Plain and simple but hard to find.

Noise pop splendor from Connecticut wunderkinds circa 1993.  Hot damn.

Here

First Men on the Sun - s/t (1995, Southwest Audio Reproductions)

Established in the mid-80s, an L.A three piece dubbed the Abecedarians created a stir for ear-to-the-ground types who fancied mystique-laden post punk with temperate psychedelic inclinations, not unlike local contemporaries Red Temple Spirits and Psi-Com.  The band brewed a dreamy, disciplined alchemy on such arcane slabs of wax as Eureka and Resin.  While the Abecedarians handiwork was nothing less than satisfactory, the only drawback to their records was the potential of them to lull you to sleep if you were say, behind the wheel on a lengthy, straightaway road or highway.  By the Clinton-era two thirds of the group, Chris Manecke and John Blake reconfigured their trippy, atmospheric aplomb into a decidedly linear indie-rock slant for First Men on the Sun's one-off 1995 album.   "Alternative" bandwagon jumping was hardly an option however, rather Manecke and Blake's intent was considerably more substantive.  Sonically, there's not much that you could term as wildly innovative here, but I'm honing in on traces of Love Battery, Rein Sanction, and to a lesser extent Screaming Trees.  These comparisons are likely more coincidental than anything, but just wanted to offer a measuring stick.  A solid record, and best of all, firsthand familiarity with Abecedarians isn't a prerequisite (but doesn't hurt either).

01. Cary Grant's Hallucination
02. Sleeping on the Grill of the King
03. The Way Things Are
04. I Took a Bus
05. I Could Beg
06. Breathe In
07. Crawling Chaos
08. Chiddle

http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/xjtdzlY8/file.html

Boo Radleys - Giant Steps demos (1992-93?)

As some of you may have surmised, I'm big on demos, if only for the fact that songs in their raw gestation period bear a certain spontaneity that doesn't often translate in the often over-labored finished version.  This collection of prototypes for the third Boo Radleys' platter Giant Steps does indeed convey said spontaneity and unpolished facets galore - but that doesn't necessarily mean they supersede the more well known prime-time iterations.  In fact, I favor the official recordings over the working versions I'm presenting here.  You see, these are true blue demos - merely unfinished silhouettes and outlines that were designed to be used as a reference point for Sice and Co.'s professional studio endeavors in 1993.  There's a lack of preciseness and finality to these recordings - more like, "let's lay 'em down quick on tape before we forget the gist of the tune(s), boys."

The Rad's never had anything approaching a hit Stateside but in their native England, Giant Steps was their breakthrough and a veritable creative triumph which found the quartet making great strides in terms of inducing a solid dose of empathy into their handiwork, while simultaneously shying away from the dream-pop inclinations that was formally one of their most renown calling cards.  This is one of those situations where it really does benefit the listener to be acquainted with the finished album to appreciate these nascent and often unrepresentative early takes, so if you're fresh to Giant Steps, check it on Spotify or otherwise before delving too deep into this.  My only legit complaint with the demos is that we're deprived of the genesis of one of the record's pinnacle moments, "Best Lose the Fear."

01. I Hang Suspended
02. Upon 9th and Fairchild
03. Wish I Was Skinny
04. Leave and Sand
05. Butterfly McQueen
06. Rodney king
07. Thinking of Ways
087. Barney (...and Me)
09. Spun Around
10. If You Want It, Take It
11. Take the Time Around
12. Lazarus
13. One is For
14. Run My Way Runway
15. I've Lost the Reason
16. You're Not to Blame
17. Peachy Keen

http://www27.zippyshare.com/v/AY9GlMsP/file.html

Too many jeckles feeling like Mr. hyde.

In a perfect world, all reunion albums would be on the level of this one.

Here

Alternate Learning (aka ALRN) - ALRN ep (1979) and Painted Windows (1981)

I had a request for these two records that was simply too good to refuse, even if I don't possess physical copies of either.  If you have any awareness whatsoever as to what Alternate Learning (ALRN for short) were about, you likely know they were the predecessor to the late Scott Miller's more renown mid-80s combo, Game Theory.  I'm not privy to the impetus of the band's moniker, but it's safe to say that if you wish to have "alternate facts" it's only logical that "alternate learning" has to come first, no?  And speaking of all things logical, their 1981 full length Painted Windows was a fittingly stylistic precursor to the first GT wax, Blaze of Glory.  Stunning, inspired slices of vaguely skewed collegiate juvenilia entailing the likes of "The New You" and "Beach State Rocking" make Painted... almost as rewarding an any given Theory offering.  You'll no doubt suss out a more pronounced emphasis on synthesizers cropping up on ALRN tunes stacked up to GT, but in terms of song arrangements, Miller's formula was baked into the cake when this dandy little LP was gestated way back when.  

The four song ALRN ep was dropped two years prior to Painted Windows, wielding a considerably more nascent, not to mention lo-fi approach.  An adolescent surge of punky guitars propels "What's the Matter" in a manner that Miller never pursued in Game Theory, but even this early in the game (pun partially intended) "When She's Alone" foreshadows his burgeoning pop acumen, and is in all ways a keeper.  Certain copies of this 7" ep were accompanied with a spate of colorful inserts.

Special thanks to whomever ripped these scarce slabs of wax and provided the artwork. The 2014 reissue of the aforementioned debut Game Theory LP, Blaze of Glory includes a total of four songs from both ALRN records as bonus material in sterling CD quality.  Don't cheat yourself, treat yourself here.

ALRN ep
01. Green Card
02. What's the Matter
03. Gumby's in a Coma
04. When She's Alone 

Painted Windows
01. Another Wasted Afternoon
02. Sex War
03. The New You
04. Dark Days
05. Occupation Unknown
06. Dresden
07. Beach State Rocking
08. Ulysses
09. Painted Windows
10. Let's Not Wait 

ALRN ep: http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/hSYHT7OV/file.html
Painted Windows: http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/pNyHERH6/file.html

Aunt Helen - Nephews Were Never Like This ep (1980, Razor)

Noooo!   Skinny ties and facial hair should never mix!  Granted, you'll have to download the record to see what I'm referring to on the back cover of Nephews...  I'm not sure what their point of origination is/was (Boston?) but the four-man Aunt Helen were about as scattershot as they come.  Something of a one-song-wonder, this record starts out with a genuine bang in the guise of "Psychology Today" and deescalates rapidly from there.   The keeper in question, "Psychology," boasts the sass and savvy of AH's Midwest contemporaries Fools Face and Secrets, not to mention a dash of The A's.  As you might have gleaned from the cover art, this was not a band that took themselves particularly seriously.  A sardonic, calypso reading of "Wild Thing" doesn't impress, nor does much of Helen's willfully cheeky approach on the remainder of Nephews.  Such goofball tactics are either charming and endearing or a fatal flaw.  I'll let you be the judge.

01. Psychology Today
02. Wild Thing
03. It Just Isn't Fair
04. Razor
05. Do the Nip
06. (If I Had An) Electric Guitar

http://www23.zippyshare.com/v/40Gm6S2k/file.html

Five Ticket Ride - demo (1995)

Folks, this proverbial ticket to ride is an utter cold case.  Got this through the college station I used to DJ at, and in all likelihood it arrived in the mail with an accompanying bio sheet of some sort, not that I would have saved it even if I originally had access to it.  Anyway, three promising songs from an earnest bunch o' San Fran up-and-comers, residing on the crunchier side of period indie rock, a la Small 23, Figgs or perhaps a rawer Material Issue.  The only potential link I was able to cross reference on Five Ticket Ride was a handful of YouTube clips that could be a different band of the same moniker, but the sonic similarities give me the impression they're one and the same.  Anyone have a clue on these folks, comment away.  Am enthused to hear more.   

01. Wasting Away
02. Hold On
03. Lift Me Up

http://www74.zippyshare.com/v/XbiH19s9/file.html

Cowbell - Haunted Heart (2017, Damaged Goods) - A brief overview.

There's rockabilly, there's psychobilly...so why not chill-obilly?   Truth be told, London's Cowbell ain't peddling no gimmicky shtick, rather that pearl of said nomenclature is frequently applicable on Haunted Heart.  This boy (Jack Sandham) and girl (Wednesday Lyle) duo curtail the "dirty" aesthetic considerably stacked up against say, The Kills, but there's some discernible bite to the jacked-up bop of the vivacious title track, as well as the souped-up Americana kick of "Downlow."  In the grand scheme of things, Haunted Heart is hardly a record of extremes, rather Cowbell's pedigree heretofore has placed the emphasis on their garage credentials.  With an undercurrent of organ and a spicy guitar solo percolating through "Nothing But Trouble," I'm inclined to play along, but the tunes I've name-dropped thus far strike me as the exception, not the rule.  "Neon Blue" and "New Kinda Love," play up the duo's more refined angles, meshed with a telltale appreciation of the blues and '60 psych pop, respectively.  Elsewhere they cut the tension off at the knees entirely on the decidedly tamer "Something's Gotta Give" and the sax-laden closer, "No Wrong."  Make no mistake though, Cowbell aren't the second coming of the Carpenters...nor the White Stripes (albeit they're angling significantly closer to the latter).   Boasting nuanced aptitude and consistency, Haunted Hearts just might have you shouting, "more cowb--" Sorry, I couldn't resist!.  Pick up the album May 26 from Damaged Goods Records, Amazon and iTunes.

He thought an Albertson's stir fry dinner would make his apartment a home.

A lot of you might regard this as a basic...and I suppose it is, but for the uninitiated, better late than never. 

Here

The Clamheads - Summer's Coming ep (1989, Jericho)

Here's a slice of post-C86 handiwork for you from a UK indie enterprise who happened to make an appearance on one of the Sound of Leamington Spa twee compilations way back when.  Summer's Coming appeared to be The Clamheads sole release.  "Everybody Loves Me Cept You" brandishes a describable power pop bent,and IMHO is the breadwinner here by a longshot.  Some keen Housemartins inclinations frequently color in the remainder of the record with "Summer's Coming Down" striking my fancy in addition to the aforementioned.  Cloudberry Cake blog had a few things to say about this one, providing some background details on the Clamheads to boot.

01. Summer's Coming Down
02. Everybody Loves Me Cept You
03. Never Crack On
04. Reprobate's Blessing

http://www11.zippyshare.com/v/ZCOxqhnE/file.html

The Sneetches - Lights Out! With the Sneetches (1988/91, Kaleidoscope /Creation)

Last week when I talked up the new Sneetches anthology, Form of Play, I praised it for presenting a cross section of their entire career.  Well, almost anyway.  It didn't hit me at the time, but that compilation largely overlooked (if not flat out ignored) the band's first proper album, Lights Out! With...  As if it wasn't already obvious, here's that entire platter in question.  The only song that crosses over with Form of Play, is the lilting "Only For a Moment," appearing on Lights Out! in a slightly different incarnation.  How any Sneetches career spanning disk could omit a sublime ballad like "54 Hours" or the Brit Invasion marinated "I Need Someone" is...a mystery.  Any Sneetches record is an embarrassment of riches, and this one's no exception.

01. I Need Someone
02. In My Car
03. Loreli
04. 54 HOurs
05. I Don't Expect Her for You (Look at That Girl)
06. Home Again
07. No One Knows
08. Only for a Moment

http://www95.zippyshare.com/v/3BF4Q27O/file.html

Lannie Flowers - Kiss a Memory 7" (2017, Spyderpop) - A brief review.

Arlington, TX's finest son, Lannie Flowers can reliably be counted on for a perennial treat, be it a new full length, a tricked-out reissue of vintage Pengwins material, or in this case a new single.  2017's offering is on the brief side but I'll gladly take out.  Greg Kihn famously sang "They don't write 'em like that anymore," but I'll be damned if Lannie isn't a grand exception to said lyric.  Case in point, the A-side to this whirl o' pleasure, "Kiss a Memory," which doesn't resemble Kihn so much as late '70s Tom Petty, and Yellow Pills Records power pop mavens like Barely Pink (remember them, anyone?). The flip, "Everything A Man Could Want" is doubly fervent and punchy, a song that was admittedly crafted in the mold of The Faces.  Since there's just a couple cuts here I don't want to give any more away than I already have, so head on over to CD Baby or Spyderpop Records Facebook page for any and all pertinent details!

Half the math, double the myth...

It was recently announced that the vocalist for this band's former band will be reuniting for a show late this summer.

Here

Chris Stamey - Instant Excitement ep (1984, Coyote)

To our credit, we got to this one before The dB's Repercussions blog did!  Yes, I'll be patting myself on this one for some time to come, but per usual, I digress.  I had no idea this was out there until I stumbled upon this copy a few years ago.  Right out of the starting gate, "Excitement" announces itself as one of the finest things Decibel Chris Stamey has offered outside of his renown band (dBs, duh) rocking out in a forward thinking, Let's Active and Game Theory vein, furthermore sounding every bit like the Don Dixon production that it is.  Easily the highlight on Instant Excitement, you'll still want to stay seated for the remainder, including a straight up but effective reading of "Instant Karma," and the lengthy but alluring acousti-ballad, "Something Came Over Me."  The meandering instrumental "Ghost Story" strikes me as album filler, but evidently not to Stamey, who went to the trouble of subtitling it nearly ten times (way too much for me to type out - go here to view).  The end of side two yields an unlisted track, a country tune, "The Wild Side of Life," that was apparently written/recorded by Willie Nelson (per a lyric search).  Moreover, the tune is definitely not sung by Stamey nor credited to anyone.  Anybody have a clue?

01. Excitement
02. Instant Karma
03. When We're Alone
04. Ghost Story
05. Something Came Over Me
06. The Wild Side of Life

http://www33.zippyshare.com/v/H2lng6Wr/file.html

The Pony - Thorns and Cutlery (1987, Cleopatra)

Here's a buncha haircut dudes from Australia with a thing for heartland, Americana-ish rock, sporting their fair share of Rickenbacker guitars to boot.  I suppose The Pony aren't far off from say, their Oz brethren Died Pretty, but this quartet gratifies considerably faster.  I dig the janglier tunes the most - "Broken Kites," "Ambition's Day Off," and "A Calling," all of which are satisfying enough to offset some of their tranquilizing ballad forays.  The overall effect is reminiscent of Athens, GA's Dreams So Real, not that the Pony were likely to catch wind of them at the time.  Before diving into this, be prepared for some surface noise.  Also, there is a slight skip around the six second mark of the opener "I Lied" that I was unable to rectify.  Perhaps more from these guys to come.

01. I Lied
02. Ambition's Day Off
03. A Calling
04. Blindman
05. The Answer
06. In the Background
07. Still Blue
08. Broken Kites
09. The Young Boys
10. Close-up
11. Hey Daddy
12. Reminds Me of Me

http://www103.zippyshare.com/v/IZmoPupm/file.html

The Sneetches - Form of Play: A Retrospective (2017, Omnivore) - A brief overview

Where do you start with a band that had one foot in the '80s, and the other in the succeeding decade that gracefully managed to deflect the superficial trappings of either period?  Well, as bassist Alec Palao eloquently describes in From of Play's liner notes, you start by not selling truckloads of records, and ditto for packing droves into nightclubs to see your act.  Meet The Sneetches, a bygone San Francisco treat that never indulged in the flavor-of-the-moment whims of their mid-80s to nineties tenure, be it new wave, neo-psychodelic, grunge or otherwise.  In fact, no amount of peer pressure (if any existed at all) swayed the Sneetches to be anything other than ...themselves.  

Settling on a four-person roster by 1988 (one that was coincidentally half Yank/half Brit) the band's modus operandi was never quite spelled out, rather revealed slowly and intermitently over the course of four full lengths and easily thrice as many short form singles and EPs.  Highly prolific, the Sneetches discography is somewhat intimidating, and although an attempt at distilling the highlights of their career was attempted via 1991's 1985-1991 compilation on Alias Records, Omnivore's summation of their trajectory encompasses the tail end of their run as well on Form of Play, albeit not chronologically.  Still, a "trail mix" cross-section of their work isn't a bad way to present the Sneetches, as they fell shy of releasing a universally hailed album, or for that matter much in the way of signature songs.  And what of those songs you might ask? 

Over the course of their decade lifespan, the Sneetches frequently inhabited a power pop place, with their intuition being equally persuaded by both sides of the pond.  Frontman Mike Levy and six string-wielder Matt Carges piloted their airship through primo, hooky terrain on "...And I'm Thinking," the Merseybeat inflected "Julianna Why," and a devastatingly bittersweet single from 1987, "Only For a Moment."  A more streamlined muse is at play on "Empty Sea" and "What's In Your Mind," loosely slotting into a mode at home with latter era Let's Active, and even Game Theory.  Some appealing anomalies materialize as well, namely the punky Buzzcocks-cum-Replacements thrust of "Looking for Something," and the strummy, pastoral folk of "Let Us Go." 

Form of Play may not be my dream roster of Sneetches songs, but first-person perspective aside it's a representative assemblage of what made these Bay-era popmeisters tick.  The few previously unreleased sections are predominantly culled from live performances, but a concluding acoustic demo of "How Does It Feel" channeling Big Star says volumes about where the Sneetches were emanating from.

Form of Play can be derived on CD or digitally direct from Omnivore, and the usual digital peddlers iTunes and Amazon.  Feel free to check out some archived Sneetches entries on these very pages.

If I’m walking a wire standing tall would you cringe if I started to fall?

A classy and rewarding power pop salvo to close out the twentieth century. 

Here

Re-ups for April

My apologies for being so tardy in attending to your requests.  Nonetheless, always my pleasure.  Have at it.

The Records - A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo
The Grays - rarities & live at CBGBs 1994
Jason Falkner - rarities 
V/A - Why Do You Think They Call it Pop
V/A - Sorry Ma - Athens, GA Replacements tribute
V/A - So What - Austin, TX Replacements tribute
Tobin Sprout - Waxnails ep MP3 or FLAC 
The Bogarts - Huh? tape 
The No-Nos - Secret Luminaries
The Blases - s/t LP
Dangtrippers - Incantation 7"
The Embarrassment - Retrospective tape
Velvet Elvis - What in the World
Those French Girls - s/t LP
Sister Psychic - Catch and Release
Dark Globe - Life is Research
The Strawberry Zots - Cars, Flowers, Telephones
Glass Eye - Marlo ep
The Contras - Ciphers in the Snow
Bring Home the Lobsters - tape 
Alter Boys - Piles 7" & demo
Enemies in the Grass - Blind Crossing ep and 7"
Rayon City Quartet - Blue Suit and Tie
The Customers - Green Bottle Thursday
Unholy Wives - When Sanity Sleeps
Tall Tales & True - s/t ep

Pleasure Leftists - tape (2011-13)

I typically steer clear of sharing music that's commercially available, but I'm making a semi-objection to that rule here.  More about the mechanics of that in a moment, and why you should consider supporting some of this band's proper releases in a moment.  Let me formally introduce you to the Pleasure Leftists, a now potentially defunct Cleveland, OH aggregation that should settle the notion once and for all that there is indeed current music that's still substantive and moving.  Helmed by Haley Morris, she commandeers her three male compatriots through a churning, whirling maelstrom of post-punk-cum-darkwave rock, bristling with tension and density, bearing an unmistakable reverence for melody.  Given Morris' ceaseless, banshee-like wail comparisons to (you guessed it) Siouxsie and the Banshees might be inevitable, but in fairness, that class of '77 never quite served their shtick up this relentlessly heavy and pounding.  Over the course of two eps and 2015's Woods of Heaven, the Leftists quality control is/was strenuous, making damn sure every ounce of energy seeping from the pores of this co-ed quartet counted in a colossal way.  Visceral, baby.

So, what exactly is that blueish blob in the upper-right corner?  It's the cover of a limited and very lo-fi Pleasure Leftists cassette, featuring music from the group's 2011 & 2013 eps, both of which are conveniently self-titled.  The only unreleased goodie here is a cover of the Cure's "One Hundred Years," which commences side two. Presumably printed up to sell at live gigs (I bought mine at a record show), the fidelity of this tape is meager at best, with the vinyl and officially released digital versions far outstripping it.  But to give you a taste of what this band has to offer I'm sharing this in full...at a mere 56 kbps, a paltry rip compared to the typical 320 kbps I tend to offer.  Also, I didn't separate the tracks.  Why?  To encourage you to purchase the considerably better sounding iterations of these recordings physically on wax or legally sanctioned MP3s.  Give both sides of this cartridge a whirl, feast on the ample goth-y mystique, and support the Leftists on the platform of your choice - iTunes, Amazon, emusic, and if you want to locate actual vinyl specimens, may I suggest you try here.

Side one: Animal Heart/Future Fights/Passage on a Ghost Ship/Nature of Feelings/Morning in a Room/Suits
Side two: 100 yrs/Hunger Split/Not Over/Elephant Men

http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/GvG5khiO/file.html

V/A - I´m In Love....with That Song! - Austraslian Replacements tribute (1999, Antfarm)

Closer to when I started this thing of ours called Wilfully Obscure, I shared two regional Replacements tribute compilations.  Sorry Ma Forgot to Let Out the Cat, featuring Athens, GA artists, and So What, concentrating on Austin, TX talent.  While the sentiment and premise behind these albums were fine, the music was considerably inconsistent.  In 1999 came a third Mats tribute, I´m In Love....with That Song!, this time not merely siphoning the talent of one particular city scene, rather an entire continent, yielding much more satisfactory results.

No household names to speak of here, just minor, albeit credible Oz power pop luminaries including DM3, Jack and the Beanstalk, Ice Cream Hands, and the Pyramidiacs.  There are some excellent renditions of "IOU," "Alex Chilton," and "Left of the Dial."  Less obvious songs are broached as well - "Favorite Thing" and 'Rock n Roll Ghost."  Erbs and Pisces is Smudge's Nic Dalton and Tom Morgan.  They simultaneously take to task the Replacements first single, "I'm in the Trouble" b/w "If Only You Were Lonely" with intriguing results  Full tracklist in the photo to your right. 

http://www45.zippyshare.com/v/RqPsKa5a/file.html

In a dark room I can see you shining bright...

C86's twenty-first century second coming. 

Here

Ghosts of Record Store Days past - Sloan & Metz/Mission of Burma

Another Record Store Day has just crept into the annals of retail history.  This year marked the tenth anniversary, and although attendance was full bore per-usual (not to mention the frustratingly scarce limited runs of day-specific releases) something seemed a tad anticlimactic about this one.  At any rate, I thought I'd revisit a couple of relatively recent bygone titles from 2015 and '16 respectively.

Technically it's not titled as such, but he four-song ep known as Alternates, was Sloan's contribution to the RSD fray two years back, featuring (yep, you guessed it) four alternate takes of songs that made the cut for their 2014 platter, Commonwealth.  Side A takes the cake for me, with a more fleshed out ensemble take of the Jay Ferguson penned "Neither Here Nor There," and an a slower, revealing arrangement of Chris Murphy's "Get Out."  Sloan's latest volley of albums haven't necessarily been their most rewarding meaning this companion piece to the aforementioned Commonwealth falls shy of essential for casual fans, and arguably not entirely crucial for diehards.  You be the judge.

The concept for the pairing of relative post-punk newbies Metz, and intermittently active vets Mission of Burma has an elementary theme - have each cover a song by the other.  Ironically, Metz don't take to task one of Burma's lauded signature songs (e.g. "Academy Fight Song) instead settling on an album cut from 2006's Obliterati, the group's second aughts era reunion album.  I'm not as acquainted with Metz oeuvre, as it were, but Mission of Burma's coarse take of "Get Off" leaves me with the impression that both combos are a match made in dissonance heaven.

Sloan - Alternates ep (2015, Yep Rock)
01. Neither Here Nor There
02. Get Out
03. 13 (Under A Bad Sign)
04. The Lesson (One Portrait) 

http://www47.zippyshare.com/v/v2cvLMlR/file.html 

Metz/Mission of Burma 7" (2016, Sub Pop)
Metz - Good, Not Great
Mission of Burma - Get Off

http://www47.zippyshare.com/v/Yv3KbCEb/file.html

Christmas - In Excelsior Dayglo (1986, IVR)

Couple weeks ago I got a pretty hep request for Christmas' (the band) idiosyncratic debut In Excelsior Dayglo...and here it is.  While I'm considerably partial to their much more developed sophomore disk, Ultraprophets..., (circa 1989) IED revels in it's own indigenous vibe - sometimes dissonant, occasionally challenging and always unscrupulously skewed.  This Beantown co-ed trio, splits up vocal duties between string wrangler Michael Cudahy and drummer Liz Cox, the latter bearing no small resemblance to the B-52's Kate Pierson.  Writ large, there isn't a pervasive pop angle to the record, and from a sonic standpoint Christmas remind me heavily of indie contemps Agitpop and Volcano Suns.  To a lesser extent, the Pixies too, but that's a loose comparison at best.  As mentioned, their next record proved to be more substantive, but there's no disputing that much like the holiday they nabbed their namesake from Christmas were indeed a singular and revealing entity.

01. Big Plans
02. Loved Ones
03. Boy's Town Work Song
04. True Solider of Love
05. Tommy the Truck
06. Girl Police
07. Dig We Must
08. Pee Wee
09. Everything You Know Is Wrong
10. Pumpkinhead
11. A Pig Amongst Men
12. The Hottest Sun
13. Fish Eye Sandwich
14. Junk

http://www66.zippyshare.com/v/8CvL7ZFz/file.html

Glass Eye - Christine ep (1988, Bar None)

Nine years ago I wasn't expecting such a fevered reaction to two records I shared by an old school Austin, TX outfit, Glass Eye.  Those releases, the Marlo ep from 1985, and 1986 full length follow-up, Huge saw gazillions of downloads and at least two or three rounds of refreshed links.  Amazingly, the band's official website is still intact, and evidently interest in Glass Eye is still palpable.  I didn't realize it at the time I procured it a couple years ago, but the 1988 Christine ep was an appetizer of sorts for the quartet's second LP, Bent By Nature.   The dynamic title piece is intermittently disciplined and wiry and one of the single most effective songs in their catalog.  A traipse through Paul Simon's "Cecila" absorbs a full two minutes of it's precious 150 seconds building up to it's frenzied crescendo, albeit still gratifying.  Christine winds things out with the sardonic country rendering, "The Ballad of Abraham Lincoln," a song bearing, shall I say, schizophrenic tendencies.

01. Christine
02. Cecila
03. Perder La Guerra
04. Comeback
05. The Ballad of Abraham Lincoln

http://www97.zippyshare.com/v/YnwJrGba/file.html

Pale in the sun, parched in the rain.

This would have been more suitable yesterday, but around here we save the mysteries for Mondays.

Here