caroline records Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

The John Spencer Blues Explosion “Crypt Style”

sfilzen — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 21:09:50 +0000

The John Spencer Blues Explosion “Crypt Style” 1992. Crypt Records. Today, June 18th is Mr. Judah Bauer’s 50th birthday! I’ve known Judah since the 9th grade when we were at Roosevelt Junior High in Appleton, WI. Here’s some yearbook photos from the ‘85-’86 yearbook for entertainment (pictured also is our friend, Cristian, and to spread the embarrassment around, I’m including mine as well). Here’s also a photo of the three of us plus Judah’s older brother, Donovan, in 2015.

Crypt Style! and John Spencer Blues Explosion (shown below on CD, Caroline Records) both came out in ‘92, and both in April I believe. The albums are intense, heavy and experimental. There are a few cuts that made both releases, such as “Chicken Walk,” “’78 Style” and “Comeback.” Because I’m from Wisconsin, my favorite track is, of course, “40lb Block of Cheese,” mainly because I envision the writing process that went into the song involving some late night with the guys sitting around an apartment in NYC, Judah regaling Jon and Russell with tales of growing up in a smallish Wisconsin city with nothing much to do other than eat cheese (not totally wrong).

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Bad Brains “The Youth Are Getting Restless”

sfilzen — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 22:27:25 +0000

Bad Brains “The Youth Are Getting Restless” 1990. Caroline Records. Recorded live at the Paradiso Theater, Amsterdam on May 28th, 1987 while on tour for their album I Against I (released late ‘86, an album I had on repeat throughout most of ‘87). Hardcore punk mixed with alt-metal, reggae and a dose of funk, Bad Brains was one of the best and most creative punk bands in the 80′s. The Youth Are Getting Restless plays like a greatest hit LP with live versions of tracks from I Against I like “House of Suffering,” “Sacred Love,” “Re-ignition” and “Let Me Help.” From their ‘82 debut album Bad Brains (some also appearing, re-recorded, on their second LP in ‘83 Rock for Light, produced by The Cars’ Ric Ocasek): “I,” “Coptic Times,” “Big Takeover,” “Fearless Vampire Killer,” “Sailin’ On,” “Banned in DC” (about being banned from performing at almost all clubs in Washington, DC) and, of course, “Pay to Cum,” their 1980 debut single which is “one of the fastest, most furious songs ever recorded.” That song was also my gateway to Bad Brains: it’s on the ‘81 Alternative Tentacles punk comp Let Them Eat Jellybeans! which was one of my first punk vinyl comp LP purchases. The Youth Are Getting Restless has two covers: a mellow reggae’d mashup of The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” with The Rolling Stones “She’s a Rainbow” and “Revolution (dub)” originally by Dennis Brown.

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The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Crypt Style!”

sfilzen — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 14:46:43 +0000

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Crypt Style!” (Crypt Records, German release) and “The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion” (Caroline Records) 1992. I’m including both albums because they both came out in ‘92 and I purchased the CD when it was released – there was no vinyl option. That year I was a senior at UW-Madison and working at the student union, slinging magazines, newspapers and candy at the Commons Desk. I was able to read as many free magazines as I wanted and I remember that fall paging through Spin and to my shock seeing a picture of Judah Bauer, who I’ve known since high school in Appleton, WI.

That New Year’s Eve I was up in Appleton to see family and friends and went out to Jim’s Place, a bar on College Avenue. There was Judah, hanging out and having a cocktail. I told him I read the Spin article about JSBX and had purchased the CD. He told me all about the band and living in NYC and from there I was hooked as a JSBX fan forever.

Both albums are intense, heavy and experimental. There are a few cuts that made both releases, such as “Chicken Walk,” “’78 Style” and “Comeback.” Being a good Wisconsin girl, my favorite track is of course “40lb Block of Cheese,” mainly because I can imagine the writing process that went into the song (i.e. Judah regaling Jon and Russell with tales of growing up in a small Wisconsin town with nothing much to do other than eat cheese).

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