Friday, January 29, 2010

Bad Times - live cd-r

Bad Times - Live in Normal, IL - cd-r
Goner Records - limited to 35 copies
this is # 12/35


































Bad Times - lp

Bad Times LP (Goner Records, Therapeutic Records, 2001, 11Gone/TIC-005)
1st edition: 600 made, 2001
2nd edition (identical): 400 made, 2002












Side One
  1. Streets Of Iron
  2. Over You
  3. Momma Told Me So
  4. The Jim Miller Bounce
  5. Glitter Boys
  6. You're So Lewd
  7. Wrong Way To Love
Side Two
  1. Sometimes She Wants It
  2. Listen To The Band
  3. Trapped In The City
  4. Bad Time
  5. Crazy Dream
  6. Before We're Dead And Gone
  7. Vaccination
back of sleeve














insert

















Bad Times - the ultimate one-off band

Jay Reatard - Vocals guitar drums
King Louie Bankstron Vocals guitar drums
Eric Oblivian Vocals guitar

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Lost Sounds - Motorcycle Leather Boy 7"

Motorcycle Leather Boy 7" (Tic Tac Totally, 2008, TTT-011)
recorded in 2004















Side A
  1. Motorcycle Leather Boy (Oblivians)
Side B
  1. Love Killed My Brain (Oblivians)

back sleeve
















These two Oblivians covers were recorded in 2004 for an ill-fated Oblivians tribute record. They finally saw the light of day in 2008 on Tic Tac Totally. Alot of great bands recorded songs for that tribute lp - including the Angry Angles - but their track was lost in a hard drive crash - shame that never came out.

Lost Sounds - Vanishing Split 7"


split 7" (Cochon Records, 2003, Coch 012)

















  1. The Lost Sounds: Glued To The Screen
  2. The Lost Sounds: There's Nothing
  3. Vanishing: Get In The Car
  4. Vanishing: Lost In Pictures (Pt. 2)
back sleeve

















lyric insert

Lost Sounds - Lost Sounds lp

Lost Sounds LP/CD (In The Red, 2004, ITR 117)













Side One
  1. There's Nothing
  2. Destructo Comet
  3. I Get Nervous
  4. Clones Don't Love Me
  5. I Sit I Watch I Wait
  6. Ophelia
Side Two
  1. Your Looking Glass
  2. Let's Get Sick
  3. And You Dance?
  4. We're Just Living
  5. Mechanical Feelings
  6. Bombs Over M.O.M.

Back Sleeve












printed inner sleeve











printed inner sleeve











And Rich had a few words to say about this lp in the Oct/Nov 2004 Reviews of Terminal Boredom.
I'm one of those obsessive music types that is always trying to explore parallels between what is going on in music today, and how it references the past. I often wonder which the truly important bands of our time are, who will be the ones we will still be talking about in five or ten years. The bands with staying power, those who broke ground, who carry influence over the pack. I believe the Lost Sounds are one of those bands. Four official full length releases, plus tons of demos, singles, rarities, and they still get better, they still come up with something different, something new. Their latest is just the next step in an evolutionary process that has seen them transformed from garage-punk noise to the incredibly talented future-wave rock band they are now. The songs are tighter, more concise, and they've reeled in a bit of the sonic excesses that were originally their trademark, and substituted a skewed pop sensibility that manages to not diminish their power in the least. Their most accessible record yet? Sure. I think it's more or less a distillation of their sound, as if they've boiled down all the previous records and come up with this, the band in their purest and most potent form to date. And in my search for musically historical relevance, I've come to decide that the Lost Sounds seem to be travelling on a trajectory pretty damn close to another band, that probably turned out to be one of the most influential bands on the underground rock landscape, that band being Sonic Youth. Think about the similarities. The Lost Sounds were steeped in Oblivians/Memphis blues-garage-scuzz in much the same way SY cut their pick-teeth in the Branca/Chatham guitar symphonies of the NYC art-shit crowd. At their center you have the guy-girl duo. The girl with the the artist's background and good looks; the guy who is equal parts brooding and thrashing, adamamant and outspoken in his beliefs of what rock should be. Just thank God Jay's extracurricular activities have a tendency towards the punk of the Final Solutions and not some free-jazz skronk bullshit. I guess that makes Rich the Lee of the group, counterpart and early bandmate to Jay's Thurston, equally versed in the music that created them and as equally talented, if not as vocal. And surely The Reatards are a better starting point than The Coachmen. The Contaminated label/Goner crowd their own Sonic Death fan club, eager to snap up the demos, limited edition records, attend the live shows, and see what other bands are riding along in the wake. Does that make the Jonas/Jon/Patrick bass axis the equivalent of the Edson/Bert/Shelley rotating drum stool? The Fitts as a parallel to Free Kitten? (I would say yes, except for the fact that Fitts records are actually good, and Alicja has never had an annoying hag named Julia Cafritz in her band). Does this make the Bad Times an updated Dim Stars? Is signing to In the Red equal to a jump to SST, the premier indie of it's time? Hey, didn't Steve Shelley put out The Clears record? And really, aren't the Lost Sounds doing some of the same thing with synths that SY did by sticking drumsticks and screwdrivers into their guitar strings? That being, fill in the quiet gaps with sounds and textures that create moods, that evoke emotion. Both bands possess the ability to create that thing we call a sonic landscape, or soundscape, guitarscape, synthscape, escape, or whatever -scape you want to attach. They have the ability to transcend genre, to create places in music none of us have heard before or knew we wanted to go to. The talent to wrap you in grand sounding swirls of sound and still be dirty enough to grab you by your black t-shirt and rock your eyeballs back into your head. Harnessing power from the the quiet, tense, and tentative moments within a song to make the the destructive explosions of noise that much more lethal. Sonic Youth early on ostensibly made records about America, and you can see LS doing the same by making records about the world, about the times we live in, that much nearer to total destuction, apocalypse, a future full of frightening technology. Their albums exist within a timeframe of sorts, each self-sufficient and progressively different. You could say the Memphis is Dead'-era mirrors the SonicDeath/Kill Yr. Idols period. Statements of purpose and such, still working out the old influences and finding their own footing. Are covers of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "You Must Be A Witch" similar exercises in exorcising demons past and declaring starting points? Look at 'Black Wave' as their 'Bad Moon Rising', in its sprawling dissonance and steps out of the garage/punk murk. 'Rat's Brains...' subs for 'EVOL', showcasing their evolving versatility, ripping harsh and raw chunks from the corpse of rock and balancing it with extended moments of lush cold wave dynamics. That brings us to the new self-titled record, their 'Sister', arguably Sonic Youth's best record, and what appears to be the Lost Sounds peak up to now. Both records represent a noise withdrawal of sorts, a streamlining of sounds. The songs have become more internalized, less demonic, placing more emphasis on creating a great song in their own version of the rock mold, instead of attempting to blow the listener away with sheer brute force. Far from tame, but as close to a pop formula as they can come. I might be way out of line with this rambling, I might be talking straight out of my ass. I just know that something is happening whenever a Lost Sounds record comes out, something a little bit bigger than most other bands. It's tough to get perspective when you're there listening to it happen. Will the Lost Sounds turn out to be as far reaching and influential as SY? They're already halfway there. No one outside of Europeans and a rabid underground following paid much attention to Thurston, Kim, and co. until almost their seventh album. I do think that as bands talented at making the inaccessible accessible, at making harsh rock interwoven with evocative synth/guitar textures, their early careers are eerily similar. I don't expect the Lost Sounds to make their 'Daydream Nation', or to get one iota of respect from the mainstream. They're a great band, very likely the best of our time, and I wouldn't wish that upon them. They could explode into the next leaders of 'alternative' or whatever it's going to be called next, or implode and never make another album. It still wouldn't take away from what they've already done, although I'd much rather see the ride continue. It's been a pleasure to watch and hear it unfold so far, and if you've at all missed out you should start playing catch-up now. (RK)

Lost Sounds - Future Touch

Future Touch 12"EP/CDEP (In The Red, 2004, ITR 115)
green vinyl











A Side
  1. Future Touch
  2. Rearview Mirror
  3. Moving Mouths
  4. Trails/Fears
B Side
  1. Tyrants Head
  2. Black Flowers
  3. Sweet Knives

Back Sleeve












Printed innner sleeve











other side of inner sleeve












A side











B Side

Lost Sounds - Demos & Outtakes Vol. 2

Demos & Outtakes Vol. 2 3x7" (Rockin' Bones, 2004, RON 052)
500 copies, box with 3 singles, 1 green and 2 red vinyl, incl. poster, booklet, pin, 2 stickers, photo and a piece of candy

















Front of Box
















  1. Random Signals
  2. Black Imperial March
  3. Energy Drink & The Long Walk Home
  4. Endless Tunnel
  5. Taken Away
  6. Instructions For A New Tomorrow
  7. Be Invisible
  8. Chopping Block
  9. Trails/Fears
  10. Let's Lie
  11. Lost Waltz
  12. Get Off My Planet
  13. I've Seen U Before
  14. Tronic Graveyard Part 1
  15. I Feel Your Face In The Night


Back of Box















Here is a scan of the picture of Jay included in the box.

Lost Sounds - No One Killer 7"

No One Killer 7" (The Holy Cobra Society, 2004, THCS 004)
picture disc



































Side A
  1. No One Killer
Side B
  1. No Control
  2. (Living In The) Ice Age (Joy Division)
This is from Rich's interview with Jay in Terminal Boredom from way back when

TB: Where did the songs from the new picture disc come from? Who did the art for it?
Jay: One came from Alicja's head, one from mine, and one from Joy Division. Some kid from Spain did the art work. The pic disc is a bit more gothy-pop than anything we have done, but we try to make every record have it's own feel.
this one is # 216/750

Lost Sounds - Rat's Brains & Microchips

Rats Brains & Microchips LP/CD (Empty Records US, 2002, MTR-397)














Side A
  1. Rat's Brains & Microchips
  2. You Dont Know Remote Control
  3. Tronic Graveyard
  4. Energy Drink & The Long Walk Home
  5. Black Coats / White Fear
  6. I think I'm Dead
  7. Dreaming Or Bleeding
Side B

  1. Total Destruction
  2. Read Requiem Mass For Me
  3. Breathing Machine
  4. Radon Flows
  5. Peek-a-boo UR Doomed
  6. Frozen In Time

Back Sleeve













Not sure of the collector scum stats, but here's my copy spinning on an undeserving portable shitbox.









Line Up for Rat's Brains:
Alicja - Synth, Guitar
Jay - Synth, Guitar
Rich - Drums
Jon - Bass
Jonas - Guitar
Jonathan Kirkscey - chello

Recorded in 2002 at the Tronic Graveyard.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Lost Sounds - Outtakes & Demos Vol. 1

Outtakes & Demos Vol. 1 CD-R (Contaminated Records, 2001, no cat.no.)
CD-R: limited edition: 100 copies, with 25 special edition hand-painted cover copies

This is number 17/25. Hand painted by Alicja. Ah, the things you can score by spending way too much time on the Goner Board.

















































After the Contaminated CD-R release this was officially released on vinyl by Hate Records in Italy. Each of the 25 original hand-painted cd-r covers are featured on the cover of the lp

Outtakes & Demos Vol. 1 LP (Hate Records, 2002, hate 24)
































Side A
  1. I Don't Count
  2. Do You Wanna Kill Me
  3. Memphis '99
  4. 1620 Echles St.
  5. Blackcoats Whitefear
  6. Sonic Mathematics
  7. Electropsychotic
Side B
  1. Let's Lie
  2. Sequential Circuits Sequence
  3. Punish Or Be Damned
  4. Going Home Alone Tonight
  5. Total destruction
  6. Soul-4 Sale
This is actually the Lost Sounds record I still most listen to on a regular basis. That's probably because its the only one on my ipod. I gotta get mp3s of the real albums. Anyways, this has a great version of 1620 Echles St. There's a killer live version of Alicja belting out "Satan Bought Me." Just so many hits for an outtakes record. The cd-r has an insane on stage freak out by Jay. The cd-r also has a great demo song "Losing and Dreaming" which I really wish would have been re-recorded for wider release. This song is the first taste of Jay's straight-up pop song writing skills.


"That's rock'n'roll, you fucking pedestrians." - Lost Sounds Fan









Lost Sounds - Black Wave

Black-Wave 2xLP/CD ÂȘEmpty Records US, 2001, MTR-392)















Side A
  1. Reasons To Kill
  2. I'm Not A Machine
  3. Plastic Skin
  4. Don't Turn Around
Side B
  1. Do You Wanna Kill Me
  2. 1620 Echles St.
  3. Throw Away
  4. Citats Blanc
  5. Ocelot Rising
Side C
  1. I See Everything
  2. Dark Shadows
  3. Lost And Found
  4. Saturn Stomp
  5. I'm Not Me
Side D
  1. Die Pax
  2. What'd I Say
  3. Soon This Tomb
  4. Heart Felt Toys
  5. Walk In Line

Back Sleeve















lyric sheet insert
















not sure about the collector scum stats on color vinyl but this is what mine looks like








A Side B to Rival "My War" (technically "My War" is Side 2 not B). Anyways, this whole album is killer. "Do You Wanna Kill Me?" is a cover from the awesome Destruction Unit 7". "1620 Echles. St." is one of my all-time favorite songs.













Lost Sounds - Memphis Is Dead

Memphis Is Dead LP/CD (Big Neck Records, 2001, BN-014)













Side A
  1. Ship Of Monsters
  2. Its My Dream
  3. Satan Bought Me
  4. Inside My Head
  5. Memphis 99
  6. Better Than Somethings
Side B
  1. You Must Be A Witch
  2. Disease
  3. Dont Ask Why
  4. Ive Lost It
  5. Dont Bother Me
  6. When I Lose It
  7. Soul For Sale

Back Sleeve















The debut lp from the Lost Sounds. Such a killer album - I think "Satan Bought Me" and "Soul For Sale" are two stand-out tracks. Plus a great cover of Fred Cole's Lollypop Shop "You Must Be A Witch"

Lost Sounds - 1 + 1 = Nothing


1 + 1 = Nothing 7" Empty Records US, 2001, MTR-387)















Side A
  1. 1 + 1 = Nothing
Side B
  1. Memphis Is Dead
  2. Memphis Girlfight
back of sleeve



















nerd alert: just like with "Teenage Hate" we have a "title track" to an lp that does not actually appear on the lp. This single contains the song "Memphis Is Dead" which doesn't actually appear on the lp of the same name.
This is the second Lost Sounds single. I never got the SSLD single. I think that was the first of Jay's records to ever command monster prices on ebay.



Monday, January 25, 2010

Keep On Rocking To The Beat Of A Broken Drum

Reatards - Totally Shattered Euro Tour Comp


Totally Shattered Euro Tour 7" (KenRock, 2005, KEN45)










Side A

1. Angry Angles: You Lied
2. Reatards: I Need You

Side B
3. Tokyo Electron: The Rub (Monsieur Jeffrey Evans)













You get two Jay projects on here - The Reatards and the Angry Angles. Plus you get Tokyo Electron covering Mssr. Jeffrey Evans "The Rub" - all Shattered bands but this came out on KenRock for a European Tour.

Reatards - I Lie Too

I Lie Too 7" (Zaxxon Records, 2006, ZR 003)











Side A
  1. I Lie Too
  2. She Don't Know
Side B
  1. I'm A Victim Of Your Cunt

Reatards - Monster Child


Monster Child 7" (Zaxxon Records, 2004, ZVA 13)
label was called "Zaxxon Virile Action" back then
first pressing: 500 copies black vinyl
second pressing: 500 copies red vinyl






Side A
  1. Monster Child
  2. I Will Die Alone
Side B
  1. No Soul No Mo
  2. Tell A Lie On Me


















once again the info for this was lifted straight of of Grunnen Rocks because i'm much too lazy to type that shit myself

here is dale merrill's review at the time Monster Child came out in Smashin Transistors

the REATARDS "Monster Child" (Zaxxon Virile Action 7in) I'm sure everyone who looks at this site has at least heard about the recent drama surrounding the Lost Sounds somewhere on the internet by now. Apparently the band is calling it day and on to persue other projects. Maybe Jay's first order of business is to get every inch of unreleased tape by the Reatards released by a smattering of labels with a handful of newer recordings to sweeten the deal. Only time will tell whether it'll be a blessing or a curse but I ain't complaining when something like this is revolving on my turntable. Some older recordings and some of more recent vintage but I don't think many will be able to tell which is which. Both sides are cranked up conniption fits that would fit right in with the stuff on "Grown Up, Fucked Up". (Zaxxon Virile Action) dm

and Rich Kroneiss (RK) and Steven Strange (SS) wrote in Terminal Boredom's Mar/Apr 2005 Reviews

Reatards "Monster Child" 7"
Publicized as two new and two old tunes from Jay Jay, I really have no background info on these songs, when they're actually from, or who is playing on 'em. Of the new ones, "I Will Die Alone" sounds like something written for the Lost SOunds, but played without the keyboards, and "Monster Child" has some nice hooks and healthy dose of self-destruction/loathing. The older tunes are more in line with the feel of 'Teenage Hate', icluding a different take of "Tell A Lie On Me". For those whose appetites were not sated by Bedroom Disasters, this one's for you. Probably the least essential of all Reatards records, which means it's still better than most of the crap out there. Just a little bit less than the greatness this band was/is capable of. Another single from the 'Tards is soon to be released on Shattered Records, along with another album of outtakes, plus a brand new full length. Scum stats: First press was 500 on black vinyl. Already sold out. Second press is 500 on red vinyl. There were some test presses being sold on eBay as well, which went in the $70 range before this thing was released. Reatarded.(RK)

I hate Jay Reatard. Don't get me wrong, it's nothing personal. I don't think we've ever exchanged more than a few words after a show one time, and he seemed like a pretty nice guy. No, my anger towards Jay stems merely from the fact that he makes me feel like a total pud. When I was sixteen years old my days were filled with unsuccessful bids to get ugly girls to sleep with me, sitting around drinking Coke with my friends, reading MRR, playing Motley Crue's 'Crue Ball' on my Sega Genesis, jerking to the cover of that Elastica LP (hey, I hadn't heard the Wongs tune that would later teach me the proper object of record cover inspired onanisim), and filming the action-figure motion picture epic "Star Wars Episode Nine: The Revenge of Dark Lando" (get it, cause Lando's BLACK he joined the DARK SIDE. How did I ever end up getting laid again?). I also played guitar (and I use the term "play" in the loosest possible sense) in a basement noise band called "Dictaphone Nation." Among our best efforts were tunes like "The Pirate Song", "Ganja Man", and a cover of Iggy's 80s smash "Butt Town." Contrast this to Jay Reatard, who at the same age was writing and recording tunes like "Teenage Hate" that people are still going to remember twenty years from now. As if this wasn't bad enough, it turns out the 'Tards previous singles and two LPs weren't the sum total of Jay's underage recorded output. Despite the fact though these tunes have sat in a box somewhere for the past six years or so, this record doesn't sound at all like leftovers or outtakes. The three unreleased tunes on this single are all fucking great, and the alternate take of "Tell a Lie On Me" only further serves to illustrate what a rock n roll savant 'ol Jay Jay really is. And get this: supposedly there are two more singles and an LP's worth of unreleased Reatards material coming out this year!!! Man, I hate Jay Reatard. Then again, with records as great as this, being made to feel like a loser never felt so good.(SS)