VA - Drunk On Rock (Volume One)

VA Drunk On Rock (Vol. One) cd 1998
The Hookers: Hell Bent & Glory Bound / The Reclusives: Let Go Of My Leg / Murder City Wrecks: Buried Alive / Screaming Bloody Marys: Ill Repute / Jeff Dahl & The Kevin K Band: Born To Lose (live) / The Dragons: Campus Ave / Johnny Wreckless: My Mind Keeps Running Away / Dead Flower Bloom: Shades Of Grey / Thee Trash Brats: Who Put The Words In Your Mouth / Cash Registers: I Don't Wanna Be One / The Candy Snatchers: Do You Wanna Know? / Puke-A-Rama: Psychos + Drunks / The Short Fuses: Motorcycle Pill / The Chinese Millionaires: International Woman / The Bulemics: Only Down For Myself / Sinisters: Murder Style / Rocket 455: Cock In My Pocket / Electric Frankenstein: I Want More / Asteroid B-612: Gasoline / (Bootsey X And) The Lovemasters: Blow Me To Death / The B-Movie Rats: Dirty Dog / The Weaklings: Grow Up Girl / Nashville Pussy: Sock It To Me Baby / Rick Blaze & The Ballbusters: Pretty Messed Up (Motor City Mix) / The Morning Shakes: Highway Robbery (live) / Alan Valentine & The Drugstore: Cowboys My Mistake.
"Drunk on Rock" is the debut release from tiny Detroit imprint I-94, but that doesn't stop its compilers from squeezing as much craziness as possible onto the disc. It's 26 tracks of pure punk revivalism and hard rock mayhem, broken by the occasional nod to an alternate genre (power pop takes a stand on Dead Flower Boom's "Shades of Grey"). Highlights include the Murder City Wrecks' "Buried Alive," Chinese Millionaires' scathing "International Woman," and the raw, wiry rip of "Only Down for Myself," from Austin's Bulemics. While Nashville Pussy, Candy Snatchers, and even the Trash Brats have some name recognition, much of Drunk on Rock borders on unknown territory. No matter -- there's no new ground being broken, but the trail traveled here is familiar, and chances are it smells like a bar. Drunk is a sloppy, sleazy mess that rarely stumbles and always rocks, and marks a solid debut for I-94. Answers.com
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THE REAL KIDS - All Kindsa Jerks Live

THE REAL KIDS All Kindsa Jerks Live lp 1983
Outta place / No place fast / She don’t know / Common at noon / Boob / Baby’s book / Can't Talk to that Girl / Bad to Worse / She got everything / My Way / All Kindsa Girls.
Recorded live at Paris Bataclan on feb-2nd 1983.
Mixed by A. Français & A. Paley.
The Real Kids: John Felice: guitar vocals / Allen Paulino: bass vocals / Billy Cole: guitar vocals / Bobby Morin: drums.
John Felice (b.1955) grew up in Natick, Massachusetts as a neighbor and friend of Jonathan Richman, a fellow fan of The Velvet Underground. As a 15-year old he joined Richman in the first line-up of The Modern Lovers in late 1970. He performed with the band intermittently between then and 1973, but because of his school commitments was not involved in the 1972 sessions which produced the classic first Modern Lovers album. Felice said: "Me and Jonathan, as close as we were, you know, I was like a punk, I was a wise-ass kid. I liked to do a lot of drugs, I liked to drink, and Jonathan was like this wide-eyed, no-drugs, ate nothing but health food...".
John Felice then decided to start his own band, and formed The Real Kids (originally named The Kids), in 1972, with Rick Coraccio (bass), Steve Davidson (guitar), and Norman Bloom (drums). They became a successful live band in the Boston area, playing "an aggressive brand of straight-ahead, no-bullshit rock which harkened back to Chuck Berry, had overtones of the British Invasion groups at their mod finest, yet pointed the way towards the Punk to come". As well as Felice's own songs, they performed versions of classics by Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly and others. The band did not record until 1977, when it comprised Felice, Billy Borgioli (guitar), Allen "Alpo" Paulino (bass), and Howie Ferguson (drums). Their only studio album, The Real Kids, was issued on the Red Star label in 1978.
While continuing to play occasionally with different versions of The Real Kids, Felice also worked for a time as a roadie for the Ramones. He came back with a new band, the Taxi Boys who recorded an ep 7-inch pressed on pink vinyl on Star Rhythm & a 6 songs 12-inch on Bomp. Then he reformed the Real Kids and released two lp's : "Outta Place" & "Hit You Hard" on French label New Rose.They toured Europe to release a live album, "All Kindsa Jerks Live and a video tape. Band members Alpo Paulino and Billy Borgioli then left to form the Primitive Souls. In 1988, Felice formed a new band, John Felice and The Lowdowns, releasing an album "Nothing Pretty" on Ace of Hearts records, later re-released on Norton Records.
Bass player Alpo Paulino died on February 6, 2006 (R.I.P).
The Real Kids re-united on several other occasions. They performed regularly in 1998-99, including a New York City New Year's gig. Wikipedia
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TAXI BOYS - EP

TAXI BOYS 7'' EP 1981 wav
I Can't Kick / Down To You / Up Is Up / Some Love Like Yours.
Produced by John Felice.
Taxi Boys: John Felice: vocals, guitar / Scott Parmenter: guitar / Billy Cole: bass / Bobby McNabb: drums. Bass Tracks played by Alan Paulino.
"At 1:47 the song is the third shortest by Jon Felice and his mates on their eponymous debut lp, but it made an extra impact as the name of a reconstituted Real Kids when heart-throb Bobby McNabb replaced Howie Ferguson on the drums - not on this song - but in the band named after it. The eventual addition of McNabb (recruited, surprisingly, from semi-drag act Lou Miami ) gave the band some pretty boy charisma they were lacking though Ferguson is tough to beat when it comes to beating on the drums. The group named after this song featured only half the original Real Kids, Felice and Paulino, thus the latter ensemble was dubbed by one scenester "The Tacky Boys". Falling in-between the grit of "Better Be Good" and mellow mood found on "Just Like Darts", "Taxi Boys" is almost British by way of The New York Dolls "Frankenstein", the original band at its most explosive and fun. No wonder Miriam Linna of Norton Records liked them so much, this record's producer, Marty Thau, had worked with The New York Dolls prior to signing The Real Kids to his Red Star imprint. An album full of episodes like this would have brought The Real Kids out of cult status to the level of a Ramones, the splashes of punk guitar by the team of Borgioli and Felice gliding along with Ferguson's cymbals make it the most appealing song on the entire album." Joe Viglione (The Count) - Allmusic.com

REAL KIDS/TAXI BOYS - Girls! Girls! Girls!

REAL KIDS/TAXI BOYS Girls! Girls! Girls! lp 1983
Real Kids side: She / Now You Know / Up Is Up / She Comes Alive / Who Needs Ya // Taxi Boys side: Whats it to You / Bad to worse / What she don't know / Everybody's Girl / Happens all the time / She.
The Real Kids: J. Felice: guitar, lead vocals / Billy Borgioli: guitar / Alan "Alpo" Paulino: bass / Howard Ferguson: drums.
The Taxi Boys: John Felice: lead guitar, vocals / Billy Cole: bass, vocals, guitar, bells / Scott Parmentar: rhythm guitar / Bobby McNabb: drums.
The Real Kids were one of Boston's earliest new wave bands; their debut album is full of dynamite tracks that take the trashier aspect of the Rolling Stones and couple it with the high-power guitar approach of the Ramones. Frontman (and onetime Modern Lover) John Felice not only provides tough guitar and distinctive lead vocals, he has a knack for writing clear, infectious melodies. Spin "All Kindsa Girls," "She's Alright" or "My Baby's Book" for proof.
Poor sales of the Real Kids' first LP led Felice to become a Ramones roadie, but he subsequently returned to Boston and formed the Taxi Boys, whose two EPs carry on the Real Kids tradition with high-energy '60s garage-band rock. The production of the records might be crude, but Felice is in fine form on both. (The Bomp! release is a 12-inch, the earlier one a 7-inch pressed on pink vinyl.)
Reactivating the Real Kids with a new and improved lineup, Felice then made the dandy Outta Place. Harder yet still pop-oriented, with stellar production by Andy Paley, the record is strengthened by consistently good material and plenty of rock'n'roll spirit. After releasing the album in France, New Rose kept the Real Kids' recording career going, issuing another sharp studio LP, Hit You Hard, and the live-in-Paris All Kindsa Jerks Live, which recaps Felice's song catalogue onstage with fiery enthusiasm. The Lolita release is a Real Kids/Taxi Boys compilation.

Ex-Real Kids Alpo Paulino (bass) and Billy Borgioli (guitar) lead the Primitive Souls, whose 12-inch — two originals by each — follows the righteous path of bar-band pop'n'roll with tuneful flair and serious skill. (For the record, Paulino has the better singing voice and slightly catchier songs.)
After five years of national invisibility, Felice returned, unrepentant and embittered, with a rocking new trio and the Nothing Pretty album. Although his casual writing and punchy guitar playing is in fine shape, uncertain singing undercuts the songs' impact; Felice's attitude is, like his voice, a little worse for wear. The title track rues the loss of innocence; "I'll Never Sing That Song Again" describes a view of life as a musician that is both cynical and poignant; "Nowadaze Kids" tells the other side of the story, castigating modern audiences for lacking the rock'n'roll spirit that inspires him. Fans who fear that he's becoming too disgusted to carry on should take note of the LP's final cut, "Can't Play It Safe." TrouserPress.com

DESPERADOS - Before the End Of The Beginning

DESPERADOS Before The End Of The Beginning maxi ep 1980
Misfits / Slippin' And Slidin' / Homicide / Someday You 'll Pay / Honey Don't / Badland / Colt 45.
Produced by M. Zermati & G. Blumenfeld.
Desperados: P. Lüger: guitar / H. Schwarz: guitar / T. Edwards (Gas): drums & vocals / P.-J. Cayatte: bass.
"...DESPERADOS dura un été. Mythique et fantôme. De la chair à légendes. Quelques sets au Gibus, que certains virent, mais que beaucoup évoquèrent. Et un split par mort lente - faute de combattants. Des DESPERADOS, il ne reste que ce putain de disque et le souvenir de Pierre-Jean.
Pierre-Jean Cayatte qui quitta le Gazoline d'Alain Kan et d'informels groupes de jazz rock pour la frénésie du punk-boom de 77. Il arriva dans Asphalt Jungle, un disque de Wagner sous le bras et un perfecto tout neuf. Pierre-Jean et sa basse martiale, sèche et dure, son goût pour les épopées à la Carl Orff. Une soif d'absolu. Il quitta Asphalt peu après Mont-de-Marsan, zona deux ans avant une tentative avec Métal Urbain/Métal Boys et l'aventure DESPERADOS. Le vécu valait-il qu'on lui sacrifie tant?...
...Pat et Hermann! Guitaristes ! Leur histoire est simplement celle du punk rock français. Leurs 18 ans, c'était les Stooges et les Dolls, la recherche des pépites sixties – Seeds, Standells ou 13th Floor Elevator, aux puces ou à l'Open Market.
73/74. Les premiers cuirs, franges à la Brian, imitations Annelo & David, Levi's blancs. Les souvenirs dormaient, le système avait digéré un rock & roll enfoui sous la pompe et les fumigènes. A Londres, autour de Nick Kent, à Paris, autour de l'Open Market - certains cherchaient une nouvelle innocence à conjuguer le rock & roll au présent. Sa magie adolescente et sa verve. Je me souviens de cet appartement de St-Ouen où le rock & roll français renaissait autour d'une bouteille de Cherry volée dans un supermarché et de deux guitares à 50 sacs branchées sur pédale fuzz et Teppaz ...Il y avait là Rikky Darling, Jacno, Elli, Hervé Zenouda et Pierre Godard...Hermann et Pat jouèrent avec moi à Genève. Puis ce fut Strike Up, Man Ray, Metal Boys ou DESPERADOS… Moins punk-killers que par le passé, le style des deux frères est désormais unique : comme un rockabilly survolté, jonglant avec l'électricité des Bo Diddley ou Link Wray… une école qui connaît Wilko comme Johnny T. Une école qui connait ses classiques…
Et Gas, que l'on vit dans le Living Dead de Johnny Thunders. Gas qui est un grand batteur à la Jerry Nolan. Un putain de chanteur avec toute l'émotion d'une voix blanche transcendée par les influences noires, rhythm'n'blues…
Ce disque donc. Le disque d'un groupe qui ne pouvait durer, qui a souffert de tous les travers du rock parisien. Un groupe sans garde fou, et sans visibilité. Une ligne de vie au jour le jour. Loin du professionalisme stérile à l'anglaise, loin du "carriérisme" de beaucoup.
Mais pour cela, il fallait payer cher: Pierre-Jean s'est tiré une balle, un soir de novembre.
Après Ginger et tant d'autres: ces deux dernières années furent bien dures à vivre...
Alors que dire de plus? Que ce disque est unique. Témoignage rare d'un rock'n'roll sans concessions. Un disque qui fait mal car c'est de vie qu'il s'agit, et non de marketing. Ces reprises de "Honey Don't" ou "Slippin' and Slidin'" ! Ces originaux superbes que sont "Someday You'll Pay" ou "Misfits"! Le rock'n'roll peut donc encore offrir ça ? Ceci n'est pas un gadget, le produit roublard d'un trust discographique. Ce disque à une âme.
Et un cœur. Un coeur qui saigne et l'a prouvé."
extrait du texte écrit par P. Eudeline au dos du maxi ep en 1980
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THE THIEVES - Seduced by Money

THE THIEVES Seduced by Money cd/lp 1988

Everything But My Heart / All The Lines Are Down / Black Lipstick / Girl Of My Dreams / When I Wake With Someone New / From A Motel / Pick A Number / Pendulum / Seduced By Money / Cassidy Knows.

Produced by Marshall Crenshaw.

The Thieves: G. Owen: guitar, vocals / B. Weilburg: guitar / K. Looney: bass / J. Finlin: drums, percussion, vocals + T. Crow: keyboards.

Singer/songwriter Gwil Owen of the Thieves had one foot in rock & roll and the other in the honky tonk sound of his adopted Nashville hometown long before such a blending of genres was codified as "alternative country." The Thieves' debut album pairs Owen's Midwestern drawl and literary lyrics with guitarist Bart Weilburg's six-string prowess and a dynamic rhythm section composed of drummer Jeff Finlin and bass player Kelley Looney, on loan to the Thieves from Steve Earle's touring band. Produced with a deft hand by Marshall Crenshaw in his debut behind the control board, Seduced By Money successfully mixes beefy roots rock with power pop and country twang. The tension between the bandmembers' rock & roll leanings and their countrypolitan upbringings created a unique sound that was easily a decade ahead of its time. "When I Wake With Someone New" is heavily influenced by Crenshaw's style of intelligent pop, while "Everything But My Heart" mixes Keith Richards-inspired guitar riffs with delicate harmonies in a tale of consumerism run amok. The country undercurrent of "From a Motel 6" foreshadows Owen's future as the king of the truck-stop jukebox, and "Black Lipstick" shows a bristling punk attitude beneath its hard rock exterior. The title cut of Seduced By Money stands out as the album's masterpiece, however, Owen's anti-greed lyrics driven by Finlin's big drumbeat, Weilburg's guitar spewing feedback and spitting fire. The Thieves would shake up their roster after this critically acclaimed debut, emerging as Gwil Owen & the Thieves and shopping a Gary Tallent-produced demo around to the industry with little or no luck. As such, Seduced By Money stands as the Thieves' legacy, and as rock & roll legacies go, it ain't half-bad.

Rev. Keith A. Gordon-Allmusic.com

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THE SHIFTERS - Lazy & Some Kind Of Crazy

THE SHIFTERS Lazy & Some Kind Of Crazy lp 1989
I Give Me Love To The Moon / Too Hard / What Can I Do / Addict To Love / Me And The Boat / Don't Be Walking Around Me / I Can Fly / Give Me More / Queen Of Excitation / Addict To Love (part II) / The Real Thing / I Wanna Love You / Turn My Head.
Produced by Ali Robber & The 40 Babas.
The Shifters: Zara (Z. Boukortt): vocal, guitar, bass / J. Estèbe: guitar / Lonely One ( A. Perrier): bass / T. Molinier: drums + C. Bachelos: slide guitar / Greg: harp / Saby: piano.
Les Shifters, groupe toulousain enregistrent leur premier single, "Coming Too fast", sur le label havrais Teenage Records (en fait une sous-division de Closer) en 1987. Produit par Dick Taylor, guitariste des Pretty Things, ce ep 3 titres à la pochette signée HLM (?) illustrant parfaitement la chanson"Coming Too Fast", propose un rock teinté de powerpop. Le groupe est alors formé du guitariste Jérome Estèbe ( ex Boom Boom Desperados (rock, british Beat), Action Shakers (pub rock), Lovers), du bassiste chanteur Zahardin Boukortt dit Zara (ex Taxmen) et du batteur Alain Bardin. Cette formation en trio enregistrera la même année, un autre simple, "Close My Eyes" toujours sur Teenage Records et produit cette fois par Kid Pharaon.Puis en 1989, sort le lp "Lazy & Some kind Of Crazy" . Le groupe a intégré le bassiste de Kid Pharaon, Alain Perrier alias The Lonely One ainsi que le batteur des Boy-Scouts, Thierry Molinier. Il en résulte un album matiné de powerpop où certains décèlent même l'influence des Plimsouls ! Un dernier single avec en face b l'inédit "International Playboys, sera extrait de "Lazy & Some kind Of Crazy".
Malgré cet excellent album, les Shifters se séparent un an après, en mars 1990. Après avoir formé les Mega Reefer Scratch, Zara sortira en 1996 un très bon album solo, "Home Again" sur le label Vicious Circle.
A noter pour les complètistes qu'on déniche deux autres morceaux des Shifters, non sortis sur les simples et sur l'album. "Someone To Talk To" se trouve sur la compilation Closer "Eyes On You" sortie en 1987 et "Good Time" sur le ep "Fruit Again" qui accompagnait le fanzine " Le Légume du Jour" édité en 1989.
The Shifters were a french powerpop band, from Toulouse.They have recorded three singles and one lp between 1985 and 1990.Their music was a mix of powerpop and rock . Their main influence was the Plimsouls . Try it & you won't be disapointed by "Lazy & Some kind Of Crazy".
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