The Rivingtons - The Roots of Surfin' Bird

So, first was The Ramones - Surfin' Bird, and then maybe later you figured out that The Trashmen, a surf band from land-locked Minnesota, did the original in the 60s. Now, you know the song The Trashmen ripped off was by this way fuckin' cool doo-wop/soul band The Rivingtons.

I am sure if you kept going back there is a 40s/50s R n B version and if you kept going back in time you would find an old country blues dude named Topeka Tom who did a version of an old Scottish folk song called "Doin' The Bird Blues" or something.

One thing I know is that The Rivingtons were no one trick pony. They got an album worth of great party r n b/soul/doo-wop. Really. And you will never be able to listen to "Surfin' Bird" the same again.

Rivingtons - DOIN" THE BIRD!!!

Supercharger - Singles Party

Supercharger are supershitty and superfun and superfuckingood. This collects all their singles and is their superest album.

Go ahead! Be super, too!

Supercharger - Singles Party

Wreckless Eric - Le Beat Group Electrique

Wreckless Eric moved to France in the 80s to dry out and made a couple of albums there. This is a great album as The Beat Group Electrique from 1989. It's less aggro than his first album or his noisier albums with The Len Bright Combo which the drummer and bassist for Thee Milkshakes, but it suits his songs well.

Le Beat Group Electrique

Blacktop - I Got a Baaaaaaaaaaaad Feeling About This

Mick Collins has been a pretty popular fellow. Everybody knows and loves his bands The Gories and The Dirtbombs.

Blacktop is way better. This band was really good. It had Collins' cool singing and songs with the Darin Lin Wood's from the band Fireworks fucked up-feedback from hell rockabilly-type guitar all over it. The band actually has a bass player which is a definite benefit and a chick drummer with an incomplete drumset.

That's a formula for rock n roll-shitty garage success if I ever heard it.

I am sure this album is on like 50 blogs, but whatever...here you go.

Blacktop

Reverend Beat-Man and The Un-Believers - Get On Your Knees

Reverend Beat Man is one crazy guy. With a song named "Popcorn Up Your Arse" you know you are in for a good time!

He also runs Voodoo Rhythm Records which is probably the most exciting thing to ever come out of Switzerland. Lots of great music on that label. Check it out.

Reverend Beat-Man and The Un-Believers

Daggermen - Dagger In My Mind

Another lost classic from the Billy Childish led Medway Beat scene, this is The Daggermen "Dagger In My Mind".  It was released in 1986. The Daggermen features David Taylor, Johnny Barker and Wolf Howard who have separately or jointly featured in other bands from The Medway. This is great garage-mod-punk. Cover by Bruce Brand.

Notable other bands which they have played in include The James Taylor Quartet, Mickey and The Salty Sea Dogs, The Buff Medways, The Kravin' A's, Billy Childish and The Musicians of The British Empire, Armitage Shanks, etc. etc.

I am sure they are all poets, painters and world-class cricketers, also.


Daggermen - Dagger In My Mind

Weird old folk gospel

Just letting you know up front I am not a Christian person trying to convert people to Christianity, but a music person trying to convert people to great music. "American Primitive Vol. 1" - Maybe you don't think you like old folk/blues /hillbilly gospel from the 1920s and 1930s, but you are wrong. The great songs on this collection are the root of all soul and rock n roll. Really. I am not fucking with you. You don't even really notice the words. The music is too cool.

So, amen and feel the spirit!

American Primitive Vol. 1 - Folk Gospel

Masonics - Down Among The Dead Men

Here's what I think is the best album from The Masonics. Mickey Hampshire (singing, guitar and songwriting) and Bruce Brand (drummer) were in Thee Milkshakes with Billy Childish. Brand was also in Thee Headcoats. Although, Childish and Thee Headcoats got a lot of attention this album is actually much better than anything they put out. Highly recommend checking out live any bands that any of these garage rock masters are in as they all put on a great show.

Masonics - Down Among The Dead Men

King Uszniewicz and The Uszcniewicztones - Doin' The Woo Hoo

Another amazing album from "The Lord of Shitty", King Uszniewicz, who is also responsible for one "Twisitn' and Bowlin'" already posted here. Once more processing some shit songs through the "shittyifier" pedal hooked up to his kazoo/saxophone, King Uszniewicz and his band of retards A.K.A his bowling team make rock n roll sound fun again.

King Uszniewicz - Doin' The Woo Hoo

Nippon Girls - Japanese Pop, Beat & Bossa Nova 1966-1970

Excellent comp of Japanese girly pop from the 60s. Sort of like a cross between American soul/girl group, French Ye-Ye and Japanese music.

I highly recommend, also, 'One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds' an amazing 4 CD collection of girl group songs, and 'Ultra Chicks' a 6 CD collection of French chick Ye-Ye.

Nippon Girls!

Fireworks - Untrue/She's A Tornado Single

The first single from Fireworks. Some crazy shit. One of the best garage-punk-rockabilly-whatever lives in the basement singles. Really. I'm not fucking with you.

Fireworks - Untrue/She's a Tornado

Mighty Moguls - 3 for 1

Here's three EP's by Japanese band The Mighty Moguls. Full of fun, trashy rock n roll goodness. Let's fink shit up!

The Mighty Moguls

Joe Meek - The Alchemist of Pop

Excellent 2 CD comp of Joe Meek produced music. What's an Alchemist? Someone who attempts to make gold from base metal i.e something shitty. He made something kinda weird and very cool from some basic English pop and early rock n roll with only the most basic recording equipment. If you haven't heard it give it a few listens and let it sink in.

Sorry, this is two CDs split up over four parts because of the way I had it on the computer. So, a bit of a sampler if you want it that way.

Joe Meek 1
Joe Meek 2
Joe Meek 3
Joe Meek 4

Sonic Chicken 4 - S/T

Sonic Chicken 4 are from France, but don't let that scare you off. This is some great garage rock, and they got one of the best names this side of The Alan Parsons Project.

Sonic Chicken 4

Compulsive Gamblers - Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing

Another from garage-rock heavyweight Greg Cartwright. This is the best album by The Compulsive Gamblers. The other band he was in with fellow Oblivion Jack Yarber.

Compulsive Gamblers - Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing

White Wires - Girly Girly Girly

What? This album is from 2008? And they write good songs? Yeah, They do. Unlike the rest of the 99% of garagey-punky bands. It is fairly recent and they did get fairly popular, so I am sure this album is up alot of places. Here it is again.


White Wires - Girly Girly Girly

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - The Legendary A & M Sessions

Q: Captain Beefheart you say? That babbling art-rock dude? Why? Pray tell.

A: Because these early recordings are damn swell garage rock you can tap your toes to.

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

The Yolks

Put a little bit o' soul in your contemporary garage rock with The Yolks from Chicago.

The Yolks

Reigning Sound - Too Much Guitar

Reignin Sound is Greg Cartwright's band from The Oblivions and The Compulsive Gamblers. It's the most rockin' and, I think, the best album from The Reigning Sound.

Reigning Sound - Too Much Guitar

The Sorrows - Take A Heart

Don't be bummed, dude. Here's The Sorrows! This is prime 60s R n B/Mod action. One of the best bands of the era.

The Sorrows - Take A Heart

The Equals - Unequalled

Don't they look cool? That's because they are.

Very catchy English 60s soul-mod-r n b type music with a hint of ska. The black members of the band being originally from Jamaica. They did the original of "Police on my Back" which all the kiddies know from The Clash cover. Excellent stuff. Very spiffy.

The Equals - Unequalled

Goggle- A - Dendeke Rock Combo

Some more swell garage rock from Japan.

Goggle A - Dendeke Rock Combo

The Bunnies - Oo Wee Baby

Some girl Japanes garage rock for you.

The Bunnies

Jehosaphat Blow - Natural High For Low People

One-man band action. Great songs and variety for just a dude with a guitar playing drums with his feet. Damn good singer, too. Check it out.

Jehosaphat Blow - Natural High For Low People

Mr. Bonz One-Man Band - The Man Without Bones

Some fine one-man band action from France.

Mr. Bonz One-Man Band

Plastic Bertrand - AN1

Plastic Bertrand did the song "Ca Plane Pour Moi" and the world was never the same again. The whole album minus some unfortunate reggae is "la merde".

Plastic Bertrand

BBQ - Two fer One-Man Band

BBQ's AKA Mark Sultan's first and second one-man band album. Both are equally sizzlin'. I think he has done some stuff with the bass player from his first band The Spaceshits. What's his name? I dunno. I forget.

BBQ - S/T
BBQ - Tie Your Noose

King Uszniewicz and HIs Uszniewicztones - Twistin' and Bowlin'

In brief, somewhere in Michigan in the middle of the 70s this guy played every week with his band in a bowling alley. Some guy from the band that did "Smoking in the Boys Room" saw them and decided to record them. The rest is history. This is the ultimate in it's-so-shitty-it's-good.

And he kicked out his guitarist for showing up with a wah pedal to a gig, and then replaced him on the spot with the guy who worked at the bowling alley. Take that, hippies!

King Uszniewicz

The Purple Knif Radio Show - Lux Interior

Lux Interior DJing a radio show from 1984. Say what you want, but he had cool taste in music, and anyone who digs the shitty rock n roll and other weirdness from back before hippies ruined music should check it out. Go here for some free downloads of the first 11 volumes of "Lux and Ivy's Favorites" a compilation of all the songs the dynamic duo from The Cramps were into. There are also another 5 out there.  As well, as 6 volumes of "Songs The Cramps Taught Us".

There are endless amazing songs on these comps from rockabilly, r n b, rock n roll, garage, soul, instrumentals of every variety(surf, lounge/exotica, r n b , soul),  and just plain weird-ass shit you didn't know even existed. I highly recommend checking some of these out even if you aren't into The Cramps which, to be honest, I am not.

The Purple Knif Show

The Trashwomen - Spend The Night With The Trashwomen

The same early 90s San Francisco scene and, possibly, some of the same members as The Brentwoods. Just as shitty.

Trashwomen - Spend The Night With...

The Milkshakes - 14 Rhythm & Beat Greats

Second album, same as the first.

Milkshakes - Fourteen Rhythm & Beat Greats

The Milkshakes - Talking 'Bout...

What is there to say about the man, the legend that is Billy Childish? He's the garage rocker's garage rocker. Did you just blink? Billy Childish just put out another record. I think he's up to about 300 or 400 now. If you don't know his music this is as good an introduction as any as it's his first legit record in the rock n roll style he is know for. He was in an alright punk band called The Pop Rivets before but got together with Mickey Hampshire, a legend in his own right, and Bruce Brand, the garage rock drummer's garage rock drummer, moved from guitar to...um...drums. Are you following this? Anyhow, they ditched the punk and started to really rock it.

This is one of my favorite albums. Many people know Billy Childish from his later groups like Thee Headcoats and Thee Might Caesars where he moved into a style that mixed a more basic, punk style with 60s garage. Over time I have come to enjoy Thee Milkshakes the most. They had two great  singers/songwriters in Childish and Hampshire and the great drumming of Brand. They were at their most "exuberant" (drunk) on this first album. It's just straight-up fun, spastic rock n roll with great songs.

Mickey Hampshire later formed The Masonics which is a great band, also. This band also has Brand on drums. Brand played drums in Thee Headcoats. You get the picture. There are like ten other bands that combine different members of that music scene that developed in Medway which, I guess, is some satellite city or area of London. Of what I have heard I can recommend checking out The Kravin' A's (Brand on guitar), Billy Childish and The Blackhands (cool little band doing more folk-punk with accordian), Mickey and The Salty Sea Dogs (Hampshire), The Daggermen (including that rhythm section that backs up Hampshire in the Sea Dogs and Childish in The Buff Medways), The A-Lines (girl band), The Delmonas (Milkshake's girlfriend-type band. I admit I never liked Thee Headcoatees) etc. The list goes on. I probably forgot a few. It's worth exploring. You should check it out.

I will put up some of this stuff later.

Milkshakes - Talking 'Bout

Brentwoods - Fun In South City

This is garage, rock n roll, punk whatever you want to call it at it's finest. It's actually more like a 50s teen hop dance party that has gone horribly wrong...or right, depending on what you've been drinking. The singer is a female who screams...alot, but in a good way, not an annoying way. She could be singing. I think she is. About Buri Buri's and Barfy Bobby's and Shingles and other things you are suppose to dance to. The recording is suitably shitty. Like perfectly shitty. People try real hard to copy this sound now. Is there a setting on your computer recording program called the shittyifier? It's not the sound. It's the spirit. These people are having fun. And they are doing it in South City which if anyone has been in or lived in San Francisco knows is not easy. Plus, the organ player can actually play alright. He or she has got some riffs.

This is really hard to find, so I hope you appreciate getting it. These people were in bands like Supercharger and The Trashwomen and all those great bands from the early-mid 90s in San Francisco. They morphed into later bands like The Bobbyteens and such. Go check them all out. I will be posting most of these as I get around to it.

Brentwoods - Fun In South City