Cry Of The Innocent-The Haunting/Still, Forever 7" (UK, 1982)

So, I have basically been sitting on my thumbs, not being struck by anything I really wanted to post about. Maybe because I've been busy and my stress level is through the roof right now, but today I got a wealth of inspiration that I'm going to chop up into several thematic posts this week before getting the hell out of dodge on Friday. Not to digress too much into a Dear Diary type thing here, but as many of you may know who follow me other places, my grandmother died last Wednesday and then Friday the neighbor's toilet overflowed and destroyed pretty much my whole house. So, I am going to go on a mini-vacay this weekend to see some shows and friends and when I get back, pack up my entire life and move out while the insurance company fixes my house.

Anyhoo, this never-ending shit show has me listening to a lot of stuff on the darker side of things including, but not limited to, this record by Cry Of The Innocent from Hull. If you read the zine, you know how much I love things from Hull and this is no exception. This record has just the kind of sound I love and the first time I heard the b-side, Lee Jones had my heart at the very first "Hey!"

You can glean some info about both releases by this band over at Phoenix Hairpins HERE and HERE. I don't think the download links are still active, sadly.

Either way, here's both sides of the single, Still, Forever being a particular favorite.

In other news, I want to thank everyone who came out on Friday to the Xarah Dion record launch. It was a helluva night. I have a couple more posts lined up of songs that I played that night that got a lot of attention. In the mean time, if you need her record, and you NEED her record, you can go HERE.

Love,

Megon 

Family Plot-Convictions LP (Canada, 1987) & Moev-Cracked Mirror 12" (Canada, 1981)

Holy shit, y'all. What a long and exhausting week, and weekend for that matter. All the guests and house guests are gone now and there's precious little time to relax. One thing that has been dragging me through the chaos by my boot straps is this lady, pictured below. And, yes, this is another post in my series of Canadian classics, well, should-be classics. Recently, I have become obsessed with the collective works of Madeleine Morris. Since Canada is my adoptive homeland, I feel an especial fondness for Canadian music, especially since much of it never made it out of Canada. Anyway, here's some stuff from the two main groups Madeleine was involved with, Moev and Family Plot.

I'll start with Moev, mostly due to chronology. And, also because the oh-so-knowledgeable gents over at Systems of Romance have done most of my work for me on this one. You can go HERE and download the group's first full length, Zimmerkampf, and read a bit about them. I have actually been listening to another song, Cracked Mirror, on repeat, which is featured on the 12" that came out the previous year in 1981 and put out on their own label Noetix, its only release. My friend Ronnie called this song "sad disco for days." He was kind enough to give us a very lovely shout out on-air last night on his radio show, Echo's Answer. You can listen to the episode HERE chock full of all sorts of lovely ladies like Rose McDowall, Confetti, Sally Dige, Sally Patience, Bloom Offering and so on. He should also be on-air in a little bit HERE from 1-3 EST today. Recommended.  

Okay, back on topic and fast forwarding a bit through several more Moev releases and Madeleine eventually leaving the band, we get to Family Plot. About this group Phil Addington, the bass player, writes:

I came back to Vancouver earlier than my other bandmates who were required to stay in England as they had run afoul of the law. The only person I had to play with was my youngest brother Bernie, who was also a bass player. He played a Rickenbacker through a Roland Jazz Chorus amp which gave him a unique, barking sound. When drummer Simon returned we formed an instrumental trio called "Danse Macabre". Two basses and drums. We were a hit at the druggy after hours parties. Paul returned and added keyboards to the sound. My girlfriend Madeleine Morris, who was singing with the up and coming electropop band Moev, decided to quit that band and join us. Family Plot started gigging in 1983. We played a number of great shows with bands like Alien Sex Fiend, Love and Rockets, Butthole Surfers, Nina Hagen, Hunters and Collectors, No Means No and Wire. We recorded a cassette ep and a 12" album shortly before Madeleine left (after she and I split up). We enlisted Naomi McLeod as singer and played with her for about a year before giving up in 1990.

Otherwise, this band is poorly documented just about everywhere, as far as I've found. I have been jamming this track pretty heavily, not on any of the albums, but appearing on the Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music 1977-1988 compilation. Otherwise, they have one album featuring Madeleine called Convictions, self released in 1987. 

Hope you enjoy one, or maybe both, of these tunes. I will be back soon with some more stuff, some Canadian, others not. I skipped Varning Fest this year and am storing up my energy for NDY Fest in Toronto in two weeks. I will see loads of you there, I know. Otherwise, my calendar is sadly lacking in exciting things coming up. OTHER THAN:

Don't forget I will be DJing between bands this night. Event info HERE.  This is a Montreal all-star line-up. Not to be missed. Come say hi!

Okay, love, love, love,

Megon

Kaméléon-S/T LP (Quebec, 1981) & Térapi-S/T 7" (Quebec, 1982)

Man, what a fucking day. Got on my bike to go to work and the front wheel fell off, inexplicably, when I started riding. Rushed to take the metro, which was jam packed, of course, and some guy took the chance to grab my butt. Work was hell and there must be something in the air because everyone was grumpy all over today. But, for all the lows, there were some very nice highs. Amongst them, an acquisition of some records sorely missing in my collection. I am not going to brag but in among those is one of my favorite records from Quebec and here we are with this post about two bands from our fair province. 

I will start with Térapi. Just one self titled 7" with four songs out in 1982. You can go like them on Facebook HERE and mostly keep up with the singer's current solo career. Here's such a Quebec jammy jam. 

Now, onto Kaméléon. The singer of which still lives in Montreal and does some pretty rad shit. You can check out her current "electroacoustic" music HERE.  This particular record is pretty disco-y but stupid catchy. But, judge for yourself. 

Anyway, NDY is coming up so I will be back soon with some Toronto bands for you. Maybe even something before them? 

Big kisses,

Megon

Halloween with Skeletal Family, Beast, 45 Grave, March Violets, X-Mal Deutschland, Pretty Poison & United State

Tomorrow is Halloween! People seem to have mixed feelings about Halloween. Here's a bunch of awesome shit to get you in the mood. So, tease up your hair and away we go.

Skeletal Family, along with a couple other bands I'm gonna mention here, were supposed to be in the next issue of the zine, which I'm pretty sure I've given up on. If I ever have the time I will try to publish all the interviews I have accrued, here, on the blog. In the mean time, Skeletal Family. Still playing, you can keep track of them here.

Next up, Beast. I have been a long-time fan of Beast, have all the records and this video just kills me. Perfect style. This band also featured Bryan Gregory of the Cramps and maybe, also, someday I will publish the interview I have with Andrella just sitting around collecting dust.

Let's see, what's next... Something else with teased hair? You betcha. I think we're mostly familiar with 45 Grave so I won't go into it, just to say this live video is pretty fucking rad so here you go...

As you all know by now, I love cheese, and I don't mean the food. I love cheesy synth, cheesy disco and you better fucking believe I love cheesy goth. This song is always popping up in my head and again, a great video with "great" style.

And, I can't not do this:

Argh, I also love this song and this video. Pretty Poison from the city of brotherly love. If you have been to a night I DJed, I absolutely played this song and if you come see me on the 14th at the Xarah Dion record release show I will play it again. 

Lastly, a gem I've been holding onto for quite some time now. United State from Toronto. Goddamn, I love this video and this band. Again, someday I will publish the interview I have with them, until then, enjoy the headdress.

Okay, I hope if you weren't in the mood, that helped. And if you are already jazzed for Halloween, this added to your enthusiasm. I have had a shitty day and am gonna try to go sike myself up for the rock star themed office Halloween party I have to endure tomorrow. 

Love like blood,

Megon

Zéro De Conduite-Je Suis Mort 7" (France, 1984)

No matter how much you know, certain people always make you feel like you don't know a thing. I hung out with one of those friends last night at his birthday party and let him take me to school. Part of my lesson was Zero De Conduite, from France, obviously. They formed in 1982 when they were wee ones, all 12 years old at the time. I can't even remember what I was doing when I was 12 but it wasn't putting out records and making music videos. Their first single, Je Suit Mort, which translates to "I am dead", came out in 1984 and by 1990 the band was over with a handful of singles and an LP.

Here are both sides of the first single, the B-side of which is an amazing music video/interview with the kids.

Love, love, love,

Megon

Odds & Ends

So, people are always asking me what I'm listening to now and I don't even respond usually, because it's always such an odd playlist of mis-mashed random tracks it's seems like I shouldn't even admit to it. But, I have so many things I love and want to share that I'm gonna peel back the curtain and post a bunch of shit I have been jamming lately, in no particular order, no particular genre, completely un-curated. Off the cuff!

This Human Backs song I listen to most every day lately. I have been feeling like a lumbering zombie-monster due to lack of sleep and elevated stress so it suits me just fine. Also, my Ipod only seems to have New Wave Complex comps on it for some reason. I don't remember doing that but...

Secondly, this Lene Lovich tune which appears on the soundtrack of the movie Radio On, along with like, every other band ever. I haven't seen the movie in forever until I had to watch it at work the other day and this song stuck in my brain. Catchy lyrics and a ridiculous video:

So, obvy, I have been pretty down lately and have been jamming some pretty high energy stuff, especially at work, to keep me motivated and out of my own head. This fucking Sandra song, I literally listen to it over and over and over at work and dancing in my chair. It's sooooo bad good. 

This Hermine song is always stuck in my head. Every time something displeases me or I feel like I'm being tortured, it pops up again. And what style!

This Gertrud Stein song doesn't even really need an introduction from me, it's fucking catchy and again, a good work jam. Or, an anti-work jam. Anyway, I listen to it at work.

This The United States of America record I picked up on a whim the other day when I was at my friend's record store. I have been listening to it non-stop since then. I love the easy, breezy vibe.

Here's another disco song for you. I don't think people realize how much disco I listen to, and dumb cheesy disco at that. Why would they? But, I will admit it to you here. The other day I found this Sophie record on the top of the new arrivals stack at Aux 33 Tours. And I subsequently spent 30 hopeful minutes crawling around on the floor going through their disco section to find nothing else of interest. Womp womp. Anyway, I absolutely love this OTT classic.

Of course, Weekend. This song was thrown back into my mix by a very lovely new friend who reminded me listening to sad music when you're sad is okay. It's going well so far, haven't cried once! 

Okay, that's all I have time for right now. 

Enjoy the silence, 

Megon

Nice & New: Rakta, Koban, La Luz & Votive

Wow, so much has happened in the last month, I hardly know where to begin. Late last month I turned 31 and then a couple days after I got on a plane to Arkansas to be with my mother when she died. I was away from home, or back home in a sense, for a couple weeks straightening out family business and have been in a fog since I got back to Montreal and pretty much went straight back to work. I have been to a couple shows, begrudgingly, since my return.  La Luz played during Pop Montreal and it was lovely. I posted about them on the ODIF Facebook page once but my love has grown since then so I thought I reiterate it here. If you get a chance to see them, by all means go. They have an LP out on Hardly Art with all the hits from the demo and many more.

I went to one other show during Pop which was a hot mess of wine drunkenness on my part but was Votive from Toronto. I always get suckered into these new TO bands and am usually disappointed, like with Ice Cream. This time was a bit better considering Votive is Cam from Kontravoid with his girlfriend singing, and pretty much sounds exactly like that. Not bummed I went, except the hangover the next day. I can't find a recording of this anywhere however, so go see them live if you get the shot.

Anyway, moving on to another band I am sure I have mentioned before, Koban! The EP is finally out on some massively colorful pink splatter vinyl and on one of our favourite labels, Weyrd Son Records. You can

but the vinyl HERE. Here's one of my favorite tracks from the EP which, consequently, you can read my write up about on the Weyrd Son website. 

I know I didn't mention La Luz and Votive before, when you could have actually gone to see them here, but I'll give you a fair warning on Rakta, from Brazil, who are playing here October 11th at Casa, event info HERE. This band is super trendy nowadays but I do actually really like it. Take a listen:

Anyway, that's that. I have so much more to say, so, time permitting in the next few days, hopefully more posts will follow. 

Love,

Megon