've decided to spice things up a bit in order to keep the journal from getting stale. Rather than only look at Garage Rock, I'll be looking at a wider range of genres from now on! Each entry that introduces an album will now fall under one of four categories, which will be marked at the top of the entry:

Garage Rock: The wild retro sound that you should know pretty well by now! Named after the numerous start-up bands that had a habit of practicing and recording in their garages. Many consider the Garage Rock movement to be a key moment in the history of musical culture, as it inspired a wave of amateur musicians with a "Do It Yourself" attitude to take the world by storm, making the music industry more accessible to the average person. It also coincided with a large wave of independent record labels in the 1960's, with some becoming massive (like Motown), and others fading into obscurity.

As if you needed an example of Garage Rock. But here's one anyway:



Rockabilly: A genre that got it's name from the mash-up of the terms "Rock 'n Roll" (a term with a fun history, most agree that it came about primarily as slang for having sex, and to describe sexually aggressive music), and "Hillbilly" (which was a slang term for fast Country music). Rockabilly combined the grit of the Blues, the style of R & B (which, despite having "Blues" in the name, is not the same as the Blues), the southern twang of Hillbilly, and the fast energy of Boogie Woogie, creating a very infectious and wild sound that resonated well with young audiences. Laying the groundwork for what would come to be known simply as "Rock Music", Rockabilly was the dominate musical form among the youth of the 1950's, continuing until the early 1960's.

An example of Rockabilly:



Post-Punk: The Punk movement of the mid to late 1970's was as influential as it was iconic. With spiky haired rogues stalking the streets of London and New York alike, it was one of many movements shared across the pond. Taking their cues from underground music, and inspired by iconic acts like Richard Hell (of New York) and the Sex Pistols (of England), a wave of start-up bands sprang up across the world with a mission to make as much noise as possible. However, after the record industry capitalized on the emerging genre by making it "mainstream", a strange thing happened: The genres of Punk, Avant-Garde (which was becoming big, due to acts like David Bowie) and Pop collided. The result was dubbed "Post-Punk", a more commercial and artistic form of Punk music. It combined the "Do It Yourself" mentality and wild energy of Punk with Pop sensibility, as well as the artistic experimentation of Avant-Garde. The Post-Punk movement was relatively short-lived, lasting only from the late 1970's into the mid 1980's.

An example of Post-Punk:



Other: I love taking requests from people, and when they recommend an album that doesn't fall under one of the above genres, I'll simply mark the entry as "Other". Remember when I looked at that Lee Hazlewood CD? Just like that.

Oriphiel

Since we've just added those new genres to the mix, let's take a look at some of the songs they have to offer! To start things off, today we'll be looking at a Punk/Post-Punk band from the cold expanses of the exotic land known as... Canada. I'll also be breaking one of the taboos of the world of journals: I'm going to review an EP! Yup, I've gone mad with power!

Teen City



During the Punk and Post-Punk years, there were a few cities that developed a certain reputation for having a large number of talented bands. One of them was Vancouver, which had far too many bands to list here, although a few notable mentions are "D.O.A." and The Jolts (as well as the Pop-Rockers Loverboy). Developing a solid reputation in the Vancouver scene, The Modernettes released multiple EP's, the most popular of which was "Teen City". They also released the LP "Gone But Not Forgotten", and a compilation of their work called "Get It Straight" has been released on CD. Comprised of bassist Mary Kopechne, guitarist John Armstrong, and drummer John McAdams, they made the radio rounds with their local hits "Teen City" and "Barbra". Despite their success, they eventually faded into relative obscurity, and went their seperate ways, a fate that befell many a Post-Punk band. Now that you know their story, let's get to the music!

1. "Barbra" - Staying a bit closer to the Punk side of Post-Punk, this one combines a catchy hook with furious instrumentation. The fast and rough guitar, bass and drum work mix together with the vocals to make an incredibly infectious track that's bound to get stuck in your head for days! It's the perfect example of what Post-Punk bands managed to accomplish, playing their unique brand of Pop-with-bite.



2. "Suicide Club" - Reminiscent of American Punk bands like The Ramones, this one is a pretty fun club-number that easily could have made the radio rounds in the 1980's. An energetic rocker with a dark side, it sounds like something that would have been in a B-Movie from the 1980's about high school misfits (Like "Heathers". Man, why do I watch all of these insanely strange movies?)

3. "Celebrity Crackup" - Another furious Punk club-number that i'm sure brought a tear to The Ramones' eye. Following the trademark formula of Punk numbers from the 1980's (half-furious fun, half-social commentary), you can't go wrong here! That's the end of the A-Side, so flip the vinyl over...


The Modernettes

4. "Confidential" - Opening the B-Side and changing up the Punk pace is this track, slightly slower and softer than the others. Man, I know I keep bringing up The Ramones, but John Armstrong's voice seriously sounds like ole' Joey! I think their speed and energy are what give the Modernettes their edge, as this slow number just seems a bit weak compared to their earlier songs.

5. "Little Girls" - And we blast right into the Punk, with chugging guitars and slamming drums introducing this wild track! Nice and thrashy, it's another great song for getting up and dancing wildly to!

6. "Teen City" - Saving the title song for last, huh? Following their established Punk sound, this one is another wild number. Of their two hits, being this track and "Barbra", I can see why Barbra was the one that had a larger impact; it's much more exciting and engaging, as well as having a sound that none of their other songs manage to capture.



All I can say is that I had a great time with The Modernettes! "Barbra" is a fantastic and catchy song that remains a favorite among Punk and Post-Punk lovers, and it isn't hard to understand why. There are also songs like "Celebrity Crackup" and "Little Girls" that should appeal to the more Punk-oriented among you. Even though songs like "Confidential" and "Teen City" are a bit weaker than the others, the EP still manages to hold up fairly well, and I definitely recommend it!

Oriphiel

Now that we've looked at some Post-Punk, it's time to turn our attention to the other new genre being featured... Rockabilly! And I've brought a legendary album by an iconic musician, one that is sure to get you up on the dance-hall floor!

Here's Little Richard


As soon as I decided to start bringing Rockabilly and classic Rock 'n Roll albums, I knew which one to bring first!

Little Richard is one of the most famous Rock 'n Rollers throughout history, and was one of the figureheads who helped usher in it's golden age. Starting off in Macon, Georgia ("We've got to get to Macon, Clementine!") as Richard Penniman, he took to music naturally and become the strongest (and most infamous) singer in his church choir. With a powerful voice and a fantastic range, he found an idol in Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a very important woman in the history of Rock 'n Roll (seriously, you should check out her songs sometime. Powerful stuff!), and even managed to meet (and sing with) her at one of her shows. It seemed like Little Richard (who got his nickname "Little" from his small stature as a child) was destined to become a musician, however things didn't go so smoothly for him. His family believed that the hip R & B music of the day was morally unfounded, and refused to let him sing it. So he took the advice of one of his friends, and hit the road.


Little Richard, moments before axe-kicking his piano into pieces!

He traveled around the country with various circus and entertainment acts, singing at shows and in clubs, and doing whatever odd-job he could to make money. Eventually, he caught the attention of talent scouts and record labels, however he always ended up falling out with them. Until he joined Specialty Records, that is. At first, they didn't know what to do with him, but after hearing Little Richard sing his signature song "Tutti Frutti" in a club, his producer knew that he had a hit on his hands. His label quickly changed the dirty lyrics (Seriously. Check out the original lyrics of Tutti Frutti sometime, it's a fun read!) into something more family friendly, and cut a single. Of course, as everyone who was alive back in the fifties knows, Tutti Frutti became a hit, and he followed up on his success with the immortal chart-topper "Long Tall Sally". From then on, he would come to be known as the man that helped to push R & B and Boogie Woogie into the wild style that would come be known as Rock 'n Roll!

Little Richard also laid down a few traditions that carried on into the world of Rock 'n Roll. The most famous is the tradition of "panty-throwing", where ladies throw their underwear at a performer during a show. Believe it or not, the first recorded instance of this occurring was at one of his shows (although I wouldn't be surprised if someone threw their underwear at Mozart back in the day. Guy was a lady's man!), and it kind of became a tradition for his female fans to throw underwear at him. He was also one of the original "shock-rock" performers (along with Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Jerry Lee Lewis), using all of his energy to move around and sing wildly (not to mention putting his foot up on the piano). While it may not seem so crazy now, audiences back then had never seen anything like it! Also, Little Richard helped to bring people together, and to ease the racial tensions of the 1950's. His shows allowed both white and black audiences, who regularly left their specified areas so that they could dance together during his fast numbers. Being in close proximity allowed the youth of both races to dispel the myths perpetuated by racists, and helped to usher in a new age of integration.



Now, let's take a look at his first LP (which I believe shares the name of his first EP, "Here's Little Richard")!

1. "Tutti Frutti" - Breaking out of the silence with the most iconic song intro of all time (you know the one), the song hits you with such an infectious charm that you can't help but smile! Little Richard's voice is just dripping with energy and excitement, and it's almost like he was sticking out his hand and asking people worldwide to get up and dance! With millions of copies sold, I think it's safe to say that the world took him up on his offer.

2. "True, Fine Mama" - And here begins the tradition of the piano intro, one that would appear in many of his songs (Like "Slippin' and Slidin'" and "Lucille"). Similar in tune to "Good Golly Miss Molly", this one is an R & B number with a lot of guts!

3. "Can't Believe You Wanna Leave" - A slower R & B shuffle in the tradition of Fats Domino, with Little Richard's voice adding a lot of power and depth to an otherwise fairly simple track. His vocal "hiccups", where he ends a vocal line by going up in pitch, was very influential, and became a tradition in Rockabilly.

4. "Ready Teddy" - A fantastic rocker that's similar in style to "Tutti Frutti" and "Rip It Up", the quick back-beat of the drumming works perfectly with the saxophone playing (which culminates in a saxophone solo)! This is a great number that has been covered quite a few times.


Little Richard also starred in many movies back in the 1950's and 1960's, performing his hit songs!

5. "Baby" - The twelve bar blues always sound great, even when they're being played by saxophones rather than guitars! This one is another R & B shuffle, and Little Richard doesn't hold back as he attacks with his rough and compelling vocals!

6. "Slippin' and Slidin'" - Another fantastic track that has been covered by many artists, I believe it was the B-Side to "Long Tall Sally" (Or at least it is on the Specialty 45 that I own). Infectiously fun, it was practically made for the clubs and dance-halls!

7. "Long Tall Sally" - A song that truly needs no introduction. If you're hearing it for the first time (What?! Haven't you ever seen Predator, man?!), then I hope you're holding onto something tightly, otherwise you're going to start dancing without control (Seriously, the human body naturally reacts to this song by jumping around. It can't be helped!). Probably the most infectious Rock 'n Roll song ever crafted, this enduring hit went on to influence everyone from The Beatles to The Sonics.


I'm trying so hard to not quote the helicopter scene from Predator...

8. "Miss Ann" - Slowing down with another R & B number, this one sounds fairly similar to "Kansas City". I didn't mention it before, but Little Richard's signature technique (Screaming "Yow!", followed by a drum break and saxophone solo) is just the best thing ever recorded!

9. "Oh Why?" - A fairly slow crawler with Little Richard offering haunting and impactful vocals, this one is a fun song about a guy who dreams about being on trial for still loving the girl who he broke-up with!

10. "Rip It Up" - The ultimate party song, Rip It Up is another track that has been covered by just about every Rock 'n Roller (Eddie Cochran, Wanda Jackon, Gene Vincent, The Beatles, etc.). This is an anthem for everyone who's ever woken up on a saturday and decided to throw away all inhibitions and let loose, before the week starts over and they have to go back to work. If it's saturday night and you've just been paid, what else can you do but have a ball?



11. "Jenny, Jenny" - A number that rocks and rolls it's way across the dance floor, this one was apparently a favorite to perform live for Gerry Roslie (The singer of The Sonics). You gotta love the saxophones and slamming drums!

12. "She's Got It" - Finishing off the album is a great fast rocker, which as usual is full of Little Richard's wild energy!

Every time I bring an album here, I almost always finish with the same sentiment: That it's a good album, but not exactly a must-hear. Well this is a must-hear! If you have a music collection, whether it's a massive library of LP's, a bunch of MP3's on your computer, or even just a few dusty CD's that you keep on your desk, you absolutely need to hear these songs! Of course they're legendary and iconic, but more importantly, they're insanely fun! They're important historically and culturally, while still sounding exciting and fresh to modern audiences, and saying that they are timeless is not an understatement.

Oriphiel

I'm back once again, with more odd retro Avant-Garde Rock music to satisfy your thirst for the weird and wonderful! That's right, today we'll be delving back into the ultra-strange world of Post-Punk! Why? Well, I didn't really do the genre justice with it's first entry, did I? For starters, it was mostly centered around plain old Punk, and lastly it was kind of light on content (since I brought a short EP, and all). So you see, Post-Punk deserves another chance to shine before we dive back into Garage Rock. Last time, we looked at the Modernettes, so I thought it would be fun to look at a band with a very similar name...

The Story So Far


Fun fact: This album is where I got the name for the stats sections on the first page!

The Mo-dettes! This all-girl group of Post-Punkers came together at the tail end of the seventies, right when the scene was in full swing. Comprised of guitarist Kate Korris (who got her start in the infamous Punk band The Slits), vocalist Ramona Carlier (with her trademark Swiss accent), drummer June Miles-Kingston, and bassist Jane Crockford, these ladies attracted the attention of (who else?) John Peel, who I believe I have mentioned before in this journal. Anyway, while they were relatively obscure, they scored a major hit with the single "White Mice", which was popular enough in dancing clubs that they followed up on it by cutting a special Disco version. Backed by John Peel's support and radio coverage, they developed a good following and apparently put on a mean live show. However, due to line-up issues (one member left, another got married, one was replaced, you know the drill), the band seemed to fall apart almost all at once, in the early eighties. Before they split up, they managed to release a slew of singles, as well as cutting an LP and having a "Peel Session". Well, shall we begin?


The Mo-dettes! If you couldn't already tell by the "Fish and Chips" sign in the background, they were from the UK.

1. "Fandango" - The first song of the album kicks off with a great dancing beat, as well as a strong bassline! With Ramona's vocals, the song takes on a very weird feeling, but... it's kind of charming, actually. I can't understand a single word she's saying, but it's kind of the perfect type of vocals for a band like this. I mean, could you imagine anyone else singing for them?

2. "Satisfy" - Another odd-ball yet charming track, this one is a Pop-Punk number with the drums taking the forefront over the bass this time around. Again, Ramona adds her super strange vocals to the mix. She kind of sounds like what would happen if Joey Ramone turned into a lady and then got drunk, and it's glorious!

3. "Dark Park Creeping" - A fun Post-Punk crawler with a bit of a bite to it, I actually prefer the "naked" version in their Peel Session. Still, the bassist and drummer are actually very talented, and they really add a solid grounding to these strange songs.



4. "Kray Twins" - This number goes for that old-world haunting-crawler feeling, and it's another track that is kind of hurt by the effects over Ramona's voice (honestly, their songs really do sound way better naked). Still, the vocal harmonics in the background are a nice touch, and the bass work (especially during the break) is top-notch.

5. "Paint It Black" - Wait, what? Paint it Black? Well, I wasn't expecting a Rolling Stones song to pop up in a Post-Punk album... Anyway, it uh... Kinda sounds like the original? I mean, it's probably their strangest song yet, but it's still kind of catchy.If you're in the mood for something really odd, definitely give this one a spin some time.

6. "White Mouse Disco" - This is the special "Disco" version of White Mice, and while it definitely achieves it's goal of speeding up and smoothing over the original, it kind of lacks it's odd charm. So if you like "normal" music, this will probably be your favorite track of the album.



7. "Bedtime Stories" - A little more slow and melancholy than their last few tracks, the band kind of benefits from keeping themselves restrained once in awhile rather than just always going all out. This one has a bit of a Ska beat and sound to it, especially during the chorus, and the experimentation is welcome!

8. "Masochistic Opposite" - Definitely going for an odd and jarring beat, this track certainly has their brand of madness to it. And honestly, I kind of love this one! It's really catchy, and again the bass guitarist knows how to keep things moving at a great pace. This is my favorite track of the album so far!

9. "Foolish Girl" - I can't even explain just how odd this band really is. It's like a Disco drummer, a Funk bassist, a Punk guitarist, and an Avant-Garde singer just started playing music together for kicks. It shouldn't work, but it does. Don't ask me how, but tracks like this are just so catchy and fun that instead of being anchored down by their strangeness, they wear it proudly like a badge!

10. "Norman (He's No Rebel)" - Another quick and jarring tune with a killer bass-line (Man, I really have a thing for their bassist, don't I?), this one was also one of the songs included in their Peel Session, making the radio rounds in the Indie scene of the UK.



11. "Sparrow" - Similar to "Kray Twins", this is another slow haunting number that goes for a dark sound. Though not as fast and catchy as some of the other tracks on the album, it definitely has a sound of it's own.

12. "Mi'lord" - I think Ramona is singing in French here, as this is a cover of a song from France. I, uh... Really don't know what to say. I could just compliment the bassist again, but this time round I think I'll compliment their great tone shifts in the middle and at the end.

13. "Bitta Truth" - Another great stand-out track of the album, this one brings their signature odd-vocals and killer bass playing into a perfect and catchy mix. Apparently, this was the B-Side to their Paint it Black single (I personally think it should have been the other way around).



14. "Two Can Play" - Heh, the Mo-Dettes are probably the most interesting Disco-centric band I've ever heard! Strange as they were, they definitely knew how to lay down a fun beat to dance to.

15. "Tonight" - Love the organ work! With weird ultra-clean harmonies (that may just be sound effects), and lyrics that I can almost kinda understand, this is another catchy number where Ramona randomly starts singing in French (Okay, i'm like %90 sure she's Swiss. But maybe I was wrong and she's actually French?).

16. "Waltz in Blue Minor" - Do I even need to use the word "strange" as an adjective for their songs anymore at this point? Anyway, if you're looking for the difference between Punk and Post-Punk bands, this is a great example: No Punk band would ever have the balls to do a Waltz! And what a Waltz it is...

17. "White Mice" - That is just the catchiest bass-line I've ever heard! Fast, furious, and dripping with their trademark unusual-charm, this is probably the strongest track of the album. A fantastic hit, it has the side benefit of being almost impossible to describe to someone else. You just kinda have to hear it! Great vocal harmonies, by the way!


Their White Mice/Masochistic Opposite single! Fun fact: They had a habit of putting comic strips on the backs of their 45's.

Well... That was interesting. I'm sure half of you are now either in love with Post-Punk, or are plotting to bury all Post-Punk singles and LP's somewhere in the desert! While this album is definitely not something that everyone will like, as it's very strange, experimental and risky on their part, it still has an undeniable charm to it that gives The Mo-Dettes a very fresh and unique sound! I highly recommend this album, but I really think you should sample it before you plunge in.

Oriphiel

Guess what? We've now officially looked at twenty albums! There've been LP's, CD's, Compilations... but personally I've always had a soft spot for Singles and EP's. So to celebrate this "20th Anniversary" of sorts, I've decided to bring three EP's with me in what I'd like to call... EP Madness!

Bangles



The darlings of the Paisley Underground, The Bangles (Known simply as "Bangles" back then, and before that they were called "The Bangs") are very well known nowadays due to a string of hits, the foremost of them being "Walk Like An Egyptian". Before their success, they were less on the Pop side of things and more of an Alternative/Post-Punk Revival band. This EP, simply titled "Bangles", was one of their first commercial recordings (after their single "Getting Out of Hand"). Comprised of bassist Annette Zilinskas, guitarist Susanna Hoffs, drummer Debby Peterson, and lead guitarist Vicki Peterson, they all contributed to the harmonies, and took turns being the lead vocalist.

1. "The Real World" - A great intro to the EP, this is a really catchy number with great vocal harmonies! I also really love the drumming and guitar playing, as the lack of production value gives all of the songs on the EP kind of a "real" and unpolished feeling.


The Bangles!

2. "I'm In Line" - Definitely ingrained in the sound of the sixties, the vocal harmonies work really well with the steady drumming and the Psychadelia-tinged guitar breaks. Man, The Bangles are catchy as hell!

3. "Want You" - This one opens with a nice vocal harmony, and then just slams into you with a wall of sound! Catchy but with a nice bite to it, the dirty guitar break and the loud drumming definitely spice things up. I think this is my favorite track of the EP!

4. "Mary Street" - Kind of has a bit of the Beat-Music and Folk-Pop feeling of the sixties to it, and definitely pays tribute to sixties bands like The Byrds and The Beatles.



5. "How is the Air Up There?" - The roughest song of the EP, this one just kicks out with it's great distorted guitar work and slamming drums (not to mention the great harmonica line)! Fantastic vocals, killer instrumentation, and a whole lot of guts. What's not to love?

You know what? The Bangles are actually really awesome! I guess I was just used to hearing their softer songs on the radio, but I'm actually surprised by how much I liked their first EP! This is definitely something you should really give a shot sometime, and I highly recommend it! Alright, next up in our EP Madness we'll be looking at a band I've already introduced to you all before... Coming up in Part Two!

Oriphiel

The EP Madness continues, as we return to...

I'm Here, I'm Gone


You've already seen the front, so here's the flip-side!

The Pandoras! Since we've already talked about them in the "It's About Time" entry, let's just get right into the music on their debut EP!

1. "I'm Here, I'm Gone" - A great Garage Rock number with fuzz-guitars and Psychadelic electric organs, not to mention Paula's laid-back yet rough vocals! While it's certainly fun and has a good retro vibe to it (especially during the solo), it's not their strongest song. I like the tempo change at the very end!

2. "It's About Time" - This track would later go on to be the namesake of the LP "It's About Time", and it's one that we've already looked at before! For those of you who skipped over The Pandoras' previous entry, this is a Psychadelic track with solid vocal harmonies, and a tempo change here and there.


The Pandoras get ready to hit some waves!

3. "That's Your Way Out" - By far my favorite song by The Pandoras, this one hits the retro sound right in the bullseye! Fast and insanely infectious, this one remains frantic and fresh until the very end. With solid vocal harmonies, fantastic fuzz-guitar work, psycho electric organ playing and a steady drum beat, everything mixes together sublimely in the bowl of Garage Rock to make one fantastic batter, heated up into an amazing rough-yet-sweet cake! How's that for a metaphor?

4. "Why" - Another of their rough and minimalist Garage Rock tracks, I didn't like this one as much as the others when I first heard it. The vocals were just a little too strained, and the song just didn't do enough to stand out from the others. But hearing it again, it's kinda grown on me. What can I say, I'm a sucker for unpolished music.



I love The Pandoras, but this EP really isn't as strong as it could have been. Even though it has one of my all-time favorite songs on it ("That's Your Way Out"), it's held back by numbers like "Why" and "I'm Here, I'm Gone" that are good, but definitely could have used a little more work. All in all, it's still a very fun EP for fans of Garage Rock, and I've got to give them props for their great Psychadelic album art! Alright, that's another down in our EP Madness! Which only leaves one more...

Oriphiel

And now it's time for the final entry in the EP Madness that has overtaken our minds! This one is by a band that needs no introduction at all. Here are...

Twist and Shout



The Beatles! There is nothing I can say about them that you don't already know. But in the off chance that you've never heard them before, then I am honored to be the one to introduce you to them! This EP, "Twist and Shout", was their very first Extended Play 45, and was released in 1963 along with their "Please Please Me" LP (from which these songs originally came). Without further ado, here are the Fab Four from Liverpool, guitarist John Lennon, lead guitarist George Harrison, bassist Paul McCartney, and mascot Ringo Starr!

1. "Twist and Shout" - With John's rough and frantic vocals, the Isley Brother's classic hit drops it's class and takes a shot of wild energy! It's so infectious that you may find yourself jumping on a parade float and singing along to it! In all seriousness, this is one of the highlights of The Beatles' early career, with a vibe to it that remains fresh to this day.

2. "A Taste of Honey" - A softer and slower track with a Folk feeling to it. This number manages to create a nice ambiance, evoking images of traveling over vast empty plains and deserts to get to the one you love. Paul takes the lead vocals here, and handles everything very well.

3. "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" - This one starts off slow and with a Folk sound to it, but quickly becomes a simple yet catchy Vocal-Pop number. Just like the last track, I believe Paul sings this one, with the rest providing backing harmonies.

4. "There's a Place" - A nice Beat-Style Vocal-Pop track with fun harmonica work. Paul is once again at the helm, although John and George back him up pretty frequently. Although not as wild and energetic as I like my songs, this one still has a nice charm to it.


The Rolling Stones! (heh)

A very solid EP, although I think the A-Side outshines the B-Side by more than a bit. Altogether it's a very fun piece of work, and a good primer for someone looking to get into The Beatles' early work. Still, I get the feeling that it was a wasted chance for an EP, being basically a single for "Twist and Shout" but with extra padding.

And so the EP Madness comes to an end... for now! I had a lot of fun looking through the oft overlooked world of EP's, and I'll probably do this again sometime! But in the present, I'd like to ask for any LP recommendations that you all might have. Seriously, if you have any album at all that you'd like to recommend, don't hesitate to shout out! If I can survive Lee Hazlewood, I can survive anything you can throw at me!


What? There are too many youtube videos in my journal? Psh, you can never have too many videos, my friend! Now sit back and relax!