Lethal Poor - Trancefloor

This is the first of several posts that will feature just a single rather than a full album (because I have a bunch of singles that I've put off listening to while I've been ripping albums). In most cases the bands I'll be posting never did release a full album, or if they did they didn't include the single in question. While the next posts will be short on quantity, I have some very high-quality rips lined up.

The first is the sole recording by UK band Lethal Poor, from 1985. The two tracks, "Trancefloor" and "Honour", are both in the "gothic funk" style I love so much. Fans of 23 Skidoo, 400 Blows, A Certain Ratio, or The Men should find this right up their alley. The song credits are to "North, Winter, Musker", and I have ascertained that Musker is keyboardist David Musker (now a patent agent), but I don't know who North and Winter are. Please leave a note in the comments section if you know more. Regardless of their identity, this is one ill slab of vinyl; get the rip here or here.

Richard Toro and John Orsi - Music for Bass and Drumset

This may be the most obscure album I've put up so far: a 1985 live-in-the-studio set by Boston musicians Richard Toro (bass) and John Orsi (drumset), released on Lilith Records. From the press release:

Richard Toro and John Orsi have seen service together in two Providence quartets: 'Tightrope' and 'The Parents'. From there, Richard went onto co-charter the adventurous 'Ante M' who recorded an excellent cassette sampler for Lilith before disbanding last year.

John Orsi, upon relocating to Boston, teamed up with Ann Arbor's 'It Play' who had also recently switched locales. John took leave of absence after eighteen months to develop this lp with Richard and to begin recording his first solo disc. John maintains an active catalog of solo releases on the Lilith label which have garnered him critical acclaim from both print and radio media. The double single 'Can You Draw Attention' is widely considered his finest effort to date.

I really liked Orsi's "Noisy Data" single, but I haven't heard it in over twenty years; if you have it, would you kindly rip it and send it along? Music for Bass and Drumset should not be mistaken for improvisatory noodling, as there are definite song structures in place, with progressions and dynamics that were obviously thought out beforehand. It's rare for bass and drums to take center stage, and Toro and Orsi take advantage of the setup to present a surprising range of styles and textures. Don't worry, there are some funky beats lurking within the album's nine tracks. Get the vinly rip here or here.