In The Trashcan
Records GEM019
"You have to be fearless to enter my vault of vinyl
horror..."
L.A. based heavy rockin' grunge band with this excellent B-side, released on Santa Monica, California based Piece Of Mind. A year later in 1992 it was reissued in Germany on Blackbox Records. At least two more 45s followed.
My all time fave band from Scotland, period. In 1989 they recorded "In the black" and their record label Blanco Y Negro decided it was only good enough as B-side. Hell no! It's better than the A-side "Head on". The Reid brothers wrote and produced both sides, under a guitar wall of distorted sounds.
Self-penned "Come alive" was only a B-side of the Paul McCartney composition "Come and get it". Producer was Roli Mosimann. They were Belgian's best known guitar band in the early 90s. In 1992 it was issued by Play It Again Sam Records.
Here in Belgium nobody knows Inca Babies, the British clones of The Birthday Party, formed in 1983. A year later their fourth 45 was issued, "The Judge" b/w "Bus breaker", which was top 10 in the UK Indie charts. I wonder whether Gallon Drunk were influenced by these four guys, who say to be influenced themselves by The Cramps, The Gun Club, Link Wray and yes, The Birthday Party; exactly the same names I once read in a Gallon Drunk interview.
Another Belgian release from 1992 released on the Belgian record label Boom!Records, owned by JP Van. The powerpop played by Golden Green never reached any success. Both songs were written by guitarist and singer Rik Vermeir.
Jello Biafra loved California based hardcore outfit Victims Family so much he released this 45 on his own Alternative Tentacles label in 1993 and also a full album.
Here's another mod influenced band, that has nothing to do with the Dutch band with the same name and were around at the same time. They hailed from Saarbrucken in Germany. "Let the good times surround you" is a terrific 1994 powerpop song on Detour Records, an important mod label from the UK.
Poppy garage rock from Sweden and this time produced by Kim Fowley. Although they were the first Swedish garage band in 1979, they never had the success bands like The Nomads, The Creeps, Stomachmouths, had. They were best known for the blazing version of Abba's "Gimme gimme gimme" from 1986.
When Stereo Total still was a quartet and not the German-French Goring-Cactus duo. They formed in 1993 with Françoise Van Hove aka Cactus and Friedrich Ziegler aka Göring as leading members. "Supergirl" was released in 1997 on the Bungalow label and also on their second album "Monokini".
Jack Lee's song "Come back and stay" became famous thanks to Paul Young and that's how these Belgian boys got to know this powerpop tune. It's the B-side of their 1989 release "I've been waitin'" on Play It Again Sam Records.
He was, is, and will aways be, a living legend. In 1978 he wrote "In my garage", a Dylan-esque ode co-written by singer-songwriter Dyan Diamond, about music he hears in his garage that will be the music in the 1980s. Did he already know that a couple of years later the garage rock revival would take place? Released on Illegal Records from London.
Pre-Vice Barons band formed in Brussels, Belgium in 1990. In 1991 they released one 45 for Surfin' St.Gilles. It's trashy powerpop sung by a young Ivan Snotrebel.
This side is a good example of early 90s trash pop. The flip is a fabulous version of The Stooges' "TV eye", which I put on volume 11 of this series. Goat was the band around Adrian Oxaal. I only know of two albums and four singles from 1989 to 1991.
This is the only cover version I know of the John Kongos 1971 one hit wonder "Tokoloshe man". Factory Records released this contagious mambo-beat version in 1991.
In the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Calgary this horror rock band was formed in 1988. This song, however, is their only garage rock tune, hidden as a B-side on their 1993 release for Fist Puppet.
Don't get fooled, this "Dance dance" is a French translation of Prince Buster's "Dance Cleopatra, dance". Written by Lou DePrijck who also wrote AND sung "Ca plane pour moi".
