Cause I Believe

The Riviera Playboys - Cause I Believe

from "The Wild, Untamed Sounds Of ...." on Jargon Records JAR-CD-0502

ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ & ΥΓΕΙΑ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ !!!

Into The Clouds

Garden Path - Into The Clouds

Garden Path was an indie psych rock band from Adelaide, Australia. "Into The Clouds" is taken from their debut LP, "5 Reasons" on Smashed Records (1986).

On A Day Like Today...

Rowland Stuart Howard (24 October 1959 – 30 December 2009)

Sleep Alone

First I shut down the stars because

You said they ruled us

Then I took out Mars

He was the cruelest

His lover followed suit

By way of suicide

And the others stood there silent

As I dealt out peace of mind

Shut me up

Shut me down

Stop me if you can

My love, I'll show you nothing

I'm a misanthropic man

Shut me up

Shut me down

Stop me if you can

My love, I'll show you nothing

I'm a misanthropic man

Shut me up

Shut me down

Stop me if you can

My love, I'm less than nothing

I'm a misanthropic man

This is a journey

To the edge of the night

I've got no companions

Only Celine's on my side

Don't need nothing from no-one

The needle's in the red

Nothing to lose

Everything's dead

Shut me up

Shut me down

Stop me if you can

My love, I'll show you nothing

I'm a misanthropic man

Shut me up

Shut me down

Stop me if you can

My love, I'm less than nothing

I'm a misanthropic man

The sky is empty

The earth as still as stone

Nothing stands above me

Now I can sleep alone

Faces Stare

The Estranged - Faces Stare

from "The Subliminal Man" LP on Sabotage Records (2010)

Not The Same

The Carnival Of Fools - Not The Same

from "Towards the Lighted Town" LP on Vox Pop – VP 21 (1993)

Smoking Her Wings

The Bats (NZL) - Smoking Her Wings

Android

From Florina, Greece

You Knocked Me Out Cold (in the big hotel)

Ghost Train - You Knocked Me Out Cold (in the big hotel)

Released on Sucksex Records (SEX 11) 1996
Bass Guitar - Freddy Lynxx
Drums - P. Sadman
Guitar [12 String], Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Patrick Abdesselam
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar - Dimi Dero
Producer: Nikki Sudden

Drunken Leaves

Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound - Drunken Leaves

Swannanoa

Mount Moriah - Swannanoa

Divine Whore

Long Hair

Dum Dum Girls "Long Hair" from the "Long Hair" 7" EP.
HoZac Hookup Klub Record #1.
HoZac Records #HZR027, 2009.

From The Greek Vaults #5 : Petunia Pig - A Dream So Grey

Countdown To Zero

The Droogs was an American rock group from Los Angeles, active between 1972 and 1992, with the majority of releases from the mid-1980s onwards.

The band was formed by Ric Albin (vocals), Roger Clay (guitar), Paul Motter (bass), and Kyle Raven (drums). Inspired by 1960s garage rock, during the 1970s, they released six singles (later collected on the Anthology album), with several changes of personnel in the rhythm section. The line-up stabilized in the early 1980s with David Provost (formerly of Dream Syndicate) on bass/keyboards and Jon Gerlach on drums. In the mid-1980s, the band was considered part of the Paisley Underground scene, but found greatest success in Europe, and in 1987 signed to the German label Music Maniac.

"Countdown To Zero"  is from the 1987 LP "Kingdom Day" on PVC.

Hidden Treasures #5 : The Eastern Dark - Over Now

The band was formed in 1984 when then Celibate Rifles bassist James Darroch decided to leave and form his own band. Darroch switched from bass to guitar and enlisted drummer Geoff Milne and former Lime Spiders backing vocalist Bill Gibson on bass. After some rehearsals the three became The Eastern Dark, named after a place in The Phantom comics. The three piece began playing live in May 1984, quickly garnering local support and earning notoriety for their habit of opening each set with a different Ramones cover, working their way chronologically through the Ramones' discography. Their first single, "Julie Is A Junkie/Johnny And Dee Dee," was released on Waterfront Records in July 1985.

With Rob Younger as producer the band recorded the EP Long Live The New Flesh! in 1986. On March 4, 1986, days after finishing the EP, and en route to a week-long series of shows in Melbourne, the band's van went off the road; Darroch was killed, and Milne and Gibson were hospitalised. Long Live the New Flesh! was released posthumously later that year, and a collection of live recordings and demos was released as Girls on the Beach (With Cars) in 1989. A CD collection of the previously released material, Where Are All the Single Girls? was released on Half A Cow Records in 2000 (and re-released in 2010).

On A Day Like Today ...

Fred "Sonic" Smith (September 13, 1949 – November 4, 1994) 

Fred "Sonic" Smith was one of the key architects of the Detroit High Energy rock sound as guitarist and co-founder of the legendary MC5. 

He was born in West Virginia on September 13, 1949. During his early childhood, Smith's family moved to Detroit, MI,and at the age of 12 he began learning how to play guitar. By the time Smith was in junior high, he was good enough to be playing in a local band, where he met Wayne Kramer, a classmate who, like Smith, was playing British Invasion-influenced garage rock.

In 1964, Smith and Kramer joined up with another of Detroit's teenage rock enthusiasts, Rob Tyner, and they decided to form a band called MC5 (standing for "Motor City Five") and designed to make the group's name sound like a hot-rod club. With Michael Smith on bass and Dennis Thompson on drums, they soon evolved into one of the most powerful bands of their day.

In 1967, MC5's musical approach attracted the attention of poet and counterculture organizer John Sinclair, who became the group's manager and put a new emphasis on the band's previously subtextural political slant. In 1972, MC5 called it quits.

By 1976, he formed Sonic's Rendezvous Band, a Detroit supergroup that featured former Stooges drummer Scott Asheton and Up bassist Gary Rasmussen alongside Smith and Morgan. Sonic's Rendezvous was one of the finest and most electrifying American rock bands of their day, but given the bad reputation MC5 and the Stooges left upon the music industry, a band featuring members of both groups would prove to be a tough sell, and the group was never able to score the record deal they richly deserved. The only studio recording the band released was a self-distributed single of Smith's masterpiece "City Slang,"with the same song appearing on both sides (a stereo mix on the A-side, mono on the B-side).

In 1980, Fred and Patti Smith were married. Both Patti and Fred continued to write music together, and in 1986, Patti came out of retirement to record the album Dream of Life. Fred wrote much of the material in collaboration with Patti, played guitar on the album, and helped to produce the sessions.

Sadly, it would prove to be one of Fred's last major projects. In the late '80s, his health went into decline, and on November 9, 1994.Fred Sonic Smith died of heart failure in a Detroit hospital  ironically, the same malady that took the life of MC5 vocalist Rob Tyner two years earlier.

PLAY IT LOUD !!! 

(and as "saunterer" has written ...... when you don't have the money to record more than one song, all you have to do is to press it on both sides of your only single, show your middle finger to all the great rock 'n' roll bands and tell them to fuck off...)

Over My Head

Another gem from the past ...

Green On Red - Over My Head

from "Gravity Talks" LP released in 1983

From The Greek Vaults #4 : Cardinals - Why

The Cardinals were formed in December 1994 with the following members: Michalis Nezis - Guitar, Vasilis Nezis - Bass, Dimitris Beleniotis - Vocals/Guitar/Drums and Andreas Paparousos - Organ. They started playing mainly covers of classic as well as obscure garage standards. They also had some original compositions, as a first evidence of their creativity. A few months later they made their first public appearance to the legendary local AN Club.
In the summer of 1996 they released their first 7" EP through Golbin Records (which later became Action Records). The tracks on this EP lean towards the groovy side of the 60's garage rhythms. More live appearances, both inside and outside Athens, followed the release of the EP, making the name of the band known to a wider audience in the Greek scene. Meanwhile the band got more confidence to fill it's set with original compositions, leaving aside the covers. Their sound turned to more moody melodies and shake rhythms, clearly showing the band's great talent.
Around the end of 1996 two new members came: Christos Pierros on bass and Sotiris on drums. This new line-up gave more strength to the band's repertoire and helped them make more dynamic shows. In the spring of 1997 the Cardinals released their debut LP through Action Records, clearly bringing forth the moody melodies of the group.
The Cardinals managed to gain the recognition among the people who love 60s inspired music, both inside and outside Greece, because of their songwriting abilities and authenticity.

On A Day Like Today ......

Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing) October 30, 1939

At the height of her career she was also known as "The Acid Queen".
Grace Slick is best known as the powerful-voiced female singer in Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, rock bands with which she performed in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. She was born to well-to-do parents and grew up in Palo Alto, CA. She became a model and married Jerry Slick. After seeing Jefferson Airplane perform in 1965, she, her husband, and her brother-in-law, Darby Slick, formed the Great Society. The group released a single, "Somebody to Love" (written by Darby Slick) on local North Beach Records in 1966, but broke up soon after. (Columbia Records later culled two albums from the group's live recordings.) Slick was asked to replace Jefferson Airplane singer Signe Anderson and joined the group in time for the recording of its second album, Surrealistic Pillow.
 She brought with her both "Somebody to Love" and her own composition, the bolero-paced "White Rabbit," with its references to drug-taking and Alice in Wonderland. Both songs were included on the album with her lead vocals. Both became Top Ten hits in 1967, as did the album, and Slick became the focal point of Jefferson Airplane, participating in seven more albums by the group -- After Bathing at Baxter's (1967), Crown of Creation (1968), Bless Its Pointed Little Head (1969), Volunteers (1969), Bark (1971), Long John Silver (1972), and Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (1973). By 1971, with the formation of the group's own custom label, Grunt Records, various bandmembers began to make albums on their own, and Slick combined with guitarist Paul Kantner on Sunfighter (1971). Baron Von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun (1973) was credited to Kantner, Slick, and David Freiberg. 1974 saw the release of Slick's debut solo album, Manhole. With the departure of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, Jefferson Airplane had ceased to exist after 1972.
 Kantner and Slick reorganized the band under the name Jefferson Starship and released Dragon Fly in 1974. In 1975 came Red Octopus, which topped the charts and sold two million copies. Spitfire (1976) was also a million-seller, as was Earth (1978). Slick left the group and released two solo albums, Dreams (1980) and Welcome to the Wrecking Ball! (1981), then rejoined as a guest on Modern Times (1981) and participated fully on Winds of Change (1982) and Nuclear Furniture (1984). She also recorded a fourth solo album, Software (1984). Kantner's departure from the group led to a truncation of its name to Starship. Slick remained through the million-selling Knee Deep in the Hoopla (1985) and No Protection (1987), sharing lead vocals with Mickey Thomas on the number one hits "We Built This City" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." She left the group in 1988. In 1989 she joined a reunion of Jefferson Airplane that resulted in a tour and a self-titled album. She retired from performing in the 1990s and wrote her autobiography, Somebody to Love?, published in 1998. In 1999 RCA released The Best of Grace Slick, a career-spanning compilation album. 

Hidden Treasures #4 : The Bamboos - Born Killer

The Bamboos were formed in 1984 by Craig Hallsworth in the West Australian township of Collie. The band consisted of Hallsworth (guitar, vocals), Mark Gelmi (bass), Roger Russell (guitar) and Tony Chiallella (drums). In 1985 Russell was replaced by Greg Hitchcock (The Go-Starts) and in 1986 Chiallella was replaced by Shakir Pichler (The Kryptonics). The band’s brand of raw guitar trash and country-swamp rock caught the attention of Citadel Records boss John Needham and they went on to record and release the single "Snuff", the flexi-disk "Dead Girl", the EP Born Killer and the album Rarer Than Rockinghorse Shit.

From The Greek Vaults #3 : The Melting Ashes - Angels Of Sunrise

The Melting Ashes

From their 1991 album "Green Fuzz 1987" released on Wipe Out Records

 

On A Day like Today ...

Steven John Bator, known as Stiv Bators (October 22, 1949 – June 3, 1990).

He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church. In the summer of 1990, Bators was struck by a taxi in Paris. He was taken to hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor, after waiting several hours and assuming he was not injured. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a concussion.

Undone

I do not want to be your friend
Kiss your cheek and not your lips
I don't wanna shake your hand
When I can shake your hips
I wanna have your all
See your breasts rise and fall
But you don't come when I call
I do not wanna be your friend
I do not wanna be your friend
I thought we were above that state
I could not make you love me more
I broke my hand on heavens gate
My angels gone. I took the fall
Concussions crown was all I wore
When my mind met the floor
I do not wanna be your friend

License my roving hands and let them go
Above, before, between,
behind, below
And all those secret parts of you,
I won't, I cannot give them back
The scattered signs, the whispered clues
Indelible as scars and tear tracks
As much of me, as much as you
The smile, the laugh, the sneer, the kiss,
I do not wanna be your friend
I just have no belief in this
I do not wanna be your friend
How could you forget the words I wrote,
declared for all the world to see
Signed in blood across your throat
I lost my hip, I blew my cool,
I thought we'd burnt that book of rules
Now here I stand the fucken fool
I just want to make love to you

On A Day Like Today

Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould (born October 16, 1960)

Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962) aka Flea

Cheepskates

Led by singer/guitarist Shane Faubert, the Cheepskates were a big part of the '80s revival of the garage rock scene on the East Coast. They released two albums with their first lineup, a four-piece that concentrated more on the retro side of the sound.

Run Better Run (Midnight, 1984) and Second And Last (Midnight, 1986). 

By 1987, Faubert was ready for a new direction and scaled the band down to a three piece for the power pop releases Remember (Music Maniac, 1987) and It Wings Above (Music Maniac, 1988). 

After a live album and a covers EP, they returned to the studio for one last time. The result, 1990's Confessional, was disappointing to listeners and the band alike, leading to the eventual dissolving of the group. A post-breakup album of Residents' songs found its way onto shelves in 1992, while Faubert continued in the same musical vein on his solo material.

From The Greek Vaults #2 : Bokomolech - Last Supper

From Underworld D-Tales vol.1 (Dec.1995)

On A Day Like Today ...

Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969)

Underworld

From the 1995 LP "The Dog's Head in the Gutter Gives Off Vibrations"

I'll Stay By Your Side

Freddy Lynxx & The Corner Gang - I'll Stay By Your Side

On A Day Like Today ...

Mariska Veres (1 October 1947 - 2 December 2006) 

The Flood

Blue Orchids - The Flood 7in

On A Day Like Today...

Tracey Anne Thorn (born 26 September 1962)

Marine Girls were a post-punk group from Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The group was formed in 1980, by two sixth form school friends: Tracey Thorn and Gina Hartman. Originally, Thorn just played guitar and Hartman was the lead vocalist and percussionist. Thorn overcame her shyness and started singing too by the time they started making records. They were later joined by Jane Fox on bass and her younger sister, Alice, on joint vocals and percussion.
"Lazy Ways" comes from their second LP released in 1983, under the same title.
Marine Girls disbanded in 1983.

I'm Allowed

While the Stooges, Blondie, and Talking Heads are revered for their punk rock antics and unchangeably praised for being a part of a major rock revolution in the late ’70s, there’s one band that’s been consistently overlooked. The Testors created just as much noise as the Dead Boys and rioted far more than the Germs. The were even kicked out of Canada for causing a ruckus. Sonny Vincent (vocals/guitar), Gene Sinigalliano (guitar), and Gregory R (drums) formed the Testors in New York City in 1975, quickly becoming mainstays at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB’s. They’d only release one single, the limited-edition 7” “Together”/”Time Is Mine” in 1976, while dismissing offers from records labels. For them, it was about rock & roll; pedal-to-the-metal rock & roll. Before breaking up in 1981, the Testors amassed a limitless amount of material, but it would be nearly two decades until the public would hear of the Testors again. In 2003, Swami Records unearthed some of the band’s greatest work so it could be heard for the very first time. The double-disc release Complete Recordings: 1976-79 captured the raw spirit of the Testors, finally giving them their proper place among the punk rock history books.

From The Greek Vaults #1 : The Hydes - Out Tonite

In 1995 they released "Big City" for the "Not So Pretty" compilation (a tribute to the Pretty Things) on Corduroy Records(AUS) featuring Chesterfield Kings, Thanes, Breadmakers, Thee Headcoatees.
In 1997 they release the first 7" EP "Hard Lovin'" on SWALLOW IT ALL RECORDS (GR).
Next year the 7" single "Out Tonite" again on Corduroy.

Other tracks on compilations:
Flaming Torch (Only Ones)
Heatwave (Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Sour Wine (Q65)
Wars Or Hands Of Time (Master's Apprentices)
Have You Seen (The Rolling Stones)

More:
myspace
orphan drugs 

Hidden Treasures #3 : The Passengers - Face with No Name

The Passengers were born from the Sydney inner city punk culture in 1979 following the demise of Radio Birdman. The band members met during 1976-78 as friends and fans of Radio Birdman in Sydney. The band was formed in late 1978 and performed together for one year. In October, 1979, an eight track demo was recorded at Palms Studio in Sydney.
They were the first band released by Phantom Records. The Phantom label began some time after the shop with a single by the Passengers in early 1980.
Among the many bands who blazed bright in the post apocalyptic era at the turn of the decade, The Passengers stood alone. Their music was compelling and different, and their following was fanatically dedicated.
Taking their name from an Iggy Pop song, the band was fronted by Angie Pepper, and also included former Survivor and future New Christ Jim Dickson on bass, with Jeff Sullivan (later of the Flaming Hands) on guitar and Steve Harris on keyboards.
Peppers vocals and the sixties girl-group nature of the lyrics made an instant comparison to Blondie inevitable, but Harris electric piano sound was substantially different from Blondie's approach.

I'm Only Asking

Even though this San Francisco based neo-psych band garnered plaudits and acclaim, 28th Day would eventually become more well known for being the first band to call Barbara Manning a member. Manning, who would later find success as a member of the World of Pooh and S.F. Seals, as well as becoming a sort of indie/underground legend, played bass in 28th Day alongside Cole Marquis on vocals and guitar, and Mike Cloward on drums. Although Manning would grow into a force as a songwriter in subsequent projects, the majority of 28th Day's work was written by Marquis. Their debut EP, released on Enigma in 1985, would be the only studio work from the band, which was to split a short time later. That collection would be expanded in 1992, and then again in 2004, to much acclaim on each occasion. Manning would go on to many other projects, including the aforementioned World of Pooh, S.F. Seals, and the Go-Luckys!, while Marquis would go on to form the Downsiders. 

Two Suns

A powerful and graceful band that was too post-punk to be folk-rock and too folk-rock to be post-punk, Shiva Burlesque began as a partnership between vocalist Jeff Clark and guitarist Grant Lee Phillips. The two had previously played together in Clark's band, the Tom Boys, in northern California. Following the death of their percussionist (a drum machine), bassist James Brenner and human drummer Joey Peters joined up. The foursome released a self-titled record in 1987 on Nate Starkman & Son, which received year-end praise from the likes of Melody Maker and Rolling Stone. Greg Adamson was added on cello and fan Paul Kimble (credited as Dick Smack) replaced Brenner on bass for 1990's Mercury Blues (Fundamental). They quickly broke up, a result of internal tension. Not helping Shiva Burlesque's cause was their inability to fit in with the reigning hair metal and punk scenes of late-'80s Los Angeles. Phillips, Kimble, and Peters continued as Grant Lee Buffalo, and Clark went solo with Adamson and Brenner on board. Brenner also joined Scenic.

~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

On A Day Like Today ...

Peter Zaremba (September 16th, 1956)

Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld) - (30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) 

Hidden Treasures #2 : The Visitors - Miss You Too Much

In 1978 when Deniz Tek and Rob Younger returned from the USA to Australia, their band Radio Birdman had taken heavy losses on the British tour which resulted in the dissolution of the band. Tek and Younger expected to reconstitute the band in Australia, but the damage done on the British tour was too great to repair. Ron Keely had already quit, Warwick Gilbert had said nothing but was expected to leave. What they didn't expect was Chris Masuak informing them, upon their return, that he would no longer play in the band, choosing instead to join the band The Hitmen.

Tek and Younger had decided that the days of Radio Birdman were over, as they felt there was no longer a critical mass of dedicated original members to work with. Younger stayed in Sydney where he formed the band The Other Side, whilst Tek relocated to Newcastle to finish his medical internship. He didn't play for about 6 months until the pain of withdrawal became too great and he began to collaborate with Mark Sisto, the old Birdman master of ceremonies and bodyguard who had remained loyal even after being unceremoniously ejected from the British tour a year earlier.

It was from an intense desire to play that the energy came to form The Visitors, the same desire fuelled the live performances and recording of the album. The Visitors assembled in a rehearsal room in Sydney in early December 1978. They made their first public appearance at the Stagedoor Tavern two days after Christmas Day with the Lipstick Killers in support.

From 1978 to 1979 The Visitors were Deniz Tek on guitar, Mark Sisto on vocals, Ron Keeley on drums, Pip Hoyle on keyboards and Steve Harris on bass. Their style was a dark mixture. The band being 3/5ths Birdman, including the chief songwriter, was almost like the next phase of Radio Birdman had that band continued on. At the same time, the sound of the band was more like the early Birdman days with the single guitar plus keyboard format.

They only gave 12 concerts

December 27 - Stagedoor Tavern (with Lipstick Killers)

February 9 - Balmain Town Hall (with Lipstick Killers)

February 29 - Civic Hotel (With The Other Side)

April 7 - Governor Bourke Hotel (with Lipstick Killers)

April 21 - Stagedoor Hotel (With Hitmen)

May 19 - Governor Bourke Hotel (with The Other Side)

June 2 - Civic Hotel (with Lipstick Killers)

June 22 - Newcastle Uni (with Lipstick Killers and The Passengers)

June 23 - Manly Flicks (with Lipstick Killers and The Other Side)

June 30 - Rags (with Nightshift and Works)

July 28 - Stagedoor Tavern (with Thought Criminals and The Numbers)

August 5 - Stagedoor Tavern (with Hitmen and Comrades of War)

more:
Vivien Johnson on The Visitors

On A Day Like Today ...

Many things happened...

This is what I think might be of an interest to you...

 John R. "Johnny" Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) 

As far as I know this is the last videoclip he ever made...

He died of complications from diabetes less than four months after his wife, while hospitalized at Baptist Hospital in Nashville...

Red Sun

Thin White Rope (TWR) was an American rock band fronted by Guy Kyser and related to the desert rock and paisley underground sub-genres. It was formed in Davis, California in 1984, and released five albums to critical acclaim.

The band was composed of singer/songwriter/guitarist Guy Kyser and guitarist Roger Kunkel, with a changing line-up of drummers and bass guitarists. It was noted for its twin guitar attack, innovative use of feedback structures and oblique lyrics.

TWR disbanded in 1992. The double live LP The One That Got Away chronicles its epic last show in Ghent, Belgium, on 28 June of that year.

The name Thin White Rope derives from William S. Burroughs' euphemism for ejaculation in Naked Lunch.

Into the Drink ...

Experience it when it happens ...

The Dark Rags performing live @ After Dark Club 8-9-2011