Blueshift Signal - Seven Natural Scenes - CD (1994), U.S.A.

With the current and ongoing worldwide explosion of shoegaze and dream-pop revival bands, here is one that shouldn't be left behind in the past. Blueshift Signal from Warwick, Rhode Island is a band that should've received a lot of recognition during the 90's along the likes of Slowdive, Lush and Pale Saints, yet for some unknown reason they didn't.

Formerly known as Grace Mansion, Blueshift Signal came together in 1993 with members Ron Kuba (guitar and vocals), his brother Mike (drums and keyboards), David Carpenter (drums and keyboards / not to be confused with the famous horror movie director!) and Kip (bass). After the departure of their bassist, Jay Bouchard would later fill in and help record Blueshift Signal's first album Seven Natural Scenes (1994). A few years since the release of their first album, the group began to diminish until only two members remained (Ron and Jay). During this brief period, they recorded songs for their EP titled Surround. Before Blueshift Signal finally called it quits in 1997, they were joined by John Orsi (drums) and released their last EP, Waterside.

Lush, ethereal and dream-like soundscapes are words which spring to mind when listening to Seven Natural Scenes. For those of you who are into this type of music, this is one album that will not disappoint and will make you comeback for repeated listenings!

Details:

Blueshift Signal - Seven Natural Scenes - LP - CD (1994), U.S.A.

1. Seven Natural Scenes

2. Acquiescence

3. Absolution

4. Between The Night & The Day

5. Beneath The Meadow

6. Highland Cathedrals

7. Oceans

8. Hehaka Olowan (For Mindy)

9. Flicker & Fade

10. The Secret Garden

Review

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Discography

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B.F.G. - Blue - CD (1990), U.K.

B.F.G. What does it stand for? I have no idea and they're definitely not related to the automotive tire brand. What I can tell you is they were an overlooked band during the crowded Manchester music scene during the 80's. B.F.G. was formed from the remains of Factory Records band Lavolta Lakota and discovered by Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter "Hooky" Hook. He helped the band out by letting them support New Order during their 1986 summer tour. During that year B.F.G. released their first 12 inch single Paris, which immediately sold out in a week!
The members of the band included many such as B. J. Williams (vocals), Mike Lambert (bass), Mike Simmi (drums and guitar), Acky (guitar), El Thomas (Samples), ex Chameleon Andy Clegg (keyboards and synths), Paul Batheran (guitar) and Steve Craig (vocals).
B.F.G.'s sound was originally filled with intense shrieking guitars, a throbbing bass line and lead by a low baritone voice (B. J. Williams). Comparisons were made to Joy Division at first, but when they released their EP Western Sky, their sound suddenly shifted towards sounding more like the Sisters of Mercy. By the time they released their first LP Fathoms (1988), they evolved into New Wave pop music.
For this post, I'll be presenting their second LP Blue (1990). B.F.G.'s Blue album sees them changing their music direction once again and this time they sound like an industrial/EBM band. The music isn't as intense as it was before and some of the beats are so-so, but there are some songs on here that would be great to play on any club dance floor!

Details:

B.F.G. - Blue - LP - CD (1990), U.K.

1. Love Grind
2. Anonymous
3. Switch
4. Gun Law
5. Myth Club
6. Eastern Eye
7. Brain Cage
8. Pulse
9. Monkey Block

Review

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Attica Records
Discography

The Lavender Faction - Four Riffs For Joe - Maxi Single (1991), U.K.

I have a complete disdain for the train wrecks people keep listening to lately such as Ke$ha (how do you pronounce that!?), Justin Bieber and among others.
I don't mean to stomp on people's listening habits, I just think some of them need to go out and explore outside of familiar territory and embrace unknown sounds out there that exist outside of the typical mainstream outlets.
It brings me great relief to see there's been a resurgence of some good shoegaze / psychedelic rock bands for a few years now such as Ceremony, The Daysleepers and Ringo Deathstarr. I'm hopeful this new interest in the genre will bring in more listeners now than it did in the past.
The Lavender Faction (I like the name!) was a band who came from the U.K. in the late 80's or early 90's. They're undoubtedly from the shoegaze scene but got lost in between the likes of more popular groups such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and Ride. I think it might've been the low production quality of their recordings or maybe they were just poorly managed. Whatever the reason was, The Lavender Faction are worth a listen.
Finding any information for this group was very difficult as it usually is the case with these obscure bands. The only information I was able to find was their limited discography (In My Mind, Ride and Four Riffs For Joe) and the members (Geoff Suggett - vocals and guitar, Tony Pickering - vocals and guitar, Mark Patterson - bass and Andy Lee - drums) involved.
The material I'll be presenting here is from Four Riffs For Joe, released in 1991 by Lust Recordings. Four Riffs For Joe is a mix of indie rock with tinges of shoegaze. I think these guys could've gone further with developing their sound and making it noisier than what it currently was, but after the release of this maxi single the group disappeared.

Details:

The Lavender Faction - Four Riffs For Joe - Maxi Single (1991), U.K.

Side A
1. Crawl Down
2. Total Change

Side B
3. Haze
4. Was It You

Review

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Otras Voces - Soledad - EP (1989), Spain

Sorry for the long delay everyone! I've been very occupied lately with getting myself settled in my new area of residence and getting my belongings arranged (there are some things left I still need to unbox and organize!). I haven't forgotten about this little music blog and do not plan on letting it slide into oblivion. There's still too much to share and write about!
I'm very enthusiastic to introduce another great Spanish band and feel strongly against letting another gem slip past by English speaking audiences. I'm hoping I'll be able to change that!
Hailing from Manresa, Spain is a band named Otras Voces (Other Voices). The band members were Speedy (voice and guitar), Toni Holgado (bass), Joan Prat (drums) and Ricard Pradeli (guitar). The sound produced by this band is very reminiscent of other bands before them such as Joy Division, The Cure and The Chameleons. Obvious influences aside, they are more listenable and less somber sounding than Décima Víctima and less aggressive sounding than most other groups in the Spanish Siniestro scene at the time. Soledad (Solitude) is a very good EP and has been on my listening rotation as of late. Before the group dissolved, they recorded their first full length LP titled El Canto del Cisne (The Swan Song), but unfortunately it was never released. All that remains is this EP.

Details:

Otras Voces - Soledad - EP (1989), Spain

Lado A (Side A)
1. Flores Negras
2. Hombre Vulgar

Lado B (Side B)
3. Soledad
4. Silencio de Dolor

Review

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Section 25 - The Key Of Dreams - LP (1982), U.K.

The Key Of Dreams, a strange title for an album that is more of an unstructured nightmare. This is the second album by Post-Punk/Synth-Pop cult band Section 25, who are best known for their hit album From The Hip (1984). Section 25 formed back in 1978 in Blackpool by brothers Larry (vocals and bass) and Vin Cassidy (drums) and were hastily joined by Paul Wiggin (guitar).
In 1979, the band organized and performed a charity concert event for the International Year Of The Child along with Joy Division and Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD). After the event, Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis and manager Rob Gretton were so impressed with their live performance, they helped Section 25 produce and release their first 7" Girls Don't Count (1980). Section 25 would later release their first album, Always Now (1981) produced by the legendary Martin Hannett (A.K.A. Martin Zero) and distributed by the long extinct Factory Records.
The Key Of Dreams (1982) is truly an experimental album compared to their previous effort and it shows. As it turns out, the nine tracks from the album were taken from a five hour jam session! What else can I say? It is definitely not for everybody, but only for those who are brave enough to sit through forty two minutes of improvisation. What do you think?

Details:

Section 25 - The Key Of Dreams - LP (1982), U.K.

Side 1 (A):
1. Always Now
2. Visitation
3. Regions
4. The Wheel
5. No Abiding Place
6. Once More

Side 2 (B):
7. There Was A Time
8. Wretch
9. Sutra

Review

More Information:
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Official Website

Killing Joke - Wilful Days - Compilation - CD (1995), U.K.

Stress, freezing temperatures (both indoors and out) and lack of motivation have prevented me from posting here the past few days. Yet here I am back again to share a great band which I'm sure people have heard of or haven't (take your pick). Who's this band I'm referring to? Killing Joke! Killing Joke!? Isn't that the Batman graphic novel!? NO!! Killing Joke was a relatively unknown band in the U.S. (except within the heavy metal community), yet quite popular in the rest of the world (obviously).
Killing Joke formed in 1978-79 in Notting Hill, London and were quite notorious for displaying controversial political imagery on their records and during live performances. Their song Eighties was briefly featured in the John Hughes' teen comedy classic Weird Science, starring the beautiful Kelly LeBrock (at the time) and the opening guitar riff intro was ripped off by those awful Seattle grungers, Nirvana.
The band was fronted by Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman (vocals and keyboards - who is also a believer of the coming "apocalypse"), Kevin "Geordie" Walker (guitar), "Big" Paul Ferguson (drums) and Martin "Youth" Glover (bass - later to be replaced by the late Paul Raven).
The material I'll be presenting is from a compilation CD released in 1995 by Caroline Records. It features KJ's music dating back to '79 with Are You Receiving, to the mid 80's with a slightly different version of their atmospheric hit song Love Like Blood and lastly to the late 80's with the lame sounding extended version of America. When I first got this CD, I was mislead into thinking it was their "best of" but instead got a collection of songs that sound like they'd belong in their "worst of". Don't get me wrong! There are some gems in this compilation such as the aforementioned Love Like Blood, yet I feel this release was just an attempt by Caroline Records to cash in on the new found KJ popularity after the critically acclaimed album Pandemonium (1994). Okay enough of my rambling, let's get on with the music shall we?

Details:

Killing Joke - Wilful Days - Compilation - CD (1995), U.K.

1. Are You Receiving
2. Follow The Leaders (Dub)
3. Sun Goes Down
4. Dominator (Extended)
5. Me Or You
6. Wilful Days
7. Eighties (Serious Dance Mix)
8. A New Day
9. Love Like Blood (Gestalt Mix)
10. The Maddening Crowd
11. Ecstacy (The Extended Mix)
12. America (Extended)
13. Change (Re-Evolution Mix)

Review

More Information:
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Band History

The Smashing Pumpkins - Live At The Cabaret Metro - CD-R (1988), U.S.A.

For today's post, I have an unexpected and pleasant surprise for everyone. Coming from Chicago, IL "The City by the Lake" The Smashing Pumpkins! They are a very well known grunge/metal/prog rock band in the music world of course, but I won't post anything here that everyone has already heard. Instead, I'll stick to the original intent of this blog and share a very rare side of the band.
Led by the megalomaniacal Billy Corgan (voice and guitar), James Iha (backing vocals and guitar), D'arcy Wretsky (bass) and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums and percussion) the Smashing Pumpkins were a group that was just starting out in the late eighties and still just years away from making it big with their grunge hit album Siamese Dream.
The live bootleg I'm about to present, was taped on October 5, 1988 at the Cabaret Metro and was distributed (in limited quantities on CD-R) at what was supposed to be the last performance of the band on December 2, 2000. Upon listening to the live performance, you'll notice the band exhibits a late post-punk sound with touches of dream-pop and neo-psychedelia (minus the nauseating whiney singing from Corgan!). They would've fit in nicely alongside bands such as Abecedarians and For Against!

Details:

The Smashing Pumpkins - Live At The Cabaret Metro - CD-R (1988), U.S.A.

1. There It Goes
2. She
3. My Eternity
4. Under Your Spell
5. Bleed
6. Spite Face
7. Nothing And Everything

Review

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Band History