Noir City

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So maybe you're wondering what the severed penis scene in Street Trash has to do with film noir. Well, some time in 10th grade my mom walked in while I was watching that scene and in a moment of punishment-genius declared that for every violent, trashy horror movie I rented, I'd also have to rent and watch a "classic" film. Well, it was her credit card on the account after all.
Having already been a fan of The Third Man (I can still fake my way through Anton Karas' theme on piano) and D.O.A., many of the "classics" I rented were noirs. they're not trashy or violent, right?

Many years later, thanks to people like Arthur Lyons (RIP), Eddie Muller, Alan K Rode and others, these great — don't call them B-movies! — pictures have been preserved and projected in the theater where they belong. I've only missed one or two of the 11 Palm Springs Noir Festivals, have been to a few in Los Angeles, and try to go to as many nights as I can here in S.F.

This comp was made for the Noir City 9 festival and was compiled and given to me by my friend Ben who volunteered. The theme this year was "who's crazy now"? and the comp more or less follows the same. A couple tracks are a little out of place being newer than what most consider the latest noir — The Killing (1956) and Blast of Silence (1960) for example — and there's a couple really great old-timey songs that are maybe a little too early...but it's still a skillfully put together comp that'll have you pouring out a glass of whiskey and lighting up an unfiltered lucky before you can say "belly full of lead".

Gun Crazy

(down load track list here)

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TAD

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Remember when you didn't give a shit what color vinyl the record you bought was on? Hell, I'd even quit buying records and switched to those damn convenient cassette tapes (that got eaten, lost or magnetized over the years) but sometime 'round 1989 Sub Pop convinced me that I needed to be collecting records, not just listening to them. In fact I should buy more 7" records than I even have time to listen to. And on every stupid color of vinyl they felt like pressing.

Tad's "8-Way Santa" (with the original cover and on green vinyl of course) on the other hand wasn't just a "limited edition collector's item". This record WAS Sub Pop. Sure the Dwarves' "Blood Guts and Pussy", the self titled Mudhoney and Soundgarden's "Screaming Life/Fopp" comp were essential listening for me back then as well, but when I think of the classic late '80s/early '90s "Seattle Sound" — or just any heavy rock music from that time — I think of this record...and I think very fondly of it. In fact I'm playing it right now. Why don't you?

God's Balls

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Abner Jay

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Having a one-man-blog is much easier than having a one-man-band. I should know; I hate people and have tried playing everything myself many times. Anyways, I was reminded of Abner because Nick — a band member who I can stand — was recently posting some stuff on facebook thanks to a mutual pal who got us turned on to his genius. Since this comp of hard to get self released records is out of print and a newer comp is a very limited vinyl pressing, I thought I'd share. Read more about the amazing history of Abner here and check this shit out!

Cocaine

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John's Children

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Unfairly pigeonholed as "Marc Bolan's band" (he was only a member for four months), John's Children were a fantastic mod/psyche group that existed from '66 to 1970 and continue to play sporadically today.
Again, this one is a favorite of mine. It gets some criticism due to the primitive playing and recording...but aside from the great songs and violent energy, that's kinda why it's great. So if you're into stuff like The Pretty Things, the Who, and the Seeds or are a Bolan fan (he sings on a few songs), prepare to tune in and turn on!

Thomas à Beckett

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Gravediggaz

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Thought I'd post one more early "horrorcore" (rap with dark, horror-like lyrics) record that I really liked once upon a time. This one has Wu-Tang's RZA hooking up with members of Stetsasonic ("Talkin' All That Jazz") and the late Poetic (AKA Grym Reaper).

Thanks to the RZA, the music comes off as very Wu-Tang Clan, with the vocals are similar to Ol' Dirty Bastard or Onyx (who would fittingly work with the Wu Tang later). Songs like "2 Cups of Blood" and "1-800-Suicide" set them apart though, and were the kind of thing that terrified white suburban mothers across America in the early '90s.

For me it kind of gets a little old after four or five tracks, but there's some solid stuff on here.

R.I.P.

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The Free Spirits

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From what Amazon says, this CD is only available for $28 from a private seller...so, dear reader (readers?) I can FINALLY post one of my favorite records of the 1960s.
Now, this record has been advertised as the first Jazz-Rock record, whch IMHO sounds pretty dreadful but thankfully the genre-blending result that Out of Sight and Sound pulls off is fucking brilliant.
Great songs and an ear for 60s pop, but with more complex rhythms and time signatures. According to Unterburger's liner notes and interview pieces, their live shows were much freer, sometimes jamming out a tune for an hour or doing a ten minute unaccompanied sax solo. The reason this record come out so different is that their label wanted short, under 3 1/2 minute pop songs. At the time the band was frustrated but have come to like the record —hopefully as much as I do.
In their brief run as a band, they opened for Hendrix, the Doors and the Velvet Underground (where at one point Free Spirit member Chris Hill jumped on Mo Tucker's set for an improv jam).
Since I got this CD four or five years back, someone has asked "What band is this?" every single time I've played the opening track "Don't Look Now". If you get the chance, check out Larry Coryell's 1969 solo record that features not only the Free Spirits' drummer, but members of The John Coltrane Quartet.
All I can say is that if this isn't what you listen to for the rest of the day, I'm packing up this blog and going home.

Bad News Cat
(link fixed)

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C86 / CD86

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It was 1986, and the UK's New Music Express (NME) put out one of the best "mix tapes" in rock history. In a 2006 issue of World Magazine ex NME stafer Andrew Collins described C86 as "The most indie thing to have ever existed". It's also arguably what led to a flourish of girl bands and girl musicians thanks to its exposure of groups such as The Shop Assistants, The Primitives, Miaow and others.
Although I have no shame in saying that I'm an out of the closet Twee fan, it's unfair to call this a "twee comp". Sure there's jangly guitar pop, but many tracks are drenched in noise and guitar fuzz. Listen to the Jesus and Mary Chain song or the very early Pop Will Eat Itself tune, "Black Country Chainsaw Massacre". This is indie pop music without the homogonized indie pop formula.
I wish I could say that in 1986 this tape changed my life, but by the time I heard it somewhere in the late 90s via the internet, I was already a fan of many of the featured bands. When I bought this new 48 track CD comp (that BTW is different and better than the original C86 comp -should I have mentioned that earlier??) I got a ton of great stuff I'd missed out on and the best thing in my "various artists" iTunes category.

C30 C60 C90 Go! (cd1)
C30 C60 C90 Go! (cd2)

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