In lieu of another writeup, I decided to post a set of some of the best videos I’ve personally come across this year. Happy Holidays to everyone.
Madness - Bed and Breakfast Man: From Madness’ first album which is criminally underrated today. Yeah, yeah…I know that Our House was a huge (and somewhat oppressive) MTV hit back in the day and that Suggs went on to become some sort of UK media personality. But it does not change the fact that One Step Beyond was and is an amazing hybrid of two-tone ska and British Dance Hall / Vaudeville tradition.
The Gordons - Adults and Children: In which three New Zealand-based, pre-Bailter Space guys decide to recite the instructions on a medicine label for two minutes and simultaneously predict the entire late 1980’s US Midwest Noise Rock Scene. How is that for a weird turn of events? Completely crucial and a great video as well.
The Speedies - Let Me Take Your Photo: Brooklyn based power-poppers from 1979. This video is a fun reminder of what made new wave such a breath of fresh air in the late 1970s. It also captures one of the many reasons why New York must have been such a fun place to be at that moment in time. The twin towers, being prominently displayed in the background throughout the video, add an additional layer of melancholy to the proceedings. Also note the obligatory new wave hand clapping at 2:22.
Mission of Burma - This Is Not A Photograph: Repeat after me, “Roger Miller is a guitar god”, “Roger Miller is a guitar god”, “Roger Miller is a guitar god”, “Roger Miller is a guitar god”, “Roger Miller is a guitar god”, “Roger Miller is a guitar god”, “Roger Miller is a guitar god”, “Roger Miller is a guitar god”. The fact that he looks like a math teacher in this video just adds to the kick-ass irony of it all. We are not worthy. From 1980, no less.
The Scavengers - Mysterex: “Well you’re a bloody hypocrite, just a dirty social climber, aw yeah.” How is it that these NZ kids could express so perfectly exactly how I feel today in my late 30’s? One of the kids in this video is Brendan Perry who went on to form the much more prolific Dead Can Dance. Now ain’t that weird?
Sick Pleasure - Sick Pleasure: I know he was a controversial dude but lets thank our lucky stars for Joe Rees. If he hadn’t documented all of this ridiculously great music with Target Video back in the day, I wouldn’t be the same person I am. OK maybe I would. But I have to believe that my life has been at least a bit improved by finally getting to see some performance footage of the pre-Code of Honor, proto-hardcore noise of San Francisco’s Sick Pleasure. In great quality as well.
Simple Minds - Factory/Premonition: Its pretty clear that Jim Kerr was a bit of a tosser all along. All it took was for him to merge his innate pretentiousness with the U2-styled bombast of “Dont You Forget About Me” to permanently make me loathe the thought of Simple Minds. So imagine my surprise when I witnessed this early performance at Hurrah’s in New York and realized that in their early days, The Simple Minds were a pretty transcendent live act? Now of course, I need to pretend I knew this all along. Cuz I’m a trendy fuck.
New Order - Confusion: I never was much of a New Order fan. I like a few of their songs (like this one) but in general I just don’t get it. This video however, is another story. A great glimpse at New York City right when hip-hop, punk, new wave and club culture all merged into one unified and unbelievably unique artistic moment.
Cabaret Voltaire - Just Fascination: Cabaret Voltaire on the other hand, I have always appreciated. What impresses me about this video is how excellent it is to see them as a live band. I always thought of them as more of a studio act. Whether you are talking about the lo-fi experimentation of Nag, Nag or the dance club sounds of Yashar. What I never considered was that they were also a tight-as-fuck live band. Watching Stephen Mallinder ride the groove so effortlessly on the bass while Richard H. Kirk fills in space with guitar noise in a live setting was just an unexpected moment for me.
Styphnoids - Moms a Fake:Another unexpected moment for me would be seeing Portland obscuro-punks, The Styphnoids doing their kbd-classic Mom’s a Fake. They look like a bunch of heshers. They sound like a bunch of juvenile delinquents. “Just got out of juvenile hall, yeah. They slapped my hand and put me back on the street.” I just love how something this obscure and unknown is still better than 99 percent of rock music ever released. How is that possible?
Tina Peel - Blow Me A Kiss / Penis Between Us:Before Rudi Protrudi got all garage rocker sleazy in The Fuzztones, he was a dayglo bubblegum pop-punker in Tina Peel. Weird, huh? These two songs from 1979 showcase their early sound which was very twangy and farfisa-laden. Can anyone give me any info on this show NY Dancestand? It kinda reminds of Uncle Floyd a bit.
firehose - Choose Any Memory: For a small amount of us, the death of D. Boon was pretty devastating back in the 1980s. I literally remember coming home from school and finding out in Spin that the singer in one of my favorite bands was dead. Shortly after, the remaining two members got a new singer and released their first album as firehose. This was the first song I heard by them and I just remember being stricken by how powerful it was. Still is. Another public access gem on you tube.
The Kiwi Animal - Blue Morning: Winding down. Maybe its Christmas where you live? Maybe it’s snowing outside and the sun is starting to rise. You look out the window at the fresh snow and it seems almost blue. Its so quiet. Nobody has gotten up yet. Just you and the ice outside. How about putting on a pot of coffee and listening to this track by the obscure NZ freak folk act The Kiwi Animal? Then wake everybody up and open some presents dammit!
Regardless of what you’re celebrating, enjoy the holidays and don’t forget to stick it to the man…
//Joe
Gordons are great, the retrospective (LP + 7″) CD that came out on Flying Nun is well worth it.
I used to go and see Simple Minds in the early days and they were outwstanding live. The best gig was around Empires and Dances when they finished the set and Jim Kerr said we haven’t got any more material would it be OK to play some the songs again, so we got most of the set again - it was brilliant. We then went to see them on the Sons and Fascination tour and although the music was good Jim Kerr had completely changed and acted like he was a god - that was the end for me.
What a bewildering and fascinating batch of YouTubery.
Thanks, I haven’t chosen a favourite but that Tina Peel is pretty jaw-dropping.
Great selection, Joe!
For some reason, I started by watching the videos from the bands I was more familiar with, namely Madness and Sick Pleasure. About the first, I’ve always liked the debut album quite a lot (the description of their sound is dead on) and LOVED “Bed and Breakfast Man”, along with “My Girl”, “Night boat to Cairo” and a couple others; it’s their more Vaudeville-ish songs which I like more.
About the second, what can I say… I’ve been literally years (well, maybe 2 or 3) after a kinda affordable copy of their split with Code of Honor and a couple of months ago I got one for about 60$ (which I think it wasn’t a bad deal after all). The thing is that the band I liked more at first was COH, but I can’t choose a favorite now, and the Sick Pleasure side gets more spins at home: it’s just one of the finest slabs of Proto-Hardcore Punk Rock to ever come from the Golden State along with Lewd (to be honest, I find way more fun listening to either bands than to the Germs’ GI, and that’s one a GREAT album, so go figure).
Besides, and concerning the lyrical matter, I find more enduring Nikki Sicki’s nihilism than COH’s stories about California splitting from the US of A.
Again, I still love COH to bits.
Really a great comp,never heard the Firehose,they’re great.With the Gordons I’ve aldo found My Hollowness To You (Tall Dwarfs)onr of the greatest tunes ever…regarding Simple Minds,I get ‘em in august ‘79 at the Lyceum,my first trip in London.They wear day glo(like Tina Peel,really)and remind me of Sparks,so I was surprised when become the epitome of boring ’80’s years later…and yes,Roger Miller is a guitar god…all the best for the new year.
Great post. A lot of gems I’ve never heard of, and some I’ve loved for ages.
Love your blog by the way, I’ve been reading it religiously for the last couple of years or so.
That Speedies video was filmed right up the block from my childhood house, and the band actually played a high school dance at my school when I was in junior high (and get a funny mention in that year’s yearbook)… Good memories!
dear joe,
happy holidays as well and many thanks for your always brilliant posts. all videos are really great, but when i watched the “choose any memory” by firehose i went totally nuts. didn’t know there was a video of this song! thanks thanks thanks
keep posting such nice things this new year (and decade!) to come.
happy new year,
edu
never heard fIREHOSE before. Like em alot! thanks joe, merry christmas
Great post. Never heard the Kiwi Animal before. Spik and Span is my favourite Gordons song.
Those public assess fIREHOSE clips are definitely gems.
Hello Joe
Thanks for all of the great posts this year. You have turned me on to a number of artists I never would have heard. Thanks for your hard work.
I look forward to see what you have planned for us geeks in the new year. Best in 2010, Raymond
Thanks everybody!
I’ve never owned anything by fIREHOSE, and every time I hear them, I’m reminded how stupid I’ve been for not have picked up anything of theirs over the years. Thanks Joe — you’ve given me my first mission in ‘10.