The Blisters - Storch 7" (1997)

Another great, albeit posthumous find.  Gotta love the dollar bins folks.  My initial assumption was that Storch was a debut release, but through the miracle of Facebook, I have since learned that New Jersey-ites The Blisters, had an array of other releases under their belt, some dating back to 1987.  In fact, this three song jewel was to be the group's last recorded foray, which is sort of tragic given the tunes are so utterly, um...blistering.  "Teenage Flower" is par excellence bar-rock-cum-punk gold, and the two flips by and large follow suit.  The Blisters adhere to the same beer-battered recipe as The Figgs, Magnolias, Junk Monkeys (them again?) and The Leonards, but at the end of the day all roads lead to Minneapolis, or more specifically Paul Westerberg and Co.  I hope I have the chance to hear more of where this came from.  A tell-all bio can be read here at your leisure.  

01. Teenage Flower
02. Laughing At You
03. Five to Nine

https://rapidshare.com/files/3228221109/blisters7.rar

Motocaster - Stay Loaded (1994, Interscope)

Don't have much time for a write-up tonight, but this one was requested on the heals of my share of a vintage Motocaster single from a few weeks ago.  Changing their name from the ill-advised moniker of Motorolla, this ever so economic power trio weren't your average Chapel, NC denizens.  Yes, they brought the rawk big time, but they weren't vying for college radio airplay or a slot at SXSW, so much as they wanted to blaring out of car stereos in 7-ll parking lots.  Stay Loaded was one of the most unaffected major label releases of its era, consistently cranked up to a rolling boil, and grizzled to perfection.  Good times.

01. The Buddha
02. The Habit
03. Straightfaced
04. Farah
05. Broken Eyes
06. Pull the Plug
07. Uranus
08. Dual-Active
09. Truth
10. Motorolla Blues
11. Sweet Pearl

https://rapidshare.com/files/570387689/motocaster_stayloaded.rar

Serious Young Insects - Housebreaking (1982, Epic Aus.)

It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I became acquainted with this Melbourne, Aussie lot - some three full decades after the fact.  Talk about arriving to the dinner table late.  Despite a major label pedigree (restricted to Oz anyway) Serious Young Insects didn't seem to make a huge dent in their homeland, and you can write off the States entirely.  After checking out the video for "Be Patient" (featured below) a feature track on Housebreaking, I became an instant convert, falling prey to it's plush, power-pop by way of tasteful new wave maneuvers...and a devastating hook that most bands would sacrifice a collective left nut for.  As for the video, "Be Patient" would have been quintessential MTV fodder of it's era, slotting in perfectly amidst a myriad of genius one-hit-wonders, but again, the album and single failed to make it stateside.  My theory?  Things might have gone in the Insects favor had Epic not been flexing all of it's marketing muscle behind Men at Work, but I digress

The trio's Myspace bio stresses that with it's über-slick production, Housebreaking failed to serve SYI justice stacked up against their live performances, which from the sound of it were plenty potent.  Sonically, the record's rich, state-of-the-art sound is still a pleasure to listen to, and perhaps even edgier that I'm leading on, but the songwriting is woefully deficient.  Despite receiving lyrical input from all three Insects, many, if not a full half of the cuts dotting Housebreaking's landscape are demonstrably underwritten and/or laden with half baked ideas that had yet to fully gestate.  One egregious example is "I Want Cake," which for most lesser bands wouldn't even qualify as a b-side.  In it's entirety, Housebreaking is still an impressive listen, just a bit frustrating in the lyrical department.  To my knowledge there are at least three SYI singles floating around out there (which I'd love to hear along with any unreleased studio material), and the group's Myspace page has five additional cuts (some live) that can be streamed.  If anyone cares to chime in about the Insects, comment as you see fit.  A big shout out goes to George for sending me these files.



01. Faraway Places
02. Things
03. I Want Cake
04. Parents Go Mental
05. I Don't Know
06. Be Patient
07. Safe
08. Housebreaking
09. Sad
10. Why Can't I Control My Body
11. Nerve

https://rapidshare.com/files/3957092729/syi_housebreaking.rar

Hippodrome - dogbunny (1989) + Junk Monkeys show announcement

One of my readers tipped me off about an upcoming one-off reunion gig involving one of the more oft mentioned subjects of these pages, Detroit's Junk Monkeys (see the flyer below for details).  The same gracious informant also alerted me that his own band, Hippodrome will be reuniting for an opening slot at this show as well, and he was kind of enough to pass along their 1989 CD dogbunny.  Having been contemporaries with the Junk Monkeys, Hippodrome were also of a similar post-Replacements stripe, aesthetically cross-pollinating with the likes of Material Issue, Smithereens, The Magnolias, and even left-of-the-dial obscuros Weird Summer.  Judging by the consistency of this album, Hippodrome had the songs and the talent to find a place within the same ranks.  Amidst the twelve originals is a fervent reading of the Velvets "Foggy Notion."  Singer and plucker Chris Richards went onto another combo in the '90s dubbed the Phenomenal Cats, and launched a variety of other endeavors including Chris Richards and the Subtractions. whose Sad Sounds of the Summer album saw a 2009 release.  In addition, I'd also recommend the Pathetic History compilation which selectively highlights Richards 1990s pursuits.

UPDATE: May 2nd - one of the Hippodrome guys just posted a bonus-sized version of dogbunny which you can check out on their Bandcamp page.  It supersedes my version by almost twice the number of tunes!

01. She's Raining On Me
02. Henry
03. Brenda Lee
04. I'm in Love With Everything
05. Under the Tree
06. Her Hair Was Way-cool to Me
07. Call
08. Hope She Didn't Hear Me Say
09. Village Idiot
10. Sunshine Girl
11. Caroline
12. Foggy Notion
13. Crumble

https://rapidshare.com/files/3672196934/hippodrome.rar

Watch: The Aminals At Night "One Down, One to Go"

The Animals at Night are hardly a name brand commodity, but for those of you who frequent these pages you might be familiar with the group's chief architect Graig Markel, who fronted the distorto, indie-punk trio New Sweet Breath, who I've spieled about on a number of occasions.  Not unlike an octopus, Markel is a man of many tentacles, and one of those appendages has unfurled the engaging electro-pop unit that is the subject of this entry.  Below, please check out the video for "One Down, One to Go," which we're premiering today!   Behold it's sheik, neo-cosmopolitan vibe, accompanied by images of unraveling movie reels on an expansive waterfront vista.  Chill.



If you like what you hear, "One Down..." is available on iTunes, Amazon and other digital merchants, with proceeds going to benefit PAWS, a Seattle non-profit that rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife, shelters homeless cats and dogs, and educates to make a better world for animals and people. Donations will be made in the name of Henry, a wonderful little dude who came from this shelter years ago, and passed away around the release of this single. 

Graig's 2012 solo release, Graig Markel was written up here.  

LOU & NOVA DJ-ED FOR KIEHLS & MARGOT BOWMAN TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY...


ME


MARGOT BOWMAN IS AN AMAZING ILLUSTRATOR/DESIGNER. SHE CREATED A SPECIAL DESIGN FOR KIEHLS TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY. CHECK OUT MARGOT'S WORK HERE... http://www.margotbowman.com/

 
I REALLY LIKED THE LIPGLOSS AT KIEHLS. MY FAV WAS CALLED   'GOLDENBERRY'


TNX FOR HAVING US DOWN TO PLAY MARGOT, KIEHLS & KIRSTI INTERNATIONAL : )



MY HEART BELONGS TO BERLIN...

I HAD THE MOST AMAZING TIME IN BERLIN. I WENT TO MEET UP WITH DANIELLE AEREA NEGROT & KIM-ANN FOXMAN, MY FRIENDS I MET WHILE THEY WERE TOURING WITH HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR. THE GOSSIP WERE ALSO IN TOWN SO WE HAD A REUNION OF MATES. TOP CREW. TOP TIME.
BERLIN JUST KEEPS ON BEING MY FAV CITY IN THE WORLD. 




WE MET UP ROUND DANIELLE'S & HEADED OUT TO PRINCE CHARLES FOR KIM-ANN'S DJ SET 
GIRRRRLLLZZZ NIGHT OUT
LYNDELL. HANNAH. TOM IN DAS HOTEL

KIM-ANN

CHECK OUT KIM-ANN FOXMAN'S DJ SETS HERE...   http://soundcloud.com/kimannfoxman


ANIKA
ANIKA WAS ALSO PLAYING. I WROTE ABOUT ANIKA IN A PREVIOUS BLOG POST... http://novadando.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/im-o-b-s-e-s-s-e-d-with-anika-o-b-s-e-s.html


NATHAN WAS COMEDY GENIUS OF THE EVENING

EVA KEANE A.K.A JACKIE TAYLOR


THIS IS EVA KEANE A.K.A JACKIE TAYLOR. SHE IS THE QUEEN OF BERLIN.
I LOVE THIS GIRL. READ MY PREVIOUS BLOG POST ABOUT HER...  http://novadando.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/eva-deserves-her-own-post.html AND CHECK OUT HER WORK AT http://jackietaylor.net/




THIS IS DANIELLE A.K.A AEREA NEGROT.
HANNAH & DANIELLE


EVA & HANNAH
DANIELLE & ME

THIS CLIP SUMS UP HOW HILARIOUS DANIELLE IS...

SHE PLAYED US SOME OF HER AMAZING TUNES. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVS OFF HER ALBUM ARABXILLA...



ME & EVA

LYNDELL & THOMAS

LYNDELL & THOMAS

I POPPED ROUND THE STUDIO OF ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS ROSIE BLAIR TO HEAR HER NEW ALBUM SHE IS WORKING ON. WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE WE MET AT ART COLLEGE IN 2001. HER BAND IS CALLED 'BALLET SCHOOL'AND SHE PLAYED ME SOME OF THEIR NEW TRACKS THEY ARE ABOUT TO RELEASE.






HAD AN AMAZING LUNCH WITH MAMA, ANOTHER LONDON FRIEND WHO IS NOW BASED IN BERLIN RECORDING MUSIC. http://www.mamaofficial.com/
                             



COFFEE & CATCH UPS WITH ELEANOR & PETER

HANGTIME WITH EVA & HER MOMMA

HERE ARE SOME TRACKS THAT SUMMED UP MY WEEKEND...




















BIRTHDAY REM!

IT WAS REMI NICOLE'S B-DAY AND LUCKILY SHE WAS BACK IN TOWN FROM LA!! WE WENT TO LUCKY VOICE FOR KARAOKE. REMI & GRIMSHAW DID AN AMAZING VERSION OF DRAKE 'OVER'.





REMI AND GRIMSHAW DID AN AMAZING VERSION OF DRAKE 'OVER'






GUY SUNG 'PURE SHORES' BY ALL SAINTS





SADIE & GRIMSHAW DID THE THEME SONG FROM DIRTY DANCING & ACTED OUT THE ENTIRE SCENE'S DANCE MOVES TOO.






VANESSA SANG 'SATURDAY NIGHT' BY WHIGIELD







WE ALL SANG 'SPICE UP YOUR LIFE' BY THE SPICE GIRLS








SADIE. LISA & EMILY KNEW ALLLLL THE WORDS TO EVERYTHING WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING.


















REMI HAS BEEN BUSY IN LA RECORDING HER NEW ALBUM. HERE IS A VIDEO SHE MADE OUT THERE RECENTLY. SPOT EMILY IN A CAMEO ; )

THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING...














AARON SILLIS, MY FRIEND WHO CHOREOGRAPHED & DANCED IN KELE'S VIDEO I DIRECTED FOR 'WHAT DID I DO' IS THE LEAD DANCER IN 'THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING' WRITTEN BY THE PET SHOP BOYS & JAVIER DE FRUTOS.

AARON INVITED US DOWN TO THE PRESS NIGHT & IT REALLY WAS THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING. LIKE POP MUSIC BALLET... BRILLIANT : )

MY FAV SCENE...


GANG ON THE NIGHT... LOU. EMMA. AARON. KELE. LUCY T & ME : )

The Stevens - s/t ep (2012)

The Stevens may be a fresh faced export from Melbourne, Australia, but when listing to this disk, I can't help but conjure up the treasure trove unfurled by mid-90s noise-pop acts like Eric's Trip, The Spinanes, Papillomas, and Transistor Sound & Lighting Co.  Given that three of those aforementioned combos were from Canada, it would be a stretch to make any sort of parallel with a quartet hailing from the opposite corner of the globe, but in my mind it works.  Truth be told, the Stevens more readily admit to aligning themselves with the vintage Flying Nun Records roster, and given their penchant for sweet, clangy chords, and warm, tuneful delivery I suppose it's hard to counter that argument.  Toss in a modicum of post-punk awareness, à la Wire and you've generally distilled the Stevens unpretentious indie pop brew, almost to a fault in fact.  The songs within may ring a tad lo-fi to the Pitchfork and Coachella set, but well let that be their loss.  You can purchase a CD directly from the band by clicking here, and for the time being, I've been given clearance to make the whole thing available below.  Furthermore, if you like what you hear you can also check out a PBS broadcast from a few weeks ago, featuring a full set by the Stevens (roughly 30 mins in).

01. Alone
02. I Look Back
03. Million Miles
04. Weaving a Basket
05. Living Out of a Bag
06. Fast Cars

HOXTON BOUTIQUE...


I HAVE BEEN MAKING A FASHION FILM FOR HOXTON BOUTIQUE'S NEW T-SHIRT RANGE. I SHOT THE MODEL JAZ WASSON WHO WAS A D R E A M TO WORK WITH.

JUST FINISHED THE EDIT & IT WILL BE OUT S O O N : )



COCA COLA

dsdwdqdwqwdqdqwd

BLONDE AT DALSTON SUPERSTORE






   

I DJ-ED FOR BLONDE AT DALSTON SUPERSTORE WITH FERAL IS KINKY (A.K.A MC KINKY). THESE WERE THE TRACKS I PLAYED THAT WENT DOWN REALLY WELL THAT NIGHT...

MALUCA - LOLA


JAY- Z - HEY PAPI (BOOTY BASS REMIX)


REMY MA - CONCEITED


SHOLA AMA - IMAGINE (ASYLUM REMIX)






LOU & NOVA NEW DJ MIXES...



                                     

WE HAVE TWO NEW MIXES TO DOWNLOAD...




       CLUB MIX... http://official.fm/tracks/348428






       NON CLUB MIX... http://official.fm/tracks/345455