Mine def is Drop by Thee Oh Sees, and VLMA's self stitled release.

Skull Theft is coming out with a split with Ratboiler and they also have their own album coming out too, so that's exciting. VLMA's starting to record in January/Febuary for their next release, and anything released by them is gold. Old Indians record is coming out soon, too. That's all I got speculated so far.

2014 did bring a new Real Kids LP, Shake....Outta Control their first LP in many many years. It was long awaited for these ears and didn't quite live up  to what i was expecting. Although on repeated listens, it's been winning me over more each play.

 

And finally the new Mother's Children LP, Lemon which beat The Real Kids at their own game. Pure power pop with loadsa hooks and guitars that play together so well. Easily one of my fave LP's of the year! These guys are off to Europe sometime this year, just wish they'd play some of the cities that within driving distance prior.

 

 

DAMN! Now it's 2015 , and this is the first I've heard of it .  I heard they were MAKING the album , but , we all knew that that meant it could be another year.....Well , I sure hope I can find it. I know it's not very "Punk Rock'' to buy your music in an actual record store , but , i'LL TRY THAT , FIRST.

HAPPY NEW YEAR , EH?

John.

John: Assume you mean the Real Kids LP, if so, it's on Ugly Pop Records on vinyl.

Here's a link:

http://uglypop.bigcartel.com/

 

Ugly Pop has released a ton of cool stuff, mainly reissues of long out of print recs. Lots of early Canpunk singles, ie The Spys, Hot Nasties, Simply Saucer and loads more. All pressed and packaged with loving care. My favourite Canadian record label.

Cool. But , of course , I meant The Real Kids. This is and event. So was their last EP and 45 , which was almost 20 years ago....I don't think the propsed live album on REAL o Mind (I think.) came out , either, just teh 45. Thanks for the info.

I would also pick Thee Oh Sees Drop from 2014 as a favourite.  Also worth checking out, Teenanger's EPLP (its more garage/punk), The Black Lips - Underneath The Rainbow and Parquet Courts Sunbathing Animal.

Haven't heard the Real Kids reissue, will have to check that one out.

I have'nt been buying alot of new stuff....Danny Amis' (Los Straitjackets) new CDS is great , in a Ventures/John Barry /HENRY MANCINI STUFFED IN A PHONEBOOTH KINDA WAY.

Fleshtones' last album was great (Boy , who could have seen that coming?). Reverend Horton Heat's last one is pretty strong , just not as good as their ignored previous effort , "Laffin' and Cryin'". The Fuzztones' SELF - TRIBUTE ALBUM , with help from many true Garage legends , is killer , even if you don't like The Fuzztones. Gonn's last release makes an ass of anyone who fancies themselves "Garage Bands"....

Two of my favorite new ones are relatively new bands that haven't received much discussion in here but seem to be anchored in garage and punk. One is Benjamin Booker, a kid in his early 20s whose stated influences include The Gun Club (and Blind Willie Johnson). Then there's The Bloodhounds, East LA Chicanos who owe a lot to The Yardbirds (and have a weird jug band fetish. )

Also I absolutely love The Electric Mess, a NY band I first met here in the Hideout.

I recently posted my 2014 Top 10. http://www.garagepunk.com/blogs/6614/5954/terrell-s-tune-up-s-top-10-albums-of-2014

...I wonder if Michael Weldon knows that The Electric Mess's video has an early Psychotronic , prominently displayed? I'm sure he'd get a kick out of it.  Steve , I listened to your show , the other night , but , it kept cutting out on me , unfortunately. John.

Thanks for trying, John. There are two ways to listen. Radio Free America http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/station/ksfr is sometimes spotty. Then there's http://www.ksfr.org (upper right ), where you can listen through iTunes, Window Media Player etc. As long as I'm turning this into a plug, Sound World is on 10 pm Mountain Time Sunday. My show from last night can be found at Radio free America.

As for 2015, this is coming up next month:

For Immediate Release
January 5, 2015


Saustex Records Announces "Ballsier" by the Grannies
CD out January 20th - LP out February 17th
Bay Area Shows - East Coast Shows with the Upper Crust



Saustex is pleased to unleash “Ballsier”, the latest full length album from Bay Area cross-dressing, geriatric superstars The Grannies, out January 20th (CD) and February 17th (Vinyl). The new set picks up where 2011’s “For Those About To Forget To Rock” left off with an arthritic and defiant middle finger raised high above a squalid rawk’n’roll soundtrack. Lead singer Wizard Sleeves wails hard won lessons about dodgy friends, gentrification and love to the chaos while producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, The Gits, High On Fire) aptly synthesizes the band’s well-fermented bile and grungy, virulent twin-guitar attack on tunes like “Soviet”, “Wade in Bloody Water” and “Modern Medicine”. The CD edition of the album features remixes of “The Corner of F*ck and You” by Ben Addison (of UK acid jazz legends Corduroy) and “Glittersh*tter” by German producer, DJ and sound designer Matt Flores. Tour dates in the Bay and on the East Coast are listed below...the spring/summer will see them head for Texas and Europe.

The Grannies story began on a hot July night in 1999, as five grown men dressed as old ladies crossed 11th St in San Francisco and hit the stage at the Paradise Lounge. 15 years, 8 Jack Endino-produced albums, 3 European tours, more than a few beer soaked house dresses, some delighted fans, some not-so delighted soundmen, an 8’ x 5’ oil painting by German artist Frank Bauer (that sold in Cologne for $25,000), some good press, some bad press; and these self-proclaimed “Masters of Quality Edutainment” are still at it. Still. Saustex label boss Jeff Smith has dubbed them “The hardest working ladymen in rock’n’roll”.

Featuring former members of Ain’t (SF), Black Furies (SF), Hollow Heyday (Boston) and Hullabaloo (Boston) The Grannies have released albums on their Dead Teenager and Wondertaker labels and now unleash their full-length debut for Saustex. “Mixing the frantic three chord riff rock of G.B.H. with the in-your-face danger of the Dwarves and add in Divine's fashion sense for good measure -- and voila, you now have the ingredients for a Grannies' cocktail.” says Greg Prato of All Music Guide.

These five are mild-mannered career and family men by day, occupying jobs ranging taxi driver to architect that allow them to don nothing but the latest in thrift store fashion on stage, “looking like a dystopian nightmare vision of glam”, notes Ken Shimamoto of The Stash Dauber. The San Francisco Bay Guardian says “this bunch of moldy old punk rockers, whose history consists chiefly of dressing up like old ladies, getting f*cked up and f*cking things up while decent folk look on in horror are a definite must see.” and Musicdownload was prompted to this bit of pith: “The band members look like Nick Nolte's mug shot if he had been dressed as the lady from ‘Mama's Family’...” But we’re getting too tangled up in visuals because it’s really the music that matters, right?

While schtick gets The Grannies to the altar, the music ties the knot. Unbeknownst to most, the band has maintained the same five members for over a decade, but each has the unusual habit of changing their stage names from album to album. So, while you cannot count on consistent album credits beyond mainstay Seattle producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, Murder City Devils, High On Fire) you can bet there will be some furious, juvenile and belligerent punk rawk and roll lurking within the packaging walls of any release by The Grannies. Sleazegrinder had this to say about the band: “...Best of all, regardless of what mode they’re in, whether it’s sincere rock revivalists or snotty, tranny-granny punk rock assholes, they lay on the hooks and the howls and the c*ck-rockin’ guitar solos like…like they’re not even dressed like arthritic 70 year old broads at all.” And Seattle weekly The Stranger beams “The Grannies assault your ears with something mean, something dirty and something completely rock‘n’roll.”

THE GRANNIES LIVE:

Saturday February 28 San Francisco, CA Benders Noise Pop Afternoon Happy Hour
Friday March 6 Oakland, CA Golden Bull
Saturday March 14 San Francisco, CA The Knockout Afternoon Show

East Coast dates with The Upper Crust
All shows are with The Upper Crust & White Dynomite

Thursday April 23 New York, NY Bowery Electric
Friday, April 24 Somerville, MA Cuisine en Locale
Saturday, April 25 Portland, ME

For more information on Saustex visit www.saustexmedia.com and learn more about the band at www.thegrannies.com

WELL , JANUARY , 2015 , SAW THE RELEASE OF BACK FROM THE GRAVE VOLS.9 AND 10 , AS NOTED ELSEWHERE , AND THE STANDELLS' AND SHADOWS OF KNIGHT'S EXPANDED LIVE LPs on SUNDAZED (BOTH WERE RELEASED , YEARS AGO , BUT , THERE ARE MORE TRACKS ON BOTH OF THESE RELEASES.  THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHT SET COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED , BUT , BOTH ARE GOOD .).

The Real Kids album was great, as was Mothers Children- Lemons

Other 2014 favourites were:

Buck Biloxi and the Fucks - Culture Demanufacturer

Golden Pelicans- ST

Muffs- Whoop Dee Doo

Obn IIIs- Third Time To Harm

Gino and the Goons - Shake It

Hector's Pets- Pet-O-Feelia (this might be my favourite over the entire year.)

TYLER , IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING , WHERE DID YOU FIND THE REAL KIDS' ALBUM ? I CONTACTED THE LABEL , AND THEY SAID THEY WERE'NT TAKING U.S. ORDERS. ZIMBABWE , BELARUS ,MICRONESIA , YOU NAME IT , BUT NOT THE U.S.      ONE STORE IN CHICAGO WAS TRYING TO ORDER IT , TO NO AVAIL .

Have a good week , everyone. John.

John, did you check with Ace of Hearts? They licensed the LP to Ugly Pop in Toronto. Both the CD and LP are available from Ace of Hearts, too. Details on the Ace of Hearts Records website: www.aceofheartsrecords.com

OK , thanks. I dunno why the Canadian company was being so obstinate. I mean , we're still friends , right?

the Real Kids can't fail. I saw them with a pickup drummer they'd met that day , and they were STILL great! !

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is releasing a new album Tuesday!!!

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/21/393627275/we-wanted-to-entertain-jon-spencer-on-25-years-in-new-york

 

And I've got tickets to see them in Washington DC in a couple of weeks

swt said:

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is releasing a new album Tuesday!!!

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/21/393627275/we-wanted-to-entertain-jon-spencer-on-25-years-in-new-york

 

And I've got tickets to see them in Washington DC in a couple of weeks

Yeah, they're on tour this spring/summer, too. Coming to St. Louis, even! Can't wait.

John Battles said:

TYLER , IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING , WHERE DID YOU FIND THE REAL KIDS' ALBUM ? I CONTACTED THE LABEL , AND THEY SAID THEY WERE'NT TAKING U.S. ORDERS. ZIMBABWE , BELARUS ,MICRONESIA , YOU NAME IT , BUT NOT THE U.S.      ONE STORE IN CHICAGO WAS TRYING TO ORDER IT , TO NO AVAIL .

Have a good week , everyone. John.

The LP was released on Ugly Pop (Canada). Not sure why they weren't taking US orders though. That seems weird

Ugly Pop also just re-released Teengenerate - Live At Shelter. They put out a lot of killer Canada punk reissues too, and there's more coming this year. 

http://uglypop.bigcartel.com/

MIGHT i RECOMMEND tHE Velvet Illusion reissue LP? Northwest naive , but gutsy sounding ,Psych /Garage , with swirling organ and occasional outbreaks of insane fuzz guitar and bass....Their singer , Steve Weed , was widely believed to be the same Steve Weed who was Patti Hearst's Boyfriend ,  at the time of her abduction by The SLA .TURNS OUT , IT WAS ANOTHER STEVE WEED. Despite the name , he took an unfashionable anti - drug stance.  GOOD RECORD , COOL PUNK ROCK SILKSCREEN GRAPHICS.

ALSO ,LIGHT IN the Attics' Roky Erickson reissues , of his first , indispensible , "Five Symbols" aka "TEO" , better known as"Roky Erickson and The Aliens", AND HIS TWO 80's releases on Pink Dust "Don't Slander Me" (An outstanding studio effort , featuring members of SVT , Flamin' Groovies , Jefferson Airplane , and The Aliens.), and "Gremlins Have Pictures", an extraordinarily varied collection of the man's work ca. 1975 - 80. It's probably best known for the use of "I am" IN THE MOVIE , "DRUGSTORE COWBOY"and a totally unrehearsed live version of The Velvets' "Heroin" with The Explosives. "Boys , we're gonna do Heroin tonight...." HUH ?!! "i think it's in "E''.

thanks , Tyler....The US LABEL , Ace of Hearts , which Kopper referred me to , seems the way to go.......at least , for me. 

John Battles said:

TYLER , IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING , WHERE DID YOU FIND THE REAL KIDS' ALBUM ? I CONTACTED THE LABEL , AND THEY SAID THEY WERE'NT TAKING U.S. ORDERS. ZIMBABWE , BELARUS ,MICRONESIA , YOU NAME IT , BUT NOT THE U.S.      ONE STORE IN CHICAGO WAS TRYING TO ORDER IT , TO NO AVAIL .

Have a good week , everyone. John.

 

Simon from Ugly Pop here. I have no idea whatsoever what this is supposed to mean. Most of our business is to the US and there is absolutely no reason that I would tell anyone that I wasn't taking American orders. Simple as that. Same goes with the 'Chicago store".  Would be very curious to see this alleged communication.

John Battles said:

TYLER , IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING , WHERE DID YOU FIND THE REAL KIDS' ALBUM ? I CONTACTED THE LABEL , AND THEY SAID THEY WERE'NT TAKING U.S. ORDERS. ZIMBABWE , BELARUS ,MICRONESIA , YOU NAME IT , BUT NOT THE U.S.      ONE STORE IN CHICAGO WAS TRYING TO ORDER IT , TO NO AVAIL .

Have a good week , everyone. John.

 

Simon from Ugly Pop here. I have no idea whatsoever what this is supposed to mean. Most of our business is to the US and there is absolutely no reason that I would tell anyone that I wasn't taking American orders. Simple as that. Same goes with the 'Chicago store".  Would be very curious to see this alleged communication.

Simon , I admit , I overreacted , and I apologize for that. The first time I tried to order the album , I was not able to access the information by enterring the US as country for delivery . I don't know what happened , but ,  I should not have taken this as an indication that your label wasn't talking orders from The US. I spoke out of turn , but I was not trying to start any rumors against Ugly Pop Records. 

I tried a second time , and it looks like the order went through , fine , though there did'nt seem to be any way to make a print copy of a receipt . As long as the order went through , that's fine.

Again , I meant no slur on your professional reputation , and I hope to order from you again in the near future.                                         John Battles.