Monthly Archives: January 2008

I’d like to postulate that there are some bands who should never enter a studio and simply play live – forever. Like, just never record. Producers most often simply don’t know how to harness the energy and power of a killer live act. The results are too clean, glossy, and well, commercial. Case in point (no pun) are The Plimsouls — a band I first heard live for the most part via a cassette of the LP right up there. “One Night In America” is a much better example of how the band really sounded, with swagger to its rhythms, grit in the vocals, and spectacularly honed and inventive vocals from Peter Case, who also gets some good duel guitar action with Eddie Munoz on every track. Not only doesn’t the band sound slick, like their one Geffen album does, it sounds dangerous, in the best rock ‘n’ roll tradition.

So, today, a little TVD experiment: The Plimsouls live from 1981 at The Whiskey A Go Go -vs- The Plimsouls’ 1983 Geffen release “Everywhere at Once” produced by Jeff Eyrich — who for today’s purposes I’ll dub “The Cleaner.” (I guess my leanings are uh, rather apparent…)

From 1983’s “Everywhere at Once”:
The Plimsouls – A Million Miles Away (Mp3)
The Plimsouls – I’ll Get Lucky (Mp3)
The Plimsouls – Inch By Inch (Mp3)
The Plimsouls – Shaky City (Mp3)

Live at the Whiskey, 1981:
The Plimsouls – A Million Miles Away (Live) (Mp3)
The Plimsouls – I’ll Get Lucky (Live) (Mp3)
The Plimsouls – Inch By Inch (Live) (Mp3)
The Plimsouls – Shaky City (Live) (Mp3)

Uncomplicated. Unfussy. Anti-intellectual. Confectionary. Yet, constant rock for me and my Girl Friday.

The Babys – Postcard.mp3
The Babys – She’s My Girl.mp3
The Babys – Darker Side Of Town.mp3
The Babys – Downtown.mp3
The Babys – Gonna Be Somebody.mp3

“Here at TVD, we’re all about breaking new bands. So let us introduce you to a wonderful 6-piece combo from NYC who have big things ahead of them…”

Nothing like being right in retrospect, huh? Seriously, this is one release I’ve owned in every format — vinyl, CD, even cassette. (Sadly, not 8-track.) And is “Union City Blue” one of the best rock songs EVER?! Well, yes.

Blondie – Dreaming (Mp3)
Blondie – Union City Blue (Mp3)
Blondie – Accidents Never Happen (Mp3)
Blondie – Slow Motion (Mp3)
Blondie – Atomic (Mp3)

BONUS:
Radiohead – Union City Blue (Live) (Mp3)

Teardrop Explodes – Bouncing Babies (Mp3)
The Stranglers – Five Minutes (Mp3)
Modern English – Gathering Dust (Mp3)
Medium Medium – Hungry So Angry (Mp3)
The Passions – Hunted (Mp3)
Wire – Our Swimmer (Mp3)
Echo and the Bunnymen – Pictures On My Wall (Mp3)
Wild Swans – Revolutionary Spirit (Mp3)
New Model Army – The Prize (Mp3)
Joy Division – These Days (Mp3)

There IS a theme here.

The Random Friday Five hot off the ‘pod. Anyone else?

Sylvian and Sakamoto – Bamboo Houses (Mp3)
Kent – Unprofessional (Mp3)
Felt – Primitive Painters (Mp3)
greatestnamelessband – Felt (Mp3)
Of Montreal – The Past is a Grotesque Animal (Mp3)

Mark Saxby, Phil Morris and Phil Payne WERE (we think?) Arnold – initially signed to Alan McGee’s Creation Records and later on his Poptones imprint. These tracks come from their demos (recorded over 12 days in a medieval barn in Kent) which impressed McGee so much he released them — as is. Some of these tracks later appeared on Arnold’s wonderful debut “Hillside” which was followed by “Bahama” and subsequently a self-titled EP of new (fantastic) material. Then well, Saxby and Payne now record as Little Massive. So, Arnold – where are you? (Yes, we’re big fans…)

Arnold – Float My Boat (Mp3)
Arnold – Face (Mp3)
Arnold – Windsor Park (Mp3)
Arnold – Medication Time (Mp3)

“Nobody does it better / makes me feel saaad for the rest…”

The Posies – World (Mp3)
The Posies – Throwaway (Mp3)
The Posies – Everybody Is A Fucking Liar (Mp3)
The Posies – Hate Song.mp3
The Posies – Will You Ever Ease Your Mind (Mp3)

Five today from the hugely underrated Marshall Crenshaw from his first LP. Always just loved this cover too…

Marshall Crenshaw – Someday (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw – There She Goes Again (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw – Girls… (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw – Cynical Girl (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw – Mary Anne (Mp3)

We’re delighted to have been invited to contribute to the interesting international collective known as Fun and Heartbreak. Come join us, won’t you?

At one point during the past weekend with the house to myself and a cold one in hand, I blasted last Monday’s Daily Wax — the Joe Jackson Band’s “Beat Crazy” followed by the reunited band’s ’03 release “Volume 4.” Now, Joe’s taken some serious detours between these two ‘band’ releases…swing, salsa, film scoring and more — but you wouldn’t know it playing these two LP’s back to back. There’s a continuity of energy, attack and wit like those divergent musical paths of Joe’s were never taken. See what I mean:

Joe Jackson Band – Bright Grey (Mp3)
Joe Jackson Band – Fairy Dust (Mp3)
Joe Jackson Band – Take It Like A Man (Mp3)
Joe Jackson Band – Awkward Age (Mp3)
Joe Jackson Band – Thugz ‘R’ Us (Mp3)

…via Glasgow. Redd Kross meets Silver Sun by way of (…er) Weezer…?

The Martial Arts – Murry & Audree (Mp3)
The Martial Arts – Mod Val (Mp3)
The Martial Arts – Kicking And Screaming (Mp3)
The Martial Arts – Contemptuous Disdain (Mp3)
The Martial Arts – Finale (Mp3)

…and they’re giving away their entire release right here. Me thinks we’re off to a fine start to the year…

Ten live tracks to kick off the first Friday of ’08…

The Plimsouls – Hush (Mp3)
(Live at The Whiskey A Go Go, 1981)
The La’s – Timeless Melody (Mp3)
(Live at the Marquee, 4/23/91)
Jellyfish – The King is Half Undressed (Mp3)
(Live in San Juan Capistrano, 4/4/93)
Suede – Heroine (Mp3)
(Live in London, 9/23/03)
Japan – My New Career (Mp3)
(Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 7/2/81)
Tears For Fears – Start of the Breakdown (Mp3)
(Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour, 1985)
Thin Lizzy – The Sun Goes Down (Mp3)
(Live at the Regal Theatre, 1983)
Joe Jackson – It’s Different For Girls (Mp3)
(Live at the Hatfield Polytechnic, 11/29/79)
The Clash – Train in Vain (Mp3)
(Live at the Bob Marley Centre, Montego Bay, 11/27/82)
Slade – Mama Weer All Crazee Now (Mp3)
(Live in London, 1975)

TVD kicked this off in ’07 and it becomes a regular Friday feature for ’08 — Shuffle Bored. The premise is simple — the iPod’s selections have become predictable and boring, so here’s my random five for your random five. List, post, link — whatever — just hit us with your Friday five…

The Melodians – Rivers of Babylon (Mp3)
Psychedelic Furs – Into You Like A Train (Mp3)
Paul Hyde and the Payolas – All That I Want (Mp3)
Danny Wilson – Aberdeen (Live) (Mp3)
Longpigs – She Said (Mp3)

I’m not sure how many of you who read TVD with any frequency do so for the the music alone or for the vinyl rips to Mp3, but shortly TVD HQ will have a new addition for the latter — the ION Audio TTUSB10 pictured above. As with most purchases of this sort, research was conducted, options were weighed, and the dice was rolled in favor of the ION model. When the new turntable arrives (mid-January) TVD will delve into the set-up and usability of the product and will follow the progress from box to broadband. Feedback, advice and warnings from current ION owners quite welcome along the way…

Update: And it is with much love that TVD thanks Ms. TVD for the kick-ass Christmas gift!

…via Liverpool.
The Grants – I Am the One (Mp3)
The Grants – Nothing to Lose(Mp3)