Album covers (from top left): Units, Chandra, Konrad, and Guem et Zaka
Although my crate-digging days are numbered (what with the kids and the full-time job and SoulSeek and all), I'll never lose interest in discovering the outer limits of vintage LPs.
Waxidermy is now my primary source for these wildly offbeat musical gems. From Cuban electronica to interspecies collaborations to Christian psych folk to sinister Ethiopian grooves, Waxidermy delivers the proverbial goods. Plus the album covers make for a hilarious, "wow-factor-9" visual treat.
So go ahead and drop a virtual needle on each of these incredible tracks. They're Waxidermy-hosted, Tomorrowland-approved nuggets of mp3 gold:
Units: "High Pressure Days"
San Fran synth-rock from 1980. Devo-influenced male/female vocals with a catchy ostinato and plenty of snappy drumwork. So much better than the rest of the crappy synthpop from the 80s.
Chandra: "Subways"
Perhaps the finest child-fronted post-punk album of all time? Chandra Oppenheim rocks the house with a level of focus and sincerity well beyond her mere 12 Earth years. Lay it on us, Chan.
San Ul Lim: "Lay Silk on my Heart"
Waaaaay tripped out 70s groove rock direct from South Korea. (Love that rhythm section! And the lead guitar is faxed in from Jupiter!) The South will rise again...
Eddie Baxter: "Super Organ"
Impossibly cheesy church organ performance redeemed by massive amounts of weird synth. A synth-sterpiece!
Lifetones: "Good Side"
Incredible track from the 1983 solo album by This Heat's Charles Bullen. Dub reggae riddims, droning multi-track vocals, shimmering guitar. A true step forward in the post-punk evolutionary process.
Marj Snyder: "God"
A great bit of Christian psych folk on the super mellow tip. Her voice is great, her chords are great, the lyrics are really heartfelt and not overbearing. Definitely for fans of Linda Perhacs, Bridget St John and Vashti Bunyan.
Khalsa String Band: "Sing of Bliss"
Beautiful hippie folk: piano, picked acoustic guitar and ethereal female vocals. Nice!
Madagascar Now: "Madagascar Now"
Lush, dreamy zither lines (sound like a harp) float over roomy drums and hand percussion. World music at its most spacious.
Konrad: "My Girl"
Yes, the guy from the album cover in the image above. Deliciously cheesy whitey funk from the Evil One himself. Possibly a stunt double for Gary Wilson?
This is great stuff. Can't wait to find some new hits for my workday.
Speaking of San Ul Lim, 70s Korean psyche rock is actually making quite a comeback. In the last year I have acquired 3 San Ul Lim re-issues, along with some amazing tunes by Korean guitiar master Shin Jung Hyun, and a couple of great albums by songstress Kim Jung Mi. I'm find myself very much into this stuff.
Posted by: kara | March 23, 2007 at 08:56 PM
b, that title elicited a guffaw from me.....
Posted by: north guinea hills | March 24, 2007 at 03:52 PM