Grant Hart: 2541 E.P. (+ Every Everything Documentary)

On of MRML's most commented-upon series was the one in which I argued that Hüsker Dü singer/drummer Grant Hart's solo career had been unfairly marginalized in contrast with the justly celebrated work of his former partner, singer/guitarist Bob Mould. Now following a well-recieved 2009 comeback album backed by Godspeed You Black Emperor, a new documentary, Every Everything, currently looking for support at Kickstarter, we may be seeing a redress in the balance of praise.




(Watch full-sized version here)


Surprisingly, considering how he'd referred to Mould's late period Hüsker Dü work as "square", Hart's debut was even more more sensitive singer-songwriter fodder than Mould's! "2541" is however, a moving song of loss with a fittingly mournful melody. The fine lyrical details and the the swelling chorus make for the perfect eulogy for the Hüskers. It's blatantly autobiographical but unsentimental and it contains many a stinging line like, "It's probably not be the last time I'll have to be out by the first".

The rest of the EP "Come, Come" and "Let Go" is less-than-spectacular but as this recording of "2541" is very different then the one on Intolerance, it's a crucial release.





So what do you make of Hart's comeback? Of "2541"? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (where you'll find the 2541 EP link).

 
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Jonah Matranga: “The Lonesome Death Of Trayvon Martin”

"He's a no-account son of a bitch, he's just like a scum bag of the earth, I should have sued him and put him in jail."

William Zantzinger on Bob Dylan

Factual errors aside, Bob Dylan's 1963 protest song "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" brutally illustrated the fatal violence that can be visited on poor African-Americans with scant penalty for the guilty.

The song, recently given a spooky reading by Cage the Elphant, sadly still speaks to 21st century American racial relations as evidenced by the tragic death of Trayvon Martin in Florida in February of this year. While the evidence in this explosive case has not all been assembled, the fact that George Zimmerman* could walk away free after killing the unarmed youth he pursued against the advice of law enforcement is shocking. The coterie of far-right reactionaries willing to "philosophize disgrace" piles insult upon injury. There is no question that Zimmerman chased, shot and killed Martin and it is my belief that if there are any mitigating circumstances, they should be argued in front of a judge and jury, not played out in a media free-for-all.

Of course it was the reaction of people, in both the mainstream media and social media, that brought this issue to international attention, so let us play an oh-so-modest part in that reaction with this little batch of words and a song.

"The Lonesome Death Of Trayvon Martin” by American folk-punk-emo dude, Jonah Matranga is an earnest adaptation, which, like Dylan's original, seems to represent a gut  reaction to the initial injustice rather a balanced account of the events. While this song will not likely be remembered when the crime's memory fades, it is, if nothing else, another indication of how the protest song will be spread ("Please feel free to share all of this in any way you like. Any money generated will go directly to Trayvon's family.") in the internet age. 




Bandcamp page


*(Speaking of Bob Dylan and this case, has anyone noticed that George Zimmerman's father's name is Robert?)

Cloud Nothings: Stay Useless (2012)

Well we discussed the eighties revival yesterday (though the response was sorta muted), so today let's turn a jaded eye to the nineties revival. While much fuss has been raised over bands like Yuck and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, I'd argue Cloud Nothings have spit out the first classic of the neo-nineties genre with "Stay Useless". Check out the contrasting verse and chorus, that abrasive Steve Albini production, the self-loathing slacker lyrics ("Can I see what’s going wrong with me/I used to have it all, now I’m alone") and of course that razor-sharp hook that could just gut you. If you love Superchunk's "Slack Motherfucker" or Archers of Loaf's "Web in Front", you owe it to yourself to check this out.

So what do you make of this nineties revival that's going on?

What's your first take on "Stay Useless"?

Let us know in the slightly-underutilized COMMENTS section.

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The Big Pink: Hit the Ground (2012)

Have I forgiven the eighties?

Well, as a forty-something nostalgist, I obviously listen to a lot music made, if not widely-known, during the 1980's. But if during a discussion about music, we say eighties, we often think of bands like Duran Duran -  pouting pretty peacocks armed with synthesizers and styling gel. That sort of thing still galls. So while I'll never completely forgive nor forget the excesses of eighties pop, time has long-since worn my hatred down to a faint grudge.

Young English electro-rock duo The Big Pink clearly have no need to forgive the eighties. A love of left-of-center artists of the decade like New Order, U2 and, in this song's case, Laurie Anderson permeates their work. And it sounds great, who need forgiveness when you've got big, echoing choruses like this:





What about you? Have you forgiven the eighties?  What do you think of The Big Pink? Let us know in the COMMENTS section.

Musicfromthebigpink.com

The Gutting of Mediafire and Me

My Mediafire account has been locked.

The next stop, I imagine is account deletion.

Then the otherwise-unavailable music this blog has exposed will be lost once again.


As for me, I have to figure out what to do next...

Graham Parker: Live! Alone in America (1989)

Come check out my list of Ten Amazing Graham Parker performances (1976-1978) over at The Big Takeover!


To help pass the time till the start of Graham Parker's Big Year (more details HERE) MRML is going to dig into the bulging 'GP stuff' folder, to bring you a wide-ranging selection of bootlegs and out-of-print wonders, as we've done  before (see HERE) and will do again.






Upon my first exposure to the solo Parker, I was underwhelmed. Perhaps because Parker had been such an impressive band leader, I wasn't' ready for this ultra-stripped down set. Now, of course, I can hear how the raw passion still burns through on tracks like the otherwise-unavailable "Soul Corruption".

Graham Parker, guitar, vocals
Recorded at Philadelphia's Theater of Living Arts October,1988

Tracklist
1         White Honey     2:31   
2         Watch The Moon Come Down     4:31   
3         Black Honey     3:14   
4         Protection     3:53   
5         Soul Corruption     5:48   
6         Gypsy Blood     5:02   
7         Back To Schooldays     2:20   
8         Durban Poison     2:58   
9         The 3 Martini Lunch     3:27   
10         Back In Time     2:46   
11         Hotel Chambermaid     2:23   
12         Don't Let It Break You Down     3:17   
13         You Can't Be Too Strong     3:05   
14         A Change Is Gonna Come     2:28

GP fans - what do you make of this album? Is Parker as strong  solo as he is with a band? Do you wanna hear another batch of Parker rarities? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the BBC Sight & Sounds link).

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Graham Parker: Break Them Down 12" (+ Rarities Round-Up)

To help pass the time till the start of Graham Parker's Big Year (more details HERE) MRML is going to dig into the bulging 'GP stuff' folder, to bring you a wide-ranging selection of bootlegs and out-of-print wonders, as we've done  before (see HERE) and will do again.





 To  complement yesterday 2 X 7 version, here's the 12" extended version of the lead-off single, "Break Them Down", from one of Parker's many comeback album, 1985's Steady Nerves in this case.


Tracklist 
A1. Break Them Down (Checked Shirts, Radios, Barbed Wire)     6:18    
B1. Everyone's Hand Is On The Switch     3:23     


Hey, while you're diggin' all this GP-ness don't neglect to check out all the parallel Parker-ing going on at some of the other blogs we love:

Power Pop Criminals offers a vintage '79 era bootleg HERE

Cover Me looks at some of the non-originals in GP's repertoire HERE

Teenage Dogs in Trouble offers up a newer Parker Rarity HERE

The Rare Stuff has (had?) a cool acoustic bootleg of GP opening up for BD HERE

GP fans - what do you make of this extended mix? Do you think the Steady Nerves album was a comeback? Do you wanna hear STILL more Parker rarities? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Break Them Down 12" link).

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Graham Parker & The Shot: Break Them Down 2 X 7" (1985)

To help pass the time till the start of Graham Parker's Big Year (more details HERE) MRML is going to dig into the bulging 'GP stuff' folder, to bring you wide-ranging section of rarities, bootlegs and out-of-print wonders. We've covered Chairman Parker extensively before (see HERE) and will continue to do so....





Here's a rare 2 X 7" from the fantastic 1985 album, Steady Nerves.


A1 Break Them Down (edit)
B1 Everyone's Hand is on the Switch
C1 Bricks and Mortar
D1 Too Much Time to Think

NOTE TO READERS: the following rarity is in .m4a format, which plays fine on MediaMonkey and iTunes but still irritates some people. Anybody with a mp3 rip please let me know.

GP fans - what do you make of this '85 era rarity? Do you wanna hear more Parker rarities? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Break Them Down 2 X 7" link).

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Graham Parker: Poughkeepsie, NY (1983) LINK UP-DATED

To help pass the time till the start of Graham Parker's Big Year (more details HERE) MRML is going to dig into the bulging 'GP stuff' folder, to bring you wide-ranging section of rarities, bootlegs and out-of-print wonders. We've covered Chairman Parker extensively before (see HERE) and will continue to do so....





What's Graham Parker's weakest album?
Is there a Down in the Grove, a Goodby Cruel World or a Lucky Town in the man's discography?
If there is such a glitch in the works, I'd argue that it's The Real Macaw a half-hearted attempt to make peace with eighties soullessness that plays to none of GP's strengths.
The fault lies not with the songs but with David Kershenbaum's lifeless production. To hear how the songs should have sounded, check out this '83 FM broadcast, which gives the Macaw material some extraordinary passion.

GP fans - what do you make of this '83 era bootleg? Do you think Parker has any weak albums?/ Do you wanna hear more Parker rarities? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Poughkeepsie, NY link).

Update: New link is available, scroll down in the comments section.

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Graham Parker & The Rumour: Live at Rockpalast (1980)

To help pass the time till the start of Graham Parker's Big Year (more details HERE) MRML is going to dig into the bulging 'GP stuff' folder, to bring you wide-ranging section of rarities, bootlegs and out-of-print wonders. We've covered Chairman Parker extensively before (see HERE) and will continue to do so....




GRAHAM PARKER AND THE RUMOUR
1980-10-18
Rockpalast, Essen, Germany
Soundboard recording, excellent quality
mp3 @ 320 kbps


Tracklist:
01  Stupefaction                             
02  No Holding Back                       
03  Jolie, Jolie                          
04  Love Without Greed                     
05  Discovering Japan                      
06  Passion Is No Ordinary Word         
07  Howlin Wind                           
08  Thunder And Rain                      
09  Manouvers                             
10  Don't Get Exited                      
11  Beating Of Another Heart              
12  Empty Lives                           
13  Devils Sidewalk                          
14  Endless Night                            
15  Can't Get No Protection                   
16  Nobody Hurts You                          
17  Hey Lord Don't Ask Me Questions          
18  Tripe Face Boogie                       
19  Soul Shoes                              
           
Musicians:
Graham Parker - guitar, vocals
Brinsley Schwarz - guitar, vocals
Martin Belmont - guitar, vocals
Stephan Göulding - drums, vocals
Andrew Bodnar - bass, vocals
Nicky Hopkins - piano

GP fans - what do you make of this '80 era bootleg? Do you wanna hear more Parker rarities? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Live at Rockpalast link).

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Graham Parker & The Rumour: Calderone Concert Hall Hempstead, NY 1979-06-06 (FM)

To help pass the time till the start of Graham Parker's Big Year (more details HERE) MRML is going to dig into the bulging 'GP stuff' folder, to bring you wide-ranging section of rarities, bootlegs and out-of-print wonders. We've covered Chairman Parker extensively before (see HERE) and will continue to do so....





Graham Parker and The Rumour
Calderone Concert Hall
Hempstead, NY
June 6, 1979
WLIR FM Radio Broadcast

Setlist:

01 Discovering Japan
02 Local Girls
03 Protection
04 Don't Get Excited
05 Back To Schooldays
06 Passion Is No Ordinary Word
07 Howling Wind
08 Heat Treatment
09 Stick To Me
10 Mercury Poisoning
11 You Can't Be Too Strong
12 Love Gets You Twisted
13 I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down
14 Don't Ask Me Questions
15 Saturday Nite Is Dead
16 Nobody Hurts You
17 Soul Shoes
18 encore applause
19 I Want You Back (Alive)
20 New York Shuffle

GP fans - what do you make of this '79 era bootleg? Do you wanna hear more Parker rarities? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Calderone Concert Hall Hempstead, NY link).

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Graham Parker & the Rumour: BBC Sight & Sounds (1977)

To help pass the time till the start of Graham Parker's Big Year (more details HERE) MRML is going to dig into the bulging 'GP stuff' folder, to bring you wide-ranging section of rarities, bootlegs and out-of-print wonders. We've covered Parker extensively before (see HERE) and will continue to do so...





Graham Parker & The Rumour
1977-03-17
BBC Sight & Sounds, London
TV Broadcast recording, excellent quality
mp3 @ 192 kbps

Tracklist:
01. Heat Treatment
02. Silly Thing
03. Fool's Gold
04. Pourin' It All Out
05. Gypsy Blood
06. Don't Ask Me Questions
07. Hold Back the Night
08. Not If It Pleases Me
09. Soul Shoes
10. Kansas City

GP fans - what do you make of this '77 era bootleg? Do you wanna hear more Parker rarities? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the BBC Sight & Sounds link).

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The Toy Dolls: James Bond (Lives Down Our Street) 12", (1985)

For my second list TEN TERRIFIC TOY DOLLS TELLY-TUNES list, please go visit The Big Takeover!

This week MRML celebrated Sunderland, England's The Toy Dolls, a pop-punk-oi trio that have been rocking the world since 1979 under the leadership of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/cartoonist/sole original member Olga, by building a list:


 Ten Terrific Toy Dolls Traits:

9. Whimsy

Say what you will about English culture; they can pull of being whimsical without being treacly, a combination of which trips up North Americans on a regular basis. Olga & co. whether musically  or lyrically, have maintained a sense of whimsy without being twee or precious.

10. Consistency
Not a bad album or single [or 12" - like this one!] in thirty years - sure some albums were better than others but Olga's Dolls can be consistent without being monotonous.



A         James Bond (Lives Down Our Street)        
B1         "Olga... I Cannot!"        
B2         Griefsville

Cheerio and Toodle-Pip Toy Dolls fans!!!
This be your last chance to add your own Terrific Toy Dolls Trait in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find   James Bond (Lives Down Our Street) 12" link).

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The Toy Dolls: The Abum After the Last One (2012)

This week MRML celebrates Sunderland, England's The Toy Dolls, a pop-punk-oi trio that have been rocking the world since 1979 under the leadership of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/cartoonist/sole original member Olga, by building a list:

 Ten Terrific Toy Dolls Traits:

7.   Olga Plays Well with Others

Not only did Olga join The Dickies for a tour (I first heard of The Toy Dolls in the Toxic Shock catalog, which referred to them as "an English Dickies") but his latest version of the band is a veritable punk rock super-group with Duncan Redmonds of Snuff on drums and Tom Goober of Goober Patrol on bass.

 

8. Sheer Dedication

Rock n' roll trios' like Motorhead, D.O.A. and The Toy Dolls cannot be stopped no matter how many setbacks, changes of fashion, line-up shuffles, label switches or ticks of the clock occur.


The new album sounds terrific - let us know what you think of this brand new record!

Oi, Toy Dolls fans!!!
GIVE US YOUR TAKE ON THE TOY DOLLS LATEST ALBUM IN THE COMMENTS SECTION

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The Toy Dolls: On Stage in Stuttgart (1999)

*

Well I had fun getting it ready, by any measure (visits, downloads, comments) I over-reached with this lengthy Toy Dolls series. It's no one's fault but mine for over-estimating the enthusiasm of MRML readers for the band, so I shall wrap it up resonantly quickly and harbour no regrets.

*

This week MRML celebrates Sunderland, England's The Toy Dolls, a pop-punk-oi trio that have been rocking the world since 1979 under the leadership of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/cartoonist/sole original member Olga, by building a list:


 Ten Terrific Toy Dolls Traits:

6. The band's influence
The Toy Dolls influence will be felt around the world for years to come. Two aspects of their legacy bear highlighting here:

a. Fat Mike, a declared fan, surely took notes from the band's career trajectory. The Toy Dolls never attempted to follow fashion, as most of their punk peers did. Instead they decided to stick absolutely to their style of punk, even as their musical prowess grew, and to tour relentlessly. This was to prove the exact formula for the bands on Fat Mike's label, Fat Wreck-Chords, which is still going strong today.

b. The band seems to have had a strong influence on a lot of the mid-west punk bands of  the nineties. I hear it in Screeching Weasel's lyrics which detail, with humanity and humour, the lives of those around them in songs like "Jeannie's Got a Problem With Her Uterus", in the singing style of Joey from The Vindictives and in just about everything about the ever-mad, Boris The Sprinkler.





Track listing

    Dig That Groove Theme Tune 2:19
    The Lambrusco Kid 2:54
    Idle Gossip 2:12
    Back In '79 2:48
    She's A Leech 2:25
    I've Got Asthma 2:22
    Sabre Dance (Khachaturian) 2:45
    She'll Be Back With Keith Someday 3:43
    Fisticuffs In Frederick Street 4:02
    Bless You My Son 2:00
    My Girlfriends Dads A Vicar 1:08
    Yul Brynner Was A Skinhead 2:56
    Wakey Wakey Theme Tune 0:22
    Stay Mellow 2:04
    Eine Kleine Nacht Musik (Mozart) 4:21
    Fiery Jack 2:42
    Alecs Gone 3:21
    I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles 2:45
    She Goes To Finos 2:57
    Dig That Groove Baby 4:17
    Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Williams) 1:07
    Cloughy Is A Bootboy 2:40
    Glenda And The Test Tube Baby 4:57
    Dougy Giro 3:16
    Nellie The Elephant (Butler, Hart) 6:01


Oi, Toy Dolls fans!!!
What do you see as the band's greatest influence on music?
Do you think we over-did it on the Toy Dolls stuff?
Let us know COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the On Stage in Stuttgart  link).

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The Toy Dolls: Live in Lyon, 1990 (FM Broadcast)

This week MRML celebrates Sunderland, England's The Toy Dolls, a pop-punk-oi trio that have been rocking the world since 1979 under the leadership of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/cartoonist/sole original member Olga, by building a list:


 Ten Terrific Toy Dolls Traits:

5. Olga's Guitar Wig-Outs

While he can peel off some some pretty classic glam-rockin' solos, Olga's guitars theatrics pinch from a dizzying array of forms - folk (the traditional "Jimmy Olga Crack Corn"), jazz (the standard "When the Saints Go Marching In"), rockabilly (Chuck Berry's "No Particular Place To Go"), bluegrass (Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith's "Dueling Banjos"), classical (J.S. Bach's "Toccata in D Minor") and country (The Charlie Daniels Band's "The Devil Went Down to Georgia Scunthorpe"). While some fans, possibly including yours truly, have groused about all that showy fret work, it has really helped build the band's very particular sound - so bully for Olga!

For further proof of Olga's guitar skullduggery,check out this rip-snortin' set done on French radio in 1990.


01- Intro
02- Dig that Groove
03- Cloughy is a Bootboy
04- Lambrusco kid
05- I've got Asthma
06- Peter Practise Pad
07- Deirdre's a Slag
08- Bless you my Son
09- My Girlfriends Dad's a Vicar
10- Ashbrooke Launderette
11- Spiders in the Dressing Room
12- Instrumental
13- She goes to Finos
14- Tommy Koweys car
15- Back in '79
16- Fisticuffs in Frederick street
17- Sabre Dance
18- Harry Cross
19-Glenda and the Test Tube Baby
20- Blue Suede shoes
21- When the Saints go Marching in
22-Nellie the elephant 






Oi, Toy Dolls fans!!!
Tell us what you think of all Olga's six-string showmanship in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Live in Lyon link).

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The Toy Dolls: Turtle Crazy 7" (1990)

This week MRML celebrates Sunderland, England's The Toy Dolls, a pop-punk-oi trio that have been rocking the world since 1979 under the leadership of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/cartoonist/sole original member Olga, by building a list:


 Ten Terrific Toy Dolls Traits:

4. Kid-Friendly

While they won't be getting their own show on TV like The Aquabats, their sugar-rush tempos, bratty-kid vocals and the goofy word-play in their lyrics (plus their predilection for performing kids songs like, "Nellie the Elephant"and "Rupert the Bear") make The Toy Dolls an easy sell to the ankle-biter set.

So, here's the single of another tot-friendly track, "Turtle Crazy", which is not a cover tune but an original about Olga's brother's obsession with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which ably demonstrates The Toy Dolls' appeal to, as they themselves put it, "Babies and grand-dads and great-babies and great grand-dads!"


 

A		Turtle Crazy
B		Turtle Crazy (Join In Mix)

Oi, Toy Dolls fans!
Thanks for the words, yesterday!!
If you want the list (and the rarities) to continue tell us your own favourite things about the band in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Turtle Crazy 7"  link).

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The Toy Dolls: Twenty-Two Tunes from Tokyo (1990)

This week MRML celebrates Sunderland, England's The Toy Dolls, a pop-punk-oi trio that have been rocking the world since 1979 under the leadership of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/cartoonist/sole original member Olga, by building a list:


Ten Terrific Toy Dolls Traits:

3. International Appeal

The Toy Dolls are less likely to tour North America or even the UK then they are continental Europe, South America or Asia and hence they've spread their kind of musical madness over more of the planet than almost any punk band!





Twenty-Two Tunes from Tokyo is an out-of-print Receiver Records release that captures  the band's manic show at The Club Quattro, Tokyo, Japan on 27th December 1989 (from the Wakey, Wakey Tour).

Tracklist
1          Wakey Wakey Intro     1:46    
2          Dig That Groove Baby     2:34    
3          Cloughy Is A Bootboy     3:10    
4          Lambrusco Kid     2:53    
5          I've Got Asthma     2:11    
6          Peter Practices Practice Place     3:01    
7          Deidre's A Slag     3:22    
8          Ashbrooke Launderette     2:25    
9          Bless You My Son     2:05    
10         My Girlfriends Dad's A Vicar     1:18    
11         Spiders In The Dressing Room     2:56    
12         Popeye Medley     3:33    
13         She Goes To Finos     2:40    
14         Fisticuffs In Frederick Street     3:35    
15         Harry Cross     4:07    
16         Glenda & The Test Tube Baby     3:52    
17         Wakey Wakey Outro     1:53    
18         When The Saints     1:38    
19         Wipe Out     3:06    
20         Nellie The Elephant     3:38    
21         Sabre Dance     2:31    
22         Blue Suede Shoes     2:33    

Oi, Toy Dolls fans!!!
Been a bit quiet on the old COMMENT front, hasn't it?
If you want the list (and the rarities) to continue tell us your own favourite things about the band in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Twenty-Two Tunes from Tokyo link).

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The Toy Dolls: Live in Munich (1986)

This week MRML celebrates Sunderland, England's The Toy Dolls, a pop-punk-oi trio that have been rocking the world since 1979 under the leadership of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/cartoonist/sole original member Olga, by building a list:


 Ten Terrific Toy Dolls Traits:

 2. Olga's flair for lyrics that mine the humour and pathos of everyday British life.

Olga, acting as a sort of Ray Davies-meets-Benny-Hill-meets-the Ramones figure,  celebrates the ordinary people of his homeland in songs like "Carol Dodds is Pregnant", "Harry Cross (Edna's Gone)", "Davey's Took the Plunge" or even "The Death of Harry the Roofer with Vertigo".

For further proof of Olga's wicked eye for the ridiculous in his surroundings (and his ability to turn it all into one great big singalong) check out this set done live on German TV from the Idle Gossip era (1986).

01 Idle Gossip
02 The Lambrusco Kid
03 Spiders In The Dressing Room
04 (If You're In A Pop Group You'll End Up Paying A Fortune Practicing At) Peter Practice's Practice Place
05 Glenda And The Test Tube Baby
06 You Won't Be Merry On A North Sea Ferry
07 Blue Suede Shoes

Hallo, Toy Dolls fans!!!
If you want the list (and the rarities) to continue tell us your own thoughts on Olga's way with words in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Live in Munich link).

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The Toy Dolls: Live at Studio 1 (1985)

For my list TEN TERRIFIC TOY DOLLS TELLY-TUNES list, please go visit The Big Takeover!

This week MRML celebrates Sunderland, England's The Toy Dolls, a pop-punk-oi trio that have been rocking the world since 1979 under the leadership of singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/cartoonist/sole original member Olga, by building a list:


 Ten Terrific Toy Dolls Traits:

 1. Those big hooks that get hammed home by the gang vocals.

 If there's on thing you can count on every Toy Dolls album it's hooky, catchy, silly songs with massive backing vocals. From "Nelly the Elephant" to "Geordie's Gone to Jail" to "I'm a Telly Addict" to "Christmas Credit Crunch" Olga & co. deliver the hits!


For proof check out this audio bootleg of a TV gig from 1985 (the videos themselves are over at the Big Takeover list) to see the band's live cheek!

 

Oi, Toy Dolls fans!!!
If you want the list (and the rarities) to continue tell us your own favourite things about the band in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Live at Studio 1 link).

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The Parasites: Last Caress 7" (1990)

MRML's been on a bit of a Parasites jag (see HERE). After all, any band who goes from covering The Beatles to The  Misfits is right in our wheel house.

This 1990 single features the  band (then with with Ronnie Parasite on bass and Rob Goellner on drums) doing a cover of their fellow New Jersey-ite, Glen Danzig's shock-horror classic, "Last Caress" and a demo of "Fool For You" with Dave "Nikki" Parasite playing all the instruments. Whereas Metallica made the song heavier, The Parasites play up the pop to ridiculously ironic effect.

 


Hey Parasites partisans! let us know what you think of this pop-take on the 'Fits classic in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Last Caress 7" link).

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