Lubricated Goat - Plays The Devil's Music

Label: Black Eye / Amphetamine Reptile

Year: 1987

"Even the birds in the trees seemed to whisper, 'get fucked'" Oh, Lubricated Goat...you are diabolical! 

Keeping with the Australian theme of late, here's the best satanic carnival music you're most likely to hear all day. Assuming you like that kind of thing. I'm betting you do.

From the same scene that brought us Thug and Beasts Of Bourbon comes Lubricated Goat, who's aim seems to be in redefining the rock band structure whilst still adhering to her basic tenets. Understand? No? Alright, I mean that they have guitar, bass, drums, and dude singing. That's easy. But then they fuck around with odd instrumentation (balloons, beer bottles, etc,) and manipulate and distort the "regular" instruments into submission. The result isn't some far-out noise freakazoid, but rather a real trashy take on o.g. punk rock. Like Stooges style punk, but given some hillbilly trucker speed injections. The closest band I can think of that sounds anything like this band might be The Crows who were on Amphetamine Reptile as well.

Whatever the process, the music lends itself to a good time, and while it's mean and aggressive, and sometimes a bit morose, it still manages to sound fun somehow. I don't exactly know how, but then again...I'm not Australian. Also, to the best of my knowledge, Lubricated Goat shared no members with Men At Work or INXS. Just f.y.i.

DL 

Unwound - Live in Toulouse - 01-06-99

Label: Bootleg

Year: 1999

I figured I'd end the evening with another live recording provided by one of our commenter's. Three posts in one day, all live. If I was smarter I could think of a play on words there, but alas, I am but a buffoon. A sad and confused man-monkey...randomly banging my paws on the keyboard, ceasing only to eat termites and hurl my own feces against the monitor in front of my bewildered eyes. 

So anyway.

You know who Unwound is. You understand that they tended to play their songs in front of a paying audience. Occasionally that audience was in Toulouse France at a place called the Dollar Pub. Beknownst, or unbeknownst to the members of Unwound, some people would take it upon themselves to document the performance they (assumed) had paid to see in the form of a audio archive. 

Just so happens, we got one right here. What are the odds?

Unwound are the best at what they do. Done. Did. I know it's queer to "have a favorite band" or whatever, and no, I'm not still in second grade, but I dare say, around the time of "New Plastic Ideas", Unwound were pretty much the best thing going. So the thought of having a really great sounding bootleg of a show that hits a lot of the high points from that album? Well, I might just scribble their logo on the front of my Trapper Keeper.

DL

V/A - Live At Emo's

Label: Rise

Year: 1994

You can thank the fantastic plebeians who frequent this very blog for thine pleasures bestowed before thee. The clarion call rang out from on high for Live At Emo's and two people delivered the goods, so I offer my sincerest gratitude to you. 

I didn't realize how awesome this record is. It couldn't just sit there languishing in the comments section of an Ed Hall post, nay, it needed to shine. Spread your wings and fly baby bird...fly! This isn't just your ordinary everyday run of the mill live cuts compilation. No-sirree-Bob. Negative. What you got here, is a collection of some of the best bands of the era, killing it live, and captured in pristine audio clarity. These recordings manage to capture the energy of the live show without sacrificing the chest compressing "thud" you expect. Excellent. 

Also, on an historical note, Rise Records was the predecessor of Man's Ruin Records, which was the predecessor of Frank Kozik being hunted down by every creditor in the known universe. Nice right?

The bands are:

Didjits

Fuckemos

Gut

Ed Hall

Cows

Cherubs

Noodle

Seaweed

Glorium

Sockeye

Chaindrive

American Psycho Band

DL 

ZZ Top - Live Rockpalast 04-20-80

Label: Bootleg

Year: 1980

I am aware that this record may not be your normal fare hear at Shiny Grey Monotone, but rest assured; a) it fucking smokes, b) 9/10ths of the bands we regularly post owe a debt of service to "that little ol' band from Texas". I mean this without one hint of irony, ZZ Top rules. Flat out. They destroy. And round about 1980 when this concert was recorded, they were at the top of their game. They'd just released Deguello, and hadn't fallen prey yet to the 1980's hit machine that would water down their corrosive blues with corny synths and slick production. This set is a full on blues assault captured in pristine sound by the cameras and engineers of Germany's Rockpalast, so you get the goods, and you get them as good as can be. I think some of these versions are better than the album cuts, they are a little faster, a little meaner, and little more off the cuff.

And did I mention that Billy Gibbons fucking rips? I might have forgotten to mention that, so let me reiterate...Billy Gibbons fucking rips. I once heard that he was Jimi Hendrix's favorite guitar player. Maybe that's true, maybe not...but you understand the ramifications of that statement right?

So the impetus of me posting this was staying up the other night and watching a newer ZZ Top concert on VH1 Classic (hey, it's the VH1 that speaks to me), and thinking that in the pantheon of rock and roll, there are only a handful of bands that can even hold ZZ Top's jockstraps. Seriously. Try and name more than 10. I'll be here. Listen to this live version of "Just Got Paid" and let me know how many other bands can even relate to that shit.

DL - part 1

DL - part 2 

 

Surgery - Shimmer

Label: Atlantic

Year: 1994

Ah yes, the "sellout" album. Like every card carrying member of the Church Of Tim Yohannon, I too was not willing to allow my heroes a chance at financial stability. So when Surgery decided to jump from Amphetamine Reptile to Atlantic Records...well, that just wouldn't do. It was an outrageous, treasonous act that surely marked the coming Apocalypse, and could not be tolerated. I called for an all-out boycott.

Until a copy of the album showed up at the radio station I was working in...

It wouldn't hurt to take it home and give it a covert listen under the cover of dark right? I mean, Steve Albini couldn't be everywhere at once could he? No one would be the wiser. And hey, it's not like I supported the corporate death machine by purchasing the record now did I (and no, the irony of it being posted here is not lost on me)?

So the bottom line...it sounded like Surgery 75% of the time, and sounded like 90's alternative rock the other 25%. I shelved it, and did not check back in on "Shimmer" for many years to come.

I am retarded.

This is a good record. Not great, but still really good. Surgery is a great band who had a knack for catchy songs that were heavy and dirty. This record is mostly that sound, in fact there's even a version of their classic jam "D-Nice" on here. I will say there are a couple songs that aren't too hot, but mostly, this is well worth your time. Especially if you ever liked Surgery in the first place. 

So at the risk of losing your entry to the Maximum Rocknroll Old Folks Home, give this one a shot.

DL

Thug - Everything Is Beautiful In Its Own Way

Label: Grudge

Year: 2001

First off, let's preface this by saying, this "Thug" is an Australian noise/rock band from the mid to late 80s, not the "Thug" that was associated with Bovine Records in the early 90s. Clear? Nice.

Also, I can't pretend to know much at all about this band, I had only heard of them in the context of Beasts Of Bourbon, as they share a member in Tex Perkins, who then (apparently) went on to minor fame in Australia as a member of The Cruel Sea. I happened upon a couple Thug releases and thought they might be of interest to you folks as well, this one being a compilation, that was put out on a Universal imprint no less, of their recorded output, which consisted of the Fuck Your Dad 7", Mechanical Ape/Proud Idiots Parade lp, and Electric Wooly Mammoth lp. Supposedly. I'm trusting the internet on this one (the internet doesn't lie).
Musically, it's within the realm of Boredoms, the Residents, Whitehouse, Chrome...maybe Captain Beefheart...maybe some Butthole Surfers. Noise basically. Fucked up, weird, seemingly cut and paste, noise. Sometimes that's more exciting than others, and this record has some hits and some misses, but ultimately it's an interesting listen to say the least. 

Like I said, I'm no authority on this band, nor am I an authority on this style, but I listened to it, and I liked it, so there's a good chance you will too. There's even some fart sounds that occasionally made me laugh. You like farts right?

DL 

V/A - Skate Rock vol. 2 - Blazing Wheels and Barking Trucks

Label: High Speed Productions

Year: 1984

Well, fuck, how was I gonna leave you hanging with just one dose of Skate Rock? I can't do that friends, I'm not that kind of guy. I am, how you say, a giver.

So this volume is probably more "skate rock" than the last one I posted, meaning, it's less shredding hardcore and more shredding punk. So like, while Volume three would be appropriate to rip on the boombox during an especially heated jump ramp session, Volume 2 is going to be more likely to amp us the session when you're killing some parking block slappys. I would also allow this to be played at the Joe Lopes Memorial Bar-B-Que mini-ramp session without penalty. Hell, this one would also work for a sikk ditch schralp (yeah, that's right..."schralp"...fucking spellcheck that one). 

Also, this volume tends to feature those bands that haunted the back pages of Thrasher, the one who you might catch a glimpse of in Puszone, or a photo of some Thrasher party at Mabuhay Gardens pr something. The bands that trolled the Future Primitive soundtrack (not literally though...that would actually have been Los Pukes and Rad Boyz...but rest assured they'd have been right at home here). So lace up your Vans, break out the old Santa Cruz, the one with Indys and OJII's, and go lay down a bert in your driveway for heaven's sake. Surely your wife will bow her head in embarrassment when you have trouble righting yourself, and your neighbors will definitely lose whatever modicum of respect they may have had for you...but goddamn it, Rob "The Barn" Roskopp did not die in vain! (Rob Roskopp is actually alive and well, fatter, balder, and running Santa Cruz Bikes[?!], stalling his lard ass in a mean tail block right now no doubt)  

To Thrasher's credit most of these songs are either previously unreleased or different versions of released material.

The bands:

McRad

TSOL

Big Boys

Anvil Chorus

The Faction

Kingpins

Los Olvidados

Borscht

Free Beer

JFA

Tales Of Terror

Ancestors: Gods Of Sound

Drunk Injuns

DL

V/A - Skate Rock vol. 3 - Wild Riders Of Boards

Label: High Speed Productions

Year: 1985

Is it racist to say that hip hop ruined skateboarding? I mean, honestly, wasn't skating a whole lot more fun when it was all about punk rock and Ted Nugent? I think so. Shit, somewhere in the early 90s this new guard of street skating with it's big ass rave pants, mustard colors, tiny wheels, flips, and....yes...hip hop was ushered in, and skating got all hard and shit. No longer could I boneless my way down to the jump ramp session in my Jimmy'z pants and painter's cap. Oh no, now I had to cut my high tops down and duct tape the shit out of them, invest in the most denim possible to hang off my lower half, cut my mcsqueeb and get a crewcut, and trade in my Skull Skates for an H-Street. Dude! Those new tricks were fucking hard, and let's not even mention the thought of hurling myself down all those flights of stairs. What the fuck is going on here?! What, wall rides aren't cool anymore? Are people seriously ollieing over picnic tables?! Fuck this, I'm out. No longer could I pretend to progress at skateboarding. Done. I have cryogenically frozen my skateboard prowess somewhere in August of 1990, never to be advanced or challenged again. 

Thanks a lot hip hop, you asshole, you ruined skateboarding for me, and I can only assume for the rest of the known universe (that apparently exists beyond the realm of my ego) as well. I hope you're happy (please shake your fists at the heavens while reading this last line).

John Lucero...you're my only hope! 

The bands:

Slam

Boneless Ones

Christ On Parade

Septic Death

No Rules

Beyond Possession

Corrosion Of Conformity

Accused

Gang Green

DL

Ed Hall - Gloryhole

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V/A - The Polyp Explodes

Label: Butterylicious

Year: 1988

Aw fuck it. Might as well go ahead and post the whole damn compilation huh? I mean, if you're gonna go through the trouble of pulling the Ed Hall songs off here, I might as well give you the opportunity to get the Crust songs too.

So on a historical note, this compilation was released by the band Crust (who was then called Mud Honey) in a run of 400 cassettes to "promote ourselves on the coattails of other local bands". Turns out, this is the first time the world will hear recorded evidence of both Crust and Ed Hall, so for that alone, it's worth something. Musically, it's noisy as shit psychedelic demento-rock baked to a drug addled brown. Not easy listening to say the least.

The bands are:

Crust

Miracle Room

ST37

Seeman

Ed Hall

Thanatopsis Throne

DL