September 10, 2008 Playlist

"Suicide" by Suicide (1977)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Suicide  "Suicide"  1977 (USA)
Suicide is one of those musical groups that simply defies categorization.  The duo of Martin Rev (music) and Alan Vega (vocals) have been making noise together since the hippie days of 1971, though they are most closely associated with the late 1970's punk scene in New York City (and they've never officially broken up either, though both have solo careers and have sometimes gone a decade or more between proper Suicide albums.)  In spite of the fact that their sound is almost entirely dominated by a pumelling drum machine and hiccup-y Elvis impersonations delivered through an echo box, amazingly enough some of Suicide's albums were produced by Ric Ocasek (from The Cars!), and Bruce Springsteen has even covered one of their songs (the somewhat uncharacteristic lullabye ballad "Dream Baby Dream").  I had the opportunity to see the duo in action back around the year 2000, and despite being ultra-minimalist electro-industrialists, the show was definitely one of the most "psychedelic" I've ever seen!
Here's a clip of Suicide in their 70's heydey performing their classic "Ghost Rider", and here's a later clip of a song called "Death Machine".  England's Throbbing Gristle were a similarly boundary-smashing "industrial" group with a confrontational and very noisy stage act -- here they are live back in the old days on their "song" "Discipline", and here's some more recent live Gristle.  Finally, here's a commercially successful group descended from these pioneers -- Ministry with their hit "NWO" from the early 1990's.
 
(N) = New Release
     
Artist Song Album Year Country
High Rise Induced Depression High Rise II 1986 Japan
Boredoms Boredoms vs. SDI Onanie Bomb vs. Sex Pistols (compilation CD)
 1988 Japan
Killdozer Gates Of Heaven Telve Point Buck 1989 USA
Soundgarden Gun Louder Than Love 1989 USA
Breeders ROI Last Splash 1993 USA
Fugazi Give Me The Cure Fugazi EP 1988 USA
 
 
Suicide Rocket USA Suicide
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1977 USA
Throbbing Gristle Hot On The Heels Of Love 20 Jazz Funk Greats 1979 UK
Au Pairs She Runs With Honey (demo) Sense And Sensuality (CD bonus track) rec. 1982 UK
The Cure Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix) Three Imaginary Boys 1979 UK
Joy Division Isolation Closer 1980 UK
ESG Hey! (live) ESG EP 1981 USA
Rip Rig & Panic Epi Epi Arp Woosh! I Am Cold 1982 UK
   
 
Ministry with Gibby Haynes Jesus Built My Hot Rod (long version) Jesus Built My Hot Rod (CD single) 1991 USA
Motörhead
 1000 Names (Of God) Motörizer (N) 2008 (Steamhammer/SPV) UK
Bad Brains I Bad Brains 1982 USA
Black Flag Gimme Gimme Gimme Damaged 1981 USA
The Jesus Lizard The Art Of Self Defense Liar  1992 USA
The Damned I Feel Alright ("1970" by The Stooges) Damned Damned Damned 1977 UK
   
 
VON LMO Outside Of Time Future Language 1981 USA
Zolar X Timeless Timeless (CD compilation) rec. 1974 USA
Simply Saucer Here Come The Cyborgs part 2 (live) Cyborgs Revisited (CD compilation) rec. 1975 Canada
Spacemen 3 Losing Touch With My Mind Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To 1990 UK
The Teardrop Explodes Second Head Kilimanjaro 1980 UK
The Nomads I'm 5 Years Ahead Of My Time Where The Wolf Bane Blooms 1983 Sweden
The Cramps New Kind Of Kick Off The Bone (compilation) rel. 1983 USA
Sebadoh As The World Dies The Eyes Of God Grow Bigger III 1991 USA
Gang Of Four Anthrax Entertainment! 1979 UK
Wire Outdoor Miner Chairs Missing 1978 UK
 
 
Dinosaur jr Forget The Swan Dinosaur 1985 USA
The Clean Point That Thing Somewhere Else Boodle Boodle Boodle EP 1981 New Zealand
Couch Flambeau Psychedelic Lawnchairs The Day The Music Died 1985 USA
XTC I'm Bugged White Music 1978 UK
The Fall Music Scene Live At The Witch Trials 1979 UK
 
 
Stereolab Nous Vous Demandons Pardons Chemical Chords (N) 2008 (4AD) UK/France
Spectrum Take Your Time Spectrum Meets Captain Memphis: Indian Giver (N) 2008 (Birdman) UK
The High Places Canary 03/07 - 09/07 (N - compilation of singles & odd tracks) 2008 (Thrill Jockey) USA
Matmos Polychords Supreme Balloon (N) 2008 (Matador) USA
      
     
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