CHROME COVERS: Songs of Damon Edge and Helios Creed

Chrome was a band that blew my mind when I first heard them as a teenager.  The surreal vocals and synthesizer of Damon Edge combined with the spacey guitar work of Helios Creed was irresistible. 

Damon started the band in San Francisco and released Chrome's debut The Visitation on his own Siren Records in 1976 (50 years ago!).  Helios joined for 1977's Alien Soundtracks. Edge & Creed experimented with recording techniques on that album and Half Machine Lip Moves (1979).  

Chrome then signed with Beggars Banquet and released Red Exposure, The rhythm section of John and Hilary Stench (formerly of Pearl Harbor & The Explosions) backed Damon and Helios on the next two albums, Blood On The Moon and 3rd From The Sun. 

Damon moved to France with his wife, Fabienne Shine (singer of Shakin' Street).  He formed a new Chrome lineup and released a series of albums between 1984 and 1994 (which have been collected on the Chrome Box II).  Helios Creed released his first solo album on Subterranean Records in 1985.  Later he found a home among like-minded folks at Amphetamine Reptile.

Damon died in 1995.  Helios and the Stench Brothers reunited under the Chrome name and began releasing new material, starting with 1997's Retro Transmission.  Helios Creed solo records continued to appear (often with his Chrome bandmates), and he also collaborated with Nik Turner on several projects.  He has also played with the Butthole Surfers and MGMT.  

2023's Blue Exposure may be the final Chrome album.  Helios is now 72 and was the beneficiary of a fundraiser last year to help pay for his care.  Buy some Chrome and Helios records from Bandcamp!

The best-known Chrome covers are Prong's version of "Third From The Sun" and the Jesus Lizard's medley "Chrome".  There's also a Chrome tribute album.  I've collected a variety of Chrome covers for today's share.  It's cool to see how Chrome has influenced metal bands, punks, industrial music, and noise rock.  Two recent covers that didn't make the cut are Imparity's version of "Third From The Sun" and last year's single by Anal Babes, with "Chromosome Damage" on the b-side.  

Chrome has also been sampled by Kendrick Lamar, Saul Williams, Billy Woods, Bradford Cox and Jim Thirlwell!  Hats off to Helios Creed, one of the gnarliest of all gnarly guitarists.

What Rhymes With Oranger?

Who or what was Oranger?  A band from San Francisco formed in the late 90’s by former Overwhelming Colorfast members Mike Drake, Matt Harris (bass), and Jim Lindsay (drums).  Mike Drake (Oranger singer and guitarist) formed the record label Amazing Grease with Scott Kannberg from Pavement.  When Alan McGee started his Poptones label, he released Oranger's second album, The Quiet Vibrationland.  The band played regularly at the annual Noise Pop festival in SF, and toured with Pavement and REM.  Such are their bona fides.

Oranger released four albums (five if you count From The Ashes Of Electric Elves, which appeared as a bonus disc with some editions of Shutdown The Sun).  Their full length debut was Doorway To Norway (1998), and their final album was New Comes And Goes (2005).

Back in the Original Blog Era (O.B.E.), music labels and publicists realized that sending out a few mp3’s was a cheap promotional tool.  I downloaded “Radiowave” and fell in love with it.  Eventually I acquired most of the band's catalog, and compiled a mix of my favorites which I'm sharing here today.  (I ripped Oranger's cover version of “Porpoise Song” from a 7” single.)

Oranger appeared on several tribute albums (Bread, Bruce Haack, Kris Kristofferson, Pavement) and a videogame soundtrack. After the band broke up, Mike and Matt formed Hot Fog, a “New NWOBHM” band.  Mike, Jim and Matt collaborated during COVID on some cover songs, digitally released as the EP Please Leave Our Mind - Covers Under Lockdown. Matt Harris died in 2021. 

I recently discovered that in 2023, Mike Drake released under the Oranger name a solid collection of solo recordings titled Everyone Says You're Lots of Fun.  I also found (on Amazon Music) a digital double album called The Vanishing Eye. Also available now on Bandcamp is a recording of Oranger performing their live score to the 1929 film "Man With A Movie Camera".  

If you've read this far, you've probably gathered that the members of Oranger were multitalented musicians who probably spent a lot of time listening to Something/Anything and Smile.  Some fans of early Oranger may have felt they strayed too far from psychedelic pop with New Comes And Goes, but for me it is their best set of songs, with the satisfying punch of a more muscular sound.

ELSEWHERE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE: my collection of "Porpoise Song" covers, posted at Chez Nathan Nothin.

Blammed Blammed Blammed

Translator (early days in SF)

Before getting into today's compilations, here is some music news that I'm excited about.  

Next month, Liberation Hall will release a live Translator album called Beyond Today (recorded in 1986 at The Farm in SF), with two bonus studio tracks recorded in 2023-24 by the original Translator members!  Steve Barton (one of Translator's two singer/songwriters) is a prolific solo artist, with an album in 2024 and two new digital singles so far in 2025 (all of which you can stream and purchase at Bandcamp).  Steve often works with Translator drummer Dave Scheff (who gets a solo feature on the live album). 

Beyond Today is an electrifying live set of Translator favorites with some impressive psychedelic guitar workouts, and it's capped off by a storming version of "Roll Over Beethoven".  It will be available next month in LP, CD and digital formats.  Get it here!  

Liberation Hall will also reissue the self-titled album by Pearl Harbor & The Explosions (LP, CD and digital) with bonus tracks!  And the Redd Kross documentary is now available for home viewing from Vimeo!  

Andreyud and Richard helped me to compile Blammed Blammed Blammed. Nathan recently posted Blue Blue Blue's album, and he recommended "Bad Habits" by FuckFuckFuck. Today's set of triple band names includes the triple triples "No No No" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Bright Bright Bright" by Dark Dark Dark, and "Light Light Light" by Black Black Black!

Today's other shares are Sell Sell Sell (mostly 1990's alt-rock), and another set of song titles with four or more words (Again & Again & Again & Again).

The Best Of Greg Kihn

Stinky sez: Greg Kihn was a San Francisco icon, and while he never made it big-time, he did make it into the charts in a big way with JEOPARDY, which got MTV airplay and was parodied by Weird Al as "I Lost On Jeopardy".  It was stopped at the #2 spot by Michael Jackson’s Beat It — which was also parodied to great effect by Weird Al.

Kihn’s best-known number, THE BREAKUP SONG (They Don’t Write ‘Em) is a power pop classic, which is why it appears here three times.  If you sing a song every time you perform for 42 years, you wind up with more than one “keeper” in the can.  So included here are the original hit version, a live version, and a solo version.

Bill Graham regularly booked The Greg Kihn Band at Winterland, and the next to the last show presented at the venue was Kihn opening for Tom Petty.  Greg Kihn was one of the first acts to record a Bruce Springsteen song.  Manfred Mann scored a hit with Blinded By The Light in 1976.  Kihn nailed his 1977 recording of For You, the same year Robert Gordon released Fire, which Springsteen wrote especially for him.  Patti Smith’s co-write with The Boss (Because The Night) followed in 1978.

Kihn could always spot a good song.  His cover of Beserkley Records label mate Jonathan Richman’s Roadrunner is nearly as good as the original.  He plucked Cheri Baby from Hot Chocolate’s set list, and serves up a quirky almost new wave version of I Fall To Pieces.  On this collection he covers Telstar, Love’s Made A Fool Of You, Not Fade Away, and a second Springsteen track, Thunder Road.

Starting in the mid-1990s Kihn was a longtime DJ in the San Francisco Bay Area and was a nationally syndicated nighttime radio host.  He also wrote novels. 

ELSEWHERE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE:  The Greg Kihn Band live in Milwaukee (1983) at They Don't Make Albums Like That Anymore Albums That Should Exist.

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!

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

Gnarly Guitarists: MX-80's Bruce Anderson (RIP)

Several great singers and players have left us recently. One loss that saddened me was the death of Bruce Anderson from MX-80 Sound. I never met Bruce or saw him perform, but I was a fan ever since I sent a buck to Ralph Records in 1980 for their first Buy Or Die EP, which opened with Bruce's astonishing guitar work on "Don't Blame It On Me" (aka "It's Not My Fault").

I sent a letter to the band, offering to start a fan club. MX-80 frontman Rich Stim politely discouraged the idea, but he sent me a copy of the Big Hits EP.

Trouser Press described Bruce Anderson's style by asking readers to "imagine a cross between Sonny Sharrock and a bad-mood Robert Fripp." Glenn O'Brien quipped that MX-80 was “either the most Heavy Metal Art Band or the most Arty Heavy Metal Band”. Anderson himself credited John McLaughlin, Terje Rydpal, Wilko Johnson, Clarence White and James "Blood" Ulmer as influences.

After two albums for Ralph, MX-80 went quiet while Rich attended law school.  Bruce played in Henry Kaiser's band (with John and Hilary Hanes from Chrome and Pearl Harbour & The Explosions). Bruce also played with Malcolm Mooney's Tenth Planet and Pluto. He contributed to several records by Angel Corpus Christi (with Andrea Ross and Rich Stim), and to the Residents' 1989 album The King & Eye.  

The unbroken bond between Dale (left) and Bruce (right)

The MX-80 mothership had multiple satellites. O-Type was essentially MX-80 without Rich; Bar Stool Walker was Bruce and Rich; lazyboy was Bruce and bassist Dale Sophiea; Grale was Bruce and Dale with Gregory Hagan and Dale's son Nicolas Sophiea; French Radio was Bruce, A.C. Way, and Jim Kaiser. Can't forget The Gizzards and Half-Life (both now on Bandcamp!)

In 2021, MX-80 Sound released Hougher House, a spoken word tale with musical backing about a dysfunctional and avaricious family. The band began recording a new album to be titled Better Than Life. Bruce died on January 11, 2022 -- ending almost five decades of MX-80 Sound. I bet the man played guitar every single day for 50 years.

The first MX-80 LP (Hard Attack) was reissued by Superior Viaduct, and the Ralph albums were recently reissued on vinyl by Ship To Shore Media. Other MX-80 and O-Type releases are available from the Family Vineyard label.  Feeding Tube Records released the 2016 LP So Funny. Hougher House was released on CD by Psychofon.

Here are two extensive articles about MX-80's history, written by Steve Albini and Peter Conheim of Negativland. Bandcamp links: MX-80 Sound, Bar Stool Walker, Quadruped Media, Petit Mal Music, Angel Corpus Christi. Rest in sound, Bruce.

Gnarly Guitarists: East Bay Ray

East Bay Ray is best known as the founding guitarist of The Dead Kennedys.  With a style that incorporates the influences of surf, rockabilly, jazz, and the soundtrack music from spy films and spaghetti Westerns, he has never been the stereotypical punk rock guitar player. He has cited Syd Barrett's playing on Piper At The Gates Of Dawn and Scotty Moore on The Sun Sessions as primary inspirations.

The DK's formed in San Francisco in 1978, and split up after the release of Bedtime For Democracy (1986). Ray, Klaus Fluoride, and D.H. Peligro got back together in 2001, and have performed with various singers for the past two decades.

In the 1990's, Ray performed and recorded with Skrapyard, Frenchy, Candyass, and Pearl Harbour. Ray was also part of Jumbo Shrimp, Klaus Flouride's surf instrumental group. Since the Dead Kennedys reunited, Ray has guested with Amanda Palmer, Hed P.E., Cell Block 5, Kore Kosmou, Prime Suspect, David Alpha, The Balboas, and The Screaming Bloody Marys.

In 2009, East Bay Ray released a solo album. In 2011 he debuted a band called The Killer Smiles, whose singer Skip (formerly of the Wynona Riders) also serves as the DK's current frontman.

Today we have a selection of songs from a three decade career in music: punk, surf, lounge, jazz, rockabilly, garage rock, psychedelia, and more. Let's salute Ray Pepperell, gnarly guitarist from the East Bay!

Good Clean Holiday Fun with Pearl Harbour and Bonnie Hayes (Plus PUSHUPS and PUNTS)!

 

Exciting news for Pearl Harbour fans: her debut solo album (Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too) will soon be released on CD for the first time by Blixa Sounds. The remastered LP is already on streaming services, with bonus tracks including Pearl's Voodoo Voodoo single and the non-LP b-sides of her singles Fujiyama Mama and Cowboys & Indians.  

Blixa is the same label that put out Pearl Harbor And The Explosions on CD. Last week, Blixa gave Gun Club fans a long-overdue "sonic cleansing" of Miami with a bonus disc of 18 demos. 

Blixa has also reissued Good Clean Fun by Bonnie Hayes With The Wild Combo, coupled with their Brave New Girl EP and The Punts' 1981 single. You may remember Bonnie's 1982 LP on Slash Records, or her songs "Girls Like Me" and "Shelly's Boyfriend" from the movie Valley Girl. 

Bonnie Hayes wrote two of the biggest hits on Bonnie Raitt's smash Nick Of Time album, and the title track of Adam Ant's Wonderful. Bonnie's first band, The Punts,  played some of the same SF clubs as Pearl Harbor And The Explosions.

Last but not least, Pushups Is Pop will be released on vinyl by Hozac Records later this month -- yet another San Francisco treat to ask Santa to bring ya. On Dasher, on Dancer, on Hozac and Blixa!

It's A Crime To Be Broke In America

 

Friend Of The Blog draftervoi pointed out that the The Offs' 1980 version of "I've Got The Handle" (from the 415 Music compilation LP) is significantly different from the take that appeared on 1984's First Record.

If you can handle three versions of "I've Got The Handle" (including the percolating live performance at the Deaf Club), last week's Offs compilation is now re-upped with the 415 recording and a live track from the Fab Mab ("Funk It Honey").

As Earl Zero asked on "Zero Vs The Offs", "Are you a punk? Are you a new wave? Are you a rap band? Are you a reggae reggae band?"  Earl could have easily added "funk band" to his inquiry. "Why Boy", "True Story" and "Body Hesitation" are NYC punk-funk, and The Offs' Live At The Mabuhay Gardens set starts with a scorching rendition of James Brown's "Think".

Speaking of Friends Of The Blog, my brudda Nathan Nothin started a GoFundMe for his family. Like the protagonist of The Offs' "624803", Nathan got laid off. He and his wife and daughter are faced with losing their home and making a reverse migration from the West Coast to the East. If you can help, the link is here: Too Old To Be Homeless. 

What's your country been doing to you?

After the US presidential election in 2016, someone offered as consolation the prospect that at least we would get four years of great punk rock. But did we? I don't keep up with new artists as much as I used to, so maybe people have been making protest music (punk, hip hop, country, reggae, whatever) that has escaped my notice. 

Bandcamp Friday is coming: your recommendations are appreciated. I plan to pick up the new album by Atlanta band Warm Red, Decades Of Breakfast. Not a political band, but one that supports social justice movements while making kickass noise rock.

While we await the electoral outcome, I'm going back to San Francisco... specifically the SF punk scene the late 70's. America was a mess back then too. Here are 30 covers of songs originally recorded by The Avengers, Crime, DK's, Flipper, Lewd, Mutants, Negative Trend, No Alternative, Nuns, Sleepers, Tools, UXA, VKTMS, and others. 

Couldn't find any Offs covers. You'd think some ska punk band with a weak pun for a name (like Skantifa, or Skaronavirus) would be all over "My World" or "Die Babylon".

SF's Pushups are on Bandcamp -- both singles, plus a wealth of previously unreleased songs. "Global Corporation" and "Victims Of Terrorism" sound as timely as ever.  (Image created by Gee Vaucher.)

Carry On, Offs

When SF punk bands were first posted here, one group that readers wanted to hear more of was The Offs. The Offs released two 1978 singles on the band's own Crack In The World label: "Johnny Too Bad" b/w "624803"; and "Zero Degrees" b/w "Everyone's A Bigot". The latter single was reissued by 415 Records.

The Offs collaborated with Earl Zero on a 12" single with an extended version of Billy Hawk's "Why Boy". The blog Tone And Wave posted Zero Vs. The Offs last year. It's included in today's post, along with live Offs tracks from the Eastern Front and Deaf Club compilations.

The Offs relocated from SF to NYC, and Max's Kansas City Records released the third single, 1980's funky "You Fascinate Me" b/w "My World". The posthumous First Record (an LP released after singer Don Vinil's 1983 death) was produced by jazz clarinetist Roland Young. Richard Edson (from SF's Alterboys and NYC's Konk) played trumpet, and Jean-Michel Basquiat drew the album cover.  

The band had chops. Offs bassist Denny DeGorio was part of Jorma Kaukonen's trio Vital Parts with drummer John Stench (from Chrome and Pearl Harbor & The Explosions), and Denny later played with Alejandro and Javier Escovedo in The True Believers. Offs' drummer Bob Steeler had been a member of Hot Tuna, and saxophonist Bob Roberts played with Ruben & The Jets. 

The Offs' original songs were written by guitarist Billy Hawk (sometimes in collaboration with Don Vinil). In addition to The Slickers' "Johnny Too Bad", The Offs recorded covers of "Bye Bye Baby" (originally by Mary Wells) and "I've Got The Handle" (written by Leroy Sibbles of The Heptones). The Offs are sometimes labeled a ska punk band, but there's more to them than that.

The Best Of Michael Belfer

Belfer, Draper, Williams, Mooney

Michael Belfer is probably still best known as the guitarist for SF punk legends The Sleepers. With singer Ricky Williams, drummer Tim Mooney and bassist Paul Draper, they released the groundbreaking Seventh World EP in 1978. Belfer also played guitar with Tuxedomoon in 1978-79. He appeared on their EP's Scream With A View and No Tears, as well as the Subterranean Modern compilation. Tuxedomoon built their 1980 single "Crash!" on a backwards Belfer guitar line.

After Tuxedomoon moved to Europe, Belfer devoted himself to The Sleepers. With a second guitarist (Mike White) and a new rhythm section, The Sleepers recorded the album Painless Nights. The live band included Benjamin Bossi (who became Romeo Void's saxophonist), Ron MacLeod (bass) and Brian MacLeod (drums). You can hear them at their peak on the 1981 live compilation Savoy Sound Wave Goodbye. The Sleepers broke up after a disastrous 1981 gig in NYC.

Adolescent Records' showcase

Ricky Williams joined Tim Mooney in a new SF band called Toiling Midgets. Belfer and Brian MacLeod formed a group called Clocks Of Paradise. Belfer also played on Night Air, the 1983 solo album by Blaine Reininger from Tuxedomoon. After Toiling Midgets' first breakup, Belfer and Mooney briefly joined Midgets guitarist Paul Hood in a Seattle band called Perfect Circles. In a Razorcake interview, Duane Peters recalled, "I had a band called Firesports in San Francisco in 1984. We actually got signed. We started shooting up in front of the guys from the studio who were signing our shit. That was Michael Belfer. He was in it from the Sleeper(s)". At the end of the decade, Belfer gigged with Jennifer Miro and Jeff Olener in The Nuns.

In the early 90's, Belfer created soundtrack music for the film Red Spirit Lake, and played on compositions by Beth Custer (of Club Foot Orchestra), and Naut Humon (of Rhythm & Noise). Belfer then became a guitarist for hire with Bay Area alt-rock bands Torcher (1995) and Black Lab (1997-99). He worked again with Tim Mooney in a group called Lil Tiger (1998-2001). Lil Tiger completed an album for Tim/Kerr Records, but the label went under and the record was left unreleased.

This compilation features songs from Michael Belfer's recordings with The Sleepers, Tuxedomoon, Lil Tiger and others. Michael is an innovative guitarist who favors atmosphere and emotion over technical dexterity (though he demonstrates the latter with Torcher and Black Lab). He has cited Robert Fripp and Peter Green as influences. Hozac Books recently announced that they will publish a "Tuxedomoon/Sleepers memoir" by Michael Belfer called When Can I Fly? Hopefully the memoir will include more than junkie stories. The last song on this set is Hannah Marcus' exquisite kiss-off to a druggie boyfriend, "Osiris In Pieces". Hope you enjoy it!

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.

Stinky Returns!

My pal Stinky noticed the lack of recent activity hereabouts, and came to the rescue with a new Homemade Record, plus a San Francisco treat from The Rubinoos! The theme of Stinky's latest collection (and its title) is Songs That Start With The Chorus. Employing the inverse of the standard verse-chorus-verse format, we have here 19 songs from various genres of popular music. Many of them were big hits. It's an interesting exercise for the mind: how many songs can you think of that put the chorus before the first verse?

Stinky knows that I am a fan of Bay Area music from the 70's and 80's. Mythkoz recently called me "the Frisco Underground's greatest defender" (ha!), and he has recently posted more great SF punk from The Saucers, The Allies, The Hitmakers (ex-Dils), and The Insults. Berkeley's power pop pioneers The Rubinoos recently reunited for a new album called From Home, with the help of fellow SF musician Chuck Prophet. Mr. Prophet is a long time admirer of The Rubinoos (as is Jonathan Richman, who recently wrote this reminiscence of his times in the company of Jon Rubin's group).  

Stinky sez: "This is from a YouTube Video shot by a guy (whom I don't know) named SPAZ. I edited and tweaked it a bit, and designed some artwork for it." It's seven songs (new and old) performed live during a recent instore appearance at Amoeba Records in The Rubinoos' hometown of Berkeley.  From Home is a true homecoming: it was even recorded at the same studio (Hyde Street) where The Rubinoos cut their first single as teenagers back in 1975. A tip of the hat once again to Stinky for these contributions!

SAN FRANCISCO PUNK: Subterranean Postmodern

Carol Detweiler and Judy Gittelsohn

Writing about the Subterranean Records label reignited my obsession with San Francisco punk and post-punk. Now it comes full circle with an imaginative exercise: records by Bay Area artists that could have found a home on Steve Tupper and Mike Fox's label.

This mix includes Pink Section, Noh Mercy, Factrix, Ki Di Me, Ixna, Psyclones, Arsenal,  and more. The download includes liner notes (forgive me) that attempt to connect the dots between the folks involved in these records: people like Dan Houser, Matt Heckert, Jed Speare, Tommy Tadlock, Cole Palme, Monte Cazazza, Jo Jo Planteen, Carol Detweiler and Judy Gittelsohn.

Thanks to my main man Nathan Nothin for Eazy Teeth and the Good Samaritans, and to Stadtführer AJ, who shared a well-worn copy of Earcom 3 on his blog. A kind reader send me the Dada-Pop EP by Dennis C. Lee And The Living Daylights. Thank you, JB! "White Heat" is a tasty jam.

If you grabbed last month's SF Hardcore mix, please replace it with this one. An eagle-eared reader named New York Shitty helpfully pointed out that it was missing two tracks.

SAN FRANCISCO PUNK: Hardcore '81-83

In San Francisco (as elsewhere) the first wave punk bands were subsumed in the early 80's by the rising tide of hardcore. The DK's survived by transforming themselves into a hardcore band, while Flipper pursued its own path, with little regard for trends. (As I write this, Flipper is on a 40th anniversary world tour.)

Penelope Houston started a solo career. Chip and Tony from the Dils formed the Rank And File with Alejandro from the Nuns. Members of the Sleepers and Negative Trend combined their talents in the Toiling Midgets. Mike Fox (Tools) and Johnithin Christ (Society Dog) started the hardcore band Code of Honor. Fox and Society Dog members also backed Nicki Sicki in the group Sick Pleasure.  

Bands were moving to San Francisco: the Lewd, MDC, DRI, the Dicks, Toxic Reasons, Verbal Abuse, and Red Rockers among them. A lot of punks moved into The Vats.  

Here are three dozen tracks by homegrown SF hardcore bands Crucifix, Social Unrest, Urban Assault, the Fuck-Ups and Bad Posture. Sothira, Creetin K-OS, Marc Dagar, Bob Noxious, and 4-Way were all memorable frontmen. 

These bands from 1981-83 were soon followed by Bay Area groups such as Whipping Boy, the Sluglords, Fang, Trial, Rebels & Infidels, Christ On Parade, Victims Family, Attitude Adjustment, Faith No More, Neurosis, and Tales Of Terror. Gilman Street opened at the end of 1986, home to a third generation of SF punk.

If you want more SF sounds, Dr. Drunk has (Impatient) Youth and the Code Of Honor album. AJ at Themen Aus Großen Städten recently reupped the Avengers' pink album. Old, Weak But Always A Wanker has Factrix, the Teenage PhD's, the Alive Rock City compilation LP and the Units. Lots of Voice Farm reposted at My Vinyl Dreams blog for you SF synth fans. Deathbürger has a smorgasbord of punk platters from NoCal, SoCal and elsewhere. Excellent blogs all of them, well worth you while!

SAN FRANCISCO PUNK: First Wave, Part Two (1979-80)

Frankie Fix and Johnny Strike of Crime

Some SF punk bands didn't record until late, and some broke up before their best-known records were released. The Avengers split shortly before their second EP came out in 1979. The Nuns broke up in 1980 (Jennifer Miro left before the '79 single), but they reunited to record their self-titled LP (a joint release by Posh Boy and Bomp! Records).  

The Mutants didn't release a record until 1980. UXA's debut album (also on Posh Boy) came out in 1981. The Offs' album was released in 1984, a year after Don Vinil's death. Crime broke up in 1982 with only three singles to their name. VKTMS also split up in 1982, but reunited in the 90's. VKTMS singer Nyna Crawford died in 2000.

Subterranean Records didn't exist yet when The Tools made their first single, but the No Alternative EP was one of the label's earliest releases. This set also includes the second and third Breakouts singles. (Check the comments for No More, the Breakouts' 12" EP from 1983. Thanks, Nathan!)

Avengers (Jimmy Wilsey on the right)

Johnny Strike (last surviving member of Crime, and a successful novelist) died in 2018, as did Avengers bassist Jimmy Wilsey (who was better known as lead guitarist for Chris Isaak).

In happier news, Penelope Houston will lead the Avengers as opening band on this year's US tour by Stiff Little Fingers.

SAN FRANCISCO PUNK: Cover Songs

This set of SF bands playing cover songs starts with Novak's version of "the first synth punk song" ("Hello I Love You"), followed by Psycotic Pineapple's cover of "You're Gonna Miss Me".  We miss you, Roky.  

Elvis, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones are represented, as well as the Sonics, the Stooges, and the Sparkletones. 
  
Some of these songs are live at Mabuhay Gardens (Sleepers and The Lewd), the Deaf Club (the Offs, DK's and Tuxedomoon), and elsewhere (Junior Executives, Toiling Midgets, and Pearl Harbour). 

Roky prepares to levitate the Fab Mab in this Ruby Ray photo

Snakefinger covered "Jinx" (originally by his labelmates Tuxedomoon) while performing in Australia. Plain Jane & The Jokes take on local legends The Dils with an irreverent version of "Class War".

The time frame ranges from 1976 (when the Residents skewered "Satisfaction") to 1984 (when Joe Pop-O-Pie and members of Faith No More took "Truckin" down a Flippery slope).

Thanks to Draftervoi for the Wasp Women's synth punk version of "Vicious"!

SAN FRANCISCO PUNK: Killed By SF

Friend of the blog Draftervoi pointed out that SF punk bands have not received the attention paid to LA bands in retrospective compilations such as the Rhino DIY series or the Soul Jazz Punk 45 comps. 

However, SF bands are well-represented on the Killed By Death and Bloodstains compilations (as well as Back To Front, Drop The Bomb, and others that followed). 

KBD and Bloodstains collect the rarest and the rawest, and there's nothing politically correct about songs like "Bummer Bitch", "Tammy Wynette" or the music of the Teenage PhD's.

Here are three dozen Bay Area rarities released between 1977 and 1982.  The Last Laugh label has reissued some SF collectibles, and HoZac reissued the Mary Monday single. The Destry Hampton EP was reissued by Superior Viaduct (buy here). 

Recommended for further listening is this chapter in the Mythkoz punk history series "Once Upon A Time", which now numbers almost a hundred volumes!