Trick Bag!

The History Of Northwest Rock Volume 4 (2006)
"This CD is nothing short of a magnificent sweep through Jerry Dennon's archives. We've tried to provide a representative sampling of the array of talent that made up the legendary sixties' Northwest Sound--thus there is primitive rhythm and blues, sophisticated pop, soul, organ driven rock and roll, fuzz guitar punk, trippy psychedelia and more. Quality is a common bond that links all these records together and that's one of the factors that made the Northwest such a magic place during the sixties." - from the liner notes by Neal Skok

Life is cheap

Flipper 'Album' (1982)
Active ingredients:
In its prime, San Francisco's Flipper was a magnificent, fascinating entity, playing what might have been typical hardcore music at an unsettlingly slow speed: like a 45 slowed down to sub-LP pace, a flawless impression of a downed-out hardcore band. The harsh music lumbers and creaks, oozing feedback all the way. Flipper could be your car on the verge of a total breakdown or your worst hangover nightmare amped up to brain-splitting volume. As if staggered by the weight of reality but determined to plod forward anyway, leaders Bruce Lose and Will Shatter (both usually on bass and vocals) groaned and howled while Ted Falconi's clangorous guitars sputtered and wheezed. Flipper's cathartic noise — sort of a foul-smelling castor oil for the ears — was more than a gimmick, though. For all the intentional sloppiness and gratuitous noise, not to mention the superficial shock of ('Album') tunes like "Life Is Cheap" and "Shed No Tears," Flipper can be uplifting. Underneath the tumult you'll find compassion, idealism and hope, best represented by "Life" ("the only thing worth living for"). That kind of moral statement takes courage. - Trouser Press
Caution: If bleeding persists, contact your physician.

Recorded in 1/2 hour at 8 quid an hour

Machines 'True Life' 7" (1978, 2011)
Abrasive and primitive the Machines could and should have recorded a few more singles, perhaps even spending an hour in the studio. But you'll just have to settle for this searing piece of fantastic plastic, recently revived by Japan's 1977 Records. You better hear!

A thousand devil's

Fifth Order 'Bonfire! The Return Of The Fifth Order' (2004)
Their 1966 garage classic "Goin' Too Far" b/w "Walkin' Away" was a tremendous regional success, at the time becoming the biggest selling seven-incher from Columbus, Ohio. Their second local hit, "A Thousand Devils (Are Chasing Me)" b/w "Today I Got A Letter", was picked up by Laurie for national release. These two records have long been recognized as sterling examples of Ohio's vibrant mid-60s garage rock scene. But the story of the Fifth Order has remained untold, until now. Digging into the band's history, a few welcome surprises emerged: a third 45 that collectors were not aware of, and - even better - a cache of unreleased recordings of exceptional quality. Read More here.

Savage!

Fun Things EP 7" (1980)
Don't know much about this other than their Radio Birdman-New York Dolls-Stooges raw skronk is music to our ears! Savage indeed!

..."The Fun Things EP came about because we just HAD to do a record. It was just part of the punk process. It was something you wanted to do. We felt were had a couple of decent songs. We were still all in school at the time. I borrowed 400 bucks from my parents in order to make the thing happen."... read more at Break My Face

American youth

Solger EP (1981)
This one'll claw it's way outta the t(h)rash heap and into to your ears! Sounds like the bastard child of the Fartz (with whom Paul Dana/Solger played with briefly) and the Germs. Don't hate it!

Where have all the boot boys gone?

Slaughter & the Dogs 'Do It Dog Style' (1978)
Exciting, energetic rock'n'roll heavily indebted to the New York Dolls and Damned. Besides the band's singles the album includes de rigueur covers of "I'm Waiting for the Man" (fair) and the Dolls' "Who Are the Mystery Girls" (wonderful), the latter also featuring (Mick) Ronson. Simple, hooky songwriting plus Wayne Barrett's endearingly zesty vocals helped distinguish the Dogs from lesser genre fare. - trouser press

ATV

Alternative TV 'How Much Longer' & 'Action Time Vision' 7"s (1977, 1978)
When not Sniffin' Glue Mark Perry led various Brits (most notably Alex Fergusson, later of Psychic TV) on several classic singles and an album or two. Listen to rhythm and listen to 'em sing.

Your arms round a memory

Johnny Thunders 'So Alone' (1978)
For his first solo LP, the legendary New York Dolls/Heartbreakers guitarist enlisted the aid of ex- Pistols Paul Cook and Steve Jones, some of the Hot Rods, the Only Ones and even old-timers Steve Marriott and Phil Lynott. Choosing material representative of all his prior musical phases, and aided immeasurably by co-producer Steve Lillywhite, Thunders turns in reasonably strong performances, perfectly employing his gutter guitar and New York sneer in a number of (musical) veins, including greasy R&B; and a tender ballad. Not since the Dolls' two records has he sounded so lucid and involved — So Alone is Johnny Thunders at his best. - trouser press

One step closer

The Miracle Workers 'Inside Out' (1985)
A true classic from the mid-80's garage rock revival, these Portlanders know how to kick it out. Get it and you'll know why!

Hightime

Zero Boys 'Vicious Circle' (1982)
It came out of nowhere in 1982, this punk rock/hardcore fireball with the bright yellow sleeve. In one sense, The Zero Boys' Vicious Circle was yet another example of how U.S. punk seemed to peak coast to coast that year. But unlike most coastal punk, the Zero Boys were pointing the way to a scene that could accommodate heaping helpings of melody, intelligence, and rock 'n' roll sus, not just turbo-charged ferocity. - zeroboys.net

Lick it

The Dwarves 'Horror Stories' (1986)
Some may disagree, but we prefer The Dwarves before all the blood, nudity, Sub Pop and actual dwarves. Loud, obnoxious, snot-nosed 60's punk, by punks, for punks, the way it was meant to sound! In a word: oozle!

Rattle your brain!

You're Driving Me Insane 7" (1977, 1980)
Before the Velvets, Lou Reed worked as part of a hack team at Pickwick Records churning out cheesy songs for cheesy comps on a cheesy label. These tracks, by "The Roughnecks" and "The Beachnuts", are two nuggets taken from one of these mid-60's comps called 'Soundsville!' and bootlegged on this French single.

Heroin

Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
After dabbling along, Lou Reed and John Cale and Sterling Morrison hooked up with some nut named Andrew Warhola and a German singer named Nico. Inevitably, they put out this explosive piece of plastic. And now I present it to you, dear followers, in glorious monophonic fidelity. Perfect for all tomorrow's parties!

Musical day

The Fire Dept. 'L'Oeuf D'Or' aka 'The Golden Egg' (1995)
Originally released in 1995 on Billy Childish's Hangman's Daughter label, this is the universally acclaimed debut LP of the legendary (in as much as they didn't actually exist) Hove (ex-Cambridge) group. Some call it garage, some call it punk, some call it garage-punk, and others leave out the hyphen. Who cares?! This is uh da bombe. - The LedaTape Organisation

Everybody wants to know

The Sick Rose 'Faces' (1986)
Though recorded in the most basic fashion, this collection of a dozen tracks is a heavy-weight contender for most consistently meaty garage record ever. There's a bit of melodic garage-pop in "Everybody Wants To Know" and "I'm Not Trying To Hurt You", while the remainder of the LP blasts into orbit fueled by super-fuzzed guitars and Luca Re's snotty, yet engaging vocals. Though he sings in English, a thick Italian accent flavors all of his vocal work giving the band the European flavor that helped to set them apart from the pack. This LP would prove to be the band's high-mark, and a monument to their love of the garage genre. - Timothy Gassen from "Knights of Fuzz" book

Or as William Blake would say, "O Rose, thou art sick!"

Here lies Poly... R.I.P.

X-Ray Spex 'Germ Free Adolescents' (1978)
I know I'm artificial
But don't put the blame on me
I was reared with appliances
In a consumer society
When I put on my make-up
The pretty little mask not me
That's the way a girl should be
In a consumer society
My existence is elusive
The kind that is supported
By mechanical resources
My existence is elusive
The kind that is supported
By mechanical resources
I wanna be instamatic
I wanna be a frozen pea
I wannna be dehydrated
In a consumer society

Do what you want...

The Ugly Ducklings 'Somewhere Outside' (1967)
Released in early 1967 but containing the band's three 1966 singles, Somewhere Outside skirts the cusp of '66 r'n'b and '67 psychedelia. The LP opens with "Nothin'" and its prototypical garage riff, allegedly recorded on a two-track machine for $300 and pushed into regular rotation just a few weeks later by local deejays. Other tracks, such as the revved-up "She Ain't No Use to Me" and the searing "Just in Case You Wonder", their third single, capture on vinyl the hegemony of cool the Ducklings had over the Yorkville scene in Toronto at the time. Still other tracks, like the Rascalesque, harmonica-tinged "Not for Long", add a quieter balance, while the closer "Windy City (Noise at the North End)", an acid-blues rave-up, echoes Paul Butterfield's excursions of the same year. - canuckistanmusic
Note that these rips are from the LP, not the inferior CD reissue.

Don't care about saving the world...

The Rattlers 'On The Beach/Livin' Alone' 7" (1979)
According to the pages of "I Slept With Joey Ramone", they named themselves The Rattlers because Joey gave brother Mickey a rattlesnake rattler. A side is great power pop with Joey singing back up, B side not as exciting, but still worthwhile.

Jungle boys

Boys From Nowhere 'Beg/You Can Make It', 'Jungle Boy/1966', 'Goin' Too Far/I Don't Bother' 7"s (1984, 1986, 1987)
From a garage somewhere's in Ohio come forth these Boys. Snarling vocals meet wailing 60's punk to form a more perfect union...x 3!
Take a walk!

Corgi crap

The Drones 'Temptations of a White Collar Worker' 7" (1977)
First single from pub rockers Rockslide, turned punk rockers The Drones. Lo-fi and feisty! More info here.

Teengenerates

The Dictators 'Go Girl Crazy!' (1975)
Produced by the Sandy Pearlman/Murray Krugman team responsible for the Blue Õyster Cult, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! is a wickedly funny, brilliantly played and hopelessly naïve masterpiece of self-indulgent smartass rock'n'roll, pre-indie-rock proof that regular kids could make the major-label record (as if there were an alternative at the time) they always imagined. The Rosetta Stone of punk pop and an absolute classic released years before a company like Epic could even begin to imagine how to convince anyone to buy it. - trouser press

Give it to me

Thee Mighty Caesars 'Beware The Ides Of March' (1985)
The Ides of March is the name of 15 March in the Roman calendar, probably referring to the day of the full moon. The term is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Julius Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus and 60 other co-conspirators.
On his way to the Theatre of Pompey (where he would be assassinated), Caesar visited with a seer who had foretold that harm would come to him not later than the Ides of March. Caesar joked, "Well, the Ides of March have come", to which the seer replied "Ay, they have come, but they are not gone." This meeting is famously dramatized in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, when Caesar is warned to "beware the Ides of March". - wikipedia

Ace of spades

Link Wray 'The Swan Demo's '64' (1989)
An LP featuring early unissued material by Link Wray is essential listening for any keen student of the electric guitar, why even Pete Townsend cites Link as the reason he took up the dreaded six string. Well I suppose we'll just have to wince and forgive Link for that. No, don't let's get morbid, play this record and have some fun! - William Loveday W.O.A.H (from the liner notes)

Thee tricksters

Thee Mighty Caesars (1985)
Four score and a bunch of years ago Theese Caesars were born from Milkshakes trashe. A garage punk showcase you know you can't resist!

Overcome by fumes

Various Artists - Battle of The Bands 7" (1979)
This comp of lesser known bands (with the exception of Rudi) from the Good Vibrations label should have you dancin' in the streets.
Good Vibrations started from a Belfast record shop of the same name run by Terri Hooley. The label specialized in Northern Irish punk bands of whom the Undertones became the best known after their debut single “Teenage Kicks” was championed by Radio 1 DJ John Peel. Hooley went bankrupt in 1982, but managed to revive the label at the end of the 80s. - good vibes belfast

Eh Bien Mon Ami

Cazumbi - African Sixties Garage Volume 1 (2008)
Being plenty familiar with Afrobeat, I was intrigued by something billing "Garage Rock, Surf and Psych Howlers from the Vaults of African Colonies." Certainly no disappointment, it'll have you doing the Krakmen Twist in no time!

Ain't it fun ?

Dead Boys '3rd Generation Nation' (1999)
Subtitled "the We Have Come For Your Children pre-mix", this bootleg(?) offers a slightly more raw version of the Dead Boys 2nd album. There are a few noticeable differences ("Son Of Sam" has a different intro; song order; etc.), but mainly it's pretty similar to the finished product. Although not as strong as 'Young, Loud...' there are plenty of great songs here and we like it... tell me what you think.

Anyone have a copy of Cheetah's 'Still Wanna Die/Take Me Home' 7" to share?

Down in flames

Rocket From The Tombs 'The Day The Earth Met The...' (2002)
We've been reading Cheetah's new book, prompting a revisit to the raw and untamed sounds of Rocket From The Tombs. As you may know, before RFTT splintered into the Dead Boys and Pere Ubu, they played around Cleveland and wrote some of the songs that would become staples in both the aforementioned bands. They never made any studio recordings, but this comp of rehearsal demos and live material sounds surprisingly good, rough and wild, not unlike the band themselves. We think their version of Raw Power is even cooler than The Stooges. Ain't it fun?

Don't put me down

The Stomach Mouths 'This is...The Stomach Mouths' and 'I'm Going Away/Eegah/Cry' 7"s (1985, 1986)
Swedish garage punk from the mid 80's, EEGAH!!!!~!!!!

You get what you deserve

Big Star 'Radio City' (1974)
Brilliant, addictive, definitively semipopular, and all Alex Chilton--Chris Bell, his folkie counterpart, just couldn't take it any more. The harmonies sound like the lead sheets are upside down and backwards, the guitar solos sound like screwball readymade pastiches, and the lyrics sound like love is strange, though maybe that's just the context. Can an album be catchy and twisted at the same time? - Robert Christgau

Squeal appeal!

The Revillos 'Where's The Boy For Me?/The Fiend' 7" (1979) and 'Motorbike Beat/ No Such Luck' 7" (1980)
These first two Revillos singles really make you want to pogo, certainly matching the sublime punk of their previous effort with a little more added pop. Enjoy the ride!

Black

La Peste (1996)
Truth be told, I had never heard of La Peste until this release on Matador Records back in the 90's... An excellent overview of their short life span. Too bad they didn't get much studio time, but what little they did record is all top notch. Here you get "Better Off Dead", their one and only 7", along with live tracks recorded at The Rat in '79 and a few Ric Ocasek produced demos.

Fucker

The Brian Jonestown Massacre 'Take It From The Man!' (1996)
With this, the BJM weave a path from the mid 60's on through to the early 70's glam, creating a sound that shows their influences and yet creates something completely original. Straight up and down!

What will you play tonight?

The Adverts 'One Chord Wonders' 7" (1977)
Something heavy or something light... something to set your soul alight... we don't give a damn... see what punks can do!