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LOUIS TILLETT - LETTERS TO A DREAM (1992)

2009-09-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

Louis Tillett is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboard player and saxophonist. He was a member of Australian band The Wet Taxis and played for a while in former The Saints guitarist Ed Kuepper's experimental post-punk group The Laughing Clowns.

For fans of Nick Cave, Jim Morrison, Simon Bonney.

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DEREK AND CLIVE - AD NAUSEAM (1978)

2009-09-02T02:57:00.000-07:00

Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam is the third and final recording made by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore of their characters Derek and Clive. The record is difficult to listen to in places as it also charts the breakup of their partnership.For an advertising ploy when the record was released itcame with its own airplane sickbag and is still to this day the only record to do that. The quality of the material is more variable than that of their previous two offerings; it is widely regarded as a wise place for the duo to have stopped recording. Moore walked out before the end of this recording, unable to cope with Cook's drunken verbal attacks any longer. The two never worked on a major project again. Cook filmed some of the proceedings and these were released on the documentary Derek and Clive Get the Horn.

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THE CURE - UNPLUGGED (1991)

2009-09-02T00:48:00.000-07:00

Speaks for itself really.

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THE BLUE ORCHIDS - A DARKER BLOOM (2002)

2009-09-02T00:44:00.000-07:00

Blue Orchids are a British Post-punk band formed in Manchester, England in 1979, when Martin Bramah decided to quit the The Fall having recorded that band's debut album Live at the Witch Trials. Bramah teamed up with keyboardist Una Baines, also an ex-Fall member, guitarist Rick Goldstraw, bassist Steve Toyne and drummer Ian Rogers (AKA Joe Kin).^[1] Punk poet John Cooper Clark christened them Blue Orchids.

They signed to Rough Trade Records, and in November 1980 they released their debut single, a double A side, "The Flood / Disney Boys".^[1] By this time Steve Toyne had left the band and Rick Goldstraw had taken over the bass playing duties. Later in February 1981 they released their second single "Work".

'Work' was much liked by the late John Peel who played it regularly after its release. The band's music came to the attention of Echo & the Bunnymen, who subsequently invited Blue Orchids to be the support act for Echo & the Bunnymen's 1981 UK tour. Alastair "Baz" Murphy was recruited to play keyboards on the tour due to an illness suffered by Una Baines.

Also after the release of 'Work' the Blue Orchids recorded the first of their Peel Sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 programme.

Phillip Toby Toman, an ex-member of The Durutti Column joined on drums when Ian Rogers left the group after the Echo & the Bunnymen tour (he later went on to play for Primal Scream under the name Toby Tomanov). This new line-up recorded a debut album called The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain), which went on to sell 10,000 copies.

The group toured with Nico, former member of The Velvet Underground, serving as both backing group and support act. Rick Goldstraw decided to continue touring with Nico, so a new bassist called Mark Hellyer was recruited as a replacement. During the time the band were working with Nico, Steve Garvey (formerly with Buzzcocks, The Teardrops and Bok Bok, then with Motivation) also played bass with them, shortly before migrating to United States.^[2]^[3]

The group's next record was the Agents of Change EP in 1982. After parting company with Rough Trade at the end of the year the group split up, with Baines joining The Fates.^[1]

Bramah and Baines briefly returned in 1985 with the single "Sleepy Town" and then split up again. After this Martin Bramah and Una Baines ceased working together. Bramah then formed a new group with ex-Fall drummer Karl Burns called Thirst. They only released one record, the Riding the Times EP in 1987.^[1]

In 1989, Bramah briefly returned to The Fall and appeared on the Extricate album. The reunion with Mark E. Smith was never going to last, and Bramah was sacked from the group whilst on a tour of Australia in 1990.

In 1991, Bramah returned with a new incarnation of Blue Orchids which featured ex-Smiths guitarist Craig Gannon on guitar, Martin Hennan on bass, and Dick Harrison on drums.^[1] Their first release was a single called "Diamond Age", followed later in 1991 by a compilation album called A View From The City. In 1992 they released the Secret City EP and A second album was recorded in 1993, but would remain unreleased for ten years. Bramah decided to split the group again in 1995.

In 2002, a compilation album called A Darker Bloom was released on the Cherry Red label. This release had sleeve notes written by Bramah's former colleague in The Fall, Marc Riley.

2003 saw the group release/reissue three albums on the LTM label. The shelved album from 1993 was finally released under the title of The Sleeper. Released almost simultaneously was a compilation album called From Severe to Serene, which featured the group's two John Peel sessions, live tracks and the contents of the Riding the Times EP. At the end of the year the group's debut album The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain) was finally given a long overdue CD release.

In 2004, the LTM label released a brand new Blue Orchids album called Mystic Bud. This release contained a surprising cover version of "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies. Founder member Rick Goldstraw returned for the mini album Slum-Cavern-Jest! in 2005. This release featured a cover version of the Fred Neil song "Green Rocky Road".

In 2008, Martin Bramah released his debut solo album, The Battle Of Twisted Heel, in January. 2008 also saw Phillip Toby Toman who played drums from 1981-82, playing drums for The Inhalers and more recently, Panic Attack in and around venues in Weymouth, Dorset.

Early 2009 saw the formation of Bramah's new group Factory Star, featuring fellow ex-Fall members Steve Hanley on bass, Paul Hanley on drums and Hop Man Jr of Gnod on keyboards.

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CRIME + THE CITY SOLUTION - JUST SOUTH OF HEAVEN (1985)

2009-09-02T00:38:00.000-07:00

Crime and The City Solution were a rock music band formed by Australian singer and songwriter Simon Bonney.

They had four distinct line-ups: Sydney in 1977-78, Melbourne in 1979, and two groupings in Berlin from 1985-1990. The only common member in all four line-ups was Bonney.

Other members included: former members of The Birthday Party (Mick Harvey and Rowland S. Howard); former Swell Maps drummer Epic Soundtracks; and Alexander Hacke from Einstürzende Neubauten.

Crime and the City Solution completed four studio albums and a number of E.Ps during its existence, and a live album has since been released. Further early recordings have resurfaced on the internet. Parallels have been drawn between Crime and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Crime were famed for their live performances, where Bonney's delicate physical appearance contrasted sharply with his deep, dark voice. He has since gone on to record solo material.

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HUNTERS AND COLLECTORS - HUNTERS AND COLLECTORS (1982)

2009-09-02T00:28:00.000-07:00

“Ending up with the intensity and passion of a U2, Hunters And Collectors carved a unique path and place for themselves in Australian rock culture. The group was originally formed in post-punk 1981 in Melbourne as a collective rather than a band, an excursion into funk-rock rhythms and industrial Krautrock. They named themselves after a song by Can.
Hunters & Collectors' self-titled debut is seething art funk comparable to a harder-edged Shriekback or less political Gang of Four. The latter two bands were built on the bedrock of Dave Allen's bass, and H&C's sound is likewise often dominated by formidable bassist John Archer. At this stage of H&C's career they were still working to develop an identity. The lyrics on Hunters & Collectors are stream-of-consciousness poetics that range from the merely incomprehensible to the downright silly, and singer Mark Seymour does not sound entirely comfortable delivering them. This would change in later years; Hunters & Collectors, meanwhile, is all about the muscular rhythms provided by Archer and drummer Doug Falconer. When they get hold of a good one, they motor right over the young band's shortcomings. This album's best moments are "Tow Truck," "Talking to a Stranger," and, especially, "Run Run Run," an epic song that begins on a relentless beat, then shifts midway through to a hypnotic groove that builds to a towering crescendo.” (From AllMusicGuide).

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TACTICS - MY HOUDINI (1981)

2009-09-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

“Tactics was a band formed in the late 1970s in Canberra by David Studdert (vocals & rhythm guitar), Angus Douglas (lead guitar) and Robert Whittle (drums), with bass players Steve K (1977), Steve Ball (1978) and Geoff Marsh (1979-81). With Marsh as bass player, they moved to Sydney and quickly became known for running against the grain musically, lyrically, and stylistically. Always fronted by songwriter Studdert, the lineup changed marginally for each album until they finally called it a day in 1990. After moving to the UK during the 90s, Studdert formed Mumbo Jumbo - touring and releasing an album - before a brief stint back in Australia where he fronted an 8-piece band called The Inside Up in 2000/2001.
Tactics' first album, My Houdini was released in 1980 to critical acclaim, and captured the energy of their live sound with clarity & passion. Its overall colours were deepened by some slower, more reflective songs such as 'The Usual', 'Frozen Park' and 'A Settler's Complaint', which weren't present in their live set. Finding style through natural arrangement, everything was considered, even saxes and flutes make an appearance despite those days of the DIY (post)punk police. The album stood out from anything else at the time not least because of its songs and playing, but for the studio experiments with a natural flow of ideas. Though a cohesive identifiable whole, no song repeats itself.”

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THE COMSAT ANGELS - SLEEP NO MORE (1981)

2009-09-01T23:58:00.000-07:00

The Comsat Angels were a post-punk band from Sheffield, England, active from 1978 to 1995.^[1] Their music has been described as "abstract pop songs with spare instrumentation, many of which were bleak and filled with some form of heartache."^[2] They have been credited as being an influence to current post-punk revival bands, such as Blacklist, Editors and Interpol.^[3] The Comsat Angels toured heavily in the UK and in western Europe, especially in The Netherlands. They also toured the United States twice.^[4] Their music has been extensively reissued and recompiled since 1995 by various record labels.

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A CERTAIN RATIO - TO EACH AND EVERYONE (1981)

2009-09-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

A Certain Ratio are a Post-punk band formed in 1977 in Manchester, England. While originally part of the punk rock movement, they soon added funk and dance elements to their sound. They are sometimes referred to as "post punk funk". The band's name is taken from the lyrics of Brian Eno's song "The True Wheel" (from the album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)

The group's longest serving original members are been Martin Moscrop (guitar, trumpet) and Jeremy Kerr (bass, vocals). Another current member, Donald Johnson (drums, vocals), joined after the first drummerless single. Two of ther original members have left the band - Simon Topping (left in 1983 for Quando Quango and, later, T-Coy), plus guitarist Peter Terrell, who left in 1982. Keyboardist Andy Connell who joined in 1982 left to form Swing Out Sister in 1985.

The band's exploration of rhythm fusing funk, disco, punk and Latin has had a resurgence in the last few years and their influence can be heard in bands such as The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem. In 2002 Soul Jazz Records started a program of reissues of ACR's albums and difficult to find tracks. Further re-issues and a live recording from 1980 have also been made available on the LTM label.

Although the band does not play full time, they continue writing, recording, and performing. A Certain Ratio performed in the US for the first time since 1985 on November 16, 2008, headlining the Part Time Punks Festival at The Echo in Los Angeles, California.

A Certain Ratio started their career on Factory Records, managed by Tony Wilson. They are featured in the film 24 Hour Party People where Tony Wilson (played by Steve Coogan) calls them "Joy Division but better dressed." Martin Moscrop was Musical Supervisor of 24 Hour Party People.

Simon Topping appeared on stage with Joy Division - filling in for an indisposed Ian Curtis - at a concert in Bury's Derby Hall on April 8 1980 which ended in a riot (featured in the Anton Corbijn film Control). This concert took place a few weeks before Curtis' suicide.

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BEASTS OF BOURBON - THE AXEMANS JAZZ 1984.

2009-09-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

Beginnings

The group were initially thrown together by vocalist Tex Perkins to fulfill a booking his previous band, Tex Deadly and the Dum-Dums, could no longer make. The band began playing together in small venues in Sydney. The initial version of the group included Spencer P. Jones of The Johnnys, Boris Sudjovic and Kim Salmon of The Scientists and James Baker of Hoodoo Gurus. Recruited in large part because they were often found in the Southern Cross, an inner-city Sydney bar, these members form what is considered by some^[who?] to be the 'classic'^{[neutrality disputed]} line-up. This lineup was featured on the band's first album, The Axeman's Jazz, recorded in 1984 in a single afternoon for one hundred dollars by Tony Cohen. The album was an excursion into deranged Gothic country and western,^{[citation needed]} with a strong sense of irony and irreverence toward country music's clichés. A cover of "Psycho" was a hit on alternative radio. Although the album became an underground success, the band continued, for the time being, to be a side project for its members until 1988.

Later years

The Beasts of Bourbon grew from being a side project to become a true supergroup of the Australian pub rock scene. The original line-up fell apart in 1984 when the Scientists left Australia to tour overseas; fill-ins included Stu Spasm of Lubricated Goat and Brad Shepherd of Hoodoo Gurus. When both the Johnnys and the Scientists fell apart, however, the original line-up reunited in 1987, to record another album, Sour Mash in 1988. The swamp-rock of The Axeman's Jazz had given way to a fusion of blues-based pub rock and punk with great effect.^{[neutrality disputed]} Black Milk, recorded in 1990, expanded on this idea.

The band grew particularly confident and powerful while touring Europe on the back of Sour Mash and grew in popularity.^{[citation needed]} In 1991, Baker and Sujdovic left to be replaced by Brian Hooper and Tony Pola - the bassist and drummer of Kim Salmon's new band, The Surrealists. This line-up (considered by other fans to be the 'classic' line-up^{[neutrality disputed]}) recorded the highly popular album The Low Road in 1991. The band disintegrated in Europe while touring to support the album.

A double album of live tracks and rarities, titled The Belly of the Beasts - Live '91 & '92 and Shit We Didn't Put Out the First Time was released to mark the group's ten years together, and the group toured extensively in support of the album. Following the tour, it appeared as if the Beasts would announce their demise. Salmon left the group to concentrate on the Surrealists and Perkins' group The Cruel Sea was achieving huge success with their album The Honeymoon is Over [2].

In 1996, the group reformed with former Divinyl Charlie Owen on guitar and released Gone in 1997. The album received lukewarm reviews, but managed to produce a minor single in the form of Saturated. In 1997 the band went on hiatus.

In 2003, they reformed to record a live album, Low Life, released on Spooky Records. In 2006, they reformed to play in the Big Day Out Festival around Australia and New Zealand.

In late December 2006 it was announced that Albert Productions had signed an exclusive worldwide recording deal with the band and they are set to release their new album 'Little Animals' on April 21, 2007.

Tex Perkins said, "The Alberts label releases have been a huge influence on the Beasts of Bourbon, so to be signed to this legendary label is not only a great honour and the start of an exciting new chapter in the bands history, it feels like…..Destiny".^{[citation needed]}

Recently the group played alongside other Australian bands and artists at the Rockin' for Rights concert, which protested the unfair Workchoices legislation of the Howard Government.

After a show in Berlin in April 2008, the group cancelled their remaining tour dates and ended the band. Rumours say that a heated drunken argument between Tex Perkins and Spencer P Jones forced Spencer to return to Australia immediately with no intention of continuing the Beasts project.

[edit] Style

The Beasts of Bourbon's music has often been compared^[who?] to that of a rougher Rolling Stones (whose "Cocksucker Blues" they covered),^{[citation needed]} The Gun Club^{[citation needed]} (who they played with and who some Beasts of Bourbon members filled in for) and The Birthday Party.^{[citation needed]} In Germany, the band were described as "Muddy Waters on crack".^{[citation needed]} Their music is an amalgam of country music, blues, rock and roll and punk rock parsed through the garage sound of The Stooges and the drunken mayhem^{[citation needed]} of Australian pub rock. It often touches on themes of depravity, morbidity, despair, drug abuse and violence.

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ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN - NEVER STOP (MAXI) (1983)

2009-09-01T03:20:00.000-07:00

"Never Stop" is a single which was released by the British post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen on 8 July 1983. It reached number fifteen on the UK Singles Chart the same month.^[1] The title track on the 12-inch single is a remixed version called "Never Stop (Discotheque)" and is another minute and fifteen seconds longer.

The b-side of the 7-inch single is "Heads Will Roll" and the b-sides of the 12-inch single are an expanded version called "Heads Will Roll (Summer Version)" and "The Original Cutter". While Hugh Jones produced the a-side, the b-sides were produced by Ian Broudie under the pseudonym Kingbird.

Although the "Never Stop" is a non-album release, it has subsequently been included on the 2003 remastered version of the Porcupine album as well as a number of compilation albums. "Never Stop (Discotheque)" was also used in the 2006 film The History Boys^[2] and was included on the subsequent soundtrack album.

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THE MOODISTS - ENGINE SHUDDER (1983)

2009-09-01T03:01:00.000-07:00

The Moodists were an Australian post-punk band that formed in 1980, when Dave Graney, Clare Moore and Steve Miller of punk group The Sputniks moved from Adelaide to Melbourne. They added bass player Chris Walsh and later added guitarist Mick Turner.

After recording two singles and a six track EP for Bruce Milne and Greta Moon's Au Go Go label in Melbourne they relocated to London. This was at the behest of the Red Flame label who had released a compilation of their Australian releases. They then recorded the albums Thirstys Calling (1984) and Double Life (1985).

They returned to Australia in 1985 for six months (Turner quit and reconvened his earlier group Fungus Brains; he would later form The Dirty Three) and then travelled again to the UK. During this time they toured extensively through Northern Europe and also made a short tour of the USA. In 1985 they recorded an EP for Creation Records. In 1986 they released two EPs on the TIM label. All their recorded works from the time they first decamped to the northern hemisphere were produced by the band and Victor Van Vugt (who went on to work with Nick Cave, Beth Orton and PJ Harvey as well as many others) Their final gig was in London and the lineup by this time featured Dave Graney, Clare Moore and Steve Miller as well as former members of Scottish band Orange Juice: David McClymont on bass and Malcolm Ross on guitar. (Malcolm Ross was later to play with Graney and Moore as part of the original Coral Snakes). After they disbanded in 1987, Dave Graney and Clare Moore formed the first of Graney's solo groups 'Dave Graney with the Coral Snakes'. This band featured Malcolm Ross, Gordy Blair on bass and piano player Louis Vause. They recorded an ep for Fire Records which was produced by Barry Adamson.

In 2003 a retrospective CD Two Fisted Art was released on the W.Minc label (run by guitarist Steve Miller) and the band reformed for a limited number of live performances in Melbourne. In 2004 a DVD of a performance recorded for British television in 1984 was released by Umbrella Entertainment. The band were asked for any contributions and they reconvened for a filmed interview for the disc as well as providing footage from Mick Harvey's private archives and also film of another, more raw performance at The Haçienda in Manchester.

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2009-09-01T02:54:00.000-07:00

DAVID BOWIE - DAVID LIVE 1974.

David Live is David Bowie’s first official live album, originally released by RCA Records in 1974. Recorded on the initial leg of Bowie’s US tour supporting Diamond Dogs in July of that year (the second leg, a more soul-oriented affair following recording sessions for the bulk of Young Americans, would be renamed 'Philly Dogs'), it is generally held by critics, fans, and Bowie himself alike to be a commercial stopgap lacking in energy.

The album catches Bowie in transition from the Ziggy Stardust/Aladdin Sane glam-rock era of his career to the 'plastic soul' of Young Americans. While the cover featured a picture Bowie in his latest soul threads - baggy trouser suit complete with shoulder pads and suspenders from November 1974 - the music was recorded in July of that year when he was showcasing his two most recent studio albums of original material, Diamond Dogs and Aladdin Sane, as well as selected favourites from Ziggy Stardust and earlier.

The tour was Bowie’s most ambitious to date, featuring a giant set designed to evoke "Hunger City", the post-apocalyptic setting for Diamond Dogs, and his largest band, led by Michael Kamen. For "Space Oddity" (recorded at the time but not released until the album’s 2005 reissue) Bowie sang using a radio microphone disguised as a telephone whilst being raised and lowered above the stage by a cherry picker crane. The tour was documented in Alan Yentob’s Cracked Actor (1975).

Although various issues of the album date the recordings, at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia (actually Upper Darby), from 11-12 July or 12-15 July, 1974, a more recent estimate suggests they took place over 8-12 July. Capturing the music on tape was itself problematic; most of the backing vocals, as well as the saxophone, needed to be overdubbed in the studio later (a fact noted on the original album sleeve as well as the reissue) due to the fact that the performers were often off-mike. Perhaps more saliently, the Tower Theater concerts gave rise to a backstage revolt by Bowie's touring band. Having been informed on short notice that the concerts would be professionally recorded for official release, and that Bowie's management intended to pay them only the standard union fee required for a live recording (a mere $70), the band confronted Bowie an hour before the first show and refused to take the stage unless they received a more reasonable $5,000 fee per member. Though Bowie acceded to their demands, several members of the band (including Mike Garson and Herbie Flowers) have since remarked that the tension of this confrontation was audible in the stilted performances found on the live album.

The finished album has been criticised for Bowie’s "obsessive" rearrangements of the songs and for the strained quality of his vocals. Opinion of the playing is also divided, despite the presence of such acclaimed guests as Michael Kamen, Earl Slick and David Sanborn, as well as Flowers, Mike Garson and Tony Newman from the Diamond Dogs sessions. However some of the interpretations earned praise, such as the upbeat jazz-Latin version of "Aladdin Sane" and the atmospheric instrumental additions to "The Width of a Circle" from The Man Who Sold the World. The record is also notable for including Bowie’s first release of "All the Young Dudes," a song originally given to the band Mott the Hoople for their 1972 album of the same name.

Bowie later commented that "David Live was the final death of Ziggy… And that photo on the cover. My God, it looks like I’ve just stepped out of the grave. That’s actually how I felt. That record should have been called 'David Bowie Is Alive and Well and Living Only in Theory'" (a reference to Jacques Brel, some of whose songs Bowie had covered, and his revue Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris).

David Live made #2 on the UK charts (the tour had only visited North America) and #8 in the US. "Knock on Wood" was released as a single, reaching #10 in the UK. A reissue of the album in 2005 finally included a complete song list from the original concerts plus a new mix by Tony Visconti, said to be an improvement over the fidelity of previous releases.

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