Showing posts with label Robyn Hitchcock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robyn Hitchcock. Show all posts

Aug 5, 2010

V/A. Wig In a Box.

0 Blurts

The Religious Right Can Suck My Left One.

In honor of yesterday's victory for equality in California, here's the incomparable Hedwig and The Origin of Love.



I once spent an entire evening standing next to John Cameron Mitchell at a Breeder's concert thinking, "Hey that guy looks familiar. Do I know him from somewhere?", and then he climbed on stage and they tore through Angry Inch and I felt like a dork, especially since I missed the opportunity to ask him if he autographed body parts.

The Breeders, along with a slew of alternative icons1 contribute covers and tribute songs to this wonderful little compilation that benefited the Harvey Milk School for LGBTQ youth. And as much as I love the original Origin, I think Rufus Wainwright may have recorded the definitive version. Also, if I ever became president, I would put all my effort into reuniting Sleater-Kinney and possibly getting them to make Fred Schneider at least a semi-permanent member of the band.

OK, all my effort after ensuring that LGBTQ Americans had full equality under the law. The ruling striking down California's bigoted Prop 8 is a great and important victory, but unfortunately it's still only another small step towards truly egalitarian civil rights. The pro-hate crowd will continue to fight this until it ends up in the Supreme Court, where real justice is iffy at this point. You can help by joining with or donating to groups like The Courage Campaign, Freedom to Marry, the Human Rights Campaign, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

1. Frank Black, Robyn Hitchcock, The Polyphonic Spree, Spoon, Imperial Teen, TMBG, Cyndi Lauper (who absolutely tears the roof off on Midnight Radio), Yo La Tengo, Yoko Ono, etc.

Wig In a Box

Jul 9, 2010

Robyn Hitchcock. Invisible History.

1 Blurt

1. Astronomy Domine
2. Outlaw Blues
Recorded 1980 at the Hope and Anchor. Also on Two Halves for the Price of One.

3. Postman's Knock
Recorded at the Portland Arms, November 1978. Left off Live at the Portland Arms album.

4. Look Into Your Mirror
Companion Piece to Of a Walnut, which eventually surfaced on 1976-81. Session recorded in 1977 in Robyn's living room.

5. Smoothie
Underwater Moonlight outtake.

6. Innocent Boy
Possible outtake from aborted 1978 Radar album.

7. The Man Who Invented Himself
Different mix from original test pressing of Black Snake Diamond Role.

8. Nightride to Trinidad
9. Kingdom of Love
Disco remixes by Steve Hillage.

10. Listening to the Higsons
Portastudio recording from 1982. Drum machine programming by Vince Ely of the Psychedelic Furs. B-Side to Eaten By Her Own Dinner 7".

11. Dr. Sticky
B-Side to Eaten By Her Own Dinner 7".

12. Surgery
Fegmania era outtake.

13. Calvary Cross
Live on 1986 US tour.

14. Legalized Murder
Globe of Frogs outtake.

15. Ruling Class
Queen Elvis outtake. Peter Buck on guitar.

16. More Than This
17. The Ghost In You
18. Birdshead
Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop, July 1988.

19. Fairplay
20. Linden Arden Stole the Highlights
Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop, May 1991.

Invisible History

Mar 26, 2010

Soft Boys. Two Halves for the Price of One (Only the Stones Remain & Lope at the Hive).

3 Blurts

Released after the band had broken up, Two Halves was exactly what it claimed. Individually titled and designed as a double A-Side, Only the Stones Remain collected their last studio sessions up against Lope at the Hive, a swaggering, gutsy set recorded live at the Hope & Anchor. A few of the songs later made it onto the 1976-1981 compilation, but the full album has never been reissued. Never one to hide their influences, The Soft Boys indulge in numerous cover songs here, with a faithful rendition of the The Bells of Rhymney on the studio side, and rollicking versions of Astronomy Domine, Outlaw Blues, and Mystery Train finishing out their live set.

Two Halves

Soft Boys on myspace

Museum of Robyn Hitchcock

Aug 27, 2009

Soft Boys. 1976-1981.

0 Blurts

Although Robyn Hitchcock made a much bigger splash as a solo artist with the Egyptians, it was his work with the Soft Boys that had the most influence on the first wave of alternative bands. Everyone from R.E.M., the Flaming Lips, and Camper Van Beethoven to the entire ‘90s psychedelic noise pop scene owe him a debt. They were contrarian anti-heroes during English punk’s heyday—a whimsical, twisted beast that combined the Byrds’ chiming chords, the Beatle’s sense of melody, and early Pink Floyd’s tea-time hallucinogens while often sounding like Syd Barrett fronting the Buzzcocks covering Captain Beefheart. Needless to say, they were as odd and charming as any of the things they wrote about. Sort of the Monty Python of indie rock.

1976-1981 collects early recordings from Robyn’s living room, the difficult to find (I Want to Be) An Anglepoise Lamp single, selections from the obscure Two Halfs for the Price of One, and bits of all their proper albums.

Disc 1
Disc 2

Soft Boys on myspace

Museum of Robyn Hitchcock

Jun 4, 2009

Robyn Hitchcock. Unhatched Crablings. Volume 4. The Palest Imaginings.

4 Blurts
crablings 4
09/10/11: Link re-upped. We just got a new computer and the zipping program looks different, so let me know if it works for you.

1. Satellite of Love (Lou Reed) (electric)
2. Beetle Train with Antlers
3. If We Had a Baby
4. Stealing Glass (Lennon)
5. Baby You're a Rich Man (w/Morris and Andy) (Beatles)
6. Tonight (w/Morris)
7. KUSF Song (improv) (w/Morris and Andy)
8. If We Hear Music
9. Loop the Loop
10. Billy the Kid (Dylan) / Ring of Fire (Cash)
11. Within You, Without You (Beatles)
12. The End (Doors)
13. The Lizard

Crablings 4

Robyn Hitchcock official site

Robyn Hitchcock on myspace

Robyn Hitchcock. Unhatched Crablings. Volume 3. Statues In My Bathroom.

0 Blurts
crablings 3

1. Cirrus Minor (Pink Floyd)
2. The Ghost in You (Psychedelic Furs) (w/accompaniment)
3. Strange (solo, with secrets)
4. The Main Thing (Roxy Music)
5. Take This in Rememberance (aka "Lucy")
6. I Found a Reason (Velvet Undergound)
7. Wolfpack (Syd Barrett)
8. Arnold Layne (Pink Floyd)
9. Long Gone (Syd Barrett)
10. 'What are you drinking, Robyn?'
11. Silver Dagger (Trad, arr. Baez)
12. Wide Open Star
13. 'Dead Wife with Harmonica'
14. Human Music
15. The Face of Death (solo)

Crablings 3

Robyn Hitchcock official site

Robyn Hitchcock on myspace

Robyn Hitchcock. Unhatched Crablings. Volume 2. Who's Got All the Tunes.

0 Blurts
crablings 2

1. Chain Mary to the Bed - SUNY, Binghamton NY, 10/2/90
2. You're so Repulsive - Didn't make it to You and Oblivion
3. The Feelers was Everywhere - KCRW's Brave New World, 3/18/96
4. Brain Death - Rough Trade Records, SF 4-29-93
5. Shadowcat - McCabe's, 9/22/95 (late set)
6. Surfer Ghost - Demo
7. Snow Strike - WHFS Cafe, December 1990
8. I Thought I Saw Julian Cope - McCabe's, 5/25/90 (late set)
9. Consider Me Gone - KUSF, 10/5/89
10. It All Adds Up - KROQ "Lovelines" 9/8/91
11. Retinal Damage
12. Mousaka Song - Gaston Hall, Georgetown University 5/17/93
13. Meat Home - Neurotic Records, SF 9/24/94
14. Demons and Fiends - Didn't make it to _You and Oblivion_
15. Ten Fingers - Golden Gate Park, SF 7/3/89
16. (Sadly Not) My Dead Relations - KUSF 4/28/93
17. The Fortunate Son - Club Quattro, Shibuya Tokyo 11/10/93
18. Waterloo Sunset (Kinks)
19. Send Him Some Dentures - KROQ "LoveLines" 9/8/91
20. Queers for Jesus - McCabe's 5/5/91 (late set)
21. Sin City (G Parsons) - McCabe's 5/5/91 (late set)

Crablings 2

Robyn Hitchcock official site

Robyn Hitchcock on myspace

Robyn Hitchcock. Unhatched Crablings. Volume 1. Moments In the Orchard.

0 Blurts
crablings 1

1. Mr Rock and Roll - Kennel Club, San Francisco 5/21/91
2. The Angel Upstairs - McCabe's Guitar Shop, Santa Monica 7/18/87
3. Rabbit Train - The Backstage, Seattle 5/1/93
4. The Vomiting Cross - Kennel Club, SF 5/21/91
5. A Most Peculiar Voice - Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge UK 11/27/78
6. Cherry-Red Daughter - The Ark, Ann Arbor MI 4/15/5
7. Messages of Dark - Diamond Club, Toronto 10/16/90
8. Weasel Turned His Back - WHFS, Omega Studios Rockville MD 1/7/96
9. Dark Globe (Barrett) - Maxwells, Hoboken NJ 7/28/88
10. Every Day is like Sunday (Morrissey) - A&M, Los Angeles 1993
11. Draft Morning (Byrds) - The Backstage, Seattle 9/27/89
12. It Takes a Lot to Laugh (Dylan) - Cabaret Metro, Chicago 4/9/88
13. The Crystal Ship (Doors) - KROQ FM/"Stand Back, Dennis"
14. Rain (Beatles) - "The Green EP" Town Pump, BC 3/23/86
15. Satellite of Love (L Reed) - Omega Studios, 1-7-96
16. Wild Mountain Thyme (Byrds) - Mountain Stage, Charleston WV, 1991
17. Odds and Ends (Dylan) - The Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, 10-4-95
18. Bog Down in the Valley - McCabes 5/5/91 (early set)

Crablings 1

Robyn Hitchcock official site

Robyn Hitchcock on myspace