We're Moving...

Hello viewers!  Tight Globes has moved to a Tumblr blog, which you can find at tightglobes.tumblr.com .  I like to show and share about records, bands, and labels but I'm really not much of a writer.  I'm going to make Tight Globes more of a photo-type blog with little blurbs and I think Tumblr is a better format for that.  Plus, I'll be able to share more often if I'm just postin' pics and links to tunes vs. thinking of things to write.  That's the plan for now at least.  See ya at the new spot soon!

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Toxie ‘Newgate b/w Ties’ 7” – Brand Spankin’ #13

Released February 2013

Memphis, TN’s Goner Records has issued a flurry of new 45’s lately and ‘Newgate b/w Ties’ by fellow Memphans(?) Toxie shines brightly.  Both tracks are carefully crafted garage tunes.  More wistful than stompin’, the approach Toxie uses works super effectively with the prevalent and laid back female vocals.  This is definitely a 7” that you can keep flipping over and spinning again.  And again.  And again.  Get the picture?  Hope so!  If you hurry Goner may have a few left on bubblegum pink vinyl.

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Windian Records 'Subscription Series #1' - Busy Singles #03

Released January 2013

The start of 2013 saw the mighty Windian Records out of Washington, DC issue there brand new 'Subscription Series #1' box set.  To say the set is impressive probably doesn't do it justice.  The quality of the tunes and the attention to detail of the packaging are all first rate.  The set is made up of five excellent 7" 45’s from fantastic and well known garage-punk-pop veterans Barreracudas, Heavy Times and Terry Malts plus outstanding up-and-comers Static Eyes and Suns Of Guns.  For the collectors out there, there are only 200 sets available.  Each 45 was pressed on black wax and housed in a custom Subscription Series sleeve.  Those were in turn packed into a custom Subscription Series box with 12-page insert and button.  MP3's were made available as well.  Top that off with a custom-stamped mailer and this is easily the set to beat for 2013.  Check out a stream of all 5 A-Sides below!

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California X S/T LP – Brand Spankin’ #12

Released January 2013

Guitar rock.  It can mean a million different things to just as many people.  Beat Bands from 60’s-era UK, Thin Lizzy’s twin guitar attack and Seaweed’s sweat blasting riffage all qualify.  The guitar rock I’m thinking of right now is more along the lines of high-volume, hair-flyin’, fuck-everything-else-we’re-busy-destroying-eardrums kinda guitar rock.  California X is the latest to explode onto the punk and indie scene with this sort of guitar rock.  A powerful trio outta Amherst, MA, California X’s sonic assault pays a strong nod not only to 80’s forefathers Dinosaur Jr. (hometown heroes) and Husker Du, but to bands that more immediately followed in those bands’ footsteps such as the Nirvana and early Foo Fighters lineage.  The thing that really helps push California X ahead of the pack is the way they develop their songs into future-punk anthems, a-la Jeff The Brotherhood or Ex-Cult.  One need look (or listen) no further than their self-titled debut LP, courtesy of Don Giovanni Records, for 8 prime examples of scorching, and essentially timeless, rock ‘n’ roll blasts.  It really is as simple as that!

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Mary Wells ‘Bye Bye Baby’ – Dusted Off #02

Released in 1960, Charted into 1961

Mary Wells was the first ‘Queen Of Motown’, thanks in large part to hits like ‘You Beat Me To The Punch’ and ‘My Guy’.  My favorite Mary Wells song however was her first single for Motown, released in 1960, ‘Bye Bye Baby’.  This song is a bit of an anomaly in Mary’s catalog- she wrote the song herself and her performance is much grittier and soulful than her soon-to-be classic smooth R&B style on later songs penned by the likes of Smokey Robinson and Holland-Dozier-Holland.  I guess that’s why I like it so much.  It’s always cool to hear the early stages of well-known artists when they are fresh out of the gate.  The story goes that Berry Gordy Jr. (Motown founder and writer of the B-Side to ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Please Forgive Me’) had Mary sing him the song in person in the hallway of a club.  He signed her soon after and when producing this first single got in her face and demanded a raw, emotional, intense delivery for the A-Side track.  Well, he got it and Mary turned in an all-time classic.  Check out the video below of Mary performing ‘Bye Bye Baby’ live in 1962 at the Apollo, featuring The Temptations on backing vocals.  Cool.

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BDR Records – Willing And Label #04

Well, 2013 is upon us and it’s time I get back to postin’.  As I mull through the offerings of early 2013 I thought the first post of the year would be a good opportunity to do a label spotlight that I didn’t get up in 2012.  BDR Records is a fantastic reissue label operating out of St. Louis, MO.  They focus on late 70’s/early 80’s independent KBD punk, new-wave, post-punk and power-pop type bands that called St. Louis home at the time.  I spent the first third of my life down the highway from St. Louis so BDR holds a special place in my heart.  As an offshoot of the legendary Rerun Records (plus some help from Bert Dax Cavalcade Of Stars Records), BDR hit the ground running in 2010 with it’s first release, the ‘Recordings ’79-‘81’ LP by Raymilland.  BDR has also issued recordings from Dear John and Philosophic Collage, but my two faves are courtesy of The Retros and The Welders.  The ‘Inner City Rockers’ LP by The Retros is truly a gem of 1979 KBD punk.  Brash and to the point, The Retros’ sound fits nicely between The Reactions and early Plugz.  The Welders’ brand of charming-with-a-sneer power-pop is on full display via the 4-song 7” EP that BDR has already gone through 2 pressings of.  Folks still make a big deal about all-girl bands now; imagine the commotion these rad ladies caused in the Midwest in 1977.  BDR label head Jason has a busy 2013 planned for the label, which I’m quite excited for.  To get more insight into BDR check out the Q&A Jason was nice enough to participate in.  Many thanks to him!

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Three Random Queries For Jason Of BDR/Rerun Records 
1. Why the focus on reissues? 
“I'm a music fiend, record collector myself. I listen to all kinds of music, but I mainly collect '70s-mid '80s Punk, D.I.Y., indie New Wave, early HC, etc. It's just the time period I've always been into, since first hearing punk in the late '80s. My wife and I even did a radio show here in St. Louis on a non-commercial radio station for about twelve years, playing only music from that era. I had released some contemporary punk records in the early-mid '90s, under a few different label names, when I still lived in Wisconsin. The last label name I used was Rerun Records. I called it Rerun, because my first release under that name was a reissue of the first Boris the Sprinkler 7", a record I had released a few years prior. I didn't start out to release only reissues. In fact, I only did a few other releases in the '90s, and only one of those was a reissue. That was of a local record that had just come out a couple years before I repressed it. I moved to St. Louis in late 1998, and I stopped doing the label, for no good reason. Over the next eight or so years, I helped put together some reissue projects for other labels. One day, I just got the itch to release records again.  Since nobody had done much with the early St. Louis punk/indie bands, my friend Matt Harnish and I started talking about putting together a compilation of old, local bands. We began tracking down band members and got to hear lots of great music in the process. It quickly became evident that we had too much quality material to do a one-song-per-band compilation. We scrapped that idea and decided to do a collection of material by a band called raymilland. We released that to great praise, and the band even played a reunion show to a packed house. That motivated us to do more single band releases from our favorite St. Louis bands of the original punk era. All the St. Louis area releases are under BDR Records. I have Rerun (the R) and Matt's label is Bert Dax Cavalcade of Stars (the BD for Bert Dax). At the same time, I started working on non-local reissues for release on Rerun Records, which I run on my own.” 
2. What is your least favorite thing about doing a record label? 
“Really, I like all the aspects of it, since I do almost everything myself. Some things are truly a pain or more work than you could imagine, but it's very rewarding when a release gets finished. The two things that always disappoint me are projects that fall apart after I've put a lot of time and work into them, and mistakes on the final product. Luckily, I've only had a couple fall apart before getting released, and those are usually over some old band feud or a principle member not being available. The mistakes on the final product are my biggest pet peeve. Nothing major, but I've found a couple typos in liner notes or other small errors. It's not like I don't see the same type of things on even "professional" product, but you still hate to see that when you've proof read everything a few dozen times.” 
3. Do you have any favorite St. Louis bands that are currently playing? 
“I have to admit being somewhat out of touch with most of the current bands. My wife and I have had bands together for a dozen or so years, but we haven't been playing the last year or so. Work and a new baby have squeezed out band time for now. Just because we haven't been playing as many shows, I've not been attending near what I once did. There are a few I really like who are still active and I see every chance I can: Trauma Harness (from the IL side of the river, sorta like early Fall crossed with '70s DIY punk), Shaved Women (early '80s SST-core/Black Flag/Stains worship), and Pillow Talk (Birthday Party crossed with modern HC sounds...I guess that's how I'd put it).”

Faves of 2012 – Tevs #03

List time folks!  No countdowns or limits, just rad musical thangs that kicked buns this year.  Away we go! 

Longer:

Digital Leather ‘Modern Problems’ LP- P. Trash/FDH

Guided By Voices ‘Let’s Go Eat The Factory’ LP- GBV Inc.

The Atom Age ‘The Hottest Thing That’s Cool’ LP- Asian Man

Gentleman Jesse & His Men ‘Leaving Atlanta’ LP- Douchemaster

White Wires ‘III’ LP- Dirtnap

Ex-Cult S/T LP- Goner

E.D. Sedgwick ‘We Wear White’ LP- Dischord

Legendary Wings ‘Making Paper Roses’ LP- Dirtnap

Retisonic ‘Robots Fucking’ LP- Arctic Rodeo

Mrs. Magician ‘Strange Heaven’ LP- Swami

Royal Headache S/T LP- What’s Your Rupture?/R.I.P. Society

Ty Segall ‘Twins’ LP- Drag City

Shorter:

Yacht Club ‘Nonavera’ Digital Mixtape

Warm Soda ‘Reaction b/w In Another World’ 7”- Southpaw

The Suicide Notes ‘Suicide Note b/w Beach Song’ 7”- Hovercraft

The Ballantynes ‘Misery’ 7”- La-Ti-Da

Jacco Gardner ‘Where Will You Go b/w Summer’s Game’ 7”- Trouble In Mind

Young Guv & The Scuzz ‘A Love Too Strong’ 12” EP- Southpaw

The Resonars ‘Long Long Thoughts’ 7” EP- Trouble In Mind

Cops ‘Premonitions’ 7” EP- Rob’s House

Business:

Total Punk Records- Hottest Singles Series

Hosehead Records- Coolest Cassette Label

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The Resonars= Mind Blowing!

Ex-Cult S/T LP – Brand Spankin’ #11

Released November 2012

The self-titled debut album from Ex-Cult (FKA Sex Cult) is, quite simply, a ripper.  I’ve heard them referred to as “future punk” and that’s a pretty fitting description.  Plus it sounds cool as shit.  Ex-Cult blasts fuzzy, angular and cave-person-like tunes without over indulging in one particular style.  There’s urgency to the delivery and it comes with just a touch of pop to hold the fun-yet-ragged edges together.  Produced by Ty Segall and released by Goner Records, this debut delivers instant gratification while leaving more to discover upon repeated listens.  For you Goner fans out there, Ex-Cult could easily wind up being the flagship band of their future.  Either way, Ex-Cult is here and you better hop on before you get left in their space dust.

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E.D. Sedgwick ‘We Wear White’ LP – Brand Spankin’ #10

Released November 2012

The musical trajectory that is E.D. Sedgwick is a nice little ride.  In the beginning, 1999 to be exact, the act was dubbed Edie Sedgwick and featured constant mainstay Justin Moyer along with collaborator Ryan Hicks doing jazzy post-punk tunes about celebrities.  Some time went by and Mr. Moyer picked back up solo in 2004 with more songs about celebrities in a sparse-dancey-electronic fashion.  In 2011 Justin picked up a band, stopped singing about celebrities and started adding more rock elements back into the fold.  That brings us to ‘We Wear White’, the latest effort from the newly spelled E.D. Sedgwick, courtesy of the always-interesting Dischord Records.  The album features Moyer (who goes by E.D. Sedgwick btw) on guitar/vox, JosaFeen Wells on vox, Kristina Buddenhagen on bass/vox and Jess Matthews on drums.  ‘We Wear White’ is a fantastic album of art and aesthetic.  Angular and soulful, the band perfectly executes a unique sound that is as full of attitude as it is memorable hooks.  Tight rhythms, call-and-response vocals, clever lyrics and jagged guitar propel the album from start to finish.  Everything that E.D. Sedgwick hinted it could be over the years has now come to fruition.  If you’re looking for something fresh and creative, look no further than ‘We Wear White’.

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Link Wray And The Raymen ‘Big City After Dark’ 2 X 7” – Reissue! #02

Released November 2012

Until recently, I was familiar with Link Wray mostly by reputation and the song ‘Rumble’.  He was one of those guys on my list to get more acquainted with.  Well as fortune would have it, I grabbed the ‘Big City After Dark’ double 45 reissue from Sundazed during the latest Record Store Day event.  Credited to Link Wray And The Raymen (his brothers and friends), this set features two rare singles originally released by the Mala label in 1962.  I was pretty excited to open up the mini-gatefold jacket and throw the first side on the turntable.  What came out of the speakers next was mind melting!   Featuring overdriven guitar bends with heavy protopunk leanings and backed by a tight classic rock ‘n’ roll rhythm section, ‘Big City After Dark’ sounds like what many of the latest wave of garage rockers have been striving for.  The innovation and energy of Link’s guitar playing jumps right out and doesn’t let up through the entire set of tunes.  ‘Hold It’ is even more aggressive than ‘Big City After Dark’ and ‘Dance Party Pts. 1 & 2’ sound like awesome ragers.  Link sings a bit on those ones too.  I’m not typically into instrumentals in the rock realm, but Link Wray transcends the notion of an “instrumental” and blasts it to pieces.  Link deserves even more credit than he already gets and I’m looking forward to searching for more great cuts from him and his fabulous Raymen.

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Tune courtesy of Surfadelic

Bikini Kill 12” EP – Reissue! #01

Released November 2012

The first Bikini Kill 12” EP just got the 20^th Anniversary royal reissue treatment.  Originally released in 1992 by Kill Rock Stars, this EP now comes to us courtesy of the band’s own Bikini Kill Records.  Bikini Kill was punk, fierce, smart and funny.  They demanded “revolution girl style now!” and they got it.  The positive effects of the Riot Grrrl movement are still being felt 20 years later.  What’s more, the core ethos of the movement took on a life of it’s own after it’s first incarnation and stretched out in many different directions.  The female-centric counter culture it inspired is still present in everything from music and art (think Denver’s own Titwrench Fest) to small businesses and beyond.  Now back to the record itself.  As soon as the needle dropped on the first track and that famous quote faded into the pummeling riff that begins ‘Double Dare Ya’ I was re-hooked.  The songs on this record are immediate and raw and they still hold up today.  Their best music was yet to come, but this was a statement record.  Kathleen, Tobi, Kathi and Billy were announcing themselves and letting anyone who listened know they had something to say.  The rest is pretty much history.  The reissue includes a new fanzine poster and some cool liner notes.   Although the Reissue! category of this blog was formulated to cover obscurities, this EP is most widely know as the first half of ‘The CD Version Of The First Two Records’, so having it rereleased in the original format is close enough.  I’m looking forward to more vinyl reissues from Bikini Kill, especially since CD’s suck my left one.  Wink!

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Ty Segall “Twins” LP – Brand Spankin’ #09

Released October 2012

SF, CA’s Ty Segall consistently cranks out great tunes.  Whether on his own, with his band or with collaborators the guy is a rock machine.  While the quantity of his output is impressive, the quantity pales in comparison to its quality.  Enter “Twins”, Ty’s latest album recently released by Drag City.  Mind= Blown!  I’m pretty sure this is his best album.  It is pure blown-out, psych-fuzz, garage-punk genius.  “Twins” now takes the top spot of my fave albums of the year and it’s gonna take a mighty effort for it to be displaced.  Yes, it’s that good.  There’s not much else to say.  Go have a listen.  If you don’t agree, listen again!

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Plastic 350 Records And Infinity Cat Recordings – Willing And Label #03

Nashville is a pretty happening place from what I can gather.  One needs to look no further for evidence than the tandem of Plastic 350 Records and Infinity Cat Recordings.  Infinity Cat is at the top of the hill when it comes to the current wave of garage-punk-fuzz excellence.  Acts like JEFF The Brotherhood and Cy Barkley & The Way Outsiders (previously covered on this here blog) have seen to that. But did you know Infinity Cat has a cool little subsidiary called Plastic 350 Records where there is a modest stable of pop oriented artists?  While I had heard of Plastic 350, I didn’t know much about them until my new e-pal Bob, trusty label employee, responded to the post on Cy B. & TWO.  He was nice enough to send a package of some records so I could do this spotlight. Included were copies of the two latest offerings from Plastic 350- “Space” by Monkey Bowl and “Apples And Oranges” by Art Circus.  Monkey Bowl has lush, spacious pop tunes where piano is a prominent fixture while Art Circus’ pop-craft bounces along with electronic flourishes.  These albums are a nice change of pace and sound quite fresh in a world where many of the best pop intentions get ruined by overproduction.  The gem of the package for me was “Album” by Skyblazer, released earlier this year on Infinity Cat.  Skyblazer was a short-lived project featuring JEFF The Brotherhood and a couple pals.  They recorded album in 2006 and it lay dormant until the cats at Cat pressed it to vinyl.  Think Deep Purple Mach II with a healthy dose of female vocals and you’d be in the right neighborhood.  Much appreciation goes to Bob for sharing the rad music.  Check out the Q & A below for more insight into these two fine labels.

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Three Random Queries For Bob Of Plastic 350/Infinity Cat 

1. What's been the best thing to come out of having Plastic 350 be the home of the pop-oriented music?

“When Infinity Cat started there was a very eclectic mix of rock and pop and punk, just whatever we thought was good. But about five years ago, we decided to laser-focus Infinity Cat on bands like Heavy Cream, JEFF The Brotherhood, Diarrhea Planet, etc.- in other words, bands that would actually tour together. We wanted fans to know that if they liked our core bands, and we put a Hell Beach record on the site, they'd probably like that too. And that's exactly what happened. In the meantime, I was still producing cool indie pop like Art Circus and we needed a home for those records. So Plastic 350 was born, named after the first Monkey Bowl album. And we've got all kinds of good stuff coming!”

2. What is your least favorite thing about doing a record label?
“There's nothing I don't like about it- except when the Post Office lets a package sit in the sun and the vinyl warps!”
 3. Who made the Infinity Cat logo?

“Jake made that up when he was in high school. It was before we had a label- he drew 100's of them. We named the label after the drawing and picked one to be the standard.”

 

Playing Catch-Up – Tevs #02

Much as I wish I had all the time in the world, I don’t.  A side effect of my linear corporealness is that I can’t write detailed posts about all the music that I wish I could write about.  In an effort to catch up on things I want to share, below is a list of awesome records that have come out over the last several months.  So, you’re gonna have to do more digging on your own.  Trust me, it’s worth the effort!

  Mrs. Magician ‘Strange Heaven’ LP (Swami)

Royal Headache S/T LP (R.I.P. Society)

The Soft Pack ‘Strapped’ LP (Mexican Summer)

White Lung ‘Sorry’ LP (Deranged)

Something Fierce/Occult Detective Club Split 10” (Dirtnap)

The Briefs ‘Singles Only’ 7” Box Set (Modern Action)

Suicide Notes ‘Suicide Note’ 7” (Hovercraft)

White Wires ‘Crazy’ 7” (Total Punk)

Northwest Company ‘Hard To Cry’ 7” (Ugly Pop)

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Legendary Wings ‘Paper Roses’ LP – Brand Spankin’ #08

Released October 2012

Looking for fuzzy, blown-out, melodic rock ‘n’ roll bliss?  Well, look no further than ‘Paper Roses’, the new LP by Kalamazoo, MI's own Legendary Wings.  These guys had a 7” come out a few years ago that stayed on my turntable for ages.  After awhile I was thinking- these folks gonna do anything else?  The always sharp Dirtnap Records must’ve heard me and presented the world with this incredible record!  Legendary Wings strikes that balance between rockin’ tunes with your pals while poppin’ the tops on tallboys and honing tightly crafted melodies that are custom-made for repeat listens.  What the eff does that mean?  It means you can pump your fist and sing along with every track without getting bored by the pomp and polish that can ruin so many similar efforts.  Just blast the track posted here, courtesy of the excellent Get Bent, for evidence.  Once you’ve decided you agree with everything I’ve said (and you will) you can rush over to Dirtnap’s site and see if there are anymore gold vinyl versions of ‘Paper Roses’ available.  This record has jumped into the mix for my album of the year!

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La-Ti-Da Records - Willing And Label #02

A recurring theme in my record collecting seems to be random discovery. I like a band, find out they have a record out on a label that’s new to me and then… BAM! Another cool label with more bitchin’ bands. That’s exactly how I came across La-Ti-Da Records, a boutique style label from Vancouver, BC. Yup, Canada. Get used to it folks. Anyhoo, I dig The Tranzmitors and Needles//Pins quite a bit and in roaming the ‘net I discovered they had 7” singles coming out on the aforementioned La-Ti-Da. The two singles were part of a new Spring Collection that included three other singles by The React!, The Ballantynes and Fist City. Also in the pack was a cool hand screened card that featured buttons of the five bands and the label. I’m a sucker for singles series and similar things so I figured I’d get the pack. Great decision. Five excellent singles with some of the raddest packaging designs north of Mexico. Super crisp artwork on the sleeves and center labels. The tunes themselves are all outstanding. Fist City and Needles//Pins lean more towards the punk side of garage-rock while The Tranzmitors have perfected the late-70’s British power-pop sound with maximum catchiness. My two favorite records of the batch come from The React! and The Ballantynes. The React! turn in two garage-psych stompers while The Ballantynes offer up two jangly tunes heavily influenced by 60’s R&B and the girl-group sound. It’s safe to say I’m super pumped on this label and will be checking out their back catalogue to catch up on what I’ve missed. In the meantime, preview some tunes and peruse the e-chat I had La-Ti-Da’s own Tim Horner. Much appreciation for his time, especially since the crew is getting ready for The Fall Down/Get Down event they’re putting on next month. Be sure to check out their website for all their latest and greatest! 

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Three Random Queries For Tim Of La-Ti-Da Records

 1. Who designs your art- sleeves, labels, etc?

"While there’s four of us running the label (myself plus Vanessa Dandurand and Corey Poluk, who've been working double time on our upcoming weekender, The Fall Down/Get Down), Dale Davies designs all our labels and the lion’s share of our sleeves and flyers. A professional graphic designer, college instructor and design nerd, Dale has created that very decided consistency that has run through all of our releases, dating back to 2005."

2. What is your least favorite thing about doing a record label?

"Canada Post’s international shipping rates."

3. Why are there so many awesome bands in Canada?

"There truly are so, so many awesome bands in this country, both past and present. There are regional factors that can be attributed to a lot of this, but one thing that runs coast-to-coast among Canadian bands is that sorta retarded kid brother mentality, always trying to impress or outshine the older sibling. That older sibling takes the form of already established bands within the given Canadian scenes or the more influential bands stateside. Some of the bands get it completely wrong, but others raise the bar super high."

Warm Soda ‘Reaction b/w In Another World’ 7” – Brand Spankin’ #07

Released September 2012

Over the summer I was all like “Hey, who’s going to see Bare Wires?” when they were slated to hit Denver that next evening.  The answer was… nobody.  I found out they had imploded halfway through the tour that was to bring them to my fair city.  Enough has been written about that, so onward!  Matthew Melton is a songwriting machine and has quickly rebounded with his new outfit, Warm Soda (Rob Good and Sam Lefebvre round out the trio).  Warm Soda will naturally be compared to Bare Wires due to Mr. Melton’s distinctive song craft and voice, but there is a little more pep in this group’s sound.  The evidence is apparent on their debut 7”, ‘Reaction b/w In Another World’, courtesy of Southpaw Records.  The two power-pop gems on this 45 fit firmly between the aforementioned Bare Wires and another Melton vehicle, Snake Flower 2.  Vocal hooks, smart instrumentation and laid-back-yet-controlled execution propel this debut record. If history is any indication, Warm Soda will be cranking out more hits in no time!  Hurry up and get the 7” on peachy marble vinyl if ya still can. 

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