I first heard this song on Jello Biafra's 1981 Alternative Tentacles Let Them Eat Jellybeans! compilation. It stood out from the rest of the tracks for its insanely fast vocals, bounciness, capable production and the use of (from what I could tell) a cowbell. Aside from the ultra-quick guitars, it just didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of that wonderful collection. It was far more harmonious, maybe even musical, than the punch-in-the-face hardcore punk the rest of the album featured.

Originally recorded as a demo in 1979 at Inner Ear Studios, this version was laid down shortly after in December 1979 at Dots Studio. It is considered one of the earliest hardcore punk singles and may be one of the most polished.
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Bad Brains is an American band that never received enough attention and although one of the pioneers of hardcore punk, thrash metal and all things that required speed, they are often forgotten. I hope you enjoy this track, and catch them live while you still can.

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band emerged from the early 60’s LA surf rock music scene to release five albums. Some consider them to be the left coast answer to The Velvet Underground. They never achieved mainstream success, but after appearing on several Psychedelic music compilations throughout the years, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band has developed a cult like following.

“I Won’t Hurt You” was originally released on their first full length album Volume One. Its jangly Buddy Holly innocence overshadows the stalking-ly obsessive lyrics. This version is from their second album entitled Part One and captures that darker tone.

With a heartbeat rhythm and Shaun Harris’ touching vocal performance one could look upon it as endearing or sinister. I think it’s a hidden gem and a classic.

In the early 90’s on Thursday nights at The Bug Jar there was a fantastic DJ who played the best in Acid Jazz, Trip Hop, and other movable music. More often than not you would find me on that tiny dance floor, and this particular song was one of my favorites.

These were the days before social media and the instant gratification of file sharing. It was that time when you frequently had to reach into the crevices to find fantastic music, and as an import, this might have been the best $27 bucks I ever spent.

“Beatitude” by The Jazz Brothers (not the Riverside Recording artists Gap and Chuck Mangione) is a wonderful electronic wink at samba with an addictive hook that pushes you during each break and even includes a respectable guitar solo at the end.
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I hope you enjoy this track and check out other releases by Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood and Talkin' Loud Record labels.   

With the Olympics being held in Brazil this month I thought I would peek across the Atlantic to the beautiful city of Lisbon, the former command center of the Kingdom of Portugal, where a band called Pega Monstro (Catch The Monster) resides. Like the White Stripes, and more importantly The Spinanes before them, this two piece guitar and drum “Dream-Punk” outfit has produced some memorable, addictive fun.

“Branca” is off their 2015 album Alfarroba, and at less than two minutes long, might be considered a shout out to the Ramones and the surf rock from the early 60’s. It features some simple straight ahead catchy pop that you can appreciate even if you can’t understand Portuguese. Enjoy, share, and tell others about these two talented sisters.