#Paisley Underground Scene

[twinkandwink]

King of the Paisley Underground Scene in LA and an influence to many bands  I finally got to see The Rain Parade live. I can now tick this off my to do list. 

We were treated to a super long setlist, although the last song got cut to make way for club night!

Pics & vids Tracks - 1 Hour 1/2 Ago (see previous post for full vid of I Look Around)

The Rain Parade -  Strangebrew Bristol 14th June 2024

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

THAT WESTONE THUNDER BASS GUITAR IS BIGGER THAN SHE IS.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on "the uncommonly obscure" COMMONERS, a reported sixties rock revival band (file under "mod revival" & "power pop" as well), playing somewhere in L.A., c. 1983. 📸: unknown.

Source: www.picuki.com/media/3139706065952049435.

[theunderestimator-2]

The Long Ryders in the final moments of their performance at Islington Assembly Hall in 2019, as captured by Tom Gold during their tour to support an album of new material about 30 years after their breakup, getting back in the world they helped create.

Originally associated with the early-’80s Paisley Underground scene, these LA-based punk rock-influenced garage rockers with a Neil Young flavor to their psychedelic roots rock sound reached their high point by the mid-’80s. They embarked on their first international tour to Europe in 1985, where they were greeted with sold out shows, amazing crowd receptions, an NME cover and a dozen record companies at their London hotel door after their second show, then headlined a Barcelona festival in front of 100,000 people in 1986. 

However, back in the US, things had gone from hot to cold in about three weeks, after fans accused them of selling out for doing a beer TV commercial that killed the band stone dead and furthermore, turning down the offer to open for U2 on the North American leg of their Joshua Tree tour was a major opportunity blown that didn’t exactly help. They found themselves broke and facing a dead end after two members left the band, so by late 1987 they eventually called it quits, predating the alt-country movement that would gain in popularity by the mid-'90s by a full decade.

(via)

[bandcampsnoop]

3/23/23.

The Dream Syndicate have been a growing favorite over the past decades. My friend Rick was always pushing them, and while I never resisted, I never really embraced the band. However, I can state unequivocally that "That's What You Always Say" was an immediate favorite. "Halloween" soon followed. Then my friend Eric played "The Days of Wine and Roses" at one of our many listening parties.

Then I bought "The Complete Live at Raji's" and got the chance to see the band live. Wow.

I'm probably not telling anyone anything they don't already know. But this reissue of The Day of Wine and Roses by UK-based Fire Records is special. The extras are just incredible. People often list other "Paisley Underground" bands like The Three O'Clock, The Bangles, Green on Red and Rain Parade when discussing The Dream Syndicate. And while I have no doubt those bands were part of a scene, they don't necessarily sound like one another.

To me, The Dream Syndicate recalls the work of True West, The Wipers and Television. Steve Wynn started bands here in Davis, California (with Kendra Smith and later Scott Miller), but he formed The Dream Syndicate in Los Angeles.

[hyperberlin]

･ﾟ✧HYPER ｡.｡:∞♡♥ DREAMS^2 :･ﾟ✧- PRODUCTION WORKSHOP An atmosphere of curiosity and sonic exploration filled our bedroom at Hyper Dreams as we hosted a series of music production workshops - with an emphasis on Ableton basics, this workshop was designed to be an open invitation to everyone curious about music production and has been captivated by the hyper sounds.

The workshop cultivated a safe space where participants were encouraged to ask any type of question they had in mind.

The workshop was held by Richard Barr aka Wikihow Adventure Cruise, a good friend and frequent collaborator. Richard is a singer, producer, and experienced Ableton trainer. Over the previous four years, he had carved out a name for himself, releasing a colorful spectrum of emotional pop and trap-infused emo anthems under his solo project, Wikihow Adventure Cruise.

He was closely involved with the Gochu Village collective, releasing a monthly radio show on Hong Kong Community Radio featuring underground SoundCloud artists. In 2022 he founded the Fog Juice collective with fellow Berlin musicians Lokik, Simoncello, Good Girl Aggie, and the animator Allen Paisley, hosting live shows and building a scene in Berlin for hyperpop and adjacent artists.

[randomvarious]

Today’s compilation:

Slash: The Early Sessions 1983 Punk Rock / Rockabilly / Americana / Alternative Rock / New Wave

Slash Records opened its doors in 1978 as a label that was committed to documenting Los Angeles' then-exploding punk rock scene. And very early on, they managed to secure two of the city's biggest, most influential, and most critically acclaimed acts: Germs and X. Plus, they also put out the soundtrack to the famed LA punk documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization. So, needless to say, they were extremely integral to the whole cultural movement.

But it didn't take very long for Slash to begin to expand past their pure punk product. In '81 they added the rootsy rockabilly Blasters to their ranks, followed by punks-turned-country-rockers Rank and File—whose leading members, brothers Chip and Tony Kinman, had previously fronted legendary Cali punk band The Dils—and then in '83 came Chicano rockers Los Lobos and Milwaukee folk-punks Violent Femmes. And they also had neo-psych/paisley underground staple The Dream Syndicate and blues-rock punks The Gun Club on their subsidiary, Ruby Records, too.

So, this 1983 greatest hits sampler from Slash catches the label somewhere in the midst of that expansion, trying to coherently bridge a gap between Americana and punk rock, showing that these two styles that can seem *very* disparate can actually be woven together quite effectively.

But I'm not sure that they actually pulled it off here, as there seems to be something of a theme to each side of the record: the A-side consists of the Americana stuff and the B-side has mostly the punk stuff, and despite some of these bands' affinity for mixing the two things together, you don't really get much of a taste of it here.

And it also appears that the A-side, outside of what is by far the album's most well-known track, the alternative cult classic, "Blister in the Sun" by The Violent Femmes, hasn't stood the test of time, whereas the B-side, with two cuts from X, one from Germs, and another from The Dream Syndicate, still goes pretty damn hard to this day, 40 years later.

X's two offerings, which come off of their pair of hallowed back-to-back albums, 1980's Los Angeles and 1981's Wild Gift, feature the dynamite boy-girl vocal team-up of John Doe and Exene Cervenka that sees them both exchanging lines and also generating great harmonies. And both songs are produced by ex-Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek too.

The Germs song, "Caught in My Eye," is an outtake from the recording sessions for their lone, mythic album, (GI). It features some excellent punk guitar-tone to go along with frontman Darby Crash's scratchy vocal. It's also on a posthumous 1981 Germs compilation EP called What We Do Is Secret and is produced by none other than the queen of punk rock herself, Joan Jett.

And that B-side's only non-punk track, "Tell Me When It's Over" by The Dream Syndicate, is great too. It's the opening track on their landmark debut album, The Days of Wine and Roses, and it's just this thing of jangle-thick, early 80s underground, post-punk beauty.

Took some time for me to really get into this record, but the B-side here is absolutely tremendous. A solid, brief look at some of the early years of this unique LA punk/indie/alt/Americana label.

Highlights:

Violent Femmes - "Blister in the Sun" X - "Los Angeles" Germs - "Caught in My Eye" The Dream Syndicate - "Tell Me When It's Over" X - "White Girl"

[rockmusicassoc]

#GreatWomenOfRock The Pandoras: founded by the late Paula Pierce as part of the LA Paisley Underground scene, from 1982-1991 almost 20 women joined her in the garage rave-up, including Kim Shattuck, future leader of the Muffs, who stepped into Paula’s role in a later-day reunion of the band that featured former members Melanie Vammen, Karen Blankfeld-Basset, and Sheri Kaplan. #Pandoras #KimShattuck #RockHonorRoll 3/22

[dritasecure]

Geoff tate flock of seagulls hair

“We just kind of liked that sound, I guess,” Jeff tells me. “We’d think, “that section sounds good, so then we decided maybe we could make some songs out of that single part.”īoth Jeff and Joe had been listening to the Rain Parade, the Three O’Clock, Green on Red, and other artists in the neo-psychedelic scene dubbed The Paisley Underground. We just got together and started jamming.” Jeff says most of the stuff was made up very spontaneously. “When I met Joe, we just started fooling around. “I’d been recording stuff at home all my life, so this was a natural progression.” according to Jeff. Jeff had a 4-track TEAC A-3340 reel-to-reel at the time. The genesis of the band- from meeting to playing- had taken place within three days. The following night, Friday, July 15th, the trio played at a party held by Nancy Thompson, an acquaintance of both Joe and Kirsten. “Joe had a rehearsal room upstairs in his parent’s house so the next evening, July 14th, Jeff, Joe, and drummer Karl Wilhelm (older brother of Kirsten, Jeff’s girlfriend) got together to jam. “Joe and I had a mutual love of The Beatles, especially for their song “Rain,” Jeff says. The friend was Kirsten Wilhelm, who Jeff was dating at the time. The band that would become The Green Pajamas formed on July 13th, 1983, when two young guys from West Seattle, Jeff Kelly, and Joe Ross, met at a party through a mutual friend. Every album is a jewel to be examined over and over-each time with as much joy as the last. The quality of their work has made many worldwide fans consider them reliably engaging, without treading the same waters. While many Seattle music fans followed, then moved on to newer trends, the Green Pajamas continued to do one thing write, create and record music that holds together thematically and musically. Still, over the course of 34 years, The Green Pajamas were practically ignored by all but the most obsessive, devotional fans in their hometown of Seattle. One might have to be an obsessive, devotional fan to follow The Green Pajamas in places as diverse as New Zealand, Greece, or elsewhere. The other members that have come and gone over the years have also been exceptional, though not as prolific. It’s hard to imagine a more prolific songwriter than the band’s leader Jeff Kelly, or the consistent quality of his output. None of this includes the solo or side projects recorded by band members. Their music has appeared on labels as far-flung as Greece, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, The U.K., Germany, and at least a dozen U.S. Since 1984 the band has released 22 albums (not including domestic and international re-issues) 15 singles and EPs, five compilations of their music, and included on another 40. It’s hard to imagine any other group of Seattle musicians putting out more recorded material, either as a band or in one of its many permutations. The Green Pajamas were active from 1984 until 2018, with a few hiatus along the way. In theory, this might be true, but it also might be valid on a more pragmatic level. Ford, who was writing for New Zealand’s web’zine The Active Listener concluded “They seem to be the type of band that brooks no middle ground.” This seems to be a common theme – you’ve either never heard of the Green Pajamas, or you’re an obsessive, devotional fan. In 2012 music critic Nathan Ford wrote: “It’s doubtful whether there are any other acts out there who have amassed as impressive a body of work while reaching so few as Seattle’s long-running Green Pajamas.

[redsoapbox]

Two More American Artists Support Crisis at Christmas

The estimable PopMatters, for which I once wrote, has this to say about the track Matt Pond PA is contributing to Have Yourself a Merry Indie Christmas and the album from which it was taken:

'Summer songs are nice and all. They’re filled with stories about fleeting love, the loss of innocence and young hearts leaving comfortable climes behind in favor of the unknown. Winter songs, though? That’s difficult to say. Often enough writers get caught up thinking about the holiday season more so than the long hours of darkness, the days of being snowed in, and the nights when you just can’t warm those bones no matter how hard you try. Sure, there are exceptions, but a quick (unscientific) scan of tunes about the chilliest of seasons suggests that there aren’t nearly enough. Thank the solstice for Matt Pond PA’s latest offering, then.

Matt Pond

We’ve actually been here with Pond (the man) before: The 2005 EP Winter Songs filled us up with a few originals dedicated to the season, along with covers from the likes of Neil Young, Richard and Linda Thompson, and Lindsey Buckingham. Pond has clearly had some time to think about the matter and has emerged with a nicely woven collection that finds him looking back on his youthful days with a sense of wonder and an ear for heartwarming melodies that still summon the season’s deep-reaching chill. To his credit, Pond doesn’t stretch the theme beyond the point of breaking. In fact, it’s dealt with seamlessly and with the kind of care one hopes a master artist would take with his craft. Mentions of snow and ice have their thematic and metaphorical purposes here and aren’t just casual references hastily slapped onto what could just as easily be songs about autumn or late spring. Opener “In Winter” sets things nicely in motion, captivating us with its strings, bells and gentle beats, the music transporting us to New England in those months when the temperatures drop and the snow accumulates faster than debt in a new business enterprise. There, as in the upbeat, almost Paul Westerberg-inspired “The Glow” plus “Force of Nature”, we’re witness to smart, hook-driven compositions that are driven by strong emotions, though they never become weighed down by the gravity of those feelings.

https://mattpondpa.bandcamp.com/

Next up is Wednesday Week, described by All Music as ‘a smart and energetic pop band that lived along the edges of the Los Angeles paisley underground scene in the 1980s’. Wednesday Week, named after the Undertone song, were the brainchild of guitarist, singer, and songwriter Kristi Callan and her sister Kelly Callan, who played drums and contributed backing vocals. The Callan sisters began making music together in 1979, forming a short-lived band called the Undeclared, which evolved into a trio known as Goat Deity in 1980 with the arrival of guitarist Steve Wynn. Wynn left the band when his other group, the Dream Syndicate became a full-time concern. The group finally became Wednesday Week in 1983. The band made its recording debut in 1983, appearing on a pair of compilation albums as well as releasing a five-song EP, “Betsy’s House”.

The group released their first full-length album, What We Had, which was produced by Don Dixon, on Enigma Records in 1987. In 1990, Wednesday Week self-released their second full-length, a cassette-only album called No Going Back, but broke up at the end of the year.  In 2008, What We Had was reissued by Noble Rot Records, with the Betsy’s House EP, selections from No Going Back, and a number of single and compilation tracks included as bonus material.

Wednesday Week “Christmas Here”.

https://wednesdayweek.bandcamp.com/releases

Is supporting Have Yourself a Merry Indie Christmas

[in-his-autumn-before-the-winter]

The Bangles

I’m going down to Liverpool to do nothing

[felons-of-fashion]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-_G7A0RbjU)

[sinceileftyoublog]

The Dream Syndicate Album Review: Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions

(Fire)

BY JORDAN MAINZER

“I’m not trying to play my hand,” Steve Wynn sings on “Trying To Get Over”, a jangly tune from their latest album Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions. It’s a mission statement for the band, one apropos of their tendency to bounce around aesthetics and styles. If in the 80′s they were somewhat pigeonholed into the Paisley Underground scene, ever since the band reunited ten years ago, they’ve remained unpredictable. 2020′s The Universe Inside sported 20-plus-minute run times and songs whose ideas occupied seemingly disparate areas. Two years later, with the same lineup and even a couple of the same outside collaborators, Wynn and company have released an album that still stands to toy with your expectations, but within a strictly pop realm.

From the get-go, Ultraviolet Battle Hymns is adept at capturing feelings that simultaneously exist across the spectrum of emotions and aesthetics. Opener “Where I’ll Stand” juxtaposes looped synthesizers with a slow-burning, fuzzed-out guitar sway, the forward march of krautrock with the skyward melodies of dream pop. “Damian” fits in tremolo guitars with pseudo funk, a strut rife with horns from Marcus Tenney. “Beyond Control”, a co-write with keyboardist Chris Cacavas, begins with clanging, concave percussion, Wynn deadpanning lines like, “Everything must go” as if he’s emptying out a house during an estate sale. It then richly subsumes your ears, its drums adopting a motorik pattern like it’s an arena rock song. These contrasting moods and production choices--from the heavy reverb of “The Chronicles of You” to the unexpected minimalism towards the end of “Every Time You Come Around”--typify the band’s eighth record.

It’s fun to imagine when these songs were written. How Did I Find Myself Here?, The Dream Syndicate’s first album since their reformation, came out in 2017, and they’ve released three more since then, including Ultraviolet Battle Hymns. Despite the stylistic differences between these albums, it’s likely many of the songs were written during sessions for the previous record(s). Or, at least the seeds were planted during jam sessions. Indeed, if there’s one tying thread in The Dream Syndicate’s albums and songs, it’s a sense of looseness that suggests a logical improvisation. You can hear the wooziness of Tenney’s horns start to emulate the haze of the guitars on “Hard To Say Goodbye”, or the rest of the band follow Cacavas’ jaunty, rave-up keyboards on closer “Straight Lines”. Even Wynn’s rhymes and wordplay unfurl naturally. “Parlor tricks and swizzle sticks / The sour mix ain’t gonna fix a thing,” he sings on “Damian”; “A pair of jacks / A paradigm,” he speaks on the clacking, mysterious “My Lazy Mind”. What is he talking about? He’ll never tell.

[allmusic]

AllMusic Staff Pick: Close Lobsters Foxheads Stalk This Land

Largely overlooked 1987 debut by this Scottish jangle pop group was adjacent to trends in U.S. college rock at the time, but was also adjacent to the psychedelic undertones of the paisley underground and the melancholic rural pop of New Zealand's Flying Nun scene. Standout single "I Kiss The Flowers In Bloom" is a hit that never happened, setting the scene for waves of indie pop that followed while standing head and shoulders with any of the band's peers that rose above obscurity.

- Fred Thomas

[velmatv]

The Three O’Clock - ‘Her Head’s Revolving’ - 1985

The Three O'Clock is an American alternative rock group associated with the Los Angeles 1980s Paisley Underground scene. Lead singer and bassist Michael Quercio is credited with coining the term "Paisley Underground"[1] to describe a subset of the 1980s L.A. music scene which included bands such as Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, Green on Red, the Long Ryders and the Bangles.

[daggerzine]

Celebrity Mixtape Party #3 with celebrity musical guest Jonathan Segel!

Big thanks to our Stockholm correspondent for giving a listen to mixtape number three. I had as much fun reading Jonathan's musings as I did making the mix.

The Neats - 6 

I had a thing against this band because of their use of a capital-Lamdba as an A on their band logo, so I always read it as “The Nelts” and by the time I finally understood it was “The Neats” I wasn’t interested. This song is an obvious love poem to 96 Tears, with the organ sound and spy-riff guitar. Nice Pebbles-type music, the lyrics are stupid.

The Chills - I Think I Thought of Nothing Left To Think About 

Chills are great, I have always been a fan of the NZ scene, so many good bands. “Driving yet melodic” as they used to say

The Mantles - Don't Cross Town 

Nice simple melody guitar intro. Indie band quality recording, good for those in the know (I’m not, though.) Again, the classic guitar/organ with the bass and drums. These guys sound like they learned how to play in order toto form this band.

Magazine - Touch and Go 

Nice edgy new wave from Magazine! This is classic stuff, heard on KDVS when I was in high school, making rock music what it needed to be. Listening now, I can hear the glam in it as well.

Naked Raygun - Rollerqueen 

Bass driven rock music with droney scream vocals, I guess it was considered punk at the time. But it’s a love song! About a big legged lady, no less. From the punk styles that used Marshall amps, yet claimed to hate the big rockers of the 70s.

The Names - Floating World

Back to the classic 80s organ/chugging guitar/arpeggios with a chorus pedal. I’m glad people made records like this, nobody would tolerate singing like this these days unless it was from teenagers. “let’s go away, far.” 

Unrest - Vibe Out 

“Vibe out”, vocoded. Bass riff central again, eventually we get to the almost-in-tune girl vocal pair, which I have to say, makes me happy. There’s something about it that makes me happy, especially the suspensions. All strummy strum, downstrokes on the bass, with that pair of crooners melodicizing.

Slant 6 - 30/30 Vision 

Ok now we’re in proto-math rock territory, awesome riffs and key changes, great sounds from the guitars and bass. Spoken vocals, again, the almost in tune girl melodics that just get me. Great build to new sections! Faster pace, and a weird phrase for the chorus “30/30 vision” then back to the slow bass riff. I think I would have loved these guys live, never saw them!

New Order - Ceremony 

The most pop track so far, most of these bands with the bass-riff intros probably copped it from these guys. This is a great track (and I’m not a super NO fan) with great simple melody and strong guitar and bass parts. I obviously stole something from this song for a song on the second CVB album, “Chain of Circumstance”.

The Sound - Unwritten Law (7" version) 

Back to the garage, cool guitar riff on two janglers going slightly stretched tuning wise. I haven’t heard it before. “a hand is a hand a knife is a knife”. Where did these guys come from and where did they go?

Happy Refugees - Enshrined In a Memory 

Another 7”, again I’m not in on this band, sounds cool, sort of Fall-ish delivery but with the REM jangle. I’m gonna get good at music trivia.

Television Personalities - Reaching For The Stars 

I know these guys, had many albums, so my trivia knowledge is influenced by KDVS. And

The Three Johns - Brainbox 

Nice strong song, good recording, complete with the major key anthem fade out.

The Pooh Sticks - Time to Time 

Welsh post punks garage rocking it

The Primitives - I'll Be Your Mirror 

More 80s bands mirroring the Velvet Underground?

Biff Bang Pow - 7 Seconds 

Like UK’s own Paisley Underground. I guess most of this tape is 80s/early 90s Brit snark mixed with a bit of acid.

Party Day - Carousel 

Early Goth! This type of bass and to a certain extent guitar, are why I thought the Cocteau Twins were goth at the start, same early 1980s era.

Mick Trouble - Tales of Hank Marvin 

(Mick trouble, really? Tales of Hank Marvin! The throwback nostalgia to Hank, doing up the old strummy guitar. It also reminds me a bit of TV P’s)

Bad Sports - Can't Just Be Friends 

This is like a love note note 7”. Every time I go you can put me on your stereo.

The Unknowns - Not My Memory 

Early 80s when the new wave was crashing and nobody knew what the genre enclosed. I like the way he clucks like a chicken.

Julian Cope - I've Got Levitation 

Man, Julian Cope. Was high. That super crack midrange snare is like hyped up Rolling Stones, with this blues progression. He was into cutting high and low end to squeeze more volume out of analog gear. Punchy! You can sort of see where this is going in terms of UK drug and rave culture.

Abecedarians -They Said Tomorrow/Wildflower 

I liked these guys, DIY post punk Californians. Sort of into the texture as much as the notes. Moar reeverb!

Red Zebra - The Art of Conversation 

Don’t know them, I think…Belgian punkers. Sounds pretty emo these days. Nice gothy chorus on bass and digital delay on guitar. And freaky ending!

Wire - The 15th  

Monks of Doom covered this song relatively recently on What’s Left For Kicks (2006) so that version almost supplanted this version! Wire is so weird, they’re always great but somehow unknowable. Like what are they actually talking about? Is it as dire as they make it sound? Love their style with all the direct downstrokes on the guitar and the organ.

The House of Love - Road 

Taking the goth and post punk signifiers to the bank via high end production. Emo vocals moving out of the underground. This was toward the end of the A&R

Rote Kapelle - San Francisco Again (partial) 

This is obscure. Cool indie (SF, I guess?) boys and girls

Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling 

Unknown, cool song, more recent indie Scottish boys and girls?

Close Lobsters - Sewer Pipe Dream 

80s Scots, jangly Enigma Records stuff. Nice song, good sounds with the jangles and the fuzz. 80s compulsory snarky lyrics, as usual.

....and here’s the mix!

https://soundcloud.com/user-292047766/jonathan-segel-mix?ref=clipboard&p=a&c=1

[mitjalovse]

While The Dream Syndicate and The Bangles belonged to the same scene, The Paisley Underground, they followed the rules of many 80's semi-alternative musicians. When I say the latter, I try to say that you cannot really consider them to be mainstream. Sure, some of them, such as The Bangles, had some hits, but they also continued to be seen as the outsiders. To give you another example – Mazzy Star may have had a period of success during the 90's, though they slowly retreated back towards their own selves and their latest works travels within this vein. Of course, they resemble many of their peers who weren't really highly famous, yet they became known for a couple of songs that may or may not show their true soundscapes.