The Great Unraveling

I used to love this single. I had to purchase it again because it must have gotten purged at some point - I am currently regretting that I ever sold off any of my records. What was I thinking?

When you work at a record store sometimes it is easier to trade records than to buy new ones, especially if you don't have a ton of loot.

I am happy to say that I still love this single.

I saw The Great Unraveling at Gilman and they were fantastic. I even still have the flyer from the show. Occasionally I will get misty eyed when I go through my punk rock archive.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by The Great Unraveling.

Space Travel b/w Left With Only Out (Vermiform)
1. Space Travel
2. Left With Only Out

Carpet

Carpet featured a young Luke Jenner, before even The Calculators (and many years before The Rapture).

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Carpet.

Carpet/GoGoGo (Wheat)
1. Spaced
2. Kittens Of Deth, Requiem 7/The Intergalactic O.D.E. To Spandex Ass

Ned Kelly

One night I found myself hanging out with Steve Chamberlain, among others. I believe we were unfortunate enough to see a band called Cameltoe at the El Rio.

I had been encouraged to park at the Safeway whilst we were at the bar. This was the first and last time I ever did that, as when we returned I found that my car was no longer there. It had been towed.

Steve lived nearby and had a scooter so he offered to give me a ride to pick up my car. It was cold outside so he lent me a coat.

All these years later I still have that coat! I think he moved to Texas or something and I never saw him again.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Ned Kelly.

Starter b/w Landfill (Unsound/Allied)
1. Starter
2. Landfill

Soiled Mattress And The Springs

I have to admit that after The Bad Form I did not expect to see Avi playing drums in this particular sort of combo.

I arrived early at a show at Cakeshop to discover that I had missed the first band, which at the time I didn't realize Avi was in. He gave me this CD and I told him that I looked forward to listening to it and regretted not seeing them.

I have seen them several times since then. Always enjoyable.

I saw Avi recently and he was giving me a hard time about something but I can't remember what now. We both seemed to find it very amusing, whatever it was.

These songs might have names but I don't know what they are. Do you?

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, the demo by Soiled Mattress And The Springs.

Demo (Self)
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

Alphabet Of Daggers

Alphabet Of Daggers stayed at my house once in the mid to late 90s, after playing at Gilman.

I think some meathead straight edge band played that night and threatened people with violence because that is in their nature.

I think 3 bands stayed at my house that night, much to the dismay of my roommate who was supposed to be out of town but came home early.

Scott Ralston was discovered on the couch playing guitar when I informed him that approximately 10 humans would be staying at our house.

He took it relatively well, considering.

This record is great but I doubt many people ever heard it. Now is your chance, apparently.

Get it while it's hot!

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Alphabet Of Daggers.

Volatile! This (Red Alert Works)
1. This Is The Start Ass-Kicking Now
2. Big Surprise
3. Royal We
4. What Makes Volatile
5. Get This

Painkillers

I purchased this record off eBay many years ago because it features Frances from The Vaselines.

I think this is the first time I ever listened to it.

Now you can too!

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Painkillers.

Tropical Zodiac (Human Condition)
1. Tropical Zodiac
2. Doin' The Same
3. Five Signs

Chinchilla

I am pretty sure that I saw them open for Jawbreaker, but events that occurred well over a decade ago are getting fuzzier as the years go by.

I purchased this record from them that evening, or whatever night it was that I saw them.

I later sold that record.

I later picked up another copy for old times sake.

This is that copy.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Chinchilla.

Batman b/w Cyberella (Goldenrod)
1. Batman
2. Cyberella

Thanksgiving

I think Adrian was 16 or 17 when I met him. He stayed with Todd for a week or two once, and we had fun trying to sneak him into bars.

How old is he now? 22? How many records does he have out? When I was 22 I had one record out, and it came out when I was 18. The kid is prolific.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Thanksgiving.

The Lake At Night b/w The "In The Lake" (Marriage)
1. The Lake At Night
2. The "In The Lake"

Flipper

A perfect record.

Perfect.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Flipper.

Sex Bomb b/w Brainwash (Subterranean)
1. Sex Bomb
2. Brainwash

The Stigmatics

I saw this record around when it came out but never picked one up.

Some years later I saw it again and realized that in the meantime I had become friends with the drummer. Thus, I purchased it.

Now I am sharing it with you.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by The Stigmatics.

The Stigmatics EP (Brickthrower/Dischord)
1. Homesickness
2. Brickthrower
3. Oblivion

Echo And The Bunnymen

Echo And The Bunnymen are one of those bands that I always felt like I should be more into. I do enjoy Crocodiles but I can't remember the last time I listened to it.

I can't remember if this record is rare or not but I felt like listening to it and that is really all that matters.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Echo And The Bunnymen.

The Pictures On My Wall b/w Read It In Books (Zoo)
1. The Pictures On My Wall
2. Read It In Books

Tomorrow's Friend

I met Alessandra what seems like many years ago. It may or may not have been outside of Tonic.

For what seems like a short time they were really awesome. They were ok, then they were great, then they were ok again. I'm not sure how that happens to bands, but it isn't the first time I've seen it either.

This single is quite catchy, if you like that sort of thing.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Tomorrow's Friend.

Area 51 b/w Banging Everything In Sight (in8Skills)
1. Area 51
2. Banging Everything In Sight

The Whip

This was the fucking dream team here.

I never met Scott but I miss him anyway.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, the lone single by The Whip.

Freelance Liaison b/w Sheep & Goat Judgement (Wantage)
1. Freelance Liaison
2. Sheep & Goat Judgement

Television Personalities

"Part Time Punks" is one of the best songs you will hear today, or probably even this week. I would advise listening to it repeatedly.

I wish I knew where Syd Barrett lives. I could listen to "Jugband Blues" all day.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, two singles by Television Personalities.

Where's Bill Grundy Now? (Kings Road)
1. Part Time Punks
2. Where's Bill Grundy Now?
3. Happy Families
4. Posing At The Roundhouse


















I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives b/w Arthur The Gardener (Rough Trade)
1. I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives
2. Arthur The Gardener

Lava

I recently picked this up in Auckland of all places. I don't know why I never got it before.

I feel like I've been doing that a lot lately.

Tonie Joy played in a lot of good bands.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Lava.

Lava EP (Gravity)
1. 101
2. God
3. Newsprint
4. Voodoo

The Raincoats

I think the first Raincoats record I got was a later one, and I didn't quite get what all the fuss was about. It was okay, but not amazing.

Then I found this record and suddenly I got it.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by The Raincoats.

Fairytale In The Supermarket (Rough Trade)
1. Fairytale In The Supermarket
2. In Love
3. Adventures Close To Home

Cotillion

I found myself at Amoeba in Los Angeles flipping through records a few years ago. I passed by this one, and something made me stop and look at it again, I'm not sure what. Then I noticed that my friend Jerry Fuchs was the drummer of this band that I had never heard of!

Jerry looks really good with a moustache. He also can occasionally not look super silly in a visor, but even he has his limits.

I was watching Conan O'Brien recently and happened to catch him playing drums for Moby. What a way to make a living!

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Cotillion.

Cotillion EP (Turnbuckle)
1. Das Knaben Wunderhorn
2. The Buildup
3. Sabotage
4. F.N.

The Halo Benders

I never had the pleasure of seeing The Halo Benders. Did they play many shows? Did they play outside the Pacific Northwest? I have no idea.

I was at a party once that Calvin was DJing in Olympia. I was also staying at his house, so it didn't make any sense to me that he would continue playing dub records until 4am even though I was the only one in the basement, and I was there because I was getting a ride with him.

We had cheese sandwiches when we got back to his house. If you know me at all then you know that I love cheese sandwiches. I would like to be eating one right now, in fact.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by The Halo Benders.

Canned Oxygen (Atlas)
1. Canned Oxygen
2. It's Not Me
3. Version

Blackjackaction

The A side really is the hit.

The Angel Assassins played with Blackjackaction, and they were great. For some reason we did really well in Santa Rosa.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Blackjackaction.

A Bullet North b/w The Exciting Conclusion Of Our Episode (Hansen Grey)
1. A Bullet North
2. The Exciting Conclusion Of Our Episode

The Hold Steady

I will just start this off by saying that I love The Hold Steady. I would marry them if I could (there are several reasons why I can't that I won't get into here).

The first time I flew to New Zealand was quite an ordeal. I had a six hour flight to Los Angeles, then a six hour layover, then a twelve hour flight to Auckland. Add another hour for immigration and two for getting to and around JFK, that is about 27 hours in total.

That entire time was spent listening to a dubbed cassette with Almost Killed Me on side A and Separation Sunday on side B.

Actually, I popped an Ambien so you can subtract 8 hours from that total because I was sleeping.

I ran into Craig at Beauty Bar a while back and tried to drunkenly tell him that story, but I don't know how well I got my point across. That was during my brief period of embarrassingly gushing to people about their bands. I try not to so much anymore.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by The Hold Steady.

Milkcrate Mosh b/w Hey Hey What Can I Do (Empirical)
1. Milkcrate Mosh
2. Hey Hey What Can I Do

Petty Crime

I have vaguely known Pete Rojas for many years. We lived in the Bay Area at the same time and seemed to know of each other without every having met.

I finally met him when George visited New York after we both moved here. He seemed very nice. I believe we had burritos along with George's other hooligan friends that I only see when he is in town. They probably think I am George's hooligan friend, so I suppose that is fair.

A few years later I opened a magazine and saw his smiling face as a young person to watch due to his blog, Engadget.

I met Layla as well when she was residing in New York but haven't seen her in some years. I have a memory of riding somewhere in the bed of a pickup truck with her and Melissa Ip but the exact circumstances are currently lost to me.

Ironically I just purchased this record a few months ago. I used to buy every record on Slampt I came across and I don't know how this one evaded me for so long.

This record is really good.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Petty Crime.

Petty Crime EP (Slampt)
1. Forfeit Intent
2. Mathematics
3. Lacklustre
4. Bad Astrology
5. Closed Eyes

Sean Tillman

The A side of this single was available online for years before the single actually came out.

I stumbled over a copy at Kim's one day and purchased it as I had listened to that (presumably low bit rate) mp3 many times.

The B side is a Boyz II Men cover, believe it or not. The label refers to it being the "worst single ever".

I disagree. I've heard much, much worse.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Sean Tillman.

Is A Fucking Star (Troubleman Unlimited)
1. Sean Tillman Is A Fucking Star
2. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday

The Factory Press

Isaac played in a band with my friend Jasmine called The Stars Of The Silent Screen. They played exactly one show, at Luna Lounge.

That one show was pretty good, however. I purchased this record a few years later and promtly forgot about it. I will admit that I heard it for the first time the other day.

The last song is a lock groove. I have been dealing with lock grooves by fading out the end rather than cutting off suddenly or let it go on for hours (the files would be too big).

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by The Factory Press.

Foundation (ND)
1. Revolver
2. Intravenous
3. Motoride

Sam McPheeters

I got to see Sam McPheeters do this speech once at Gilman. It was amazing.

I cracked up repeatedly upon listening to this record. I believe it was the first time I had ever heard it because recently, in the course of building a better blog, I acquired a manual turntable.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, one side of Sam McPheeters.

Sam McPheeters/The Catholic Church (Vermiform)
1. As Patrick Henry

Luxo Champ

Luxo Champ was The Rondelles backing up some dude. I love The Rondelles, so I purchased this compact disc from Sound & Fury many moons ago.

I think you will enjoy it. I do, anyway.

Ladies, and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, the Luxo Champ CD.

Luxo Champ (The Super 8)
1. A + B
2. Science Bastard
3. El Mathematico
4. Spacerobotsactionfun!
5. Block Mover
6. Monkeytime!

The Bad Form

The Bad Form were awesome. Avi was an amazing front man. I saw them several times, including one time at a basement in New Brunswick, NJ. You know, their home turf. I was far and away one of the oldest people there at the ripe old age of 23.

I was chatting with my friend Vito recently and we discussed how much we love this band. I still have some of their old flyers in my punk rock archive. There were a few years where I used to save show flyers, which were much more ubiquitous then.

I think they had a live cassette as well that I never managed to track down a copy of.

I hope you enjoy these records as much as I do.

Ladies and gentlemen for your listening pleasure, two singles by The Bad Form.

The Bad Form EP (Mad At The World)
1. Lights Out
2. Dying In A Dead Forest
3. Safe As Cancer
4. Kill The Clock
5. Dance For The Devil

















No More Neo No Wave It's The Bad Form (Youth Attack)
1. Bleeding Fool
2. No Dinner
3. It's Gonna Rain
4. Sell Yourself

Pee

I loved Pee from the first time I saw them. I would go to pretty much every show I could after that. I saw them play all over San Francisco, I am happy to say.

Their most amusing show was Pee, J Church, and A Minor Forest, when Andee was playing drums for all 3 of those bands.

I went on a date once to see Pee at The Chameleon. I used a fake ID to get in as I was underage.

They tried to change their name to Miracle Research Center staff so they wouldn't be named after bodily waste anymore, but it didn't stick. They did end up naming a single that, however.

As far as I know, barring compilations, this is their entire discography.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, several records by Pee.

Jonah & The Whale b/w Transplant City (Bingo)
1. Jonah & The Whale
2. Transplant City




















Salt Garden (Double Play)
1. Salt Garden
2. See Photo
3. Icarus The Flat-Footed Pond Bird



















Little El Pee (March)
1. Egghead Billy
2. Turn Key One




















Now! More Charm & More Tender (March)
1. Arch Enemies
2. I Hate All Vegetables
3. IHOP
4. Copacetic
5. Home
6. Treeeeed
7. Stratford Landing
8. Helado
9. Bruce Hearts Big Star
10. Metallica
11. See Photo
12. Plankton
13. Andee Wants To Impregnate Me With One Half Of Uncle Tupelo
14. Jose Pelota
15. Bubulubu
16. San Salvador
17. Fight Song (The)
18. John's Heart Soared
19. Kelso



Miracle Research Center Staff (Honey Bear)
1. Mexico
2. Making Soccer History
3. Wyatt On The Spiral Stairs
4. (Inspired By) Funny Computer


















The Roaring Mechanism (Absolutely Kosher)
1. I Can't Wait 'Til I Get Rickets
2. Erik Owns A Home
3. The Rewards Of Gourmet Dining
4. Charm Offensive
5. The Misguided Self-Punishers
6. Yell If I Miss Mortis
7. Track Sixty-Six
8. Ely Anchors
9. Carmen's Theme
10. Ed Is Fifty

LLP

My friends were in a band that was going to play their first show and Keith was feeling a little uneasy about singing and playing guitar, so they asked me to come try singing with them. We all liked it, so I took a practice tape and wrote words to their 4 songs in preparation for our first show a week later. We made up some shirts (mine finally disintegrated recently, unfortunately) and the band was christened "The Dimlocator" after The Birthday Party song.

We played an apartment in the mission with LLP, from Olympia. The drummer Danny I had seen previously in Mocket. He had a strange drum setup with the high hat in the middle but it made sense. I recently ran into Danny in London. We were surprised to see each other backstage and discover that my band was opening for Jackie-O-Motherfucker, who he was playing with at the time.

Please note that the misspellings are all their own. I would add (sic) but I think it would confuse matters even more. Just don't blame me, that's all.

There were some audio snippets at the end of the tape that I included for the sake of completeness. You can decide if they were intentional or not as I do not actually know.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a cassette by LLP.

1. Engine Steam
2. The Maze
3. Capaciter
4. Backblackroom
5. Lemming Life
6. Immune Deficiant
7. Pour The Bottle
8. 14V
9. Untitled
10. Untitled

Beauty Pageant

I have been friends with Bobby for many years now, and one time in passing he mentioned that he was in a band called Beauty Pageant at one point.

One day I was record shopping in Philadelphia (during my very brief and ill advised stint residing there) and I discovered this record for 99 cents!

I really like it! I've listened to it on a number of occasions over the few years that I have owned it.

Bobby told me he was trying to look as fat as possible in the cover picture.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a single by Beauty Pageant.

Great Times! EP (MOC)
1. No Seasons
2. (On The Topic Of) Dinosaurs
3. Better Than Anyone Else
4. On Sentimental Glue
5. Pop, Pop
6. Great Times
7. Sad Discoverer

Golden Axe

The first time I went to New Zealand we had to turn down a show as I was out of town. I suggested that we try to play it anyway, with me appearing via satellite. I tracked down a broadband connection and a computer and camera equipment (no small feat in Wellington a few years ago) but there was some failure on Brooklyn end to provide a projector or the internet. Incidentally, the people who helped us out lived in a beautiful house that apparently had priceless works of New Zealand art on the walls (I was informed of this by Chris Cudby, who had apparently studied some of them in school). The two women who hosted us that day were incredibly friendly to a bunch of friends of friends (read: strangers) and I still thank them for that!

I did manage to get a video chat going with my friend Matt Owens, however. Golden Axe had also set up, as we figured people in Brooklyn would like to see a New Zealand band appearing live via satellite as well. Matt was in his office with a handful of other people, who all gathered round his computer to watch them play a few songs for a total of seven people on two continents.

Hypercolours also featured a video on the disc which I included, for you.

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, 2 CDs by New Zealand's own Golden Axe.

Hypercolours EP (Self)
1. Hypercolours
2. Stone In My Shoe
3. No Days Off
4. Social Situations
5. Neon Palm Tree
6. Micro-Dracula
7. Andrews Vs. Andrews
8. Last Advanced Cast Glass Class
9. First Song
10. Apes Now! (Return Of The Rape Apes)
11. Watery Wisdom
12. Machines That Look Like People?
13. Death Shave
14. Permanent Werewolf
15. Time Ran Away
16. Midstream
17. SSSSSS Sports Techno
18. Fantasy Tan
19. Hanging Out
20. Tane Mahuta
21. V. The R.
22. Give Me Some

Yum EP (Self)
1. Tree Huts
2. Books
3. Memphis Creep
4. Zazz
5. Two Keyboards
6. John Douglas
7. G.O.L.D.E.N.A.X.E.
8. Romantic Moments
9. Instruments
10. Waverave
11. Canary Rap

Necking

I met Jason Baker for the second time when I was bartending and some dude walked up to me and asked if I used to work at Epicenter. He told me that I was probably better friends with his brother, Josh Baker. I instantly recognized him as the sort of quiet dude I would see around occasionally.

Jason and Nick Lesley comprised Necking in this era, and they played some great shows. I even booked them myself twice (once at the Prospect Park barbecue, and again at Tommy's Tavern with Love Of Diagrams).

Jason married a foreigner, but he moved to Sweden for her and quit the band.

Nick soldiered on, with Dong joining, then Rop, then Daniel (and don't forget Anup, who plays with them occasionally).

This is 3 years old now, how time flies!

Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure, a CDr by Necking.

We Accept Party (Self)
1. Love Life Of The Octopus
2. Bugs Humping
3. Seriously, Warchild!
4. Emergency Pants
5. Taaappa' Taaappa' Taaapa'
6. That Rick Moranis, He's So Hot Right Now.
7. Don't Kill Anything I Can't Wear.
8. Two Dudes!
9. Aaaand Knitting . . . Aaaaa'nd Knitting . . . Aaaaaaa'nd Knitting!
10. It's Just Music, It's Not, You Know Boobs.
11. Dog Eggs
12. Ribs Tacos
13. Making Out With Chicks