Thursday, May 13, 2010

Rock Pretty - The Comp that Launched Zero Careers - 1984




The Rock Pretty compilation. Very simple concept really. Four UK bands, two songs each, hopefully some of 'em rock, and hopefully some of 'em are pretty. Big shots on the record at the time were Marionette, because of Ray Zell, Kerrang, etc...then you've got The Babysitters, who were pretty much Marionette with a better sense of humor...and The Grip and the excellently-named Napalm Hearts were competent enough....but it's Aunt May who steal this record. And to this day I still have no idea who the fuck Aunt May were or are. This is the only record I've ever seen 'em on, and internet searches of the band or members return nothing. Yet their two songs on Rock Pretty are gloriously terrible and unbelievably addicting at the same time. I mean, I know these songs are terrible, but if they're so terrible how come the adult me remembered every word of both songs the teenage me listened to 20 years earlier? Aunt May, you've tortured me for decades now. I don't know where the band members - Aunt May, Marcus Sparticus, Lee Van Starz and Lance the Creature - are now, but hopefully they're somewhere in the UK living the good life off the massive royalties they made from Rock Pretty. More likely they're dead or driving a bus. Rock pretty glam fiends.

Track Listing:
The Grip "Two Hearts"
The Babysitters "Rock en Roll Chicken"
Marionette "Gettin' Sticky"
Aunt May "Flesh of the Devil"
Napalm Hearts "Little Miss Teazer"
Marionette "You Better Believe It"
Babysitters "The Beard Song"
Napalm Hearts "Suzy (was a Live Wire)"
Aunt May "Respect the Dead"
The Grip "Tension"

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/YL4vnejPnQqMx4FT79Ds9OCMV8GcGLQfuyv0X0Ey9Jt

Friday, March 5, 2010

Winter Kills - Further then Beachwood Sparks


1989 Demo Cover


1990 Demo Cover

Found these old demo tapes the other day at a friend's house and was immediately reminded how much I loved this band when they were around. Back in 1989 and '90, when the majority of bands in Hollywood were still trying to be the next Motley Crue, Poison, etc...Winter Kills were looking to bands like Lions & Ghosts for inspiration. The guitar player, Josh Schwartz, I believe went on to be in both Further and Beachwood Sparks. Unless its a different Josh Schwartz. The bigger question, looking back at the band photos now is, is singer Tom Sanford in some way related to Legs Diamond singer Rick Sanford ? You can't deny there is a resemblance. But who really cares about that other than me? I know, no one. On to the music...

Winter Kills 1989 Demo
Radio Suicide
Flowers in Hell
Rain's Curtain Call
Humor Me
Painting Pictures
Soul Mirror

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/MnrXWBO0ZKqSl2cHOAVeY9abe7rJG7QkjkCuHCdhuYj

Winter Kills 1990 Demo
Hate To Hate
Whisper Darling Blue
Cheerleader Sickness

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/F6w6050r0IQulADyOz2jRpSw7yQPOBwKUkkaE1j34sz

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Smack - Live in LA 1990 - 2 Shows



That's right, actual recordings of Smack's last stand in Hollywood - March 2nd, 1990 at the Green Door and March 30th, 1990 at the Meadowlark Country Club in Huntington Beach (?). I wasn't at either of these shows, I did see them around the same time at the Scream club in downtown LA, or whatever it was called by that time. I can't remember who gave me these either...I think a female friend of friend recorded them, and was nice enough to give me copies because something had happened to my recorder at the Scream show and I didn't get the recording. These tapes have just been digitized for the first time, and to my knowledge they may be the only recordings of the Smack LA shows. Audience recordings they may be, but I think you'll be pleasantly shocked and surprised at how good they sound. Then again, if you're reading this, you're just happy they exist and want me to stop rambling so you can download them, right? Fine. Smack ruled. RIP Claude. Long Live Smack.

Smack Live @ the Green Door
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/4vblRVQBVnFBpxEKeEB0UCkvLv5nwnXbYW7n7kD3Dm4

Smack Live @ the Meadowlark Country Club
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/jmNQYz5qOecUDi4cEKQFfB5RAxVnatoPt6rJr55Lx9M