In The Trashcan
Records GEM028
"Famous or not: who's that girl? It doesn't matter;
for every girl's name there's a song..."
Yoshiko, Salad and Omo are the names on the sleeve of this Planet Pimp Records release from 1993. Actually it's Yoshiko "Ronnie Fujiyama" Fujiii, Sachiko "Salad the geisha-girl" Fujiii and Akiko Omo, three Tokyo girls who stole the hearts of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy of The Cramps. They told the world about this trashy guitar combo from Japan.
Estrus Records released one of my favourite songs by these Japanese garage girls in 1994. A decade later the whole world knew the 5.6.7.8's thanks to their performance in Quentin Tarrantino's "Kill Bill" movie. A pity that they didn't play this ode to Jayne Mansfield in that movie.
Only three bands in the world were playing garage music in the late 70s: DMZ aka The Lyres and The Crawdaddys from the US and this English outfit around Mike Spenser. In 1978 they recorded this Chuck Berry song, releasing it on their own label, Hit Records.
Two girl names on this 45: Michelle and Louise. I chose "Louise", a four minute long ode on 4AD, 1986, and it's an edited version from their third album "Medusa". Dutch pioneers of darkwave before they shortened their name back to Xymox and only played lame synth pop instead.
And here are The Crawdaddys with 5 tracks on Voxx' first EP release in 1980. Fantastic Chicago style rhythm and blues garage from San Diego with their self-penned "Lolette".
A 1982 B-side that is much better than the flipside "Je t'aime tant". French synth-pop no-wave on Celluloid. Elli Medeiros, born in Uruguay, had a successful solo career later. Denis Quilliard aka Jacno met Elli when they were in Stinky Toys, one of France's first punk bands.
To be found on the 1987 release of "How do you know?" on New Rose and the album Lyres Lyres. Originally recorded in 1966 by The Hangmen Of Fairfield County and released on High Castle. Brilliant garage beat from Boston.
A 1980 mod-punk release on Gem Records by a band that featured a young Paul Shurey who formed Mood Six after the band's split and later turned towards acid-house and even played keyboards for Serge Gainsbourg.
Snotty teen garage stomper recorded in 1986 in California. It also appeared on their second album "Aesop's Apocalypse". Check out vol 41 for more info.
Hilarious punk song about the Fleetwood Mac singer from 1978. Released by Rotten Records. A year later another Rotten Records release by The Rotters followed: "Sink the whale buy Japanese goods".
"Betty Lou's got a new pair of shoes" is the original title in 1959 when Bobbie Freeman was singing it. One obscure guy, named The Creep, changed it into the tattoo version and suddenly it was a cool song. Eddie Angel founded The Neanderthals and also the record label Spinout. This was released in 1994.
There's more than "Roadrunner", "Egyptian reggae" and "Ice cream man". This 1978 Dutch release on Beserkley is a real gem in comparison to the rest of his recordings. There's only one song even better: "Dodge veg-o-matic".
A London based outfit on an Australian record label with an Australian 60s punk song. Josh Collins is the singer. He organised the Wild Weekend Festivals, the Frat Shack parties and many more around the turn of the century and now he lives in ... Australia. Fantastic screaming garage punk stomper from 1999 on Corduroy Records.
Neo-rockabilly trio from Germany with an ode to the burlesque queen of pin-ups, Betty Page, the wet dream of so many boys and nightmare of girls who do not succeed to look like her because it seems to be the only way to be accepted as a rock 'n' roll girl since the 90s. It's a 1994 EP on Mental Disorder.
What if The Sonics had begun in 1994 instead of 1964? I'm sure they would have sounded just like this. A 1994 Pin Up Records release. See also vol 20.
Elvis had a smash hit with this song. Robert Lopez was a Mexican Elvis impersonator who chose the moniker of El Vez. He recorded this in 1991 for Sympathy For The Record Industry.
