Beautiful Noise Documentary Update!

From the Kickstarter website:

Dear BEAUTIFUL NOISE Backers:

We crossed the funding goal with 3 days to go thanks to every one of you awesome backers! Thank you so much, you have made this project a reality, after 8 years of hard work and dedication this movie is going to be released!

But wait, there's more! We still need your involvement. When coming up with our goal we calculated the minimum amount we needed to get the film released. Now that we have made it to that amount, we could definitely use more funds to pay for additional songs, footage, for post production sweetening and manufacturing costs that will enhance the final film.

So stay tuned and stay involved. Only 3 days left to be a part of this campaign. Please keep spreading the word: http://kck.st/RX9lFK

Best,

Eric, Sarah & the 'Beautiful Noise' team.

This is great news! Can't wait to see it.

I also stumbled upon this Fantastic compilation yesterday and thought I'd share it with you. It is a nice companion piece to my Shoegaze Primer: Obscure Shoegaze Vol. 1 Complied by Ursula 1000

Track list:

"Love Sick" by Fury Things (Cheree Records 1990)
"Shy Me" by Nature Things (Action Records 1991)
"Change You Leaving" by Feral (Lust Recordings 1991)
"Mirrored" by Drop (Chapter 22 1991)
"Slyde" by Blair 1523 (Wilde Club Records 1992)
"Sunriser" by That Uncertain Feeling (Dead Dead Good 1991)
"Something Sonic" by Beautiful Happiness (Cheree 1990)
"Who's" by The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa (Ecstasy Release 1991)
"Ride" by The Lavender Faction (Lust Recordings 1990)
"Need To Be" by Headtime (Cherry Red 1991)
"Saints & Razors" by Aenone (kokopop 1993)
"Jealousy Comes To The Rescue" by Flood (Quarry 1991)
"Space Ship" by The Suncharms (Wilde Club Records 1991)
"Give Her Tomorrow" by The Waiting Sound (Engergy-Vent 1990)
"Sugar I Swear" by Whipping Boy (Cheree 1990)

If you download it from SoundCloud, it is just one big mp3 (nearly and hour long). I'll be honest, I'd never heard any of these songs before I downloaded it. In fact, the only artist that I was familiar, was Flood-- and I only know him due to his production credits. Don't let that discourage you from giving this a listen, there is not a weak track in the bunch!

Cheers.

Beautiful Noise - Shoegaze Documentary Needs Your Help!

Hey Folks,

First of all, I'm aware that Mediafire has taken down some of my public links. I will upload the Christmas Redux series some time this week. I'm not sure if MF has taken down any of my other links, if so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. We shall see. As far as I know, the Divshare links are still okay-- if not, let me know, thanks.

I do have a new compilation for you today. I was not planning this, but I thought I would do my part to help spread the word about a great new Shoegaze documentary that desperately needs our help. Please watch the trailer below:



If you are fan of Shoegaze (or guitar) music at all, please consider making a donation. More info here: Beautiful Noise Documentary. There's a little less than a week to go, and those DVD's would make great stocking stuffers!

In the meantime, feel free to download my 20-track Shoegaze primer. Not sure if all the artists I've used are featured in the film, but I feel like this is a pretty good representation of the British Shoegaze scene of the late 80's/early 90's. Happy listening!

Beautiful Noise: A Shoegaze Primer

01. 14 Iced Bears, "Inside"
02. Lush, "Stray"
03. The Jesus & Mary Chain, "The Hardest Walk"
04. The Telescopes, "Flying"
05. Ride, "Like a Daydream"
06. Flying Saucer Attack, "Past"
07. My Bloody Valentine, "(When you Wake) You're Still in a Dream"
08. House of Love, "Christine"
09. Kitchens of Distinction, "Quick as Rainbows"
10. Cocteau Twins, "Sugar Hiccup"
11. Catherine Wheel, "Crank"
12. Slowdive, "Alison"
13. Swervedriver, "Blowin' Cool"
14. The Boo Radleys, "I Hang Suspended"
15. Curve, "Superblaster"
16. Chapterhouse, "Breather"
17. The Verve, "Gravity Grave"
18. Spacemanen 3, "Take Me To the Other Side"
19. Bleach, "Trip & Slide"
20. Pale Saints, "Sight of You"

Total Time: 1:13:42

Download it here: Beautiful Noise: A Shoegaze Primerd

[Please note that if you download the compilation, the track listing will not be in the order I listed above. I did not take the time to sequence this comp. Instead, I just placed the tracks in order from shortest to longest.]

Human Switchboard!

A recent discovery for me, but as my good friend Laura might say, they're my new favorite band! Just got the fabulous anthology which Bar None Records has so lovingly put out. Read all about it here: Human Switchboard.

I went looking for the title track on YouTube, but only found a live version. I decided to upload my first video to that site ever. Here's hoping I don't get taken down by the internet police. It's a pretty basic still shot video, but at least you get to hear the song, which by the way, is not the remastered version but rather a vinyl transfer I found on the interweb a few months ago. Enjoy!

Our Band Could Be Your Life: The Soundtrack

Today we celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of Michael Azerrad's excellent tome, Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes From the American Indie Underground 1981-1991. As you can see from that handy link, I'm a little late to the party: apparently there was an actual party in NYC celebrating the book's birthday. Not knowing about this event, I decided to reread Our Band a few weeks ago. I flipped to the copyright date page, and realized it had been nearly a decade since I first read it (I'm pretty sure I read it in '02 or '03). As I made my way through, I thought I needed to do some sort of tribute to the book here at Burn and Shine.

I decided to make a companion compilation. The NPR article I posted above mentions that the book "was all about these obscure rock bands from 30 years ago". Having lived through this period, I don't really think of any of those bands as "obscure". I don't claim to have been riding this wave from the beginning, but I remember Black Flag playing Chattanooga, even if I was too lame to have gone. Then it hit me: 30 cussing years! When I was just getting into these bands in the mid/late 80's, I knew very little about the popular music of the 50's let alone, the stuff that was bubbling under the mainstream. So there is a generation of potential rock geeks out there who may not have ever heard any of these bands. Well I've got you covered!

I'm pretty sure all of the artists featured in the book have appeared on previous Burn and Shine compilations (one of these days I'm going to catalog all the songs/artists I've used in this here blog, but till then, I'll just have to rely on my increasingly unreliable memory). So instead of talking about the tracks I've selected, let me give you a list for further investigation for each band featured in the book.

Black Flag (Los Angeles): Kind of tricky, there is not one definitive album to recommend as the Flag had several lead singers and went through some distinct artistic phases. Start with the fabulous Pre-Henry Rollins compilation The First Four Years. Then of course you need Damaged, and finally My War.

Minutemen (San Pedro): Double Nickels on the Dime (1984), but if you like this, you're going to want everything.

Mission of Burma (Boston): Signals, Calls and Marches EP (1981). Both the Ryko and Matador versions of this add the totally essential "Academy Fight Song" single, for that reason it gets the slight nod over 1982's, Vs, the only studio long player released during their initial lifespan of 1980-83 (MoB have since regrouped and put out a handful of good to great albums).

Minor Threat (Washington D.C.): Finally an easy one! All you need (and all they recorded) is nicely compiled on Complete Discography.

Hüsker Dü (Minneapolis): Okay, I'll go with 1984's Zen Arcade, but really you cannot go wrong with pre-Warner's Dü (and I stand by their major label albums too).

The Replacements (Minneapolis): Sticking with the 1984 theme, start with Let It Be. Though few bands have recorded three back-to-back albums as brilliant as Let it Be, Tim and Pleased to Meet Me (the latter two on a *shudders* major label).

Sonic Youth (New York): The longest continually running band featured in the book, Sonic Youth also has the most daunting discography. Start with Daydream Nation (1988). Then if you like the noisy parts go backwards to their indie releases, or if you like the more pop-like tracks go forward toward their Geffen output.

Butthole Surfers (San Antonio): My personal fave is Rebrandt Pussyhorse (1986).

Big Black (Chicago): Another easy one, The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape (1987) as it compiles all of the essential Big Black Recordings on one handy disc.

Dinosaur Jr. (Boston): My favorite album is You're Living All Over Me (1987), but a great starting point would be Ear Bleeding Country: The Best of Dinosaur Jr., released by Rhino in 2001 shortly before the reunion shows and subsequent albums. I rarely suggest starting with a best-of compilation, but this one compiles songs from their indie releases and the cream of their major label output as well as some important non-album singles.

Fugazi (Washington D.C.): 13 Songs (1990) was my introduction to the mighty Fugazi, and it's still my favorite. It includes their first two EPs, and for my money Fugazi was never better. Repeater and Steady Diet were pretty great too, but after that they got a little too post-rock for my taste.

Mudhoney (Seattle): My favorite of the Seatle bands. If you already know "Touch Me I'm Sick" (featured on my compilation below), then jump on over to their last album released on Sub Pop, Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (1991)-- the perfect blend of grunge and pop.

Beat Happening (Olympia): Hmmmm . . . One of these bands is not like the others. That would be the quirky Beat Happening. I've heard plenty of people scoff at the fact that BH were included in this book. I would venture to say that no other band on this list puts a smile on my face quite like Beat Happening. Sure, Johnson's booming baritone is an acquired taste, and Heather Lewis's voice isn't always on key, but damn put them together . . . and it just knocks my socks off. If you are a fan of twee, but don't know this band, then go ahead and indulge in the Crashing Through box set (2001) which compiles just about every note recorded by Beat Happening-- you'll thank me later. If you are new to this sound, then start with the pop-perfection of Jamboree (1988). If that record doesn't do anything for you, then there is no need for further investigation.

Alright, on to today's comp. I've sequenced the comp in the same order that they appear in the book. The only band that is featured here that does not have a chapter in OBCBYL is Ian MacKaye's pre-Minor Threat band, the Teen Idles. When an artist had multiple singers, I tried to include an example of each. Some of the bands only had one singer, but I made sure and gave everyone at least two tracks as it didn't seem fair.

Happy Listening!

Our Band Could Be Your Life: The Soundtrack

01. Black Flag, “Nervous Breakdown” [1978]. (Keith Morris)
02. Black Flag, “Jealous Again” [1980]. (Chavo Pederast)
03. Black Flag, “Six Pack” [1981]. (Dez Cadena)
04. Black Flag, “Rise Above” [1981]. (Henry Rollins)
05. Minutemen, “Tension” [1981].
06. Minutemen, “Little Man With a Gun in His Hand” [1983].
07. Mission of Burma, “Max Ernst” [1981]. (Roger Miller)
08. Mission of Burma, “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate” [1982]. (Clint Conley)
09. The Teen Idles, “Sneakers” [1981].
10. Minor Threat, “I Don’t Wanna Hear It” [1981].
11. Minor Threat, “Think Again” [1983].
12. Hüsker Dü, “It’s Not Funny Anymore” [1983]. (Grant Hart)
13. Hüsker Dü, “In a Free Land” [1981]. (Bob Mould)
14. The Replacements, “Takin’ a Ride” [1981].
15. The Replacements, “We’re Coming Out” [1984].
16. Sonic Youth, “Kill Yr Idols” [1983]. (Thurston Moore)
17. Sonic Youth, “Brave Men Run (In My Family)” [1985]. (Kim Gordon)
18. Sonic Youth, “Eric’s Trip” [1988]. (Lee Ranaldo)
19. Butthole Surfers, “Butthole Surfer” [1984].
20. Butthole Surfers, “Creep in the Cellar” [1986].
21. Big Black, “Passing Complexion” [1986].
22. Big Black, “Heartbeat” [1987].
23. Dinosaur Jr, “Repulsion” [1985]. (J. Mascis)
24. Dinosaur Jr, “Lose” [1987]. (Lou Barlow)
25. Fugazi, “Waiting Room” [1988]. (Ian MacKaye)
26. Fugazi, “Margin Walker” [1989]. (Guy Picciotto)
27. Mudhoney, “Touch Me I’m Sick” [1988].
28. Mudhoney, “Into the Drink” [1991].
29. Beat Happening, “Cast a Shadow” [1988]. (Calvin Johnson)
30. Beat Happening, “In Between” [1989]. (Heather Lewis)

Total Time: 1:17:19

Download it here: Our Band Could Be Your Life: The Soundtrack

Halloween Tunes!

Well the masses have spoken (well 14 of you anyway!), so I'll go ahead and post my annual Halloween compilation today. This edition of Candy Apples & Razor Blades has a little punkier flavor than most. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag but I've got some cool stuff in store for 2012. Parts of this compilation will serve as kind of a preview of what's in store here at B&S.

Happy Listening!

Candy Apples & Razor Blades: Even More Music for All Hallow's Eve, Vol. 4

01. Kristen Hersh, “Your Ghost” [1992].
02. Screaming Lord Sutch, “Jack the Ripper” [1963].
03. Dead Moon, “Graveyard” [1988].
04. Jay Reatard, “Blood Visions” [2006].
05. Destroy All Monsters, “Vampire” [1974].
06. The Effigies, “Haunted Town” [1981].
07. Guadalcanal Diary, “Ghost on the Road” [1985].
08. Jackie Morningstar, “Rockin’ the Graveyard” [1959].
09. New York Dolls, “Frankenstein” [1973].
10. The Dutchess & the Duke, “I Am Just a Ghost” [2008].
11. The Misfits, “Halloween” [1981].
12. Barrence Whitfield, “Bloody Mary” [1985].
13. Blood, Sweat & Tears, “Lucretia Mac Evil” [1970].
14. DoubleHappys, “Moss Monster” [1985].
15. Social Distortion, “The Creeps” [1982].
16. The Sleepy Jackson, “Vampire Race-Course” [2003].
17. Laughing Clowns, “Ghost Beat” [1981].
18. Stiv Bators, “Evil Boy” [1979].
19. Roky Erickson, “Creature With the Atom Brain” [1979].
20. Mary Timony, “Look a Ghost in the Eye” [2002].
21. The King Khan & BBQ Show, “Zombies” [2006].
22. The Dentists, “Back to the Grave” [1985].
23. Dean Carter, “Shadow of Evil” [ca. 1967].
24. Brats, “Zombie People” [1979].
25. The Jam, “Ghosts” [1982].

Total Time: 1:13:49

Download it here: Candy Apples & Razor Blades, Vol. 4

Happy Halloween!

We are less than two weeks out from Halloween, so I figured I'd go ahead and post my annual volume of Candy Apples & Razor Blades, so that those of you who will be hosting Halloween parties this weekend will have some new tunes to impress your friends. [Edited to add: that was a joke!] Halloween also marks the official anniversary of Burn and Shine-- it turns two this year! It has been really fun posting my comps here, and those of you who have commented, I really appreciate it-- keep those comments coming! If you are new to B&S and would like to find the first two compilations in this series, please click on the "Halloween" tag at the bottom of this post.

Before I say a few words about the new Halloween comp, I'd like to call your attention to the following trailer for a new series which debuts on AMC on Halloween night called The Walking Dead:



It looks awesome, so if you can't watch it that night, be sure to set your DVRs! That's all I'll say about it, feel free to use the search engine of your choice to find out more as there is lots of internet chatter going on about it.

As for this year's edition of CA&RB, it was a treat putting it together. Some returning players from previous Halloween comps are Roky Erickson and the Misfits, of course. I imagine Burn & Shine will be long gone before I run out of songs by those two Halloween friendly artists. Superdrag makes their second appearance on CA&RB with "Take Your Spectre Away" from their split EP with the Anniversary. Helium, which was the very last band I cut when I put together my Matador @ 21 compilation earlier this month, makes their first appearance on any compilation here at Burn and Shine. And of course, there are several more Post Punk bands on here: Australia's Beasts of Bourbon, Boston's La Peste, Tulsa's Los Reactors, and Tucson's Green on Red. There are others that I'd like to mention, but I'll just finish by telling you that the compilation ends with a request. One of my faithful readers asked for "Halloween" by the Dream Syndicate via email shortly after I posted last year's comp. How could I resist?

Creepy Listening!

Candy Apples & Razor Blades Vol. 3: Still More Music for All Hallow's Eve!

01. "Superstitious" [1968] from the Monkees' Head
02. "The Witch" [1964], The Sonics
03. "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)" [1990], Concrete Blonde
04. "Going to Hell" [1998], The Brian Jonestown Massacre
05. "Ghouls Night Out" [1986], The Misfits
06. "Ghost Ride" [2006], Nebula
07. "Wanna Be a Vampire Too, Baby [1994], Helium
08. "She's Wicked" [1985, Peel Session], The Fuzztones
09. "She is the New Thing" [2007], The Horrors
10. "Mommy's Little Monster" [1983], Social Distortion
11. "Zombie Boy" [2008], The Magnetic Fields
12. "Devil Song" [1988], Camper Van Beethoven
13. "Take Your Spectre Away" [2001], Superdrag
14. "Stake Thru My Heart" [1998], The Fiends
15. "Psycho" [1984], Beasts of Bourbon
16. "I Put a Spell on You" [1967], Creedence Clearwater Revival
17. "A Guide to the Worlds Most Fantastic Monsters" [2009], Hallelujah the Hills
18. "There's a Ghost in My House" [1967], R. Dean Taylor
19. "Black Coffin" [2009], The Fresh & Onlys
20. "Black Night" [1982], Green on Red
21. "Witching Stone" [2009], Black Heart Procession
22. "Be a Zombie" [1981], Los Reactors
23. "Haunt" [1986], Roky Erickson
24. "Better Off Dead" [1978], La Peste
25. "Halloween" [1982], Dream Syndicate



Total Time: 1:15:58

Download it here: Candy Apples & Razor Blades Vol. 3: Still More Music for All Hallow's Ever

Rebellious Jukebox Jewel Case Artwork.

Hey Folks,

Todd Remley, one of my readers who I'd never 'met' until now, was kind enough to put together some artwork for all five volumes of Rebellious Jukebox. I asked him if I could share it here at Burn and Shine with the rest of you, and he was fine with that. Here's a sample of the first volume:





Download the artwork for all five volumes here: Rebellious Jukebox Jewel Case Artwork

Also, now that you've had a chance to see (and maybe listen?) to the whole series, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What great Post-Punk bands did I miss? (In particular, I'd love get some recommendations regarding Post-Punk bands from countries other than the U.K. and U.S.) What great Post-Punk track featured here had you never heard? Maximum Jack, why the hell did you include ___________, they are complete shite?! Feel free to list your favorite top ten (or however many) Post-Punk artists or albums or both. Did you ever see any of these bands live? Share your experiences here, please. Speaking of live Post-Punk. I'll leave you with these four lads from Leeds:

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 5: Noise

The fifth and final installment in my Post-Punk series. A caveat: I'm not a huge fan of bands that are anti-music, so this should probably be subtitled, "Noise, for People Who Don't Like Noise". Some of these tracks are downright danceable, for crying out loud. Just check out the Throbbing Gristle track, "Hot on the Heels of Love", featured here.

I make these comps primarily for my enjoyment, and then the idea is to share them here. So I love every track here, and have probably listened to this compilation more times than any of the others-- even if I don't sit around all day listening to the more difficult albums by some of the artists featured here. I've never understood the concept of listening to noise, and, let's face it, some of these artists have put out albums that make Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music seem like soft rock.

It's true: I don't understand noise, but I do realize how innovative these artists were (many, still are!). Their bold attempts to go where no band had gone before really pushed the envelope, at a time when Rock & Roll seemed to be regressing.

So if you are a little skeptical of the idea of a "Noise" compilation, please, go into this with an open mind. On the other hand, if you are already a fan of the genre, be forewarned that this compilation will probably seem tame.

Happy Listening!

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 5: Noise

01. Theoretical Girls (Jeffrey Lohn), “Theoretical Girls” [ca. 1978]
02. Savage Republic, “Machinery” [1982]
03. Big Black, “Bad Houses” [1986]
04. Chrome, “March of the Chrome Police (A Cold Clammy Bombing)” [1978]
05. The Birthday Party, “Zoo Music Girl” [1981]
06. Caberet Voltaire, “Landslide” [1981]
07. The Ex, “Human Car” [1980]
08. DNA, “You & You” [1978]
09. Public Image Ltd. “Flowers of Romance” [1981]
10. Killing Joke, “The Wait” [1980]
11. Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, “Nacht Arbeit” [1980]
12. Naked Raygun, “Swingo2” [1983]
13. Notekillers, “The Zipper” [1980]
14. The Mekons, “Karen” [1980]
15. Pere Ubu, “The Modern Dance” [1978]
16. Sonic Youth, “I Don’t Want to Push It” [1982]
17. The Pop Group, “We Are Prostitutes” [1979]
18. Throbbing Gristle, “Hot on the Heels of Love” [1979]
19. X [Australia], “Suck Suck” [1979]
20. SPK, “Mekano” [1979]
21. Swans, “Big Strong Boss” [1983]
22. This Heat, “S.P.Q.R.” [1981]
23. Virgin Prunes, “Pagan Lovesong” [1982]
24. Crass, “White Punks on Hope”[1979]
25. Flipper, “Love Canal” [1980]
26. Theoretical Girls (Glenn Branca), “You Got Me” [1978]

Total Time: 1:19:04

Download it here: Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 5: Noise

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 4: Pop

It will come as no surprise to those of you who have been reading Burn and Shine for any time at all, that the “Pop” volume of my Post-Punk series would most likely be my favorite. Guilty as charged-- I can’t help it, it’s in my DNA. I could listen to songs like the Soft Boys’ “Queen of Eyes” or Hüsker Dü’s “Pink Turns to Blue” a million times and never grow weary of them. While both of those tracks have been near and dear to me for quite some time, this volume actually has the greatest percentage of songs which are relatively new to me.

As I previously mentioned here at B&S, discovering Black Randy & the Metrosquad a few weeks ago was the instigator for this Post-Punk series. I also mentioned in that very same post, that I recently picked up The Lines’ early singles compilation. I cherry picked their very first A-side for this compilation, the almost Power Pop, “White Night”.

The Cigarettes are another fairly new to me band. I have to thank Laura @ Needles + Pins for turning me onto them about a year ago. Thanks LCP!

Scotland’s tv21 is another new to me band. They only released one album during their heyday, Thin Red Line from 1981. I don’t remember who recommended it to me, but it stayed in my car player for about a week solid. BTW, I don't think it was ever released on CD, so you will have to find this using your favorite music search engine (I like Captain Crawl). RIYL: Echo and the Bunnymen or the Teardrop Explodes.

The rest of this compilation is filled with artists that I discovered while I was working at the Disc Exchange in Knoxville (1999-2006). In particular: Felt, Orange Juice, the Embarrassment, the Homosexuals, Wah! and the Swell Maps. Ah, the record store. Those were the days!

Happy Listening!

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 4: Pop

01. Devo, “Uncontrollable Urge" [1978]
02. The Lines, “White Night” [1978]
03. The Soft Boys, “The Queen of Eyes” [1980]
04. Boys Next Door, “The Night Watchmen” [1979]
05. The Fall, “Rebellious Jukebox” [1979]
06. Buzzcocks, “Breakdown” [1977]
07. Hüsker Dü, “Pink Turns to Blue” [1984]
08. Alternative TV, “The Ancient Rebels” [1981]
09. The Associates, “A Matter of Gender” [1981]
10. The Cigarettes, “Can’t Sleep at Night” [1980]
11. Dream Syndicate, “That’s What You Always Say" [1982, EP Version]
12. The Embarrassment, “Sexy Singer Girl" [1981]
13. Felt, “Something Sends Me To Sleep” [1981]
14. The Homosexuals, “Walk Before Imitate” [1978]
15. Magazine, “Touch and Go” [1978]
16. The Monochrome Set, “The Lighter Side of Dating” [1980]
17. Orange Juice, “Falling and Laughing” [1980]
18. Swell Maps, “H.S. Art” [1979]
19. Wipers, “Up Front” [1980]
20. The Teardrop Explodes, “Second Head” [1980]
21. Telvison Personalities, “The Glittering Prizes” [1981]
22. tv21, “Waiting for the Drop” [1981]
23. Wah! “Other Boys” [1981]
24. XTC, “Things Fall to Bits” [ca. 1978]
25. 100 Flowers, “Our Fallout” [1983]
26. Black Randy & the Metrosquad, “I Slept in an Arcade” [1980]
27. Stiff Little Fingers, “Bloody Sunday” [1980]

Total Time: 1:19:37

Download it here: Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 4: Pop

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 3: Swing

“Disco Sucks” might have been a mantra for some of the original punks (or really, their brainless followers), but that is most certainly not the case with most of the Post-Punks. As evidenced on the first two installments of Rebellious Jukebox, dancing was very much a part of the Post-Punk zeitgeist. This third volume, Swing, continues to show that in addition to the Velvets and Roxy, these artists were also paying attention to Chic and Donna Summer.

Volume Three begins and ends with the vocals of Alan Vega, who shows us yet another unlikely influence on a Post-Punk artist: his crooning has often been compared to Elvis Presley, and “Fireball” might be the prime example. His band, Suicide (a duo actually, with keyboardist Martin Rev), was part of the original CBGB's scene (along with Talking Heads and Come On-- also featured here) and could easily be included on a Proto-Punk compilation.

The European continent makes a fairly sizeable contribution on this volume of Rebellious Jukebox as bands from Germany (Kraftwerk), France (Metal Urbain) and Belgium (The Honeymoon Killers) all make an appearance. I realize this series is very Anglo-American, but I intend to remedy this on a future installment (next September, maybe?).

Another Athens, GA band makes the cut here, bringing that quaint Southern city’s total up to four (the other three bands were all on the first volume: Pylon, B-52’s and Oh-Ok). This time it’s the vastly under-rated Method Actors, who have recently been given the reissue treatment from Acute Records.

Another band that are just now starting to get their due thanks to a recent reissue is San Francisco's the Units. If you aren’t from the Bay Area and didn’t live through the golden era of Post-Punk, you’d be forgiven if you thought “High Pressure Days” was a long lost Devo track. Probably my favorite track on this compilation, and the one newest to me, as I had never heard it before Community Library put out History of the Units: The Early Years 1977-1983 last year.

Enough out of me, Happy Listening!

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 3: Swing

01. Alan Vega, “Fireball” [1981]
02. Gang of Four, “I Found That Essence Rare” [1979, Peel Session]
03. Depeche Mode, “Photographic” [1981, Some Bizzare Version]
04. Kraftwerk, “The Model” [1978]
05. Minutemen, “Life as a Rehearsal” [1982]
06. Fire Engines, “Discord” [1981, Peel Session]
07. Talking Heads, “I Zimbra” [1979]
08. Come On, “A Kitchen in the Clouds” [1978]
09. Tuxedomoon, “Incubus (Blue Suit)” [1981]
10. The Sound, “The Fire” [1981]
11. The Better Beatles, “I’m Down” [1981]
12. The Honeymoon Killers, “Histoire À Suivre” [1982]
13. The Method Actors, “My Time” [1981]
14. Soft Cell, “Bedsitter” [1981]
15. Colin Newman, “& Jury” [1980]
16. Manicured Noise, “Metronome” [1979]
17. Suburbs, “Tiny People” [1980]
18. Units, “High Pressure Days” [1980]
19. Caberet Voltaire, “Landslide” [1981]
20. Echo & the Bunnymen, “Read it in Books” [1979, Original Single Version]
21. Metal Urbain, “Hysterie Connective” [1978]
22. The Wake, “Favour” [1982]
23. James Chance, “Contort Yourself” [1978, Original Version]
24. Scritti Politti, “Double Beat” [1978]
25. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, “Electricity” [1980]
26. Suicide, “Diamonds, Fur coat, Champagne” [1979]

Total Time: 1:19:08

Download it here: Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 3: Swing

PLEASE NOTE: When I zipped this puppy up and loaded up at Megaupload, I was in a bit of a rush, apparenttly, and the title for this comp comes up as "Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 3: Gloom". Of course, this is volume 3, but it should say "Swing". Instead of rezipping, I thought I'd just let you know and you can fix it once you've downloaded it. Apologies and Thanks Eric for noticing and letting me know!

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 2: Gloom

I think I mentioned this in last year's Halloween post, but as most of you know the Post-Punks were a gloomy bunch. Some of the very first Post-Punk bands I gravitated toward had a Gothic bent: The Cure, Siouxsie, Depeche Mode, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth (even R.E.M. and the Smiths neither of which will be represented on the first five volumes of Rebellious Jukebox). Not exactly sure why that is: I'm not a "black on the outside because black is how I feel on the inside" kind of guy. Looking back, I think it was sort of a natural progression from my heavy metal phase. What some of these bands were doing, isn't too far removed from those early Black Sabbath records that I love (just check out A Certain Ratio's "All Night Party" to see what I mean).

Interesting too, that this compilation features many of the artists before they were stars here in the U.S. One notable exception is Gary Numan, who's song, "Metal" was on the very same album as his #1 smash hit, "Cars". Simple Minds, the Human League, the Cure, New Order and Adam Ant (doing his best Brian Eno impression) are all here before they became household names a little later in the 80's. I even kick the compilation off with Warsaw, which was essentially Joy Division, before they became Joy Division. Most the others here never reached much more than cult status fame, although in Bauhaus's case that cult was rather large. Probably the most obscure band on this comp is Your Food out of Louisville. A band I recently learned about and just had to get them on here. There is one track on here that sticks out like a happy thumb when you listen to it. I won't give it away, but I figured I needed to break up all the gloom. I didn't want to be held responsible for someone slashing their wrist listening to this playlist.

Gloomy listening!

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 2: Gloom

01. Warsaw, “Leaders of Men” [ca. 1978]
02. The Comsat Angels, “Independence Day” [1980]
03. Fad Gadget, “Collapsing New People” [1984]
04. The Feelies, “The Boy With Perpetual Nervousness” [1980, Demo Version]
05. Crime, “San Francisco’s Doomed” [1978]
06. Bauhaus, “Silent Hedges” [1982]
07. The Jesus & Mary Chain, “Taste of Cindy” [1985]
08. A Certain Ratio, “All Night Party” [1979, Original Single Version]
09. The Cure, “Plastic Passion” [1979]
10. New Order, “Dreams Never End” [1981]
11. Gary Numan, “Metal” [1979]
12. Desperate Bicycles, “Obstructive” [1980]
13. Bunnydrums, “Shiver” [1983]
14. Clock DVA, “4 Hours [1981, Original Single Version]
15. Human League, “The Path of Least Resistance” [1979]
16. Mission of Burma, “Trem Two” [1982]
17. Wire, “Marooned” [1978]
18. Your Food, “Leave” [1984]
19. The Durutti Column, “Sketch for Summer” [1979]
20. Simple Minds, “Reel to Real” [1979]
21. Ultravox, “While I’m Alive” [1977]
22. Laughing Clowns, “ Clown Town” [1981]
23. Adam & the Ants, “Cleopatra” [1979]
24. Josef K, “Romance” [1979]
25. The Undertones, “Boys Will Be Boys” [1980]
26. Joy Division, “She’s Lost Control” [1979]


Total Time: 1:19:37

Download it here: Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 2: Gloom

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 1: Women

"Young people have a biological right to be excited about the times they're living through. If you are very lucky, that hormonal urgency is matched by the insurgency of the era, and your built-in adolescent need for amazement and belief coincides with a period of objective abundance. The prime years of postpunk-- the half decade from 1978-82-- were like that: a fortune." Simon Reynolds, from Rip it Up and Start Again.

Okay here we go, today I'm posting the first volume in my Post-Punk Series, Rebellious Jukebox. As I mentioned in my last post, there are five Wednesdays in September and I'll drop one compilation on each of those. Here's what's in store: 5 Discs, 132 Songs, 6.5 Hours worth of Post-Punk madness. These five discs are separated into five mini-themed comps: Women, Gloom, Swing, Pop, and Noise.

When I first decided to tackle Post-Punk, I thought I would do three maybe four compilations at 20 tracks each. Needless to say, that expanded pretty quickly and I just didn't have the heart to make many cuts. There are 130 (129 if you're picky) artists represented. I'll explain the ones I doubled up as we get to them. The earliest track I used is from 1977, and the latest track is from 1986. Most of them, however, fall within the five-year period generally considered to be the golden age of Post-Punk, 1978-1982.

I said I didn't make many cuts and, of course, that's not entirely true. Instead of just randomly leaving out an artist I loved, I decided to skip certain sub-genres of Post-Punk, which I felt could be tackled at some later date. In particular, you'll find no American Hardcore, Ska Revival, Mod Revival or Kiwi Pop in this series and very few artists from Australia. The New Romantics are here only in their earliest form, as are the Synth Poppers. All of this is subjective. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on my picks and omissions. I've already started compiling stuff for future volumes, so any recommendations you have will be taken very seriously! I don't claim to have heard everything, and I'm always looking for new stuff to listen to.

Today's compilation features the Women of Post-Punk. In a way, it is the perfect introduction disc to the series and to Post-Punk in general, as nearly every sub-genre is represented within it's 27 tracks. Of the songs I selected, I'm pretty sure I only heard two of them back in the day. In the late 70's and early 80's I was more interested in AOR, and didn't really know much about Post-Punk. I did have a friend who was way ahead of his time. In 1979 (we were in sixth grade), he made me a tape with the Sex Pistols' Nevermind the Bollocks on one side and the B-52's self-titled debut on the other.

I wish I could say that that tape immediately changed my listening habits. Alas, it would be a few years before I discovered how great that gift was. Let's put it in perspective. In sixth grade I was still very much in my Kiss phase-- Destroyer was my favorite album of all time. My older siblings (sister: 10 years older, brother: 8 years older) both listened to a lot of music, but my sister was buying 12" Disco singles and my brother was an avid Classic Rock fan at the time. Radio in Chattanooga wasn't that great (it still kinda sucks), and we didn't get MTV in our area until '81 or so. That tape sounded like it came from some other planet, but I did listen to it all the way through, so technically the first song I heard on this compilation was "52 Girls", though I can't claim it made much of an impression at the time. The other track, of course, would be "Mental Hopscotch" which I heard via MTV in 1982. It is the most New Wave-y track on any of the comps, but I still think it's a great song and Missing Persons' Spring Session M is miles better than anything else the Bozzio's ever produced and a nice little document of how Post-Punk influenced the mainstream.

Enough babbling, I'll let the ladies take it from here.

Happy Listening!

Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 1: Women

01. The Slits, “Instant Hit” [1979]
02. Au Pairs, “We’re So Cool” [1981]
03. Suburban Lawns, “Unable” [1981]
04. Essential Logic, “ Fanfare in the Garden” [1981]
05. Lizzy Mercier Descloux, “Wawa” [1979]
06. Pylon, “Stop It” [1980]
07. Bush Tetras, “You Taste Like the Tropics” [1980]
08. Delta 5, “Anticipation” [1980]
09. Siouxsie & the Banshees, “Mirage” [1978]
10. Family Fodder, “Savoir Faire”[1980]
11. LiLiPuT/Kleenex, “Ain’t You” [1978]
12. Young Marble Giants, “Final Day” [1979]
13. Romeo Void, “Myself to Myself” [1981]
14. X, “Nausea” [1980]
15. Snatch, “All I Want” [1978]
16. Altered Images, “Dead Pop Stars” [1981]
17. B-52’s, “52 Girls” [1979]
18. ESG, “Moody” [1981]
19. Missing Persons, “Mental Hopscotch” [1982]
20. Animals & Men, “Terraplane Fixation [1980]
21. The Raincoats, “Fairytale in the Supermarket [1979]
22. Tom Tom Club, “On, On, On, On . . .” [1981]
23. Oh-Ok, “Brother” [1982]
24. The Flying Lizards, “TV” [1980]
25. Inflatable Boy Clams, “Marin” [1981]
26. Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, “Orphans” [1978]
27. Marine Girls, “In Love” [1981]

Total Time 1:15:47

Download it here: Rebellious Jukebox Vol. 1: Women

Post-Punk Series Slated for September!

Just so you know where I'm coming from, someone posted the above video on a GBV forum that I frequent, and it has sent me on a three week Post-Punk bender. Not kidding, I've been obsessed. I'd never heard nor even heard of Black Randy. Here I thought I had listened to all the great bands from the Post-Punk era. How Wrong I was! Seriously, there were sooooo many great bands, some of them put out a single or an album or two then, sadly, vanished. Others went on to fame and fortune in a Post-MTV world. Still others, had formidable careers, but garnered little more than cult status. Whatever, there was lots of great music to be had during those heady days just after the Sex Pistols turned the world on its head.

Long story short, I've scoured my collection for nuggets to share here at Burn and Shine. I've also tracked down a few things that I had never heard (like the spectacular reissue of the Lines early singles which came out on Acute a couple years ago: Memory Span. As per usual, the blogosphere was a tremendous help in finding stuff that I've only got on vinyl or stuff that has never seen digital reissue.

Just as in my Power Pop series, this is by no means to be taken as a definitive collection of Post-Punk. I always try to balance my compilations by using a few tracks that aren't quite as well known, and put them along side tracks that are. I mean, if you haven't got a copy of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" or "Damaged Goods" then by all means track those down and listen to them before downloading my comps. Along those lines, I heartily recommend (if you have any interest in the genre at all), picking up a copy of Simon Reynolds' Rip It Up and Start Again: POSTPUNK 1978-1984 (pictured below). I've been rereading it over the last few days, and my compilation works as a nice companion (especially the first half of the book).



So what is Post-Punk? You may be asking yourself, well let me direct you to the Wikipedia definition, which is pretty good: Post-punk. It can be a bit murky, and I think everyone has their own general idea of what bands get the tag. Does R.E.M.? How 'bout Duran Duran? Nirvana? Good cases could be made for all of those, yet they didn't make my compilation. For me it's a gut feeling. You'll see soon enough who made my comps, which by the way, I've separated into five volumes: Women, Gloom, Swing, Pop, and Noise. You might be surprised to find out who I've put where, but hopefully the playlists make some sort of sonic sense.

There are Five Wednesdays in September, and I will post my comps on each of those (I promise). I may not have the energy to do track by track commentary, but I'll share some of my thoughts on each compilation. For now, I'll leave you with the cover art, which I made in about 13 minutes in true, DIY fashion:




See y'all on Wednesday!

Beware the Savage Jaw of 1984!

A few years ago, I put together a 15-Disc CDR compilation of the 80's. It was a massive and time consuming process, but I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. I had originally intended to post those comps here at Burn and Shine eventually. As you can surmise, I've decided against it-- at least for the time being. Instead, I have decided to start tackling individual years. I'm starting with 1984 for a few reasons.

First, it was the year that I discovered "College" music. I was in tenth grade, and was still very much into heavy metal and it's slightly uglier sister, hair metal. My brother gave me a tape with R.E.M's Murmur on one side and Reckoning on the other. Needless to say, my musical listening habits changed quite drastically. While I can't claim to have heard all of the artists on this compilation as early as 1984 (some of them I didn't hear till much later), I can safely say that tape my brother made, put me on a collision course with most of the artists I've used to represent the year.

Second, 1984 is generally considered a great year among Rock & Roll Historians. As I alluded, College music was in it's heyday. No less than three consensus, classic albums were released on independent labels (I'm thinking of Zen Arcade, Double Nickels and Let it Be and the case could be made for a few others . . .). The mainstream also produced some timeless gems (Purple Rain, 1984, Born in the USA and The Unforgettable Fire spring to mind). While nothing on my compilation could be classified as obscure, I have stayed away from the artists generally considered as mainstream-- though some of the artists did find huge mainstream success later.

Finally, it's been 25 years since these records came out. I might make this an annual tradition in November, as it seems to be a month with few options for themes (you don't really think of music when you think Thanksgiving do you?)-- with apologies to the years 1980-83.

Happy Listening!

1984: We're Behind Schedule

01. Guadalcanal Diary, "Watusi Rodeo" [2:45]
02. The dB's, "Amplifier" [3:11]
03. The Bangles, "Live" [2:36]
04. The Go-Betweens, "Unkind & Unwise" [3:06]
05. The Replacements, "Favorite Thing" [2:20]
06. Lloyd Cole, "Perfect Skin" [3:19]
07. Nick Lowe & His Cowboy Outfit, ""Half a Boy and Half a Man" [2:57]
08. Meat Puppets, "Plateau" [2:22]
09. The Pandoras, "It's About Time" [2:22]
10. The Smiths, "Hand in Glove" [3:23]
11. Talk Talk, "It's My Life" [3:54]
12. Let's Active, "Easy Does" [3:25]
13. The Waterboys, "Somebody Might Wave Back" [2:43]
14. The Cure, "The Empty World" [2:37]
15. Minutemen, "History Lesson Part II" [2:12]
16. Echo & the Bunnymen, "Crystal Days" [2:25]
17. Depeche Mode, "People Are People" [3:46]
18. Hüsker Dü, "Something I Learned Today" [2:03]
19. The Fall, "2 X 4" [3:38]
20. The Church, "Constant in Opal" [3:31]
21. Los Lobos, "Will the Wolf Survive" [3:44]
22. Dumptruck, "How Come?" [4:08]
23. Game Theory, "Nine Lives To Rigel Five" [2:49]
24. The Psychedelic Furs, "Heaven" [3:27]
25. R.E.M., "Letter Never Sent" [3:03]

Total Time: 1:15:31

Download it Here: 1984: We're Behind Schedule

Halloween Music!

I can't believe it's been a year since I started posting these comps! Halloween is upon us, so I thought I'd dish out another platter of Ghoul-ly, Rock & Roll Goodness. I think I've come up with another interesting mix, though it does seem to be a little heavy on the Post-Punks (The Cure, Jazz Butcher, Joy Division, The Gun Club, Pixies, Opal and the Sound all make an appearance here!). What is it about that era and it's fascination with morbid themes?

One song from that era, which unfortunately will probably never make one of my Halloween comps is the supremely fabulous "Bela Legusi's Dead" by Bauhaus. This song still sounds ahead of (and somehow behind?) it's time, and it's even been called "Goth's 'Stairway to Heaven'". It probably won't make one of my comps, because it's nearly 10-minutes long. I have, however, posted it via the Youtube video above (it's not really a video, but it is the original version of the song from 1979).

Just in case you missed it last year, or you're just now stumbling upon this blog: I've re-upped the first volume of Candy Apples & Razor Blades. Feel free to slide on over to the original post if you'd like to download it: October 30, 2008

A few comments about CA&RB Vol. 2. I have three returning players from the first volume: Roky Erickson, The Misfits and Frank Black (though here he's with his band, Pixies). Making his first appearance at Burn and Shine is Warren Zevon. Though I've never been a huge fan, I've always had a soft spot for "Werewolves of London". Instead of using the definitive version, I used an alternate take that can be found on the rarities compilation, Preludes from 2007. I like the Hamlet quote that kicks it off, and I think the creepy background vocals on it are a nice touch. Okay, that's enough blabbing.

Happy Listening!


Candy Apples & Razor Blades Vol. 2: More Music for All Hallow's Eve:

01. "Bo Meets the Monster" by Bo Didley [3:03]
02. "Graveyard Orbit" by Crystal Stilts [3:26]
03. "Devil's Food" by Alice Cooper [3:35]
04. "Happy Nightmare Baby" by Opal [2:57]
05. "The Blood" by The Cure [3:43]
06. "Vampire" by Antsy Pants [1:20]
07. "Dawn of the Dead" by The Weakends [2:14]
08. "Black Candy" by Beat Happening [3:00]
09. "Children of the Grave" by Black Sabbath [5:18]
10. "Lil' Devil" by The Cult [2:44]
11. "Night of the Vampire" by Roky Erickson [4:19]
12. "Zombie Love" by The Jazz Butcher [3:56]
13. "Nightmares" by Jay Reatard [2:12]
14. "Dead Souls" by Joy Division [4:57]
15. "Ghost on the Highway" by The Gun Club [2:46]
16. "Evil Hearted You" by Pixies [2:37]
17. "Night of the Living Dead" by The Misfits [1:59]
18. "The Devil" by PJ Harvey [2:56]
19. "Pet Sematary" by The Ramones [3:30]
20. "Skeletons" by The Sound [3:27]
21. "Werewolves of London (Alternate Take)" by Warren Zevon [3:38]
22. "Bride of Frankenstein" by Toy Love [2:08]
23. "Zombie Zoo" by Tom Petty [2:56]
24. "Grave Robbers" by Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron [1:47]
25. "Halloween Parade" by Lou Reed [3:33]

Total Time: 1:18:05

Download it here: Candy Apples & Razor Blades Vol. 2: More Music For All Hallow's Eve