From the opening notes of the first track - 'Bozo' The Toy Guns grab you, throw you around like a rag doll and deposit you down on the dance floor, toes tapping, feet moving and limbs flailing. The Toy guns belong in the same group of up and coming bands such as The Coral, The Bees, Sinister Footwear et al that have embraced the past and want to be thought of like their musical heroes as true musicians.
Unlike a lot of bands The Toy Guns have such strong hook laden verses that the choruses are almost a respite whilst you wait for the hooks to come back relentlessly. Be it in the busy bass line of the title track 'Bozo', or the Zappa / Beefheart influenced lead guitar line of 'Going Mobile.' Always poppy at times the Toy Guns remind me of The Clash flirting with punk white boy cod reggae and at others they rock such as the final track 'Movin' On' which is reminiscent of The Jesus and Mary Chain or The Stooges.
I haven't seen The Toy Guns live but within 2 minutes of listening you want to be in a sweaty club, drinking Jack Daniels and dancing with a beautiful partner.
Let the good times roll, and to think parents these days think that toy guns promote violence - dancing more like
Muhammad Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay
As you get older, you start to believe that you've heard it all before, and that the world of music has little to offer that you've never heard before. And then you discover something marvelous like Muhammad Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay. I've got Frank LaRosa's amazing Vinyl Museum (www.franklarosa.com) to thank for uncovering this gem (more on Franks site later). Ali Vs Mr. Tooth Decay is an audio warning on the evils of sugar and the seemingly divine qualities of Fluoride. Aided by his 'gang', (a bunch of punk kids), and the mystical 'Brother St.John'. Ali's crusade leads him to confront Frank Sinatra (no less) as he tries to peddle ice cream to the kids. Armed with his 'Giant Toothbrush' Ali finally enters the ring to do battle with his Nemesis Mr Tooth Decay and his side-kick, the hyper-active Sugar Cuba, with a poetic commentary from the legendary Howard Cosell. After the bout Ali and his Anti-Plaque Posse mooch off to Brother St. John's organic garden to eat fruit.In retrospect, Ali probably should have worried less about the effects of sugar on his teeth than the effects of being punched repeatedly on his head. Then there's "Ali's Theme". A rousing song with absolutely NOTHING to do with teeth, in which Ali rewrites American history Forrest Gump style. At this point you might think I'm making this up, but I-shit-you-not, it's all true. You can hear it for yourself, in super fast Realplayer format right HERE.
While you're there check out some of the other treats on offer at this wonderful site. My fave's include:
· Tony Bennet singing 'Eleanor Rigby' like Christopher Walken
· Evel Knievel's moving poem 'Why?' (why? "Because broken bones heal and chicks dig scars")
· The Brady Bunch rocking out on 'Drummer Man' (and you can't miss 'Candy Sugar Shoppe' (Oi!Ali!!)) and them teaching The Beatles a thing or two about pop with their version of 'Love Me Do' )
· The National Gallery - surely a Great Lost Band
· Polka Disco - oh no!
· Elephants Memory's fast food funk -hot dog!
· Fonzie Fonzie He's Our Man - oh happy days!
Plus tons of Moog, Hammond, Ted Heath jazzin up the greats and more. Enjoy. - JC
While you're there check out some of the other treats on offer at this wonderful site. My fave's include:
· Tony Bennet singing 'Eleanor Rigby' like Christopher Walken
· Evel Knievel's moving poem 'Why?' (why? "Because broken bones heal and chicks dig scars")
· The Brady Bunch rocking out on 'Drummer Man' (and you can't miss 'Candy Sugar Shoppe' (Oi!Ali!!)) and them teaching The Beatles a thing or two about pop with their version of 'Love Me Do' )
· The National Gallery - surely a Great Lost Band
· Polka Disco - oh no!
· Elephants Memory's fast food funk -hot dog!
· Fonzie Fonzie He's Our Man - oh happy days!
Plus tons of Moog, Hammond, Ted Heath jazzin up the greats and more. Enjoy. - JC
Most Miserable Songs
$1,000 Wedding by Gram Parsons
isn't it a pity - galaxie 500
true love waits - radiohead
i know it's over (live) - the smiths
yesterday - the beatles
once i was - tim buckley
hello it's me - lou reed and john cale
superstar - the carpenters
dream operator - talking heads
it's a motherfucker - the eels
velouria - the pixies
god only knows - the beach boys
one - johnny cash
say yes- elliott smith
call me on the way back home - ryan
these days - nico
Magic Dirt
Hailing originally from Geelong, just outside Melbourne, Magic Dirt have become one of the stayers in Australia's rock-pop scene. The recent release of their 4th album has seen a resurgence in their popularity and spawned a new fan base in those too young to remember the early years.
Headed by enigmatic femme fatale frontwoman, Adalita Srsen, Magic Dirt have been cranking out rocking hits since their formation in 1992. Originally compared to Sonic Youth (who they supported in 1993) due largely to the distortion and unusual guitar tunings featured in their debut single "Ice", they have matured to a more accessible and polished guitar driven edgy pop sound.
Touring extensively and often, they have become one of Australia's most popular live acts. Adalita's humour and on stage rock- goddess personna (I just like her for her hair) has become as trademark of their performances coupled with Raul Sanchez' signature loud and driven guitar. Their latest release, "Tough Love" is a perfect follow-up to 2000's "What Are Rock Stars Doing Today?" It combines moments of sweet acoustic pop, killer guitar riffs and clever lyrics with the stand out tracks for me being, "Watch Out Boys", "All My Crushes" and the fabulous "Plastic Loveless Letter", sung to cynical and bitter perfection.
I'm not sure if they've toured the UK recently but if they do, don't miss the chance to see them live and in the meantime check out "Tough Love"- hopefully released locally or through import on Warner records.
Brigitte Tenni
Headed by enigmatic femme fatale frontwoman, Adalita Srsen, Magic Dirt have been cranking out rocking hits since their formation in 1992. Originally compared to Sonic Youth (who they supported in 1993) due largely to the distortion and unusual guitar tunings featured in their debut single "Ice", they have matured to a more accessible and polished guitar driven edgy pop sound.
Touring extensively and often, they have become one of Australia's most popular live acts. Adalita's humour and on stage rock- goddess personna (I just like her for her hair) has become as trademark of their performances coupled with Raul Sanchez' signature loud and driven guitar. Their latest release, "Tough Love" is a perfect follow-up to 2000's "What Are Rock Stars Doing Today?" It combines moments of sweet acoustic pop, killer guitar riffs and clever lyrics with the stand out tracks for me being, "Watch Out Boys", "All My Crushes" and the fabulous "Plastic Loveless Letter", sung to cynical and bitter perfection.
I'm not sure if they've toured the UK recently but if they do, don't miss the chance to see them live and in the meantime check out "Tough Love"- hopefully released locally or through import on Warner records.
Brigitte Tenni
The Man from Delmonte
The Man from Delmonte were an underappreciated Manchester indie band with a silly name, but in a weird kind of way they saved my life.
It is the summer of '89. I am a shy, awkward, geeky teenager in an unhappy relationship with a girl who looks like Deirdre Barlow, and The Man from Delmonte are playing Middleton Civic Hall as part of an event called the Rochdale Festival.
Up until this point, I'd always regarded "alternative" music with suspicion. It seemed to be the realm of dreary, monochrome cardigan-wearing losers but The Man From Delmonte - an indie band by any definition - are different.
They're colourful and slightly exotic: Lead singer Mike West, an Australian who sometimes writes for the NME, is wearing a bright yellow T-shirt promoting a dance music compilation.
Uplifting singalongs like Drive Drive Drive and sweet, sad songs like Waiting For Ann seem to describe the life I wish that I was living: Student houses, love affairs, the big city - and unlike a lot of indie stuff, the songs aren't afraid of a good melody.
A few miles away, in that big city, the Manchester scene was coming to the boil. The Man From Delmonte's music wasn't part of that scene, but as Mike West's T-shirt showed that night in Middleton, their attitude was.
Their label, Bop Cassettes, also put out a magazine called Bop City. One issue had a free chunk of the Berlin Wall taped to the cover and another came with a tape that included a baggy dance version of Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit.
Interesting times were just ahead, the music seemed to say, and it was time to break out and embrace a more exciting life. I don't think I ever quite managed it, but I dumped my girlfriend not long after that and things certainly got more interesting from that point on.
I was so impressed and uplifted and energized that I bought a smart-looking Man from Delmonte T-shirt decorated with song lyrics.
"It wasn't until I learned, via the NME, that Mike West was bisexual that I realized the significance of the lyrics: "He rides a motorbike like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape but you would never ride with him, too prim to be a biker's tart, but I would be perfect for the part."
It wasn't until I learned, via the NME, that Mike West was bisexual that I realized the significance of the lyrics: "He rides a motorbike like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape but you would never ride with him, too prim to be a biker's tart, but I would be a T-shirt."
I was stunned and embarrassed - I didn't think gay people played guitar - and I gave the T-shirt to my mum, who might still wear it today. (I was shocked and horrified again a few years later when I learned that Chris Evans was a big Man from Delmonte fan.)
Mike West now plays hillbilly music in New Orleans, and his marriage of seven years, to a woman called Myshkin, recently came to an end.
Life is full of surprises and thank God for that. - Sam Beckwith
(Sam Normally writes for the excellent Stumpymoose.com)
It is the summer of '89. I am a shy, awkward, geeky teenager in an unhappy relationship with a girl who looks like Deirdre Barlow, and The Man from Delmonte are playing Middleton Civic Hall as part of an event called the Rochdale Festival.
Up until this point, I'd always regarded "alternative" music with suspicion. It seemed to be the realm of dreary, monochrome cardigan-wearing losers but The Man From Delmonte - an indie band by any definition - are different.
They're colourful and slightly exotic: Lead singer Mike West, an Australian who sometimes writes for the NME, is wearing a bright yellow T-shirt promoting a dance music compilation.
Uplifting singalongs like Drive Drive Drive and sweet, sad songs like Waiting For Ann seem to describe the life I wish that I was living: Student houses, love affairs, the big city - and unlike a lot of indie stuff, the songs aren't afraid of a good melody.
A few miles away, in that big city, the Manchester scene was coming to the boil. The Man From Delmonte's music wasn't part of that scene, but as Mike West's T-shirt showed that night in Middleton, their attitude was.
Their label, Bop Cassettes, also put out a magazine called Bop City. One issue had a free chunk of the Berlin Wall taped to the cover and another came with a tape that included a baggy dance version of Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit.
Interesting times were just ahead, the music seemed to say, and it was time to break out and embrace a more exciting life. I don't think I ever quite managed it, but I dumped my girlfriend not long after that and things certainly got more interesting from that point on.
I was so impressed and uplifted and energized that I bought a smart-looking Man from Delmonte T-shirt decorated with song lyrics.
"It wasn't until I learned, via the NME, that Mike West was bisexual that I realized the significance of the lyrics: "He rides a motorbike like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape but you would never ride with him, too prim to be a biker's tart, but I would be perfect for the part."
It wasn't until I learned, via the NME, that Mike West was bisexual that I realized the significance of the lyrics: "He rides a motorbike like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape but you would never ride with him, too prim to be a biker's tart, but I would be a T-shirt."
I was stunned and embarrassed - I didn't think gay people played guitar - and I gave the T-shirt to my mum, who might still wear it today. (I was shocked and horrified again a few years later when I learned that Chris Evans was a big Man from Delmonte fan.)
Mike West now plays hillbilly music in New Orleans, and his marriage of seven years, to a woman called Myshkin, recently came to an end.
Life is full of surprises and thank God for that. - Sam Beckwith
(Sam Normally writes for the excellent Stumpymoose.com)
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