Compilation special - early Flowershop compilations

 Well technically not on the Flowershop label but the address on the back is the same. These two excellent compilation 7"s were given away at gigs on the dates shown on the covers. Twelve great tracks in total including a Ligament track that wasn't included in my recent post. Wat Tyler's version of Bryan Adam's "Everything I Do" is a particular highlight. Also included are Fabric, Hood, the joyous Joeyfat, Emperor Julian, Lungleg, the mighty Bob Tilton, Snuff, Elevate, Quickspace Supersport and a live version of Prolapse's "Headless In A Beat Motel". All freshly ripped from my vinyl copies. Enjoy.

Big-bollocked bonfire blow-up

Easter egg-splosion

Yo La Tengo - Shaker & Tom Courtenay

The most popular post of the last go through A-Z was Yo La Tengo's "From A Motel 6" EP. So I've decided to post another EP. Drip feed. More will come later. If you're very good.

This one is the Shaker EP. Three tracks; Shaker, "For Shame Of Doing Wrong (Slide Version)" and "What She Wants". Shaker appears on the "Prisoners of Love" compilation, but I'm not sure the other two tracks have been re-released.

Eureka

From the Electr-o-pura album, this is the "Tom Courtenay" EP. A four track EP including two exclusive tracks and a different take of "My Heart's Reflection".

У меня это

We Are Scientists - self-released EPs

 When We Are Scientists burst onto our consciousness in 2005 with their excellent album "With Love And Squalor" I assumed that it was their debut album. But they'd been going for four years by this point and had released another album and number of EPs prior to WLAS, mostly self-released.

The most recent release was "The Wolf's Hour" which contains many tracks re-recorded for the WLAS album and two tracks that were re-recorded for b-sides. So all six songs are different versions to ones you might have already.

Lycanthropy

Before that came the brilliant In Action EP; six songs that have never seen the light of day since but are in everyway comparable to their later releases.

Misanthropy

And finally their very first release Bitchin' which includes two songs that were re-recorded for the In Action EP and six other tracks.

Psilanthropy

Untitled Musical Project - Leftovers

Another Brummie band, Untitled Musical Project entertained our ears and our eyes for far too short a time in the late noughties. Only completing a single (eponymous) album in 2007 before calling it a day in 2009. Thankfully, when doing so, they made available a free download through Tigertrap Records containing their EP and a bunch of demos and live recordings.

Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix singles

 Teenage Fanclub were the first band I saw live when I went to university on the Bandwagonesque tour. All I had at the time was the "God Knows It's True" EP, even though I'd heard Bandwagonesque and Catholic Education. I don't remember them being all that exciting either. A couple of years later they released Thirteen which was mostly disappointing so the Fannies went off my radar for a while.

But in 1995, a Reading performance turned me back onto them again and Grand Prix was purchased. The first side of this album is classic - not a second wasted - all pure gold. So here are the singles from this landmark album starting with the chilled Mellow Doubt.

Mellowed out

Neil Jung was next, as if we needed to know the influence that Neil Young had on TFC. This single came out as two EPs, the normal one and an alternative version which doesn't sound that different, it's just a bit longer. But with six exclusive b-sides across the two EPs, well worth getting hold of.

Going nowhere

Couldn't take the pain and left it there

Finally, the Sparky's Dream singles, again in a normal version and alternative version so six more b-sides across the two EPs. Whose idea was it to start limiting singles to three tracks in order for them to be eligible for the charts? I think that killed the EP as a format.

Need a magic ball to see her in the morning

And crystal eyes to read between the lines

Retisonic - La Semilla Del Diablo

I'd expected that Retisonic had split up, it being five years since they last released anything and three years since they've toured, but apparently they're writing a new album. And there's a couple of new tracks on their myspace page. It was about 2005 when I last saw them at a tiny venue in Shoreditch, and there that I bought this 7", a collection of cover songs by Judas Priest and Discharge. Jason also tried to sell me one of his solo singles and looked a bit cheesed off when I declined.

I prefer Retisonic to Bluetip, but apparently I'm in the minority

Querelle - Random tracks

Querelle did the rounds for a few years in the mid-noughties. Always a pleasure to watch. Gypsy had a great presence on stage - he once tackled me onto the stage in order to inject some passion into the performance (as he saw it). And Valentina was always one of the great drummers to watch - both in terms of talent and facial expressions.

The picture is of their excellent, one and only, mini-CD on Sink and Stove which you can still get here. So rather than that here is a collection of other tracks that were either release on compilations or not at all.

Nothin' Lost. Something Found.

Pinback - 1999/2000 EPs

 This will no doubt be the first of several Pinback posts. I love this band. Ever since their first album in '99 "This Is A Pinback CD", I have waited eagerly for each next release. At the moment I am waiting for a new album having only had one extremely limited 7" out since 2008. Mind you, there's been plenty of other Rob Crow releases since then. The Ladies, Goblin Cock and his solo work.

But for now here are the two EPs from the debut album plus the tour EP from the following year. Each comes with several exclusive tracks and/or mixes.

Loro

Tripoli

Live In Donny's Garage

Ned's Atomic Dustbin - 1990 EPs

 
Growing up in the Midlands, it was difficult not to be a fan of the local indie heroes. The Wonder Stuff, Pop Will Eat Itself and Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Although known as a T-shirt band I never owned one (not enough cash at the time) but bought all of their output (from a record shop in Redditch as the one in Bromsgrove didn't stock them). I remember while I was at university, they did a tour to support "Are You Normal" and at each venue had a local band to open for them, which they 'auditioned' through the receipt of demo tapes. The winners were announced on Radio 1! In Liverpool, this was a band I had become acquainted with called the Firecharmers. They won on account of one of their songs opening with the Rainbow theme tune.

I did see the Neds on one of their reunion tours at the Forum in Kentish Town. Wasn't quite the same somehow. But back in their heyday, they were a very exciting live act, and the first band I can remember with two bass players. These EPs bring a lot of memories back, playing them in the sixth-form common room etc.

Their first EP was The Ingredients EP with the excellent "Aim" and "Grey Cell Green"

If I have two beans and add two more beans, what does that make?


The second single is their most 'famous' - "Kill Your Television". I really like the remix version on this EP and can remember learning to play it on my guitar.

Soap for sore eyes

Finally, the "Until You Find Out" EP, an excellent track with two of my favourite b-sides; "Flexible Head" and Bite.

It's like getting locked out when the phone rings

My Bloody Valentine - Creation singles

Another obvious choice I know but what're ya gonna do? My Bloody Valentine are one of the most important bands in my musical life. They completely changed the way I thought about music in the late 80s. Until 1989 I was on a strict diet of Heavy Metal. A friend of mine lent me a number of "indie" records which included the first Dinosaur Jr album, Pop Will Eat Itself's "This Is The Day..." LP and "You Made Me Realise". As a fairly closed-mind 16 year old I had dismissed all indie as either jangley pop or metal for people that couldn't do guitar solos. So imagine my initial horror at a song that was both grungy and jangley at the same time and with 45 seconds of noise where the guitar solo should be. But somehow it stuck. Strangely, it was a good number of years before I started to collect MBV records myself. I eventually bought "You Made Me Realise" from a second-hand shop in Liverpool while I was at University in about 1992, but I didn't buy Loveless or Isn't Anything until I was in Manchester 94/95. Consequently I never saw MBV live until their reformation a few years ago, three nights out of the four at the Roundhouse in Camden.

So, anyway, the singles. Starting with the "You Made Me Realise" EP. As well as the astonishing title track, this EP contains the brilliant "Thorn" and "Drive It All Over Me". In a way, this is a transitional EP, containing experimental wall-of-sound treated guitar as well as more traditional indie pop more akin to their previous output on the Ecstasy mini-LP.

You can close your eyes, but you might as well commit suicide

Next is the "Feed Me With Your Kiss" EP. Just the two b-sides as the title track is on Isn't Anything.

Crawl around and kiss the ground

A limited number of the 1988 Isn't Anything album came with a free 7" that I paid £15 for considerably later. It contains two instrumental tracks including one with that famous Public Enemy drum loop (think Madonna's "Justify My Love")

Security of the first world

A two year wait for the next release, while Kevin Shields perfected Loveless, nearly bankrupting Creation in the process. I often wonder if this would have been a good thing. Downside - possibly no Teenage Fanclub, Swervedriver, Ride, Medicine, Super Furry Animals or Sugar. Upside, possibly no Primal Scream or Oasis. OK, on balance probably worth putting up with the crap for all the good stuff. Anyway, the Glider EP...

Wake up, don't fear

A late addition - a vinyl rip of my Glider Remixes EP for completeness. It contains a mix of Soon by Andrew Weatherall and a ten minute version of the instrumental Glider.

Here we go!

Finally, my favourite MBV release, the Tremolo EP. Yes. Even better than Loveless. Or maybe not, but I prefer it. There is no other song quite like "To Here Knows When". It is simply genius. Even the incidental/segue music on this EP is brilliant, between THKW and "Swallow", and between "Honey Power" and "Moon Song".

Close the door, I want you more

Ligament - Singles

 Before Part Chimp, Tim Cedar and Johnny Hamilton (Industry) were in Ligament. They were one of my favourite bands of the mid-nineties. I was fortunate enough to see their last (full-time) gig when I'd just moved to London. It was Upstairs at the Garage and the place was rammed, mostly because Mogwai were supporting. This annoyed me for a start because at this point I'd gone off Mogwai (because they had become relatively popular and self-indulgent). To top it off, Mogwai's set consisted of one 30 minute song. I sulked at the bar reading a book in protest. Ligament themselves were fantastic. I distinctly remember Jamie Hince (now Mrs Kate Moss) of Scarfo crawling around on stage during "His Giz".

Their first single was the "Three Dimensional Pumping Heart" 7" on Flower Shop Recordings, which came with a little bit of paper that explained how to build your heart. A bit rough (maybe it's just my overplayed single) but "Thank You For My Pumping Heart is excellent.

Assembly of tube veins and arteries

Second up is their 1995 EP "Indifferent Cop". This contains one of my favourite ever songs "Theme From Ligament" as well as three other superb tracks.

Ligament's in the house

Thirdly is the single from their first album "Kind Deeds" called "Give It Up", a Pavement-y song. You should get Kind Deeds if you can find a copy - it is mega-brilliant.

If you had a womb, you would give birth to me

Number four is the single from the frankly disappointing follow up album "Halfway Between San Juan and Mendoza" on Kitty Kitty. The single itself, "Me Supreme", is really good though so well worth a download.

With these chocolate pralines you are surely spoiling us

Finally, a collection of tracks from various split singles and compilations, including the aforementioned "His Giz" and two versions of the same song "Stslag"/"Stslaj".

Good Times

Kaito - Early singles

 Kaito were a band that used to travel down from Norwich to Cambridge to play gigs quite regularly. As a result I have enjoyed their music for the entire lifespan of the band. Kaito were never very successful in the UK, but for some reason had a much bigger following in the US. Consequently, they seemed to be forever on tour over there once they had albums out. Kaito split up in 2006. Niki went on to be in Factory Floor. Gemma teaches the ukulele to kids. Don't know what Dave and Dieter are doing now, although Dave's probably back in Norfolk making strange noises to pigs.

Here are some freshly ripped singles from the end of the 20th century. First up is "Whoee Owee" from 1998. A lovely orange vinyl 7" on Vibrations From The Edge Of Sanity Records.

Wowie Zowie


Second up, another single on Vibrations, this time on powder blue vinyl, is "60 Second Popstar/Manual Speed"

A minute to win it

Thirdly, a track that appeared on a split with Derby band Cato on the Sickroom Gramophonic Collective label. The track "Go" re-appeared on their first album "You've Seen Us... You Must Have Seen Us".

Stop!


Finally, their first single on Fierce Panda "Cat-nap", also taken from their first album.

Purr-fect

Joy Zipper - Early EPs and compilation tracks

No I this month due to a lack of Inspiration. So instead, a special treat for you in J.

Husband and wife team Vincent Cafiso and Tabitha Tindale entertained us for nearly 10 years as Joy Zipper with their blend of blissed-out alterno-pop songs. I can remember listening to the first album when it came out on a listening post in Rough Trade, Talbot Road. I didn't buy it. I don't remember why exactly. I've a feeling that it was hyped a little bit and I was underwhelmed. It was four years later that I got into Joy Zipper with the release of their mini-LP "The Stereo and God", in particular it was the songs "If I'm Right" and Gun Control". As usual in these cases I had to reassess my previous opinions of the debut album and hunt out all of the early EPs. And here they are. Firstly is 1999's "Christine Bonilla" EP featuring two exclusive b-sides.

Boy Clipper

Secondly is 2002's "Gun Control" EP featuring the excellent "Christmas Song" and "Gun Control" (different to the version that appears on "The Stereo and God") as well as an exclusive b-side "Moonmoonmoon".

Soy Dipper

And thirdly, the "Ron" EP from the same year with b-sides "Absent Father" and an instrumental version of "Dosed and Became Invisible".

Toy Slipper

To round off the post is a collection of four tracks from compilation albums over the years. All covers, they include The Clash's "Hitsville UK", The Cure's "Just Like Heaven", The Pixies "Wave Of Mutilation" and Daniel Johnstone's "Held The Hand". Enjoy.

Ploy Gripper

In retrospect I think I was right about their first album, but "American Whip" and "The Heartlight Set" more than made up for it.

Fighting With Wire - Singles and compilation tracks

 Few bands have caught my attention more over the last couple of years than Fighting With Wire. Out of the ashes of Jetplane Landing, FWW pushed the rock up a notch and are quite rightfully seen as the Irish Foo Fighters by lazy journalists and me. There's so much good stuff coming out of Ireland at the moment; And So I Watch You From Afar, Bats, Adebisi Shank etc. I've been eagerly awaiting their follow-up album from 2008's "Man vs. Monster" - supposedly due out this year. In the meantime, like me, you will have to put up with a collection of EPs and compilation tracks that have appeared. But what a treat they are!

First off is, what I believe to be, their 2010 tour EP "I Am Ursus". Chances are, when the new album comes out, these four tracks will become generally available because at the moment they really aren't.

Tour de force

Second are the two b-sides from their 2009 single "Sugar" which includes one of my favourite FWW tracks "After The Show".

Sweet sweet music

Third is the four track self-titled EP that got me into the band in 2008. The first track "Everyone Needs a Nemesis" is on the album but the other three are not.

Writing with fire


Finally is a collection of odds and ends. The b-side of their extremely limited (300 copies) "All For Nothing" 7" called "Photograph", and four other tracks that have appeared on various compilations.

Take a picture, it'll last longer

If you want to buy the album or any other releases they make available go to Smalltown America here. I strongly recommend it. They also released three more EPs as far back as 2004 that I have been unable to track down for love nor money: EP1, EP2 and "Machine Parts". If anyone knows where I can locate these items I'd really appreciate it.

Dinosaur Jr - Whatever's Cool With Me

It was never going to be too long before Dinosaur Jr made an appearance on this blog. As all of the early EPs are available on Fossils or as extras on the re-releases of the first three albums, I've chosen "Whatever's Cool With Me" which, to my knowledge, is no longer commercially available. May Warner Music ask me politely to remove this post if that isn't so. The title track and "Sideways" are exclusive to this EP along with two live tracks; "Thumb" and "Keep The Glove". Despite being a fan since about 1990, I never saw them live until about 1996 in Cambridge. I was stood at the front and had J's Marshall stack full in my face. I can remember my hair being blown by the soundwaves and my ears bursting during "Sludgefeast".  Pardon?

The Chalets - Nightrocker + Live on Other Voices

They weren't with us long but made a fairly large impact on me. Dublin's The Chalets apparently formed after attending an ATP in Camber Sands (in the good old days when they had more bands on playing for less time and you could smuggle beer in more easily). One album and a few singles later they were gone. But not forgotten. Here is one of their EPs "Nightrocker" with three exclusive b-sides plus, as an extra special treat, a live recording of their appearance on Ireland's "Other Voices" that I ripped from the internet some time ago. Five tracks including two written after the release of their album. I can't explain why I like the Chalets so much. Maybe it's because they're from Dublin. Maybe it's because Paula 'Pee Pee' Cullen is so lovely. Er... hang on... Check in. Check out.

Blood Red Shoes - 7" EP

On the lovely Johnson Family record label, this was BRS's first release back in 2005 and the three tracks present have not been made available again. It's nice to see a band with people you know in it be successful. But quite strange. I went to see them at Bush Hall a few years ago and didn't recognise a single person in the audience. It was full of kids. Which is good, obviously, for them. Last time I saw Steve and Laura-Mary, they were doing an in-store gig and signing at Sister Ray on Berwick Street. Steve still had time to say Hi while he was signing the fawning infants' purchases. An all-round proper geezer he is.

It's getting bloggy by the sea

Yo La Tengo - From A Motel 6

I didn't discover Yo La Tengo until 1997's "I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One" and particularly "Autumn Sweater". Since then I have been constantly amazed by the range of material they produce from sweet pop songs to sheer white noise. This is one of their earlier EPs from 1994 although they'd already been going nearly 10 years by then. "From a Motel 6" appears on their album "Painful". The second track "Ashes On The Ground" can be found on their excellent collection of rarities "Prisoners of Love" but the third track "Nutricia" cannot be found anywhere else as far as I know. A remix of "From a Motel 6" rounds off the EP.

I have it!

Whiteout - Detroit

When every other indie band in the mid-nineties was copying '60s music, Whiteout stuck out like a sore thumb by emulating their '70s heroes. This was my favourite single of theirs. I remember seeing them for the second time in Liverpool supported by an as yet unknown Manchester band called Oasis. Oasis were awful but, despite this, seemed to attract a massive audience; all of whom buggered off immediately after, leaving about 30 people to watch Whiteout. I have hated Oasis ever since. Whiteout must have seen where things were heading and the singer called it a day soon after.

No time to live for tomorrow

Urusei Yatsura - All Hail Urusei Yatsura

Another popular lo-fi indie-rock band from the mid-nineties, this was their first release - a six track mini-album. I can remember when I lived in Cambridge getting the train to that London in '95/'96 to see Urusei Yatsura and Mogwai at the Water Rats and having to run back to King's Cross to get that last train. Those were the days! Death 2 Everyone reappeared on their debut album and Teenage Dream appeared as the b-side of their Love Train single "Kernel". Otherwise, the remaining four songs are exclusive to this release. Takes me back.

Set your faces on stun