Meow Again (Slight Return)

Never met a Mingus track I didn't like.

Charles Mingus - Pussy Cat Dues

Meow Again

A new collection of hypnotic guitar instrumentals from the man who currently runs a cool performance space in Philly called Jerry's On Front. Forsyth's visions are as always clearly inspired by the mighty Television, which is definitely a plus in my book. Go cat go.

Chris Forsyth - New Paranoid Cat

Good Question That

Time for a question we've all asked ourselves one time or another. Black Francis posed it while scuba diving, an activity the Pixies headman didn't dig too much apparently. Oh well, at least he got a fine song out of it. "Way out in the water, see it swimmin'..."

Pixies - Where Is My Mind?

Ought To Know

A most excellent post over on the White Trash Soul blog collects all the original songs of Copy Cats, that cool cover album from 1988 by Johnny Thunders and Patti Palladin. Sounds interesting? Dissappear here.

Roy Head & The Traits - Treat Her Right
Johnny Thunders & Patti Palladin - Treat Her Right

Sunlight Streams

Cosmic countryrock with a twist by a mellow duo from exotic Taos in New Mexico. Headlands came out in 2017, so I'm a tad late to the party, but never mind that. It may just become my soundtrack for a long hot summer about to arrive. Stop press: Trummors just recorded a fine Lagniappe Session, which you can check out here.

Trummors - Spanish Peaks

That's The Way

A floor-filling afro-funk gem from '77, recently reissued by the mighty Analog Africa imprint. If you ever find yourself in the Ghanese capital of Accra, be sure to have dinner at Rob's Chicken Pepper restaurant. If his food is as good as his music, you're in for a treat.

Rob - Funky Rob Way

Good Question That

A southern soul scorcher from '67 by the rather obscure Jimmy Hughes makes for question #7 in our mini series. "Why try to deny your feelings..." Indeed. Will she give in?

Jimmy Hughes - Why Not Tonight?

You And Me

Those hoping that Garcia Peoples would move in a more cosmic direction on the follow-up to last year's promising debut will be a tad disappointed with Natural Facts. What we get is the other side of the coin, as the young New Jersey five-piece has decided to showcase a heavier (indie-) rock sound here. Bit of a shame that, but I'd still love to see 'em live - check out a blistering Big Apple show with some special guests, as recently caught by the tireless New York Taper, to understand why.

Garcia Peoples - High Noon Violence

So Alone

Forgotten guitar instrumentals as dug up by the always amazing Tompkins Square label. Warm and lazy, like that ideal summer afternoon.

Kinloch Nelson - Solitudes

Good Question That

Today's query is short and sweet. "I stand for language, I speak the truth..." New Wave was a term coined by record companies of course, trying to sell a varied batch of young bands (from the Go Go's to Dire Straits and from Mink deVille to the Cars) to customers thought to be wary of the scary punk moniker. Although this is a Mike Watt composition, let's send it out in loving memory of Minutemen mastermind D. Boon, who died way too young in a van crash back in 1985.

Minutemen - Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth?

Turn It On/Up/Off

Albums and singles by late nineties San Jose slowcore ensemble Duster (no, I wasn't familiar with them either) have been changing hands for big money on sites like Discogs for quite a while, so the fine folks of the Numero Group saw fit to release their collected works as a box set. For an interesting background story on this enterprise, check out a fine piece of writing in the Ringer. Which begs only one question of course: were Duster any good? Well, if you're still into that typical nineties indie sound patented by Codeine and Low, this might be one to pick up.

Duster - Topical Solution

What I Am

Arizona desert rockers in surprising second childhood shocker. Or: there's nothing dusty about the new Meat Puppets album, folks. Au contraire: it's surprisingly good.

Meat Puppets - Warranty

Good Question That

This rollicking ride in typical Fall fashion was released in the grim early eighties, but is still as relevant and pressing today as it ever was alas, if not more. Hip priest Mark E. Smith's answer to his own question-ah is as cryptic as always, but amongst others he offers 'bad-bias Tele-V and intellectual half-wits'. Some truth in that methinks.

The Fall - Who Makes The Nazis?

Why So Sad

Around here, a new volume of Nigeria 70 is always more than welcome. No Wahala: Highlife, Afro​-​Funk & Juju 1973​-​1987, the fourth installment if I haven't lost count, dishes out yet another steaming platter of funky Nigerian delicacies. Close call, but the gloriously named Etubom Rex Williams and his band the Nigerian Artistes steals the show in fine style.

Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Artistes - Psychedelic Shoes

Wanted To Be Loved

The always wonderful Numero Group saw fit to release a compilation of tracks from Tommy Falcone's obscure Cleopatra Label and who are we to argue? Teen Expo is filled with all kinds of rickety surf, novelty and garage pop tunes by bands you've surely never heard of, all recorded in New Jersey between '62 and '70. Marginal, sure, but oh so charming. My current fave is the way cool piece of teen angst below. Take it away, Vickie.

Vickie & The Van Dykes - Outcast