Kitchens of Distinction

KoD were from London and were together between 1986 and 1996. They released 4 albums but never really got too much coverage on the radio or in the music press. What got my attention was The Chart Show's Indie Chart, which had one of those 5 second clips of their single "Elephantine". As often, this was enough to know if I would like the songs. It had also proved useful, I remember, when I heard 5 seconds of The Stone Roses "Made of Stone" back when it was originally released in March 1989. That was enough to make me want to find out about the band.
Hence, the Kitchens of Distinction (named after a furniture company) became known to me and here are three of their songs which got lost in time but deserve a new hearing.

Elephantine
Quick As Rainbows
The Third Time We Opened The Capsule

Drive That Fast promotional video

The Dog Faced Hermans

This is a Peel session from 1987 and has a kind of post-punk sound. The Dog Faced Hermans were from Scotland and became based in Amsterdam for a while before they finished in 1995. The first of these tracks is like a traditional Mexican/ punk piece, which has to be pretty unique! Anyway, give them a listen, they rock(ed).

DFHs - El Dogo Speaks
Malcolm Plays Housy Housy
Sure Up the Enemy

John Peel Day treats

As promised, I have some special stuff for you in the memory of the best DJ of all time.
First up, a session track done by 'bis', obviously dedicated to Peely.
bis - We Love John Peel

Next, as John was a big fan of The Fall, someone had made a compilation mp3 of loads of times he mentioned them in his shows. I took some of them and made a mini Fall-mix track that I'd planned to do some time ago so I could sample JP onto it.
John Peel - Stuff From The Fall (2.43)

Then, as John was also a big fan of African music, I think it's time I included what is the best one I've heard. The only thing I know about it is that it was by UXB and appears to be a techno remix of African music, released around 1997. If anyone knows anything else about this, please let me know.
UXB - African techno

The next one that I made is called "Wrong Speed". All Peel fans know what this refers to and I took it from when he tried to play a track by Road Capelle in 1987.
John Peel - Wrong Speed (0.49)

And finally, we have a compilation of quotes from the great man himself, which I made from searching through about 20 hours of radio shows to make what I think is a great tribute to our musical mentor.
John Peel DJbites (5.05)

Viva John Peel!

John Peel show 29/12/96 part 1

A rare treat for you today. I found another radio programme that isn't available anywhere on the net. This first part begins with the no.1 song from the 1996 Festive 50 and continues the show before leading onto possibly John's first show of 1997, which features a piece on black music in Britain. This file is 48:47 in length and is 33.5Mb at 96kbps.

You can download the first part here

*edit* I won't post the other half as none of it features indie music.
This is the playlist of part 1:

Kenickie - Come Out 2Nite
Aircut - Visual Attack
Broken Dog - Baby, I'm Lost Without You
The Fags - My Boyfriend Is A Janitor
Jerry McCain - That's What They Want
The Gentle People - World of Love
Midget - Diplomi Man
Midget - Kylie and Jason
XLNT - New Lang Syne

Black musicians in Britain programme
Black Star Liner
Dreadzone
Crispy 3

Make sure you tune in on Thursday the 11th. It's John Peel Day and I'll have some special things for you, some of which no-one else in the world has. ;)

There's Something About Killdozer

And what might that be? Well, Killdozer were a pretty hardcore band from the USA who were together between 1983 and 1996 and played with the likes of the Butthole Surfers and Scratch Acid. I've included one of their songs, but mainly because of another song I heard by another band...
This was The Young Fresh Fellows, who have been together for 25 years but their song which caught my attention was called "My Boyfriend's in Killdozer". This surprised me for two reasons- 1. at the time (around the early 90s) it wasn't that common to mention things like that and 2. considering what kind of band Killdozer were, I wouldn't have really expected openness with homosexuality.
However, I don't know if it was actually true or just a joke between the bands. I couldn't care less anyway as any respectable person would agree but I still like the YFF's song.

Killdozer - King of Sex
The Young Fresh Fellows - My Boyfriend's in Killdozer

Quickspace (Supersport)

Quickspace formed in 1994 in London. They were originally called Quickspace Supersport when John Peel started to play them. They have a connection with Th' Faith Healers through Tom Cullinan who writes most of the songs, sings and plays guitar. I got into them when I heard their single "Friend" and they also released one called "Rise" which was cool but the version below is from their Peel session. Another one I liked was on the C96 cassette from the NME. It was a version of their song "Song For Someone". The version I have unfortunately had to be cut short as it didn't fit onto the end of the tape I put it onto but I think it's the best version of the song (there is also a Song for the BBC).
It appears that Quickspace are still together. It's hard to find interinfo about them but they released a record as recently as 2005.

Friend
Rise (Peel)
Song For NME (2.25)

Pixies - unheard remix

Hello everybody. It's my birthday today so I'd like to give you all (or at least Pixies' fans) a listen to another remix I did featuring many songs by the same band. I'm pretty happy with this and I hope you enjoy it, too! Please let me know.

*Link now removed*

Madder Rose

Madder Rose were from New York and recorded melodic alternative music during the 1990s. Their most well-known song was probably "Swim", being their second single in 1993. They have been compared to the Velvet Underground, Lush and Juliana Hatfield.
These songs, which are live, features another track that made the Festive 50, that being "Car Song". Madder Rose split up in 1999.

Car Song
Lights Go Down
Margaret

They also did a cover version of Sonic Youth's "Star Power", which, it has to be said, is an improvement on the otherwise fabulous Kim Gordon's vocals!

Star Power

Loop

Loop were a British band, recording between 1987 and 1990, that tied in with the shoegazing and Jesus and Mary Chain style of indie rock. I only had their "Fade Out" album (1988), which these three tracks are from.
We can assume that they chose the name Loop because their songs all featured a looped section of music but they used them quite effectively to make good songs. Also, I guess that this album was called Fade Out as that's what all the songs do!

Black Sun
This is Where You End
Torched

Zouch - Suddenly (album)

O.k. a slight deviation from the R.I.C theme. Last week, I had an idea to try to write and record a complete album in a week. I've been writing songs since 1989 for bands and for myself so I wanted to see if I could do something decent very quickly. I've uploaded the songs to my ReverbNation page. The songs are in a kind of indie-pop style.
You can see more info on the project there and listen to the songs (also on the player below). I'd appreciate it if you let me know what you think.

Sub Pop - Lime Lizard

This was a cassette given away free in a music magazine called Lime Lizard (as Kieran corrected me) in 1993. It's a good mix of indie pop and rock and here are the 5 songs from the A-side. On the B-side was a track by Earth, which just trudges on for so long that I couldn't be bothered to wait till it finished! Anyway, have a listen to the rest of it.

Velocity Girl - Creepy
Pond - Agatha
Dwarves - Underworld
The Walkabouts - Drag This River
The Fastbacks - All About Nothing

Annexe - some of my music

I'd decided to finally put some of my songs on the web. I recorded them some years ago with the intention of writing songs that sounded like nothing else. I wanted them to be not connected with any genre or time and some of the sounds were used just because I thought they felt right.
There are 4 songs to listen to and I would appreciate it if some of you joined me as a friend and left your comments there.

Go to the Annexe music page

Loveblobs and R.I.C on Marc Riley's show!

So, the other day here, the Loveblobs got 5 of their songs from 1992 finally played on the internet then yesterday on Radio 6, Marc Riley coincidentally played their Peel session from the same year! An amazing coincidence considering it's been 15 years since any of these songs were recorded. Of course, I had to inform the ex-Boy Lard about this and he read out my email. Now, other than JP, Mark and Lard were two of my favourite DJs and one of them mentioned me and this blog on his Brain Surgery show! You can probably imagine this excited me just a tad. Maybe you listened to the show. If not, you can listen to it again at the link below. The historic piece of broadcasting (for me anyway!) appears at 1 hour 37 mins into the show.

Listen to the show again here
And here is the tracklisting to be able to find the other songs.

The Loveblobs

I posted one of their songs near the start of this blog and since then, Colin Todd, from the band, has been in touch and sent me 5 album tracks. Here's his summary and a photo that he also sent me.

The Loveblobs were:

Paul Thorpe - Vocals/guitar

Tim Holdcroft - Guitar

Col Todd - Bass/vocals

Tim Cedar - Drums

We recorded 2 mini lps for Wiiija in 1992:

Congealed

+ Extraction (Combined as Prehistoric Extraction on CD)

Here is a selection!

Peanuts
Soul Station (the other one was the Peel session version)
Kasso
Cylinder Head
Ringpull

We also recorded a Peel session (IMO the best thing we ever did) but i've only got it on cassette!!!

So, thanks Col and let's hope that people are glad they heard the Loveblobs the second time around!

The Jack Officers - LA Momma Peanut Butter

Right, I'm back after bringing back loads more music, although I still have lots more to post from my R.I.C folder. This one is kind of a bastard offspring of the Butthole Surfers (I'm sure they won't mind me putting it like that, knowing what they are like!), which features about half of the band. It's quirky yet funky.

Hear the Jack Officers

If you don't know who the Butthole Surfers are, here's their cover of Hurdy Gurdy Man.

The Stone Roses remixes

What's that you say? They're not rare? John Peel didn't even like them? True and correct, but you won't have heard these remixes before because I did them. I also put together the videos so they are for all the Roses fans who visit here.

Remix of songs from the first album


The Second Onion Terror mix


Right, I'll be away for a week now as I'm going back to England to pick up some more tapes and records for you lovely listeners.

Happy Flowers

I declare today the international Happy Flowers Day. Why? Well, these 2 guys made 'songs' that were quite unique. Yeah, they used guitars and drums but they made a hell of a noise! And the vocals? Well, imagine what it would be like to hear 2 completely screwed up children shouting about every problem they had over all the noise! I loved this band, who were probably only played on the John Peel show in Britain. They are from Virginia, USA and called themselves Mr. Anus and Mr. Horribly Charred Infant. I contacted the latter and he said it would be fine to put their tracks on here. Now, I have quite a few of them, some good quality audio, others reasonable. But here's a list of just some of my favourites.


Make the Cat Stop Talking to Me (maybe the first one I heard by them)
My Frisbee Went Under The Lawnmower
Left Behind
If It Was Broken, You'd Be Screaming
I Dropped My Ice Cream Cone
Mom, I Gave the Cat Some Acid
Let's Eat the Baby
and to finish, a live cover by my old band, Pink Fluffy Suicide, in 1992 of
Mom and Dad Like the Baby More Than Me
(That's me singing and playing the lead guitar)

Find out the whole story of the Happy Flowers here and hear 4 more songs

The Snapdragons - Our Tune

The Snapdragons were also active in the late 80s and early 90s. They were English and this song was about the "Our Tune" feature on daytime Radio 1 (I think by Simon Mayo). It was the first song on my Alternative Classics Vol. 3 and...

it goes like this

The rest of the songs were as follows:

The Wedding Present - Don't Talk, Just Kiss
The Becketts - The Most Beautiful Girl in Town
Mega City Four - Awkward Kid
The Telescopes - To Kill a Slow Girl Walking
The Blake Babies - Cess Pool
Lush - De-luxe
The Charlatans - Indian Rope
Snuff - Bran Flakes/ Shake 'n' Vac
The Breeders - Iris
The Family Cat - From the City to the Sea
Galaxie 500 - Blue Thunder
The Fall - Telephone Thing
Ultra Vivid Scene - The Mercy Seat

As in the previous post, I'll include some of the other rare songs at a later date.

Alternative Classics Vol. 2

You might think "Why not list Vol. 1 first?" Well, I have no idea where that tape is or what was on it! But I have this one so this was what I put on, of songs from 1989 to 1990.

McCarthy - Governing Takes Brains
The Family Cat - Final Mistake
Birdland - Rage
Happy Mondays - Wrote For Luck
The House of Love - I Don't Know Why I Love You
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Between Planets
The Wedding Present - No
More Fiends - Vinyl Grind
James - Come Home
Cud - Only a Prawn in Whitby
The Family Cat - Tom Verlaine
The Pale Saints - Sight of You
Mudhoney - You Got It (Keep it Outta My Face)
James - Sit Down

Some of the songs I've already posted on here. Others are not so rare so they won't appear. The rest will appear at a later date.
Did anyone else ever make these kind of compilation tapes? If so, what did you put on them?

Tiger - Shining in the Wood (live)

I was a big fan of Tiger, although it seems they were a love or not-interested-in band. Their first album "My Puppet Pal" was out in 1996 and this song came before it as a single but didn't appear on the album. Unfortunately, they split up after releasing just 1 more album. I still like how energetic and happy their songs sound and I was always surprised that some people actually didn't like them.

Tiger live

The Nightblooms - 59#2

The Nightblooms were from Deventer in the Netherlands and released this song as part of a package of 2 A sided singles (I have number 492 ;)) in 1992. Peel played a few songs by them, which kind of mixed a twee sound with a shoegazing sound. This one is a good representation of them and they probably remain my favourite ever Dutch band... True, 2 Unlimited aren't really any competition for anything...

Listen to The Nightblooms

Onion Terror - I Had a Dream

Well, having said I remembered this song, I decided to record a version of it as faithfully as I can remember it!
I also looked up Fish Karma and found it wasn't Black Francis but another guy who has recorded a few albums. You can find out more about him on his wikipedia page.
I've also now heard a sample of the song and it doesn't sound like the version I know so maybe someone else did record it, too.
Anyway, here's my version for you to listen to.
Sorry for my American accent! I'm actually English but as I said, it's my faithful rendition ;)

The Loveblobs - Soul Station

This is a truly brilliant song. Early 90s again, I don't remember hearing other songs by them but they released an album called Congealed.

Listen to Soul Station

About copyrights

Hi, and welcome to my blog. First of all, I'd like to talk about copyrights of the songs which are linked to here. Most of the songs are more than 10 years old and didn't sell many copies when they were released. If you have an issue about whether they should be allowed to be downloaded, think about the fact that no money is being made from them here, they are linked to because I think they shouldn't have got lost in time and that people may be hearing them for the first time here.
However, if the song is being released in some way and you are currently earning revenue from this particular version then email me with proof and I'll remove it.
If you can't give me a good reason why they should be removed (and I'm talking ethically and morally here) then just let them be.