Explosive News from Pearl Harbour!

Pearl Harbour's 1980 solo album Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too will be reissued in March 2024 by the Liberation Hall label!  Fans may recall that the self-titled album by Pearl Harbor And The Explosions was reissued in 2019.  Here Comes Trouble (Pearl's fourth solo album, featuring East Bay Ray) was digitally reissued in 2021.

Don't Follow Me was first released with a green tinted B&W cover (below) in the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan.  Pennie Smith made the portrait of Pearl singing into a vintage microphone.  The UK and other European countries got a glamorous color portrait of Pearl in a leather jacket on a motorcycle, and that's the image (at left) featured on the reissue.  Peter Ashworth was the photographer. You may recognize some of his other album covers as well as the iconic photographs of Pennie Smith.

The back cover of the reissue finally reveals the musicians' identities. Nigel Dixon of British rockabilly band Whirlwind cowrote songs and played guitar.  Steve New, Wilko Johnson, and Mick Jones were the other guitarists.  Paul Simonon played bass; Steve Goulding and Topper Headon played drums.  Geraint "Otis" Watkins added keyboards; BJ Cole played pedal steel; and Gary Barnacle had the horn.  Mickey Gallagher produced. It was a convocation of rockabilly, punk and pub rock players from The Clash, The Blockheads, Dr. Feelgood, Rich Kids, Whirlwind, and The Rumour!  All of this talent was united behind Pearl's terrific singing voice, which sounded equally adept at rockabilly, R&B, and country. 

The expanded reissue includes the b-sides of the Fujiyama Mama and Cowboys & Indians singles, plus both sides of Pearl's Voodoo Voodoo single and two demos.  Pennie Smith also shot the sleeves for those singles.

Pearl herself contributed liner notes and photos to this reissue.  "I loved making this album," she wrote, "but unfortunately the record label wasn't happy with it," and gave it "little to no promotion". Liberation Hall aims to address this injustice! You can pre-order Pearl's album at Bandcamp on purple vinyl, CD (for the first time!) or digital download.

Liberation Hall has also created a series called Sounds From The San Francisco Underground to showcase soundboard recordings made by Terry Hammer.  Terry was a radio DJ who would broadcast concerts by local and touring artists live from Bay Area clubs like Mabuhay Gardens, the Savoy Tivoli, the Boarding House, On Broadway, and the Keystone. 

Other upcoming releases on Liberation Hall include The Contractions (live at the Fab Mab) Shakin' Street (live at the Old Waldorf), and a repress of Straight Outta East LA by The Brat.  All of them (including Don't Follow Me) will arrive in March, which is Women's History Month.  It's an appropriate tribute to Pearl Harbour, Fabienne Shine of Shakin' Street, Teresa Covarrubias of The Brat, and the members of The Contractions.  These women prevailed despite sexism and harassment in the music industry of the 1970's and 1980's, and they deserve to be heard!

Pere Ubu: The Waffle House Near Walden Pond

Pere Ubu recently announced a new album, Trouble On Big Beat Street, which will be released in May 2023. This is a bit of a surprise, as the last album was called The Long Goodbye and was billed as "the end of a road".  Career-spanning box sets appeared in 2022. Previously unreleased songs and official bootlegs were let loose from the avant garage.  A sense of history and finality seemed to be in the air.

David Thomas still leads the band, which now includes Michele Temple, Keith Moliné, Andy Diagram, Gagarin, and new members Alex Ward and Jack Jones.  Andy started his career with The Diagram Brothers and Dislocation Dance.  Andy and Keith Moliné were the "Two Pale Boys" who performed and recorded with David Thomas. Andy Diagram has also been a member of James, The Pale Fountains, and the duo Spaceheads, among others.

Gagarin (born Graham Dowdall) began drumming professionally with Ludus, then played with Nico, John Cale, Eric Random, Sons of Arqa, Zor Gabor and others.  Michele Temple was a member of Cleveland bands The Vivians and Home And Garden before the latter band "merged" with Pere Ubu circa 1987. 

Michele Temple teaches guitar at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.  She and Keith Moliné are both published authors. Gagarin is an academic lecturer.  Alex Ward has an extensive career as a composer and improviser.  These are serious musicians.

The timeline of Ubu members is not unlike that of The Fall. Ubu's website states, "As long as David Thomas is in charge and The Rules are followed, it's Pere Ubu."  Mark E. Smith would approve of the sentiment.  Keith Moliné points out in his review of Pere Ubu reviewers that, despite the public perception of David Thomas as a hire-and-fire employer (again, like MES), only two people left Pere Ubu in two decades.

MES and David Thomas are both idiosyncratic "singers" with a professed disdain for musicians ("Musicians Are Scum") and the music industry. Both are intelligent and outspoken, with no false modesty about the significance of their music.  Both men are also known for their love of their cities (Cleveland and Manchester). Both created projects combining music and theater ("I Am Curious, Orange" and "Hey! Luciani"; David Thomas' Mirror Man, "Long Live Père Ubu", and the Two Pale Boys' Shockheaded Peter). 

Today's sampler of songs recorded between 2002 and 2020 takes its title from a David Thomas lyric ("At the end counter table of the Waffle House with the view of Walden Pond" - from The Long Goodbye's "Fortunate Son").   It includes songs from the three albums by the reformed Rocket From The Tombs, as well as Pere Ubu's albums and live recordings.

In June 2023, Pere Ubu will perform in NYC with Faust. Former Ubu members Tony Maimone and Allen Ravenstine plan to join Pere Ubu onstage.

The Good, the Sad, and the Gnarly

GOOD NEWS: Ivan Julian has released a new album, Swing Your Lanterns.  The former Voidoid is now in his sixth decade of making music, as a multi-instrumentalist and producer.  And if You Don't Know Ivan Julian, there are two career-spanning compilations of his music on this blog.  

At the Free Music Archive, you can stream or download WFMU performances by Ivan, his former wife and bandmate Cynthia Sley (with the Bush Tetras), and their son Austin Sley Julian (The Sediment Club). Stream and purchase Swing Your Lanterns at Pravda Records.  

Another gnarly guitarist, Derwood Andrews has collaborated more than once with legendary drummer (and author) Rat Scabies.  Late last year, they released their first full length, Derwood and the Rat.  Stream and buy the download here!

SAD NEWS: Michael Belfer died in March 2022.  One of my favorite guitarists, he began his music career with The Sleepers and Tuxedomoon, and spent the 1990's playing with Torcher, Black Lab, and Lil Tiger, as well as engineering and producing. Michael's memoir When Can I Fly? is available from Hozac Books. Buy it!

We've lost some legendary guitarists in the past year (Tom Verlaine, Keith Levene, Jeff Beck, Wilko Johnson, Bruce Anderson).  Michael Belfer deserves to be ranked among those greats.  Listen to my compilation of his music and you'll hear why.

MORE GOOD NEWS: Belfer's co-author Will York has brand new book called Who Cares Anyway: Post Punk San Francisco and the End of the Analog Age.  York has started a podcast to accompany the book.  His first guests are Joe Carducci and visual artist Kim Seltzer (who created album art and posters for the Toiling Midgets). Spread the word and buy the book!

Speaking of books and guitarists, an authorized biography of John McGeoch called The Light Pours Out of Me was published last April. 

Mark E. Smith was born on March 5.  (March 5 will also mark the fifth anniversary of this modest blog.)  If you're a Fall fan, you probably know about the new album by HOUSE Of ALL, which includes happy Fall guitarists Martin Bramah and Pete Greenway, drummers Paul Hanley and Simon Wolstencroft, and the mighty Steve Hanley on bass.  The first two HOUSE Of ALL songs previewed sound brilliant, and I couldn't be happier about the two drummer lineup. 

Brix Smith also has a forthcoming album called Valley of the Dolls.  (When will she stop borrowing titles from Redd Kross?)  Brix, Paul Hanley, Steve Hanley and Simon Wolstencroft are also published authors. (Would love to read a book by Martin Bramah on his years with The Fall, Blue Orchids, and Nico.)  HOUSE Of ALL might be one of the most literary bands of recent years. Order the album in vinyl, CD and digital formats at Bandcamp.

RELATED BLOG POSTS:  Blue Orchids, Bruce Anderson, Derwood Andrews, The Fall, Ivan Julian, John McGeoch, Keith Levene, Michael Belfer, San Francisco punk and post-punk, SF's Subterranean Records

Athens, GA: Outside Looking In

Athens, Georgia is well known as a creative hotspot where musicians are constantly forming bands and releasing new projects. A lot of these folks also work at businesses that have been hard hit by the pandemic: clubs, bars, restaurants, etc. Today is Bandcamp Friday, the perfect time to show your support for musicians in Athens and elsewhere.

Athens trio Shehehe just released a new album, Pet Songs, on Say-10 Records. It's a rousing collection of catchy, high energy singalongs guaranteed to raise your spirits and incite your ire (anger IS an energy, y'know). Imagine a half hour of killer tunes that match the exhilaration of "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate" (a perfect song if ever there was one). The full-throated harmonies, raw riffs, and relentless drums of Shehehe build to crescendo after crescendo. As I listen to Pet Songs, I picture the band members driving toward a cliff like Thelma & Louise, fully immersed in the moment, with no intention of slowing down or swerving away.

One of my favorite bands, Vincas, expanded from a trio to a quartet and released the excellent Phantasma in May. Vincas' music is feverish, possessed, and haunted by death. Think of the Scientists, Gun Club, and the best of the Batcave stuff. Vincas' newest member, Gene Woolfolk, has been doing a lot of home recording as Dream Tent with Erica Strout, singer/guitarist of another awe-inspiring Athenian trio, the mighty Motherfucker.

Immaterial Possession materialized with a lovely self-titled album. If you enjoy hearing male and female voices in harmony, I highly recommend this group as well as Shehehe. Immaterial Possession tends more toward the atmospheric sounds of the Paisley Underground, Mazzy Star, and early Cowboy Junkies (as well as an old Athens favorite of mine, Venice Is Sinking). I'm still getting to know this album, but I'm loving it.

Athens math rock mainstays Maserati raised the bar again with Enter The Mirror in April. We Versus The Shark unexpectedly reunited for Goodbye Guitar, their first record since 2009.  Luke Fields of We Vs. The Shark also plays in Bit Brigade and Double Ferrari. The outstanding musicianship and energy that made WvTS so well loved is captured brilliantly on Goodbye Guitar.

Je Suis France also got back together for Back To The Basics Of Love. JSF drew on its formative influences (Dinosaur Jr, Teenage Fanclub, Pavement and others), and created one of those records where you find a new favorite song every time you put it on. Back To The Basics Of Love might be my album of the summer. Both the JSF and We Vs The Shark albums are on the Ernest Jenning label (as well as Bandcamp). 

June was a big month for new Athens music: Nana Grizol's South Somewhere Else; The Searchin Destroyers' debut album The Misery Hang (which shares the influences of surf rock and Detroit proto punk that made Radio Birdman so addictive); and an outstanding EP by Waltz, a band that was making a name for itself in local clubs before everything shut down. Another promising young band called Fishbug released Inchworm, their full length debut, in April.

Mean Queen has announced a summer release for its new album, Your House Isn’t Haunted, You’re Just Lonely. The Humms will release Vampire Hours in September. There will eventually be a new Monsoooon album called Ghost Party, and a Blunt Bangs album. Keep your eyes and ears open, and open your wallet for a few of these folks if their music moves you! Check the comments for a sampler of these and other Athens bands, and visit Southern Shelter for live performances recorded by the tireless Sloan Simpson.

Forthcoming archival releases from San Francisco

St. Louis label Rerun Records has announced plans to issue an LP of songs recorded between 1980 and 1983 by San Francisco band BOB.  Rick Maymi recently stopped by this blog with the news that Hozac Records will release an LP by the (Aurora) Pushups.  Both groups were popular with audiences in the Bay Area during the late 70's and early 80's. 

Hozac reissued the Mary Monday single, and BOB's single "The Things You Do" was one of Rerun's first reissues.  I cannot say enough good things about Jason Rerun, and I'm happy that Rick Maymi's hard work is coming to fruition.

STOP PRESS! Superior Viaduct has two releases from first generation SF punk bands coming out next month on Black Friday: a red vinyl 7" reissue of The Avengers' single The American In Me and never before seen footage of Crime onstage and backstage at the Fab Mab in 1978. San Francisco's First And Only Rock 'N' Roll Band: Live 1978 is a 35 minute DVD plus two 7" singles featuring the 11 songs performed by Crime.

I'm Excited (Again): Autumn's New Releases and Concerts

I've bought several new releases recently. The Figgs' triple album Shady Grove is an outstanding achievement for a band that has been together over 30 years. They are one of the tightest bands I've ever had the pleasure to see.

Tropical Fuck Storm are barnstorming the US in support of their second album, Braindrops. You can buy it from Joyful Noise or at Bandcamp. The new songs are amazing, and the live show literally left me slackjawed. So fucking great.

I will be seeing Redd Kross again soon (touring in support of their excellent new album Beyond The Door) as they open for the Melvins. Melvins' drummer Dale Crover plays with Redd Kross on the new album and on tour, and Redd Kross bassist Jeff McDonald does the same for the Melvins. Is there a better rock rhythm section performing these days?

Hollie Cook has a lovely new single, "Dance In The Sunshine". Iggy Pop has a new album called Free.  Both singers have been featured in this blog's Guest Spots series. Jazz and blues chanteuse Cassandra Wilson has announced a new album, Jupiter Rising, and you can hear two tracks from it on her website. Ms. Wilson will be the subject of a forthcoming Guest Spots set. (I got no kick against modern jazz.)

The Pernice Brothers unexpectedly released a new album called Spread The Feeling, which will be followed by a few live shows in October. In other news for fans of witty and meticulously crafted power pop, The New Pornographers have a new album with the unwieldy title In the Morse Code of Brake Lights out later this month, with East Coast tour dates to follow.

The accomplished Atlanta trio Omni has signed to Sub Pop and will release their third album, Networker, in November. I saw Omni open for Tav Falco a couple years ago, and as they stepped off stage, Mike Watt shook hands enthusiastically with Omni bassist Philip Frobos. Speaking of Watt, he has a new group with Wire bassist Graham Lewis called Fitted, and their album comes out in November.

Atlanta's beloved Magnapop will release their new album The Circle Is Round this month. They just completed a Benelux tour, and I can't wait for their hometown show with Five Eight this month. (Magnapop remains very popular in The Netherlands and Belgium, an example of the "big in Japan" phenomenon).

While we're on the subject of The Netherlands, one of my favorite recent discoveries was the 2018 self-titled album by Rotterdam quartet Lone Wolf. They have completed their second album, Together Alone, to be released in October. Peerless punk pop!

I'm Excited: Upcoming Releases and Recent Favorites

The Figgs' triple album Shady Grove comes out soon on their own Stomper Records label (watch the "Grab Your Pack" video here)... 

Redd Kross' Beyond The Door opens August 23 on Merge Records (stream the title track here).  A two month US tour with Melvins starts on September 3rd...  

Braindrops by Tropical Fuck Storm also out August 23 on Joyful Noise (with US tour dates August 28 through September 14!) ...

On September 6, Iggy Pop will release a new album called Free ...

Magnapop's "The Circle Is Round" will be released September 27 on HHBTM (preview the song "Need To Change" here) ... 

The Mark Lanegan Band will release Somebody's Knocking October 18 on Heavenly Recordings.  The "Stitch It Up" video features Donal Logue reprising his character “Jimmy The Cab Driver” ...

I'm also excited that early recordings of The Embarrassment have surfaced online, including a rehearsal tape and demos from 1979, studio tapes (1981-83), and much more audio and video of the legendary blister pop pioneers from Lawrence, KS!

I can't stop listening to the 2018 self-titled debut by Rotterdam punk-pop band Lone Wolf.  You may think "the band name is generic", or "the genre has been done to death", but rarely is it done this well.  The songs stick in my brain like bubblegum, and they are performed with passion: anthemic vocals and guitar by Ms. Merel Schaap (ex-Bat Bites), and an airtight rhythm section that kicks like an MMA champ.

Another newish band I'm stuck on is Upper Wilds, a power trio led by the enormously talented Dan Friel from the late great Parts & Labor.  You can stream or buy their 2018 album Mars on Thrill Jockey's website or on Bandcamp. 

I'm Excited pt. 2: New Music from Old Favorites

At the end of July, The Special Pillow will release a new album called Sleeping Weird. Listen to the new song "Hudson River Dreamboat" here. It features Steven Levi on cornet and Sue Garner (Fish & Roses, The Scene Is Now) on sax.  

Special Pillow singer/songwriter Dan Cuddy was a member of Hypnolovewheel, and singer/violinist Katie Gentile was in the band Run On. The Special Pillow's guitarist Peter Stuart was in NYC garage rock bands The Tryfles and The Headless Horsemen, and has played with Richard Lloyd. Eric Cohen recently replaced Hypnolovewheel's Peter Walsh as The Special Pillow's drummer. Cohen played with Fly Ashtray and pHoaming Edison. There's a lot of NYC and Hoboken talent in The Special Pillow.

Here is one of my favorite Special Pillow songs, "You Can Do It (Just Don't Do It Wrong)".

Hypnolovewheel was a band I loved dearly, and I was very happy when Hypnolovewheel guitarist Stephen Hunking reunited with Dan Cuddy a few years ago in the XL Kings. I plan to post some Hypnolovewheel soon.

Meanwhile, new albums are coming this month from Carla Bozulich, and from Thalia Zedek's trio E. Listen to E and buy the records here. Listen to (and read about, and order) Quieter by Carla Bozulich here.

A new album by Pete Donnelly of The Figgs called Phases of the Moon is out now. Listen to his original songs and his covers of Erik Satie, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, and Oscar Pettiford. You can buy it from CD Baby or from Pete's website.  Mike Gent of The Figgs has a jangly new digital single called "Buck/Stipe" on Bandcamp.

Tropical Fuck Storm (with Gareth and Fiona from The Drones) have just released their debut album A Laughing Death In Meatspace, and you can listen to it here. It's kinda expensive to buy if you don't live in Australia, but Juno has the Tropical Fuck Storm singles (each of which has a non-LP b-side with TFS covering a different Australian band).

Last but not least, Swervedriver has almost finished their next album! You can help fund it on Pledge Music.