14 April 2016

COMPULSION EPs

self titled
1992
 
Casserole
1993

 Thanks to Pete

Discogs


Tracklist
self titled

A1 Find Time
A2 Rapejacket
B1 Easterman
B2 Ninefourth
B3 Purring Not Laughing

Tracklist
Casserole

A1 How Do I Breathe
A2 Here Comes Ambrose Beasley
A3 Security
B1 Accident Ahead
B2 Yabba Yabba Yes Yes
B3 Crying

 

ASH Trailer 1994


Discogs

Artist Biography by


Trailer
Northern Irish punk-pop trio Ash were tentatively formed in 1989, when childhood mates Tim Wheeler and Mark Hamilton received guitars for Christmas and established a metal act named Vietnam. Following a handful of shows, Vietnam adopted the Ash moniker in 1992 and added Rick "Rock" McMurray on drums. The musicians shared a love for the raw British punk of the Buzzcocks and crafted their musical talents to take the Brit-pop scene by storm at the start of the decade. NME was soon swooning over these "teen punkers from Belfast," and by 1994 Ash had signed with Infectious Records and issued the Trailer EP.
1977
Ash's glossy youth was undoubtedly alluring, yet the band's Irish roots exuded a bit of American flair similar to the likes of Pavement and the Lemonheads. Wheeler, Hamilton, and McMurray weren't even out of high school before three of their singles hit the Top Five in the U.K. indie charts. A year later, Ash made their full-length debut with 1977 and set their sights on America, having inked a deal with Reprise Records. Named in honor of the year Star Wars was released, 1977 displayed Wheeler and Hamilton's full-fledged love for all things extraterrestrial and science fiction-related; the record also flaunted sharp guitar hooks and exact production work by Owen Morris (Oasis, New Order, Paul Weller). Ash took to headlining major festivals -- T in the Park, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and Reading -- and playing club dates across the globe. In fall 1997, female guitarist Charlotte Hatherley was added to the previously all-male lineup, marking a change in the band's sound and image.
Nu-Clear Sounds
With a new bandmate aboard, Ash matured during the late '90s, as their sound featured heavier guitars and a gritty lyrical shift. The band's sophomore effort, Nu-Clear Sounds (1998), featured the work of Garbage's Butch Vig (Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana) at the mixing board, but it also resulted in mixed reviews. NME turned on the band, criticizing Ash's new sound as "terrifying ghoulrawk thrashnik, deathcore noiseterror sultans of satanic verse" in August 1998. Harsh words and reviews notwithstanding, Ash forged ahead with Free All Angels (released in April 2001, although it didn't even see a U.S. release until the following summer) and 2005's Meltdown, which marked the band's first stateside release for the Record Collection label. They closed the year supporting U2 on their third world tour and soon after, Wheeler and Hamilton decided to relocate to New York while the band went on a six-month hiatus. Charlotte Hatherley announced her departure from the band one year later, having logged nearly a decade with the group.
Twilight of the Innocents
Ash forged ahead as a trio and released Twilight of the Innocents in 2007, claiming that the album would be their last. Interestingly enough, they also assured their fans that they were not breaking up; instead, the group would only release singles in response to consumer trends. Starting in 2009, the band began the A-Z Series, releasing a new single every two weeks until all 26 singles were released. The following year they released A-Z: Vol. 1 -- which compiled singles A through M -- while A-Z: Vol. 2 completed the collection with songs N-Z a few months later. In 2011 they were reunited with guitarist Hatherley for a short U.K. tour where they performed fan-favorite Free All Angels in its entirety.
Kablammo!
Ash marked their 20th anniversary in 2012 with a sold-out show at the Garage in London, and they released an EP to coincide with the impressive milestone. Titled Little Infinity, the record consisted of cover versions, including the Beach Boys' "Do You Wanna Dance" and ABBA's "Lay All Your Love on Me." They continued their resurgence into 2013 with their first appearance in seven years at industry showcase SXSW in Texas, and they also played a handful of U.S. headline shows. Their busy touring schedule continued with a set of intimate shows in the U.K. before appearing at festivals at home and as far away as the 280 Festival in Jakarta. The trio kicked off 2014 with a string of shows on the West Coast of America before setting sail to perform on the Weezer Cruise. The following year they announced the release of their first full-length studio album since 2007's Twilight of the Innocents, despite their promise that it would be their last. Titled Kablammo!, the record appeared in May 2015. 

Tracklist  

1 Season 3:00
2 Jack Names The Planets 3:10
3 Intense Thing 4:34
4 Uncle Pat 3:12
5 Get Out 1:29
6 Petrol 4:23
7 Obscure Thing 4:19
8 Hulk Hogan Bubblebath 5:04
9 Different Today 2:50
10 Punk Boy 2:09
11 Day Of The Triffids 3:33

ASH BBC SESSION BBC Maida Vale Studios October 1994

Thanks to Pete
 
 
Tracklist
1. Interview
2. Jack Names the Planets
3. American Devil
4. Coasting
5. Girl from Mars
 
 

SYMPOSIUM On the Outside 1998

Thanks to Pete
 
  
Tracklist 
1 The Answers To Why I Hate You 3:39
2 Bury You 3:36
3 Impossible 3:25
4 Blue 5:15
5 The End 4:46
6 Natural 5:04
7 Puddles 3:01
8 Drink The Sunshine 3:57
9 Paint The Stars 4:29
10 Circles Squares And Lines 3:38
11 Way 4:25
12 Fizzy 2:15
13 Nothing Special 5:07
14 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 3:04
15 Farewell To Twilight 3:19
16 Stay On The Outside 3:37

LOFOFORA Lofofora 1995

by request
 
 
Artist Biography by
French alternative metal band Lofofora formed in 1989, ranking among France's most politically engaged outfits, with their blend of punk, alternative, and rap-metal and witty, concerned lyrics quite comparable to the work of Rage Against the Machine. Their album discography reached half a dozen titles by the late 2000s, at which time Lofofora encountered trouble with their fan base regarding the very existence of their MySpace page, which some fans deemed to be in complete opposition to the band's D.I.Y. punk ethics. The band's earlier position vis-à-vis the digital music market had previously garnered additional controversy, but Lofofora subsequently remained active despite such issues.
 

Tracklist   

1 Holiday In France 3:48
2 No Facho (Dub Spirit) 4:58
3 Elvis (Martyr Et Tortionnaire) 3:33
4 Les Meutes 3:51
5 L'Oeuf 4:15
6 Subliminable 6:32
7 Justice Pour Tous 1:39
8 Le Désordre 4:02
9 Nouveau Monde 4:50
10 Baise Ta Vie 4:45
11 Really TV 3:59
12 Irie Style 6:12
 

13 April 2016

FLY ASHTRAY

Clumps Takes a Ride
1992
 
Tone Sensations of the Wonder-Men
1993
 
 by request

  
Artist Biography by
Long running but not exactly prolific, New York's Fly Ashtray was a band of warped pop eccentrics working in territory most commonly referenced through Pavement and Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. Fractured pop songs that buried their hooks under heaps of lo-fi noise were FA's stock in trade, along with a goofy brand of psychedelia and a dry, absurdist sense of humor. Elements of British Invasion pop, new wave, jangly R.E.M./Television-style alt-rock, and avant-garde rock weirdos from the Red Krayola to the Residents were all audible in the group's eclectic sound as well. Fly Ashtray's lackadaisical attitude toward recording certainly contributed to their relative lack of exposure -- it often took them years to issue new material, and what they did release was often on small, poorly distributed labels. Yet that informal aesthetic also contributed to a loose -- if uneven -- charm cited by many of the critics who did hear their albums.
Fly Ashtray was formed in 1983 at Fordham University, in the Bronx area of New York City. Charter members included singer/bassist/guitarist John Beekman, guitarist/bassist Chris Thomas, and guitarist/bassist Mike Anzalone. They were soon joined by keyboardist/guitarist/bassist/singer James Kavoussi and drummer Eric Thomas (Chris' brother). It would take until 1987 for the group to issue their first recording, a 7" single called "The Day I Turned Into Jim Morrison." They next appeared with a brief track on ROIR's New York Scum Rock compilation in 1989. Despite their lack of available material, the band had been recording off and on for most of the ‘80s, and issued a self-released, cassette-only compilation of its early work in 1990, called Nothing Left to Spill. It was accompanied by a four-song EP, Extended Outlook, on the See Eye label, plus a 7" single, "President Stoned." Another 7", the three-song "Soap"/"Bip"/"Feather," followed in 1991. By this time, Eric Thomas had left the group to move to Japan, and Mike Anzalone also departed to concentrate on playing in Kavoussi's other project, Uncle Wiggly. Thomas was replaced by new drummer Glenn Luttman, leaving the group a quartet.
Fly Ashtray's first proper full-length was 1991's Clumps Take a Ride, which appeared on Kramer's Shimmy Disc label and collected material from the previous three years, including their signature song "Ostrich Atmosphere." The EP Let's Have Some Crate followed on the British label Hemiola in 1992, and finally -- after a decade of existence -- the band released its first full-length album of all-new material, Tone Sensations of the Wonder Men, on Shimmy Disc in 1993. After this unprecedented level of activity, a hiatus of several years followed, during which time Kavoussi embarked on a solo project under the name pHoaming Edison. Fly Ashtray returned in 1997 with the Flummoxed EP, their first release for indie Dark Beloved Cloud. In 1998, they experienced their first personnel shift in quite some time, as Beekman departed, to be replaced by bassist/guitarist/banjoist David Abel (also of Autobody). A third full-length album followed in 1999, under the title Sawgrass Subligette; it featured contributions from Abel's crony Jim Abramson, an Autobody bandmate who also drummed for Dymaxion. In 2002, Fifth Beetle released a long-delayed EP, Stop the Zockos, which had been completed in 1995. The following year, Glenn Luttman took his leave from the band, and was replaced by Autobody/Drumhead percussionist Eric Marc Cohen.

 

12 April 2016

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE self titled 1996

by request

Artist Biography by


Welcome Interstate Managers
Although Fountains of Wayne didn't enjoy mainstream attention until the release of "Stacy's Mom" in 2003, the band had already established itself as one of America's strongest power pop acts. Based in New Jersey, the group first appeared in 1996 with a mix of British-influenced pop songs, lo-fi production, and wry lyrics about dead-end jobs and biker boyfriends. Fountains of Wayne expanded their lineup and polished up their sound during the following years, eventually hitting gold with 2003's Welcome Interstate Managers. While that album proved to be something of a fluke success, the band continued releasing well-crafted records throughout the subsequent years. Meanwhile, co-founder Adam Schlesinger enjoyed a separate career as a producer and ghostwriter for other artists. Schlesinger first crossed paths with Chris Collingwood in 1986, while both were studying at Massachusetts' Williams College. Sharing a mutual affection for melodic British pop, the two formed a series of short-lived bands before recording an LP under the name Pinwheel. The duo split up after legal hassles blocked the album's release, with Schlesinger resurfacing as part of the indie pop band Ivy and Collingwood joining a Boston-based country group named the Mercy Buckets. The two musicians eventually reunited in 1996 as Fountains of Wayne, christening their band after a lawn ornament store in Wayne, NJ. Atlantic Records released the duo's self-titled LP that same year, and Schlesinger helped create some more buzz by authoring the title song to the movie That Thing You Do!

Utopia Parkway
Schlesinger's contributions to the film's soundtrack garnered a Grammy nomination and an RIAA gold certification in 1997. Fountains of Wayne's own album only enjoyed a sliver of that success, though, selling roughly 125,000 copies in America. Despite a lack of mainstream attention, the band toured the world alongside the Lemonheads and the Smashing Pumpkins. The addition of two touring musicians -- guitarist Jody Porter and former Posies drummer Brian Young -- helped round out the band's sound, and both became official members during the recording of Utopia Parkway. Released in 1999, the album expanded the band's catalog with slicker production, beefier harmonies, and Porter's muscled guitar work. Despite the popularity of "Denise" at college radio, Utopia Parkway sold poorly. Frustrations grew between Fountains of Wayne and Atlantic Records, who neglected to promote the song "Trouble Times" as a single, and the band was dropped from Atlantic's roster in late 1999. A long hiatus followed, during which Schlesinger co-wrote several songs for the Josie and the Pussycats film, released a third album with Ivy, and produced albums for the Verve Pipe, David Mead, and They Might Be Giants. The musicians reconvened four years later, funneling their own money into the creation of Welcome Interstate Managers. Released in 2003 on the newly minted S-Curve label, the album gave Fountains of Wayne its first taste of Billboard-certified success with "Stacy's Mom," a hit across several charts and the band's first Top 40 entry. The accompanying music video featured Rachel Hunter as the song's voluptuous title character; perhaps predictably so, it became a staple at MTV. The subsequent singles "Mexican Wine" and "Hey Julie" fared less well, but Welcome Interstate Managers nevertheless went gold, whetting the public's appetite for future Fountains of Wayne releases.

Out-of-State Plates
The double-disc compilation album Out-of-State Plates arrived in 2005, sporting two new songs (including the single "Maureen"), several live cuts, and a wealth of rarities. Fountains of Wayne launched a limited tour before returning home, where Schlesinger kept up his songwriting chops by penning four tracks for the soundtrack to the 2007 film Music & Lyrics. That same year also saw the release of another FOW album, Traffic and Weather, which continued the band's tradition of fusing power pop with lyrics about travel, relationships, and workplace boredom. While working on a follow-up album, Schlesinger found time to play alongside Taylor Hanson, James Iha, and Bun E. Carlos in the pop supergroup Tinted Windows, whose debut album appeared in 2009. Later that year, Schlesinger joined Fountains of Wayne on a full-band acoustic tour, using the opportunity to play a handful of new songs in front of a live audience. Most of the new material found its way onto the band's next album, Sky Full of Holes, which doubled as their first release for Yep Roc in 2011.

Tracklist 

1 Radiation Vibe 3:40
2 Sink To The Bottom 3:12
3 Joe Rey 2:40
4 She's Got A Problem 3:26
5 Survival Car 2:02
6 Barbara H. 3:22
7 Sick Day 4:33
8 I've Got A Flair 2:52
9 Leave The Biker 2:42
10 You Curse At Girls 2:05
11 Please Don't Rock Me Tonight 2:50
12 Everything's Ruined 2:44

THE CROCKETTS We May Be Skinny & Wirey 1998

Thanks to Pete
 
  
Artist Biography by
The Crocketts were formed in late 1996 when lead singer Davey MacManus, guitarist Dan Boone, bass player Rich Turpin, and drummer Owen Cash came together in the town of Aberystwth, Wales, while attending university and took the moniker from a nickname for MacManus. Completing college a year later, the band focused on playing live and released the EP Hello And Good Morning in September of 1997, which found one of the songs, "Stunner, receiving airplay on MTV's Daria, and the issue earning them comparisons to The Pogues and The Clash, Signing a deal with Blue Dog Records, The Crocketts followed up Hello And Good Morning with the full-length We May Be Skinny And Wiry, which garnered them attention on the independent charts. They returned in 1999 with The Great Brain Robbery. 

Tracklist  

1 Flower Girl 2:51
2 Loved Ya Once 2:20
3 Explain 3:31
4 Bluster Boy 3:56
5 Girl Next Door 2:26
6 Tennessee 2:20
7 Will You Still Care 3:40
8 Closet Heroine 3:21
9 Six Soon To Be Seven 3:22
10 Bucket & Spade 4:01
11 Autumn Afternoon 3:40
12 Strong Guy 3:47
13 Blue Dog 1:19