Fabienne Delsol & Liam Watson’s garage supergroup featuring amongst it’s ranks Bruce Brand (Milkshakes / Headcoats) Owen Thomas (Graham Coxon Band / Cee Bee Beaumont) Johnny Maben (The Kaisers / The Radium Cats) Parsley (The Adventures of Parsley / Dutronc / Dee Rangers) and the glorious vocal talents of Miss Fabienne Delsol they released two full length albums on Damaged Goods and three singles. They released their first single on Hangman’s Daughter in 1994 followed by a split single with Japanese giants Thee Michelle Gun Elephant a year later on Vinyl Japan. Then they released two singles and albums on Damaged Goods before calling it a day in 2003. After the split Fabienne Delsol went solo and released three albums, produced by Liam Watson at Toe Rag. Damaged Goods have also released a compilation of Bristols tracks featuring a couple from each of their albums plus singles and rare compilation tracks all of which have been remixed and remastered by Liam Watson at Toe Rag The majority of their songs were interpretations of classic 60’s pop/beat records plus a few original compositions penned in that style, They’re invariably drenched in thunderous Joe meek style echo and have a genuine classic feel. [discogs]
The Girl In The Glass Case is the debut long player from The Senior Service. As with all great instrumental music, it weaves it’s web of magic through the light and shade created from the brush of keys, plucking of strings and beating of skins, with the occasional splash of color provided by brass, vibes and theremin. A collection of songs with an orchestral sensibility juxtaposed with an urgent garage rock crash bang wallop. The Girl In The Glass Case is completely unique and has a comforting familiarity that would takes the listener back to the greatest scenes from some of the Senior Service’s favorite movies. The title of the album is inspired by an original Wolf Howard poem. From the first unexpected crash of “Snake Charmer”, attacking you like the crack of a rattlesnake’s tail, to the final hushed piano coda of “Bees”, via the European flavored intrigue of “Into the Tunnel” and exhilarating Mexican romance of “Five Beans In The Wheel”, the listener is completely immersed in the world of The Senior Service.
Comeback studio album by the American garage rock band ? and the Mysterians released on May 25, 1999 on Cavestomp Records.
Fans may lament that the owners of ? & the Mysterians’ original recordings are refusing to license a CD release of the band’s material, but the group knew how to capitalize on a bad situation. They reunited and released a series of albums of re-recordings of their oldies. Often, these were live records, but More Action is a studio recording that features the classics, along a handful of newer songs, plus a multimedia video. Cleverly, they titled this album More Action, which will certainly make the diehards think of the band’s second album Action, but this should not be confused with the original album. As far as re-recordings go, these aren’t bad at all, and while the double-disc set has its share of filler, it rocks surprisingly hard — hard enough to make it a worthwhile listen for ? and garage rock aficionados. [Stephen Thomas Erlewine]
Featuring great covers of Lyres. Stones, Alan Vega, It’s All Meat… Enjoy!
This year is running out of time so here’s Surfadelic tribute comp. with garage and punk covering favorite Rolling Stones 60’s tunes featuring MESSERSCHMITT, RAMONES, FLAMIN’ GROOVIES, THE OTHERS, THE HYDES, THE NEW CONOLLY FIVE THEE HEADCOATEES, THE OUT FOUR, QUESTION MARK & THE MYSTERIANS, THE WILDEBEESTS, MC5, THE DIRTBOMBS, THE SWINGIN’ NECKBREAKERS, THE LORDS OF ALTAMONT, THE KNAUGHTY KNIGHTS, THE PURITANS, THE BREADMAKERS, THE SEXAREENOS, THE SAILORS, THE STUPID BABOONS, THE HENTCHMEN, THE LITTLE KILLERS, JANET ST CLAIR & THE REAL KIDS, LYRES, THE DARTFORD RENEGADES, THE MAD SHADOWS, MACH KUNG FU, DEMON’S CLAWS. Enjoy!
Maybe the last volume in the “Wanna Be…” series featuring 60’s garage revival aces as THE SPOONS, THE SWINGIN NECKBREAKERS, LYRES, THE FUZZTONES, THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS, THE CYNICS, THE BARRACUDAS, STRAWBERRY ZOTS, FABIENNE DELSOL & THE BRISTOLS, HANDS OF TIME, LOS PLANTRONICS, BABY WOODROSE, THE FADEAWAYS, ILD EVEL & THE TRASHBONES, CHELSEA, THE DEFECTORS, THE EVENT, NAZ NOMAD & THE NIGHTMARES, THE WORST, THE SATELLITERS, THE MISSING SOULS, THE TANES, THE PURPLE MERKINS, THE GORIES, THE BUGS. Enjoy!
Even more garage revival losers in this 8th volume featuring covers by The Cynics, Fabienne Delsol & The Bristols, The Riviera Playboys, The Chesterfield Kings, The Fadeaways, Doctor Explosion, The Untamed Youth, Girl Trouble, Lyres The Spoons, Haunted Garage, The Missing Sous, Thee Gloomies, Baby Woodrose, Strawberry Zots, Thee Headcoatees, King Rock, The Purple Merkins, Philisteins, Cannibals, Rookies, The Brood, 1313 Mockingbird Lane.Dig!!!
More ace garage revival action in the 7th volume of “Wanna Be 60’s Punk” series. This time you gotta deal with THE ACE-TONES, DINO FARFISA & THE FUZZ, THE BROOD, MYSTIC EYES, FABIENNE DELSOL & THE BRISTOLS, THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS, WYLDE MAMMOTHS, THE DIABOLIKS, RICHARD AND THE YOUNG LIONS, THE SPOONS, LYRES, THE 99TH FLOOR, THE VIBES, THE SHOUTLESS, HOT BOOGIE CHILLUN, THE PURPLE MERKINS, FORTUNE & MALTESE, THEE HEADCOATEES, MIRACLE WORKERS, THE MONO MEN, THE SWINGIN’ NECKBREAKERS, TEENGENERATE, GREEN HORNETS, THE OBLIVIANS. Enjoy!
This is brand new volume in WANNA BE 60’S PUNK series of garage revival bands cover 60’s punk tunes. Featuring bands as THE MORTICIANS, THE SPOONS, CHESTERFIELD KINGS, THE UNTAMED YOUTH, THE BROKEN JUG, THEE HEADCOATS, PLAN 9, THE SHOUTLESS, SURF TRIO, GIRL TROUBLE, THE OUTTA PLACE, THE VINDICATORS, THE FUZZTONES, BOSS MARTIANS, THE CYNICS, LYRES, THE SATELLITERS, BEVIS FROND. Enjoy!
“On Fyre” is a Matador reissue of the of the Lyres 1982 debut album on Boston’s homegrown Ace of Hearts label. The Lyres, lead by the charismatic Jeff “Monoman” Conolly were among the premiere bands of the early 80s club band renaissance in Boston Massachusetts. Only two other bands, Mission of Burma and the Pixies were arguably more significant players in a music scene that revolved around tiny, smoke-filled, standing- room-only music venues like Cantone’s, the Rat, the Underground and the In Square Men’s Bar. The neo-garage rock of the Lyres was particularly well suited to the sweaty hard edged clubs of that era. The Lyres embodied all that was pure and passionate in the music of the venerable Boston school of garage punk. Monoman, a walking archive of garage rock, was initially involved with DMZ, the seminal Boston garage rock band of the late sixties. DMZ, along with performers like Willie “Loco” Alexander, provided a blueprint for the for the the Boston punk scene. If Willie Alexander was the godfather of Boston punk, then Monoman and DMZ were his heir apparents. DMZ actually got signed by a major label (Sire), but production quality was so abysmal that even garage afficiandos hated the Flo and Eddy (of the Turtle’s) drum heavy mix of sound of the mix. DMZ mutated into the Lyres in the early eighties and the band recorded “Help You Ann” a local hit on Ace of Hearts. “On Fyre” is arguably the most significant album of the post-punk garage movement. Monoman’s choppy Vox Continental organ is the signature sound of the Lyres. The snarling vocals, the punky Danelectro guitar and the flat un-miked drum sound suggested a time tunnel back to the mid-sixties heyday of true garage bands like Question Mark and the Mysterians and the Seeds. The technical ability of the Lyres surpassed those “one-hit wonder” bands and put them in a class of garage bands that were actually musically accomplished, like Roky Erikson’s legendary 13th Floor Elevators.
“On Fyre” has a dazzling and warm analogic mix which enriches authentic garage esthetic the Lyre’s sound. The first song, “Don’t Give It Up” became the Lyres anthem of hope and glory, in their turbo changed live shows. It is as close to perfect as garage rock has ever gotten. There is a fade-in guitar and drums which is joined by the organ and Mono’s half spoken vocals which segues into a pummeling chorus of “don’t give it up”. The bluesly guitar break which is charmingly eccentric because Danny McCormack resolutely refuses to bend a single note on his vintage Daneletro guitar. All the while, Mono bangs a tamborine on his hip, while chording the ubiquitous Vox Continental with his right hand. On “Help You Ann” Danny’s guitar is on a delay switch, and the guitar’s cascading echo displays Danny’s mastery of pre-digital guitar technique. “Love Me Til the Sun Shines” is one of those innocent but seductive flower power ballads that shows the Lyres mastery of Hart and Boyle school of songwritting. The odd time signature and slowed tempo of “Tired of Waiting” comes close to trumping (but not quite) the original Kinks version. Another triumph is a cover of Pete Best’s obscure “The Way I Feel About You.” The choice of covering a song by the “failed Beatle” is yet another trademark obscurantist ploy Monoman’s enless bag of tricks. The Matador release has also included 10 bonus tracks in this amended issue of the original. These are not throwaways or outtakes, but terrific studio cuts which actually enhance the legacy of the original album. The orginal cover art with the distinctive Lyre’s logowork is wisely retained from the 1982 Ace of Heart’s vinyl release. The Lyres’ cult following has expanded steadily since there final album in 1993. The passage of twenty years since the original “On Fyre” has cemented the Lyres reputation, in the hearts and minds those fans of; the Stooges, the 13th Floor Elevators and other “ragged but right” architects of timeless garage rock. [Gavin B.]
SURFADELIC 