Metal y Ca. formed in 1981, when Curro Rodríguez, aka "El Humano
Mecano", joined with Fernando Cabello and Fernando Cañada. After releasing 'Datos' in the spring of 1982, Ana Villacorta y Ana Valenzuela joined the group for chorus.
After three more releases, always in 7" vinyl format, Metal Y Ca.
disbanded in 1984.
[SOURCE: DISCOGS]
The Jam were the most popular band to emerge from the initial wave of British punk rock in 1977; along with The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Buzzcocks, The Jam had the most impact on pop music. While they could barely get noticed in America, the trio became genuine superstars in Britain, with an impressive string of Top Ten singles in the late '70s and early '80s. The Jam could never have a hit in America because they were thoroughly and defiantly British. Under the direction of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Paul Weller, the trio spearheaded a revival of mid-'60s mod groups, in the style of The Who and The Small Faces. Like the mod bands, the group dressed stylishly, worshipped American R&B, and played it loud and rough. By the time of the group's third album, Weller's songwriting had grown substantially, as he was beginning to write social commentaries and pop songs in the vein of The Kinks. Both his political songs and his romantic songs were steeped in British culture, filled with references and slang in the lyrics, as well as musical allusions. Furthermore, as The Jam grew more popular and musically accessible, Weller became more insistent and stubborn about his beliefs, supporting leftist causes and adhering to the pop aesthetics of '60s British rock without ever succumbing to hippie values. Paradoxically, that meant even when their music became more pop than punk, they never abandoned the punk values -if anything, Weller stuck to the strident independent ethics of 1977 more than any other punk band just by simply refusing to change.
Weller formed The Jam with drummer Rick Buckler, bassist Bruce Foxton, and guitarist Steve Brookes while they were still in school in 1975; Brookes quickly left the band and they remained a trio for the rest of their career. For the next year, the band played gigs around London, building a local following. In February 1977, the group signed a record contract with Polydor Records; two months later, they released their debut single, 'In the City', which reached the U.K. Top 40. The following month, the group released their debut album, also called 'In the City'. Recorded in just 11 days, the album featured a combinations of R&B covers and Weller originals, all of which sounded a bit like faster, more ragged versions of The Who's early records. Their second single, 'All Around the World', nearly broke into the British Top Ten and the group embarked on a successful British tour. During the summer of 1977, they recorded their second album, 'This Is the Modern World', which was released toward the end of the year. 'The Modern World' made it into the Top 40 in November, just as The Jam were beginning their first American tour. Although it was brief, the tour was not successful, leaving bitter memories of the U.S. in the minds of the band.
'This Is the Modern World' peaked in the British charts at number 22, yet it received criticism for repeating the sound of the debut. The band began a headlining tour of the U.K., yet it was derailed shortly after it started when the group got into a nasty fight with a bunch of rugby players in a Leeds hotel. Weller broke several bones and was charged with assault, although the Leeds Crown Court would eventually acquit him. The Jam departed for another American tour in March of 1978 and it was yet another unsuccessful tour, as they opened for Blue Öyster Cult. It did nothing to win new American fans, yet their star continued to rise in Britain. Bands copying the group's mod look and sound popped up across Britain and The Jam itself performed at the Reading Festival in August. 'All Mod Cons', released late in 1978, marked a turning point in The Jam's career, illustrating that Weller's songwriting was becoming more melodic, complex, and lyrically incisive, resembling Ray Davies more than Pete Townshend. Even as their sound became more pop-oriented, the group lost none of their tightly controlled energy. 'All Mod Cons' was a major success, peaking at number six on the U.K. charts, even if it didn't make a dent in the U.S. Every one of the band's singles were now charting in the Top 20, with the driving 'Eton Rifles' becoming their first Top Ten in November 1979, charting at number three.
'Setting Sons', released at the end of 1979, climbed to number four in the U.K. and marked their first charting album in the U.S., hitting number 137 in spring of 1980. At that time, The Jam had become full-fledged rock stars in Britain, with their new 'Going Underground' single entering the charts at number one. During the summer, the band recorded their fifth album, with the "Taxman"-inspired 'Start' released as a teaser single in August; "Start" became their second straight number one. Its accompanying album, the ambitious 'Sound Affects', hit number two in the U.K. at the end of the year; it was also the band's high-water mark in the U.S., peaking at number 72. 'That's Entertainment', one of the standout tracks from 'Sound Affects', charted at number 21 in the U.K. as an import single, confirming the band's enormous popularity.
'Funeral Pyre', the band's summer 1981 single, showed signs that Weller was becoming fascinated with American soul and R&B, as did the punchy, horn-driven 'Absolute Beginners', which hit number four in the fall of the year. As The Jam were recording their sixth album, Weller suffered a nervous breakdown, which prompted him to stop drinking. In February 1982, the first single from the new sessions -the double A-sided 'Town Called Malice/Precious'- became their third number one single and the band became the first group since The Beatles to play two songs on BBC's Top of the Pops. 'The Gift', released in March of 1982, showcased the band's soul infatuation and became the group's first number one album in the U.K. 'Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero' hit number eight in July, becoming the group's second import single to make the U.K. charts.
Although The Jam was at the height of its popularity, Weller was becoming frustrated with the trio's sound and made the decision to disband the group. On the heels of the number two hit 'The Bitterest Pill', The Jam announced their breakup in October of 1982. The band played a farewell tour in the fall and their final single, 'Beat Surrender', entered the charts at number one. 'Dig the New Breed', a compilation of live tracks, charted at number two in December of 1982. All 16 of the group's singles were re-released by Polydor in the U.K. at the beginning of 1983; all of them recharted simultaneously. Bruce Foxton released a solo album, 'Touch Sensitive', and Rick Buckler played with The Time UK; neither of the efforts were as noteworthy as The Jam biography the two wrote in the early '90s, which contained many vicious attacks on Weller.
Immediately after the breakup of The Jam, Weller formed The Style Council with Mick Talbot, a member of the Jam-inspired mod revival band The Merton Parkas. After a handful of initial hits, The Style Council proved to be a disappointment and Weller fell out of favor, both critically and commercially. At the end of the decade he disbanded the group and went solo in the early '90s; his solo albums were both artistic and popular successes, returning him to the spotlight in the U.K. The legacy of The Jam is apparent in nearly every British guitar pop band of the '80s and '90s, from The Smiths to Blur and Oasis. More than any other group, The Jam kept the tradition of three-minute, hook-driven British guitar pop alive through the '70s and '80s, providing a blueprint for generations of bands to come. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Los Angeles quartet Jane's Addiction were one of the most influential and iconic alternative rock bands of the late '80s and early '90s. Hotly pursued when they first debuted in the mid-'80s, they released a pair of landmark albums before dissolving in 1991. Subsequent reunions yielded additional efforts while they maintained their cult status into the 2000s. Flamboyant frontman Perry Farrell, formerly of the band Psi Com, had an undeniable charisma and an interest in provocative art (he designed the band's album covers), and Jane's Addiction played a hybrid of rock music: metal with strains of punk, folk, and jazz. The quartet, comprised of Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins, and guitarist Dave Navarro, had already released its debut album as well, in the form of a live recording from the Roxy in Hollywood. Finally, Warner Bros. won the bidding war and released 'Nothing's Shocking' in 1988. The band's abrasive sound and aggressive attitude (typified by the nude sculpture on the cover) led to some resistance, but Jane's Addiction began to break through to an audience -the album spent 35 weeks on the charts.
'Ritual de lo Habitual' followed in 1990 and was the band's commercial breakthrough, reaching the Top 20 and going gold. Farrell designed the traveling rock festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction. After the tour was completed at the end of the summer of 1991, the group split. Farrell would continue to be involved with the organization of the annual Lollapalooza festival for the next several years; he also formed Porno for Pyros with Perkins in 1992, releasing their debut record the following year. After a couple of quiet years -which included forming Deconstruction, a band that didn't release any records until 1994, with Avery- Navarro joined Red Hot Chili Peppers at the end of 1993.
By 1997, Perkins and Farrell had dissolved Porno for Pyros, while Navarro was about to resign from Red Hot Chili Peppers. After Navarro began playing with his two former bandmates again during Porno for Pyros' final tour, a Jane's Addiction reunion tour was announced for the fall of the same year. The only catch was that Chili Peppers bassist Flea replaced Avery (Avery refused to participate, as he concentrated on his new band, Polar Bear). To coincide with the short tour, the newly reunited Jane's Addiction issued the album 'Kettle Whistle', which compiled classic live performances and demos alongside a few newly recorded tracks. The album didn't fare well on the charts, but the reunion tour was a rousing success. It didn't lead to a permanent re-formation, however, as members went their separate ways once more after its completion. A planned film documentary of the reunion tour failed to materialize, as a best-of compilation that chronicled Farrell's work (with Jane's, Porno, and a few new solo tracks) was issued in 1999, titled 'Rev'. His first solo full-length, 'Song Yet to Be Sung', saw the light of day in 2001. Navarro's debut solo effort, 'Trust No One', was issued a month earlier than Farrell's, as another Jane's Addiction reunion was announced the same year. Avery again refused to participate, with his spot being filled by former Porno for Pyros bassist Martyn Lenoble.
Several years later, Jane's Addiction readied themselves to do it again. In mid-2002, Farrell, Navarro, and Perkins headed back into the studio for their first album of new material in over a decade. Bass player Chris Chaney (Tommy Lee, Alanis Morissette) was added to the group and Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Kiss, Aerosmith) signed on to produce the new record. Capitol prepped for the release of 'Strays' in July 2003 while Farrell resurrected Lollapalooza after a six-year break.
Around 2004, Jane's Addiction announced they had broken up yet again and the members began work on several other music projects. Navarro, Perkins, Chaney, and vocalist Steve Isaacs formed the band The Panic Channel, and released the album '(One)' in 2006. Also in 2006, Navarro co-hosted the CBS reality music competition "Rock Star: Supernova", in which contestants vied to become the lead singer for a supergroup featuring drummer Tommy Lee, bassist Jason Newsted, and guitarist Gilby Clarke. In early 2007, The Panic Channel and Supernova toured together. Meanwhile, Farrell and his wife Etty Lau Farrell, along with former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, formed the band The Satellite Party and released the album 'Ultra Payloaded' in 2007.
In 2008, Jane's Addiction reunited, this time featuring the original lineup including bassist Avery, who had not performed with the band since 1991. The band quickly re-recorded two tracks, "Whores" and "Chip Away" -which had never officially been recorded in a studio- and joined Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails on tour. The lavish box set 'A Cabinet of Curiosities' appeared in 2009. In 2010, Avery announced he was leaving the band and was replaced by former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan. Originally added as a temporary member, McKagan ultimately signed on full-time and the band began working on new material. In May of 2010, the new-look Jane's Addiction with McKagan on bass premiered the song "Soulmate" during a Cinco de Mayo concert in Hollywood. McKagan left the group the following year, and was replaced by TV on the Radio multi-instrumentalist Dave Sitek, who also appeared on the band's fourth proper studio album, 2011's 'The Great Escape Artist'. For the supporting tour for 'The Great Escape Artist', Chris Chaney joined Jane's Addiction and stayed with the band for the next few years, a time which was marked by semi-regular concerts and festival appearances. In 2016, Jane's Addiction launched the Sterling Spoon Anniversary Tour which celebrated the anniversaries of Lollapalooza and 'Ritual de lo Habitual'. To accompany the tour, the group released a vinyl box set called 'Sterling Spoon'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
James Ray is a rock singer and band-leader, best known as a member of Andrew Eldritch's side-project The Sisterhood and for his own band James Ray's Gangwar.
He was also a founding member of James Ray and The Performance, The MK Ultra, James Ray & The Longfolk, 4080peru and Black Hearted Riders.
As mentioned previously, James Ray contributed vocals to The Sisterhood's 'Gift' EP, which was recorded between The Sisters of Mercy's 'First and Last and Always' and 'Floodland' albums after the departure of Gary Marx (who went off to form Ghost Dance), Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams (both of whom went on to form The Mission). Ray can also been seen "playing" keyboards during the Sisters' Top of the Pops performances promoting songs from 1987's 'Floodland'.
After The Performance, Ray formed James Ray's Gangwar. Ray was still contracted to Merciful Release for one remaining album, so the band recorded 'Dios Esta De Nuestro Lado', a more aggressive sounding album, still with the southwestern American influence. The album's final track was a cover of Alvin Stardust's "[My] Coo Ca Choo". The opening track, "Rev Rev Lowrider", was released as a single. After this, Gangwar released 'Third Generation' on Surgery Records: it was a much more electronic album, with fewer guitars and a more trance-like feel.
In 1997 Gangwar released 'Psychodalek' as a soundtrack to Ray's novella of the same name. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Lucas Trouble is a French musician, producer and engineer, born 1956, died 2016. who managed both the Nova Express Records and The Kaiser Studio. He was involved in many musical projects, along with Tango Luger, The Vietnam Veterans or Temple Gates and he continues his work together with The Mediums, The Gitanes and also by his personal releases.
He had produced over 200 albums of bands like Cowboys from Outerspace, Holy Curse, Simon Chainsaw, Tony Truant or Dirteez.
The Nova Express style combines garage tunes, punk, noise, experimental, psychedelic and extreme music, either completely deranged or annoyingly sophisticated, but made out of unknown, subtle and overwhelming strangeness. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]
Kevin Harrison's music is guitar orientated. But treated and mutated. Harrison is no ordinary guitar hero: his playing shimmers like light reflected on water. His work is reminiscent of a cross between Brian Eno, Michael Rother and Eric Random. While in the ambient field, it balances a lot more in the direction of contemporary electronics and a heavier sound. Nevertheless, his influences are very clear. A minimal psychedelicist at heart, Harrison's is the music of the hypnotic state, of dream and trance. Its core is an obvious affection for the work of Terry Riley, Philip Glass, Kraftwerk and The Normal tempered with an awareness of oriental rhythms and harmonies which give the elemental electronics a warmer, human touch. With Harrison's deft handling his squeaks and buzzes, his synthesized loop tables and his drum machines 'Inscrutably Obvious' seems like it will prove horribly inaccessible. But once properly investigated it offers a sparklingly seductive selection of tracks wholeheartedly recommended to anybody looking for entertainment from the avant-garde. [SOURCE: FORCED EXPOSURE]
Janitor Of Lunacy was a electronic new wave band from Brescia active between 1981 to 1986. The band was formed by members Roberto Covre, Claudio Asserini and Syd Bosetti. Syd Bosetti left the band and was replaced by Gabriele Farina. They produced their first demo-tape in 1983. [SOURCE: NTS]
A keystone of France's new wave scene, pop group Indochine enjoyed enormous chart success in the mid-'80s, thanks to albums like 1983's breakout 'Le Péril Jaune' and their acclaimed 1985 masterwork, '3'. While the band's success dimmed in the latter part of the decade and throughout much of the 1990s, Indochine continued to evolve and by the early 2000s had pulled off an impressive comeback with the number one single 'J'ai Demandé à la Lune' and the 2002 album 'Paradize'. Now firmly back in the public eye, they cemented their resurgence with 2005's 'Alice & June', the first of several albums that topped the French charts. As a live act, Indochine became perennial festival favorites around Europe and played a massive sold-out show at France's national soccer stadium while continuing their creative studio run with late-period highlights like 2013's 'Black City Parade' and 2017's '13'.
The roots of Indochine lie in a newspaper advertisement placed by singer/guitarist Nicola Sirkis and answered by Dominique Nicolas, a journeyman guitarist with a series of short-lived punk bands under his belt. After writing enough songs to sustain a live performance, they recruited Sirkis' twin brother, Stéphane, to play keyboards while friend Dimitri Bodiansky was installed on saxophone. On September 29, 1981, Indochine made their professional debut at the Paris café Rose Bonbon, and the following February issued their first single, 'Dizzindence Politik', a minor hit that paved the way for the EP 'L'Aventurier'. When the title song emerged as a breakout hit in the summer of 1983, Indochine was appointed the essence of French new wave, and their melancholy yet infectious electro-pop found favor with consumers as well as critics, who at year's end awarded the group the coveted Bus d'Acier award.
With their 1983 sophomore effort, 'Le Péril Jaune', Indochine embraced the Far Eastern influences implicit in their name, and with the singles 'Kao Bang' and 'Miss Paramount' vaulted to new commercial heights, effectively launching what the media dubbed "Indo-mania." The 1985 release '3' was nevertheless Indochine's watershed moment. Hailed as a masterpiece by critics and a generation-defining statement by fans, the album was a hit throughout much of Western Europe, galvanized by a series of smash singles.
However, with 1987's '7000 Dances', the inevitable backlash arrived. Critics mocked Indochine's gloomy image and teased, swirling hair, drawing obvious parallels to British mope-rock merchants The Cure, and while sales remained brisk, the album failed to come close to repeating the success of its predecessor. A year later, Bodiansky exited the lineup to start a family, and with guests ranging from Silencers drummer Martin Hanlin to Iranian kamanche virtuoso Mahmoud Tabrizi Zadeh, Indochine reentered the studio in mid-1989 to begin work on their next LP, 'Le Baiser'. Highlighted by the single 'Des Fleurs Pour Salinger', the album fared respectably, but the group's commercial heyday was clearly waning.
Nicola Sirkis issued a solo single, "Dans la Lune," in 1992 before reconvening with his brother and Nicolas for 1994's 'Un Jour Dans Notre Vie'. When the album failed to generate much excitement, Nicolas tendered his resignation, and the Sirkis twins recruited former Le Cri de la Mouche guitarist Alexandre Azaria for Indochine's next effort, the Brit-pop-inspired 1996 release 'Wax'. While working on the follow-up, Stéphane Sirkis died of complications from hepatitis on February 27, 1999. Nicola opted to carry on as the sole remaining founding member, and with 'Dancetaria' Indochine scored their first major chart action in more than a decade via the single 'Juste Toi et Moi'.
With 2002's all-star 'Paradize', completed with contributions from ex-Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur and singer/songwriter Gérard Manset, Indochine returned to the top of the charts with "J'ai Demandé à la Lune," winning Victoires de la Musique honors for Best Pop/Rock Album of the Year. The smash 'Alice & June' followed in late 2005, and on June 6, 2006, Indochine celebrated their 25th anniversary with a lavish performance at Vietnam's Hanoi Opera. The concert was released in 2007 simply titled 'Hanoï'.
Indochine's popularity remained strong heading into the next decade. A year after 2009's 'La République des Meteors', they became the first French group to play a show at Stade de France, the country's national stadium. Playing to a sold-out crowd of 80,000 fans, it marked the band's biggest show to date and set the table for their 12th studio album, 'Black City Parade'. Released in 2013, the record's bright, synth-heavy sound harkened back to their early days and returned them to the top of both the French and Belgian charts. Indochine spent the next few years touring Europe, making festival appearances, and readying their next album. Arriving in 2017, '13' was another major hit, topping several different charts and serving as their most successful release since 2005's 'Alice & June'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
After the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets were arguably the third most popular band to emerge from the late-'80s/early-'90s Madchester scene. Like The Charlatans, they weren't quite as innovative as the city's two standard-bearers, relying less on the contemporary dance club beats that became Madchester pop's identifying signature. They did, however, share a fascination with trippy psychedelia, particularly the Farfisa organ-drenched sound of Nuggets-style garage rock from the '60s, which set them apart from their peers. It also enabled them to tinker with their sound once the Madchester fad had passed, and the group continued to score hits right up to their mid-'90s breakup.
Inspiral Carpets were formed in the Greater Manchester town of Oldham by guitarist Graham Lambert -who'd been playing around the area since 1982- and vocalist Stephen Holt, who soon both recruited drummer, Craig Gill. The group began to settle on a permanent lineup in 1986 when Farfisa organist Clint Boon joined up, before bassist Dave Swift came into the fold the following year. '60s-influenced garage punk-style demo tapes, recorded at Boon's studio, helped to get the band noticed in Manchester, as did local support slots with The Bodines and Spacemen 3. Clever merchandising also helped the band out financially; they sold T-shirts featuring their smoking-cow logo and their slogan "Cool as F*ck," which got them media attention when a student wearing the shirt was arrested for violating obscenity laws. Their first national release came in 1988 with the 'Plane Crash EP' on Playtime Records, but when that label's distributor went out of business later that year, the band set up their own imprint, Cow Records, which was financed mostly by T-shirt sales. The first release on Cow was the 1989 EP 'Trainsurfing', which got the band even more national attention. At this point, Holt and Swift -not keen on professional careers involving lots of time and travel- decided to leave, and were replaced by vocalist Tom Hingley (ex-Too Much Texas) and bassist Martyn Walsh. With their arrival, the band's Madchester-compatible style began to crystallize, as evidenced on the new lineup's first release, the swirling, organ-driven psychedelic tune "Joe" (May 1989). The single caused a stir in the indie underground that only intensified with the follow-ups "Find Out Why" and "Move," and after being courted by several major labels, the band wound up signing with the large London-based indie Mute.
Inspiral Carpets' debut album, 'Life', was released in the spring of 1990. Their first single for Mute, "This Is How It Feels," hit the British Top 20 and landed them a TV appearance on Top of the Pops; the follow-up, "She Comes in the Fall," reached the Top 30. The band recorded sessions with DJ John Peel and appeared at that year's Reading Festival, helping make 'Life' a sizable hit. After releasing the 'Island Head EP' late in the year, the band completed its next full-length, the darker 'The Beast Inside', which appeared in the spring of 1991. For the supporting tour, the band hired future Oasis mastermind Noel Gallagher as a roadie. Inspiral Carpets scored their biggest chart hit in the spring of 1992 with "Dragging Me Down," which appeared on their third album, 'Revenge of the Goldfish', released later that fall. Although it produced three more Top 40 singles and got the band a bigger overseas audience, the album was issued when the Manchester scene's moment was perceived to have passed. Next, the group returned to a more basic garage/psychedelic sound for 1994's 'Devil Hopping'. It was generally well received, with the singles "Saturn 5" and "I Want You" (the latter a duet with The Fall's Mark E. Smith, who did not appear on the album version) returning them to the Top 20. In late 1995, Mute released a compilation called 'The Singles', and soon after, it was announced that label and band were parting ways. Inspiral Carpets split not long after; Boon formed The Clint Boon Experience, while Hingley formed a group called The Lovers with Jerry Kelly of The Lotus Eaters. Hingley went solo in late 2000, issuing the acoustic album 'Keep Britain Untidy'.
After an eight-year hiatus, the band re-formed for two well-received sold-out tours in 2003, and this reappearance also brought the appropriately titled single, "Come Back Tomorrow," a recording culled from a 1995 session. Also issued that year was the three-disc compilation 'Cool As', which brought together all of the band's singles and promo videos to date, plus a selection of B-sides. A DVD of an April 2003 show, 'Live at Brixton Academy', appeared in early 2004. Although Inspiral Carpets continued to be a going concern over the next few years, its members also furthered their careers outside the band, with Gill founding Manchester Music Tours, Lambert pursuing concert promotion, Boon DJing on XFM Manchester, Walsh providing music marketing advice, and Hingley teaching performance art. The years 2007 and 2008 brought further tours after the release of a digital-only rarities compilation, 'Keep the Circle'.
Following a rather public split on social media, by the end of February 2011 Hingley was no longer part of the band, and that August it was announced that Holt was returning to front Inspiral Carpets for the first time in 23 years. Sporadic international live shows were announced before the band issued the single "You're So Good for Me" on Record Store Day in April 2012, and they followed this a year later with "Fix Your Smile." In April 2014, Cherry Red Records re-released the Holt-fronted, 1987-recorded demo album 'Dung 4', which had previously only been available on cassette for a short while in the late '80s. The greater news was the band's decision to expand its reunion to the studio, which meant that the original lineup featuring Stephen Holt recorded their first-ever studio album two decades after forming. This record, naturally called 'Inspiral Carpets', appeared to strong reviews in the fall of 2014. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
There are plenty of performers who rock critics describe by using the label "primitive," but few if any can hold a candle to the greatest American rock primitive Jad Fair. With his wildly influential band Half Japanese or as a solo performer, Fair has constructed a prolific and extremely interesting career. He writes and records songs that display an uncomplicated emotional directness, unselfconscious (almost hokey) charm and warmth, and a genial simplicity that is beyond words. Fair's later recordings are certainly more accessible -in some ways resembling those of another great American primitive, Jonathan Richman- but his stock-in-trade is still the ability to compose and play music without conventional command of an instrument. Although he has "played" guitar since the mid-'70s, Fair, according to past and present members of Half Japanese, still can't name a chord, plays riffs almost by accident, never tunes his instrument, and wouldn't have it any other way. Soon after Half Japanese released their legendary triple-LP debut '1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts' in 1980, Fair began his concurrent solo career with 'Everybody Knew...But Me'. He's sporadically released fully solo efforts, including 1989's 'Great Expectations' and 2011's 'His Name Itself Is Music', but much of his discography outside of his main band consists of collaborations with the likes of Daniel Johnston, Yo La Tengo, R. Stevie Moore, and countless others. In addition to his work as a musician, Fair is also a visual artist who works in paint, digital graphics, and most notably paper cuttings; his art graces the cover of most of Half Japanese's albums and nearly all his solo efforts, and he's created artwork for recordings by The Residents, Dorothy Wiggin, and The National Jazz Trio of Scotland.
Fair's career as a solo artist began in 1980, when his prolific output of songs was more than Half Japanese could handle. Early efforts such as 'Zombies of Mora-Tau' and 'Everybody Knew...But Me' were tentative and, in terms of the noise-versus-music factor, more noise than music, akin to early Half Japanese records. But by the mid- to late '80s, Fair's solo records were becoming more accessible as he began collaborating with mutual admirers such as Terry Adams of NRBQ, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Don Fleming of Gumball, Kramer of Bongwater, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, and Maureen Tucker of The Velvet Underground. Later on, Fair would cut full albums with Yo La Tengo (1998's 'Strange But True'), Teenage Fanclub (2002's 'Words of Wisdom and Hope'), The Pastels (1991's 'This Could Be the Night'), and The Danielson Famile (2014's 'Solid Gold Heart'). Fair also cut several albums with his brother (and Half Japanese co-founder) David Fair, including 1996's 'Best Friends', 1998's 'Monster Songs for Children', 2006's 'Six Dozen Cookies', and 2016's 'Shake, Cackle and Squall'. Fair, Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub, and the Japanese group Tenniscoats teamed up for two albums, 2014's 'How Many Glasgow' and 2017's 'Raindrops'. If the records got a little more polished, they certainly never lost a bit of Fair's childlike view of the world, nor his explosive, giddy belief in rock's liberating potential and endless possibilities. (Fair's more spontaneous and less-refined impulses continued to make themselves heard on his work with fellow primitive songwriter Daniel Johnston, who briefly worked with Fair in a band called The Lucky Sperms).
Given Fair's prolific output as a solo artist, in collaboration with other musicians, and with Half Japanese, keeping track of his discography is a challenge, though 2011's 'Beautiful Songs: The Best of Jad Fair', a three-CD set compiled by Fair himself, is a thorough introduction to his body of work, and a testament to his idiosyncratic passion for life, love, and music. (It's worth noting, however, that within a year of the collection's release, Fair had already released four more albums, and he'll write a song on the theme of your choice for a commission of $300.00.) After a decade-plus hiatus from the recording studio, Half Japanese kicked off another prolific run of albums with 2014's 'Overjoyed', yet Fair remained even more productive outside of the group, with collaborative efforts including 'The History of Crying' (with Kramer, 2017) and 'For Everyone' (with David Liebe Hart and Jason Willett, 2018). [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Jags are a fondly remembered one-hit wonder of the late-70s U.K. power pop explosion. The quartet was formed in 1978 by the Yorkshire-based songwriting team of Nick Watkins (vocals) and John "Twink" Adler (guitar), with Steve Prudence (bass) and Alex Baird (drums). In July of 1978, they signed to Island Records and released a promising four-track EP. Their debut LP in 1980, 'Evening Standards', included the memorable, though highly derivative, "Back of My Hand," which had reached the U.K. Top 40 the previous fall. The follow-up, "Woman's World" barely scraped its way on to the charts. Though 'Evening Standards' featured a really solid set of punchy power pop songs, critics focussed instead on Watkins' Costello-like delivery, writing the band off as merely mimics. As steam ran out of the power pop craze, the band attempted to change their sound a bit. 1981's 'No Tie Like the Present' featured a slightly new direction, but it was generally overlooked. By 1982, The Jags had disbanded for good, though "Back of My Hand" had a revival of sorts in the '90s, appearing on several compilations. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Punk rock / hardcore group from Bayside, Queens, N.Y.C. Their first release was in 1980. Band was originally a concept by manager and producer Bob Sallese and fronted by the enigmatic and classically trained pianist Jism. Larry Ray (now deceased) was the official drummer but Greg D'Angelo and Dave Miranda appeared on some records and play at some live gigs. Ism's 1983 full-length debut 'A Diet For The Worms', originally available in a limited release by S.I.N. Records, dominated college radio and the CMJ radio charts while the group, Jism, popularized their new brand of hardcore punk at venues like CBGB, City Gardens and A7 alongside the likes of The Ramones and Black Flag. [SOURCE: TOWER RECORDS]
In the late '70s and early '80s, German-based art collective Head Resonance Company used throbbing electronics, bass guitar, and metal percussion as a major component of its multifaceted endeavors, which included multimedia installations, performance art, graphics, and concerts. Peter Elsner and Benjamin Heidersberger founded the Head Resonance Company in 1978 as an interdisciplinary art and research project concerned with studying how ideas are realized in space and time. Under the umbrella of the HRC, they also explored vocals as simply Head Resonance, orchestral samples as Organon, and German new wave as Peter Pixel. [SOURCE: BRAINWASHED]
There’s not much to say about early releases by Manchester’s Inca Babies beyond noting that the band makes every conceivable effort to be The Birthday Party. Each member emulates his BP counterpart, but the Inca Babies lack the original’s power and completely miss the dark humor. Even the song titles on the early records have a familiar ring: “16 Tons of Fink,” “Cactus Mouth Informer,” “Luecotomy Meat Boss.” Real tribute-band stuff.
Adding a member for 'Opium Den', Inca Babies toned down the Birthday Party-isms and enhanced their presentation with raw psychedelia and some dirty (if dilettantish) country-blues. Lead singer Harry S combines his Nick Cave imitation with a gratuitous and phony southern accent (the American South, that is). Still, 'Opium Den' shows that the band is capable of producing work with its own signature, or at least drawing from more than one influence. (But the inclusion of lyrics is an ill-advised move.)
The next year, the Babies came up with 'Evil Hour', a solid piece of work following in its predecessor’s style. They’re not re-inventing the wheel here, but they have developed into their own band. Although tempos occasionally approach hardcore velocity on Side Two (usually at the expense of hooks), there are actually melodies you might find yourself humming later on, lots of nifty organ washes (courtesy of Clint Boon of Inspiral Carpets) and really nice clear-but-raw sound. [SOURCE: TROUSER PRESS]
In Excelsis was an English goth rock band formed in Luton in may 1983 by former UK Decay guitarist Steve Spon and disbanded in 1985. Other members were Errol Blythe (vocals, ex-Ritual), Mark Bond (bass) and Colin "Roxy" Rox (drums, ex-Shy Tots, later in New York City noise-rock band DUSTdevils and Jayne County & The Electric Chairs).
