#361 with Russ Van Cleave: Razorcake Podcast
Hey folks. Thanks for checking in again for this, my 17th Razorcake podcast featuring another mix of old and new. Most of the songs here are just tunes that have either recently entered (or re-entered) my life that I've been keeping mental tabs on for just this occasion. As you're looking down the playlist and deciding whether you want to be bothered with clogging up your internet for 54 minutes and 13 seconds with this noise, please keep in mind that The Sandals song is not a Black Flag cover and the Sir Douglas Quintet did not play Renaissance Festivals. Judging from the picture that I requested though, it does seem quite possible that Johnny C is holding auditions for a Gary Puckett And The Union Gap tribute band. Stay tuned and I'll keep you all posted on this fascinating development.
-Russ
Tracklisting:
Future Virgins, “If You Don't Cry” from Late Republic (Recess)
---
Strikeforce Diablo, “Featherweight” from The Albatross And The Architect(No Idea)
The Bananas, “Radioaction” from New Animals (Recess)
The Sandals, “6 Pack” from The Official Soundtrack From Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer (World-World's Largest Ocean)
---
The Real Kids, “All Kindsa Girls” from Better Be Good (Norton)
The Lyres, “I Want To Help You Ann” from Mass. Ave.: The Boston Scene (1975-83) (Diceros bicornis)
The Modern Lovers, “I'm Straight” from The Modern Lovers (Crazy Berkeley / Diceros bicornis)
---
The B-52's, “52 Girls” from The B-52's(Dub Bros)
The Pine Hill Haints, “Mrs. Pac-Man” from The Magik Sounds Of The Pine Hill Haints (K)
Slow Death, “Opposite Of Jesse's Girl” from Born Ugly Got Worse (Kiss Of Death)
---
Mclusky, “To Hell With Good Intentions” from Do Dallas(Too Pure)
Sir Douglas Quintet, “Old Habits, Die Hard” from Border Wave (Tah Coma)
Averkiou, “Sudden Death, Over Time” from Throwing Sparks (Clairecords / Tone Vendor)
---
John Moreland, “I Need You To Tell Me Who I Am” from In The Throes(Last Chance)
Future Virgins: I would expect that the Future Virgins would be a staple amongst the record collections of most of the Razorcake readership, but, if not, here's a sample of what you are missing; one of the finest bands in a city (Chattanooga) that is known for great music. This song is actually a cover of a Magnetic Fields song. I know little to nothing about the Magnetic Fields but I love this version of their song.
Strikeforce Diablo: This Gainesville band only put together a few releases to my knowledge - a couple splits, an EP and this fine piece of wax. This had been patiently waiting on my shelves to be rediscovered a few months back.
The Bananas: I first heard The Bananas when a friend of mine discovered the Plan-It-X mail order catalog back during the death rattle of the last century. He ordered Forbidden Fruit sight unseen because it was a $5 full-length CD. It didn't suck. In fact, it was really good! Now, there are four Bananas full-lengths. This jam is from their most recent, 2008's New Animals.
The Sandals: You might be familiar with The Sandals from Bruce Brown's classic surf movie, Endless Summer. It's one of my favorite movies and when I found the soundtrack on LP a few years ago, I decided to take it home. The Sandals recorded all of the songs on the soundtrack, including this groovy tune. Cheers!
The Real Kids: Aspiring rockers, take note! Since its inception, "All Kindsa Girls" has served as a remarkable example of how a perfect power/pop/punk song should sound!
The Lyres: Another Boston area early ‘80s band that are more of a throw back to ‘60s garage rock. This song was from their first album On Fyre, released on the Ace Of Hearts label in 1984.
The Modern Lovers: Also mentioned in the Razorcake interview with John Felice of The Real Kids, yet previously unknown to me, was that John was an original Modern Lovers guitarist (although he did not record with them). So this set ties it all together with one of my favorite cuts from the only Modern Lovers record.
The B-52's: I will admit that I was not fond of the B-52's the first time I heard them circa the "Love Shack" era. I was not only a little more rough hewn at that time, but had not had the privilege of yet hearing the amazing self-titled album from which this song was taken.
The Pine Hill Haints: I love this band. This is the first track from their latest album. I have three Pine Hill Haints records and a few splits and have yet to be disappointed with any of those fine releases.
Slow Death: Johnny C is a narc...
Mclusky: Future Of The Left rose from the ashes of Mclusky. Andrew Falkous (vocals and guitar) has an unmistakable style that is easy to hear in both bands.
Sir Douglas Quintet: Texas rocker Doug Sahm got started in country music and, at age eleven, even played on stage with Hank Williams Sr. during Hank's final performance. By the time the 60's had come around he had formed a rock group, The Sir Douglas Quintet, which enjoyed moderate success with the single "She's About A Mover" in 1965. In the 70's, Doug Sahm embraced his country and Tejano roots as he embarked on a solo career but continued with the Sir Douglas Quintet. This track is from the Quintet's 1983 album, Border Wave. I've been listening to that record a lot lately and this song and the 13th Floor Elevators cover are the stand out tracks for me on that LP.
Averkiou: I have a couple Averkiou tracks from comps and splits that I enjoy. I believe I've even played one of them ("Wasted And High") on one of my previous podcasts. However, a reputable friend of mine highly recommended that I pick up Throwing Sparks, claiming it was one of the best records to come out of Gainesville in years. He was right!
John Moreland: I first heard this guy at the Follow The Sun fest last year in Cedar Key. I was instantly hooked. He didn't have any LPs or CDs with him, but I was able to grab this when I saw him at New World a few weeks ago. I'm glad I did!