Fascinating Things

PLAYLIST

1. Monkeys In Love – Gin In A Can 2015 – The Superselling Sounds Of The Monkeys In Love
2. Mammoth Penguins – Propped Up – Hide and Seek
3. Le Butcherettes – Shave The Pride – A Raw Youth
4. Dave Graney – Daddy Was A Clown – Dave Graney : Night of the Wolverine demos/Early 90s songwriter demos
5. Alif – Holako (Hulagu) – Aynama-Rtama
6. Maid Myriad – Encircled – With Haste On Its Breath
7. Cryin’ Queerwolf featuring Luis Drayton – Sleeping My Way To The Top – Diva
8. Rule of Thirds – Mother/Master – Demo
9. Stray from the Path – The New Gods – Subliminal Criminals
10. Monkeys In Love – Graphene Is Making The Scene – The Superselling Sounds Of The Monkeys In Love
11. The Monophonics – Lying Eyes – Sound of Sinning
12. Le Butcherettes – Oil The Shoe If The Critter Knew Any Better – A Raw Youth
13. Titus Andronicus – No Future Part IV : No Future Triumphant – The Most Lamentable Tragedy
14. Mammoth Penguins – Always Cries At The Movies – Hide and Seek
15. Helen – Felt This Way – The Original Faces
16. Counterblast – The Search – Karma Crusher Promo
17. Alif – Al-Khutba Al-Akhira (The Last Declamation) – Aynama-Rtama
18. Malka – A Flock Of Crows – The Constant State
19. Cryin’ Queerwolf – Dusty Dalek – Diva
20. Monkeys In Love – Salesmen’s Wives – The Superselling Sounds Of The Monkeys In Love
21. Le Butcherettes – They Fuck You Over – A Raw Youth
22. Family Fodder – Galapagas – Thirteen O’ Clock – Volume 1
23. Mammoth Penguins – We Won’t Go There – Hide and Seek
24. Alpha Males en Parade – Alternative Twist – Alpha Males en Parade
25. Peter Hammill – Refugees – Nos Hacemos Falta OST
26. Dave Graney – Somewhere In The World –  Dave Graney : Night of the Wolverine demos/Early 90s songwriter demos
27. Cryin’ Queerwolf – Sirens – Diva
28. Helen – Dying All The Time – The Original Faces
29. Mark Corrin – Full Moon Double Reflection – Earthbound
30. Mammoth Penguins – Played – Hide and Seek
31. No Form – Goddess of Fire – No Form
32. Le Butcherettes featuring Iggy Pop- La Uva – A Raw Youth

NOTES/LINKS

1. Released on German Shepherd Records on 4th September – https://germanshepherdrecords.bandcamp.com/
2. The debut album from the new band fronted by Emma Kupa, formerly of BBC 6 Music favourites Standard Fare. Released on 10 July via Fortuna POP!.  A dozen simply marvellous power pop tunes with Emma’s delightful and arresting voice holding the attention for the whole of the album. Lyrically spot on, musically clever, and as it is stripped down to guitar, bass and drums, this is a perfect example of how to write and deliver good tunes.
3. Guadalajara-born and now El Paso-based punk prophet Teri Gender Bender (vocals and guitar) is the loud and vivacious brainchild of Le Butcherettes. She is joined by drummer Chris Common (These Arms Are Snakes) and bassist Jamie Aaron, together creating downright enjoyable detonations of off-kilter rock that ooze charisma and light up every live show that they play. A Raw Youth, out on September 18th, is the follow up to Last year’s Cry Is For The Flies LP is once again produced with friend and collaborator, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. This time round, the band are sounding even more driven, confrontational and celebratory – A Raw Youth is an album that speaks to anyone who hears a big beat and can’t deny the will to rock out, wielding the spirit of classic rock, punk poetics, and raw electric guitar power.
4. Seven songs recorded in 1991 on a 4 track cassette that eventually ended up on the album, Night Of The Wolverine, which was recorded in a weekend late in 1992. The other songs were recorded around the same time. Dave Graney felt hollowed out after the failure to get the album I Was The Hunter and I Was The Prey out. (Recorded in London with the original Coral Snakes in 1990. It eventually came out in 1992 on Fire Records in the UK). The idea of gathering another head of steam or bunch of songs as strong as that seemed impossible and Dave thought his future lay in being a songwriter for other artists.The last four of these songs were intended to be sung by a female. “I walked with a Saint” and “I’m gonna live my life” which was eventually covered by Lisa Miller.  “Somewhere in the world” was recorded by Tex Perkins for his debut solo album, “Far be it from me” in 1996. – https://davegraney1.bandcamp.com/album/dave-graney-night-of-the-wolverine-demos-early-90s-songwriter-demos
5. As reviewed here – http://bobonscr.com/2015/08/17/majestic-and-surreal/
6. https://maidmyriad.bandcamp.com/
7. Cryin’ Queerwolf has been forwarding the developing versions of the tracks on his new release “Diva” over the last few months and it has been a rewarding experience contributing ideas and suggestions back to him. Fast Lane Steve, the Queerwolf’s manager, says “Loosely ‘Diva’ is the story of a gender neutral “showbizz” star, who used to be big, but they are on the wane. He compares the protagonists fans basking in the warmth of the nova like fade out of their idol. The Diva is quite deluded and believes they are ‘still big’ very much along the lines of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard and Kathy Kirby.” The latent humour of this work, combined with the usual darker, sinister, sub-text to CQs output is in full effect here. There is also a coy playfulness to the delivery and lyrics that edges towards the bawdy, but manages to keep it’s trousers on throughout. CQs sino-centric sound emerges occasionally from the dark disco electronica which dominates the album, and there are occasional glimpses of a post-punk pop moodiness. The Queerwolf’s best work to date. A limited CD run has been despatched so any chances of getting this are slim – but CQ has mentioned the possibility of a live performance sometime in the near future.
8. Australian post punk band
9. Subliminal Criminals is the seventh studio album by American band Stray from the Path. The album was released on August 14, 2015 through Sumerian Records
10. as 1
11. https://monophonics.bandcamp.com/album/sound-of-sinning
12. as 3.
13. The Most Lamentable Tragedy  is the fourth studio album by Titus Andronicus and the band’s debut for Merge Records. A rock opera in five acts, it was released on July 28, 2015, as a digital download, double CD, and triple LP. The central narrative  (“a work of fiction,” claims singer/songwriter Patrick Stickles) concerns an unnamed protagonist whom we meet in deep despair. Following an encounter with his own doppelgänger (an enigmatic stranger, identical in appearance though opposite in disposition), long held secrets are revealed, sending our protagonist on a transformative odyssey, through past lives and new loves, to the shocking revelation that the very thing that sustains him may be the thing to destroy him.
14. as 2.
15. Back in 2013, Grouper’s Liz Harris released a fuzz-pop single with a trio called Helen, also featuring Jed Bindeman of Eternal Tapestry and Scott Simmons. Now the band – which “originally started with the intention of being a thrash band”, according to a press release – have announced their debut album, The Original Faces. Recorded over several years in Portland by the band and “their friends Nick, Chris and, largely, Justin Higgins. The record was written together, with some songs based on Liz and Scottʼs demos.” It’s out on Harris’ regular label Kranky on September 4.
16. https://counterblast.bandcamp.com/releases
17. as 5.
18. https://malkanyc.bandcamp.com/
19. as 7.
20. as 1.
21. as 3.
22. Lovingly compiled by Atlanta-based PPNW (Post Punk New Wave) Records, “13 O’Clock” revives the spirit of 80’s DIY, a sound & aesthetic which can still be heard today in Franz Ferdinand, The Horrors, The Bravery, Ladytron and many more…Featuring exciting previously unreleased tracks from 80’s cult favourites
23. as 2
24. Alpha Males en Parade were a trio from Dana Point, CA in the mid 2000s. – http://refryrecords.bandcamp.com
25. A revisit of the classic Hammill tune from “The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other”
26. as 4
27. as 7
28. as 15.
29. New release from Mark – https://valentinerecords.bandcamp.com/album/ep-7-earthbound
30. as 2
31. https://noform.bandcamp.com/album/no-form-12
32. as 3.