Therese Racket-Rebelle 7" (France, 1987) & Desechables-La Oración 7" (Spain, 1983)

Omigosh, it's been like a MONTH since I did a blog post. Mostly, because I got so fed up with my internet provider I told them to shut my internet the fuck off and it took me a while to get it back up and running again. Also, I have been working weird hours and dealing with crazy, daily life and fests and broken baby arms and in-laws and so on and so forth. Anyway, all that aside, here I am and here are a couple bands I will tell you about because...

The other day my friend Rocio and her parents came over for dinner (they are from Spain) and her dad asked why I had Desechables records. I thought this was a funny question. Is that SO weird?! In all honesty, Desechables are a band I love but I haven't listened to them in a while. So, it was even more bizarre when they came up again a few days later... My friend Pascal put on a fucking amazing poster show and sale. Loads of French, Spanish and German posters from the early 80's. I spent a pretty penny but got a load of stuff because it was all so cheap. I am kinda bummed I didn't have an extra $60 to drop on some original Edith Nylon press kit glossies, one of the most expensive things there. Oh well. Anyway, in the boxes and boxes of posters were two Desechables posters and I knew I needed them. One of them is (partially) pictured below, the purple pic dated Saturday 29, 1984. Pretty hot, right? The other pic is the cover of their for single, La Oración, out in 1983. And that brings us to the second half of our story...

So, I had gone over the list of stuff that was gonna be for sale at the poster show but when I was going through the bins I randomly stumbled across this Therese Racket poster (directly below) and was totally blown away. As I was leaving about half a dozen of my friends went through my pile to see what I had gotten and no one knew Therese Racket. I haven't known about them for that long either but I am a sucker for this exact kind of thing. Anyway, when my French friend didn't even know who they were I decided it was time to share. So, here we are. Therese Racket. I am a bit short on time so you are not getting much info out of me on either bands but you can listen to the songs and judge for yourself!

Also, as a semi-side note, I also got a poster of the German NDW band Ideal and this little Crammed Records promo poster featuring a couple of my faves Family Fodder and People In Control. 

Obvy, I have been holding it in for way too long and I wish I had had time in the last month to do a million blog posts but here we are, just this one. And now I am out of time so off again. Hopefully to be back sooner than later. 

Love,

Megon

Family Fodder-Savoir Faire 7" (UK, 1980)

Hey y'all! I am still alive! It has been a minute since I managed to check in here. I got a new job, you may remember me mentioning, which has been taking up ALL of my time. That coupled with a "vacation" back home, I have not had a minute to spare. But, I'm here now, so let's chat. First and foremost, can I say I've missed you? I am really having a hell of an adjustment back into office life and I just wanna go back to my freelance days of baths and listening to random and obscure shit on YouTube all day. Oh well.

Anyway, it's finally summer. It's fucking hot and miserably humid and there aren't enough hours in the day to go swimming as much as one would like. The irony for me is now that I finally have money again, I don't have time to spend it. I did manage to rush over to the record store today on my lunch break and this little gem was waiting for me. Seemed like fate that I should get my ass in gear and do a post about it. So, without further ado, Family Fodder. I have liked this band for a while as they shared, at least at one point, members with People in Control who you may remember from this post I did a while back: HERE. Either way, this group has been around a long time and somewhat surprisingly, they are still active, putting out new records and touring. You can keep up with them on their page HERE and go see them early next year if you are out Europe way. They have about a million records and I can't personally vouch for ALL of them but if your leanings are a bit artsy and British-of-that-era, by all means give them a listen, starting here with this song that has just been killing me called Savoir Faire from their 1980 7" of the same name and also appearing on the album Monkey Banana Kitchen, out the same year.

Anyway, I hope to be back soon. Things are quieting down as far as shows go for a bit and everyone is going on vacation so I'll try to get you some nice, obscure 80's summer jams in the near future!

Love,

Megon

Nice and New: The Courtneys & Vierance

For those of you who don't know, I have a day job doing freelance subtitling for movies and TV. This basically means I sit at my computer watching movies all day, every day, mostly terrible. Today, completely unexpectedly, I got promoted! So starting Monday I will no longer be working from home.

But, before leaving my home office behind, I have one one last hurrah this weekend. Tonight, SINS and Vierance are invading our fair city, from Toronto. They will be playing at the Death House on SATURDAY with Brusque Twins and it would be lovely to see you there. Event info HERE.

But, before I get ahead of myself, tonight after picking them up from the train station, I will be putting in an appearance at the Lumpy and the Dumpers show to see some very old friends from the STL which I am totally excited about.  It's been way too long. If I have the time, energy, I will also try to sneak over to the Courtneys show which you can look into HERE.  Who knows if I will actually make it despite my best efforts.

Tomorrow I will be resting so you will not see me at Angelic Upstarts.  But Saturday, ugh, Saturday will start with Kids Pop, a going-away picnic for our Finnish friend and ending with the aforementioned show. There is another show at the Vitrola on the punker side featuring Malokio, if that's more your speed. Sunday, baby shower and taking my favourite German to the airport. It's a weekend of brief hellos and long good-byes and, honestly, I'm happy to be so busy so I won't start crying that everyone is leaving. So, come find me and buy me juices and gelatoes to cheer me up since I'm also driving around and not drinking. Here are some songs from bands you can come and see with me.
Love,
Megon

 

Hilary Laddin-The Sell 7" (US, 1980)

It's a wonder at the end of some days I don't just fall over, dead, on the floor in a puddle of my own drool. Today is one of those days. Work was gruelling and I was just not expecting that.  My eyes are completely glazed over and I feel like if I actually close them, they will never have the power to open again. Otherwise, so far, it's been a lovely week with a helluva weekend coming up. Loads of friends in town including my German bestie who brought me presents including a Christmas pyramid and some hand cream/shampoo, not sure which because I can't read German.  And, starting tomorrow, there are a bunch of shows including, but not limited to, Tropic of Cancer on Saturday with our dear friends Police Des Moeurs opening.   

ANYWAY, y'all don't really care about any of that. You just want the songs, right? Well, here's one for you, going back to my roots with some pics to boot. A little jammy jam from Hilary Laddin, who also drummed in the band The Leaving Trains, whom you may remember. This is not like that and I like it way better. Here are both sides to her only solo single The Sell, released in 1980 on What Records? most famous for a couple Dils and Germs records that were KINDA popular, or something, I don't know. Unfortunately, Hilary passed away in 2007 but this is still a pretty rad record that deserves more light of day. 

Alright, I'm wiped. Talk to you after the weekend.

LOVE!!!

Megon

Karen Marks-Cold Cafe 7" (Australia, 1981)

Alright, here's a real little slice of pie for you. And good goddamn if you can't tell this is Australian just from listening to it. There's a sweet little write up of this sweet little record over on Systems of Romance HERE, produced and partially co-written by Ash Wednesday, just so you know. If you don't have an extra $500 to drop on the real thing, you can also download it there as well. Anyway, I'm pretty much head over heels for this record, so without further ado:

In other news, still DJing tomorrow night at Minimale Musique and I'm home alone for the next few days so don't expect to hear from me till well after the weekend. Okay, off to do the million and one chores and errands I have. Hope to see you all tomorrow! 

Love,

Megon

Valerie Krystal-Piece Of My Heart LP (Canada, 1983)

Oh man. It's been a minute since I checked in here. I have been deathly ill for about a week and simultaneously slammed at work so, I've been going to bed at about 9 every night. Right now I am about 75% human, about 25% snot, but working on bringing that latter percentage down. Anyway, pretty much the only other thing I have been doing for the last week is listening to disco. I know what you're going to say but just hear me out. It's awesome. That's all the semi-convincing I have the energy to do. Anyway, if that's not enough, here's a song I have been jamming a lot lately. I think it's pretty fucking catchy and totally Canadian, eh? Meet Valerie Krystal. Man, there are so many things I like about this but mostly it's her little kid voice. I was only gonna post Jailbait, my favorite song of hers, but Tic Toc is like a new wave Sparks song so I'm putting it up for you too. I just can't stop, I love her so. 

Anyway, the actual reason I'm posting this is to lead into this: next Thursday, May 8th, to be exact, I am going to be doing an ODIF inspired DJ set at Minimale Musique. I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve for this night and I hope you can all come out and drink, dance, both or neither. The event info is HERE. I hope to see some of y'all there. Bring your dancing shoes. TGIF!
Love,
Megon

Wrath-Warlord 7" (US, 1975)

I pretty much have nothing to say today. My brain is completely turned off due to quite a hangover and some intense lingering pain from separating my shoulder last night. Anyway, I woke up to this in my inbox from my friend Francois and it's so crazy rockin' I am stealing it. I am gonna actually quote the Numero Group website bio of this band because I think you're more likely to read it this way than if I link you:

Forged in a Canton, Ohio, musical instrument depot in 1970, Wrath combined guitarist Ralph Minocchi, bassist Glen Sikora, and singing drummer Rick Page— an ore unparalleled in the seat of Stark County. In a North Canton Battle of the Bands, Wrath clashed with a then-unknown Joe Walsh; in Akron, they opened for Ted Nugent, years prior to that warlord Detroiter’s eponymous debut LP. Neighborhood garages served Wrath as practice spaces, before Sikora got warehouse keys from his generous boss, a Wrath fan in his own right.

“Warlord”—penned by Minocchi, who wrote most of Wrath’s martial and darkly metaphysical material— summoned up Satan, sea snakes, and the titular combatant forced to dig his own grave. Originally conceived to showcase his vocals, “Warlord” was taped during Page’s bout with laryngitis. In his stead, Sherry Minocchi—Ralph’s wife at the time— took a one-time lead-singing stint...and nailed the double-tracked speak-sing vocal to Wrath’s mournful instrumentation. But Sherry never sang “Warlord” again, yielding to Page’s delivery during live sets, and a subsequent “Warlord” master tape featuring Page’s vocal take was stolen, likely lost forever. 1975 saw the release of Wrath’s “Warlord” b/w “Rock n’ Roll Fever” 45 on Stone Cold Records, founded by Wrath itself on the advice of a shrewd attorney.

In touring afterward, Wrath stuck to its Rust Belt roots. Sikora’s army photographer brother brought the band to an Atlanta, Georgia, military base for a Black Sabbath concert, before which Wrath and Sabbath briefly warmed up together. But in the early part of the 1980s, Wrath’s membership, no longer unencumbered teens, lost hope in touring enough to support family needs. Minocchi and Page moved on to the far less wrathful Holiday Inn gigging circuit.

You can also check out the comp this track appears on HERE. Chock full of some other heavy gems. Anyway, lunch break is over. Yes, I still have to work with my fucked-up shoulder.

TGIF!!!

Megon