June 11, 2010 Playlist

"The Modern Dance" by Pere Ubu (1978)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Pere Ubu  "The Modern Dance"  1978 (USA)
Pere Ubu was surely one of the most innovative and original of the American "punk" bands of the late 1970's.  Though the group had its roots in classic proto-punk like Iggy & The Stooges and The Velvet Underground, what set Ubu apart was their affection for the stranger end of the musical gene pool:  Captain Beefheart, Brian Eno and avant garde electronics.  Their early style in particular veered between hard rocking rave-ups and bizarre instrumental and "musique concrete" passages dominated by a synthesizer which seems like it comes from another record entirely.  Founding member David Thomas continues to lead a version of Pere Ubu today, although the band's latest record was a theatrical soundtrack (based on Alfred Jarry's surrealist play Ubu Roi, whose main character was named Pere Ubu), and hardly "rock and roll!"
Here's the most vintage Pere Ubu clip I could find, with David Thomas looking like an accountant who just stumbled on to the stage: "Birdies" from 1981.  This next rockin' number dates from the 1990's: "Folly Of Youth".  And here's a clip from the most recent Ubu project, which includes animation from the Brothers Quay:  "Song Of The Grocery Police" from 2008. Before there was Pere Ubu, there was Rocket From The Tombs, Thomas' legendary group that broke up in 1975 (some of the guys moved to NYC and founded The Dead Boys.)  RFTT reformed recently with some new members -- here's their 2010 single "I Sell Soul" (the guy staring at you in the video is Richard Lloyd, former lead guitarist of the band Television, who replaced original Rocket guitarist Peter Laughner.)
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year (label) Country
Chrome Meet You In The Subway Subterranean Modern (various artists compilation) 1979 USA
Red Transistor (Von LMO and Rudolph Grey) We're Not Crazy B-side 7" single rec. 1977,
rel. 1991		 USA
Magma Mekanik Kommandoh Mekanik Destructiw Kommandoh 1973 France
Throbbing Gristle What A Day 20 Jazz Funk Greats 1978 UK
Pere Ubu Laughing The Modern Dance
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1978 USA
 
 
Pere Ubu The Modern Dance The Modern Dance
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1978 USA
Pere Ubu Final Solution A-side 7" single (Terminal Tower compilation CD) 1976 USA
Rocket From The Tombs Sonic Reducer (remake) Rocket Redux 2004 USA
Iggy & The Stooges Search & Destroy (live) Raw Power Legacy Edition (N - reissue with bonua material) 1973 (2010 Sony Legacy) USA
Melvins Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa) (MC5) B-side CD single 1993 USA
Frog Eyes Rebel Horns Paul's Tomb - A Triumph (N) 2010 (Dead Oceans) Canada
 
 
Tobacco (from Black Moth Super Rainbow) Lick The Witch Maniac Meat (N) 2010 (Anticon) USA
Chris Joss
 Kali Flowers Monomaniacs, Volume 1 (N) 2010 (Eighteenth Street) France
Gonjasufi
 I've Given A Sufi And A Killer (N) 2010 (Warp) USA
Sylvester Anfang II Geen Titel Untitled (N - 3" CDR) 2009 (Luchtracht) Belgium
MV & EE Feelin' Fine Barn Nova (N) 2009 (Ecstatic Peace!) USA
5-Track
 Comets Unreleased track (N) 2010 (self release) USA
Guzzo Pinc Library Blues The Sea (N - cassette) 2010 (Earjerk) USA
 
 
Sleepy Sun Wild Machines Fever (N) 2010 (All Tomorrow's Parties) USA
Serena-Maneesh Ayisha Abyss Serena-Maneesh No. 2: Abyss in B Minor (N) 2010 (4AD) Norway
Caribou Leave House Swim (N) 2010 (Merge) Canada
Stereo Total Du Bist Gut Zu Vögeln Baby Ouh! (N) 2010 (Kill Rock Stars) Germany
/France
The Hotrats
 The Crystal Ship (The Doors) Turn Ons (N) 2010 (G&D/Fat Possum) UK
Mondo Topless
 Magic Potion (The Open Mind) Freaking Out (N) 2010 (Get Hip) USA
   
 
Black Tempest Proxima - part one Proxima (N) 2010 (Apollolaan) UK
Second Family Band Ancient City Jerusalem (N - cassette) 2010 (Boondock Pissoir) USA
   
 
The J.B.'s (It's Not The Express) It's The J.B.'s Monaurail Funky Good Time: The Anthology (CD compilation) rec. 1975 USA
Jimi Tenor & Tony Allen
 Sinuhe Inspiration Information #4 (N) 2009 (Strut) Finland & Nigeria
Flying Lotus Arkestry Cosmogramma (N) 2010 (Warp) USA
Metal Fingerz Doom
 feat. Hell Razah 		Project Jazz Unexpected Guests (N) 2009 (Gold Dust Media) USA
The Black Keys 
 Black Mud Brothers (N) 2008 (Nonesuch) USA
             
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