jangle rock Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

The Brian Jonestown Massacre “Something Else”

sfilzen — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:04:27 +0000

The Brian Jonestown Massacre “Something Else” 2018. A Recordings, on white vinyl. Jangly neo-psychedelic alt-rock, Something Else is the band’s 17th LP. In their almost 25 year career they’ve released 20 LP’s (plus comps, live albums, EP’s, etc.) though it remains to be seen if more are coming: during a performance in 2023 the notoriously volatile frontman Anton Newcombe hit guitarist Ryan Van Kriedt over the head with a guitar which ended the show and the rest of the tour (see below). Anyway! I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and intentionally listed to a full record by BJM, though I’m certainly aware of their music and watched Dig!, the 2004 documentary about them and the Dandy Warhols (who I adore – it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it and I feel like I should watch it again).

Something Else is really great. I adore a buzzy, garagey psych rock sound and this album is chock full of it. My top track is the jangle-forward, ass-shaking “Skin and Bones” which reminds me a lot of 80’s era Echo & the Bunnymen. I also really like the groovy, hypnotic 60’s-styled, touch of Velvet instrumental “Animal Wisdom” and another animal themed-stomper “Who Dreams of Cats?”

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R.E.M. “Murmur”

sfilzen — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 16:37:26 +0000

R.E.M. “Murmur” released 40 years ago today, April 12th, 1983. R.E.M.’s debut album was a critical success, included on a ton of best-of lists (Spin, Rolling Stone, etc) and it hit #36 in the US. The alternative (at the time more likely called college-radio rock) jangle rock LP did not do that well commercially at the time (my guess is that college kids had no money to buy records) but since has gone gold. One of my favorite R.E.M. songs, “Radio Free Europe” appears on the album, though a different version was released as the album’s first single; it hit #78 on the main US Hot 100 chart and went to #25 on the Mainstream Rock chart. “Radio Free Europe” was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2010 for “setting the pattern for later indie rock releases by breaking through on college radio in the face of mainstream radio’s general indifference.” (wiki) It also features the band’s early trademark jangle and unintelligible, opaque lyrics. I love it. Also top for me on Murmur is “Talk About the Passion” (their second and final single from the record, released in Europe only), the hauntingly sparse and beautiful (and totally not-understandable) “Perfect Circle,” the complexity and epicness of the guitar and rhythm of “9-9” and the Byrds-esque “Sitting Still.” The lyrical discussion of this track is hilarious: it’s mostly Michael Stipe making up “nonsensical vowels strung together and that he merely approximates the words when he sings the song in concert” and the line, “We can gather, throw a fit” has often been misinterpreted as “We can gather, throw up beer,” which is absolutely perfect for college rock.

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R.E.M. “Murmur”

sfilzen — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 16:41:27 +0000

R.E.M. “Murmur” released on this date, April 13th, 1983. R.E.M.’s debut album set the tone for a certain strain of American indie/alternative rock, characterized by Michael Stipe’s enigmatic, mumbly lyrics, Peter Buck’s jangly guitar, Mike Mills’ melodic bass and an overall “quieter, introverted” side to rock music. Murmur reached #36 on the US album chart and the lead track, “Radio Free Europe” (originally released as a single in ‘81; an alternate version appears on the LP) hit #78. Rolling Stone rated it the best release of 1983 and in 2013 placed it at #18 on its “100 Best Debut Albums of All Time” list.

“Radio Free Europe” is one of my favorite R.E.M. songs, but I also love the quiet sweet sadness of “Talk About the Passion” (also released as a single in Europe, where it failed to chart). “Perfect Circle” is lovely, spacious and sorrowful with actual piano rather than the 80′s ubiquitous synth sound. Mike Mills’ melodic bass prowess is demonstrated on tracks like “Catapult,” a more upbeat song, relatively speaking, on Murmur. “Sitting Still” was the B-side to “Radio Free Europe” and is one of the earliest penned tracks by R.E.M.; they wrote and recorded it in ‘81and the original version appears on Murmur. Reading about the lyrics to “Sitting Still” made me laugh: “Stipe has acknowledged that the first line of the refrain, ‘Up to par and Katie bar the kitchen door but not me in,’ does not mean anything. In a 1991 interview he did provide some insight into a potential meaning, stating that ‘Katie bar the door’ is a Southern expression for barring the door to prevent a child from escaping punishment and is used as a warning that the child better watch out. Another line, ‘We can gather, throw a fit’ has often been misinterpreted as ‘We can gather, throw up beer.’ He has also acknowledged that much of the song is made of nonsensical vowels strung together and that he merely approximates the words when he sings the song in concert.”

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The Soft Boys “Underwater Moonlight”

sfilzen — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 20:18:04 +0000

The Soft Boys “Underwater Moonlight” released on this date, June 28th, 1980. Commercial reaction to its release was initially underwhelming, however over time Underwater Moonlight has been hailed for ushering in an era of jangle rock and neo-psychedelia. The Soft Boys’ “incorporated the indelible harmonies of the Byrds and the surrealism of Syd Barrett” and influenced bands like R.E.M. and the Stone Roses. The psychedelic sound is especially prevalent on tracks like “Positive Vibrations,” “The Queen of Eyes” and the instrumental “You’ll Have to Go Sideways.” Robyn Hitchcock clearly has a fascination for the perverse, including comparisons of creepy bugs hatching under his skin with love (“Kingdom of Love”) and dentures talking to peaches (“I Got the Hots”). My favorite track is “I Wanna Destroy You” – a brutal message wrapped in a pleasant (albeit menacing) harmonic package. I also really like the jerky jungled-beat weirdness of “Old Pervert.”

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Camper Van Beethoven “Telephone Free Landslide Victory”

sfilzen — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 16:33:25 +0000

Camper Van Beethoven “Telephone Free Landslide Victory” 1985. Rough Trade Records/Independent Project Records. CVB’s debut record is infused with elements pulled from ska, alt-country, punk, art-rock and folk. Best tracks: their cover of Black Flag’s “Wasted” – squealing saxophone solo, sarcastic-ladden vocals that edge around contempt for the hardcore scene; the 80′s jangle-rock “Oh No!”; “Skinhead Stomp,” a ska-goes-Eastern-European-gypsy romp, and, of course, their signature hit “Take the Skinheads Bowling” that showcases the band’s nonsensical wit:

Every day, I get up and pray to Jah
And he decreases the number of clocks by exactly one
Everybody’s comin’ home for lunch these days
Last night there were skinheads on my lawn
Take the skinheads bowling
Take them bowling
Take the skinheads bowling
Take them bowling
Some people say that bowling alleys got big lanes
Some people say that bowling alleys all look the same
There’s not a line that goes here that rhymes with anything
I has a dream last night, but I forget what it was
I had a dream last night about you, my friend
I had a dream–I wanted to sleep next to plastic
I had a dream–I wanted to lick your knees
I had a dream–it was about nothing

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