Radial Spangle - Raze

I've been listening to a lot of 80s/early 90s neo psych, noise pop and shoegaze that I have in my collection from back in the day, much of which has been pretty unspectacular. This tune however is surprisingly tops. I remember Radial Spangle were somehow connected to Mercury Rev...I think. Did maybe someone in the band also die? Anyway the energy, insistent beat, hyped up swirly guitar riff and multi-tracked vocals make this pretty infectious. 

Drop Nineteens - Winona

This is called Winona but I really couldn't say what it's actually about but it's an enjoyable slice of American shoegaze from back in the day. It was from the debut Drop Nineteens LP from 92 which I recall was half a top record. It's incredible to think that our Winona has been a pop culture icon five decades now. Sure I dunno what she did from 1994 to 2016 except for shoplifting...maybe she learned to act. Anyway there is no shortage of love out there for her, as I'd say she's the most sung about figure in pop culture ever....probably.

Meat Whiplash - Don't Slip Up

One classic single on Creation in 1985 and they were done. A forgotten gem that was a hit on the British independent music charts in 1985. I didn't hear this until a few years later though, on a Creation compilation. Apparently Meat Whiplash were from the same new town as The Jesus & Mary Chain. What they used to call noise-pop and a glorious encapsulation of that it is. 

Controlled Death - Music for the Death Cult Church

Very enjoyable racket from pioneering Japanese noise performance artist Maso Yamazaki aka Masonna: The rock star of noise. He's been doing Controlled Death now for 5 or so years. This is drone-y lo-fi psychedelic dark ambient goodness. It's got church-y organs and malignant synths that infect the already sinister tones for added infernal resonance. Music For The Death Cult Church was released exclusively on cassette in February in a limited edition of 99 with no digital download option. It's now sold out and copies go for 80 Aussie dollars on discogs so I'm very grateful to the youtube channel Rites Of Pestilence for uploading this. It's quite possibly the best work under Yamazki's Controlled Death moniker.

Wimple Winch - Rumble on Mersey Square South

One of the best tunes of the 60s. It's got the lot: Drama so much drama and that crackling electricity in each drum hit and the exhilarating quiet loud dynamics and the crunchy guitars and the strange whistle break and the exciting violence and the complex weird melodic vocal harmonies with some funny creepy lyrics. The words are so evocative, it's like a mod movie in just four and a half minutes. 

As it said on the compilation this is "choice psychotic freakbeat" How Rumble On Mersey Square South is not on everyone's best tunes of the 60s list is beyond me but then again I only discovered it 15 years ago with the re-issue of Bam-Caruso's 1984 compilation The Psychedelic Snarl. All I know is Liverpool's Wimple Winch released just three 7"s on Fontana and none of them were hits.

I just noticed House Of Love ripped off that opening guitar line for one of their tunes maybe Shine On?

Miller - Baby I Got News For You

Not many tunes are about buying shoes for the one you love. This is fucking weird and a little creepy. Sonically so raw and in your face. Did they expect this to get on the radio back in the day? This single was released by Columbia in 1965. Miller had previously been in the British instrumental group Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers who'd had some top 10 action with Joe Meek productions. Anyway those brash guitars eventually take over this ditty after 2 and half minutes. A very noisey racket-ness. Did a bunch of future bands base their entire careers on the last 40 seconds of this song? 

The Selfkick - Gosh, I'm Your Woman Not Your Wife

Well this is as unhinged as any great freakbeat tune from the Britain. The Selfkick were Dutch and this was Nederbeat. A classic noise-y racket from 1966.

Him And The Others - She's Got Eyes That Tell Lies

Is there anything cooler than a group who recorded just one single?....well yeah if their one and only 7" was released on Parlaphone in 1966 and was this actual song! Plus this classic is the B-side. This is Freakbeat gold. 

The Sorrows - Pink Purple Yellow and Red

The Sorrows - Pink Purple Yellow & Red (1967)

Never heard this tune until yesterday. I know next to nothing about The Sorrows except they were from Coventry. This tune is a ripper. That bassline! Those drums. A bit of menacing British beat if not quite unhinged freakbeat. In the original definition of the term freakbeat Phil Smee, who coined the term, said it had to be "touched by the hand of mayhem" so it's not quite chaotic enough but ya know whatever i suppose...it's still freakbeat innit. That term has come to encompass British Beat, RnB, Mod, Psych etc.

The Sorrows - Take A Heart (1965)

This is the one song by The Sorrows I previously knew because it was on a compilation from 21 years ago Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire & Beyond. 

Suburban Lawns - Unable

SU TISSUE UPDATE

Since I last wrote about Su some dude reckons he saw her on twitter. This claim appears to be absolute bullshit because I think the internet would have actually gone mental if any activity from Su had actually been detected.

Everybody's favourite enigmatic new wave pop singer Su Tissue wears top outfit and does stares almost as good as Johnny Rotten.