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John Garcia

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Unsure who sent me this one, whomever it was, I apologize in advance.......John Garcia was, of course, originally with Kyuss, and has also sung for a couple of other great stoner bands, Slo Burn and Unida (love them both).....this album, his self titled 201 release, obviously owes a lot to the other bands mentioned here, but you know I love me some 00-10's stoner rock, an underappreciated (in it's time, of course) genre if there ever was one since that early 70's psych rock I love so much......anyway, this is fab, surprised I've not run accross it before now, and thanks a load to whomever sent it to me......if YOU did, please step forth and take credit, a good share/submission.....

JOHN GARCIA-01 My Mind/02 Rolling Stoned/03 Flower/04 The Blvd/05 5000 Miles/06 Confusion/07 His Bullets Energy/08 Argleben/09 Saddleback/10 All These Walls/11 Her Bullets Energy



March

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Once again, unsure who sent me this (I apologize, I am horribly unorganized)....I suspect John N but  I am unsure, lost the tag......anyway, here is some good loud/fast punk rock from The Netherlands.......it's no classic, but it is GOOD, screamed. hoarse female vocals, sloppy punk back-noise......what more could you want? Reminds me a bit of the Distillers if you need a reference point, pretty damn good though......another of those tricky 2016 releases, so if ya want it.....you know the rap........good punk album, "Nightmare" in particular, bit there are highlights all over the place.

STAY PUT-01 Head Shears/02 On the Chin/03 Hit & Miss/04 Nightmare/05 Stand In Line/06 Big Wave/ 07 Dead of Night/08 Sometimes/09 Staring Back/10 Illusive Paradise/11 Such a Drag/12 In Vain

Suzerain

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Ok, last one for today, and again I am not 100% certain who sent me this one, although I'd give odds it was likely John N.......enjoyable album, really, dark, creepy....the UK, I gather that this is not their first release, but it IS the only one happen to have.......this is yet ANOTHER 2016 release, and by now you know what THAT means.......I liked this one, influenced by maybe NIN and perhaps Bowie ca. "Berlin".....it just gives you that same creepy feeling that "Berlin" and some of the classic NIN albums send through your spine.

Enjoyed this one, probably not year-end best-of material, but worth giving a listen too.....again, I know this is NOT their first release, so if anyone happens to have any earlier releases, please come forward!

IDENTITY-01 Identity/02 Anytime/03 Dark Dark/04 I Know You So Well/05 Good Day/06 Frenzy/07 Edging Out/08 Always/09 Palm of Her Hand/10 200/11 Black & White/12 Hide Yourself

Brian - The Leonard Cohen Covers Project

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(You know, when I was putting this together, I had this eerie feeling about Leonard. Given the impetus that Bowie and P dying provided, I wondered if he was gonna go. I'm glad I made this unintended memorial tribute to him. I spent all day Saturday listening to my Cohen CDs, and I'm feeling the loss. So, on to my original intro, and sorry about the cover screw up. It looked like Lenny to me...)

Awhile ago, I was listening to the I'm Your Fan and Tower of Song tributes. I wondered if I could make my own Leonard Cohen covers compilation, since there were some faves of mine that aren't on either of those. In the end, this comp stands on its own. And it's better. Yep, I said it.

And I couldn't have done it without Jonder. He helped me find cool songs, made the album cover, and helped with editing down two of the key tracks on disc 2. Both of these time out perfectly - just under 80 minutes - cuz I like burning these to disc and giving them to people. Now, on to my pal Jonder for some words on the cover, and about the lead off track for this compilation....

"Brian asked me to make a cover image for his compilation of Leonard Cohen songs.  For no particular reason I tried to make it look like London Calling (which was a nod to the image of Elvis Presley's first LP).   I also asked Brian to include my personal favorite Leonard Cohen cover.

If the Dancing Hoods are remembered at all these days, it is most often as Mark Linkous' band before Sparklehorse.  People who haven't listened to the Dancing Hoods have little idea that Mark could play like Johnny Thunders.  The group's version of Cohen's "Diamonds In The Mine" recasts a gloomy ballad as a frantic rocker with horns and piano. Cohen's lyrics carry a hint of malice: the Hoods' singer sneers the words like he'd just as soon spit in your face. I think it's a great arrangement -- as different from Cohen's original as Cohen himself is different from Elvis Presley or the Clash." 

(This song fucking rocks! - Brian)
----

The song that was singlehandedly responsible for me (Brian) being a Cohen fan as a teen was Concrete Blonde's version of "Everybody Knows". I've loved it since I first heard it in Pump Up the Volume. Never made sense to me that it wasn't on the two big Cohen tributes previously mentioned, especially as one of their versions was by Don Henley? Blecch.

Ane Brun brings a weathered yet graceful country lilt to "Ain't No Cure For Love". Cobra Verde give "So Long, Marianne" a strident Brit Pop feel. Nana Mouskori's "The Guests" is haunting, especially with the vocals on the chorus. A surprise to me, Billy Joel's "Light As The Breeze" has got more soul to it than I think I've heard from him in a long time. Cookies 'N Beans' version of "First We Take Manhattan" is unique; Appalachian swing, maybe? Scottish group Close Lobsters remake "Paper Thin Hotel" as pure jangle pop. 

Carol Laure sings a beautiful "Coming Back To You", gently supported by orchestra. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds' moodily dark version of "Avalanche" is on From Her To Eternity, but you knew that, right? There's any number of versions of "Bird On A Wire" (Johnny Cash's comes to mind), but I like Fairport Convention's. Sandy Denny's voice is just lovely. One of my favorite English groups.

Matthew Barber's "The Partisan" is sparse and beautiful, just like Cohen's original. Madeleine Peyroux recasts "Dance Me To the End of Love" as a jazzy torch song. The Shivers'"Chelsea Hotel #2" is one of the most beautifully stark things I've ever heard. Ian McCullough's "Lover Lover Lover" is pure pop. Sharon Robinson's "Alexandra Leaving" is lovely, even if it has a touch of compression on it. Another surprise to me was stumbling on Beck's cover of "Winter Lady" right at the same time Scott posted those Record Club albums.

The Jesus and Mary Chain's version of "Tower of Song" was unknown to Jonder, Scott, and I. It opens disc 2, and it just drips cool. It's like the moment when their VU worship achieved critical mass! Befitting the title, Patricia O'Callaghan's cover of "A Singer Must Die" is almost operatic at times. I love how she sings the "hinge of her thighs/beauty's disguise" verse. "Ballad Of the Absent Mare" sounds best when sung by a woman, and Perla Batalla's version is lovely.

Stina Nordenstam (remember her "People Are Strange"?) reinvents "I Came So Far For Beauty" as a grungy little rocker. Harvey Milk's cover of "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong" is bleary-eyed and beautifully strained. "Hallelujah" is not only Cohen's most covered song, I think it holds some kind of record of number of versions. I was either gonna go with John Cale's (long a favorite) or Jeff Buckley's. Jonder came across this great version of Buckley's off of Live at Sin-é. He did a little bit of editing so it ended perfectly.

Pearls Before Swine spins a "Suzanne" that's just lovely, even down to the singer's lisp, which I never noticed on their cover of "I Shall Be Released". Lizzie West flips the gender coin on "I'm Your Man", and it works wonderfully. Laura Love gives "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" a nice bluegrass melody. Mirah sings a driving and dramatic "Story of Isaac", with a beautiful acoustic solo.

Human Drama's "If It Be Your Will" is very much a march, being more uplifting than Cohen's mournful original. Area's "Sisters of Mercy" is beautiful and hymn-like. Patrizio Trambetti's "Take This Waltz" matches the warm Italian vocals with a guy who sounds like either Tom Waits or Shel Silverstein! 

Marianne Faithful's cover of "Going Home" is great, with her creakily singing the lines about Leonard being "a lazy bastard living in a suit". Peter Astor's "Take This Longing" was an 11th hour Jonder submission, and I like it. And old school Goth doesn't get much better than Coil's version of "Who By Fire".

I knew I was gonna have the three "J"'s here - Joan BaezJudy Collins, and - of course - Jennifer Warnes. They've covered many of the same Cohen tunes, so the question was: who was gonna do what song? It was a tough choice. I ended up with Joan's version of "Famous Blue Raincoat" hauntingly closing Disc 1, Judy's lovely "Song of Bernadette" holding up the middle of Disc 2, and Jennifer's "Joan of Arc" bringing the house down at the end of it all. All three of them are live versions, and the ladies nail it!

1. Dancing Hoods - Diamonds In the Mine.
2. Concrete Blonde - Everybody Knows 
3. Ane Brun - Ain't No Cure For Love
4. Cobra Verde - So Long, Marianne
5. Nana Mouskouri - The Guests
6. Billy Joel - Light As The Breeze
7. Cookies 'N Beans - First We Take Manhattan 
8. Close Lobsters - Paper Thin Hotel
9. Carol Laure - Coming Back To You
10. Nick Cave/Bad Seeds - Avalanche 
11. Fairport Convention - Bird On A Wire
12. Matthew Barber - The Partisan
13. Madeleine Peyroux - Dance Me to the End of Love
14. The Shivers - Chelsea Hotel #2
15. Ian McCullough - Lover Lover Lover 
16. Sharon Robinson - Alexandra Leaving
17. Beck - Winter Lady
18. Joan Baez - Famous Blue Raincoat 

1. Jesus and Mary Chain - Tower Of Song
2. Patricia O'Callaghan - A Singer Must Die
3. Perla Batalla - Ballad Of the Absent Mare
4. Stina Nordenstam - I Came So Far For Beauty 
5. Harvey Milk - One of Us Cannot Be Wrong 
6. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (live)
7. Pearls Before Swine - Suzanne
8. Lizzie West - I'm Your Man
9. Laura Love - Hey That's  No Way to Say Goodbye
10. Judy Collins - Song Of Bernadette
11. Mirah - Story of Isaac
12. Human Drama - If It Be Your Will
13. Area - Sisters of Mercy
14. Patrizio Trambetti - Take This Waltz
15. Marianne Faithfull - Going Home 
16. Coil - Who By Fire
18. Jennifer Warnes - Joan of Arc (live)

Rest assured, I sweated out this comp until I felt it was perfect. I can't top this one, kids. Big thanks again to Jonder for being my right hand on this. And that cover is awesome! For no particular reason, I've included a comedy bonus link.

A Leonard Cohen submission

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My longtime friend/blogging cohort Petty Vendetta sent this the other day, it was also posted on his site......it's Leonard Cohen with a batch of poetry readings.....personally I found it amazing, "interesting" would be too mild a term.......I have another Cohen submission (from John N) coming up, maybe today but if not tomorrow (damn download limits!), and it's great that the blogosphere respects and honors the late greats.........I'm not going to go into a hell of a lot of detail here, as this submission speaks for itself.......also, in case you didn't see it, Brian bumped up his great Cohen covers project, which was submitted, eerily, a few days/weeks before his passing.........it's one of Brian's best works, I said so even before Mr. Cohen passed, so if you haven't checked it PLEASE do, and also, don't miss this spoken word collection (it is great), and either tonight or tomorrow, I will post the 2-disc "Essential Leonard Cohen", sent by none other than link-master John N.........meantime check this, it's great and a respectful tribute.



http://pettyvendetta.com/led%CE%B7ard-cdhe%CE%B7-%E2%98%85-master-pdems/

Something WAY different from Zigzagwanderer

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Zigzagwanderer has, of late, been a valuable contributor to this site, and this time he sends some work from Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal.....honestly? Never heard of him.....however, "anything goes" (within reason) has long been my mantra, I mean, fuck, if ONE PERSON discovers this guy's work and likes it, hell, I've done my part in improving that person's life......fine by me......I have NOT listened to these, I give ato you his original email and you can decide for yourself if this guy sounds like something you would be into, by all means, expand those horizons.......I'm going to save them and listen to them at some point, and just to drive the point home: you can submit ANYTHING here, and chances are pretty damn good that go ahead and post it, because I love for the readers to be involved, AND I think that the more variety I can post here, the more I can give this blog some type of individual personality..........they are here if ya want em, if not, well.......of course there will be something else for ya in a few minutes!

Quite a bunch of em, which is a GREAT thing, SHARING is what we are all about here, so indulge if you so desire!
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I recently uploaded a collection of Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal albums for another blog , his work is generally referred to as jazz , great underated guitarist & well worth a listen . I don't know if it will fit the remit of your blog but if you think it may a list of albums & links is attached .
                           Take it easy .......
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01 Bleak House
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/X9ifVO0s/file.html

02 Min Bul
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/J9VznACP/file.html

03 Terje Rydpal
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/gSBPQxXe/file.html

04 - What Comes After
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/CXsSzW0b/file.html

05 Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/7TE9EJIo/file.html

06 . Odyssey Live
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/qtfngqPr/file.html

07 After The Rain
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/ya81VkiY/file.html

08 Waves
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/DW3SvVrV/file.html

09 Terje Rydpal , Miroslav Vitous , Jack DeJohnette
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/qkysuWTj/file.html

10 Descendre
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/33JSwcnK/file.html

11 To Be Continued
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/DqOE5DNK/file.html

12 Eos
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/1soORDO3/file.html

13 Works
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/I5x1mXoH/file.html

14 Chaser
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/Y2EsvAMb/file.html

15 Blue
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/nk5cuv3J/file.html

16 Singles Collection
http://www64.zippyshare.com/v/MZuNB9vL/file.html

17 Undisonus , Ineo
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/qWJaLRim/file.html

18 QED
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/cEobUMAa/file.html

19 If Mountains Could Sing
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/rQO2SAxJ/file.html

20 Live In Stuttgart
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/gCAakTEK/file.html

21 Skywards
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/mVfUmwv0/file.html

22 Rydpal & Tekro II
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/YrvTJT6f/file.html

23 Double Concerto , 5th. Symphony
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/ONGoPoTe/file.html

24 Lux Aeterna
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/xgtq35my/file.html

25 Selected Recordings Rarum
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/Lw6VOWJk/file.html

26 Vossabryg
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/QjWsNAZ6/file.html

27 Live In Europe
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/dMPPDfV0/file.html

28 Crime Scene
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/eAJJwB6O/file.html

29 Odyssey , In Studio & In Concert
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/Ykaq4yPe/file.html
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/Q9tIG2ce/file.html
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/uAO1tDAF/file.html

30 Melodic Warrior
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/swplBV8B/file.html

Garage Fuzz Part 10

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I'm glad so many are enjoying the Garage Fuzz comps, It really is enormous and comprehensive and, I said before, I don't recall how I formatted it the first time, but it didn't really work I think how I'm doing it on "round 2" (alphabetically) may be a better method....and with that said, we are up to letter "J", ie, Part 10 of the series....."J' doesn't contain as much stuff as I thought it might, so it's a rather small batch, but, thre are more KILLER tracks on it, (like, say, ALL of them), so enjoy, and be looking for letter "K" in a day or two....

PART 10-01 JJ LANCASTER-So Unkind/02 JACK HENNIG AND THE BREAKING POINT GROUP-Maybe Tomorrow/03 JADE-I'm Leaving You/04 JADES 404-When Shadows Fall/05 JAMS AND JELLIES-For Your Love/06 JAY-JAYS-I Keep Trying/07 JEFFERSON LEE-Scorcella/08 JIMMY BURTON-Jimmy's Blues/09 JIMMY GORDON-Buzzzz/10 JIMMY WINSTON & HIS REFLECTIONS-Sorry She's Mine/11 JINX-Come on Up/12 JOHN HATTON & THE DEVOTIONS-I Should Be Ashamed/13 JONAH & THE WHALES-It's Great/14 JOYS OF LIFE-Descent/15 JURY-Who Dat

Sad13

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(scott) This is a John N submission, which nicely compliments an earlier share from Jon S (Speedy
Ortiz)....I'm including a write-up with this one, because it's a well-written review, and, also, I carpet bombed this one today, and, yes, this is a damn fine release......Sadie Dupuis (of Speedy Ortiz) solo efforts go by the name Sad13, and this particular album, "Slugger", is really VERY good, quite possibly year-end material.....this is pretty much a departure from the Speedy Ortiz post of a little while back, as the review tells you, BUT, I still found it pretty damn good........could that just be my obvious weakness for chick singers? Maybe so, but I really did like this one, more "synth-pop" than the grungy Speedy Ortiz, but still pretty bitchin'!

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With Speedy Ortiz, Sadie Dupuis unleashes gnarled and dexterous guitar melodies that mimic and intersect with her distinctive, sing-songy vocal melodies; the band's noisy outbursts both bolster her furious word-slinging and belie the poetic honesty at the core of her songs. Dupuis started Speedy Ortiz as a solitary songwriting outlet, but as the band grew over the last few years, Dupuis started to miss the sanctuary and creative autonomy that bedroom recording once provided.NURSING a breakup, Dupuis sought a change of scenery away from her home in Northampton, Mass., and relocated to Philadelphia. Reinvigorated by the flourishing and inclusive music scene there, she got to work on something new.

The resulting album, Slugger — Dupuis' solo debut under the self-referential moniker Sad13 — represents a dramatic sea change. Written, recorded and self-produced in a two-week flurry, it sees Dupuis gravitating away from the grungy, guitar-based rockers she's best known for, and moving towards shimmering synth-pop and R&B (an aesthetic she first toyed with in "Puffer," one of the highlights on Speedy Ortiz's 2015 album, Foil Deer). Recalling contemporary hit-makers like Kelis, Britney Spears, Charli XCX and Santigold, Sad13's songs are brimming with the kinds of taut hooks, layers of flittering keyboards andELECTRONIC beats that'll get everyone bobbing and moving on the dance floor instead of in the mosh pit.

The transformation can be heard from the jump — in the chiming synths and staticky squalor in the standout opener, "<2"; the woozy, waltzing feel and blipping sequencers of "The Sting"; the feverish distortion in "Line Up"; the glitzy analog leads and buoyant drum-machine groove of "Just A Friend." Sad13 gets more sinister with "Fixina," which uses ominous, grinding textures to embody the seductive dependency of love even when it's bad for you: "A wonderland of narcotics / That's our love, if I'm being honest," she seethes, conjuring the brooding and gorgeous industrial pop of Garbage. Elsewhere, "Coming Into Powers" blurs rock with hip-hop in an anthem about championing marginalized voices: "F*** you, pay me what you owe / I sweat harder than those who got handed MONEY cuz their birth was landed." Then, rapper and producer Sammus proudly shouts down any remaining doubters: "...Who says that you can't make dope art and go far? Blowhards with no bars."

Throughout Slugger, glossy production and catchy choruses are deployed as counterpoint for Sad13's empowering and self-actualizing feminist themes. On the highlight single, "Get A Yes," Dupuis flips the script on pop songs that often portrayWOMEN as objects to be won by men, reemphasizing their agency and making mutual consent as alluring and sexy as it is important. "I say yes to the dress when I put it on / I say yes if I want you to take it off / I say yes for your touch when I need your touch / I say yes if I want to / If you want to, you've gotta get a yes," she sings in the chorus. It's an impactful, normalizing message for anyone, but — considering the prevalence of these issues in our current national discourse — it's especially resonant right now.

Elsewhere, Dupuis adds nuanced complexity as she addresses gender roles and platonic friendships ("Just A Friend"), and reflects on identity and balancing her internal and external selves as she denies others' ability to define her ("<2"). And both "Devil In U" and "Tell U What" recount being mistreated and devalued in relationships with people that assert their own demons and impossible expectations as a means of control and mental abuse. "You just throw me round like trash when I'm worth every dime you have / Tell you what: I'm not worth your violence," she says in "Tell U What."

Later, "Hype" explores those threads more broadly as a fierce indictment of how the efforts of women, people of color and non-binary artists are undercut by insidious, institutional misogyny in media, the music industry and online. Raw and unfiltered, she later turns a corner, singing "Claws protracted, but we're not scratching / We boost each other up... I just want to hype my best girls"— a nod to a burgeoning community of like-minded musical peers, and the safe spaces they've carved out for fans.

Sadie Dupuis has earned a reputation for her dynamic, literary lyrics and the way they regularly toggle between knotty linguistic wordplay ("If beauty is a terror, will the snow cover the evidence of love as something beautiful?") and knife-twisting one-liners that cut straight to the bone ("They let in every boy but I'm the only girl in sight."). Yet she writes with considered purpose: Regardless of whether she's ruminating over her vulnerabilities, revealing personal details of past toxic relationships or lifting people up with ferocious rallying cries, Dupuis doesn't mince her words. Even amid the fizzy pop embellishments that make Slugger so infectiously fun to listen to, Sad13 isTHANKFULLY as unapologetic and vital a voice as ever.


Shadowland

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Not sure who sent me this one, REALLY sorry to whomever did.......I was unfamiliar with this band, looked them up and couldn't find a hell of a lot of info, but apparently they are from the UK, and this alabum (self titled) is a 2015 release......it's so-so, the singer is GENUINELY annoying, but one of my friends liked it enough to share it with us, so lt's ALL be grateful......simply put, some Iron Maiden-style, 1980's type of European metal.......I've been listening to it, and it's not a horrible effort, it's OK, hey if you are a metal head, rejoice, you most likely might enjoy this a bit, that singer annoys me to the point I will likely NOT listen to it again, but, hey, if you grew up in the 80's (I grew up in the 70's, junior), this is the kinda metal you were raised upon, and this band does a fair job of recreating that sound.....I suspect Spider probably sent me this one, but unsure, and again, I apologize, and if the submitter will identify his/herself, I will properly credit him/her!

SHADOWLAND-01 Camp Crystal Lake/02 Curse of the Black Plague/03 Svartbekken/04 I Am Ted/05 The Pit and the Pendulum/06 Exorcism

My fave is "Svartbekken" if you care.......

The Men

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(scott) Let's not miss this one.....a recent (2016) release from The Men, "Devil Music"......this rocks like a mofo, as another attached and well-written review will tell you....this is, you guessed it, another submission from John N, who has more album links than I have mental issues (that means A LOT), this is a tremendous one, the kind of thing we wait around on......if you're a lover of pure hard rock n roll, which is how I'd describe myself, you will not wish to miss this one, I'm tellin' ya......this is a hard rocking album, enjoy!
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The story of the Men goes something like this: In 2011, the Brooklyn four-piece, led by guitarists and singers Mark Perro and Nick Chiericozzi, release Leave Home on Sacred Bones, the band’s second and first widely-available LP. Its strangely inviting blend of post-hardcore, noise-metal and shoegaze is a shot in the arm to the genre. The band’s profile rises. And then—surprisingly, inexorably—the Men ditch the art-punk game for classic-rock traditionalism over the course of three short years, embracing Tom Petty, the Band, and Crazy Horse for three often-brilliant records. 

By 2014, the end of that initial prolific run, the Men (by then a quintet) had charted a straight path from indie rock's outer reaches (Leave Home) to its catchier, college-rock middle ground (2012’s near-perfect Open Your Heart) to something approaching dad rock for drunks (2013’s New Moon, 2014’s underrated Tomorrow’s Hits). In that time, the Men drove steadily away from noise and bombast toward harmonies and hooks, without entirely scrubbing away the grime that first defined them.

Devil Music spins theCAR around 180 degrees and heads roaring back toward the psych-punk abandon of the Men’s early years. Released on the band’s own We Are the Men Records, and the crew’s first since parting ways with producer/multi-instrumentalist Ben Greenberg, the caustic, stubbornly lo-fi Devil Music sizzles like a hot coal—the Stooges, MC5, and Mudhoney compressed into an angry little ball.

On first listen, the album’s nine tracks can sound a little half-baked, like the band simply set up some recording gear in their practice room and ran through a few songs they had yet to entirely finish. Which is pretty much what they did: The quartet tracked nearly everything on Devil Music, including vocals, live to 1/2-inch tape in their basement practice space over the course of a single weekend. Some of the lyrics were improvised on the spot. While the feral recording quality is certainly an asset, the songwriting isn’t as nuanced or well-considered as it is on their best tracks—“Open Your Heart,” “Half Angel Half Light,” “Different Days.” Lead-single “Lion’s Den”—in many ways the record’s mission statement—is a stumbling panic attack of screeching guitar, crashing cymbals, and skronking sax.

So, yes, the melodies are harder to find. Though clearly that was the point: The Men weren’t trying to make a record you could sing along to. Devil Music is sweat, heat, and brute force above all. The song titles themselves suggest what the music does to your body: “Hit the Ground,” “Fire,” “Gun,” “Violate.” “Dreamer” is an amphetamine rush of Motörheadriffs and narcotized synths; the snarling, feedback-drenched guitars on “Violate” sound like they might rip through your chest, like Lou Reed’s paint-peeling solos on “I Heard Her Call My Name.” The Men sound exhausted by the urban grind, yet defiant. “I’m sick andTIRED of the city ’cause it gives me no place to hide,” Perro half-screams on “Fire.” On “Hit the Ground,” he vows to burn the whole place to the ground.

Ragers are in the Men’s wheelhouse, and they pull these songs off with savage aplomb. The addition of that skronking sax, which pops up throughout the record, is a welcome addition to the Men’s manic sound. Few other bands display such a giddy, almost childlike enthusiasm for rock ‘n’ roll catharsis. AndDevil Music is an endearing testament to that passion.

Yet it’s disappointing that the Men felt compelled, for really the first time, to look backward. A band that built a legacy out of defying expectations and embracing a grab bag of genres for each new record—folk, classic rock, post-rock, noise, SST indie—returns to their scuzz-punk beginnings to make the most uniform album of their career. The Men are at their best when they’re testing the limits of their abilities, singing harmonies and writing hooks that wrench them out of their comfort zones. For all its wrath and fury, Devil Music feels safe and predictable. It’s a hell of a party, but it’s one we’ve been to before.

DEVIL MUSIC-01 Dreamer/02 Crime/03 Ridin On/04 Lions Den/05 Paterns/06 Violate/07 Hit the Ground/08 Devil Music/09 Gun/10 Fire

The Essential Leonard Cohen

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Packaged today as "bookend " posts, we have another Leonard Cohen collection, this one generously sent our way by John N......quite obviously, we've been going through a bit of a Cohen phase 'round here, even before his passing, witness Brian's masterful covers project, as well as some of the live submissions, the spoken word issue, etc......so obviously now is perfect time to tribute the man with this collection, some of his best stuff, may he rest in piece, he had a talent that VERY few of us posses, and will truly be missed......the best thing we can ALL do is listen to these discs, appreciate the genius, and go on with life, I guess, BUT if anyone has anymore Cohen material, please......this is the time to submit it......Thanks to John N for this one, and for everyone else who has taken notice of his passing and contributed to this blog.

He certainly will be missed.

DISC 1-01 Suzanne/02 The Stranger Song/03 Sisters of Mercy/04 Hey, That's Not the Way to Say Goodbye/05 So Long, Marianne/06 Bird on a Wire/07 The Partisian/08 Famous Blue Raincoat/09 Chelsea Hotel #2/10 Take This Longing/11 Who by Fire/12 The Guests/13 Hallelujah/14 If It Be Your Will/15 Night Comes On/16 I'm Your Man/17 Everybody Knows/18 Tower of Song

DISC 2-01 Ain't No Cure For Love/02 Take This Waltz/03 First We Take Manhatten/04 Dance Me to the End of Love (Live)/05 The Future/06 Democracy/07 Waiting For the Miracle/08 Closing Time/09 Anthem/10 In My Secret Life/11 Alexandra Leaving/12 A Thousand Kisses Deep/13 Love Itself

Ready for reggae? Time for "Cliff Notes"!

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(scott)-welcome back once again to the blogs own reggae "go to guy", the great Cliff! I am unfamiliar with the band he submits this time, and you know, I LOVE when that happens!
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The Cimarons got their recording career underway in Britain in the 1970's. Their sound was unique to that being produced by their counterparts in Jamaica.  They learnt their skills backing visiting Jamaican artists during the late 60's and through the 70's. They are widely acknowledged as being the first self-contained Reggae band in the UK.

Their earlier releases contained pop influences but once they dropped those and chose to play it straight roots reggae they turned out a couple of fine albums incorporating heavy crisp rhythms, heavy basslines, and great harmonies.  On the Rock has a good rootsy feel to it but it is Maka that is considered their utopia, and for the first time, they produced and wrote everything.  On the original album there were only 9 tracks but this CD offering gives us 3 more. Also included is a bootleg of a French radio show which is worth a listen. Looking at the tracklist it appears to have come from around the same time as On the Rocks, 1976.  For some reason the band never kicked on after Maka and the albums that followed were disappointing and, in my opinion, not really worth spending a lot of time listening to. Shame as they showed with Maka that they could turn out a really top album.





ON THE ROCKS

Tracklist: 1.  Wake Up Jah-Man-Can (On the Rock) 2. Hear Talk of Inflation  3. Rooting For a Cause  4.  Take Heed (He Who Hides) 5.  Jan No Dead  6.  Rock Rock Reggae Rhapsody 7.  Dim the Light  8. Free as Life 9. Paul Bogle 10.  Fight to the End

Link: http://www56.zippyshare.com/v/bF3nc7Hg/file.html

MAKA

Tracklist: 1.  So Free (Best Things In Life) 4:16  2.  Truly (Toast Version) 7:02  3. Mother Earth 3:57  4. The Word 4:55  5. Civilizataion 4:27  6.  Loosening Out 4:01  7. Willin (Rock Against Racism) Maxi Version 5:49  8. Give Thanks & Praise 4:58  9.  Natty Time 3:58  10. Reggae Rockin 10:07  11.  Truly 3:30  12. Willin 5:48

Link: http://www39.zippyshare.com/v/o2Zchf5q/file.html

LIVE IN PARIS-RADIO FRANCE

Tracklist: 1. Rock Reggae Rhapsody  2. Harder Than the Rock 3.  Paul Bogle  4. Dim The Light  5.  Fight
To The End 6. Free As Life  7. Wake Up Jah Man Can  8.  Jah No Dead  9.  Hear Talk Of Inflation

Link: http://www15.zippyshare.com/v/crndoaHF/file.html

Red Fang

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The first two albums of kick-ass stoner rock from Portland's Red Fang.......Red Fang are singer/guitarist
Bryan Giles, bassist Aaron Beam, guitarist David Sullivan, and drummer John Sherman. The self titled debut was released in 2009, "Murder  the Mountains" a couple years later.....they HAVE released a couple of discs since then, but I don't have em (anyone able to help with that?).....

A solid heavy/stoner band, they opened for Kyuss, Orange Goblin, Opeth, In Flames, Mastadon.......always a bridesmaid, I guess, but these two albums can stand on their own, perfectly listenable late "'00's" stoner rock, the kind (I have said this 1000 times) that will be GREATLY appreciated by rock n rollers (REAL ones) in about 20 years or so.....I haven't presented a lot of stoner rock of late, and believe it or not, I have a TON that I have never profiled (Fu Manchu for example, and a few other big timers).....anyway, Red Fang were certainly solid, Mark Eveleigh if you are out there, you will like these, and, just maybe, you have their two "more recent" releases (I have never even HEARD them)......this blog was, at one time, sort of built around the concept of "stoner rock"......we've certainly drifted away from that, but it's still shit that I love, and if this is a "new" band (to YOU), great, sort of a "second line" stoner rock band (like, say, Mermaid, or Abunai, or Acid King, etc)......a slew of great, unknown music came from that scene, and I will go to my grave trying to keep it in circulation.

RED FANG-01 Prehistoric Dog/02 Reverse Thunder/03 Night Destroyer/04 Humans Remain, Human Remains/05 Good to Die/06 Birds on Fire/07 Wings of Fang/08 Sharks/09 Whales and Leeches/10 Wittness

MURDER  THE MOUNTAINS-01 Malvaerde/02 Wire/03 Hank Is Dead/04 Dirt Wizard/05 Throw Up/06 Painted Parade/07 Number Thirteen/08 Into the Eye/09 The Undertow/10 Human herd

I'll emphasize this, these are two really pretty damn good stoner rock albums.....really DAMN good, if you missed em the first time, and you are a lover of the hard rock sounds that I personally prefer, I guarantee that you are gonna enjoy these.

RIP Leon Russell

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OK, I'm not a HUGE fan, I like a good bit of his stuff, and my Dad was a gigantic fan.......he passed away yesterday (I think it was)....when my Dad passed I got MOST of his records, but as I was searching for Leon Russell stuff (and I KNOW there was a bunch in there) I get the feeling perhaps my stepmother may have wound up with these......whatever......I have here a "Retrospective", which has most of his better known bluesy-rockers, I've always thought "Stranger In a Strange Land" (once done in a find cover by Juan De La Cruz, of all bands) and "Delta Lady" (his homage to Rita Coolidge) were great soulful rockers, his vocals also carry stuff like "Queen of the Roller Derby", "Out in the Woods", and "The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen"

All in all, we have lost a great vocalist (yes, I revisited this today, and, yes, it's a smidge better than I remember it being), if you are a huge fan of his and have a huge stash of his stuff, now is the time to submit it, for many, this comp will suffice.......it's really programmed and selected quite well, very very few dull moments here.

My Dad saw him live once and always said it was one of the best shows he ever saw......understand my Dad was like that, he probably had fifty or so "best" concerts he ever saw, but Leon Russell's name DID come up every time he discussed it. This album, while I wish I had more of his non-comp material, is quite a good one to listen to, so enjoy, and let us mourn the loss of another 1970's rocking icon........let us appreciate his body of work, there is some good stuff here.

RETROSPECTIVE-01 A Song For You/02 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall/03 The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen/04 Delta lady/05 Roll Away the Stone/06 Tight Rope/07 Out in the Woods/08 Shootout on the Plantation/09 Stranger In a Strange Land/10 Hummingbird/11 Lady Blue/12 This Masquerade/13 Back to the Island/14 Magic Mirror/15 Crystal Closet Queen/16 Bluebird/17 Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms/18 Queen of the Roller Derby

Silence In the Snow

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This is a John N submission, a recent (2016) release from Silence in the Snow, entitled "Break in the Skin".....I REALLY do like this one, kind of like a not-as-sleepy Mazzy Star if that makes sense.....I really don't know dick about the band's history, previous issues, or anything else, but I certainly enjoyed this creepy, trippy, laid back groove.......man, that track "Lost Gems" is a real brain-bender, as are a lot of the tracks here......I'll be looking up their story later (usually I do that BEFORE posting, but, so it goes) and if they have earlier releases, I'd like to share those as well......this is possible year-end material, I know I say that a bit, but really, this could easily make a 2016 top-20 list (disclaimer: You KNOW what a sucker I personally am for chick vocalists, and this babe is wonderful!).......a very good album, thanks a zillion for this one John N, it was new to me, which is wonderful!

BREAK IN THE SKIN-01 Into My World/02 Mirror Eyes/03 Lost Gems/04 Silence In the Snow/05 20 Years/06 Break in the Skin/07 Prisms/08 Into the Night/09 Small Ways

Always like getting blind-sided by an album I never heard of......this is one of those occasions.....thanks to John N for sharing this one, it's really good!

Phantogram

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And yet another way cool submission from John N (thanks as always), I did not know Phantogram prior to this share, but after checking it out, it is no question "post-worthy".....this is their third album (entitled "Three"), I have no clue what the first two sound like (help?), but this one is way fab, kind of an electro-synth/trip-hop kind of thing.......let me just say I like it, and if you trust MY judgement (a BIG "if") you may want to sample this one....according to the Wikipedia page on the band, they consist of Josh Carter on vocals/guitars and Sarah Barthel on vocals/keyboards......hailing from Greenwich New York...according to the same source they were previously known as "Charlie Everywhere". I might compare them somewhat to Mommy and Daddy, but that might be getting ahead of the curve a bit (Mommy and Daddy were one of my VERY faves!)

This album took me by surprise too, surprised by how much I liked it, it's really fab......this babe can belt out a tune, for sure, and there is some surprisingly good instrumentation as well.....all adds up to yet ANOTHER album that I need to thank John N for, literallay amazing how many tremendous albums, both new and old, he has turned ME onto, and I hope that you feel the same way. Yet another contender for year-end lists, thusfar, I've enjoyed EVERY track (carpet-bomb style, of course) in particular "You Don't Get Me High Anymore" and "Funeral Pyre", which are fab tunes, but I don't want to sell the album as a whole short......it's DAMN GOOD, I'd recommend you don't miss it!

THREE-01
Funeral Pyre/02 Same Old Blues/03 You Don't Get Me High Anymore/04 Cruel World/05 Barking Dog/06 You're Mine/07 Answer/08 Run Run Blood/09 Destroyer/10 Calling All


Talkies

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Well, how about ANOTHER selection generously sent our way from the galaxy's leading link-sharing machine, John N......well, how about some indy-pop ("Bright/Sunny") from Talkies, the third John N submission in a row with which I was unfamiliar (I think maybe  a cassette-only release, not certain)......fairly decent power-poppish stuff  . They are from the Bay area, I'm listening to it this minute and it reminds me of sort of semi-hard 1980's power pop.....not bad, also no classic-in-waiting......a few good tracks (notably "Breaking Character").......good enough album, worth a listen, although I was a bit disappointed that "She Comes In Colors" was NOT a cover of the Love classic, but some dimwit's "original", oh well, what are ya gonna do? Oh well, it is a listenable effort as I said before.....power pop fans I recommend this to you.

BRIGHT/SUNNY-01 Something For the Boy/02 Personal Matter/03 Break Character/04 I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend/05 Got Used To/06 Take It (For Yourself)/07 Distortion Free/08 Who Does He Think He Was/09 She Comes In Colors/10 I Hate Myself (And Everyone Else)/11 The Right Thing/12 Coldest Day/13 Vanishing/14 What We Don't Know/15 Parties Without Tears


Deep Feeling-1966 rarity, not to be missed

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(scott)-Well, I received another bunch of links from 
the link God John N, 
and I'm going to go ahead and put
up three fab ones right away, download limits prevent me from putting more of his stuff up today (at least right now), but here are three great ones, this being the first) (Yes, I know that as you read these, this is my LAST post on the page, but it's the FIRST one I wrote/posted.....is that confusing to you? Relax, it's ALLLL good......the first album we have here is an amazing effort that I was unaware of, quite an interesting story which I will paste below......carpet bombed it and it was pretty good, but really more "rare", or "historically significant" than flat out "good".......just rad the fucking story about them and see if you want it or not. I recommend it as both an album to listen to AND a historical document.
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Formed from the ashes of beat band The Hellions in 1966, the short-lived Deep Feeling were one of most adventurous bands of their time.  Featuring Jim Capaldi (Traffic), Luther Grosvenor (Spooky Tooth, Mott the Hoople), Poli Palmer (Blossom Toes, Family), Gordon Jackson (later to make a classic solo LP) and Dave Meredith they wowed London audiences with their audacious brand of exotic proto-psychedelia, even backing Jimi Hendrix at his first UK gig. Tragically however, Capaldi departed to form Traffic during the sessions for their debut album (produced by former Yardbirds and Rolling Stones manager Giorgio Gomelsky) and the tapes were shelved.....until now. 

The remarkable tracks make their first-ever appearance here together with demos made by Poli palmer and Gordon Jackson in 1967 and a song featuring the duo backed by The Blossom Toes.  The CD which is available from www.sunbeamrecords.com/ comes with a 12 page packed booklet with detailed reminiscences from  Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson and Giorgio Gomelsky amongst others together with rare photographs.

Gordon Jackson said:
“Hi, it is so nice to eventually put this album out, though it seems so long ago. I had kept copies on two track tapes of these songs in a cardboard box for 40 years. They survived a flood, storage in a shed and some had been over recorded on a quarter track machine when tape was needed for other songs. Poli Palmer did miracles getting the quality we have, which is not brilliant, but the atmosphere is preserved.

The original masters were dumped when Marmalade folded and I had taken home rough mix copies of the unfinished recordings. The originals were of course recorded by Giorgio Gomelsky. On the Sunbeam re-release Poli and I selected what was in any way useable and Poli worked on the quality. He had to deal with stretched tape, had to edit and chop to fill gaps which were faded or missing. ‘Spell on you’ was from two different recordings, one from the Hellions with Dave Mason on guitar, and the other with Deep Feeling and Luther.

The five studio tracks were all recorded in a couple of sessions at Rymuse in London with Giorgio Gomelsky producing. Listening afresh again we are pleased with them. I think the band was hot at that time, we had been in France for five weeks playing every night. The songs are good and were ground breaking then, very Gothic and progressive. Jim's vocals were great and Luther has some shining moments. Poli's love for Dubussy and jazz, together with his skill on vibes and flute is obvious. My part was in the writing. I wrote the lyrics, and Poli, Jim and I put the songs together.

We all sang harmonies. We were all devastated when Jim announced he was leaving and we decided not to go on with Deep Feeling. Luther joined the VIP's then Spooky Tooth and later Stealers Wheel, Widowmaker, and Mott the Hoople. Poli and me did some song writing for a year before going our separate ways, he to Ecclection and Family, while I did my solo album 'Thinking Back'. We have included some demo's of a few songs on this album. Also a couple of live tracks - one recorded on my dads old reel to reel off an old radio when we did a session on Radio Free Europe, the other by someone at the Elbow Room in Birmingham.UK. Goodness knows on what, probably a reel to reel domestic tape recorder. I kept close contact with Jim right up to his death. I miss him greatly.”


Tracks

1. Pretty Colours (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:03
2. The Ruin (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:31
3. Chicken George (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 2:36
4. The Necessitarian (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:14
5. Or Something (Jim Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:36
6. I Put A Spell On You (Screamin' Jay Hawkins) - 2:30
7. Coming Home Baby (Ben Tucker, Bob Dorough) - 3:13
8. I Don't Know Her Too Well (Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:22
9. On The Circle Of Life (Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 4:05
10.To A Lady In Black (Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:41
11.Imaginations Of Alice (Gordon Jackson, John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:22
12.Blues For Witley (John "Poli" Palmer) - 3:48

Deep Feeling
*Jim Capaldi - Vocals, Drums
*Luther Grosvenor - Guitar, Vocals
*Gordon Jackson - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals,
*Dave Meredith - Bass
*John "Poli" Palmer - Drums, Flute, Vibes

Red Lama

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(scott) A new (2016) release from Denmark's Red Lama, also compliments of the great John N,
 this is a DAMNED EXCELLENT modern-daypsych album; and, as modern-day paych does, this incorporatesthe old/original spirit of 60's psychedeliawith latter-daynoise/shoegaze stuff, which, in my opinion (only) is sort of the future for lovers of hard rock and its trends...actually I feel it's a sound that is developing right before our ears....likely I am full of shit on that, BUT , regardless, this is a REALLY good album, almost guaranteed to be year-end material....I really found it to be excellent!

DREAMS ARE FREE-1. Inca/ 2. Sonic Revolution/ 3. The World is Yours/ 4. Mont Ventoux/ 5. Dar Enteha/ 6. Mekong River/ 7. Dalai Delay


I highly recommend this one, psych/hard rock lovers.......I had to listen to this one in its entirety (rather than my traditional "carpet bomb") because it caught my ear so much.......AND, since it's new, remember.....you MIGHT want to act quickly, because we never know.....but you check this one and see if I ain't right!

The First Wave of French Punk 1977-80

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(scott) Today's third and probably final John N submission for today will be this way-cool comp, I'm gonna
just paste the write-up for this one as it pretty much says it all, but (upon carpet bombing) it sounded great to me, and, of course, another fab historical document as well.......and let me take this opportunity to thank John N once again for all of his magnificent submissions and his much-appreciated help with keeping this blog breathing and fresh!
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The latest in Soul Jazz’s Punk 45 series, Les Punks: The French Connection, The First Wave of French Punk 1977-80 documents the first radical underground punk bands to come out of France.

Emerging from a tradition of dissidence and revolution, whether sexual (Serge Gainsbourg) or social (Paris ʻ68 riots), and inspired by proto-punk sounds of the US and UK, bands like Metal Urbain (the first group ever to be signed to Rough Trade Records), Marie et Les Garçons, and Asphalt Jungle, blazed a trail across French music that’s rarely given the visibility it deserves.

Paving the way for more experimental cold wave/ minimal wave electronic groups such as Charles de Goal, Kas Product and A3 Dans le WC that emerged towards the end of the decade, the French punk scene also helped provide more theoretical frameworks to punk’s identity, whether through notions of Dadaism and Surrealism in the US or Situationism in the UK.

1. Marie et les garçons – Rien A Dire [03:24]
2. Metal Boys – Sweet Marylin [04:09]
3. Fantomes – I Wanna Be Your Dog [02:57]
4. Gazoline – Sally [03:09]
5. A3 Dans Le WC – Photo Couleur [04:09]
6. Asphalt Jungle – Planté Comme Un Privé [02:25]
7. Warm Gun – Broken Windows [01:38]
8. Metal Urbain – Paris Maquis [03:10]
9. Electric Callas – Kill Me Two Times [04:09]
10. Kas Product – Mind [02:46]
11. 84 Flesh – Salted City [02:51]
12. Les Olivensteins – Euthanasie [02:29]
13. Angel Face – Wolf City Blues [03:31]
14. Guilty Razors – Hurts and Noises [01:44]
15. Dogs – Here Comes My Baby [02:01]
16. Charles De Goal – Dans Le Labyrinthe [02:08]
17. Guilty Razors – I Don’t Wanna Be a Rich [02:35]
18. Marie et les garçons – A Bout De Souffle [01:52]
19. Calcinator – Électrifié [02:03]

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