Monday, October 12, 2009

Demolition Gore Galore - Bulimia Babes in Endorphin Pain






Demolition Gore Galore were the brainchild of one Walter (aka Walta) Adams, the original bass player for Faster Pussycat. In addition to Adams, DGG consisted of (at one time or another) Mick Cripps of LA Guns, the one and only Kery Doll, Bobby Bones and Kayle. It's clear from the first listen that Adams and his Faster Pussycat bandmates had a love for Johnny Thunders in common, but that's where the similar influences end. DGG, even with their ridiculous over-the-top name, were closer to the Velvet Underground and Nikki Sudden than G&R and Aerosmith. Anyways, they didn't leave us much to remember them by...just a couple privately pressed records including 1986's "Bulimia Babe" EP and 1987's far more scarce 1-sided "Endorphin Pain" 7" limited to just 100 copies. And luckily for you I have both. And now you can too.

Track Listing:
Bulimia Babe
Bulimia Break
Long Blonde Bomb
Girls Just Care About Gore
Endorphin Pain

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/YDepNYLOsfXixrhqWAtspd5pv0RPFX8j95tdtBtlk2l

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Axtion - "Look Out for the Night" (and all those hard rock cliches)




It starts the way hundreds of hard rock records started in the 80's...take three power chords, Animal-esque (from Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem of course) drum fills, followed by a falsetto scream, and we're off "Road Runnin" with Axtion. By the way, do you think there was a band argument over whether to use an "X" or a proper "C" in the name? And which one of the guys really wanted to use triple X's, call the band aXXXtion, and pull some porn stars? Cuz you know one of 'em wanted to. My bet is either the drummer or bass player. But I digress. If anyone was wondering what the majority of indie or private hard rock releases coming out of the hair mecca that was Los Angeles in 1985 were like, look no further than Axtion's "Look Out for the Night". Besides the aforementioned intro, we 're gonna need a song with our band name in it..."Spread the Axtion"....check! We're gonna need something to try to get the more metal crowd, something fast and metal sounding...."Fury of the Tempest"...check! What about a song with extended acoustic intro so I can show these people that I'm not just "widdly-widdly solo" guy but that I really listen to Andres Segovia records?..."Look Out for the Night"....check! And finally, we gotta leave these kids with a positive message so they too know its okay for a grown man to use hairspray and wear makeup..."Stand Up! (for What You Believe In)"...check and mate! No matter how much I make fun of it, I won't deny that its an enjoyable listen from a particular moment in rock time. Thanks to Vince at The Music's Over for letting me borrow the wax to digitize so all of you could enjoy it.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/5aU0jNP1k12vqxFFMI3ihBqcFcfFIOL8lDnzlTm10Nt

Friday, September 4, 2009

Hell Razer - "Shout Hey!" (aka "the very first terrible demo I bought from an ad in the back of a magazine")



Hell Razer, I'll never forgive you for starting my teenage obsession with finding demos and live tapes from glam bands who had yet to get a record deal or release a proper record. Where once this tape thrilled a teenage me, who'd ordered it from the back pages of either Kerrang or Metal Forces magazine, it now serves as evidence as to why not every band gets a record deal or release a record. Because they're terrible. The UK had their fair share of great glam, Pet Hate and Wrathchild, even Tiger Tailz come to mind. But Hell Razer, I'm afraid you belong at the other end of the stackheeled spectrum. I know "Shout Hey!" sounds like a great glam anthem, but it's really just poor grammar. But what about "Space Girl (Intergalactic Love)"? That's gotta be filled with glammy goodness, right? Not a chance in the hands of these hacks. But for some reason, its still fun as hell to listen to and puts a smile on the face, even if its a sardonic one.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/VlODXja4HYJQwwba9w5bLIM2MDqsrX9RHTz1ETFMTUs

Friday, August 28, 2009

Brooklyn Brats - They Lived to Rock




At least back in the mid-80's they did, when this five song picture disc was released. "No One Tells Me No" and "Wrong End of the Rainbow" still hold up after all these years. "We Live to Rock" not so much. "Can't Stand Your Love" and "Guess I Don't Mind" were filler back then and time hasn't done anything to change that fact. Still an important document of the time and place that was the Sunset Strip back in the 80's. Best part of the whole thing...their drummer's name was Dane Rage. I wonder if he went into gay porn after the band broke up, he already had the name for it.

Track List:
We Live to Rock
No One Tells Me No
Wrong End of the Rainbow
Can't Stand Your Love
Guess I Don't Mind

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/rQA9RFjGgo6khgibbED5UIwLztUjMT196C6N2Mo9t7t

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Damn Yankees - Sadly Not Bigger Than Life

Its not the best quality, but believe it or not its from a first gen demo tape I've had since the 80's. Maybe that's why they never got a record deal, because their demos sounded like shit and no one could hear how good the songs actually were. The original Damn Yankees featured Sten on vocals, who later left to form the Love Razors. This demo comes from the second lineup, with the bass player (Michael? Anyone?) moving over to lead vocals. Unfortunately there's next to no information on Damn Yankees on the web (except the Nuge's version), and time and medication has blurred my memory too much to remember the other member's names. I think Josh was the drummer. Maybe Jason Nesmith on guitar or bass. How about a little help out there? I know there were other people at those shows at Madame Wong's and the Troubadour, I saw you there. So here it is, without further useless information, the 4 song Damn Yankees demo tape.

Track Listing:
Bigger Than Life
Caroline
Die Laughing
Racing with the Moon

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/5cnywqk3FI8hbyoRucic4yKHIVV33hO9QPawsYKZ6R

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Premonition - Santa Clarita Knows How to Rock - 1980




Premonition were a local Santa Clarita Valley band of the late 70's/early 80's who self-released one single on their own label in 1980 featuring the songs "Glitter Girl" and "So What". Honestly, this thing is so obscure that the only reason I even have it is that the guitar player, Paul Hirschmann, was my guitar teacher from the ages of 10 to 12. I still remember the day he came over for my lesson and excitedly gave me two copies of this single, hot off the presses, and told me they pressed 100 of them. The A-side, their most famous song from their local gigs, was a classic-rock-cum-glam-rocker called "Glitter Girl" while the B-side was Hirschmann's moment to shine on the instrumental jazz-rock-psych riff-a-thon called "So What". This is the true sound of Los Angeles' north valley area circa 1980.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/XbuvFl3PyZYyzRWSQpexoCkQfG6qJagX5VwhlWAeAde

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

SIN - On the Run With No One Following...




As far as I'm concerned, SIN don't get nearly the respect they deserve. Among all the terrible Hollywood bands who couldn't play, SIN were our version of Angel. I hear you screaming "What about White Sister?", to which I reply...they were Giuffria, not Angel. Big Difference. Anyways, SIN released one single in 1983, this beautiful shaped picture disc which should be worth a ton considering the 80's rock crap which passes for "rare" on Ebay these days. But sadly no one cares. Even though SIN had Rik Fox of Steeler fame and looked cool as hell, no one cared then either. It doesn't matter, as one day this record will have its due. After SIN burned out I'm pretty sure they morphed into the horribly-named Jag Wire. And guess what? No one cared.

Tracks:
"On the Run"
"Captured in Time"

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/GMt5pY6GsLBxrXQAGx8Add2TISYIfIHtBpCVTP07BUE

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Razzle's "New Vibe Revolution" - The Fuse is LIT





Years before LIT tripped the light fantastic and became their own worst enemy, they were just a gang of long-haired southern california teens known as Razzle looking for a piece of the action. In 1993 they found it when they self-released a five song CD called "New Vibe Revolution" which I've no doubt got them laid a ton back then. All four members of LIT are present and accounted for here, from brothers A.J. and Jeremy "Allen" to rhythm section Kevin Baldes and "Big" Al Shellen. Then there is fifth member Chadd Anthony, who obviously quit before they became LIT. You think Chadd regrets that decision now? Maybe not now, but in the late 90's when "My Own Worst Enemy" played on MTV like it was on a loop? Yeah, I'm sure he put a gun in his mouth a few times, I just hope he didn't pull the trigger. Anyways, what we have here is a prime example of Hollywood's Sunset Strip scene, even though it came late in the day and grunge had already started to hammer the nails into hair metal's coffin. But "New Vibe Revolution" proves that as late as 1993, the party was still happening in Hollywood.

Track Listing:
I Ain't Your Pal
All American Boy
Summer Job
Jenny's Room
Close My Eyes

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/4wajJ9o1OlklJ8jYfJHRxHlzZqLK8mlVTdcy2yvsxWd

Monday, May 25, 2009

Shire - Hobbit Rockin' Produced by Don Dokken - 1984



Okay, so there really is no "Hobbit Rock" here so to speak, but what the fuck did they expect me to put for a title? They're the band from LA that called their band Shire, which makes no sense. And they're the ones who had Don Dokken produce it. Seriously though, I had this record back in 1984 and remember liking it, but I don't think I full appreciated it at the time. Not that its some kind of lost hair metal masterpiece or anything like that. Far from it. But it is a nice little EP with some catchy tracks including "Do You Know What Its Like?", which probably would've been a hit had Dokken himself recorded it. Plus they look like Girl meets The Babys, which I'll never have a problem with.

Track Listing:
Do You Know What Its Like?
All Alone
By My Side No More
Thinking of You
Hold On

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/itwDn16rDs1X1HVilPY7rf7fsgS2fM3rzD1arv9zBOl

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Rozzi Lane - The Original Big Bang Babiez




What can be said about Rozzi Lane that hasn't been said a hundred times over? Oh, that's right, nothing's been said about them since 1988 when they released the "Big Bang Babiez" single on their own cleverly-named Big Bang Records. I kid them, but only because I've always loved this record, which at the time was more "pop" than "metal", unlike many of their Sunset Strip contemporaries. And I can only imagine the shit they must've gotten looking like they did in their actual hometown of Upland, California. What else? Let's see. Guitarist Mikey Marquee later went on to play in a great LA band called Extra Fancy, featuring one Brian Grillo on vocals. Before Extra Fancy Grillo fronted Lock Up, who also featured a pre-RATM Tom Morello on guitar. Okay, now I'm just boring myself. Here's the single, "Betty Angel"/"Beauty's Only Skin Deep":

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/cnDcDTF0AtH7It6a63g0FvyhfARFO7JPslfVaNPjz1T