The Carstairs

The Carstairs' 1973 single, "It Really Hurts Me, Girl," is considered representative of a watershed in Northern soul, when the 1960s ended and the 1970s came crashing down on partygoers' heads like a huge, decadent chandelier. The transition the Carstairs present is very obvious-- you play "It Really Hurts Me, Girl" after a brassy, thumping 1960s hit and this sounds sleeker yet bolder, and-- knowing what we know now about the American 1970s-- telling of the indulgent years to come.

The Carstairs "It Really Hurts Me, Girl"

Spiral Starecase

You know it's gotta be good when your dad walks in the room and asks, "Is this Chicago?"

Presenting one-hit wonder un-supergroup, The Spiral Starecase:

The Spiral Starecase "More Today Than Yesterday"

Steel Pole Bath Tub

If you are a self-defined punk rocker and you're anywhere between 30 and 40, you must have loved Steel Pole Bath Tub at one point.

Here is one of my favorite SPBT songs from one of my favorite STBT albums. Is it fucked up, misanthropic and weird? Definitely. Is it too weird, like some of the worst Butthole Surfers songs? Almost, but not quite! Does it totally make you want to air-shred? Hell yes.

Steel Pole Bath Tub "Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride"

Linda Perhacs

A change of pace for this quiet, chilly night in the District of Columbia...

Linda Perhacs "Chimacum Come Rain"
Linda Perhacs "Parallelograms"

Gérard Manset

Gérard Manset, beloved and mysterious French musician/songwriter, wrote his first album at age 23. He got a record deal, only to have his first single released in the middle of the French student revolution. It flopped.

Here is the first single, followed by the first song from the LP:

Gérard Manset "Animal On Est Mal"
Gérard Manset "Je Suis Dieu"

Manset and I share a birthday (Aug 21). He is exactly forty years older than me.

Thrilled Skinny II

Due to an outpouring of public demand (Franke leaving a comment), I am posting more Thrilled Skinny.

Thrilled Skinny "Just Another Teenage Dream" (from "It's a Good Doss")
Thrilled Skinny "Downstairs" (from "Smells a Bit Fishy, left)

After Thrilled Skinny, most members went on to form The Knockouts, who are active and on Myspace.

A few years ago, Elliot P Smoke (drummer Andy Kingston) sent me a nice package with at least one Knockouts CD ("Cannibal Lounge") and a zine. The CD is probably sitting neglected in a cardboard box-- a casualty of my crossover from CD's and records to iTunes-- but I remember thinking it sounded noisy and good.

Slapp Happy with Faust

A short post tonight before I go to bed. Kudos to Brett Lyman for telling me about this great album a couple years ago.

Slapp Happy with Faust "The Drum"

Thrilled Skinny

Thrilled Skinny was a very fast band from Luton, Bedfordshire. They released the album to the left, "It's a Good Doss," in 1990, following a much noisier debut LP and a number of singles.

Thrilled Skinny "Good Doss"

Girlie

This single by the Dutch pop group Girlie made a splash when they released it in 1978.

It's a nice teen pop song performed by a bunch of women. Crazy concept, huh?

Girlie "Andy (For Love it Takes Two)"