The Magick Heads- Before We Go Under (Flying Nun, 1995)

In celebration of their imminent Portland tour-date (@ Holocene, 10/5), here's another side-project from some founding member(s) of The Clean- This time, its Robert Scott. The Magick Heads sound like folk-rock out of the Paisley Underground, with female-led vox from Jane Sinnott. The title track was apparently written and released in 1993 as an indie pop single on Teenbeat for Barbara Manning. Must admit, I'm a bit fonder of the MH vibe than that of the actual songs. (Perhaps unrelated, but I feel the same way about L.A.'s Rain Parade. )*Anyhow, I'm fairly sure this rip has a higher bit-rate than the one previously available at Kiwi Tapes.

"Dunedin, New Zealand folk-pop group the Magick Heads was led by singer Jane Sinnott and guitarist Robert Scott, the latter the onetime bassist for the seminal Clean as well as the frontman for his own longstanding unit the Bats. 3D's guitarist David Mitchell played drums in the original Magick Heads lineup, which formed in 1991; other players floated in and out of the group's ranks, with Sinnott and Scott joined by drummer Jim Strang for their 1994 Flying Nun debut Before We Go Under." (Allmusic)




Mediafire Download Link: The Magick Heads- Before We Go Under

1 Standing at the Edge 3:00
2 Sweet Angel 3:08
3 42 Degrees 2:54
4 Two Different Things 2:09
5 Seventh Sense 2:16
6 Hear From You 2:42
7 Before We Go Under 2:54
8 New Floor 2:46
9 Twilight 2:19
10 Light of the Night 2:33
11 Gotta Go Home 2:19
12 The Beast of Bodmin Moor 3:13
13 Good Books 1:45

The Great Unwashed- Collection (Flying Nun)

In the wake of the 1982 breakup of the legendary Clean, brothers David and Hamish Kilgour continued writing songs together; adopting the tongue-in-cheek name Great Unwashed, they released the 1983 LP Clean Out of Our Minds, a collection of primitive home recordings with a slightly experimental bent. The record was well received by steadfast Clean fans, and with bassist Peter Gutteridge in tow, the Kilgour brothers played a handful of live dates. A five-track double single subsequently appeared, and in mid-1984 the Great Unwashed swelled to a quartet with the addition of Ross Humphries; however, by the end of the year, the group disbanded. (Last.fm)

So, I'd posted Clean Out Of Their Minds a few months back, but this one has it all. A newly aquired 250-ish VBR rip. Can't wait to see The Clean next week at Holocene, on their very short US tour. Already bought the ticket. You can prolly expect at least one other Flying Nun record to go up here in the next week, 'cause somebody's excited!



Mediafire Download Link: The Great Unwashed- Collection (Flying Nun)

1. Hello Is Ray There ?
2. Meanwhile
3. Small Girl
4. Thru The Trees
5. Yesterday Was
6. Toadstool Blues
7. What U Should Be Now
8. It's A Day
9. Hold Onto The Rail
10. What You're Thinkin Now
11. Obscurity Blues
12. Quickstep
13. What Happened Ray?
14. Duane Eddy
15. Neck Of The Woods
16. Can't Find Water
17. Born In The Wrong Time
18. Boat With No Ocean

(V/A) Tuatara – A Flying Nun Compilation (Strange Weekend, 1985)

"The Dunedin Sound was first showcased overseas on the 1985 compilation album Tuatara...It featured, among others, The Clean, the Verlaines, The Chills, Tall Dwarfs, Sneaky Feelings and The Bats. It made it to America on import and began to wend its way around the country via college radio, fanzines and word of mouth.

Says Nils Bernstein:

"You know how they say about the first Velvet Underground album - it sold terribly, but everyone who bought a copy started a band. It's kind of like that with the Tuatara comp."(Source)

I just love classic Flying Nun. Big thanks to my buddy Adam P. for floating this record my way. 320 vinyl rip by yours truly.



Mediafire Download Link: (V/A) Tuatara – A Flying Nun Compilation (Strange Weekend, 1985)

FN045

1. "Fish" – The Clean (2:26)
2. "Coalminer's Song" – The Gordons (5:57)
3. "State to Be in" – Fetus Productions (2:40)
4. "Death And the Maiden" – The Verlaines (4:34)
5. "Looking For the Sun" – Children's Hour (6:06)
6. "Isol" – Marie and the Atom (5:32)
7. "Pink Frost" – The Chills (4:03)
8. "Throwing Stones" – Sneaky Feelings (4:40)
9. "Neck of the Woods" – The Great Unwashed (2:07)
10. "I Go Wild" – The Bats (2:44)
11. "Man With No Desire" – The Expendables (5:15)
12. "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" – Tall Dwarfs

The Great Unwashed- Clean Out of Our Minds (Flying Nun, 1983)

Clean Out of Our Minds is a lo-fi experimental side-project from Hamish & David Kilgour of The Clean. Released on Flying Nun in 1983.

Mediafire Download Link: The Great Unwashed- Clean Out of Our Minds (1983)

1 Hello Is Ray There?
2 Meanwhile
3 Small Girl
4 Thru' The Trees
5 Yesterday Was
6 Toadstool Blues
7 What You Should Be Now
8 It's A Day
9 Hold On To The Rail
10 What You're Thinking Now
11 Obscurity Blues
12 Quickstep
13 What Happened Ray?

The Chills- Kaleidoscope World

Kaleidoscope World is an essential collection of early singles and EPs from New Zealand indie staples, The Chills. Flying Nun is really where its at as far as catchy, sardonic low-budget rock & roll went in the mid 80s. I just can't get enough of the stuff.
"Pink Frost"

"Doledrums"

Mediafire Download Link: The Chills- Kaleidoscope World

1. Kaleidoscope World
2. Satin Doll
3. Frantic Drift
4. Rolling Moon
5. Bite
6. Flame Thrower
7. Pink Frost
8. Purple Girl
9. This Is the Way
10. Never Never Go
11. Don't Even Know Her Name
12. Bee Bah Bee Bah Bee Boe
13. Whole Weird World
14. Dream by Dream
15. Doledrums
16. Hidden Bay
17. I Love My Leather Jacket
18. Great Escape

Sittin' Pretty and The Bats

Here are some sweet late 8o's Indie classics. Sittin' Pretty by The Pastels is the first and probably best album from those Scottish cult mainstays, The Pastels. Think The Vaselines, but maybe even a little better. Then we have Daddy's Highway by The Bats- vintage New Zealand "Kiwi" pop. You say you like The Clean and you're not from down-under? Well, chances are you need to dial in to The Bats, my friend. They are basically just Kilgour and Co's harmonizing jangle-pop cousins. Though The Pastels and The Bats hailed from different corners, I'd say their early albums share a sort of common energy. Both records seem like they could've been made by stepkids of the Velvet Underground, each laying down a sort of ragtag outsider pop right smack in the midst of the tired and unfortunate excesses of the late-80s. Its not like they were the only ones riding that train at the time, but these albums have qualities that just stand-out as similar. I bet that back then, emulating the Velvets probably still felt irreverent to all involved. I had a great time humming along to these records while I was cleaning our basement a few weeks back. And that's why I've paired them together for this post. Enjoy.
The Pastels- "Nothing To Be Done"
The Bats- "Made Up In Blue"
Mediafire download links:
The Pastels- Sittin' Pretty (refreshed 2/2/10)
The Bats- Daddy's Highway (refreshed 2/2/10)