Tag Archives: Garage Rock

What I’ve Been Listening To (April 2026)

The Lurkers

April 2026:

  1. The Undertones – The Undertones (1979)
  2. Louis Jordan – Somebody Up There Loves Me (1956)
  3. V/A – The Virgin Suicides OST (1999)
  4. Condumb – Condumb (2025)
  5. Genre is Death – Talk (2024)
  6. Beat Happening – Music to Climb the Appletree By (2003, recorded 1984-2000)
  7. X – LIVE – January 10, 1981 Club 88, Los Angeles, CA (1981)
  8. VHS and the Babies – S/T (2004)
  9. Alice Donut – Dry Humping the Cash Cow – Live at CBGB (1994)
  10.  Fleatbite – TTYL EP (2015)
  11.  Miss World – Keeping Up With Miss World (2018)
  12.  Aquarian Blood – A Love That Leads to War (2019)
  13.  Charlie Parker – Boppin’ Bird (2025 Compilation, 1949, 1953)
  14.  The Sleeveens – S/T (2024)
  15.  Cullen Omari – New Misery (2016)
  16.  The Beach Boys – Sunflower (1970)
  17.  Brainwashed Victims – S/T Cassette Tape (2026)
  18.  Peter Grudzien – Hunky Honky (1994)
  19.  Honey Bane – You Can Be You EP (1979)
  20.  The Lurkers – Peel Sessions (1978)
  21.  Lunachicks – Babysitters on Acid (1990)
  22.  The Feederz -Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss? (1983)
  23.  Departmentstore Santas – At the Medieval Castle Nineteen 100-Year Lifetimes Since (2015)
  24.  The Bluestars – Bluestars Comp (1965-1967)
  25.  The Breeders – Pod (1993)
  26.  Pagans – Everybody Hates You (Live) (1994)
  27.  Sheer Anxiety – If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (2026, recorded 2018-2025)
  28.  Lupo Citta – Inverno (2026)
  29.  Muddy Waters – Folk Singer (1964)
  30.  Ramones – Too Tough to Die (1984)
  31.  Michael Jackson – Off the Wall (1979)

I know I’ve said this before and I will probably say it again, when I do these monthly posts it always feels like I just did the previous one. Where did the month go? Where does time go? A wise man once said “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.” True. With my precious time, I’ve spent much of it listening to music both new and old. I am a sucker for my old favorites, but I make an effort (as indicated here) to listen to things I’ve never heard before. Honestly this month not too many albums floored me, but most of these releases have at least one song if not several that I believe are phenomenal. If anyone who knows me reads this they may be surprised at what I have never actually sat down and listened to (or at least not to my recollection). Like the last two albums listed. Especially the Ramones. It may sound like sacrilege, but as I suspected, much of the mid-later Ramones albums only contain a few bangers, but the rest is not great. The first few albums are amongst the best recordings ever made. Not as much as you go further down the discography in my humble opinion. Still, Joey’s voice always kills me. I find it harder to finish a recording and be totally blown away by all of it the more I listen to. Not so much as a criticism of the artists, but more my own reaction. I’ve been making a point to put quality (whatever that is) over quantity. Not try to listen to too many things. What’s the point if you don’t retain most of it? It’s a balancing act! On one hand, I don’t want to lose touch and wish to keep an open mind. On the other hand, sometimes you just want to listen to your favorites. There’s only so much time. The holy Pagans, The Lurkers, and The Feederz (found them in an April-May 1984 Maximum Rock N Roll issue purchased at the Hassle Flea! May have heard before, but can’t recall!) blew me out of my tree this month. Enough rambling for now. On to May…. – Chris

Band Rec: The Castillians !!!

So NuRaveBrainWave is the one site where the authors have one hell of a taste in music. Seriously. Reading that website will give you exposure to music you’d normally never get (exposed) to. And most of the time, it is kick-ass stuff.

Introduced today was The Castillians from Birmingham, UK. A lo-fi Strokes, of sorts…or as “He Said, She Said” Fanzine wrote: “They are the sound of pop losing its virginity all over again. They are the musical magpies of the modern age, taking inspiration and adding perspiration to create a cocktail of potent strength and desire. The dirt under their finger tips is the compost of the rock n roll’s dream, learning from the past and creating the future, the Castilians will show you the light while dancing drunk in the shadows.”

CHECK OUT THEIR MYSPACE MUSIC: http://www.myspace.com/thecastillians

Sunday Mornin’ Playlist

The Marked Men! A great band that I just discovered.

Find your roots and dig them up! The sound of Phase One is soft jangle pop. The sound of Phase Two is frantic power pop/punk.

Phase One
1. The Go-Betweens “Finding You”
2. Yo La Tengo “Autumn Sweater”
3. The Pastels “Comin’ Through”
4. The Bats “The Rays”
5. The Smiths “Accept Yourself”
—————————————–

Phase Two
1. Jay Reatard “Oh, It’s Such a Shame”
2. The Marked Men “Nowhere,” “Sophisticate”
3. The Old Haunts “Hurricane Eyes”
4. Thee Oh Sees “Maria Stacks”
5. The Sermon “Time Has Come”

Harlem Gets Needle Dropped

A great review as usual from Anthony, but seriously a 7?! I have absolutely no problem with him dishing out sevens I just do not understand how he comes up with that grade when 90% of what he said was above average. I was expecting more of an 8, considering a 7 usually means average, ohh well. I agree with him that some of the tracks are weak and could definitely use some truncating. Also I dig the appreciation for “Someday Soon,” indeed a fantastic musical/lyrical moment and one of the better album openers I have heard.

Chris

7″ Review: Caesar [2010]

Band: Ty Segall
Release: 3/2010
Label: Goner Records

1. “Caesar” – A
2. “Bulletproof Nothing” – A

Comments: Placed in the same musical lump as Californian contemporaries Thee Oh Sees and Nobunny is this guy, Ty Segall. The dude’s good. Equipped with a choppy acoustic guitar and a warm weather bass line, the title track has goodness written all over it. The B-Side is a tad heavier, but just as nice.

Grade: A (94)

Old Music

Reminds me a little of the "Good Bad Not Evil" cover

Not too long ago somebody recommended that I learn about the historical roots of the music that I presently enjoy. You know what? Old time “garage rock” of the 60s just doesn’t have the same appeal to me as newer stuff. I tried Count Five’s Psychotic Reaction and Iggy Pop’s Raw Power and while there are some gems on those records, they just aren’t as fun through and through as say Black Lips! or Blood Visions.

Band Spotlight: Box Elders

Band: Box Elders
Year Formed: 2005
Label(s): Goner, Shattered, Hozac, Grotto
Members: Clayton McIntyre, Jeremiah McIntyre, Dave Goldberg
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Genre: Cave Pop (according to Facebook page), Garage Pop, Garage Rock, Rock and Roll, etc.
Influences: Redd Kross, Jeff Barry, The Clean, Science Fiction (all according to FB page)
Influenced: Time will tell
Top Songs: Jackie Wood, Alice and Friends, Atlantis, Hole In My Head, Ronald Dean, Isabella, Death of Me
Top Album: Alice and Friends (2009, Goner)
Note: If you like BE, you will probably also dig Nobunny, Black Lips, Thee Oh Sees, The Okmoniks, Hunx and The Punx, Jay Reatard, King Khan & BBQ Show, Mark Sultan, Bobby Ubangi, Gaye Blades, and others of similar styles/genres
Note II: Box Elders are opening for the Black Lips at the Middle East on March 25!
Comments: These guys create some of the catchiest, funnest, Rock and Roll around! Their live show is incredibly entertaining, especially due to drummer/keyboardist (yep, he plays both simultaneously!), Dave Goldberg’s exqusite dance moves/antics.

I’d rather post live versions, but they just don’t do justice to the studio versions. The videos themselves, that is, not the actual performances.

P.S. Glen and other Klyamers, why haven’t we done more BS on here like WE?!

Chris

Classic Album Review: Misbehavin

Artist: Spaceshits
Full Title: Misbehavin’
Year: 1998
Label: Sympathy For the Record Industry
Grade: A/A-
Tracks:

1) Can’t Fool With Me– 9
2) We Know Where the Girls Are– 9
3) C’mon Let’s Suicide- 8
4) Won’t Bring You Back- 8
5) I’m In Love– 9
6) Jungle Beauty- 8
7) Turn Off the Radio– 9
8) Piss On Your Grave– 9
9) She’s A Bad Luck Charm- 8
10) 60 Nights Of Boredom- 8
11) Creepy Says- 8
12) Kill Me- 8
13) Tell Me Your Name– 10 Saved the Best for Last!

Comments: Before the Shrines, before the King Khan & BBQ Show, hell before the names King Khan and BBQ meant anything to the music world, there was the notorious Spaceshits! I know some of y’all are familiar with their name because they were “crazy” and constantly blacklisted, which is true, but unlike most performers that rely on childish antics like food fights, the shits had the music to back it up, they had their shit together! Misbehavin’ opens with “Can’t Fool With Me,” a fast, catchy, Rock and Roll number, pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the record. Mark “Creepy” Sultan lol primarily takes care of the vocal duties and he demonstrates some of his best screaming, shouting, and straight up singing on this album. The soulful, delicate, “Into the Snow” like vocals are nowhere to be seen. The fun continues with the second track, “We Know Where the Girls Are,” a tune that must have got the Canadian, garage rock, femme enthusiasts racing to the dancefloor! Most of the songs are about the hunnies and rockin and dancing and what not, you know the good stuff, Chuck Berry style, but ocassionally you witness some fucked up, but hilarious themes relating to death, as seen in “C’mon Let’s Suicide,” “Kill Me,” and “Piss On Your Grave,” which has now become my new favorite insult. The LP closes on it’s highest note with “Tell Me Your Name,” a track not as fast or as loud as the previous rockers, but still heavy and tremendously danceable. All in all, this is one of the best Rock records you can find, it’s everything great Rock and Roll should offer. Essentially, we have sped up versions of 50s-60s Rock and Roll, definitely not the most original artistic expression out there, but certainly the funnest!

Chris