Duran Duran “Perfect Day” 1995. Limited edition “Scratch ‘n’ Sniff” 7″ single. Today, April 26th, is Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor’s birthday (b. 1960). “Perfect Day” is a cover of the Lou Reed classic (1972); Roger Taylor was on an extended break from Duran Duran in the late 80’s/early to mid 90’s but briefly reconnected with Simon, Nick and John in 1994 while in Paris to record a couple of tracks for Thank You plus he appears in the video for “Perfect Day” (shot in 1995). “Perfect Day” went to #28 in the UK and Lou Reed has stated that Duran Duran’s version is “potentially the best rerecording of any of his songs.” The b-side is another Reed cover: Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale (alternative mix)” (VU’s from 1967). The difference in Nico vs Simon’s voice could not be more radical but both versions are fabulous.

Anika “Abyss” 2025. Sacred Bones Records, limited edition black/burgandy/white smash variant. Grungy + noisy psychedelic post-punk, Anika hails from Berlin (we didn’t purchase this album there!) and recorded Abyss at Hansa Studios (which we did make a pilgrimage to, famed spot of Bowie’s Berlin trilogy, Iggy, etc.). It looks like Abyss is her sixth LP, though it’s the first in our collection I believe. It’s noise-laden, bass-heavy and hypnotic: not a 60’s hippie trip (however “Buttercups” does lean that way a bit), rather dank late night Euro-club strobes  – think My Bloody Valentine vibes but with more options to dance. My top tracks include the title track “Abyss,” the chaotically ass-shaking “Out of the Shadows,” While the album is mostly dense and dark material, there are some lighter, sweeter moments like on “Walk Away” (the lyrics: not so much tho) and sparser/lo-fi tracks like “Into the Fire” and “Oxygen” upon which Anika seems to be channeling her inner Nico.

The Obits “Die at the Zoo” 2021. Outer Battery Records, yellow vinyl. Live, loud garage punk, from a show on August 26th 2012 at The Zoo in Brisbane, Australia. The Obits recorded this when they were on tour between their second and third albums for Sub Pop and Die at the Zoo includes tracks from those two LP’s like “Widow Of My Dreams” and “I Want Results,” plus single releases like “One Cross Apiece” and “Refund.” One of my top picks is the bendy, slightly sinister stomper “New August,” another is the snarling punk stomper “Talking to the Dog.” “Pine On” is great (but the video for the original single freaks me the fuck out – it’s linked below). The recording quality of Die at the zoo is really stellar (but not over-produced allowing for the band’s raw/real vibe to come through) and the crowd noise is minimal, just enough between songs to prove it is, indeed, live.