In The Trashcan
Records GEM013
"Tons of 80s and 90s bands have recorded monstrous
instrumentals to kill for..."
I don't think Nicholas Roubanis could have known he had written an all-time classic in 1927 in Greece, thinking about an Egyptian girl (= Misirlou).In 1991 tThe Australian record label Butcher's Hook released a wonderfully dark version by Englishmen Gallon Drunk. It's slow as it should be. Dick Dale didn't understand what Misirlou was all about. He killed the song. This is my top Gallon drunk recording.
A jungle bongo beat attacked by distorted guitar and bass or Link Wray on acid. Billy Childish, Bruce Brand and Johnny Johnson recorded this song as flipside to "Shouldn't happen to a dog".
This 1986 instrumental monster is not the Link Wray tune. It's a feedtime composition and one of their best. Howling guitar, grunting bass and no vocals; that's how a guitar instrumental must sound like… there's more in guitar land than Fender reverb gimmickry.
The Norton Records couple, Billy Miller and Mirian Linna, founded The A-bones after disbanding The Zantees. "Mark of the squealer" could have been a Link Wray tune, but it was written by Bruce Bennett. In 1993 Dig Records from France put it as B-side of "Questions I can't answer", the Heinz Burt hit single.
This Dutch band once was our support act when on tour in The Netherlands. Fantastic live band. Here they are with a fierce rendition of the Turtles' wildest instrumental from 1968, recorded in 1997 for Pornogram.
A split-7" by two bands on two different labels. The A-side is The Space Cossacks on MuSick and the B-side is The Hypnomen on their own Gas Records. A great guitar and Farfisa instrumental from Finland, 1999
The best band ever to emerge from the Piacenza scene in Northern Italy, founded by Tony Face, but built around organ wizzard Paolo "Apollo" Negri, the Italian Brian Auger. Their best songs are album tracks. This 45 was released in 1999 on Animal Records from Madrid, Spain.
Together with Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited the best instrumental band from Switzerland. Both bands started on Sheep Records from Zurich, their hometown. Mario is the marvelous keyboard wizz, backed by three Swiss guys. The snarling fuzz sounds create that idea of a vacuum cleaner going berserk in the studio.
That same year another Italian soundtrack aficionado appeared: Nicola Conte. He released this 45 (and a couple of albums) on the seminal Schema Records from Milan. Enjoy the vibraphone near the end of the track.
The Heller brothers on organ and guitar are the nucleus of this US band. In 1984 the foursome recorded this fabulous instrumental, which wasn't released by Stanton Park Records until four years later.
A Dutch band? Despite that 70s sound it still is a terrific guitar instrumental, suitable for a secret agent flick. Released in 1976 on Negram as flip to "Ghostriders in the sky".
Americana with a Mexican flavour by DM Bob for Crypt Records. In 1996 this was their second release, the first being "I didn't mean to hurt ye, I just meant to kill ye" for FiFi Records in 1994. It's a non-LP track as flipside to Mexico Americana, which appeared on the "Bad with wimen" album.
Do you love action heroes songs as much as I do? Detour Records released this fuzz guitar tune (which is not entirely instrumental, sorry) in 1997.
This 1998 EP contains a Billy Childish song and that's why I bought it. Except for two vocal tracks it contains two excellent instrumentals performed by three girls on Kato Records, from New Zealand.
Swirling Hammond, fuzz guitar and a crazy steady beat are the basic ingredients of this Belgian instro band from Brussels. This 1994 release is a perfect example of their highly recognizable sound.
It first appeared in 1981 as by Mickey & The Milkshakes. Mickey Hampshire was the leading man, soon to be surpassed by the enigmatic Billy Childish. It wasn't until 1992 that Wonderland Records put it on an EP, 8 years after they disbanded when Billy founded Thee Mighty Caesars. It's primitive Beatle-esque Medway beat by Thee Knights of Trashe... Thee Milkshakes.
