ESHAM

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When Esham A. Smith was just a 13 year old kid in Detroit, he made the dark, violent rap album Boomin' Words from Hell. It's a solid record, and it's primitive low budget recording adds to it's charm. The real draw here though is Esham's dark lyrics and the flagrant use of vocal samples from popular gangsta rap songs of the era. Red Rum could be the blueprint for future horrorcore groups to follow such as ICP and Flatlinerz. He would much later briefly sign with the former's label.

Make sure you check out Esham's third record, KKKill the Fetus: "It's just another embryo, attached to an umbilical; You can let that baby grow, but I'd kill it though; kill the fetus ". Fuck yes.

Some old wicket shit!!!

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The Nils

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I admit to being a Men Without Hats fan, but the greatest thing that band ever did was giving the Nils money to record their first EP.
The Nils started when brothers Alex and Carlo Soria were young kids in Montreal (Alex being only 12). They didn't release much during the years they were active and recording (though they started in the late '70s and reunited in the '90s, their recorded output was 1982-1987), but what they did is essential for fans of power pop, early Minnesota bands like the Replacements and Hüsker Dü, or anything played with heart really.
Unfortunately Alex committed suicide in 2004 when he was 39 years old. If you like this comp of early Nils recordings ("Call of the Wild", the "Now" demo, "Sell Out Young" and "Paisley") check out their LP, Alex's post-Nils band Chino and his solo record.

Wishes

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The Obsessed

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"The Church Within" marked The Obsessed's major label debut, and unlike seemingly EVERY other band to get on a major label during the 90s, the lineup of Wino, Greg and Guy put out the band's best material. Sadly it was their last.
The origins of The Obsessed lie with their band Warhorse (before they changed their name) way back in 1976 (yep, only a year after Motorhead started —where's the Wino documentary?). Well, as we all know, Wino joined St. Vitus after the departure of Scott Reagers, and The Obsessed broke up. After Wino left Vitus, they reformed, released some old stuff, and recorded a new record (featuring ex Across the River and future Kyuss bass player Scott Reeder) called "Lunar Womb". Dig that one up too.
It's hazy but I kinda of remember that they were set to tour Europe —with the Melvins maybe? — and their record label pulled the plug due to poor sales. Anything THIS good that doesn't sell makes me lose faith in humanity.
In anycase, the band went on to form Goatsnake and Sunn O))) with Wino forming several new bands and rejoining Vitus.

Torn In Half Like A Dollar Bill

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The Rockin' Vickers

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Probably most famous as being Lemmy's first band, the Rockin' Vickers were in their own right one of the best early British bands outside of the Pretty Things, the Who, and the Kinks. Alright and the early Beatles stuff too. Check out the solo on Townsand's pre "The Kids Are Alright" song, "It's Alright" with Lemmy trying to outdo Dave Davies solo on "You Really Got Me". Unfortunately the group disbanded before writing more than a couple original tunes. Instead of rambling on about the CD, I'll tell about the only time I met Lemmy.
It was at an Evil Angel porn party in Vegas during the AVN awards. Too $hort was the stage attraction and I was kinda drunk when Lemmy came walking up straight toward me. Instead of ignoring him like I should have done, I had enough liquid courage to actually bother the guy - however not being too drunk to know not to ramble and seriously interrupt his search for poon.
"You were wrong in your biography", I said. "I like "Kiss of Death" just as much as your old stuff". He smiled and said thanks. I then asked "When is the Rockin' Vickers stuff going to be reissued"? (I think it prolly was in print as an import looking through google, but I had been looking for it since my bootleg tape vanished and couldn't find it on CD). He then sort of chuckled and said something like "those guys something something something and laughed". Yeah, Lemmy is kind of hard to understand in a noisy Too $hort porn party. I said thanks and goodbye or something and left him alone.
Later he came up next to me at the bar and I offered to buy him a drink (does anyone charge Lemmy for drinks anyway?) he said thanks, but he had one. He stayed there and started talking to a stripper / porn star type. After 10 minutes she asks him: "What band are you in again?" "Motorhead, luv" he said.

Shake, Rattle & Roll

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Mahavishnu Orchestra

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Well, with Greg Ginn coming to the bay area soon, and my buddy and bandmate Nick asking me to co-DJ some tunes at the show, I thought I'd post what supposedly influenced Greg to get more experimental with Black Flag (for better or worse): Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Birds of Fire".
The Mahavishnu Orchestra was formed by John McLaughlin, guitar player for the Miles Davis Band who had played on the classics Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way. Birds of Fire is actually MO's second LP; their first release was the equally great The Inner Mounting Flame with the face melting track "The Dance of Maya". Check it out if you like this one. After Birds of Fire, John McLaughlin continued to play for Davis and release Mahavishnu Orchestra reocrds with different line ups. Call it prog, rock, call it jazz fusion or just jazz this is a great record that should appeal to most anyone who digs Focus, Goblin, Eloy, Miles Davis, ELP, and even Black Flag.
If you're hearing it for the first time, find out why (according to Wikipedia) Jeff Beck calls McLaughlin "the best guitarist alive".

Unlike most of this blog, copies are easily found for cheap online with used copies as low as $3.60 ― so if you like it buy it!

Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love

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David Bixby

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Ode To Quetzalcoatl (which might be the best name for a record in the history of music) was originaly pressed on vinyl with a run of only 1,000 copies. David Bixby had recently "found God", but the drug addled folk singer was shunned by the conservative christians as well as the hippies (if only he'd wandered on to the set of Godspell). Eventually finding himself accepted by a cult, Bixby was asked to record this record to help fund them. Eventually he was disillusioned with the cult and managed to get out.

This is a deepy personal recording and there's a real eerie quality about it...plus you get awesome song titles like "Drug Song" and "666".

Q

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Saint Vitus

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Sad news yesterday that original Saint Vitus drummer Armando Acosta passed away at 58 years young. As a guitar player, I never pay a whole lot of attention to the drums of a band but I do notice when they are especially amazing (Mountain's Corky Laing and Melvin's Dale Crover come to mind). Armando Acosta was also that kind of drummer.

I didn't hear Saint Vitus 'till the end of 1986 when I got SST's great comp tape "Blasting Concept 2". For me, the stand-out track was Saint Vitus's "Look Behind You". In fact Dave Chandler's Wah pedal sound on that (especially the awesome audible clicking off of the pedal) is what made me buy a wah pedal of my own. I've never forgotten how to play that song and can't help but play it every time I hook up the crybaby.

This early 12" EP is on the CD reissue of Hallow's Victim, which is amazing and since I think all their stuff is finally in print again, you might as well skip the download and head straight to their store. Oh wait, you already own this I bet...

War is our Destiny

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