She's Like Fire, She's Like Ice, She'll Leave You High And Dry

A lot of people give David Roback the most credit for Rain Parade because of Mazzy Star. Their later work does not falter enough for that argument, nor is Mazzy Star good enough. His in-between group though, is the place to highlight his individual talent though.

Originally as Clay Allison, he and the Dream Syndicate's Kendra Smith collaborated on the work here, which I feel, particularly on the shared track "She's a Diamond" is better than their Happy Nightmare Baby. While it may have been in discussion of Rain Parade, Roback's famous quote "we wanted to make very quiet music," is the best description of Opal's work, more of a departure from the old band's Byrds-y guitars and hard-hitting drums than expected. What distinguishes this from the follow-ups of sorts is stong songwriter, at least some that can really shine through. Its opener "Empty Box Blues" is instantly more captivating than a lot of Roback's other post-Rain Parade work, and Smith sounds better than ever, as well. At times she even has the sound of an Old West chanteuse with a quiet shoegaze milleu. There is not much else like this, just don't let it put you to sleep... no offense.


Opal - Early Recordings (1988)

Woke Up Screaming "God I Hope I'm Not Bleeding!"

I went with a recent photo for the irony. I have not listened to that much Built to Spill in a while, but this weekend after "Ze" telling me about their performance at Outside Lands they have been on my mind. Like my friend was after their set I was just a little disappointed when I saw them about four years ago. Now, a lot of that had to do with weak openers, but also because my friends who had seen them two years prior seemed to have gotten an unusually remarkable set from them featuring VERY early work.

I am one of the few that think the band got slightly weaker with each album, thusly implying that the debut is the best. In addition to having the best album and best cover it in fact has the best music. But, it has been out of print (actually, I think just decent distribution) for who knows how long? It captures the band at their best offering both the pop of There's Nothing Wrong With Love and Ancient Melodies of the Future AND the jammy epics of Perfect From Now On and Keep It Like A Secret all with classic 90s lo-fi recording. One could argue that the band may not have the chemistry they would later have as a solid line-up'ed band, but with songs and energy like this who cares? It is particularly odd this did not catch on more as its heavy guitars and playfully angsty lyrics, in addition to the band's Boise home town could have given it a grunge audience at the time. Everything just comes together in such sloppy glory and Greg Martsch's affinity for stacks of guitar tracks shines through, particularly on the simple, yet wailing "Get A Life." "Lie for a Lie," the album's catchiest and shortest song with its goofy samples and white nose tracks stands with The Olivia Tremor Control's "Love Athena" as definitive 90s US indie pop. Its line "Once in a while there's a girl I don't know in my dreams/ she reminds me of a lot of people, but she's someone that I've never seen/ and she's perfect" was the star of numerous bonding moments during my teenage years. However, the star of the show is probably "Nowhere, Nothin', Fuckup" which showcases the band's remarkable talent for jamming on something familiar and turning it into their own masterpiece while making the title a fun little sing-along. This is essential American indie rock. A lost masterpiece.


Built to Spill - Ultimate Alternative Wavers (1993)

Just Like Life, There's a Good Beginning, But There Is No Middle, So You Might as Well Skip to the End

I can't believe it toook me so long to hear classic Television Personalities. I was pretty up on things when My Dark Places was released a few years ago and knew and loved "Part Time Punks", but I did not really hear this gem until a few months ago at the home of my friends in the Brooklyn band Pow Wow!

The Television Personalities were Joe Strummer's favorite band. He said that they represented, to him, what punk rock was all about. Though, in many ways they are more "indie-pop" than punk, but hey, what does all that mean anyway?

The guitars are jangly, the structure is pop, and the lyrics are playfully dark and perversely innocent... if that makes sense? Either way it's one hell of a record. It has a few less pop culture references than their earlier work, but a little more high culture to keep it full of allusions. However, what may be this album's greatest strength is how well it captures the mind of a teenage boy. Not in some dumbed-down kind of mook way, nor over-dramatic and emo. Jsut real, sincere, and deep, yet naïve. Opener "This Angry Silence" captures that voice amid a tempestuous home life while the discomfortingly simple lyrics of "La Grande Illusion" show the darker side to perhaps the same situation as "Silly Girl." "The Glittering Prizes" is one of the best songs and captures the feeling of malaise with nothing both the future to daydream about and "Geoffrey Ingram" is the "David Watts" of the punk era. Changing to a third person look at essentially the same thing is perhaps the album's best track "World of Pauline Lewis," with a refrain that cuts to the bone. This is essential pop as only an original UK punk band could do it.


Television Personalities - ...And Don't The Kids Just Love It (1981)

Over, and Over, and Over I'm Really Not Ready At All

Sorry It's been so long. Been feeling uninspired. However, I've been on a big post-punk kick. Specifically the branch of first-wave UK punk rock that really set the stage for "indie pop."

The Mekons have had one unique career and their legions of extremely dedicated fans and their highly unusual path from post-punk to more straightforward punk certainly prove this.

Often considered their masterpiece, this album is one of the first to be called "alt-country" - quite a feat for a British band. One member tells that prior to making this album he had been listening heavily to classic country and after a certain point the three chords of punk and the three chords of country became the same three chords. This album's sound is surely the result of that, and the addition to fiddle to the roster makes it even more prominent. This is not to say the punk has not been lost, particularly in the shambolic "Hard To Be Human Again." That song is the perfect gateway for the punk fan that will leaves them wanting more of this countrified mess.

Fear And Whiskey is also one of the great post-punk concept albums with the likes of Hüsker Dü's best works. The story here is one of a city in a somewhat post-apocalyptic world fighting a war (brought hauntingly to life in "Trouble Down South") and struggling to hold on to everything that makes life worth living: love, culture, community, and of course a good party. With that in mind, opening track "Chivalry," is the perfect intro as the ultimate anthem to a drunken, embarrassing night coupled with a hint of the depth that will follow on the rest of the record. "Country," perhaps the album's best sums up the album's whole concept as the lose souls of this city hold on.

People always make once-relevant political connections with this record about the Thatcher/Regan era. Honestly I don't hear it all that much, but that may just be because I neither really lived through that era, nor consider myself a liberal. So, if you see it that way,, great. You are probably all the more enlightened.


The Mekons - Fear and Whiskey (1985)

plus, for good measure, here's a classic early single.


The Mekons - "Where Were You?"

Well, If I Get Drunk, Well That's Alright, If I Sleep On the Floor All Night

It's hard to believe those lyrics are the Verlaines, but it's a good reminder that even Graeme Downes is in fact one of us, if you know what I mean.

Here are their humble beginnings - before big arrangements and production, and even deep lyrics, but still the same great band. One of Flying Nun's first records, the Dunedin Double EPwas a lo-fi, creative format (2 45 RPM EPs) spotlighting the burgeoning talent of locals the CHiLLs, Sneaky Feelings, the Stones, and the Verlaines. Allof them were off to a great start. The CHiLLs tracks were wonderfully transferred onto the Kaleidoscope World LP, but unfortuantely the others were not put on similar compilations. The three songs Downes and company contribute are all great, and despite their many rough qiualities hint at the majesty of their later career. The similarities between "Crisis After Crisis" and their greatest all-time track "C.D.,Jimmy Jazz, and Me" are inmistakeable, proving this band always had it. I include only the Verlaines tracks because, I can't stand the way you need to file compilations to get them all up here together. The rest later?


The Verlaines - Dunedin Double EP (1982) (Side 4)

Hopefully I'll see you Angelinos this weekend!

Flowers Will Spring From Every Grave

While Rain Parade's final album may not be another Emergency Third Rail Power Trip it is no embarrassment. I picked this up for a mere $2.99 (vinyl) just this weekend at Sound Sations in Westchester and was pleasantly surprised.

I hear it may have never been released on CD, which made it surprising that, even while released on Island it was so cheap (I had never seen a copy before). The most noticeable difference between this and the group's previous work is not the absence of David Roback, which in truth did not make that much difference even on Explosions in the Glass Palace, but the slicker production. It is a big change, but not one that ruins anything. In fact, I believe this album could ahve had some hits if released about seven to ten years later (rare thing to say about anything Paisley Underground). Matt Piucci and Stephen Roback's songwriting chops may have been even stronger than ever at this point, and their vocals are as great as ever. While radically different, "Don't Feel Bad" and "Fertile Crescent" - both sung by Roback, are as great as a lot of the group's stellar debut. The band plays tighter as well, which sounds great, even when compared to their previous loose sound, and it is much easier to know that they have a keyboad player than ever before. "Mystic Green" and "My Secret Country" are some great tracks as well, and this album is overall quite as enjoyable. It is ideal for anyone who thought that Rain Parade could get a little too drony on previous albums. For the others, it may be a challenge to get through the synthy intro of "Depending on You," but if you can you will be surprised at how far from grace the band fell (not far at all). Rain Parade started great and ended great, as far as I am concerned, that is not arguable.


Rain Parade - Crashing Dream (1986)

The Weight Was Wasted

It may seem hard to believe now, but in the mid-90s the Archers of Loaf were considered about as vital to the landscape of American Indie rock as Pavement, Guided by Voices, and Built to Spill. The Chapel Hill group definitely brought their own sound to the table and really reflected the times.

Considering how much heavier than their peers the band should have probably fared better in the grunge 90s, but either way those who really know their music know this album is an essential part of the era. The ironic-aggressive lyrics and sound delivered with a generours dose of fun (see "Learo, You're a Hole") could only come out of a college town in the 90s and rather than being really timeless, the album serves as a perfect time capsule, and that should be remembered when listening to it. That being said, the songwriting is very tight especially on the classic opening track "Web In Front" and "Wrong." While their certain, hardcore-like (the connection is as strong on as macho-man group Give Up the Ghost even covered this album's "You and Me") energy makes them quite distinguishable, this is a place to hear some ultimate 90s indie guitar riffs, especially on "Might" and "Plumb Line."

This, I believe, is in print, but for a long time - like when I got it for a whole lot of money on eBay six years ago, was out, or at least not being well-distributed. For uninitiated Eric Bachmann fans, it must be noted that this sounds nothing like his solo work or Crooked Fingers.


Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle (1993)

I'm Not Easy, I Know...

In continuation of my section on desert rock and my arrival in the Paradise City, I today give you Green on Red.

I originally heard of the band in 2003 when I was becoming a massive Pavement fan. I found a page that listed each member of the group's top 10 records. I do not know what year it was from. This one held a very high position on Bob Nostanovich's and was one of the year I had not even heard of at that point.

Despite hailing entirely from Tuscon Green on Red were an essential and arguable part of the Paisley Underground. In fact, both Matt Piucci (Rain Parade) and Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate) get specific shout outs on the sleeve. They did, of course have their very own sound, though, in having a very prevalent country sound, while retaining more psychedelia than a group like the Long Ryders. If one is to compare all of the Paisley Underground artists to an earlier group, Green On Red's would be to the Doors all thank to the dominant organ. Lyrically, though, things get heavier with them than most of the others, but their often bouncy rhythms make up for it. Two of such examples are the title track and "That What You're Here For." Other highlights include the 70s cinema (coincidence?) one-two punch of "5 Easy Pieces" and "Deliverence," and the Southwestern downer "Old Chief." With that said, one needs to also give credit to the anthemic "Brave Generation," which is a supportive voice at this age in this time, but that's nothing...

Like many other great re-issues, this version has bonus tracks placed in between the two sides.


Green On Red - Gravity Talks (1983)

Tell Me, Where Does Your Mind Grow?

Okay, this is just the Three O'Clock in 1983

Before the Three O'Clock there was the Salvation Army. Essentially they were the same band, though. The group, which featured Michael Quercio(at times going by "Ricky Start") and Gregg (later known as Louis) Gutierrez formed in Carson and was forced to change their name by the actual religious/charity organization... but not before being signed to the Minutemen's New Allience label and releasing the "Happen Happened/Mind Gardens" single and a self-titled album (which had, excempting the titles, the same album art). The releases made some waves as the liner notes quote eventual Three O'Clock drummer Danny Benair recounting hearing "Mind Gardens" on Rodney on the ROQ while still a member of the Weirdos. It should be noted that the band was signed by New Allience in November 1981, when Quercio was a mere 18 years old.

The sound is wuite different from the band they originially formed into being more in tune with a garage/punk sound than the jangly new-wave psych at which The Three O'Clock would excel. The songwriting is all Quercio's despite Gutierrez' presence in the group - however those already familiar with the last two Three O'Clock records should make no assumptions as this has nothing in common with their clean, 80s sound. Though I am a fan of both Quercio eras, he had yet to come into himself at this point lyrically. The lyrics resemple more psychedelic rambling than the darly whimsical ambiguity of his later work. Despite this, the most exemplary tracks "She Turns to Flowers" and "Happen Happened" stand out as some of the finest. This collection which contains all of the band's work under the Salvation Army moniker is prime example of the early Paisley Underground sound. And why shouldn't it? This was around the time that Quercio coined that term in the first place.


Befour Three O'Clock - Happen Happened (1992)

Little I Need to Know and Little I Need to Find

The Bats are one of my absolute favorite bands and this record is, likewise, one of my all-time favorites.

It is pop perfection in every way by a band just as perfect. The songwriting is tight, the playing is tight, and the way every member works together is unparalleled. This is best seen in the vocals harmonies of guitarists Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward, who on their own are not remarkable vocalists but work together so well it is transcendent. Additionally, Paul Kean is one of my favorite bassists and his lyrical style really fits with the Bats' freewheeling sound, perhaps even more so than it did in his Toy Love days. However, instrumentally the album' secret weapon is Alastair Gilbraith (of the Rip) whose often-multi-tracked violin parts have a way of seeping into your brain and allowing the pure pop to shine though. This diverse geling is no more evident than on the opening track "Treason," which I would argue as the greatest pop song of all time - though it is surely up for debate.

Like anyone else from the Flying Nun roster, the Bats' influence on 90s US indie rock is unmissable - just check out the melancholy "Tragedy" for a large portion of Yo La Tengo's work. The record may not move beyond the realm of jangly pop, but why should it? It runs the gamut in terms of mood which the Bats really have a talent of expressing. It spans all the way from the happy-go-lucky tone of "Round and Down" to the dark and forboding "North By North" (the theme to Australian TV series The Hollow Men).

Also included are some early tracks (the magnificent "Trouble in This Town" through the classic "Made Up In Blue" which are as strong as the subsequent album. Also, it should be noted the Bats are still around putting out quality music, so all the more reason to check them out at their peak!


The Bats - Daddy's Highway (1987)

I'm From Brisbane and I'm Quite Plain

The Late Grant McLellan and Robert Forster, looking unusually foppish.

Perhaps the one good thing about music in this decade has been the return of a lot of classic artists of the 70s and 80s. The Go-Betweens were one such band and their final album is one of the best. Released in 2005 this was an unexpected final masterpiece due to McLellan's unexpected death by heart attack three years ago at the age of 48.

There is a noticeable maturity to the already precocious band, which at that point only featured the original duo of McLellan and Forster from the classic lineup. That said, it's clearly the same artists and the classic sound is intact - at least that of the later, and often considered best, period. Both songwriters are in top form, but despite highlights like the opner "Here Comes A City," McLellan really dominates. His composition "Finding You" stands amongst "Cattle & Cane" and "Streets of Your Town," as one of his absolute finest and "Boundary Rider" was in fact the song that turned me into a Go-Betweens fan. His death was a true tragedy, but at least McLellan left on a very high note.


The Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart (2005)

Also, here is the first single the band about the original The Omen starlet. It is very rare, very good, and a great way to bookend this amazing band's career. Also, it is from where this article's title comes.

The Go-Betweens - "Lee Remick" (1978)

Stop For A While

As I wrote over a year ago, the Feelies are the greatest gift New Jersey has given to music. Since that article I even got the privilege of seeing them with Yo La Tengo in Montclair, so I thought I should give credit to a large part of what made that show one of the best I have ever seen.

Coming out a whole eight years after the group's fantastic debut Crazy Rhythms this album shows the band catching up with their many followers like R.E.M. (whose Peter Buck lended a hand in production), Rain Parade, and many more. The opening two tracks, "On the Roof" and "The High Road" were the same that opened their set, and while I was hoping for "The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness" to commence a more contemplative set, this choice was perfection. The band set the stage for a truly "groovy" show. These songs, like this whole album gives the effect of the Grateful Dead to the indie rock/jangle popper. It is a bit of a change of pace, being more straightforward than the debut, but is no less interesting and the beat that kicks it off keeps in their brilliant percussive tradition. This is a great album to chill-out to, the perfect persciption for someone looking for hippie vibes without all those damned hippies!

Glenn Mercer and Bill Million's chemistry is as alway spot-on and their songwriting is as tight as their guitar dynamics that still resonate with the same passion as their nerd-clad holiday shows at Maxwell's. Luckily the new cast of supporting players is as strong (I would argue even stronger) than their Crazy Rhythms cohorts. Some people may overlook the Feelies' 80s and 90s works, but if you as me, all their records are essential and I can assure you their skills have not waned. When I saw them they debut some all new songs that stood up to the rest of the career-spanning set. Expect even more greatness for this band in the future.


The Feelies - The Good Earth (1986)

You Sure Know How To Make Things Hard

I thought I should put this up as it in quite hard to find (I've never seen it on CD, even at the absurd price at which I have seen Kaleidoscope World and Submarine Bells), but I somehow did. While it's not the CHiLLs' best, it is their debut and like all their records has its own sound that no fan of kiwi-pop should miss. Produced by Mayo Thomas, it has an atmospheric psychedelic sound in a way that is quite different from the follow-up album. The keys are mixed low in a very effective way and the most lovable things on this album are the same things to love about other CHiLLs releases. Plus, only a kiwi-pop album could have a record cover like this one (I hear the members are spelling out "COLD" (Flying Nun's code) in nautical language.)

I don't have the pride of my record collection (this LP) in hand right now so I won't distinguish original tracks from bonus tracks which are mixed in on the side, tastefully distinguishing the two original sides. The opening track "Push" is beautiful and really sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Rain," the next track keeps the energy up and is one of the catchiest songs and perhaps the best use of falsetto I have heard in rock music. The last three tracks are some of the best as well leaving you to want to jsut hear more and more CHiLLs and luckily their other stuff gets better from there. There are plenty of great tracks int he middle though, most notably "Party in My Heart," which you may think of when partying until you realize it is definitely not that much fun... lyrically.


The CHiLLs - Brave Words (1986)

You Don't Need a Lover, You Need An Interpreter

Typically, when people talk about Camper Van Beethoven, they talk about the first and last records. I, however will mostly talk about the first two.

This album, originally intended to be two separate ones, as the title would suggest, really stands up to Telephone Free Landslide Victory and surpasses everything else the band made. It is a shame that this one is not spun around as much, and I owe it all too the short-lived Bernardsville, New Jersey record store Spin City which was open only during the summer of 2003. There, the owner had just acquired a first pressing of this, played it for me, and a week or so later decided to sell it. For a long time it was the top pride of my LP collection, and really deserves that honor. This, however is from the CD, which is a shame because one of the best tracks (arguably first as the LP lists the sides as "B" and "II") "(We're A) Bad Trip" is an inferior, yet more up-tempo version than on the vinyl. It should also be noted that this version is from the boxed set, so the track listing is different from the separate CD, but other than the previously mentioned track, is identical to the LP.

The record really picks up where the last one left off, which cannot really be said about the rest of the band's discography. Even more than on the previous album, though the instrumentals stand out the most and verge on psychedelia and further integration of disparate genre/styles as country, gypsy music, ska, raga, and southern rock. Some of the best examples of this are "Circles," "Abundance," the gorgeous "Dustpan," and the brilliantly-titled "ZZ Top Goes to Egypt." Like the previous album's re-envisioning of Black Flag, Camper pulls out another amazing cover, like Mudhoney, they outdo Sonic Youth in their own game on "I Love Her All The Time," transforming it into a delightful East-meets-West romp. David Lowery's unique sense of humor remains intact and the lyrics do not disappoint, though I admit are not quite up to par with the likes of "The Day Lassie Went To The Moon" and "Where The Hell Is Bill?" with the possible exception of "Goleta," an ode disparaging the Southern coastal Universities of California - perhaps an attempt for a local anthem for Santa Cruz.

Either way, there is nothing like this and if you like Telephone Free Landslide Victory this is incredibly essential and will not disappoint.


Camper Van Beethoven - II & III (1986)

Asked Me Why I Never Wrote You a Song When You Thought You'd Given Me Enough to Work On

In celebration of the long-awaited conclusion of my academic career I will write on the Verlaines...



This is, of course because leader Graeme Downes, if anyone, has academicized Rock 'n' Roll. Now, I am not sure if I can agree with that, and while I have not taken his program at the University of Otago (him being one of the few to remain in Dunedin today), I can only assume this kind of thing ends up harming the art much in the way of film school, which I have attended.

However, the Verlaines to rock, and while at times it can be a bit pretensious, it's still clever and sincere, and even better that other successful academia-rockers like Mission of Burma. MoB is a good comparison for the sound as well, and then of course the Wipers would be as well, along with the overall kiwi-pop sound. However, the Verlaines really do rock harder than most of the others, and not in a punky way like the Clean and Toy Love. These energetic songs are catchy, clever, and powerful, and Downes' arrangements often touch on brilliance. In fact, "C.D., Jimmy Jazz, & Me," re-definined perfection in the musical sense with it's flawless integration of strings and horns into epic rock. This along with their definitive "Death and the Maiden" and the acoustic punk of "Pyromaniac" are not only some of the group's best, but some of the movement's. While this is a compilation, it truly is the best place to start, and is the best source for their music even when you have their complete LPs. Notably, part of this is for including "Heavy 33," originially found exclusively on budget used section classic comp No Alternative (also featuring Soul Asylum and the Goo Goo Dolls when they were all about ripping off Soul Asylum). Unfortunately, though, it does not contain anything from the Dunedin Double EP, which was one of Flying Nun's first releases and also contained sides from The CHiLLs, The Stones, and Sneaky Feelings.


The Verlaines - You're Just Too Obscure For Me...

Excuse Me, Is This The Age of Reason?

All the great American rock artists of the 80s can agree that the most powerful thing about that time and place was the number of amazing bands that dotted the whole country, even in the most remote areas. The Embarrassment was one of these bands, and one of the few I've been listening to lately outside of NZ and LA). The quartet hailed from Wichita, Kansas and played what they called "blister pop." Apparently, other people called it "punk" - most likely mainly people from Kansas. While their unashamedly nerdy look may bring to mind the Feelies, the Embos had one of the most unique voices in rock at the time with lyrics that ranged from snide and sarcastic to innocent and sincere all delivered with a playful, Midwestern sense of humor.

As nerdy as they looked, the boys were pretty hip as anyone who has been to a hipster gathering could tell immediately in a song like "Celebrity Art Party." The raunchy "Sex Drive" and sweet-natured "Wellsville" (which I would bet gave the setting of The Adventures of Pete & Pete its name) demonstrate the band's great plains roots. The almost cruel ode to Bewitched star "Elizabeth Montgomery's Face" and epic "Lewis and Clark" evoke the kind of boyhood fantasies/fascinations hardly visible in underground rock music done to perfection. The first disc really is the star of the show, covering the groups original singles and EPs. The second disc, while strong yet very outtake-y has it's gems such as the song that really get me into the band "Sexy Singer Girl."

After teh band's original breakup half of the band relocated to Boston, which beleive it or not at one time had a few redemptive qualities (i.e. music scene) with guitarist Bill Goffier froming Big Dipper and drummer Brent Giessman joining the Del Fuegos. The other two, I presume sttayed in Wichita until the band reunited. I do not know if they did anything significant there.


The Embarrassment - Heyday 1979-83

Here are some sweet videos as well:



thre's more where the second one came from...

I'm Just Trying To Remember...

Shamelessly named after the drone group featuring La Monte Young, John Cale, and Tony Conrad, The Dream Syndicate was perhaps the Paisley Underground's darkest and most experimental groups. After getting lost in the Longwood Medical Area this early afternoon I finally began to understand why this album is often considered the greatest of the movement, though I am not sure if I would agree with that. Rather than channeling the more pop-oriented psychedelic groups of the sixties like Rain Parade, Green on Red, and The Three O'Clock were, The Dream Syndicate is most in touch with The Velvet Underground and Television. Their songs are much longer and build into a less traditional structure. It is a more challenging listen than the other Paisley Underground records I've posted, but in the artistic sense, it's even more rewarding, in the same way that the minimalistic album art would suggest. Standout tracks include the title track, "Until Lately" and the group's most accessible song "That's What You Always Say". Included as well is the preceding EP and Steve Wynn's 15 Minutes EP which he released before forming the group, planning for it to be his last foray into music. Thank god it wasn't. The music on here is some of the earliest of the Paisley Underground Movement, being only beat by the Salvation Army (later The Three O'Clock) and Green on Red's first EPs.


The Dream Syndicate - The Days of Wine and Roses (1982)

What Jumpstarted My Kiwi-Pop Obsession

It was barely over a year ago that the Dunedin sound became more than just something I knew into my life. I had already gotten way into the Chills and the Clean, but had been meaning to catch up on the Bats, the Verlaines, and Tall Dwarfs. The first of those groups' work I managed to acquire was the Bats' The Law of Things, which while not as strong as the predecessor Daddy's Highway is also a remarkable pop album. Really, the only flaw is in the lessened presence of Kaye Woodward's airy voice which is much more prevalent on the group's other releases. As you can see below, the album art is almost as errily bizarre as on Daddy's Highway, but I think it captures the music accurately. While this record is often overshadowed by other Flying Nun releases it holds a special place for me as it began a life-altering obsession with that scene. It is refreshing to be rediscovering it now. The sound is a bit more laid back, but it has as much emotional power as ever. My favorite tracks include "The Other Side of You," "Mastery," and "Smoking Her Wings," though the quality of the others is not far behind.


The Bats - The Law of Things (1990)

Sleeping in My Dreams, Dreaming on my Feet

The further the discussion of Los Angeles' Paisley Underground, here is another great piece of 80's psychedelia.


Rain Parade - Emergency Third Rail Power Trip/Explosions in the Glass Palace (1983-4)

The gorgeous album art is an indicator for the sound and mood that you will hear on the record. It very floaty and psychedelic, at time almost like an American version of shoegaze. However, it does have some extremely strong songwriting on it.

Rain Parade is also significant for being David Roback's first significant group. He left after Emergency Third Rail Power Trip and went on to form Opal with The Dream Syndicate's Kendra Smith and later Mazzy Star. However, Rain Parade was a truly collaborative band and Roback's contributions are equaled by his brother, bassist Steven, and other guitarist Matt Piucci. This becomes clear as many of these songs are more pop-based than his later work. The sound is extremely well-grounded in the sixties, but still adds enough to make it not only fresh in 1983 but even today. The influence of the Byrds, in particular, is undeniable, especially on the album's catchiest track "What's She Done to Your Mind." This album is true psychedelic rock and is best suited for colorfully low-lit rooms while on drugs. Tracks like "I Look Around" evoke the same kind of drugged-out bliss as the Brian Jonestown Massacre, while "Talking in My Sleep" captures a dazed life that may or may not be the result of drugs.

Also included is the Explosions in the Glass Palace EP, which is still an essential work and (supposedly) the band's last worthy release. It does, in fact almost stand up to the LP, especially on the Beatles-esque "Prisoners". In between the records is the track "Look Both Ways," as well.

Here's a video which features a brief interview with Matt Piucci and Steven Roback on music and the Paisley Underground followed by a performance of "No Easy Way Down," one of Explosions' dronier tunes.

The Three O'Clock

Recently I've been getting into any music I can from Los Angeles and with that at last the "Paisley Underground" scene which has clearly been up my alley for years. The term, used to describe a batch of musicians who reacted against the extreme violence and anger of that city's punk scene with peace and love via 60s-style music was actually coined by one Michael Quercio of the Three O'Clock. So far I have found them to be my favorite of the bunch. Their music, which I would describe as the sound of a sixties psych-pop group who had acquired a synthesizer from 15 years in the future fit as well into the mod clothing the prepubescent-looking Quercio would wear as it did in 1980s Los Angeles. It is not hard to imagine many of their songs in a movie like Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

The songwriting is phenomenal as is the production, which on the first two records was done by LA rock guru and former Sparks guitarist Earle Mankey. It is downright shocking that the group neither acheived mainstream success, nor became well-remembered. The group's music is as lovable and accessable as their more successful scenemates the Bangles (whose Susanna Hoffs was at the time dating The Three O'Clock's guitarist Louis Gutierrez), and Quercio certainly had teen idol potential. Perhaps it was his bizarre lyrics to tracks with titles such as "A Day in Erotica," "Her Head's Revolving," and "With a Canteloupe Girlfriend" that kept audiences away.

Regardless, their first three records (Baroque Hoedown, Sixteen Tambourines, and Arrive Without Traveling, and Ever After)

are superb, and as my friend Sheldon who recently downloaded this package agreed, they need to be heard to gain this great band the legacy it deserves.

In the meantime here are some of their videos: