Trapezoid - s/t

Name: Trapezoid
Album: s/t
Year: 1975
Style: Old Tyme, Folk, Irish
Similar Bands: (per allmusic) Darol Anger, Metamora, Mark O'Connor, Oregon, Adrian Legg, John McCutcheon
"One-Word" Review: Celtic Baroque Renaissance Fair
Based Out Of: West Virginia
Label: Troubadour Records

Cover, Catalogue, Record

Back, Catalogue, Record

Trapezoid (1975)

1. British Grenadiers/Swinging on a Gate 3:00
2. Opera Reel 2:15
3. Planxty George Brabizon 4:20
4. Whiskey Before Breakfast 2:46
5. Carrie Under the Arbor 2:25
6. Southwind 2:57 /
7. Dill Pickle's Rag 4:05
8. Jamie Allen 2:16
9. Wonderous Love 3:00
10. O'Carolan's Concerto 2:50
11. Chorus Jig 2:22
12. Margaret's Walk 3:22

Album Rating (1-10): 5.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Sam Rizzetta - Hammered Dulcimer, Fretted Dulcimer, Concertina (Madeline MacNeil, Blackie Cool, Maggie Sansone)
• Paul Reisler - Bass Dulcimer, Guitar (A Thousand Questions, Kid Pan Alley, Three Good Reasons, John McCutcheon, Holly Near, Si Kahn, Beth Nielsen Chapman)
• Pete Vigour - Dulcimer, Banjo, Pennywhistle, Vox (Albemarie Ramblers, Hubie King, Diane Jones, Erynn Marshall)
• Paul Yeaton - Dulcetta, Mandolin
• Sandy Davis - Spoons, Concertina, Bones (Roaring Jelly, Common Ground quintet, Dudley Laufman, Canterbury Country Dance Orch, Berlin County Dance Orch., Oh CONTRAire, Tony Saletan, Jay Unger, Jerry Robichaud)
• Sarah Gregory - Bass, Recorder (Flying Shoes, All Comers Band
• Lydia Mills - Fiddle (Arlington Street Women's Caucus)
• Bill "Smitty" Smith - Banjo
• Rosie III - dulcimer on cover

Unknown-ness: I honestly don't know if this is a band or an album of random songs just played on a Trapezoid/dulcimer, or just some completion with cool cover art and font...because it is a VERY cool cover and font. Seeing the pics on the back & reading the notes, I imaging it is all instrumentals, of old time folk played on old time instruments, the dulcimer spotlighted. It looks like the "finger harp" we used to strum & play in elementary school music class. reading more of the back, the band makes their own instruments, including these dulcimers, so this might be pretty cool.

Album Review: Well, the description was not wrong, the instrument makers definitely have a knack for old tyme folk music going back to the Renaissance period. The range of their designed hammered dulcimers is quite good, as they themselves forged bass & piccolo dulcimers to fit the range of music in a full band. 

Paul Reisler has been the one constant musician, with Sam Rizzetta perhaps being prolific / famous in his own right; still making instruments and recording albums (2020). Reisler has seen the band through many personnel changes, and played as Trapezoid for 25 years through 1995, reuniting in 2004 with their 1984 line-up. This is their first album. I read a little more and it seems Sarah Gregory and Bill Smith got married, and were together up to her passing in 2020.

Stand Out Track: Chorus Jig

Links:
Full Album on Spotify w/ Bonus Tracks
Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Rate Your Music
1995 Washington Post
Sam Rizzetta
Paul Reisler
Maine Fiddle Camp: Sandy Davis
Sarah Gregory obit 2020

Shooting Star - s/t

Name: Shooting Star
Album: s/t
Year: 1979
Style: Power Pop, Hair Rock
Similar Bands: Journey, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Jefferson Starship, Bad English, .38 Special, Kansas, Scorpions, 
"One-Word" Review: Midwestern Hair Power Prog
Based Out Of: Kansas City MO
Label: Virgin, Atlantic, Warner Communications Company

Cover, Record

Back, Record

Shooting Star (1979)

1. You Got What I Need 3:45 (Single)
2. Don't Stop Now 4:36
3. Higher 4:15
4. Just Friends 3:58
5. Bring It On 4:45 (Single) /
6. Tonight 4:38
7. Rainfall 2:49
8. Midnight Man 3:35
9. Stranger 4:47
10. Last Chance 6:51 (Single)

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Gary West (Gary Hodgden)- Writer, Lead Vox, Keys, Guitar, Drums, Percussion (Chesmann Square, The Beckies, Missouri, Madison Avenue)
• Van McLain(Van Allen McElvain) - Writer, Lead Vox, Lead Guitar (The Shooting Stars featuring the Galaxies, Craig W. Lindesay)
• Steve Thomas - Drums
• Ron Verlin - Bass (The Shooting Stars featuring the Galaxies)
• Bill Guffey - Keys
• Charles Waltz - Harmony Vox, Violin, Keys (Toledo Waltz, Human Drama, Incubus)
• Gus Dodgeon - Producer, Tambourine (Elton John, David Bowie)
• Stuart Epps - Engineer, Short Vox Appearance
• Stewart Eales - Asst. Engineer
• Kosh - Design, Art Direction
• Peter Howe - Photos
• John Kostick - Mgmt
• Greg Kimmelman - Mgmt

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. And nice little play on their name + artwork. They're paparazzi, shooting the stars, thus the band name and bright flash bulb cover. the back band photo catches the flash in a less bright stage, so we see who they are. And they look kinda Talking Heads - new waveish from their general, non-flamboyant outfits. I'm going to guess this will be a solid new wave band

Album Review: They definitely tend to err on the side of Hair Band / Metal side of power pop rather than quirky, jittery new wave end of the spectrum. "You've Got What I Need" borrows a little bit from the chorus melody of  "Philadelphia Freedom," perhaps to using the same Producer Dodgeon. Album Ender "Last Chance" shows their progressive side. Even with those elements, they have the auspicious claim to fame as the first american band to sign with Virgin Records. A second world's first claim, for them was that in 1989, they had the first ever album (a greatest hits CD called Touch Me Tonight) on Billboard's pop album chart that wasn't released on vinyl. Members floated in and out of the band due to illness, touring schedules and disenfranchisement with the music industry, but the band has continued in one way or another to this day, despite McLain's passing in 2018, with plans to play one-off shows here and there sporadically.

Stand Out Track: You've Got What I Need

Links:
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

goldmine 2013

ultimate classic rock - McLain obit
moondance jam 2009

rate your music

facebook

Classic Rock revisited

Rare Air - Hard to Beat

Name: Rare Air
Album: Hard to Beat
Year: 1987
Style: Celtic Bagpipe Instrumentals, Smooth Jazz
Similar Bands: Cheiftans, Enya, Celtic Thunder, 
"One-Word" Review: Windswept Irish Countryside
Based Out Of: Toronto, Canada
Label: Green Linnet Records

Cover, Liner Notes, Record

Back, Liner Notes, Record

Hard to Beat (1987)

1. Tribal Rites 2:24
2. Taxi Suite 6:10
3. Inside Out 7:08
4. Small as Life 5:36 /
5. Marvin's March (For Marvin Gaye) 2:42
6. The Waiting Room 5:38
7. Dee Dee Diddley Bop 4:23
8. Onward Blindly Onward 4:03
9. Beam Me up 4:05

Album Rating (1-10): 4.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Dave Hillier - Recording, Mixing, Producer, Drum Program
• Ellison Robertson - Cover Painting
• Michael Foster - Cover Photos
• Karl Martens - Cover Design & Layout
• George Balderose - Artistic Manager
• Pat O'Gorman - Highland Bagpipes, 'D' Flute, Biniou-koz, 'Eb' Flute, Bagpipes (City of Toronto Pipe Band, Na Cabarfeidh, Chalk Circle, Mychael Danna, Casadh An Tsugain, Howard Baer, )
• Grier Coppins - Synth, Highland Bagpipes, Bombarde, Whistle, Bagpipes (City of Toronto Pipe Band, Na Cabarfeidh, Bernie Martin, Muchael Danna, Jaron Freeman-Fox, Al Tuck)
• Dick Murai - Guitar, Bass, Drum Program, Bells, Vega Tenor Lute (Na Cabarfeidh)
• Trevor Ferrier - Roto Toms, Brass Drum, Percussion, Clay Drums, Bells, Shakere, Snare Drums, Tabla, Long Drums (City of Toronto Pipe Band, Na Cabarfeidh, Jane Siberry, Pat Kilbride, Kalimba Kalimba, David Essig, Njacko Backo)
• 'Truck Croteau - Bouzouki
• Tom Coyne - Mastering

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but the packaging is odd, as you flip the record over, not from right to left to correctly view the back. From the cover art work, and the ransom letter font on the side A Front, and the multicultural + bagpipe cover on the back, i want to believe this is some interesting indie punk, but i believe it will be more college radio, jangley rock, based on the year. 

Album Review: This is straight up instrumental, bagpipe heavy jazzy soundscapes. There is a little Asian influence and some middle eastern theme in the music too, so it does not always just carry a Celtic feel. On this record Marvin's March & Dee Dee... are both homages to African American culture. Most of the songs feel like jigs and ceremonial songs. The instrumentation is mostly performed on old world devices. They continued to divert to alternate directions, and after this album and the departure of two members, they headed into the direction of Jazz Fusion.

Stand Out Track: Onward Blindly Onward

Links:

Spotify full album
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

compass records

amoeba music

Chicago Tribune 1990 article

Illusion - Out of the Mist

Name: Illusion
Album: Out of the Mist
Year: 1977
Style: Prog, New Age, Baroque Chamber
Similar Bands: Renaissance, Rush, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake & Palmer
"One-Word" Review: Enchanting Mystic Chamber Prog.
Based Out Of: London, England
Label: Island

Cover, Record

Record, Back

Out of the Mist (1977)

1. Isadora 6:58
2. Roads to Freedom 3:55
3. Beautiful Country 4:21
4. Solo Flight 4:20 /
5. Everywhere You Go 3:18
6. Face of Yesterday 5:43
7. Candles Are Burning 7:10

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Doug Bogie - Producer, Engineer
• John Hawken - Keys, Mellotron (Strawbs, Renaissance, Frankie Reid Band, Nashville Teens, Third World War, Trifle, Vinegar Joe, Luther Grosvenor, Claire Hamill, Sutherland Bros, Carl Perkins, Smithereens, Doughboys, Yardbirds, Spooky Tooth)
• Louis Cennamo - Bass (Renaissance, Armageddon, Chicago Line, Colosseum, Herd, Jimmy Powell & the 5 Dimensions, Stairway, Steamhammer, James Taylor, Jody Grind, Al Stewart, Linda Lewis, Beyond Sound, Chuck Berry)
• Jane Relf - Vox  (Renaissance, Holy Smoke, Stairway, Colin Scot, Yardbirds, The Fishermen)
• Jim McCarty - Vox, Guitar, Percussion (Yardbirds, Renaissance, Box of Frogs, Holy Smoke, Pilgrim, Pretty Things, Shoot, Stairway, Together, many)
• John Knightsbridge - Guitar (Third World War, Ruthless Blues, Hug, Yardbirds, Gnidrolog, Warm Dust, Mars, Limey, Box of Frogs )
• Eddie McNeil - Drums, Percussion (Strange Days, Paddy Kingsland)
• Dennis McKay - Mixing
• Goodwin Logie - Tape Operator
• Keith Morris - Photography
• Bloomfield / Travis - Sleeve Design

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of Illusion, assuming this is different than The Illusion. The pictures are all of them as a live band, so one has to wonder if it was hastily put together, or if the live setting was just their art choice. The pink and blue color scheme meshes well with the live photo lighting, creating a mystique that also supports the name Illusion. So i imagine it will be some sort of light new agey-prog.

Album Review: This group is a reshuffled line up of the band Renaissance, with the exception of Keith Reif (Ex-Yardbirds singer whom Jane is the younger sister to), who tragically died of electrical shock at the hands of a guitar amp. They are one of the many bands that succumbed to the capitalistic fan fare (ironically) toward punk rock, as Baroque Chamber Prog was waning in popularity. The songs are lofty, floating compositions, featuring heavy on piano and soothing, delicate vocals.

Stand Out Track: Solo Flight

Links:
youtube album
wiki
prog archives
discogs
rate your music
background mag
allmusic
old rock news
steve hoffman music forums
music street journal

Group 87 - s/t

Name: Group 87
Album: s/t
Year: 1980
Style: Classical Jazz, Prog Fusion, New Age
Similar Bands: Brand X, Spaces, Weather Report, Brian Eno
"One-Word" Review: Jazzy Classical-Prog Instrumentals
Based Out Of: San Fran, Cali
Label: Columbia

Cover, Record

Record, Back

Group 87 (1980)

1. Future of the City 5:01
2. Magnificent Clockworks 4:30
3. Frontiers: 1856 3:16
4. Sublime Feline 6:25 /
5. The Bedouin 3:21
6. While the City Sleeps 2:25
7. Moving Sidewalks 4:24
8. Hall of Glass 2:34
9. One Night Away From Day 5:55

Album Rating (1-10): 5.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Ed E. Thacker - Producer, Recording, Mixing
• Brian Leshon - Second Engineer
• Phil Jost - Second Engineer
• Greg Calbi - Mastering
• Terry Powell - Masteting
• Steve Hiett - Cover Photo
• Robert Steve Bauer - Back Photos
• Nancy Donald - Design
• Terry Bozzio - Drums (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons, Bozzio Levin Stevens, Lonely Bears, UK, Vai more)
• Peter Wolf - Piano (Frank Zappa, Starship, Fatty George Crew, Gipsy Love, Music and Fin Is All, Objective Truth Orch, The Mothers, Reform Art Unit, Vienna, Wolf & Wolf more)
• Mark Isham - Brass, Electronics, Keys (Sons of Champlin, Rubiza Patrol, Taj Mahal, Van Morrison, Boz Skaggs, Secret Police more)
• Peter Maunu - Guitar, Keys Violin (Jean-Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, Airto, Arsenio Hall Band, Bernie Krause, LA Express Claus Ogerman Orch, Simon Stokes, OC Smith, Flower, Gary Brooker, Bobby McFerrin, Heller, Morak, Ludwig Hirsch, Ed Nottle, Grace Slick, Wire Train, Commodores, Sylvester, Starship, laura Branigan, Warren Zevon, Marianne Faithfull, Al Gromer Khan)
• Patrick O'Hearn - Bass (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons more)

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but from the angular lines and basic colors on the cover & negative images on the back, it looks like it may be some sort of new wave or post punk, reminding me of Wire's artwork. Even with the ocean themes: beach towel on the front and beach/water on the back, it still has a cold feel, enhanced further by the robotic factory name like Group 87.

Album Review: The album is all instrumental Jazz...but multiple forms of it: sometimes ambient, sometimes classical, sometimes video game or tv theme sounding, but much of the time futurist-prog. The music contained feels like it is breaching the gap between old-style songs while incorporating "modern day" production techniques and smooth synths. Their song titles do relate to the moods and soundscapes that the music creates. This was the first album for the trio Isham, Maunu, O'Hearn, but they forged a path into instrumental new age after this band, who actually had one more release in '84. Isham having the most illustrious and prolific career of the three, with award winning music and stemming into tv & films

Stand Out Track: Magnificent Clockworks

Links:
Mark Isham Music
amazon
Prog Archive
discogs
allmusic
rate your music
american archive

Mic Holwin - Starting to Remember

Name: Mic Holwin
Album: Starting to Remember
Year: 1986
Style: Electronic, Instrumental, New Age
Similar Bands: Tangerine Dream, Ghostwriters
"One-Word" Review: 80's Drama-Horror Soundtrack for Film
Based Out Of: NYC, NY
Label: Lifestyle, Moss Music Group

Cover & Record

Back & Record

Starting to Remember (1986)

1. Brujo 3:22
2. The Hunt 3:58
3. Aligning the Warlock 3:32
4. This Close 4:06
5. Gray 3:14
6. Amon Ra 3:11
7. Being Swum 3:16 /
8. Abandon 3:08
9. The Bridge 3:56
10. Burning Beyond 3:38
11. Unbound 5:58
12. Shaon 3:01
13. Aviatar 4:43

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Mic Holwin - Writer, Performer, Programmer, Producer, Asst Engineer (Brujo)
• Paul Zinman - Associate Producer, Engineer, Digital Editing, Additional DX Timbres
• Niko Joel Anducich - Lifestyle Exec. Producer
• Glascock - Cover
• David Meieran - Additional DX Timbres
• Vinnie Fusco - Manager

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this artist, and I keep wanting to call him Mic Howlin' but the L & W are transposed. I like the VHS-quality scanline cover art, and simple artwork & angular font. Not sure what to expect with this one, as it could be really anything from a singer songwriter to future rock. I do anticipate some sort of synth element.

Album Review: Well, this is all synth element. 100% synth done on at least 5 different synthesizers, creating strange and elegant new-agey B-movie background themes. Apparently, the Mic in her name refers to the method she writes music that is visible: "synesthesia'

Stand Out Track: Amon Ra

Links:
Youtube full album
Discogs
Paul Zinman's Soundbyte productions
Fade 2 grey
Rate Your Music
Allmusic

Skinner Box - s/t

Name: Skinner Box

Album: s/t

Year: 1988

Style: Folk, Ethereal, Gothic, New Age

Similar Bands: Dead Can Dance, Enigma, Cocteau Twins, Tangerine Dream, Aphex Twin, Aimee Mann, Residents

"One Word" Review: Warbley New-Age Space-Goth

Based Out Of: Los Angeles, Ca

Label: Bobok LTD, Red Rhino /Cartel

 Skinner Box - Cover, Record, Lyrics

Skinner Box - Back, Liner Notes, Insert

Skinner Box (1988)

1. Drowning Street 2:44
2. Field of Holes 3:29
3. Slide of Glass 2:23
4. Grenadine 2:42
5. A Low Bird (instrum) 2:22
6. The Turnaround 5:13
7. Proud Flesh 3:02
8. File Under R (instrum.) 3:13
9. Born to Be Ice (instrum) 3:41
10. At the Portal (instrum.) 2:21

Album Rating (1-10): 3.0

Members & Other Bands:
Julianna Towns - Vox, Composition, Production, Guitar, Keys, Bass, Flute, Harmonica (Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Peace Corpse, Hue & Cry, Molsem Birth)

Mark Erskine - Drums, Timbales, Bongos, Clarinet, Vox, Composition, Front Cover Illustration (Savage Republic)
William Sassenberger - Guitar (Peace Corpse, Molsem Birth, Toxic Shock Records)
Gustav Holst - Translation of intro on The Turnaround, from "To Veruna" of the Rig Veda

Biff Sanders - Recording
Diane Pettengill - Layout
Lance Boyle - Typesetting

Unknown-Ness: I bought this one in the early days of TSM collecting, and I think it was just in some pile of stuff that I bought because I had not heard of it. Sometimes, something as simple as NOT being Johnny Mathis or Perry Como can be the justification for buying an unknown record. This one has a very native American feel to it with the red ink, almost tribal tattoo artwork on a grey stone background. I imagine this to be something earthy. What aspect of earthy I’m not sure: new age or nu-metal or something in between. I’m not sure I’ll like it, nor am I sure I’d pick this up again based on its artwork or date if it were in a larger dollar bin / thrift store of opportunity.

Album Review: I could not find too much about this band, although signs point to a couple of albums from this band, which is mainly singer Julianna Towns, who has been part of a couple other more popular bands. Solo work brought under a band nomenclature.

“Drowning Street” starts with a very earthy and liquid guitar, reminding me of a style of Aphex Twin’s ambient songs. The singing is not far off from Aimee Mann’s voice, just a little darker and deeper. The song is punctuated with deep and heavy drums, off tuned guitar notes and echoing crashes. It does have a tribal sense to it and feels like it is trying to recreate an eerie thunderstorm.

“Field of Holes” from the first chime, the same dark tones are present, but it takes on a middle eastern feel with bongos and meandering guitars. But that is just the slightest bit of Indian influence. The vocals are a version of 60’s psych, somewhat monotone chant singing with an echoey production. Near the end of the song, like a zombie, male vocals are added to bolster the droning melody, and the song quietly slips away.

“Slide of Glass” has a buzzing sitar like note in the beginning, but the song picks up a rocking melody with a creepy, residents like effect placed on the instruments. This is all male vocals, and is observational art monotone singing that an actual melody. The song relies on an alarm like synth note that is added in the back end to create a substantial wall of noise.

“Grenadine” takes us back to the warbley new age dream sequence of the first two tracks. This is the kind of echoing chimey music you would hear as ambience pouring from the speakers in a new age crystal, wicca and magic shop in New Hope circa 1993.

“A Low Bird” is the first of three instrumentals, and it contains all of the new age elements as described earlier. The tones of the song remind me of how Bohdai, the alien ball of light from Solar Babies, would talk to Lucas Haas, Jason Patrick, Jamie Gertz, and the rest of the hero group. Seeing as this album was released 2 years after the film, we can only assume both were of the same demographic. Even though I still love Solarbabies, but am not that big of a fan of this

“The Turnaround” continues on the new age theme, but carries almost a celtic funeral feeling to this: bleakness and mourning are present emotions to the melody. A man’s voice recites a poem or story of some sort (not unlike the Sugarcubes or Belle & Sebastian) over the eerily music. This has all the feel of a new age interpretive dance, where the vocals are the inner dialogue of a mime portraying his feelings. This has nothing that I look for in music.

“Proud Flesh” does nothing to mix things up. Dark tones of echoing bells, like a metal xylophone or tubular bells play out with a dead woman’s chant ghostly gliding over the top. The vocals are layered, creating a chorus effect, angelic buy deadly at the same time. This takes the creepy element of the Residents and really boils it down to a basic form.

“File Under R” is a long instrumental track keeping its metaphorical head down and running straight through the repertoire. There is a more optimistic side to this track. There is an 80’s new wave song that I can’t put my finger on that sounds a lot like this…maybe someday I’ll come across it again. It is composed of echoing guitar with haunting chords rise from behind with muted ice breaking percussion in support.

“Born to Be Ice” fades in with a buzzing flute along side a second woodwind sound.  After the intro, it feels like tones and random notes meant to support a story telling element like a film score, or radio show. Then as quickly as it began, with some large, muted sounds reminding me of a rhino or elephant, the short instrumental part of the track ends. And it returns to the cold new age music and more spoken word storytelling overlaid. This is an exercise in jazzy new age music with interpretive beatnick art spilling out all over the place. Windy effects create chilling, twilight zone effects, and the avant-garde performance piece runs through with a final echo.

“At the Portal” again has more optimistic new age celestial music echo and play out angelically. The whole song has a rising on a warm stream of air feel to it, but it lacks a concrete matter, and is just ideas and fluff. For a second, the ideal trembles, but as the song and album concludes, sun is the victor, and the good guy seems to have come out on top. This is just shit.

Stand Out Track: Slide of Glass

Links:
Phoenix Hairpins

Discogs

Empty

BTFABG Wiki

Last FM

Music Advisor
Toxic Shock Records on Rate Your Music

Martha & The Muffins - This is the Ice Age

Name: Martha & The Muffins
Album: This is the Ice Age
Year: 1981
Style: Pop, New Wave, New Age
Similar Bands: Lou Reed, Jerry Harrison, Talking Heads, Cocteu Twins, Daves, Blondie
"One-Word" Review: Sci-Fi Fantasy Soundtrack
Based Out Of: Toronto, ON
Label: Polygram, Virgin, Dindisc

This is the Ice Age - Cover & Record

This is the Ice Age - Back & Record

This is the Ice Age (1981)

1. Swimming 3:52
2. Women Around the World At Work 3:46
3. Casualties of Glass 5:09
4. Boy Without Filters 4:58
5. Jets Seem Slower in London Skies 2:34/
6. This is the Ice Age 7:25
7. One Day in Paris 4:15
8. You Sold the Cottage 3:55
9. Three Hundred Years / Chemistry 7:00

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:
Martha Johnson - Vox, Keys, Percussion
Mark Gane - Guitar, Vox, Keys, Treatments, Percussion, Cover
Tim Gane - Drum Kit, Percussion
Andy Haas - Sax, Trombone
Jocelyne Lanois - Bass, Backing vox, Percussion, Keys
Daniel Lanois - Backing Vox, Percussion, Treatments, Production, Engineer,
Nick Gane - Casiotone, Noise Generator
Sandy Horne - Backing Vox
Gordon Deppe - Backing Vox
Alyx Skriabow - Backing Vox
Andy Condon - Hand Claps, Asst. Engineer
George Axon - Percussion, Asst. Engineer
Corinne Plomish - Backing Vox
Glenn Schellenberg - Piano
David Millar - Live Sound
Gerry Young - Management

Unknown-ness: Never heard of these guys. But I like the minimal artwork and pastel sky colors on the cover and back. Plus, with the name like Martha & The Muffins, I can’t expect it to be too serious. The name actually sounds like they should have come out of Hoboken at this time period.

Album Review: “Swimming” begins with traffic & car sound effects, and then an icy cold key melody begins. The monotone (but harmonic) male vocals remind me of Lou Reed for the little I know of him, and Jerry Harrison, who I’ve reviewed before. It has a bit of an electro-dance beat to it. Female backing vocals take over the lead toward the end, bringing new life to the melody. The guitar sounds a little 8-bit-like, with whatever effects are placed on it.
“Women Around the World At Work” is a more straightforward new wave song. Female vocals take the lead, and they balance the Male, icy cold melodic monotone vocals. I could hear this played at Sex Dwarf. For some reason a sax is added right in the middle of the song, which initially feels odd, and is jarring. It has a repetitive but catchy chorus.
“Casualties of Glass” is delicate and quiet as its name suggests. A bit new agey and ethereal, it feels like a period piece. Like poetry sung to smooth jazz. After 2:45, the music picks up and a catchy 80’s pop/new wave song emerges. At this point it transitions from a cheesy 80’s sci-fi fantasy theme song to a Broadway show tune, with a dance routine done to the repetitive catch phrase “don’t lose hope.”
“Boy Without Filters” begins with a woodwind fade out, and an ambient Asian tundra mood is set. The song projects a sense of environment and discovery. The monotone male vocals guide the song, like poetry, from musical section to section. The music is stripped down with a basic dark, “Goonies-ish” tone. “Jets Seem Slower in London Skies” provokes exactly what the title says. There is a growing bass note held that, knowing the song title, audiocates a slow moving jet across the sky. This instrumental song is an “early morning wake up to the new day” song as I often like to describe. But it stays in that one eye-rubbing-awake moment for the entire song.

“This is the Ice Age” begins side two with a slowly rising combination of tinkling piano sections. Then a bongos drum beat and faster pace bass & guitars brings the song to life and really shakes you awake from the last three songs on the first side. The female vocals reminds me of the Daves, as the song feels very visual, like it is a performance art song. I am reminded of the Tom-Tom club from the little I know of them. It is a long song, enough time to zone out until the repetitive reiterating of the title brings you back and fades out.
“One Day in Paris” creeps up very slowly, and is beaten in capturing the listener’s attentions by Celtic like female vocals. The song is a delicate piano ballad, which again is very good at capturing that waking up moment in audio atmosphere.
“You Sold the Cottage” comes right back with a strong drum beat and a fast dancy bass line. It is a bit angular and synthetic, like Devo. Female vocals sing over the melody, and really carry the new wave jitteryness with them. The only bad thing is when the vocals digress from singing to speaking over the music. Otherwise this would be a great song.
“Three Hundred Years / Chemistry” ends the album with a quiet ambient serious thinking instrumental beginning. It turns into another cheesy instrumental sci-fi fantasy score. Half way through the synth picks up the pace (I’m guessing this is when “Chemistry” come in) and it sounds Asian in its execution. It is a fun and poppy melody, and is overlayed by a buzz-saw like electric guitar which follows the melody too. Female vocals accompany this song, sounding like Blondie. The vocals don’t give up, but the fade out, seeming premature, ends the album smoothly.

Stand Out Track: You Sold the Cottage

Links:Allmusic
Wikipedia
Perfect Sound Forever Interview
Blog Critics
Myspace
Last FM
Facebook
Radio Free Canuckistan
80's Server
National Post
CBC News
Wears the Trousers

(the) Judybats - Native Son

Name: The Judybats
Album: Native Son
Year: 1990
Style: Adult Alternative
Similar Bands: Ocean Blue, Pixies, Game Theory, Gin Blossoms, Cocteau Twins,
"One-Word" Review: New-Age Gothic Pop
Based Out Of: Knoxville, TN
Label: Sire, Warner Bros., Time Warner

Native Son - Cover, Notes & Tape
Native Son - Liner Notes & Tape

Native Son(1990)

1. Native Son 3:18
2. Daylight 3:18
3. Convalescing in Spain 4:07
4. Don't Drop the Baby 3:41
5. She Lives (in a time of her own) 4:05
6. Incognito 3:02/
7. In Like with You 4:04
8. Woman in the Garden 3:59
9. Waiting for the Rain 4:07
10. Counting Sheep 3:25
11. Perfumed Lies 3:43
12. Wanted Man 4:45

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:

Jeff Heiskell - Vox (Heiskell)

Timothy Stutz - Bass, Vox (High Signs)

Peggy Hambright - Keys, Strings, Vox, Design, Illustration

Greg Calbi - Mastering

Terry Casper - Drums, Design

David Cook -Additional Engineer

Richard Gottehrer - Production

Chris Laidlaw - Mixing Asst.

Jeffrey Lesser - Co-Producing, Engineering

Jeff Lippay - Asst. Engineer

Johnny Sughrue - Guitar, Vox, Photograhy

Ed Winters - Guitar
Dennis Oppenheimer - Management

Unknown-ness: I know I’ve heard of these guys before I bought this tape, but have never really listened to the tape and don’t know how they sound at all. I’m sure I saw, read about or heard them in some alternative magazine, on W-DRE, 120 Minutes or post modern PST. I also like the artwork on the front of the tape. It reminds me a little of Edward Gorey, and that coupled with the italicized album title make me think that this will be a musically complex/dense adult-alternative album with a gothic tone.

Album Review: It seems that the band was plagued with label disagreements and unhappiness that lead to the demise of the band. Included in the allegations was that the label rudely asked Peggy to lose weight for the image of the band.

“Native Son” begins with bass, and a comfortable melody that reminds me of the Pixies. The male lead and female backing vocals are harmonized together and double layered in the (at the time) popular fuzzy and not quite solid way that prevents you from putting your finger on the actual voice, or how many there are. There are a slew of guitar effects that are used to create depth in the sound.
“Daylight” flows from the acoustic/electric guitar beginning. Like a singer songwriter demo, and perhaps a little like the Gin Blossoms, but not in an extremely terrible way. The vocals are cleaner and stronger, yet still layered and grouped with a chorus in the background. The speed of the singing in some verse sections reminds me of the quick pace that XTC uses on occasion.
“Convalescing in Spain” begins with a harpsichord sounding guitar, and a wha-wha bass. The song then changes gears and becomes an energetic driving pop song like the Bongos/Cucumbers Hoboken early 80’s scene. The vocals possess over- accentuated nasally syllables in each line ending accent. It kind of reminds me of Presidents of the United States. The song’s tempo changed throughout the song and piano is incorporated when things slow down.
“Don't Drop the Baby” is a slightly gothic (thanks to the bass and synth) melody that floats on by via a crystalline breeze. Musically the soundscape they are trying to meet is a pop version of the Cocteau Twins. The song is anthemic.
“She Lives (in a time of her own)” also used the echoing vocals, which are delivered with a powerful prog-storytelling style. The synthesizer keys buried in the background and are less new age, but it still feels meandering and the whole song feels overly complex.
“Incognito” starts with a liquid crystal guitar, medieval and minstrel in the way it is used behind and to accent the vocal melody. This is the quiet lighter raising ballad…or perhaps oversized candle and dream catcher raising ballad.

“In Like with You” begins with more watery sounding happy pop guitar. It has a nice build to the chorus, and the bridge increases the anticipation, and it does deliver well, however, it is not a very long delivery, and the cycle begins again. The instrumental brings us back to the new age mystical trance. This could be a very different song, if it were recorded with a faster punk production, which is very possible, given the progression of the sections.
“Woman in the Garden” is not quite a ballad, but definitely not a pop song. It is a slithering wispy gothic prog song. The song is pretty boring in its stale beauty.
“Waiting for the Rain” is more poppy and fun, but it employs this keyboard effect that sounds like an electric cat whining. It is part bell, and part liquid, but all annoying when the note is held and wavers. There is a chugging guitar in the background that sounds like The Police, and the vocals are fluid and possess a great melody. Then there is the angelic chorus at the end that is followed up with Christmas like synth bells. And the song ends with that terrible effect.
“Counting Sheep” has a fun late-Clash like rhythm to it in short verse sections, but it also uses more cheesy 80’s sounding effects that push it into the realms of new age than pop. And anything fun or catchy is replaced and sucked out with the choices of synth effects.
“Perfumed Lies” features a terrible synth steel drum. The song is nice, uplifting and refreshing: just pleasant. It is not complicated or deep, and ends up feeling a little like a late period English Beat song. This song would do good being sung by Morrissey.
“Wanted Man” begins with echoing anthemic chugging guitar…oh and some new age whistling to suck the life out. Then, for no good reason it added a synth violin that is played at jilting moments. But the song itself is good, driving pop.

The album has promise and the songs could be really good and catchy, if it were not bogged down in the style and odd appeal of the synth effects they decide to use & enhance the songs. Really, the little effects are too distracting and they take away more than add.

Stand-Out Track: Native Son

Links:

Wikipedia

Allmusic

Heiskell

myspace

fan page

Heiskell myspace

Trouserpress

Copacetic Zine

Last FM

Jerry Harrison - Red and the Black~ & Casual Gods*

Name: Jerry Harrison
Albums: The Red & the Black~, Casual Gods*
Years: 1981~,1987*
Style: New Age New Wave~ Synth Rock*
Similar Bands: Talking Heads, Brand X~, Max Rebo Band (Star Wars)~, Lou Reed, INXS*
"One-Word" Review: Buried-funk-rock-under-overdatop-synth
Based Out Of: Milwaukee, WI
Label: Sire, WEA Records, Warner, Warner Bros*

The Red & the Black - Cover & Insert

The Red & the Black - Back & Insert

The Red & the Black - Record

Casual Gods - Cover, Liner Notes & Tape

Casual Gods - Inner Photo

The Red & the Black (1981)

1. Things Fall Apart 5:03
2. Slink 4:22
3. The New Adventure 5:07
4. Magic Hymie 4:52/
5. Fast Karma/No Questions 4:00
6. Worlds In Collision 5:09
7. The Red Nights (Instrumental) 4:02
8. No More Reruns 4:27
9. No Warning, No Alarm 3:36

Casual Gods (1987)

1. Rev It Up 4:17
2. Song Of Angels 3:35
3. Man With A Gun 4:35
4. Let It Come Down 4:52
5. Cherokee Cheif 4:20 /
6. A Perfect Lie 4:25
7. Are you Running? 4:20
8. Breakdown in the Passing Lane 4:36
9. AKA Love 4:10
10. We're Always Talking 4:40
11. Bobby 4:03

Album Rating (1-10): ~5.0 *6.5

Members & Other Bands:

Jerry Harrison - Vox, Produced, Arrangements, Guitar, Bass, Synth, Clavinet, organ, piano, Melodica, Percussion, Mixing, Sleeve Design, Cover Photo~*(Modern Lovers, Talking Heads, Bonzo Goes to Washington, The Flying Hearts)
Dave Jerden - Producer, Engineering, Mixing~

Nona Hendryx - Backing Vox, Arrangement, Lyrics~
Bernie Worrell - Organ, Clavinet, Synth,~Bass Synth*,
Yogi Hornton - Drums~*
John Cooksey - Drums~
Steve Scales - Drums, Percussion~
Georde Murray - Bass~
Tinker Barfield - Bass~
Adrian Belew - Guitar~
Dolette McDonald - Backing Vox~
Koko Mae Evans - Backing Vox~
Butch Jones - Engineering~
Eddy Schreyer - Mastering~
M& Co - Sleeve Design~*
Chris Callis - Cover Photo~
Ernie Brooks - Asst. Producer, Songwriting, Vox*
John Sieger - Songwriting*
Arthur Russell - Songwriting, Vox*
Monique Dayan - Songwriting, Vox*
Alex Weir - Guitars, Bass*
Chris Spedding - Bass*
Robbie Mcintosh - Bass*
Rick Jaeger - Drums*
David Van Tieghem - Drums, Percussion*
Jim Liban - Harmonica*
Dickie Landr - Sax*
Arlene Holmes - Vox*
Lovelace Redmond - Vox*
Joyce Bowden - Vox*
David Vartanian - Recording, Overdubs, Mixing*
Jay Mark - Recording, Mixing*
Dave Avidor - Overdubs*
Robin Lane - Overdubs*
Eric E.T. Thorngren - Overdubs, Mixer*
John "Tokes" Potoker - Overdubs, Mixer, Additional Engineering*
J.C. Covertino - Overdubs*
Don Peterkosky - Asst Studio*
Nick Delre - Asst. Studio*
Tony Masciarotte - Asst. Studio*
Mark Roule - Asst. Studio*
Fernando Kral - Asst. Studio*
Stan Katayama - Can Am*
Tom Vercillo - Sountrack
Bob Brackman - Soundtrack*
Jack Skinner - Mastering*
Sebastiao Salgado/Magnum - Photography*
Gary Kurfirst - Management*

Unknown-ness: I was not familiar with him when I bought the record and tape. It was only after I looked up information that I realized he was in Talking Heads, whom I like, but am not a huge fan of obviously. I got the record first because of the usual draws: its artwork and year. The repetitive nature of the album name and the stylized photo of Jerry on the front stood out from the rest of the records. It looks like an album full of energy with the Chinese-styled sunburst on the back. And 1981 was the tail end of the great new wave/rock records that I like. Knowing the Talking Heads ties, I can only hope for their earlier style, but looking at the song lengths, they will probably be the (still good) percussion driven, drawn out style of latter Heads stuff. And as far as Casual Gods, I got it because I recognized the name from the record I had just bought, still not knowing the TH connection.

Album Reviews: ~“Things Fall Apart” starts off with some xylophone and tribal beats mixed together with standard drum. The grooving, danceable bass begins with the jangley repetitive guitar. His moderately deep vocals are reserved, sounding like he’s leaving off the last syllable of the lyrics as he rushedly sings. A chorus of female vocals backs him up. They rise in energy together and settle back, paralleling each other. Synth and electronic sounds glide around, and sound like 80’s new wave jokes in its production, rather than bringing the funky element I’m assuming they were going for. “Slink” is next, with funky Talking Heads style rhythms, and vocal performance both from Jerry and the female chorus. The music is splattered with the 80’s over-the-top synth production. I really can’t believe this is not a talking heads song, and I guess that is just a hat tip to how important Harrison is to the Head’s sound. “The New Adventure” begins with high pitch vocals echoing as they fade in. More laughable synth effects add. I mean, what is that supposed to be: A trumpet, sax, or just a weird keyboard? The vocals are tired, but calculated, alas, they are not to my liking as they don’t flow very smoothly over the off-tempo song. There is a sitar sounding instrument used for part of the song, and the nonchalant vocals return, part joy division, part Lou reed in their seemingly non-existent effort. It fades out without any notice, and “Magic Hymie” begins. A sparse, yet funky bass beat leads into a drum fill that starts a song that sounds like something out of Return of the Jedi: Jabba’s Palace. There are oddly placed vocals and samples layered deeply on the track, and it really just chaotically runs over the steady drums and bass beat. It is impossible to reference all the style changes and idiosyncrasies that draw and quarter the song in different style directions.

“Fast Karma/No Questions” begins the second side with a more refined style with its funky bass and keyboard beat over steady drumming. The lead vocals are mixed with echoing reverb. It never strays from the basic rhythm, even if it displays some energy filled vocals toward the end, the music carries it well. It fades into the next song, “Worlds In Collision.” A humming, metallic bass beat, combined with an industrial sounding drum beat and spoken vocals give way to a funky Stevie Wonder style keyboard section. It then reverts back and forth between the two styles, continuing with the monotone, barely sung vocals. Dog barking is added, along with a soaring synth guitar sound. It is one part Russian Propaganda recreation and one part Van Halen played as a midi file. The song breaks down at the end to the point where it should just end, and it fades out, but right into the instrumental “The Red Nights.” It is an ethereal, hollow song, like new age relaxation music. It is aquatic sounding and like a whispering wind through the trees at the same time. Cue some chanting female vocals and rock metal guitar mixed low in the back, and you have yourself a perfect musical accompaniment to those black t-shirts the dirty kids wore in high school with a wizard summoning lighting bolts while perched on a mountain top. A driving, alarm sounding guitar and grooving bass beat fade in at the start of “No More Reruns.” The vocals are more sung here than they have been in the past, kinda like a deeper version of The Walkmen. It is a good song, but it comes off a little long, with a long fade out to boot. “No Warning, No Alarm” starts out strong, but the synth production of the time period drag it down, and away from the solid Talking Heads song it could sound like. The vocals are a type of chant rapping, and keep the rhythm going. He breaks out with some good singing vocals for the chorus, supported by the choir of female vocals. Lead metal guitar (courtesy of Adrian Belew) solos come in for no real reason, detracting rather than adding to the song. But even as it ends the album, it is the most consistent, and funky song on the record. And it too features a long fade out as the record ends.

* “Rev It Up” is the first song on the tape. And instead of the stereotypical synth sound, we first hear a very tinny guitar strummed and echoing drums. This is more straightforward without all the superfluous production. There is still a huge Talking Heads style presence here. And then the squeaky synth keyboards play their annoying, grating solo. “Song Of Angels” begins with techno dance synthesizer and morphs into a light OMD ballad, yet still with the funky beat. The vocals are reminiscent of David Byrne, especially with the female chorus supporting his voice. Part Lou Reed, part Robyn Hitchcock, “Man With A Gun” quietly creeps along with catchy guitar hooks, and proud, smooth vocals. A second comparison of the vocals could be made to Flight of the Conchords’ Jermaine, when he tries to sound mature and knowledgeable. It is a good song too, though. Drum Machine sounding percussion and back to the first album’s synth sounds start “Let It Come Down.” The vocals here sound like Michael Hutchence when his vocals were calm and reserved. It also sounds a bit like the Dire Straits, but I fear that I compare most things that sound like this to them, so I’ll just end the comparison there. Right as the song gets set to build up, it fades out. “Cherokee Chief” is a growling metallic synthesizer, dirty and shady in its sound. It is a barroom stomp, driving and motivated by the static drum beat. Toward the end, he totally breaks into a David Byrne chorus chant. It sounds identical to a myriad of TH songs. And it fades out.

“A Perfect Lie” enters with a typical bass beat and jittery reggae organ synth. Here, Harrison shares the vocals with female back ups that come to the front. It feels very simplistic, especially given the back catalogue of what we’ve co-me to expect on these albums. Sure, a loud guitar solo fills some space, and his vocals are much more melodic than the first record, but the percussion leaves an empty feeling for the song. It seems the same bass beat continues into the next track “Are You Running?” It has the same formula of dual vocals and odd synth sounds in minimal usage. The synth sounds would not be out of place in video games, especially Sonic the Hedgehog. Adding extra echo & reverb to the vocals, “Breakdown in the Passing Lane” loses no time in picking up the slow funky yet simple dance beat. The song evolves into another INXS type song played to the musak genre. Oh, but there is a harmonica in this one. And there is a long, well, breakdown that features an “I Just Called To Say I Love You” era Stevie Wonder sound. More echoing synth effects splatter on the front end of “AKA Love.” As the album is more melodic, that mindset is quickly fading into nonsense as most of these synth music numbers are stripped of their thick, full complex sound, and instead come off as abridged samples, where the high or low end of the stereo is tuned out, leaving out crucial sections of the production. Perhaps the album is just 2-3 songs too long. A cold drum beat along with a catchy vocal melody introduce “We're Always Talking” and it leads into an even catchier chorus. The synthesizers do not draw attention away from the dark dance beat of the track. But then around 2:30, the synth effects are introduced as a buzzing assortment of distraction, and offer reason to be turned off from the song. But the chorus is perhaps the catchiest thing on either album. The final track, (also repeated as an un-reviewed remix on the album) “Bobby” possesses a liquid bubbling effect acting as the bass. There is nothing else much to the song except the slightly tribal percussive synthesized beats. It feels very minimal and empty of production. The vocals are calmly uttered, with injections of shouts and emotion along the body of the song after the first 2 minutes. Synth keys begin around 2:30, and the song slightly grows thicker. The vocal is distorted with a barrage of effects, really, whatever seems to be found as keyboard functions, one at a time. The album winds down with what sounds like a distorted didgeridoo swirling like it is flowing down a bathtub drain.

Stand Out Tracks: ~No Warning, No Alarm

*Song of Angels

Links:

Wikipedia

Allmusic

NNDB

Discogs

Quotes

IMDB page

Apple article

Talking Heads Bulletin Board

Talking Heads JH bio

Trouser Press