MP3 Download Dinner Bell for January

South Bay Surfers "Rock and Roll Girls" (MP3)
I don't have much more to say other than I adore this 7" and these fellows. Clearly they have more spirit and style in them than half of the punk bands that have asked them to open their gigs as a hoot at the Surfers' expense (one guy writes "if you're ever at a club and they start to play, my advice is that you head to another club or at least go out for a smoke and a drink, cuz they're probably gonna play too long"). But if it gets them a paycheck, all the better. Besides the Fogerty cover, this 7" offered up "Treat Her Right", "Short Shorts", "Teenager In Love", "Wooly Bully" and "Lollipop". The back of the single features the drummer behind the Unsane's borrowed kit. Check out the MP3 in its satin jacket glory.

Love Child "Live on WFMU 3/9/90" (MP3)
A dip back into the time machine to Gerard Cosloy's radio show in 1990, where he hosted local rock band Love Child, very much being touted by some at the time as the Next Big Thing in the state of indie rock. Will Baum and Alan Licht switched off guitar and drums, Rebecca Odes played bass, and they all wrote and sang their own tunes, which swung between nervous, catchy, sloppy pop anthems straight out of the K Records/Modern Lovers rulebook, and slightly more aggressive nods to Black Flag, Pere Ubu and Red Transistor. In a most unfashionable indie rock move (then) Licht even ripped out some severe Eddie Van Halenisms amidst a severe worship at the alter of the 1970's-Ohio/1960's Velvets bridge. Their first 7" soiled many fanzine writers' undergarments, creating a pretty high bar for their first Homestead LP Okay (which came out somewhere around this radio set). On their second disc Witchcraft they had replaced Baum with a new drummer and ventured off into a new orbit ("Stumbling Block" was one of the greatest My Bloody Valentine/Mogwai-evoking moments of building noise in a pop song) before splitting up. Baum went on to Hollywood and the band 9 Iron (not before depositing Andy Breckman at WFMU where the two actually hosted radio together before Andy and Ken connected), Rebecca became a writer and also had the band Odes on Merge Records, and Licht also writes, went on to the band Run On, and remains a central cog in the NYC experimental scene). This MP3 of "Crocus Says" and "Sofa" showed the dichotomy of the band's sound pretty accurately.

Goh Yokota "Toy" (MP3)
If you've worn out that Thai Elephant Orchestra disc, and like the sounds that kids but don't actually want any, well, we've got a CD for you. Kindermusik: Improvised Music For Babies (Amorfon label) declares: "All babies are geniuses. Have you ever listened to babies' musical performances seriously? These pieces in this album are live recordings with no editing. Playing zither, piano, steel pan, turntable toy and pacifier instrument which is controlled by computer...10 babies under 1.5 years old are gathering from 6 countries. You must be impressed by their unique sensitivities!"

Harold Rome "Art In the Night" (MP3)
This is the "We Didn't Start the Fire" for the art scene (thanks Kenny G).

Unknown Angry Caller (MP3)
This guy has a beef about a TV documentary on crop circles. To say the least.

Blurt "Some Come" (MP3)
Bookbinder, puppeteer and musician Ted Milton founded Blurt in 1981 as a very capable UK equivalent to the Downtown art-skronk being transmitted across the pond by the likes of the Contortions. His squealing sidestepping sax augmented African-inspired rhythms, rubbery basslines, and psychotic vocals (not unlike moments of Mark Stewart in the Pop Group), creating a chaos that issued forth more hooks than many of his distant No Wave contemporaries. Lyrically, it was more about dada than JB (as this passage can vouch: "I will lead the world over the end of the Santa Monica Pier, but not until you've raised the temperature of the Pacific Ocean to blood temperature and provide warm towels in the dressing room.") The band's sound see-sawed between art-damaged punk and jazz through a consistent career of output (over a dozen LPs regularly flowing between 1981 and 2000). Milton is still fairly active today (and a frequent corresponder with FMU, thanks for the permish to post this MP3), and lately he's been putting out crazy cardboard CDRs held together with prongs often featuring wooden kitchen utensils glued to the covers. Salamander Records is a good first stop to get familiar with the sound of Blurt, there are a few great anthologies in print now.

Robin Kahn "Sings Carole King's Tapestry" (MP3's)
April 27, 2005 on Kenny G's Intelligent Design show. Kahn had appeared earlier in the year doing an a capella rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar in it's entirety. Jesus Christ had his name invoked around the office quite a bit on this day as well. Here are individual MP3's of "I Feel the Earth Move", "So Far Away", "It's Too Late", "Home Again", "Beautiful", "Way Over Yonder", "You Got a Friend", "Where You Lead", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", "Smackwater Jack", "Tapestry", and "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman."

Chandra "Subway" (MP3)
Thought we'd toss this one in, as we're waiting to hear of the impending MTA strike as of presstime. Chandra's 1980 EP Transportation (On/Gogo) featured 10-year old lead singer Chandra Oppenheim, daughter of sculptor/visual artist Dennis Oppenheim.  In '79 via her dad she met the band Model Citizens, and upon their breakup they decided to back her up and call the group Chandra. They met with fairly good response: Warhol interviewed them for his mag, they got good paying gigs at all the NYC hotspots, and apparently appeared performing on Captain Kangaroo. Fred Maher, drummer of many Lou Reed sessions, was in this band as well.

Janek Schaefer "Morning 29/03/95" (MP3)
London-based sound artist Janek Schaefer kicked off his career in 1995 with this piece, originally issued on Stock, Hausen and Walkman's Hot Air label on a 7", later on the compilation CD Medical Milestones. Basically, Schafer obtained 70 minutes of recorded sound from a voice-activated tape recorder he mailed to himself through the British postal system. It became a fascinating audio documentary of the journey of mail, from being stamped to handled by a bunch of ruffian postal workers all speaking explicitly about what they did the night before, to the actual arrival of and signing for the package. Thanks to Janek for OK-ing this MP3 (and congratulations on becoming a dad this month!), check out this interview which gives some more details on this particular project, as well as other of his fine improvised/concrete and miscellaneous works. We're all really jealous about the koala bear picture, too, man.

Below is a digest of all MP3s featured in Beware of the Blog over the past month (gathered by Liz Berg):

- Airchecks from local radio veteran the Kat Man, Danny Stiles (courtesy of Debbie Daughtry)

- How much does satellite radio suck? Just ask commercial radio. And Ken.

- Who better to interpret the deepest thoughts and desires of icon John Lennon than National Lampoon's? Grab their version of the famous 1970 Lennon interview on this post, and laugh along with Ken.

- Einsturzende Neubauten has sold out. Over and over. Check out these hilarious German commercials starring Blixa, and grab an MP3 of 12305 Te Nacht, the song that runs through each ad, on this post from Scott.

- Whistle while you work, and take your cues from Ghana's postal employees, who were made their workdays fly by performing this ditty, posted by Ken.

- AM and shortwave radio airchecks available on this post, this one, and this one. All painstakingly rescued from ephemera by The Professor.

- This X-rated hypnotist is bound to rake in a huge audience in Vegas. At least Ken thinks so.

- Grab an MP3 of a New York radio dial scan from the night of John Lennon's murder. Thank the man in charge for this one.

- So many presidents, so many cutups. Listener Jim presents some priceless presidential links here.

- Another fantastic addition to the WFMU podcast roster: Ed Shepp!

- What war on Christmas? Even the office supplies are caroling according to Ken.

- Our fearless leader also presents links to MP3s of all of the Beatles x-mas albums, doesn't get much more wholesome than that.

- Chinese listeners check in to a dead Lennon discussion on Chris T.'s Communication Breakdown, grab the MP3s here.

- Listen to talking radio heads Bob Lassiter and Neil Rogers as they call a truce. MP3 of the lovefest available on this post from The Professor.

- Hear how the NYC transit strike  managed to scramble up an old classic subway-themed tune. Posted by disgruntled subway passenger X.

- More music for subway stations here, courtesy of Debbie.

- Even more proof that Christmas was alive and kicking in 2005: the voices in Ken's head were playing Jesus b-day songs to the tune of power tools, belches, and so much more.

- Another aggregation of MP3-happy posts on Beware of the Blog, brought to you by Ken.

- Collect some Sid Laverents infamously layered psychedelic cover tunes right here. Yep, again Ken provides the hook-up.

- Hilarious and disturbing conservative talk radio airchecks from the eve of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Thank The Professor for this one.

- Nothing says new wave like a bunch of skinny German dudes in turtlenecks. Download some panicked and dancey tunes from Palais Schaumburg on this post from Liz.
 

Comments

[norelpref]

ouch. links are all broken. despair, despair...my mp3 jones goes unabated :-)

[Station Manager Ken]

Ugh, sorry. All the links have now been fixed.

-ken

[malibu cheney]

touted as the next big thing? damn, they sound like DEATHRAGE without the brady bunch references.

[Blake Wallington]

Oh F, Gerard Cosloy was a DJ at WFMU. That's great. Is there some sort of WFMU DJ Hall of Fame? If there was, i'd bet GC would be all up in that shit.

[Alexa]

The Southbay Surfers were (and still are?) regulars on the Long Beach/San Pedro/OC rock club circuit in the early 1990s (especially at the now-defunct Bogart's nightclub in LB) - they were (and still are?) third-string openers for tons of local known and unknown groups...often carrying-on their performances (like troopers) in the face of boos and cries of "get off the stage"

My favorite member of the Southbay Surfers was (still is?) sax player Jokin' Joe Card (first on the left in the photo you posted above) who tended (tends?) to wander offstage randomly and out the nearest door. Jokin' Joe and other Southbay Surfers were also regular back-up for local So-Cal rock gods Lovingkindness.

I never knew they put out vinyl - if you could post "Short Shorts" that would be grand

THANKS!

[o. Sano]

South Bay Surfers...well an old pal of mine put that out and now, dare I say, infamy is on its way? That dog of a 45 rules and the pic sleeve says it all with the Olan Mills stamp on the bottom. If I am not mistaken, these gents were 'mentally challenged' which makes the entire effort much better. Well done!

[Geo]

Anybody know where one can get a copy of that South Bay Surfers 45 or is it long gone?

[Craig Butler]

With Easter coming up, is there any possibility of re-posting Robin Kahn's "Jesus Christ Superstar" performance? PLEASE?!!!!

[Jorge]

I have been booking The South Bay Surfers for the past 5 years at my shows. They are my unofficial "house band." I love those guys!

I can get you a copy of the 45. I'll forward your email to Dave K. (lead singer) and you can buy it directly from him.

[Jorge]

In fact, if you live in Los Angeles or near Los Angeles - be sure to check them out at their next show on Jan. 13, 2007 @ Mr. T's Bowl with the Rock n Roll Adventure Kids, Teenage Harlets, The Jinxes, and The Be Neats! They're on first. I hear that Joe Escalante from The Vandals is now in the South Bay Surfers!