Be Your Own Pet - early singles

If I remember correctly, this was one of those rare occasions on which I was sent a promo that was any good. So before the hype, I was able to get down to Rough Trade and snap up their first two singles "Damn Damn Leash" and Fire Department". I was in New York a little later and was able to get an advance copy of their first album. So in a way, Be Your Own Pet were thrust upon me by opportunity. Sadly, I never saw them live before their premature split in 2008 after only four or five years of existence.

"Damn Damn Leash" is an excellent EP, with all three songs full of energy and fire. It is probably the best thing they ever did.

So, better call the "Fire Department" to put it out. Another three great songs but more laid back in approach compared to DDL.

"Extra Extra" read all about it. I think I only have this as a download EP, but another three good songs that were not on their albums.

All - EPs

I got into ALL by accident. I had, of course, got a couple of Descendents albums (mostly because of a cover of "My World" that a scouse indie band called Drive did on a free single that came with their album "Out Freakage" in 1991). But I wasn't even aware of ALL. In about 1993, a friend on my course at University was announcing he was selling loads of his vinyl cos he was broke. There was a lot of hardcore in his collection, stuff that nowadays I would have snapped up. But a lot of it I didn't know about or like at the time. Including a Swans album that's probably worth a fortune now. I remember I bought two records. One was the first Fugazi EP. The other was Allroy Saves. He said I would like it if I liked the Descendents.

I didn't. At least not at first. Being quite different to "Milo Goes To College" and "I Don't Want To Grow Up" - I hadn't got the Descendents ALL LP. But very quickly, I grew to love it, bought "Allroy's Revenge" and bought the "Shreen" EP the day it came out.

I love the Scott Reynolds era ALL. The songwriting by all members of the band is brilliant, as is the playing. Here are two EPs from that period plus one from the first album with Chad Price on vocals.

"She's My Ex" is a great punk-pop song but I really love the b-side "Crazy". Lyrically one of their best, like "Fool" on "Allroy's Revenge", very clever and funny.

"I love you" that's what she said, but I need you like a hole in the head

"Dot" is another superb punk-pop song - two minutes of bliss. B-sides here are a cover of Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue" and another great song "Can't Say".

Can't say I blame you, can't deny I'm sorry, but it does me no good. Said "fuck you", I wish that I could

Guilty is OK, but not as good as the other two. I feel a bit guilty about saying that.

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

Zvoov - Everbrown EP

Zvoov is a three-piece instrumental rock band from Brooklyn, New York. Their music is a blend of many themes and influences, such as math rock, post metal, post rock, jazz, and stoner music. They strive to keep their sound fresh by drawing on this diversity and writing songs that differ greatly from one another while still creating a distinct Zvoov mood. Formed in early 2009, their Everbrown EP was self-released in February 2011.

Bandcamp free download

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

Xray Spex singles

 After complaints last time round at a lack of X post, I trawled through my record collection to amend this. The only 7"s I own beginning with X are these two Xray Spex singles. Unfortunately, I don't own the excellent "Oh Bondage Up Yours" single. I shall have to go to a few record fairs to see if I can did one out.

Instead, I have for you their second single "Germ-Free Adolescents" b/w "Age" and their fifth and final single "Highly Inflammable" b/w "Warriors In Woolworths".

Cleanliness is her obsession

You're a pseudo quasi intellectual

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