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Neko Case with Crooked Fingers – Keswick Theater (Glenside, PA) – April 10, 2009
You can read my full review here.
Marianne Faithfull – Easy Come Easy Go (Decca)
Overall, this two-disc set of all covers is a mixed bag, occasionally falling into really sleepy territory. There are some wonderful moments, though. Faithfull absolutely owns THE DECEMBERISTS’ “Crane Wife 3” and NEKO CASE’s “Hold On, Hold On,” for instance. Her versions might not better than the great originals, but they can at least sit side-by-side with them.
The Dukes of Stratosphear – 25 O’Clock & Psonic Psunspot (Apehouse)
You can read my full review of these reissues here.
The Waitresses – “Clones”
This just shows what a great site Killed by Death is. I found this rare Waitresses track on there while searching for something completely different. In any case this is far weirder and rawer than their (also great) later, more well-known stuff, more akin to other Akron stuff like early DEVO or TIN HUEY than what they would do later. You can get it here. Now if only they’d upload the B-side of that rare 7”!
The Last – L.A. Explosion (Bomp)
Though it was criticized in some circles at the time as sounding too slick, I actually prefer the version of “She Don’t Know Why I’m Here” found here to the rougher single version. You can hear the melody much more! In fact, this whole record is pure British Invasion-style psych-pop with a punk edge, much different than what most other L.A. bands (whether early hardcore, art-punk, or what not) were doing at the time, but paving the way for the entire “Paisley Underground” scene (SALVATION ARMY/THREE O’CLOCK, BANGS/BANGLES, THE DREAM SYNDICATE, et al.) that followed.
Pure Hell – Noise Addiction (Welfare)
A stunning achievement for its time, this all-black punk band (originally from right here in Philadelphia but later moving to New York) formed in the mid ‘70s and lasted until 1978, when this previously unreleased full-length was recorded but for whatever reason shelved until 30 years later. In any case, it was well worth digging up because this stuff rips. My colleague CHUCK FOSTER compared them to THE DEAD BOYS, and I can definitely hear that to some extent in that they were rougher, harder, and at times faster than most of their CBGBs-era peers, but I can also hear the roots of mid ‘80s hardcore/metal crossover and even early ‘90s stuff like THE DWARVES in their sound. Talk about being ahead of your time!
PJ Harvey and John Parrish – A Woman a Man Walked By (Island)
A fine follow-up to 1996’s Dance Hall at Louse Point. Hey, it’s thirteen years later, but I’ll take it!
The Waitresses – Bruiseology (Polydor)
Hearing “Clones” made me pull this one out. Although several compilations have anthologized some of this material, this album (as well as their debut, Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful) has long been out of print. That’s a shame, because I always preferred this one to their debut and thought that such songs as “A Girl’s Gotta Do,” “Make the Weather,” and the amazing “Thinking About Sex Again” represented some of their finest material. You can get it here.
The Sleepover Disaster – Hover (Devil in the Woods)
Their long-awaited second full-length (the follow-up to 2006’s amazing EP The Oceanographer) does not disappoint. Imagine CATHERINE WHEEL circa Ferment in a torrid love affair with CHAPTERHOUSE and you’ll come close to the sound found here. It’s as if the last fifteen years never happened. It doesn’t have the full-throttle roar of some of their earlier material, but in exchange the songwriting is a bit catchier and clearer.
Wages of Spin (Not Rated)
This documentary, which we got to see as part of the Philadelphia Film Festival, centers on the early days of American Bandstand and in particular DICK CLARK’s rise to fame, fortune, and power. Among the many stars featured is CHUBBY CHECKER, whom we briefly got to meet after the screening as he was handing out his “Checker Bars” (i.e. chocolate candy bars). It was a bit surreal, but awesome!
