New Wave for the New Week #117

So, how far would say the stylistic leap is from straightforward lounge jazz to geeky experimental electronic synthpop?  For Richard James Burgess, Andy Pask, Christopher Heaton, Peter Thomas and John Walters, it was easy.

Those five gentlemen came together in the mid-1970s to form Landscape, originally a typical jazz combo who worked rooms throughout the UK and, in 1977, scraped together enough funds to release two 7-inch EPs of their instrumental jazz sound on their own Event Horizon label.  By the end of the decade, they developed a strong interest in the emerging technology of pre-programmed electronic instruments and computerized rhythms, and had begun involving these futuristic sounds in their compositions.  With the growing popularity of synthesizer-based New Wave, and a noticeably different crowd coming to hear their sets, the transition made perfect sense.  By the time of their debut album in 1979, Landscape was no longer playing smooth jazz.

Their self-titled debut caused minor ripples, but went largely unnoticed despite a minor push behind it's lead single, "Japan."  Where the quintet made its mark was with their second album, 1981's From The Tea Rooms Of Mars...To The Hell-Holes Of Uranus.  Chockablock with clever lyrics, danceable hooks, unexpected cheeps and chirps, and universal cultural references, the songs here are almost too smart for their own good.  The driving "European Man" bemoans the loss of the worker in favor of the machine; "Einstein A-Go-Go" underscores the then-current global fear of nuclear war; "Norman Bates" retells the tales of horror from the Bates Motel with sinister psychological undertones that would make Hitchcock himself proud.  None of it typical dancefloor material, yet this is undeniably a very danceable album - a juxtaposition that itself remains a knowing commentary on the times.

A third album, Manhattan Boogie-Woogie, appeared in 1982, but lacked the punch of its predecessor.  The clever ideas were lacking (save for "It's Not My Real Name") and, aside from the title track, the music was overly produced and heavily slicked down.  Interesting, but not essential.

Shortly thereafter, Heaton and Thomas left the band, leaving Burgess, Pask and Walters to continue on under the revised name Landscape III.  As a trio, they recorded a couple of innocuous dance singles, none of which sold well.  By 1984, Landscape had broken up.  Burgess and Walters each went on to successful careers in music production: Burgess helmed records for Kim Wilde, Adam Ant and King, among others; Walters credits include albums by Kissing The Pink and Twelfth Night.

All three albums can be had on CD in different permutations:  Landscape has been released on two different 2-for-1 CDs, one pairing it with Tea-Rooms of Mars and the other pairing it with Manahttan Boogie-Woogie. Tea Rooms is also available as a stand-alone CD with bonus tracks, including some of the Landscape III material.

For this week's clips, let's enjoy Landscape at their peak.  First up, the clip for their most successful single, "Einstein A-Go-Go," and second, the wonderfully satirical clip for "European Man."  Enjoy!

Six Word Sunday

Which matters more: Result or Process?

New Wave for the New Week #116

Last week's NW4NW entry, The Adicts, were a band that has kept basically the same four-man lineup for the past 30+ years.  This week's band has not been nearly so stable.  In fact, over the past 32 years since their debut gig in 1979, no less than 22 different people have cycled in and out (and, occasionally, back in and back out) of one of Australia's finest musical exports, The Lime Spiders.

The band's founder and mainstay, frontman Mick Blood, created the band originally as a lark, paying tribute both to the acid-dripping psychedelic garage bands of the 1960s, but also to the growing scene of Australian Punk bands including The Saints, Radio Birdman, The Fun Things, et al.  By 1983, The Lime Spiders had broken up and reformed at least twice, and were on their third permutation of musicians.  Nonetheless, they won a record contract at a local "Battle Of The Bands" contest, and released a double-45 featuring covers of two obscure '60s tracks (The Haunted's "1-2-5" and The Liberty Bell's "That's How It Will Be") and two originals that were remarkably accurate renderings of the style, "25th Hour" and "Can't Wait Long."   A follow-up single later that year, "Slave Girl"/"Beyond The Fringe" became an underground hit, and all six tracks were combined into 1984's Slave Girl EP for international release on Australia-based Big Time Records, who had just seen much success exporting another Australian band, The Hoodoo Gurus.

With blazing energy, driving rhythms and Mick Blood's gravelly scream, The Lime Spiders managed to be at once novel and yet very, very retro.  A third single followed in 1985 and paired their own "Out Of Control" with yet another obscure cover, this time shredding Wimple Witch's tempo-shifting acid trip "Save My Soul."   By this point, The Lime Spiders' musical formula was solidified, even if the band itself was not - each single had featured different versions of the band.

Nonetheless, the underground rumble they were creating was loud enough to be heard by the producers of the 1987 movie Young Einstein (anyone outside of Australia actually remember  Yahoo Serious?), who wanted to use "Slave Girl" in the movie's soundtrack.  Licensing issues prevented that, but Mick Blood and his musicians of the month came up with the similar "Weirdo Libido."  That song's appearance in the film brought the band to the attention of Virgin Records (who had released the soundtrack), and by the end of the year Virgin issued the band's first proper LP, The Cave Comes Alive

With it's lead single "My Favourite Room" and another smattering of obscure covers, the album seemed at first blush to be another formula record.  However, bits of personality and creativity shone through, especially in the absolutely stunning "Jessica," which verged nearly into ballad territory!  A simply fantastic record start to finish.  It was followed in 1988 with Volatile!, a record that, while bright in spots, did not quite live up to its title.  The rough edges of the band had worn a bit smooth, and they  sounded tired, especially in comparison to the odds-and-ends collection Headcleaner released around the same time, which recapitulated the first three singles along with assorted tracks from the band's earlier days, both live and in-studio, that were not otherwise readily available.  After a year or two on the shelf, the final Lime Spiders album, Beethoven's Fist appeared in 1990, although the band's moment had passed.

In the ensuing years, Mick Blood has gotten the band back together several times for reunion tours, and interest in the band has been strong enough to see two more recent releases. 2003's Nine Miles High is an excellent career retrospective containing just about everything you need to hear; Live At The Esplanade documents a 2007 reunion gig, with the band charging through many of their best songs.

This week's clips feature The Lime Spiders at their zenith.  First up, the clip for "Weirdo Libido," followed by the video for "My Favourite Room."  Enjoy!

Six Word Sunday

Every day I'll write the book.

New Wave for the New Week #115

I hate it when I discover too late that a band I would really love to see live is playing within traveling distance, and I can't go because I already have other commitments.  Such is the case this coming Tuesday night, March 15th, when one of my favorite venues in Baltimore, MD, The Ottobar, will play host to one of the all-time great Punk bands, The Adicts.  It's as close as they'll be to Lancaster, PA, and I'm going to miss them! Gah! Much gnashing of teeth and shaking of my fist at Fate!

If you aren't familiar with The Adicts, let's correct that immediately!  Their brand of Punk Rock was fun and catchy without being too goofy or cartoony.  Their Clockwork Orange Droog look and lead singer Keith "Monkey" Warren's whitefaced joker makeup gave them an instant identity apart from their black-leather-spikes-and-mohawks brethren, and while they certainly were never averse to tackling the same socio-political issues other UK Punks spat their anger towards ("Mary Whitehouse," "Viva La Revolution"), their lyrical themes could at times come out of left field ("Chinese Takeaway," "Joker In The Pack," "Shake Rattle Bang Your Head")

Their 1981 debut album, Songs Of Praise, and its follow-up a year later, Sound Of Music, remain the albums to have, but this is a band who never stopped and are still releasing music 30 years later (2009 saw their 10th album, Life Goes On, hit the shelves - still with essentially the same lineup as that which recorded Songs Of Praise!)  All of their material remains in print and easily available, and there have been innumerable greatest hits and singles collections over the years.  You can jump in just about anywhere without going wrong!

From the start, The Adicts were popular enough to regularly visit the British Indie charts and make numerous television appearances - which caused great consternation for the always stodgy BBC, who did not particularly care for the band's name.  To appease the network, the band briefly adjusted their moniker to "ADX," but by the time their third album, Smart Alex, was released in 1985, they dropped that affectation.  Fifth Overture appeared a year later, and was a somewhat moodier affair than their previous recordings (Goth queen Siouxsie Sioux makes a guest appearance here!), but gloominess aside, it's a great record that had been out of print for many years before seeing CD reissue. 

The Adicts devoted the next few years to touring and recharging their batteries, resurfacing in 1990 with the live Rockers Into Orbit, which saw a nearly full return to form with several classics being energetically played before an enthusiastic crowd.  Another live record followed, 1993's Live And Loud (which was paired with a live album by the band Vice Squad in its CD format).  That same year also saw their first new material in seven years, Twenty-Seven, which calmed any doubters as to whether Monkey and the boys still had it in them.

After taking a few years off, The Adicts were back in 2002 with Rise And Shine, an album that at first caught fans a bit off-guard, but soon grew to become a favorite among the band's catalog. 2004's Rollercoaster followed in suit, and a whole new generation of fans had come to appreciate the band. They continuing touring and recording today, playing to fans both young and old.

If you are in or near Baltimore this Tuesday, do yourself a favor and go see them.  And while you're there, spare a thought for me who wishes he were there as well!  Meantime, here are two classics from The Adicts: "Viva La Revolution" and, after a brief spoken bit at the start of the second clip, the simply outstanding "Joker In The Pack." Enjoy!

Six Word Sunday

Hour lost. Sleep deficit increased. Grumblegrumblegrumble.....

New Wave for the New Week #114

While most Punk and New Wave Bands were harking back to the garage bands of the mid-sixties, one of the more interesting groups of the era chose instead to meld the the skinny-tie sound onto a framework of 1950s pop and R&B.  Formed in Vancouver in 1977, Doug & The Slugs created a sound that was unique and quirky, yet undeniably catchy.

Singer/songwriter Doug Bennett quit his day job as a graphic designer and put together a combo of like-minded musicians (guitarists Richard Baker and John Burton, keyboardist Simon Kendall, bassist Steve Bosley and drummer John "Wally" Watson), and began playing the Canadian club scene.  Their shows quickly became popular events, with the band often inviting fans to show up dressed in themed costumes - secret agents one night, clowns the next, etc. - with the band doing the same. With their high-energy good-time sound, the live events were more party than concert, and Canadian record labels began to notice.

The band did not want to lose their creative control, however, and at first opted to form their own label, Ritdong Records.  Ritdong released the first Doug & The Slugs single, "Too Bad," in late 1979.  Containing one of the greatest you-cheated-and-I-found-out choruses of all time ("Too bad that you had to get caught/That's not like you to lose face/So sad that you're not as smart/As you thought you were in the first place") and featuring Bennett's signature everyman vocals, it quickly became a local hit.  Seeing the potential for national and international success, the band cut a deal with RCA to act as the distributor for Ritdong, and quickly issued their debut album, Cognac And Bologna.

With a rerecorded "Too Bad" issued as the lead single and eventually winning a Juno Award as 1981 Single of the Year, Cognac And Bologna swiftly reached the lower rungs of the Canadian Top 40 Albums Chart.  Follow-up singles "Chinatown Calculation" and "Drifting Away" fell a bit short of the success "Too Bad" had seen, but kept the band afloat until 1981's Wrap It.

Wrap It leaned a little more obviously toward the New Wave and showed a band getting better at what they do.  The main single, a surprisingly successful mix of '50s doo-wop and '80s ska/2-tone rhythms called "Real Enough," came close to competing with "Too Bad" as the band's finest moment and kept the party atmosphere rolling, and Wrap It sold even better than Cognac And Bologna across Canada.

1983 saw their best-selling Canadian release, Music For The Hard  Of Thinking, and its concurrent single "Making It Work."  But Doug & The Slugs had yet to break outside of the Great White North, despite receiving rave critical reviews and some MTV airplay.  RCA dropped the band, who were quickly picked up by A&M.  Two more albums followed, Popaganda (1984) and Tomcat Prowl (1988), but neither had the impact of the earlier material.  Their debut single, "Too Bad," would see renewed interest in 1999 when it was used as the theme song for comedian Norm MacDonald's short-lived sitcom The Norm Show.

Doug & The Slugs never really ceased to exist, although Bennett did release some solo material along the way.  While they never did see much success outside of Canadian borders, they continued to be a popular live band with a strong following.  Sadly, Doug Bennett passed away in 2004.  Shortly thereafter, an excellent "greatest hits" package, Slugcology 101: A Decade Of Doug & The Slugs appeared, neatly gathering just about every must-hear track from this wonderful band.  After some consideration, the band decided to continue on under the Doug & The Slugs moniker, bringing on singer Ted Okos not to replace Doug Bennett, but to celebrate their late frontman.  They continue to play live shows today.

Please enjoy the clips for Doug & The Slugs' two most wonderful songs, "Too Bad" and "Real Enough":

Six Word Sunday

Occasionally, rainy days are beautiful things.

As Yet Untitled

Faintly, off in the distance, I hear her voice. Closer now, nearer, louder, her voice is dripping honey sweet melodic; now a breathy whisper, more breeze against my ear than actual sound; now normal, mundane: "How was your day?"

I try to answer her but the words will not come, which is just as well because she isn't there. Defeated, I take a bite of my roast beef sandwich, hot tender juicy wonderful, au jus runs down the side of my chin as the horseradish kicks in blazing hot eye-tearing but delicious as flames lap at the tongue. She's not eating her sandwich - it's too hot for her. She asks the bartender for banana peppers instead, and he produces a bright yellow bunch of bananas from behind his back, which he hands to her amid much applause.

Now he produces a bunch of flowers from behind his back as well, and I can feel the jealousy brewing in the pit of my stomach as she accepts them, the applause growing louder. She gets ready to step into the box to be sawed in half. Knowing that this is not going to be an illusion but an actual dissection, I turn away; I cannot watch. I run toward the door hearing blood-curdling shrieks being drowned out by ever growing applause.

The door is chained shut, heavy metal rusted and unbudgeable. "That door ain't been open in thirty years..." mutters an old timer on a nearby bench. I sigh heavy and turn my collar up against the wind, and head down the street. It's dark, lonely, cold, empty, but ahead there is a light - a house. I know I must get there quickly, but my legs disobey my commands to move faster. They are heavy leaden tired, but I persevere.

As I make my way up the walk, I see a silhouette peer through the blinds. I rush towards the door which swings open by itself. "Took you long enough," she says, laughing. "They're out back prepping the bonfire." As we walk through the house to the back door, the buzzing of a chainsaw gets louder and louder, cacophony, din, until finally I awake with a start, hit the snooze button, and go back to sleep.

New Wave for the New Week #113

Time for another New Wave footnote that is deserving of far greater attention.  This time around, we celebrate a fantastic skinny-tie power-pop trio from Staten Island who called themselves Dirty Looks.

Having each been veterans of the New York bar band scene, neither Patrick Barnes (guitars/vocals), Peter Parker (drums), nor Marco Sin (bass) were unfamiliar with toiling away in seedy clubs playing in front of drunken crowds when they began hitting the stage at CBGB's as Dirty Looks in late 1979. It seemed that luck was on their side this time around, however: those early sets resulted in almost instant interest from Stiff Records, and within two months of their first gig, they found themselves in the studio recording their first LP.

That self-titled debut was released in 1980, and remains one of the great hidden gems of the era.  Solid, punchy songs with clever lyrics and just enough attitude made the album a critical success, but the single "Let Go" didn't catch on as Stiff (and particularly their American distributors, Epic) had hoped.

The following year brought about both a second album and, thanks to Epic's woefully misguided meddling, the beginning of the end of the band.  The band recorded Turn It Up in early 1981, submitted it to the label, and went out on tour.  Epic decided they didn't like the record - too edgy, needed to be more polished and mainstream, they said - and asked Stiff to remix the recordings.  Stiff brought in Elvis Costello's production team to clean it up, but Epic still didn't like the result, and refused to release the LP in the US.  The revised version did hit the shelves in the UK, and it was only upon hearing the released version that the band became aware of Epic's 'help.'  Epic withdrew all support for the LP and the tour, leaving Dirty Looks high and dry, and understandably discouraged.

The final straw, though, came later that same year when Island Records offered them a chance to record some demo material for a proposed third record.  Island President Chris Blackwell decided he didn't care for Patrick's voice, and told the band they should do an album of instrumentals.  Without a label, the band trudged on, but when their manager died of a heart attack in 1984, Patrick Barnes dissolved the band and quit the music business for good.  Dirty Looks soon became a forgotten band, suffering a final indignity when a late-80s hair metal band swiped their name.  Nowadays, if you do a Google search on the band, you find a ton about that metal group but almost nothing on the original Staten Island power trio, sadly.

Both albums fell out of print over the years, but both can be had for cheap on a handy CD released about five years ago.  Well worth the price of admission, if only to have that wonderful first record.  For your listening pleasure, here are two audio clips from Dirty Looks: first, my personal favorite of their songs, the 'you-just-don't-dig-our-scene' anthem "You're Too Old," and then the shoulda-been hit single "Let Go." Enjoy!