Superconducter vs Mudhoney and George Clinton

Superconducter vs Mudhoney and George Clinton

Throwing a couple things at ya this on 7″ Friday from the grunge and funk variety.
First up is a group called Superconductor from Vancouver, B.C. Canada that featured 10 freakin’ band members at times that came out on Scratch and boner Records (catalog number BR30) out of California (same label as the Melvins) in the very early 90’s. On this release they had (7) seven guitar players, (2) two bass players and (1) one drummer nicknamed on the 45 as follows: Dream Whip (G), It’s on You (G), Thighmaster(B), He who is named (G/V), Flying Fist(G), Noise Annoys(G), El Impacto (D,V,bontempi), Sweet Bitch (B), Alan Smithee(G) and Delicious Warm on (G). This particular release was called Heavy With Puppy, produced by Don Gordon and band, engineered by Ken Marshall in Nov of 1991. The photo above is by Mike Ledwidge and group photo below by Mark Critchley from the inside cover. Now I suppose you’re going to find out what this sounds like if like loud raunchy guitar music. I was always impressed how tightly they could play together and not sound like a washed out mess. Then again I never got an opportunity to see them live but always enjoyed their releases when I could find them. Enjoy the noise man.

Mp3 – This side: Bushpilot – Superconductor
Mp3 – Baby Side: Satori Part One – Superconductor

Printed on baby side it says “Smoking during pregnancy can harm the baby”

The bonus for today is a cover of “Pump It Up”(Elvis Costello Cover) by Mudhoney that was a 7” promo for the movie PCU. The flip is George Clinton doing a track call “Stomp”. Fun stuff. Enough said.

Mp3 – Pump it up (cover) – Mudhoney
Mp3 – Stomp – George Clinton

Cheap Trick In Color mix by Steve Albini

Cheap Trick In Color mix by Steve Albini

I’m a late comer to this lost mix sessions by Steve Albini of Cheap’s Tricks record called In Color which has been posted over on the Rock Town Hall blog in it’s entirety for download. I’ll also admit I had no clue that parts of Cheap Trick (Nielson & Carlos)were once hired as session players for John Lennon on the Double Fantasy album then probably fired by Yoko probably. Who knows. What I do know is that Albini respected Cheap Trick and covered them on a split touch & go 7″ I have with “He’s a Whore” b/w Krafwork’s “The Model”. A commercial ploy I think not but damn was it good crap to find and unearth.

Now my dear readers onto the original point of this post. The In Color mix by Albini rocks so hard it’s like a lost treasure in a sea of apathy. 15 Tracks that rock with grittyness it’s going to make you appreciate this band all over again. Dig it.

Southern Girls – Cheap Trick – In Color Mix by Steve Albini
Hello There – Cheap Trick – In Color Mix by Steve Albini
He’s A Whore (Cheap Trick cover) – Big Black 7″ TG23
Bonus – Surrender (Cheap Trick cover) – Big Drill Car 7″ CRZ701

Whatever happend I Apologize – Jay Bennett

Whatever happend I Apologize – Jay Bennett


Is there such a thing as the 5th Beatle? The guy who you have in your creative circle and gotten into arguments as documented in the film I Am Trying To Break Your Heart? This is Jay Benett (RIP 1963-2009) or at least how most of us will remember him as the creative muse and friend of Jeff Tweedy. Welcome to your acoustic singer songwriter overdose and posts of some really great stories. It does not really matter how he went but one of many cautionary tales of loss and we can talk and talk about it or just listen and have a few.

Grab a zip of Whatever Happened, I Apologize from Chrome Waves
Heather from fuel friends offers up a video and a couple mp3s with Jay playing with Jeff

Tank Boy remembers running into Jay and shares his story
Ohm Park posted a whole live show Jeff Tweedy w/ Jay Bennett from 11-20-1996.
Chicago Sun Times Jim Derogatis following the Obit.
Good Jay Bennett interview on My Old Kentucky Blog from December 2008

Here are some selects:
Jay Bennett – The Engines are Idle
Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett on Banjo – We’ve Been Had – from the Cost What? Bootleg
Venus Stop this Train – Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot demo – Jay on Piano

John Reis Vs. Rick Froberg

John Reis Vs. Rick Froberg


John Reis and Rick Froberg still make music that sounds like Rocket from the Crypt,
Drive Like Jehu and or the Hot Snakes. You can put them on different coasts but the proof is in the surf and genetic make-up of their output these San Diego punks. Even after Hot Snake’s demise they both somehow influence each other and carry on the flame with honor and make some dawg gone original music. To claim they are not influential to a whole generation of indie rockers and rabid alternative rock music fans would be as criminal as saying Van Halen was not influential to heavy hair metal or green day was to pop-punk bands(lame metaphors I know). What I dare (if you are a nerd you probably did this months ago) you to do is to put them all in a mix and hit shuffle. I haven’t tried to count them but easily there is a whole coffin of songs that all could be from the same box-set from their high-school band Pitchfork to their new projects. Obits and The Night Marchers respectfully all sound the same just a different era in their creativity. In this case splitsville. Like the inner fugazi argument, I couldn’t tell ya off the cuff what is a Ian Mccaye song and which is a Guy P song. Sure I can guess who is singing but its the sort of team make-up compliment each other for the sake of the music they make and players that jam with them. What’s cool to hear and understand in the research how influential SST was to these guys. Funny band rebuttal from Obits to a mp3 blogger here on 17dots.

Sample some San Diego bread rock:
Rana by Pitchfork from Eucalyptus / Saturn Outhouse
Chariots on Fine By Rocket From The Crypt from All Systems Go 3
Golden Brown by Drive like Jehu from Yank Crime
Hi-Lites by Hot Snakes from Thunder Down Under
Widow Of My Dreams by Obits(Rick Froberg) from I Blame You
Bad Bloods by The Night Marchers (John Reis) from See you in Magic

Can you dig it man? I realize I’m leaving out some other side projects and crap so don’t get your panties in a bunch. If this is stuff is new to you and you dig the sounds of what a rock band is supposed to sounds like cool. Go buy some of their shit. Subscribe to the DJ Spork podcast where we bring stuff like this to your ear holes.

What if music were free?

What if music were free?


Well ok, maybe not all of it. Musicians, artists and engineers have to eat. The things I think are working are film licensing, the retro vinyl market, merchandising, my emusic account, and live performances. iTunes raising the cost of single to $1.29 is totally absurd and fighting this thing called progress. Fingertips community’s music is not like water rant brought up a lot of these points in a rather long winded fashion around the idea of the Gorge Jetson’s flying machine throwing in a wrench of conventional wisdom but he brought up some pretty good points. Some of which i am paraphrasing here. Granted the music industry had its grips on the recording and radio payola for a very long time which is quickly changing and nobody is sure how. That is what worries the system. Paying per listen radio might work even though it is veiled like payola but you don’t actually “own it” even though it’s there all the time assuming you have a internet connection. I am sure it can’t all be free, some stuff should be free but not all; as other channels and models get developed in these tricky innovative financial times. Crap just take a look at how much money you spend on communication services. I wonder how else will music monetize itself and get a slice and maybe trickle it back down to the makers? ha! ha! We all can’t support all the artists we like by checking out a performance. The cheaper ticket is licensing the music or renting it but the price is too steep. there is also this thing called a glut in the supply and demand chain.

Sure I am ranting now. I for one like to own music I like outright and I know that is a antiquated idea. Believe me I’m totally happy with said right to download what I like and then become a fan on my own terms. Lets face it not all of it is good. Owning a la carte is much better way to go though. Most of it is crap but what is one persons golden era is another person’s nightmare. Let think and discuss the details to the obvious answer that is right in front of us and remove the ambiguity and amplify the detail.

What’cha Gonna Do About It – Condo Fucks
This Way Out – Rocket from the Crypt
Backwater – Meat Puppets

I hate your playlist and taste

I hate your playlist and taste

Don’t try this at home. You will overwhelm your storage space. You will eventually collect unemployment and won’t want to part with your records. In case this does happen. Hang tight you can always hide in the basement with your records and talk about the good ole’days of making mix tapes for your friends singing at the top of your lungs while driving down the garden state parkway to the shore.

SIDE 1: Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.
I Hate Music – The Replacements
The Girl who is lives on heaven hill – Husker Du
Celebrated Summer – Husker Du
The second coming of huge – Huge
The Softest Hammer – fIREHOSE fromhio
Making Time – The Creation
Pil Shovel – Monster Magnet

Killer mp3 blogs for the moment

Killer mp3 blogs for the moment

In no particular order of hipness or musical taste. Was just cruising for some new music up on elbo.ws and came across these folks plus a few of my normal mp3 haunts. hypem.com has been too elitists recently. So enjoy the rock as this fan of music fans is fickle.

vainzine.blogspot.com more new disco but cool

prettymuchamazing.com – nice and well rounded.

http://captainsdead.com/ Has sunny day real estate @cats-cradle 1998

poptartssucktoasted.blogspot.com got tapped on the hand by Matador for posting SY. Also featuring some polvo. Right on!

Lets Sexy Fighting – always gotta love weird blog names that make no sense sober but have good taste. dig it.

TOP SINGLES IN THE GREAT ESCAPE POD:
Learn to Surf – Superchunk – Mac has not lost his touch. Kids please take a rock guitar lesson from your lame gitter twanging.
I want you to know – Dinosaur jr.- dude nobody makes rock like this anymore
Let Love Rule 2009 (Justice Remix) Lenny Kravitz
High Class Slim Came Floatin In – Tortoise – a little annoying bit the retro keyboards do the trick
Straight To Hell (The Clash) By Bill Janovitz I’d pay 10 bux to see him perform and I hate singer songwriters except for Glen Hansard from the frames.
Yours Truly, The Commuter s/t by Jason Lytle solo record(grandaddy) giving AIR a run for their frenchy money.

That’s it.

DUH New Jersey punk rock band

DUH New Jersey punk rock band


New Jersey yielded some great hardcore, Thrash and punk bands in the 80’s. One of them was a band called DUH with ties to Westfield, NJ which featured drummer Ben Forgash and guys from Rutgers( think one was named was just “J”?) I can’t remember exactly. Anyway, I’m not even sure that this 11 song record was called Trout (I made that shit up but it seems appropriate). Whatever the case here are 11 tracks I made from a cassette I had of their full length demo lp. I saw them play a few times in high-school and I always thought they were sort of goofy and sometimes akin to the philly band that did bitch’ camero. These guys wrote songs and goofed very sarcastically about fishing, Apex tech and Quick Chek (making fun of jersey maulers chicks with lots of hair spray). Your normal white suburban textbook theme i guess looking back at the songs now.

01 Fish House Road
02 Poison Ivy
03 Put the mask on
04 oeieoeo
05 Swamp Thing
06 Chopping up your friends
07 New by Ronko
08 Anaconda
09 Quick Chek Baby [ Download mp3 ] This is a WRSU classic
10 Apex Tech [ Download mp3 ]
11 Trout

Get the whole Trout ZIP here [ You are Welcome ]

I’ve also discovered a great list of older thrash/Hardcore by Dirge and Ripping Corpse, etc up on FB the other day. You’ll find old demos and out of print 7 inches and lps and some hilarious photos. Check out NJHC Jerseyshore reunion group. later.

Deep Elm Bonfire of Trust review

Deep Elm Bonfire of Trust review

Available Now

Deep Elm is giving away 16 songs for free for the next few days. Some of the high-lights include: the spacey guitar rock of Moving Mountains and the big guitar goodness of Desoto Jones. Do it now. There are lots of great deals from this label and it helps they still have that energy that is lacking in a lot of indie labels these days.

Sir Ben Kingsley as Ian MacKaye my dear sheep


Sir Ben Kingsley STOMPS into the shoes of Minor Threat’s Ian MacKaye from Mean Magazine on Vimeo. You know an actor has class when he has no problem trying to act like he is 16 all over again. Funny idea for a Mean Mag promo video. Get some Minor Threat music and mosh or whatever it is the kids are doing these days: Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White | I Don’t want to hear it | Think Again | Filler