Jim Santo's Demo Universe

PERSONNEL:

Jon Guard, bass guitar, vocals
Paul Simmons: Guitar, vocals
Mat Love: Drums

TRACK LISTING:

Side 1
1. Las Vegas Powertrip
2. Shake

Side 2:
1. Mess
2. Know
3. Cars & Guns

This English psych-stoner-garage-rock cult band emerged out of rural Somerset in 1995 with One Eyed Again, a collection of songs recorded at their home Beehive Studios between November 1991 and April 1993. That was followed by Over And Out in 1998 on the Australian label Camera Obscura. Two LPs appeared in 2000: Zero Zen, released in the UK on Woronzow and on Rubric Records in the states; and Simeon & The Alchemysts, a collaboration with experimental electronics pioneer Simeon Coxe of the Silver Apples.

We’ve not heard anything from Alchemysts since, although Guard, Simmons, and Love have all collaborated at various times with Nick Saloman’s The Bevis Frond; Simmons has been a steady member on guitar for the past several years, and currently co-hosts a radio show with Salomon on MIT’s WMBR-FM.

Amid all of the above appeared this incredibly obscure tape, with its curiously crossed-out and corrected recording dates and copyright year; I’ll bet there’s a good story behind that. None of these songs ever made it onto a proper release, which is baffling, because this is great stuff. Maybe someone will take notice and remedy that.

stephen gary alan colin would like to thank michael cunningham steve aiken the bands the people who understand what we do this was recorded on eight track at unsafe sound studio’s in september 95 produced by michael and system for information contact 7 glenview park newtownards n ireland bt23 4un

When System came roaring out of County Down, east of Belfast, the Good Friday Agreement was yet three years away; the bombing at Roma’s, but two years behind. Nothing like murderous civil unrest to focus one’s creative energies. This cassingle is a fierce and finely crafted blast of Troubles metalcore. I wonder where they are now?

PERSONNEL:
Rick Reil: Singing, guitars 12+6, organ
Jeff Surawski: Singing, bass
Kurt Reil: Singing, drums, perc
Tim Mesko: Singing, guitar, harmonica

TRACK LISTING:
1. I Forgot To Lie
2. Love Me Like Before
3. You Know He Did

Active to this day, New Brunswick, New Jersey’s The Gripweeds emerged in 1988 as East Coast counterparts to the then-fading Paisley Underground. Across eight albums, an EP and a pair of singles, they have stuck to a winning formula of flower-power-pop with a heart of Yardbirds — and good on them!

The Grip Weeds formal debut was the self-released 1992 EP See You Through. However, three years earlier, “I Forgot To Lie” appeared on A Mountain Of Music, a compilation of Jersey bands. I’m going to assume this demo tape dates from around that time.

This is the original Gripweeds line-up, with Jeff Surawski on bass and Tim Mesko on guitar and harmonica (Surawski was out by ’89; Mesko departed in 1993). Aside from “I Forgot To Lie”, this music has never been officially released, as far as I know. Is this the band’s first demo? It’s entirely possible.

PERSONNEL:
Brent Fuscaldo: Everything

TRACK LISTING:

Side A
1. Vaccine
2. Tangelo
3. I Want You To Know
4. The Submarine
5. Far Ends
6. Holiday Spirit

Side B
7. To Drift Or Fly By
8. Autumn Kiss
9. Gash In Red
10. Light Beams
11. Kisser
12. Asbestos

Visible Elroy charmed me, then and now, with this ragged but honest slice o’ lo-fi psych-pop. More brash and energetic than your average home-taper, Brent clearly had a big sound in mind for Some Kind Of Jamoca?, even if he couldn’t quite get it on tape. But never mind that. For those who appreciate true lo-fi (both of you), this ribbon is rich in rewards. Zoom in on “Gash In Red”, “Light Beams”, “I Want You To Know”, and “Kisser”.

Fun fact! Also in 1995, Jenifer Convertible bandleader Lenny Zenith released a 45 by Visible Elroy, “To Drift Or Fly By” b/w “Holiday Spirit” on his and Anne Karle’s Puddle Records label.

PERSONNEL:
Joe Mannix: Vocals, guitar
Ed Fingerling: Bass, vocals
Chris Peck: Drums, vocals

Produced by Rick Reil, Curt Reil, Joe Mannix and Ed Fingerling
Mixed and engineered by Rick, Curt, Ed, Rob Grenoble, and Bill Statler

Recorded in May 1992 at the Legendary Eild Studio, Hoboken, and at Rick’s house, Highland Park (and a good and proper time had we). Mixed at Water Music, Hoboken

Michael Wronski designed the cassette jacket, and Traci Gallagher took the group photo in Prospect Park, Brooklyn

All sings written by Mannix / Fingerling / Peck Copyright 1992

TRACK LISTING:
1. King Of The USA
2. Girl In The Record
3. Desiree
4. She’s Still Here

Few bands on the mid-’90s East Village scene could pack ’em in like Oral Groove. For good reason; they had killer songs and crushed live. The crucial cuts here are “Girl In The Record Store”, a romping stomping power-pop gem; and “Desiree,” which is in many ways the same song as “Girl In The Record Store”, but, whatever, still a great track. “She’s Still Here” comes in third; wordy, barreling, Costello-esque-o. Killer drumming by Chris Peck on that one. Leading off this tape, but bringing up the rear, is “King Of The USA”, a CCR-like choogler that chokes on its own verbosity. Oh well, can’t all be classics, but this cassette is 75% awesome! Fun fact: This tape was co-produced by the Reil brothers, of long-running psych-poppers The Grip Weeds — who also debuted in 1992. History! More Oral Groove to come in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned.