New to me...

The Keys released a few singles and one LP in 1979 every time i see them mentioned there seems to be the obligatory mention that Joe Jackson produced their LP. This seems, to me, more of a sign of the quality of the record that any resemblance to Joe Jackson's sound.

I learned about this band here on the terrific blog called "PVAc to 44.1 kHz". A lot of the power pop bloggers I read know a bout this record but it was new to me. I really like the classic 80's vibe that this has without out sounding too cheesy. There is a kind of annoying slight tinny sound to the mp3s but I'll take it rather than never having heard them.

They sound like a 80's movie soundtrack band with better songs.

These are the first and last tracks from their one and only LP called: The Keys Album.

Hello, Hello

World Ain't Turning

14!

Popdefect are one of the few bands I can compare to Field Trip (see earlier post) and Shudder To Think and say that Popdefect makes them look like rock stars. I can truly say i am alone in all the people that i know who buy records that I own something by Popdefect. This is a travesty in the highest order.

Formed in the late 70's in Washington state, Popdefect put out their own records as Heart Murmur Records. They have about ten or so singles a few EPs (one of which is my favorite format the 10" record!) and a couple LPs. I own almost all of them and they got better and better as time passed. Their live record features Nick Scott their drummer playing a kiddie drum set with a 16" bass drum...and they still pull off sounding terrific.

At the tail end of their career they were on Flipside records (of Flipside magazine) right before that punk establishment went away. At this point Popdefect had become a very original quirky punk band with a pop edge. I really don't know how to accurately describe them other than that. They were a trio that had strong musicianship at each instrument. The Bass and drumming are varied and tight (usually) but what intrigued me ever since seeing them play at the Euclid tavern (opening for the awful Cows) was the guitar playing of singer/guitarist Al Anderson. Understand this, I am not a musician, i don't know much about the technical side of the music i love - I just know what i like. But I have yet to see a guitar player play like Al Anderson. First of all he plays a Gretsch...


I don't know how rare that is in general but it is rare for the kinds of bands I go see - it looks like a large string instrument from an orchestra rather than just a guitar. I guess it may be more common for rockabilly or country music. But it was not only the kind of guitar that was cool, but the way he played it. Using his top hand to aggressively stress certain moments - grabbing the strings and raking down on them. Playing above the part of the guitar called the "nut" (I had to look this up) which I think you can hear in this crazy song called The Moth and in the first few notes in many of their songs, they had a cool habit of having quiet guitar intros to lots of their songs.

They also gave away stickers like they were on fire, and made little photocopied books with their releases that were goofy and made buying their records that much more interesting.

I saw them again when I lived in Baltimore and was their back up place to stay, although that didn't turn out to be necessary.

I just ordered their limited edition farewell album from an Amazon collectible dealer because this post is making me bummed that they no longer exist, like so much of the music i love.... they called it quits in 1999 or 2000.

Here is my favorite song by them... Without . Live, this song turns into about a minute and forty seconds of pure aural mayhem that rivals any song ending in the history of music - I felt like jumping into the drum set with the guys in band...

Bash & Pop (Friday the 13th post)

So I didn't quite get this post out on the 13th but i figured, I'd still reference it in the title.

Bash & Pop were one of several post-Replacements outfits to record after the Minneapolis legends called it quits in the early 90's. replacements singer Paul Westerberg started releasing solo records, as did drummer Chris Mars. But bassist Tommy Stinson had perhaps the best release of the three in Bash & Pop, mostly because his record sounded the most like a Replacement record. Guitar driven pop rock the way the Replacements were doing on some of their last records.

At the end of the Replacements run as one of the best bands ever, they put out a CD single of a song from their last LP "All Shook Down" i cant remember the single but one of the bonus songs on it was called "Satellite". Tommy Stinson sang the song and not front man, Paul Westerberg. I heard it one time, and one time only, driving in downtown Kent on WMMS which I never listen to. I knew that my father had a friend that worked for the station and asked if he could locate the disc for me, that never came through and i never heard the song again. So after a while passed and i learned that Tommy Stinson was fronting a band of his own I was excited to get it thinking it would all sound like "Satellite".

Well it does and it doesn't really - it's better. I believe Bash & Pop's CD is still available, and probably for cheap all over the Internet, so here are two of their rare songs.

Harboring a Fugitive is a release on the obscure Soil Samples series of singles.

Situation is on the flip side of the Fast And Hard single.

For posterity i have included "Satellite" for you to compare as well.

Satellite