frank c and the cubic capacity for ushering in the quiet

fire inspectors examine a loft. fritz goro, NYC, may 1961. A dog was barking when I prepared my second coffee of the morning. Thank god for the rain.I like to smoke a cigarette and watch the seagulls wheel below me as I look out onto the car park. The rain keeps the junkies out of

industrial music for damaged people

Most definitely not a cover of Jordan & Loney’s doctoring of Jagger & Richard – a spasm inducing paean to withdrawl – this is a Jonas Almqvist composition.The Leather Nun was officially excommunicated in Gothenburg in 1979. Loosely a quartet, the collective drew on input from a number of musicians. Their first release – the

notekillers: something wicked this way comes

Philadelphia experimentalists, Notekillers first aired here on SibLINGSHOT ON THE BLEACHERS on August 7, 2008. Approximately one year after Art Decade brought them to my attention in a post on which founding guitarist, David First dropped in out the ether to oblige in an impromtu Q & A. Loosely associated with the No Wave scene,

big star, cotton crisp

Born on a cotton farm in Crisp, Texas in February 1914, Ernest Dale Tubb is perhaps best remembered for his 1941 honky tonk lament, “Walking the Floor Over You“. The first country artist to cover the Hayes and Wilson standard, “Blue Christmas” – nine years before the pouting Elvis Aaron Presley dressed it up in

b*red

▼ IGGY POP: I’M BORED from “New Values” LP (Arista) 1979 (US)

brotherhood of dub

Coming from the 2006 Auralux issue of “Barrington Levy In Dub (The Lost Mixes From King Tubby’s Studio)”; itself a ‘lost’ counterpart to the 1980 Greensleeves UK release, “The Big Showdown“, featuring five mixes by Jah Thomas. The album was simultaneously issued on The Jah Guidance label in Jamaica as “Shaolin Temple” with virtually identical

marley’s christmas carol

Many moons ago when we were all much younger – thirty years ago, to be precise – there was a certain Che who frequented the comments section on a Radio Clyde scheduled Wednesday evening show hosted by one Brian Ford. Kicking off a full two hours before Peel’s ethereal drone commenced, Che’s lucid ramblings became

graveyard shift

The instrumental version of “Another“, which appeared originally on the flip side to their “Memories” 45. Sessions for “Metal Box“, arguably PIL’s finest moment, were reportedly as shambolic as those for its predecessor; and with drummer, Jim Walker electing to do just that, the scene was set for a succession of revolving part-timers.  Jah Wobble

on the route of the 19 bus

▼ THE CLASH: RUDIE CAN’T FAIL from “London Calling” 2 x LP (CBS) 1979 (UK)

kick it over weh

Disconcertingly, I remember well when those representatives of the Gideon Society turned up at my high school to distribute copies of their Holiday Inn paperback to my entire year. Now. I have never been much of a practising Christian, let it be known, but for some reason I recall being somewhat enthralled at the occasion.

degenerative valve disease

ATV’s fifth single release proper on Depftford Fun City – not including their “Love Lies Limp” flexi distributed free through issue #12 of fanzine, Sniffin’ Glue, the last – “The Force is Blind” parts company with all time-served apprentices with the notable exception of Dennis Burns, but continues in the experimental vein carried over from

an eye for an eye

“Pedantic ; boring; self-centred; lazy; a cheeky self-righteous f@cking bastard”Just a few choice epithets thrown in my direction over the years. Of course, none of that would sting remotely if there weren’t a grain of truth in it. And I have been more than guilty myself of hurling colourful abuse at others; usually in a

benediction

photograph by robert mapplethorpe, 1978. Written by Ivan Kral and Patti Smith. Produced by Todd Rundgren, who also played bass on this one song from 1979’s “Wave“, with photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe. benediction |ˈbɛnɪˌdɪkʃ(ə)n|noun the utterance or bestowing of a blessing, esp. at the end of a religious service. • ( Benediction) a service in

a brief word on religion

RT 015: photograph by janette beckman; rigid digits music 1979. The Catholic Church has a saying: “Give me a boy until the age of seven, and I will give you the man.” Well. My grandfather was taught by Jesuits, and renounced religion in order to marry my grandmother. His priest was livid. I grew up

bleak ice for winter hostels

There was nothing pretty or charming about the sheets of ice on the pavements and streets this morning. The appropriate adjective is treacherous. Damn. A pattern is emerging here, isn’t it ? Apologies. Guitar by Vini Reilly.Produced by Martin Hannett. ▼ THE DURUTTI COLUMN: SKETCH FOR WINTER from “The Return Of The Durutti Column” LP

skirting boards and death watch beetles

“dynastidae”. photograph by insect lab. Continuing in the insect vein, briefly. Howard Devoto, of course, was originally Pete Shelley’s partner in crime in the Buzzcocks for the blink of an eye – on their self-financed “Spiral Scratch” debut EP – before parting company to launch (or empty) a fully loaded Magazine on an unsuspecting public.

johnny was: ‘the butcher boy’

photograph by henning christoph. ROUGH 1. Produced by Geoff Travis & Mayo Thompson. Written by Bob Marley.Or was it the ghost of Jacob ? Rattling chains ? Released in the bitter cold of February, 1979.Ali McMordie: bass; Brian Faloon: drums; Jake Burns: guitar, vocals; Henry Cluney: rhythm guitar. ▼ STIFF LITTLE FINGERS: JOHNNY WAS from

bela lugosi’s dead

béla ferenc dezső blaskó. teeny 2, 12″. I am not a huge fan of gothic rock. The lumpen angst and greasepaint. The tortured sucking in of cheeks. From Alien Sex Fiend to Beetlejuice and Marilyn Manson, I could generally live better without it. But this one is assuredly different, in addition to being the defining

sleep dirt

photograph by w. eugene smith, 1918-1978. With guitar by James “Bird Legs” Youman. Originally recorded with The Mothers Of Invention between 1974 and 1976 for the unreleased box set, “Lather“. ▼ FRANK ZAPPA: SLEEP DIRT from “Sleep Dirt” LP (Warner Bros.) 1979 (US)PURCHASE SLEEP DIRT REMASTERED

those vents in my raincoat are just slits

“cut!” The Slits on this ‘cut‘ were Ari Up (vocals); Viv Albertine (guitar);Tessa Pollitt (bass guitar); Budgie (drums). Recorded at Ridge Farm Studios, in the spring of 1979. Written by Viv Albertine; Tessa Pollitt; Arianne Forster (aka Ari Up); and Paloma Romero (aka Palmolive). I seem to remember the Peel session take on “Newtown” was