The 1986 Listening Post - Concrete Blonde - Concrete Blonde

Concrete Blonde - Concrete Blonde

#72/1239

February 1986

Concrete Blonde

Concrete Blonde

Genre: Rock

3.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Your Haunted Head

Still in Hollywood

Over Your Shoulder

I haven’t heard something like this since 45 Grave. This is the first, most assured, straightforward, non-pop rocker by a female led band that I think we’ve heard. By that I mean, it isn’t cheeky or cute, it isn’t gimmicky and doesn’t try to fit in that lane. It’s got muscle and edge and I put that on Johnette Napolitano. I used to get Concrete Blonde confused with 4 Non Blondes and Blonde Redhead and then I just never bothered. 

This is an unexpected trip as I wasn’t expecting this kind of dank rocking sound from 86. “Still in Hollywood” sounds like an X cover band. And I don’t say that like it’s a bad thing. I miss that sound. A sound that will come back with the ill-fated Betty Blowtorch and shit…I’m sad about Bianca Butthole now.

This album sounds like a band that will come into it’s own during the next decade. Either they are leading that charge or just happen to be in the right place at the right time. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/concrete-blonde/1442910902

The 1986 Listening Post - Red Box - The Circle and the Square

Red Box - The Circle and the Square

#71/1238 LISTENING POST ADMIN DISCOVERY

1986 Housekeeping

Red Box

The Circle and the Square

Genre: World Rock

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

For America

Billy’s Lane

Bantu

Lean on Me (Ah-li-ayo)

Walk Walk

Here we go. This is the familiar tones of 80s rock. Big sounds, global concerns, world music influenced, somewhere in the Venn Diagram of Tears for Fears, Dexys, U2 and even Genesis and Midge Ure and Bowie and XTC and…is there a touch of…Philip Glass in here? It’s all so very “important” but it works. 

If I was managing them, I’d be getting Imagine Dragons to cover something like “Billy’s Lane”. Give them a connection to the older generation and, subsequently, just a wee bit more longevity (or commercial sell out cred). Or is that just an opportunity for me to drop a contemporary name so I can sound like I know what the fuck’s going on in music today? 

This is a terrific relic from this decade. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-circle-the-square-expanded-version/455763439

The 1986 Listening Post - Fuzzbox - Bostin' Steve Austin

Fuzzbox - Bostin' Steve Austin

#70/1237

1986 Housekeeping

Fuzzbox

Bostin’ Steve Austin

Genre: Garage Rock

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Love is the Slug

You Got Me

Rules and Regulations

I am sort of shocked that Fuzzbox never appeared on a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. They feel like a band that he would love. 

The original name of this group is We’ve Got a Fuzzbox and We’re Gonna Use it and I am here for that shit.

This is the 5-6-7-8’s meets the Go Go’s. They are the spiritual cousins of The Gymslips and I love every second of it.

Every song starts off with spectacular promise, lacerating guitars and energized baselines and then, for some reason, devolve into something less exciting. And I can’t explain it. 

Oh, well. I guess there’s a reason Fuzzbox never caught on. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/bostin-steve-austin-splendiferous-edition/642247594

The 1986 Listening Post - The Cynics - Blue Train Station

The Cynics - Blue Train Station

#69/1236

1986 Housekeeping

The Cynics

Blue Train Station

Genre: Garage

3.75 out of 5

Highlights:

No Way

It’s amazing that in 15 years or so, this sound is gonna explode via The Hives, The White Stripes, The Vines and a host of other garage revival bands. 

The Cynics seem to have more in common with The Fleshtones and The Chesterfield Kings and all the bands that should all have been featured on Ray Dennis Steckler movie soundtracks. 

It’s definitely a fun sound when you want to hear it but it’s not really moving anything forward. I don’t know why this works so well a decade and a half later but I guess we’ll have to get to the 00s to find out. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/blue-train-station/537143793

The 1986 Listening Post - The Cramps - A Date with Elvis

The Cramps - A Date with Elvis

#68/1235

February 1986

The Cramps

A Date with Elvis

Genre: Psychobilly

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Cornfed Dames

Hot Pool of Womanneed

“The Hot Pearl Snatch”?

“Can Your Pussy Do the Dog”?

“What’s Inside a Girl”?

“Kizmiaz”?!?

“Hot Pool of Womanneed”??

No one could ever accuse The Cramps of subtlety. Or not trying to be the Howard Stern Show of Psychobilly. They must have been guests at some point, yes? Boomers be working out some weird shit, man. 

I was never much for the style of rock music that seemed to watch The Munsters and decide, “Yep. That’s it. That’s the pinnacle for the art form for me.” Even The Stray Cats managed to find a way to expand the sound. (They weren’t very successful at it but, at least they seemed to try). 

Now there’s something to be said for Lux’s commitment to this genre. And his warble. Which alone is the reason to listen to “What’s Inside a Girl”. In fact, it’s the only reason. He’s a 1960s Hanna Barbera cartoon version of Elvis Presrock. 

I want this to be so good. I mean, come on, look at their band name design. It’s right out of Fangoria. They belong on a bill with The Fleshtones and The Misfits. You know who would be a good double bill?! Jonathan Richman. If I could have, I would’ve teamed them up for a record. 

It’s just that it all leaves me wishing it was better. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-date-with-elvis/929348066

The 1986 Listening Post - The Comsat Angels - Chasing Shadows

The Comsat Angels - Chasing Shadows

#67/1234

1986 Housekeeping

The Comsat Angels

Chasing Shadows

Genre: Rock

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

The Thought That Counts

Lost Continent

Flying Dreams

Welp, Comsat Angels must’ve gotten the message that 7 Day Weekend was a giant pander cuz this is not that.

Moody, melodic, dark and anthemic and maybe I’m crazy but I feel like Placebo listened to this record. 

It’s not something I would return to but I could walk barefoot in my backyard on a cool, damp California Autumn night and transport with this thing. 

It’s a shame that this thing doesn’t really explode until late with “Flying Dreams” but it’s a nice journey that pays off. 

It won’t change your life but, if the last album was your introduction to The Comsat Angels, as it was mine, it will change your opinion of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ktaeWvRjb0

The 1986 Listening Post - Toxic Reasons - Bullets for You

Toxic Reasons - Bullets for You

#66/1233

1986 Housekeeping

Toxic Reasons

Bullets for You

Genre: Punk

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Get Out the Gun

Killing the Future

Party’s Over

Toxic Reasons are back but this time they have amped up the speed shredding to their thrash punk. Which means they sound like Black Flag meets any number of speed metal bands.

It sounds like it was recorded for $1.25 and that’s a shame because the edge is almost 80s underground radio friendly. Lord knows the lead solos are actually not bad, for some reason it reminds me a bit of Burning Brides. 

Toxic Reasons wear their influences on their sleeves, they want to be The Damned and the Clash and the Sex Pistols and we all know that moment has passed but on Bullets for You they find the melody that I felt was lacking in the past. In fact, toss some ska in there and they could be Rancid. 

So much better than I expected (dreaded) it would be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFu8200LXzU

The 1986 Listening Post - Always August - Black Pyramid

Always August - Black Pyramid

#65/1232

1986 Housekeeping

Always August

Black Pyramid

Genre: Psychedelic Garage

2.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Spacin’ Out

So, I’m listening to this weird ass, piss poor produced wanna be Grateful Dead hooey and I look it up on Wikipedia and what to my wondering eyes should appear: Greg Ginn’s name. These guys were produced by Ginn and we all know that Ginn is the worst thing to happen to music since ever.

Okay okay, I know. But, boy those Black Flag records were interminable. Until D.C. 3, that is. 

But this is…man…can anyone here actually play their instrument?

What a mess. This is what you get when someone says, “The Dead? I can play that shit!” and they totally can’t. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuXkSfILb6g

The 1986 Listening Post - Algebra Suicide - Big Skin

Algebra Suicide - Big Skin

#64/1231

1986 Housekeeping

Algebra Suicide

Big Skin

Genre: Minimal Experimental

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Little Dead Body Poem

Seven Song

Please Respect Our Decadence

I had two records that, for me, define a part of the 80s that don’t get a lot of credit for their influence but I believe they were seminal works of art.

The first was a must-have album after the surprise New Wave success of her single, “O Superman”, Laurie Anderson’s Big Science barely needs a mention because, well, who doesn’t know Big Science? 

You?

Stop what you are doing and go listen to it, stat. I can not stress it’s importance enough. Also it’s humor and weird re-listenability.

The other was a record I’ve written about before. One that got such a good review in the Star-Ledger that I never forgot it and, a year after reading the review, was compelled to call the paper and talk to the reviewer and track it down. It was by a New Jersey band called Xex. The album was Group: Xex. The first real indie-synth album replete with sardonic humor and band member names like “Was Pierogi” and “Thumbelina Guglielmo”.

It makes sense that Algebra Suicide would exist in those shadows. But, Lydia Tomkiw seems to be focusing on the burbling Velvet Underground elements of those records, which are so deeply hidden that they are so obfuscated by what they were able to twist that idea into. And he is wearing her disturbed conditions on her sleeve as in “Little Dead Body Poem”.

She’s much more Anne Sexton than Laurie Anderson. 

I bet if I had this cassette I’d have loved it, tho. I had a thing for dark and depressed women for a while. 

Did any of this make you want to listen? I hope so. Just to know it was there. 

RIP Lydia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLP4TeMeGzw

The 1986 Listening Post - Animotion - Strange Behavior

Animotion - Strange Behavior

#63/1230

February 1986

Animotion

Strange Behavior

Genre: SynthPop

1.75 out of 5

Highlights:

I Want You

Am I off base? Is there a song about statutory rape (or preference for) on this record? Tell me if I’ve read this wrong. (Lyrics at the bottom)

If not for this project I would never have known that one my favorite 70s songwriters/producers, Mike Chapman, one of the best female songwriters, Holly Knight and Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin had collaborated on…well…anything. I have no idea how this collaboration happened but the result, “I Engineer” is unworthy of any of their respective talents. Really trite claptrap. It’s maybe a 2 star song but points must be subtracted for the pedigree that soiled themselves on this 4th rate-4 years too late piece of garbage.

With a track like “Anxiety” it’s pretty much assured that, had they stuck around, I’m pretty sure Animotion would have gotten to all the neurological disorders. It was only a matter of longevity that would get them to a song called, “Narcissistic Personality Disorder”. 

In 1986 Animotion is still pimping out a sound that was so quickly delivered to redundancy that almost all of the purveyors like Soft Cell had called it quits way before. Someone should have gotten them a memo. 

Points way off for the lyrical content of “The Essence”:

Every man has a hunger

It can overcome the strongest will

Especially if the woman is younger

And she has a tender dream to fill

Youth and beauty have a magic charm

And it's so hard to leave her alone

But like the blazing fire in Medusa's eyes

She can turn a man into stone

Reaching for the essence in a younger woman's heart

Knowing adolescence is the finest form of art

Back in the days of cavemen

Women learned how to capture power

By taking back what they often gave men

The sweet nectar of a passion flower

The powerful prince that owned your lands

Could determine if you live or die

But he'd get down upon his knees and hands

If the princess would only fly

Reaching for the essence in a younger woman's heart

Knowing adolescence is the finest form of art

Reaching for the essence in a younger woman's heart

Glowing with fluorescence she's a neon candle in the dark

Youth and beauty have a magic charm

And it's so hard to leave her alone

But like the blazing fire in Medusa's eyes

She can turn a man into stone

Reaching for the essence in a younger woman's heart

Knowing adolescence is the finest form of art

Reaching for the essence in a younger woman's heart

Glowing with fluorescence she's a neon candle in the dark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI_nj8WzkDA&list=PLGPGfyGlEcoa3ZSN2g3EWd26X9-QhlvxY