Regoc - Just So

A child's drawing of the band's namesake, a gentle giant from a children's tale.

I was surprised to find out that this excellent (and, sadly, sole) LP from Rijeka's noise-rock purveyors Regoc was not available for download in the "blogosphere". The only links I was able to find were dead for a long time, but the record's cult status actually surpasses its scarcity; tons of 100 € records are readily available for download in multiple locations, so one should expect a 10 € record which does enjoy some notoriety to pop up everywhere. Anyway, I'm glad to be able to make this music available again, as it is no less interesting than most of its celebrated contemporaries in the Touch & Go/AmRep circles. This post adds the only other officially released song by the band, whose members later featured in the long-running Very Expensive Porno Movie (the bonus song being "Blimp" from the "Best of Indie Rock - Made in Croatia" compilation). I hope you like it and rush to Discogs to grab yourself a copy!

The LP sleeve is great, too.

Track listing:

1. Toyota (2:54)
2. Super Song (3:20)
3. Fogy Frost (2:49)
4. Water Rat (2:03)
5. Dear Brenda (2:25)
6. Scorbut (5:16)
7. Goofy (3:24)
8. Maestro Violante (3:33)
9. Tirip Tap (3:57)
10. Blimp (4:50)

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FNC Diverzant vs. 5 Minutes to Steve - Split Tape

Cult tape from the '90s Croatian punk underground, featuring two bands that have also appeared together on the "Tribute to Our Parents" compilation (available elsewhere on this blog). Nice melodic punk typical for its time, complete with an unfortunate ska part right in the first song on side one. The FNCD side has been available in multiple places on the Internet, but the 5MTS side has been elusive for a long time; here's the whole thing your enjoyment.

Track listing:

1. FNC Diverzant - Toga dana (3:57)
2. FNC Diverzant - Ostao sam sam (3:02)
3. FNC Diverzant - Stranac (2:19)
4. FNC Diverzant - RNR stvar (3:12)
5. FNC Diverzant - Punk Rock Song (2:57)
6. FNC Diverzant - Put za bolje vrijeme (3:18)
7. FNC Diverzant - Zaplesi sa mnom (1:53)
8. 5 Minutes to Steve - Go! (2:00)
9. 5 Minutes to Steve - Happiness (3:37)
10. 5 Minutes to Steve - Sun (2:32)
11. 5 Minutes to Steve - So Alone (2:41)
12. 5 Minutes to Steve - Now I Know (2:02)
13. 5 Minutes to Steve - Dead (3:09)

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Fecal Feedback - Live OKS 1996

 

Here's another long lost recording from the 90's Osijek scene: the sole recorded trace of a band called Fecal Feedback, with Struga from the later semi-notorious band Bud Spencer on guitar and vocals. It's noise-rock in the vein of "ekstreme guitar noise" by local heroes Why stakla and Cog (both found elsewhere on this blog), well liked during the time the band was active, however it was lost to the digital age up until now - everyone I know who used to have a copy of the tape had lost it (at least five people, myself included), so I was overjoyed when I finally located a copy in a friend's possession. It is a soundboard recording and the sound quality is pretty good, however this was never meant to be an official representation of the band, and it shows in the constant problems with the equipment, the offhand jokes and so on. Still, for want of a real studio demo, it's a good listen and a thing of importance - at least for a microscopic segment of the worldwide listening population!

Track listing:

1. Intro (1:25)
2. Isto (3:39)
3. Alright (2:24)
4. Mrak (2:55)
5. Zasto places oce (3:47)
6. Screwdriver (2:45)
7. Klekni pred mene (3:00)

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Uncle Monk - Live at Beachland Ballroom and Tavern, Cleveland, OH

Photo stolen from cleveland.com.

Yesterday was Tommy Ramone's 65th birthday, so I'm a day late to dedicate this post to him, but never mind. For those of you who haven't been following him for the last few years this might come as a pretty big surprise: he is now one half of the bluegrass-folk outfit Uncle Monk (the other half being Claudia Tiernan), they've got one wonderful CD out (make sure to support the band and buy the disc on their website), and there are lots of good quality YouTube videos of them playing so you can quickly check out what they're all about. What I'm sharing here today is a recording of their full set from a Cleveland show in 2008, featuring a mixture of album tracks, officially unreleased ones ("Long Journey Home" being my favorite tune of theirs) and covers. The sound is good enough and the show is great; enjoy and don't hesitate to fill me in with the gaps in the set list, should you recognize any of the missing song titles.

Track listing:

1. Long Journey Home (3:35)
2. Name of the Game (3:24)
3. Mean to Me (2:38)
4. Home Sweet Reality (2:57)
5. Round the Bend (3:19)
6. (unknown) (2:09)
7. Mr. Endicott (3:42)
8. (unknown) (3:32)
9. Working on a Building (3:40)
10. (unknown) (3:19)
11. Walking Bandit (2:38)
12. Sunshine (2:50)
13. Heaven (3:19)
14. (unknown) (1:22)
15. Walls of Time (4:50)
16. Long Gone (3:08)
17. Don't Get Weary (3:49)
18. Happy Tune (2:58)

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Los Crudos - Two Cassettes

Los Crudos were a brilliant hardcore punk band from Chicago, representing the U.S. Latin punk community for most of the '90s and releasing tons of great music during that time. Their singer later fronted the gay hardcore sensation Limp Wrist - talk about being a minority within a minority! Here for your pleasure are two tapes containing a bunch of demos, radio sessions, live recordings and so on - some songs will repeat in different versions, some in same versions, but I couldn't be bothered with sorting through what's what, and after all, why destroy the original feel of the releases? You can probably deduct which stuff came from where from the scans of the booklets, if you wish.

"1492-1992 Anos de violacion y asesinatos"

1. 500 anos (1:55)
2. Las madres lloran (demo) (0:44)
3. Identidad perdida (demo) (1:24)
4. Vendedores de dolor (demo) (1:10)
5. Desde afuera (demo) (1:30)
6. Poema (demo) (0:28)
7. Tiempos de miseria (demo) (1:04)
8. Peleamos (demo) (1:19)
9. Crudo soy! (demo) (1:45)
10. Intro (radio) (0:48)
11. Las madres lloran (radio) (0:56)
12. Identidad perdida (radio) (1:44)
13. Eliminacion (radio) (0:39)
14. Vendedores de dolor (radio) (1:37)
15. Asesinos (radio) (1:49)
16. Poema (radio) (0:27)
17. Tiempos de miseria (radio) (1:52)
18. Sin caras (radio) (1:58)
19. Desde afuera (radio) (1:59)
20. Illegal y que! (radio) (1:43)
21. Peleamos (radio) (2:55)
22. Crudo soy! (radio) (2:39)

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"Los Crudos"

1. Las madres lloran (live) (2:17)
2. Se ve en tu cara (live) (0:43)
3. Cipayos, traidores y vendidos (live) (2:09)
4. Sin caras (live) (0:38)
5. No estoy convencido (live) (1:07)
6. Desde afuera (live) (2:18)
7. Escaleras (live) (0:41)
8. Llegan empujando (live) (1:12)
9. Peleamos (live) (1:06)
10. Nada cambia (live) (1:25)
11. Que paso con la paz (live) (1:21)
12. Asesinos (live) (1:00)
13. 500 anos (live) (1:43)
14. Lucha para que te escuchen (live) (0:43)
15. Crudo soy! (live) (1:33)
16. Curiosidad (live) (0:45)
17. Lengua armada (live) (0:46)
18. Tiempos de miseria (live) (1:03)
19. 500 anos (1:54)
20. Tiempos de miseria (1:26)
21. Me robaron! (0:46)
22. Crudo soy! (1:36)
23. Las madres lloran (0:41)
24. Eliminacion (0:32)
25. Desde afuera (1:19)
26. Asesinos (1:02)
27. Se ve en tu cara (0:50)
28. Cipayos, traidores y vendidos (0:34)
29. Sin caras (0:33)
30. No estoy convencido (0:59)
31. Curiosidad (0:50)
32. Porque (1:09)
33. Tu lo ensenastes (0:56)
34. Lucha para que te escuchen (0:28)
35. Corrido jodido (1:41)
36. Lengua armada (0:49)
37. Escaleras (0:33)
38. Llegan empujando (1:24)
39. Nada cambia (1:10)

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The Shins - Live at Paradiso, Amsterdam 05.04.2007.

Photo of James Mercer from this show stolen from flickr.

I've been trying to find a bootleg of the Shins show I've attended for years, but to no avail (it's the show held at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, in November 2007); finally I got the idea to try and find another show from the same tour or year, and relive that experience at least a little. The songs they've been writing for the first three albums (all represented here) represent some of the most transcendentally beautiful music I have ever heard; the sheer beauty of some of them practically has me in tears each time I hear them (and I'm a tough punk rock guy (no I'm not)). Shows like this one are unfortunately seeming more and more like the last truly great "new" music I'll hear from them - since those days leading guy James Mercer has let go all of the other band members, started hanging out with that cartoon mouse who makes electronic music, and finally released a new Shins album which provides me with none of the magic they used to have, no matter how hard I try to find it - it just sounds like soulless adult confection pop every time. Well, there's this at least: an amazingly-sounding (I actually can't tell if it's a soundboard recording - the crowd's too loud for that - or an audience recording, which I just can't believe can sound this great), excellently-played show which for the most part adheres to what I can recall from my night with the Shins; although I'm pretty sure they have also performed "Pink Bullets" that time, which is a song that should not be left out of any Shins setlist anytime, ever. This show has a fun cover of the Modern Lovers though, with Mercer sounding so amazingly similar to Jonathan Richman that I wouldn't believe it was him, if not for a video on YouTube showing him singing it; great slowed-down ("Caring Is Creepy") or sped-up ("Know Your Onion!") versions of other great songs, a Pink Floyd cover, and what have ya. Listen to this and if you're in the mood for spending some money on great Shins music you haven't heard before, go get the Shins Bluegrass Tribute by Iron Horse. I'm not joking. It's so lovingly arranged, played and sung that any and all "bluegrassploitation" prejudices are immediately dismissed. Check it out.

Track listing:

1. Sleeping Lessons (6:23)
2. Australia (3:50)
3. Pam Berry (0:45)
4. Phantom Limb (4:53)
5. Kissing the Lipless (4:49)
6. Mine's Not a High Horse (3:39)
7. Girl Inform Me (2:29)
8. New Slang (5:04)
9. Saint Simon (5:17)
10. Girl Sailor (4:00)
11. Turn a Square (2:48)
12. Gone for Good (3:33)
13. A Comet Appears (4:25)
14. Turn on Me (3:45)
15. Know Your Onion! (2:29)
16. Breathe (Pink Floyd Cover) (5:37)
17. Caring Is Creepy (5:23)
18. Someone I Care About (Modern Lovers Cover) (3:56)
19. So Says I (4:19)

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Various - "Pogonsko gorivo" po prvi put zajedno

Osijek, my hometown, has in certain circles a reputation of something of a "rock city", and its supposedly great tradition of rock bands is often (somewhat annoyingly) shoved down your throat if you're in the company of people nostalgic for their '70s or '80s youth. Since I am too young to remember those times, I have only the vinyl legacy of Osijek bands to judge by, and I must say I'm not, and have never been, impressed. Off the top of my head, I can remember several national stars who've started out, but not remained, in Osijek (Kico Slabinac, who was once a rock'n'roller, some decades ago), some shoddy Yugo-folk types bafflingly associated with rock (Zlatko Pejakovic), and only a handful of releases by true Osijek bands. The only one I know of who managed to score an LP in Yugoslavia is a band called Valter, and apart from their (two?) LP's, the Osijek vinyl legacy ends with this compilation. To my ears, it's all generic Yugoslav pop-rock confection (except for Roderick, who explored a little more alternative waters, but not in a way I'd find very enjoyable), and not even repeated hearing of some of these songs on local radio stations throughout my childhood made me like them any more. In my opinion, the true quality music from Osijek began with the '80s underground bands and remained in the underground, only occasionally managing to be documented on (mostly limited-run) LP's, CD's or tapes. That's the stuff I usually try to document here, but as I've come across a copy of this LP, which is unavailable elsewhere on the 'net, I decided to put it up here for posterity. Enjoy, if you feel so inclined.

Track listing:

1. OK Band - Vrata Zapada (Kadilak) (3:33)
2. Nove igre - Rodjeni u prvoj liniji (3:59)
3. Don Marcel - Uvijek kada nisi tu (5:16)
4. Bangkok - Veceras su zvijezde (4:23)
5. Roderick - Lovac (4:41)
6. Bangkok - Ljubav je sve (3:12)
7. Don Marcel - Za suncani dan (4:14)
8. Nove igre - Za tebe andjele (4:41)
9. OK Band - Tebi priznam sve (3:29)
10. Roderick - Letzte Dance (5:07)

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The Rezillos & Shake - The (Almost) Complete Singles Collection

Picture of Fay and Eugene from the Rezillos' 2012 Los Angeles show, which I had the pleasure of attending. I stole it from L.A. Weekly, whose gig report was written by one "Falling James" - not the one from the great Leaving Trains, surely?

The Rezillos' quintessential debut album "Can't Stand the Rezillos" was released twice in the CD age. The first time it was in the guise of a 28-track compilation on Sire, containing the album plus its live follow-up "Mission Accomplished... But the Beat Goes On" (sans final track, "Destination Venus") and a non-LP single, "Destination Venus/Mystery Action". I guess budget considerations made for the omission of this final live track, along with all the other 7" releases the band did during their original run; or maybe the record company didn't believe there would be enough buyer interest to justify releasing a double CD of Rezillos material. For what it is, that collection is a perfect distillation of the Rezillos' output on one disc; however, the more recent reissue on DBK Works is just shameful, as it only gives you the original 13 tracks that made up the album, and no bonuses whatsoever. I'd understand if it were a vinyl reissue which sought to reproduce the album in its original form - but releasing a 38-minute CD when there's a wealth of great stuff which would fit on the disc perfectly, and which was never, ever, released in any form except for the original singles, that's just offensive. Here, then, is a collection of all the Rezillos '70s singles (except for the one included on the widely available Sire compilation), plus the missing live version of "Destination Venus". All tracks are just amazing, which shouldn't surprise anyone who has heard this wonderful band before. As for the second part of the archive, it's more rare and more interesting, perhaps, but not nearly as great. It features the whole recorded legacy of Shake, a band led by exiled Rezillos guitarist Jo Callis, and featuring various others former Rezillos, if I'm not mistaken? As far as I know, the singing part of the group went on to form the Revillos, and the musicians made up Shake, but I could be wrong - check teh Internets for more accurate data. The best thing Shake recorded is probably the 1979 Peel session, and it's also the earliest of their recordings, but I put it at the end because of its poorer sound quality. To my ears, these songs sound like Rezillos tracks with weaker vocals (one of them, "Teenbeat", actually IS a Rezillos song), a bit too much repetition and much less charisma; however "(But) Not Mine" is quite a nice addition to the canon. I also seem to hear a lot of the Buzzcocks here (why do I always start typing "Buttcocks"? is it a typo or a deep problem in my psyche?), however as their career progressed, so did their music - away from punk rock, of course. I can't get much enjoyment from their latter two singles, but then again, Jo Callis went on to worldwide fame and fortune after joining The Human League for their ubiquitous smash "Dare", so let's not allow history to judge on this.

Track listing:

1. The Rezillos - I Can't Stand My Baby (2:36)
2. The Rezillos - I Wanna Be Your Man (1:59)
3. The Rezillos - (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures (2:56)
4. The Rezillos - Flying Saucer Attack (3:07)
5. The Rezillos - Top of the Pops (3:13)
6. The Rezillos - 20,000 Rezillos Under the Sea (3:18)
7. The Rezillos - (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures (live) (4:02)
8. The Rezillos - Flying Saucer Attack (live) (2:40)
9. The Rezillos - Twist & Shout (live) (2:09)
10. The Rezillos - Destination Venus (live) (4:15)
11. Shake - Culture Shock (3:44)
12. Shake - Glass House (3:45)
13. Shake - Dream On (3:21)
14. Shake - (But) Not Mine (3:48)
15. Shake - Hidden Track (1:06)
16. Shake - Invasion of the Gamma Men (3:44)
17. Shake - Night by Night (3:01)
18. Shake - Woah Yeah! (3:54)
19. Shake - Sinistrale (4:43)
20. Shake - Dodo Boys (2:45)
21. Shake - (But) Not Mine (Peel Session) (3:46)
22. Shake - Glass House (Peel Session) (3:34)
23. Shake - Night by Night (Peel Session) (3:14)
24. Shake - Teenbeat (Peel Session) (3:26)

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Sepultura - Arise Rough Mixes

This is a rip of a rare LP that was pressed for the 1991 Rock in Rio festival, containing early mixes of the whole "Arise" album. The sound quality is perfect, too, so I guess nothing can go wrogn with today's "tape"... Oh except for the fact that this recording sounds basically identical to the officially released version. I haven't compared the songs one by one, but after loving and cherishing this album for 20 years, I think it's been engrained in my brain sufficiently that I can remember every riff, solo and vocal effect by heart. The only difference I was able to detect is that "Dead Embryonic Cells" lacks its intro, so if you really hated those 20 seconds of atmospheric sounds, today's your lucky day. Otherwise, add this to your collection, listen to it once and then put it away - that's what I'll do.

Track listing:

1. Arise (3:19)
2. Dead Embryonic Cells (4:31)
3. Desperate Cry (6:46)
4. Murder (3:27)
5. Subtraction (4:49)
6. Altered State (6:37)
7. Under Siege (4:45)
8. Meaningless Movements (4:40)
9. Infected Voice (3:17)

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The Warriors - Bad Guys

This is a rather obscure mini-CD from a UK Oi! band The Warriors. They were formed by the original Last Resort vocalist Graham Saxby and bassist Arthur "Bilko" Kitchener, better known as the semi-legendary ska figure Arthur Kay of the Originals. I came across this disc by chance, way back in the latter part of the Nineties (when it was released), and as those were times when most people (me included) didn't own nearly enough music to listen to each day, I gave it many more listens than I normally would, and totally fell in love with it. The sound is of the rockish Oi! variety, midtempo and with more singing than barking, which I grew to love much more than the "classic" stuff like The Oppressed or what have you (my favourite Business album is "Welcome to the Real World", see). Another thing that made me love this particular release so much is the sheer amateurishness of it all, which is quite obvious with the first peek on the CD sleeve. Just look at those ugly mugs, combined with the cheesiest text effects Microsoft Word could provide in 1998, and you might feel the same urge to root for these underdogs that I did. And the songs are all quite good, too! I haven't seen this CD for sale or download anywhere on the Internet, so I'm offering it here in the hope it'll find a few more pairs of ears to entertain. Have fun!

Track listing:

1. Bad Guy (5:01)
2. Had It Your Own Way Too Long (3:01)
3. Gary Bushell (3:14)
4. Free Reggie Kray (3:28)
5. C.S.A. (3:01)
6. Craig and Bentley (3:22)
7. Made in England (4:45)

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Mutiny - Folk Punk for Punk Folk

So, here it is finally - the first cassette by the wonderful Australian folk crusties Mutiny. And like many things that you spend years looking for - this one took me around 15 - it's not quite what I was hoping for. Their second tape, the cult favourite "Rum Rebellion", is a non-stop barrage of uplifting, passionate punk rock songs about (in)equality, struggle and facing the odds, which can stand next to any Pogues record without anything to be shy about. This one, however, is a much more low-key affair, with more minimal playing, mostly slower tempos, and somehow much less of that magic that made "Rum Rebellion" absolutely essential. Maybe this one's charms are more hidden, and maybe I'll discover them after a few more listens? Still, even as it is for me now, it's a good tape and you should hear it if you have any interest in the flannel-clad acoustic punks that have been spreading like the plague for the last couple of years. Just make sure to hear "Rum Rebellion", too.

P.S. The sound quality is far from great but I did everything I could to at least make for somewhat consistent listening - the original files I got through SoulSeek had every song at its own volume and bass/treble levels.

Track listing:

1. Folk War (3:33)
2. Animal Farm (2:45)
3. Turn It Around (3:54)
4. If You (1:39)
5. Common Cause (2:51)
6. We've Won (5:02)
7. Environmental (3:00)
8. Dinner with Kerry Packer (2:06)
9. Medieval (2:40)
10. God, Queen & Country (2:57)

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Schlong - Tumours 7"

Oh man. What this is, is a hardcore-punk version of the whole "Rumours" record by Fleetwood Mac, done by Gilman St. scene band Schlong, and played fast enough that the whole thing fit on a 7" single. It's completely retarded, it's falling apart in every song, and there is banjo on it. It's wonderful! Precisely the irreverent, careless ridiculing of everything that is supposed to be good and respectable, that I associate with punk rock at its best. "Stevie Licks" indeed!

Track listing:

1. Second Hand News (1:02)
2. Dreams (1:17)
3. Never Go Back Again (0:54)
4. Don't Stop (0:45)
5. Go Your Own Way (1:34)
6. Songbird (0:36)
7. The Chain (1:42)
8. You Make Loving Fun (1:21)
9. I Don't Want to Know (0:38)
10. Oh Daddy (0:26)
11. Gold Dust Woman (1:46)

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Die Hausers - Live

This is Die Hausers' other official release, a live tape recorded somewhere in/around the Osijek Student Centre in the early (or mid-?) Nineties. Sound quality isn't great, but the music is. Enjoy!

Track listing:

1. Nininananananunu (2:27)
2. Mozak (2:54)
3. Ubiti (2:18)
4. Normalan (3:27)
5. Ruke (3:06)
6. Ljudi (2:26)
7. Kontroliram se (3:04)
8. Svatko mora biti svoj (4:18)
9. Zasto posvuda lete samo ti crni crvi (3:43)

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Noise Slawonische Kunst - Noise Slawonische Kunst + Live OKS

This record is a cult document from the 1990's war in Croatia, or more precisely its Slavonija region and my hometown Osijek. The musicians who comprised this ad-hoc band came from several different Osijek bands of the time, some of which I have shared or will share on this blog (Die Hausers, No Passaran, Glad, Nahson Booz); the conditions in which these recordings were made are hard to understand to me, since I was a 10-year old kid while this was happening, but I did spend those ugly war years in the midst of it all so I can at least imagine. I don't feel really competent to retell this story, which can be found on the Internet (only in Croatian, though: here and here), so I will just throw in a few facts - the LP was recorded in November 1991 in the "Pauk" hall in Zagreb, while the live recording is from Osijek, probably around the same time in 1991, from - again, probably - the OKS club. The vinyl rip is not the greatest you could imagine, but it's good enough, and the live show sounds amazing. The extra track, a cover of "Lily Marlene", is of unknown origin (to me at least). Recently, a documentary movie was made about these recordings; it was directed by the singer, File, so I believe it is as truthful an account as possible - but unfortunately I haven't had a chance to see it yet.

I have actually owned a copy of this VERY rare record, but was foolish enough to exchange it for the triple LP "Sandinista!" by the Clash - now, after hearing it again after some years, I'm really sad I haven't kept it, because it is an important - perhaps THE most important - artifact of my city's alternative music scene. The music varies from dark synth-pop to angry noise-rock, but to my ears it comes closest to what Die Hausers were doing - unsurprisingly, as the vocalist, guitar and bass players came from that band, and many of these songs were later (perhaps previously, too?) performed and recorded by them. The lyrics, even with all the dark imagery, are actually quite life-affirming, considering the bleak times they were written in - see picture below.

I'm not quite sure, but I do believe this photo was taken right in front of the place where the live show was recorded, and in the same year. It's my (broader) neighbourhood, too.

"Noise Slawonische Kunst"

Track listing:

1. Krecemo na vas (2:42)
2. Shoot Me Down (2:50)
3. Throughout Darkness (4:29)
4. Ti si tu (4:13)
5. Pusti me (3:11)
6. Krecemo na vas (3:02)
7. Svatko mora biti svoj (4:10)
8. Zasto posvuda lete samo ti crni crvi (3:40)
9. Imam rijec (4:13)
10. Mogu poci u smrt, to upamti (1:22)
11. Gljiva (1:58)
12. Lily Marlene (bonus) (2:49)

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"Live OKS"

Track listing:

1. Lesinari (2:06)
2. Gljiva (2:05)
3. Krecemo na vas (2:38)
4. Kao u izlogu (1:53)
5. Shoot Me Down (2:59)
6. Pusti me (2:59)
7. Throughout Darkness (4:15)
8. Ti si tu (3:58)
9. Heroin (4:02)
10. Imam rijec (4:30)
11. Krecemo na vas (3:08)
12. Mogu poci u smrt, to upamti (1:43)
13. Svatko mora biti svoj (4:02)
14. Zasto posvuda lete samo ti crni crvi (3:22)
15. Krecemo na vas (3:56)
16. Ti si tu (4:27)
17. Shoot Me Down (2:48)
18. Krecemo na vas (nije cijela) (1:17)

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Bajaga i instruktori - Live in Osijek 14.07.1985.

Momcilo Bajagic wearing a Ramones shirt at a recent show. If only he'd LISTENED to them more...

This here bootleg is not something I'll enjoy listening to very often - Momcilo Bajagic "Bajaga" is a (then) Yugoslavian, (now) Serbian mainstream pop-rock musician whose songs, although quite popular round these parts, don't really do anything for me; and this recording, although coming from the soundboard, suffers due to a faulty connection somewhere between the mix and the tape recorder (or between the tape and the computer used for ripping), resulting in varying sound levels and loud clicks and pops. HOWEVER, this show does hold tremendous historical significance for me personally, because it was THE FIRST SHOW I EVER WENT TO. I was four years old and have no recollection of this happening at all, but my Dad (who is a fan) told me about taking me there, so I have no reason not to believe him. (I returned the favour some 25-odd years later when I took him to see Eddie and the Hot Rods; with the wrong singer and all, but that's what seeing a band 30 years after their prime will do to you). As far as I can remember my Dad telling me (and I don't want to ask him again because he has by now probably forgotten all about this and would therefore make me question the fact that I WAS THERE), the show took place in the field in front of the Osijek Student Centre (where I later saw much better bands, such as Overflow or Why stakla), it was free, and perhaps even happened during the daytime - I kind of remember that it was supposed to be a Sunday afternoon? (A quick check in the Windows calendar says that July 14th, 1985 really WAS a Sunday!) So anyway, I'm very happy to have it here, and if anyone wants to download it and have a listen to my first exposure to music with guitars, please do!

Track listing:

1. Sa druge strane jastuka (3:17)
2. Tekila gerila (3:42)
3. Nemoj da se zezas sa mnom (2:06)
4. Marlena (3:54)
5. Nemoj da budes nja nja (3:55)
6. Dobro jutro, dzezeri (3:09)
7. Poljubi me (3:35)
8. Dvadeseti vek (3:54)
9. Francuska ljubavna revolucija (3:06)
10. Sarene pilule za li-lu-le (2:48)
11. Limene trube (2:43)
12. Zazmuri (4:37)
13. Tamara (4:01)
14. Vidi, sta sam ti uradio od pesme, mama (3:02)

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Hladno pivo - Live in Split 25.03.1994.

 

This is, judging by the stage banter, the first show Hladno pivo ever played in Croatian second largest city, Split. It's a rather good sounding soundboard recording, although a bit marred by the years (decades?) it must have spent on a cassette. It's also sadly incomplete, and the break comes right after a great introduction story (if you speak Croatian, of course) whose ending we will probably never hear. Still, there's almost 45 minutes of music here, and it's a great document of early '90s Croatian punk scene, when even the guys in Hladno pivo thought they'd always play harsh punk and would never need "people who like ballads" at their shows... Enjoy!

Track listing:

1. Sedma noc (2:36)
2. Marijuana (1:21)
3. Narcisoidni psi (1:55)
4. Dobro vece (3:08)
5. Pjevajte nesto ljubavno (2:37)
6. Celicne zavjese (1:07)
7. Diznilend (2:06)
8. Trening za umiranje (2:42)
9. Marija (1:13)
10. Heroin (1:33)
11. Marginalci (1:38)
12. Sarma (3:29)
13. Princeza (1:17)
14. Bubasvabe (2:47)
15. Buntovnik (2:12)
16. Niemals (1:28)
17. Odjava programa (4:13)
18. Für immer Punk (2:25)
19. A, sto dalje... (pt. 1) (1:07)
20. (intermezzo) (0:45)
21. A, sto dalje... (pt. 2) (1:22)
22. Zakaj se tak oblacis (intro) (0:40)

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Samson - Telephone/Mr. Rock'n'Roll

Clive Burr, the drummer on the first three Iron Maiden albums, has passed away today after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. In every picture, interview or live video I saw of him he had the most infectious smile in all of metal (yes, more than even Barney Greenaway's!); I've obviously never met him but he seemed like such a nice guy that I can't help feeling sadness for his sad and premature ending. He was also probably the most rockin' drummer Maiden ever had, not to take anything away from Nicko of course. Here are the first two singles by his first band, Samson (the same Samson Bruce Dickinson later also deserted for Maiden), which are his first published recordings. This is before Bruce's era in Samson, so the vocals are handled by guitarist Paul Samson himself, and the general vibe of the recordings is somewhere between (very) early NWOBHM and regular 70's rock, with maybe even a little pub rock thrown in (the first track, "Telephone", reminds me of Dr. Feelgood in a few places). Rest in peace mate, and thanks for the smiles.

 

 

Track listing:

1. Telephone (3:02)
2. Leavin' You (3:15)
3. Mr. Rock'n'Roll (3:51)
4. Driving Music (3:39)

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Various - No Approval Needed

Yep, it really is my yearbook photo.

When  I was 16, I went on a one-semester student exchange program in the US (upstate New York, to be more precise). This was basically the best thing that had happened in my life up to that point; the only way it could have been better was if I had chosen to stay for the whole year (which I could have, but didn't, because I was a pussy). I went to an American high school and sat at the nerds-punks-and-freaks table at lunch; I had punk rock friends who had purple hair and cars with which they took me to great underground punk shows and cool parents who let us stay up all night and watch "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy" on the VCR and discuss important life topics because by that point we had it all figured out. I was living in an American teen movie and man, it was the COOLEST time I ever had. This compilation of 23 then-promising, now-obscure bands is one of the tapes that was the soundtrack to this time - well, it was originally a CD, but I had it on tape that my friend Kimb made me ("short for Kimberly, but spelled like DUMB"), and this is a rip of that very 15-year old tape. OK, two of the bands did escape obscurity - Bigwig and Straight Faced both signed for Fat and made it relatively "big", if I'm not mistaken - but I don't think I have ever heard of any of the other bands again. And like all the stuff that I listened to too much because of outside factors (getting a tape stuck in a friend's car's radio made Avail's "4AM Friday" one of my favourite punk albums for driving), I love this tape way more than it probably deserves. Except for a few oddities (the brilliantly-named Squid Vicious with their fun surf-influenced instrumental; Last Day Excuse with their rather embarrassing hip-hop/funky/RHCP-wannabe track), most of it is your standard '90s melodic-but-snotty punk rock of the Epitaph/Fat variety, with some songs being quite nice, and some really great, like Bigwig's track from their debut CD, or the wonderful Screeching Weasel-y "Indie Rock Girl" by the mysterious Pushovers (a Google search for the band + song name yields nothing but the track listing for this CD), or Torture Kitty, Bickley, the wonderfully stupid "Adam Eating" by Kung Fu Grip... Ah, it's a great CD, there's no other way around it! I've actually seen Bigwig around that time somewhere in NY and it was a great, small but packed show; I also remember going to see Reach the Sky and Blood for Blood at a 2 PM matinee for under-21's, promoted with black and white A4 posters made in MS Word... Too bad I don't care much for those bands so I can't really brag about it in a "during the war..." manner - except now, I guess. But anyway, enough rambling, here's the tape:

Track listing:

1. Whitekaps - More Punk (1:43)
2. Bickley - Communication (1:57)
3. Dinosaur Salad - Lifestyles (3:31)
4. Latch Key Kids - Last Ride (3:24)
5. 30footFALL - Boogers for Brains (2:05)
6. Torture Kitty - Problem with Me (2:07)
7. Easy Way Out - My Day (0:36)
8. Splat - Sidewalks (2:30)
9. Sad Pygmy - Dumb as Nails (1:54)
10. Bigwig - Best of Me (2:23)
11. Jimmy Dong & The Human Blockheads - Individual (1:43)
12. Straight Faced - Lit (2:38)
13. River Fenix - GBOH (3:16)
14. The Pushovers - Indie Rock Girl (2:58)
15. Clutch Cargo - 40 oz. (2:08)
16. Mr. Yuck - Their Narrow Minds (3:55)
17. Kung Fu Grip - Adam Eating (2:31)
18. Vitamin - Personality (3:00)
19. UTI - Change Your Minds (2:31)
20. Moobar - Good Food (2:40)
21. Squid Vicious - Deep Eddy (live) (2:59)
22. Yellow 5 - Depression (3:13)
23. Last Day Excuse - What Should I Do (2:22)

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Dik O'Braz - Zedj

The sole album from a Croatian band from the early Nineties, who played a Motörhead-influenced brand of punky hard rock with lyrics mostly about drinking. A nice little release, although there was another band competing for the title of "Croatian Motörhead" during the same time period, who even had a great version of "Ace of Spades" with lyrics in Croatian, and whom I liked better - they were called Klajbas and came from the town of Krizevci. Teh Internets are unfortunately ignorant of their existence, and I'd very much like to share their album here, so if anyone happens to have it, hook me up! I've lost my tape years ago, sadly.

Track listing:

1. Sve sto treba viknuti (3:05)
2. Bez milosti (3:08)
3. Stoljeca (3:49)
4. Kad gorim (3:57)
5. Dobro je dodirnuti zelenu travu doma svoga (2:37)
6. Moja dusa pijana od piva (4:25)
7. Za oprez nema mjesta (3:14)
8. Ne budi lud (2:10)
9. Moram naci zabavu (3:37)
10. Koruza (2:42)
11. Tvrdoglavi bik (4:09)
12. Nada (3:31)
13. Micana (Kreni u noc) (2:27)

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Hladno pivo - Promo 7'' + Live

Here's a mega-rare single by Croatia's once premier punk band, which was only released as a promo to radio stations, in what I imagine must be a very limited quantity - I don't know the numbers though. It features two of the songs that later came out on their second album, "G.A.D.", but these versions are exclusive to the single. Especially interesting is the first song, "Sedma noc", which has an outro part that was cut from the album version - whether it was for the better or for worse is for you to judge for yourself. I've also added two more live songs which were released on an obscure German compilation (that's probably why they chose the two songs sung in German).

Track listing:

1. Sedma noc (demo) (1:55)
2. Diznilend (demo) (2:02)
3. Niemals (live) (1:23)
4. Für immer Punk (live) (2:44)

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