HOUSEHUNTERS "Cuticles" (12'') & "Warp Factor 13" (7'')

HOUSEHUNTERS - Cuticles (12 '', 53rd & 3rd)

HOUSEHUNTERS - Warp Factor 13 (7'', Hollow Planet, 1987)

Warp Factor (second link)

For most the name of Jowe Head recalls bands as Swell Maps, Television Personalities, or even The Palookas. Disguised here as Stefan Vogel, Jowe Head led the indie weirdos HOUSEHUNTERS to something like an amusing parody or rather a funny recycling of the past.
HOUSEHUNTERS got inspiration from mythic side of rock'n'roll, from trash-pop culture, punk, psychobilly, the 60's he-&-she duets, the sudden innocence of early indie heartbeats and a lot more...
They fed the frenzy of their time with three singles, an LP... and the small indie Hollow Planet label they ran...

HOUSEHUNTERS: Stefan Vogel (Jowe Head) guitar-vocals / Mercedes Mole vocals / Trudi Holt keyboards / Lucy Cameron sax / Stark Zoomer (Jeff Bloom) drums / Lindsey bass

Discography:

Cuticles (12'') / Cooler Than Thou (12'') / Warp Factor 13 (7'') / Feeding The Frenzy (LP)

ERIC RANDOM MEETS THE BEDLAMITES "Earthbound Ghost Need" (UK, 1982)

Avant-dub exploration with Random assisted by members of Cabaret Voltaire and Diagram Bros among others. Exotism, hypnotic rhythms, night ambience are no absent from the enigmatic scenery. The industrial-art experiment is completed with an eleven minute cover of "Bolero''. Released from historical New Hormones label in 1982.

Earthbound Ghost Need

THE SINISTER CLEANERS "The Gnomes Of Zurich" (UK, 1985)

SINISTER CLEANERS is a Leeds indie band existed the period 1983-88. Their output consists of singles, EPs, compilation tracks and the nearly lost album "Shine", finally completed in 2007(!) when the band came back together for a while. "Shine" and all the older stuff have been out on Aaz Records (An Apple and a Zebra), the label of band's member LEN LIGGINS. The rest SINISTER CLEANERS are JOHN PARKES, ANDREW MIDDLETON and the drummer SIMON SMITH.

The "Gnomes Of Zurich / The Architech" was their first single. The track "Eating Raoule", a sample from the album "Shine", is given free from SINISTER CLEANERS website.

Sinister Cleaners - Eating Raoule

Gnomes Of Zurich

PATRIK FITZGERALD +3 " Tunisian Twist " (UK, 1986)

A commercial failure of its time and rather thrown in oblivion ever since, "Tunisian Twist" is Patrik Fitzgerald's third and last Red Flame album, not counting the 1993 compilation "Treasures From the Wax Museum".
The once punk-poet, backed here by a proper outfit (drums, bass, trombone, piano, trumpet etc.), starts finding his solitary way out of the era inclining to a more classic pop form, melancholic but always sharp, the same one that, 8 years later would give birth to his next great album "Pillow Tension".

Today i have picked the track "Putting Wings On Aeroplanes" for listening.

We're waiting for the strike to end
Counting days
Counting hours
Hoping we don't lose our jobs
Ready to lift the hammers
Ready to place the bolts -
We'll go back to work again
Putting wings on aeroplanes
Once i went, for free, to Spain
I was proud to travel, that day
In the plane i'd helped to build
Landing in a foreign field
Something strange, though, had gone on
Our boss went instead to Hong Kong
Booked into the best hotel
A hundred waiters waiting
And we went back to work again
Putting wings on aeroplanes
Then it came, that awful moment
I was sad to travel, that day
In the plane i'd helped to build
Landing in a foreign field
Run, with the others
From the plane
Towards the hills of southern Spain
The aeroplane was now deployed
To destroy, or be dastroyed
I'll never go back to work again
Putting wings on aeroplanes
I'll never...



Patrik Fitzgerald - Putting Wings On Aeroplanes

More Patrik Fitzgerald at LaFolieDuJour:
Grubby Stories, (1979)
Treasures From The Wax Museum, (1993)
Pillow Tension (1995)

The 80's Psych-Rock Revival: Germany

39 CLOCKS

MULTICOLOURED SHADES

FERRYBOAT BILL

The LaFolieDuJour guide to german garage-punk and neo-psych sounds of 80's. 22 bands under the sixties influence.


a
39 CLOCKS past tense hope & instant fears on 42nd street (1982)
THE LEGENDARY GOLDEN VAMPIRES heartbreak hotel (1987)
DIZZY SATELLITES new devils (1987)
PAINLESS DIRTIES jump out (1986)
MULTICOLOURED SHADES out in the clubs (1984)
WELL WELL WELL leaving town (1986)
WORKSHOP daddy 'n' junior (1990)
YELLOW SUNSHINE EXPLOSION feminine animation (1987)
FERRYBOAT BILL upstairs party (1986)
BEAUTY CONTEST different colours (1984)
THE CHUD under the green sun (1989)
WELL WELL WELL 1000 miles (1986)
LES BLACK CARNATIONS echo flower blues (1985)
BROKEN JUG 2 20 south mitchigan ave. (1985)

b
EXIT OUT mrs rye (1985)
BLACKBERRY JUG hard to treat (1985)
YELLOW SUNSHINE EXPLOSION kaleidoscope (1987)
NIRVANA DEVILS hellbound train (1985)
DIZZY SATELLITES underwater love (1987)
POLITICIANS boulevard (1987)
LES BLACK CARNATIONS what time did you say it is in NY (1985)
HIPSTERS can't get enough of you (1985)
LOVECRAFT hear me and remember (1985)
STRANGEMEN can't believe (1986)
SHINY GNOMES you' ve done me wrong (1986)
LEGENDARY GOLDEN VAMPIRES creeping poison (1984)
THE CHUD teenage frustration (1989)
LAND OF SEX AND GLORY sunday morning inside (1985)
MULTICOLOURED SHADES bleeding in jane manshfield's car (1985)

compiled by LFDJ

part a & part b

ALEXEI AIGUI : Sounds Constantly Changing Genres

ALEXEI AIGUI is a russian violinist and composer, founder of avant outfit ENSEMBLE 4'33'', known also from other collaborations and projects as the duos with german pianist Dietmar Bonnen, or the Russian-German Composers Quartet. His work comprises original compositions (modern fusions, contemporary chamber music, soundtracks...) and interpretations on works of other composers (Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Weill...).
Mixing his classical, jazz, prog culture with contemporary forms, Aigui creates interesting sounds, the emotional quality of which often echoes a deep relation to slavic folk lyricism.

ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' Taxidermy (1999)
ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' Microkosmos (1998)
ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' 3 r (2002)
ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' 4.33 variations on Frank Zappa's theme (1998)
ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' The hog's tango (2001)
ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' Slkadanowski (1998)
RUSSIAN GERMAN COMPOSERS QUARTET Watermellon in easterhay (1997)
ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' Prarie des filters (2002)
ALEXEI AIGUI & PIERRE BASTIEN Musique de funerailles (2001)
RUSSIAN GERMAN COMPOSERS QUARTET Dondo (2005)
ALEXEI AIGUI & DIETMAR BONNEN Wie lange noch (2009)
RUSSIAN GERMAN COMPOSERS QUARTET Not only for Batagov (1997)
ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' Loneiness (2002)
ALEXEI AIGUI & ENSEMBLE 4'33'' Post (2003)

Sources: "Not Only For..." (1997), "Hearts Of 4.33" (1998), "Taxidermy (1999), "Land Of The Deaf" (2001), "Musique Cyrillique" (2001), "Happiness, Fame And Fortune" (2002), "Mix" (2003), "Kak Strano/Wie Seltsam" (2005), "Nightshift" (2009)


AIGUI/ENSEMBLE 4'33'' - Music With A Constantly Changing Title

ALEXEI AIGUI compilation
(14 tracks, approx time 64min)

compiled by LaFolieDuJour

Related post: "Avant Forms In Russian Jazz"

CPT. KIRK &. " Reformhölle " (GER, 1992)

CPT KIRK & was a political band from Hamburg, active from mid-80s to mid-90s. Although they left only a small number of works (mainly released from Hamburg's label WHAT SO FUNNY ABOUT), they are often mentioned as one of the sound architects of the early 90s alternative germanophone deutschrock scene. The reason is this album.

Discography:
"Stand Rotes Madrid", (LP/CD), 1986
"Geldunter", (7''), 1991
"Reformhölle", (LP/CD), 1992
"Round About Wyatt" (split CD with austrian band THE MORE EXTENDED VERSIONS), 1994

Reformhölle (Link 1)

Reformhölle (Link 2)

THOMAS CHAPIN TRIO PLUS BRASS "Insomnia" (US, 1992)

Thomas Chapin Trio: Thomas Chapin (alto saxophone, flute); Mario Pavone (bass); Michael Sarin (drums).

Additional musicians: Al Bryant, Frank London (trumpet); Curtis Fowlkes, Peter McEachern (trombone); Marcus Rojas, Ray Stewart (tuba).

Recorded live at Knitting Factory in Dec. 1992
Insomnia
(8 tracks - approx 70 min)

posted by request

VLADIMIR ESTRAGON "Three Quarks for Muster Mark" (GER, 1989)

Phil Minton vocal, trumpet - Ulrike Haage keyboards, piano, sequencer, samples - F.M. Einheit metal, electronics, stones, drums - Alfred 23 Harth tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet

Named after the two characters from "Waiting For Godot" this short-lived outfit reflects, mainly, Harth's post-modern ideas already known from his works with bands like Cassiber.
FM Einheit, Ulrike Haage, Phil Minton arrive here from different directions, so the encounter becomes (or at least should have been) interesting by itself. The clash of the genres has sometimes funny results and the musicians seem to be aware. Album title is a (famous) quotation from James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake".

VLADIMIR ESTRAGON das letzte band

three quarks

Jazz In Japan: The Audiophile Sounds Of THREE BLIND MICE

Tokyo's legendary label THREE BLIND MICE has held an eminent position in modern music history for both its superior audiophile productions (originally on analog disc, and later also on several digital formats) and the important role it has played on emerging japanese jazz.
Among the many remarkable TBM releases we find great debuts of jazz luminaries (ISAO SUZUKI, TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO, MARI NAKAMOTO...), excellent albums from 60s veterans (HIDEO KANAI, MASAYUKI TAKAYANAGI...), rare documents from the early times of jazz in Japan ("Ginparis Sessions", 1963) and lots of other fine recordings, innovatively produced and recorded by TAKESHI FUJII and YOSHIHIKO KANNARI, the two pioneering sound creators whose names have coincided with TBM "sound-phenomenon".

La Folie Du Jour selects tracks from THREE BLIND MICE catalogue...

A
NEW DIRECTION FOR THE ARTS sun in the east ("FreeForm Suite", 1972)
SUNAO WADA QUARTET blues in the closet ( "Blues Blues Blues", 1977)
ISAO SUZUKI Ako's dream ("Ako's Dream", 1976)
SHOJI YOKOUCHI QUARTET message ("Blonde On The Rocks", 1976)
HIDEO ICHIKAWA TRIO between the lights ("Tomorrow", 1976 )
MASARU IMADA & GEORGE MRAZ alone together ("Alone Together", 1977)
TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO the nearness of you ("Midnight Sugar", 1974)
TERUO NAKAMURA understanding ("Unicorn", 1973)
HIDEO KANAI QUINTET tensions ("Concierto De Aranjuez", 1978)
ISAO SUZUKI QUARTET aqua marine ("Blow Up", 1973)

B
MASAYUKI TAKAYANAGI nardis ("Ginparis Sessions"[1963], 1972)
GEORGE KAWAGUSHI'S BIG 4 sleepy funk ("The Big 4", 1976)
MASARU IMADA TRIO softly as in a morning sunrise ("Standards", 1976)
MARI NAKAMOTO love for sale ("Mari", 1977)
ISAO SUZUKI QUARTET + 1 body & soul ("Blue City", 1974)
HIROSHI FUKUMURA QUINTET winter song ("S/T", 1973)
TATSUYA TAKAHASHI TOKYO UNION legend of Garbo ("Scandinavian Suite", 1977)
HIDEFUMI TOKI QUARTET when sunny gets blue ("Toki", 1975)
KOSUKE MINE QUINTET work 1 ("Mine", 1970)
TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO TRIO the way we were (" Girl Talk", 1975)

compiled by LaFolieDuJourGet here

part A & part B

The Pop Anachronism Of TOT TAYLOR

Tot Taylor, a tin pan alley lover in the heart of 80s music industry

Tot Taylor is an english composer, songwriter, film-scorer, producer and founder of the 80s label Compact Organization. His vision for a contemporary pop art influenced by favourite songforms of previous decades (Beatles, Burt Bacharach...) and especially by pre-rock'n'roll music (Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, George Gershwin...) found expression in a number of solo albums, scores for films or theatre plays, and other music, which he wrote and produced, (using often the alias Teddy Johns), for Compact artists such as Virna Lindt, Mari Wilson and others...

In spite of Compact Organization comparative commercial success circa 1981-83 and the influences it spred around (think of el records for example), Tot Taylor's music, with all its irony, self-parody and witty eccentrity, remained largely ignored and only japanese labels has reissued in 90s a part of it.

Selected 80s Works:
TOT TAYLOR Playtime (LP, 1981) - Inside Story (LP, 1982) - Box-Office Poison (LP, 1986) - Menswear (LP, 1987) - My Blue Period (LP, 1987) - THE SOUND BARRIER Suburbia Suite (LP, 1984)

A LFDJ introduction to Tot Taylor

01 offbeat (single, 1980) - 02 this time tomorrow ("Playtime") - 03 an appointment with you ("Playtime") - 04 this romance starts here ("Playtime") - 05 playtime ("Playtime'') - 06 love man (vocals: Mari Wilson, single, 1980) - 07 the girl with everything (single, 1981) - 08 don't spy on me (single, 1982) - 09 the crimson challenge ("Inside Story") - 10 richard rodgers ("Inside Story") - 11 car scribbles ("Suburbia Suite") - 12 australia ("Box-Office Poison") - 13 spoil her ("Box-Office Poison") - 14 the tearjerker waltz ("Suburbia Suite")

TOT TAYLOR - An Appointment with you

STRANGE WAYS RECORDS (GER)

Focused on Strange Ways Records earlier, most creative years, this two-part compilation presents a portrait of diverse and eclectic directions from a period when the good hamburgian label, extending interests beyond german synth-pop/darkwave music , also hosted several significant alternative artists, some of which sadly have never known the recognition they deserve...

A
01 CARLOS PERON Knight theme
(from v.a. "The Ship II", 1993)
02 RAIN ON BAMBOO the traveller
(from v.a. "Bouquet Of Dreams vol 2", 1994)
03 KATRIN ACHINGER & FLIGHT CREW monkeys
(from "Icare", 1993)
04 ARTWORK (feat. Edward Ka Spel) bring the rain
(from "Artwork", 1993)
05 GOETHES ERBEN ich liebe schmerzen
(from "Tote Augen Sehen Leben", 1994)
06 LARRY AND THE LEFTHANDED bad luck love
(from "Quantum Rider", 1998)
07 RAIN ON BAMBOO point blank
(from "Suburban Skirmish", 1996)
08 22 PISTEPIRKKO coffee girl
(from "Rumble city, LaLa Land", 1995)
09 MALKA SPIGEL kishufim
(from v.a. "Way 100", 1995)
10 BILLY MOFFETT'S PLAYBOY CLUB raumschiff der traume
(from v.a. "Strange Works 2", 2002)
11 FIT & LIMO panaeolina themes
(from "Folly Is An Endless Maze", 1995)
12 DAS WEETH EXPERIENCE earlybird special
(from "Aural Scenic Drive", 1999)

B
01 22 PISTEPIRKKO i never said
(from "Rumble City, LaLa Land", 1995)
02 LOVE SISTER HOPE kings & pawns
(from v.a. " The Ship II", 1993)
03 PAUL ROLAND ophelia
(from "Sarabande", 1994)
04 CHRIS REED'S WOOF run for me
(from "Birthday Skin", 1994)
05 ELECTRIC FAMILY pueblo woman
(from "Welcome To The Family Show", 1997)
06 WHITE ROSE TRANSMISSION vapour
(from "White Rose Transmission", 1995)
07 KASTRIERTE PHILOSOPHEN jussun 129
(from "Souldier", 1994)
08 KATRIN ACHINGER & THE FLIGHT CREW icare's son
(from"Icare", 1993)
09 DAS WEETH EXPERIENCE tumbleweeth
(from "Aural Scenic Drive, 1999)
10 CHARLES CURTIS TRIO huge
(from "Volcanoes", 1996)
11 THE PERC MEETS THE HIDDEN GENTLEMAN lavender cantos [parts I -IV]
(from "Lavender", 1991)

part A - part B

compiled by LaFolieDuJour