DJARABI SONGS

 

A gorgeous collection of upbeat West African love songs from artists that will be new to all but the most studied TE visitors, which is typical for Little Axe compilations. Contributors include WASSOLA FANTA, TATA DIAKITE, MAMOU SIDIBÉ and others, closing with a lament to the Sahel from IMMA BABA COULIBALI. Many things in and of this world are very ugly - these sounds are beautiful. 

DJARABI SONGS

SUMMER JAM LOVE CLASSICS

 

Summer is right around the corner - shit, looks like the Central Valley is going to kiss 100 degrees this weekend - and that means it's time to dust off some summer love jams. Don't worry though, we've got you covered. I don't know what subsequent volumes of Summer Jam Love Classics had to offer, but it's entirely possible that the creator/s simply looked at this first volume and decided it would be pointless to try to top perfection. Kinda like SLAYER should have done after Reign In Blood - even South Of Heaven was a lateral move at best, but I digress. A solid hour of slow soul grooves, late '70s to early '80s R&B...Summer Jam Love Classics, just like the title says. ENCHANTMENT, WHISPERS, SKYY, DENISE WILLIAMS, ATLANTIC STARR all anchored by PEABO BRYSON's excruciatingly sexy "I'm So Into You." Yeah, summer will be here before you know it. Get ready to sweat. 

SUMMER JAM LOVE CLASSICS Vol.1 

BARRIO MUSIC

 

This is probably the coolest Barrio Music volume I've delved into so far, which makes me excited to keep plowing my way through the twelve tape series. Anchored by undeniable classics by ELVIS PRESLEY ("Now Or Never"), ? AND THE MYSTERIANS ("96 Tears"). LITTLE RICHARD ("Good Golly Miss Molly") and JERRY LEE LEWIS ("Great Balls Of Fire"), you've also god JAMES BROWN's deadly ballad "Try Me" and "Doing It To Death" by FRED & THE NEW JB'S (a song I always thought was actually by The Godfather Of Soul). And then there't the other stuff....GENE & EUNICE, LARRY WILLIAMS, MANHATTANS, PEACHES & HERB, even PAUL fucking ANKA delivers a killer. A standard from THE PLATTERS and a smooth as fuck track from the suitably named DON & JUAN round out the roster and.....my people this is just a perfectly curated mix of perfectly wonderful music. Like, can you think of a better way to end your week?

BARRIO MUSIC vol.4

AUFLAGE 100

 

What a.....what a sweet collection of songs. You could really stop listening after the opening track from GHOST AMBULANCE and feel satisfied - one of the most innocent and sincere love songs I can remember hearing. What follows is a perfectly curated mix of '90s proto-shoegaze and harmlessly mellow indie cuts from TRAUMA GLOW, MANIC YOUTH, COMBAT BEACH, LAUNDROMAT CHICKS, a surprisingly addictive groover by SWELLE and an airy epic from SAKURA.....basically a grip of modern Austrian bands I would never have crossed paths with if I didn't have a well connected pal who likes to meets for burritos on occasion. He says "you're welcome."

AUFLAGE 100

EVALUATE WHAT YOU TOLERATE

 

At the risk of repeating myself, the early '10s in the Bay Area were truly special time (much like the early '00s if we're being honest). There are bands here who formed the foundation for some truly great gigs (ACRYLICS, MOZART, MASS ARREST), bands I had never heard of before listening to this comp (MARRAIGE + CANCER, REVOLUTION BUMMER, HIGH ANXIETY, WARP), bands I was familiar with but who were outside of my general orbit (SPACE TOILET, PREENING, BUTANNA). Throw in MONSTER SQUAD, STREET EATERS and NOPES, all of whom are still active a decade (plus) later and you have a magical time capsule that is very clearly about so much fucking more than a few killer songs. But speaking of killer songs, DID IS DEAD, FATTYCAKES & THE PUFF PASTRIES and MABS deliver three of the killerest cuts you're going to hear today. 

EVALUATE WHAT YOU TOLERATE VOLUME 2

DOGGISH BOYS

 
I don't even know what to say here. Just listen, okay? A wild and unhinged spectrum generated hip-hop mix tape orbiting the mind of JEFF DOGG. Chopped and/or Screwed drug addled rap dispatches like you've never even imagined from the Pinhole Family.....the shit sounds weird, the shit is infectious. I feel like this is something Aesop would have created and/or released (which reminds me that I should hit that dude up to say hello). Just listen, okay?

DOGGISH BOYS MIXTAPE

MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL PRESENTS...

I remember seeing this one in shops when I moved to SF in '95, but for whatever reason I remember thinking it was too......too something. Maybe it was because MRR was The Institution and we felt like we were doing The Real Punk Shit (honestly, we were just two years removed from booking a tour using contacts pulled from microfiche at the college library so we kinda had a point), but really it was probably because I didn't know shit. Looking back though, what an incredible fukkn comp - DEAD SILENCE, CRINGER, NAUSEA, LIBIDO BOYZ, THE DETONATORS, SCREECHING WEASEL (when Ben was just a shit stirrer and had not yet turned into a complete shit), JAWBOX...you get the drill. Basically this was glimpse of the various '90s USDIY punk scenes n 1989, which is a polite way of saying that Tim Yo knew exactly what the fuck he was doing. And even though I never met the man face-to-face, I owe him more than I could possibly type. 

THEY DON'T GET PAID

THEY DON'T GET LAID

BUT BOY DO THEY WORK HARD!

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In other news - REALISTIC in Oakland this evening with some cool bands I'll be seeing for the first time:

LOWRIDER

 

Nothing says "lazy Friday" like a killer collection of freestyle, funk, R&B and street dance jams. Straight up. MC FROSTY. DAZZA. THE FLAVA SYSTEM. WORLD CLASS RECKIN' CRU. SETH LUV. BABY G. There's more, but really you just need to freak to ROCKY & MS. VEE "Dance Freak To The Beat" and fuck literally everything else. I know I said some things about punk music yesterday....you know what motherfuckers? I'm saying the same shit today listening to BY ALL MEANS KINGS and MILDRED BLACK so think about that maybe. Or just listen and fukkn ride...low.

LOWRIDER SOUNDTRACK VOLUME 2 

CRUCIAL '78

 

From the opening echoes of PRINCE JAMMY's track that sets the tones to a bizarre dub from JOE GIBBS & THE PROFESSIONALS to TRINITY to U-ROY's smooth rizzed out rock steady, Crucial '78 is a master class in dub, crackling beats and hopelessly infectious reggae adjacent sounds. A glorious (and presumably homemade) mix that truly makes you feel like you've been on a journey once it's finished.  

CRUCIAL '78

NORTHEASTERN HYMNS

 

You want something profound? Nah man, this is just four songs from four modern black metal bands I had never heard of before I listened to Northeastern Hymns. That's all. The OBSIDIAN FOREST and INFERNA BRUO tracks are exceptional. I don't like the other two quite as much, but that's just me, you know?

NORTHEASTERN HYMNS

BANGUN DARI MIMPI BURUK YANG INDAH

 

More like this please? Thank you. A breathtaking collection of raw fastcore, mince/grind, noise, shit-fi and punk, all delivered with a brilliantly honest lack of fidelity. DESTRUCT, PROJECT BABI NO.9, DEVIATED SYMPHONY, DIRTY MOUTH, NOISE FOR VIOLENCE and more, all hailing from Yogyjakarta. Shit just feels real, and the next 42 minutes of your life are about to get a lot more brutal. 

BANGUN DARI MIMPI BURUK YANG INDAH: A SOUNDTRACK FROM A PRINTMAKING

BARRIO MUSIC

 

I was biking home from practice tonight and spotted a lowrider mural on the side of a parklet on 24th  Street. Figured that shit was appropriate. These comps are life giving - even if you've heard every single one of these songs, context is everything. 

BARRIO MUSIC Vol.2

SUMATERA DISTORTION

 

Wild fukkn hardcore/DBeat comp with eighteen bands from Sumatra I had never heard of until yesterday. The cover says nineteen bands but.....maybe I just suck at editing which in turn sucks for you if you're tryna figure out what is what. But don't concern yourself with annoying details like than because every song rips so fukk it. Right? Right. Hardcore, grind, DBeat, crust, modern dupa-dupa squirms...the island of Sumatra fukkn delivers. CFD played the capital city of Medan in 2008 and there were 27 bands on the bill...I think it was a Tuesday. This collection was released in 2021 and all of the raw energy is still there - I'd love to go back and do that all again. Fukk - what I would give to just do the whole fukkn thing over from scratch, you know? Experience it all for the first time again. Instead there's this...and it's a killer consolation prize.  MEJA MAKAN, B.O.O.T., TOTAL GALAU, KUBU RIOT, THE PUNX TERIGU, TORRENT, RAWAN and loads more. Comps still rule - enjoy your Friday. 

SUMATERA DISTORTION: CASSETTE COMPILATION

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Tell me this isn't the most TE-appropriate description you've seen on these pages.
DISTORTION CASSETTE COMPILATION

D-70's

 

This was a freebie that Paul from Ragin' casually tossed in the pile when I snagged that grip of Lowrider and Barrio comps. Dude just added it to the pile like it was nothing special because he rolls that deep in the special shit...and rest assured that this is special shit. I could tell you it's essentially a disco comp, and you'd probably decide to blow it off. I could tell you that you probably know most of the songs here, and you'd probably decide that it's not worth your time. But you see.....those would be wrong decisions, because this mix is one of the best dancefloor smashers I have heard. Period. Every song is a straight killer, the sequence and the segues are simply flawless. PETER JAQUES, GIORGIO MORODER, SYLVER CONVENTION, DONNA SUMMER, THE MUSIC MAKERS, THE TRAMMPS, FOXY....and even though there is so much more, this comp is so much more than the simply sum of its parts, you know? Listen at full volume, and appreciate the generosity of others. 

D-70's

MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL

 

Doubling up on the comps this week to take a look at what the tastemakers at Maximum Rocknroll were shoving down our throats 32 years ago today. Honestly, this is a little taste of why some of "us" (I'm talking about some nebulous, royal "us" as in 'a general vibe not necessarily supported by facts') started to sour on the mag during the middle of the '90s. There was a perception that Tim & The Gang were moving away from hardcore and the burgeoning (and more metallic) crust/PV movements and just leaning on rehashed garage rock standards and classic "punk," just as they famously slammed the door on what was then called emo so drastically. Never mind the motivation behind any of the editorial decisions or the validity of any of these impressions....just listen to this radio show and know that, simply put: the nebulous, royal "we" were wrong. Garage rock? Sure, tons of it. Absolute screamers from PSYCHOTIC TURNBUCKLES, PSYCHOS, HEADCOATEES, MOE TOWN. Pre-alt/grunge explosion early cute from SMASHING PUMPKINS and MODHONEY. You've got NAPALM DEATH, FRUMPIES and GERMS in the same hour. And then there's the real reason we did (and still do) tune into MRR Radio - unknown and under-the-radar tracks from PRESSURE 28, FIGHTERS, JUDGE NOTHING, WOMBELS (the surprise highlight of this show for me), KEEP and others. These shows are fukkn priceless, period. And that magazine was (is) an institution for a fukkn reason. 

MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL #594

BARRIO MUSIC

 

Dedicated visitors will remember my excitement when I came into an entire set of the East Side Story comps. On that note, those who know me can imagine the look on my face when I was presented with the opportunity to score the first eleven volumes of the Barrio Music comps that started trickling out of Mexico in the 1980s. Essential....? I mean, you can listen to oldies on the radio if you prefer (or at least you used to could be able to do that but the radio is different now so I suppose it really depends on your market) but there's something about a perfectly crafted collection of songs, and that is exactly what these comps are. Much like East Side Story, these tapes are filled with standards that you (should) know inside and out ("I'm Your Puppet," "Seasons In The Sun") mingling with essential cuts like "Eighteen With A Bullet," It's Okay" and "Those Oldies But Goodies" that have spent decades in the shadows. These compilations create a vibe in the most glorious way, and I look forward to sprinkling the next tewn into your life. 

BARRIO MUSIC vol.1

RAÏ REBELS

 

Do I know anything about Raï? Before a few days ago I might have said "no" and today I might still say "no," but spend an afternoon with Raï Rebels and you'll want to know more. Algerian folk/protest sounds, led by cheb/cheba singers, chioukhs and cheikhates, who created mesmerizing and infectious sounds with roots in (resistance to) early 20th century colonialism. It's a different world, and the world is vast....

EARTHWORKS: RAÏ REBELS

99 LUFTBALLONS

 

I recall a post from years ago where I used the term NDW ("Neue Deutsche Welle" = "German New Wave") to describe IDEAL or EXTRABREIT or some similar artist. Someone got annoyed at the distinction because, well, isn't New Wave music just New Wave music? Why is there a Deutsche Punk or a Kraut Rock when we don't have designated and commonly accepted terms for punk, classic rock or new wave from other specific regions or countries? Perhaps it's because the Germans did (do) just hit differently, but also it's because it's just what the fukkn Germans called their shit, you know? Case and point, this stellar collection of commercial NDW bangers from 1983. Like a K-Tel cassette from across the pond, featuring hopelessly palatable and undeniably addictive cuts from EXTRABREIT, HUBERT KAH, FRL. MENKE (the least interesting artist on the tape, and the only one with two tracks), TRIO (you know the song even if you don't know you know the song), SPLIFF, NEON BABIES, JAWOLL and others, plus the title track from NENA. Just solid ass '80s summer hits - off kilter, infectious and definitely Deutsche. 

99 LUFTBALLONS
NDW - HITS FÜR UNTERWEGS

SEMARANG INDEPENDENT YOUTH

 

The title (and cover) should tell you everything you need to know here - fourteen raw punk tracks from the tail end of the first wave of DIY Indonesian hardcore. G-SQUAD, COP IS DEAD, PSYCHOTIC ILLUSION, REJECT, EJAKULATOR, 921 SUCKS, MORTAL SYATEM, LAYUR RIOT and a few more that you've never heard of unless you're way cooler than me (which, now that I think about it, isn't a terribly difficult accomplishment). Some "skinhead" tracks as the title suggests, but listen to the sonic brutality of NIHIL and know that this is ferocious street punk with some backing 'whooa-oooh's in the chorus. The recording and replication quality are part of the charm here and fidelity seekers will be suitably disappointed - the real punks will know that SUCK IT FRUIT sounds better when SUCK IT FRUIT kinda sounds like shit. 

SEMARANG INDEPENDENT YOUTH: PUNK SKINHEAD HARDCORE

LOWRIDER

 

I could go into the story about how this tape (and the next three volumes, and the Barrio Music comps and some face melting tech/grind tapes and some wild ass DIY LA party mixes) landed in my lap, but my recommendation is simple listening. Let me tell you what you'll hear: JOHN CHINGAS with one of the coolest love songs ever, RALFI PAGAN with one of the other coolest love songs ever, a couple of BABY G & ROCK BOX tracks, a killer from TIERRA that you have hopefully heard a thousand times, and oh my fukkn stars can we please get into the history of "Two Of Hearts" because I didn't know I could love this track more and apparently JON ST. JAMES is a thing I need to dig into. Fifteen tracks - Hi-NRG '80s meets classic cruisin' tunes.....even the most casual pop observers recognize that Lowrider culture is just fukkn cool, but this shit seals the deal. I can't wait to feed you more of this shit, it's amazing. 

LOWRIDER SOUNDTRACK VOLUME 1