The Spazzys: Dumb is Forever (2011)

After one of those soul-crushing legal battles that are a part of rock lore (i.e. Springsteen's forced inactivity in the mid-70's) The Spazzys have re-emerged with a newly released, Japanese-only, album titled Dumb is Forever. Definitely more of a power-pop (Cheap Trick division) album than a pop-punk one, this is still an ass-kicking, name-taking record. While a certain bitterness pervades the album ("Divorce",  "Dissolution Was the Only Solution, "Love = Pain") these rippling, melodic songs (check out the Fastbacks-like "Best Waves Ever") just exude a steely undaunted sound. Since these songs were actually recorded years ago, maybe we can now hope for a quick, rocking follow-up with international distribution. (For lots more Spazzys on MRML go HERE!)





Let us know what you think of this new Spazzys stuff in the COMMENTS section!

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XTC: Transistor Blast (FOUR CD SET OF BBC SESSIONS!!)

(To see my 3rd list of Ten Amazing XTC Videos - 1981-1982 - please visit the The Big Takeover.



Okay, here's a mammoth offering for you XTC devotees: an out-of-print four CD box-set that compiled most (if not all) of XTC's BBC recordings. Some of this material has appeared here before but this is your chance to get this absolutely massive XTC infusion in one fell swoop! Much more XTC HERE!

Tracklist:

Studio Sessions
1-1         IntroVoice – John Peel 0:49    
1-2         Life Begins At The Hop     4:20    
1-3         Scarecrow People     4:13    
1-4         Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her     4:21    
1-5         Ten Feet Tall     2:54    
1-6         Garden Of Earthly Delights     5:34    
1-7         Runaways     4:41    
1-8         When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty     3:07    
1-9         I'm Bugged     3:35    
1-10         Another Satellite     4:21    
1-11         You're The Wish You Are I Had     3:24    
1-12         Crosswires     2:10    
1-13         Roads Girdle The Globe     5:03    

Studio Sessions
2-1         No Thugs In Our House     5:23    
2-2         One Of The Millions     4:26    
2-3         Real By Reel     3:49    
2-4         The Meeting Place     3:08    
2-5         Meccanic Dancing     2:36    
2-6         Poor Skeleton Steps Out     3:27    
2-7         Into The Atom Age     2:27    
2-8         The Rhythm     2:55    
2-9         This World Over     4:33    
2-10         Snowman     4:42    
2-11         Danceband     2:41    
2-12         Making Plans For Nigel     4:07    
2-13         Jason And The Argonauts     5:42


1978/79 Live In Concert Recordings
3-1         Radio's In Motion     3:21    
3-2         Crosswires     2:06    
3-3         Science Friction     3:34    
3-4         Statue Of Liberty     2:58    
3-5         The Rhythm     2:55    
3-6         I'll Set Myself On Fire     3:27    
3-7         Newtown Animal In A Furnished Cage     1:55    
3-8         All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)  5:58    
3-9         Beatown     3:24    
3-10         This Is Pop     2:37    
3-11         Danceband     2:49    
3-12         Neon Shuffle     4:33

Live In Concert Hammersmith Palais 22.12.80
4-1         Life Begins At The Hop     3:55    
4-2         Burning With Optimism's Flames     4:29    
4-3         Love At First Sight     3:03    
4-4         Respectable Street     3:52    
4-5         No Language In Our Lungs     4:58    
4-6         This Is Pop     2:49    
4-7         Scissor Man     4:58    
4-8         Towers Of London     5:13    
4-9         Battery Brides     7:21    
4-10         Living Through Another Cuba     3:29    
4-11         Generals And Majors     4:47    
4-12         Making Plans For Nigel     4:21    
4-13         Are You Receiving Me?


CD1 and CD2 contain studio-recordings made for & transmitted on various radio shows (recorded/transmitted) by the BBC:
• John Peel Show: 1-12 (20.6.77/24.6.77); 1-9, 2-7, 2-11 (21.9.77/26.9.77); 2-5, 2-8 (13.11.78/23.11.78); 1-1, 1-5, 1-13, 2-3 (8.10.79/15.10.79).
• Kid Jensen Show: 1-2, 1-8, 2-12 (21.5.79/31.5.79); 1-7, 2-1, 2-10, 2-13 (14.1.82/25.1.82).
• Bruno Brookes Show Oct. 1984: 1-4, 1-11, 2-9 (-/19-22.11.84).
• Sunday Live: 1-1, 2-4 (-/22.2.87).
• Richard Skinner Show: 1-3, 2-6 (16.3.89/5.4.89).
• Andy Kershaw Show: 1-6, 2-2 (16.3.89/11.6.89).

CD3 contains recordings from two live performances in 1978 and 1979:
• recorded for Sight & Sound In Concert at The Hippodrome, Golders Green, London (9.3.78): 3-1, 3-2, 3-4, 3-6 to 3-8, 3-10 to 3-12.
• recorded for In Concert at Paris Theatre, London (17.1.78): 3-3, 3-5, 3-9.

CD4 was entirely recorded for In Concert at Hammersmith Odeon (22.12.80).

Okay MRML readers, this is a pretty massive offering. So please let us know what you think of this collection in the COMMENTS section (where you'll find ALL FOUR Transistor Blast links).

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Mazes: A Thousand Heys (2011)

So England's Mazes are being lumped in with a media-driven 90's revival alongside bands like Yuck and Male Bonding despite being, to these ears, speedier, catchier and noticeably less beholden to any one of their slacker fore-bearers*. Love it or hate it, let us know what you think in the COMMENTS section.

*That said, they will be going on tour with Sebadoh, who, like Guided By Voices, have always irked me.






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The Dump-Bin Blues: 100 Flowers - 100 Years of Pulchritude

A former co-worker and I once figure that one of the worst things to befall a musician was either to wind up in the dump bin or record the cliche blues album. Combining the two nadirs, we entitled an imaginary album, "The Dump Bin Blues". In that sad spirit, MRML's "Dump Bin Blues" series celebrates works obtained for less than two dollars out of one of the ever-growing dump bins chewing-up floor space in the ever-shrinking world of music retail.


100 Flowers was the name 70's LA primitive-punk band The Urinals chose to relaunch themselves as an artier but still hard-hitting new wave (Mao-quoting Gang of Four division) band in the early 80's. This 1990 collection on Rhino [!] collects up the band's entire oeuvre.







  


If you enjoyed this trip into the dump-bin, and would like to hear more such oddities, let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the 100 Years of Pulchritude link).

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Moskow: Man from UNCLE (1979)

Roberto's Rarities:
An irregular MRML series powered by the wild generosity of our reader, Roberto: Enjoy and don't forget to leave our benefactor a thank-you comment.

This early version of goth-poppers The Bolshoi - David Ashmore (Vocals), David Cole (Guitar), Trevor Flynn/Tanner (Bass), Michael Matthews (Keyboards), Jan Kalicki (Drums) - released the same catchy post-punk song., "The Man from UNCLE" (different versions?) with two different B-sides in 1n 1978 and 1979. For version I of the single see HERE for more info on the band see this SITE).




Reactions to this rarity are strongly encouraged and can be left in the COMMENTS section (where the Man from UNCLE link can be found).