the of mirror eye

* Hadda Brooks: Take Me (3.0mb) | You’re Real Gone (2.5 mb) | This Time We’re Through (3.0 mb)
From That’s Where I Came In : Ace Records Ltd : CDCHD 1046

This lady, Hadda Brooks, has one of the most sultry and intimate vocals that I’ve ever heard. I don’t know too much about her except that she started her recording career in the mid ’40’s by playing boogie-woogie piano, but then progressed into vocal ballads where she really excelled. This CD is a collection of many of the vocal sides that she recorded but were never released.

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* The Flaming Lips: With You (10.0 mb) | Space Age Love Song (6.0 mb) | Moth In The Incubator (7.5 mb)
From 8 Live Flaming Lips Tracks 1986-1996 : Film Premiere Giveaway

Not too long ago I learned of the existence of a feature length documentary film about The Flaming Lips. I was immediately intrigued because the Lips have been one of my favorite bands since they released Transmissions From The Satellite Heart. They’re one of the most consistently intriguing and innovative bands out there today.

So, after reading multiple rave reviews about the documentary, The Fearless Freaks: The Life And Times Of An American Invention?!?, I finally managed to track down a copy (actually it wasn’t all that hard, I just didn’t realize that they’d released it on dvd yet) and for once the mainstream critics weren’t wrong. This movie absolutely rocked. It’s an incredibly intimate, lovingly documented look into the world of The Flaming Lips. Bradley Beesley presented an unflinching portrait of this band - from the ups of their incredible stage show to the lows of family and band members drug problems. This movie shows it all.

This documentary is highly recommended and is right up there with Jandek On Corwood, Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King and This Is Spinal Tap as some of my all time favorite documentaries.

The music on this disc was compiled by Bradley Beesley, the director of this documentary. This was handed out at the SXSW film premiere.

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* Minor Threat: Filler (2.0 mb) | I Don’t Wanna Hear It (2.0 mb) | Straight Edge (1.0 mb) | In My Eyes (4.0 mb)
From Complete Discography : Dischord Records : DIS40CD

How does the cover art for one of the most staunchly anti-corporate and anti-mainstream bands of yesteryear end up being used by Nike? Apparently by stealing it (here and here). If you look at the images above, the one on the left is the original. You might, if you took your magnifying glass out, see some slight similarities between the two…or those similarities may just be glaringly obvious. Minor Threat has long been considered one of the best hardcore bands. For three years in the early 80’s, the band blazed a trail of integrity and independence that started the straight edge movement, launched the Dischord Label and catapulted the D.C. hardcore scene into prominence. The dissolution of Minor Threat in ‘83 resulted in a number of other bands being formed, the most famous of them being Fugazi.

Although Dischord Records is most notable for its commitment to the DIY culture, for remaining a viable business despite eschewing mainstream distribution and still being artist friendly, their music is just as excellent. The label catalogue is filled with D.C. artists with sounds that range from harcore to emo to garage rock to post rock. For instance, these songs by Minor Threat, despite being recorded over 20 years ago, still stands up to repeated listenings.

Minor Threat/Fugazi and Dischord Records ooze so much integrity and anti-corprate-ness that it sickens me that something like Nike is attempting to appropriate that ethos.

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* Various Artists: Track12 (3.0 mb) | Track14 (3.5 mb) | Track17 (3.0 mb) | Track18 (2.5 mb)
From Big Moe - Live At R.C.’s Place : Jones

From the crew that brought you the legendary Chains & Black Exhaust compilation comes this: Big Moe - Live At R.C.’s Place. Put out by the Memphix crew, their modus operandi remains the same - no track listings, no artist information, no legitimate label, limited to 1000 copies and an incredible compilation filled with great music. While the first compilation focused on old Funkadelic crossed with Hendrix & the MG’s styled Black rock ‘n’ roll, this compilation focuses on funk and soul music from Memphis, TN. This is supposedly a newly unearthed set spun live by radio DJ Big Moe. Whatever it is, just don’t sleep on this one. If you can find it still, snatch it up. ‘Cause when it’s gone, it’s gone.

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* Papa M:Beloved Woman (6.0 mb) | Black Is The Color (8.0 mb)
From EPs One & Two : Drag City Incorporated : DC241 & DC242

Papa M, otherwise known as David Pajo (former key member of Slint, Tortoise and Zwan) presents a series of releases that leads us on an audio road trip through his mind.

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* The Fugs: The Belle Of Avenue A (8.0 mb) | Turn On/Tune In/Drop Out (6.0 mb) | War Song (6.5 mb)
From Electromagnetic Steamboat: The Reprise Recordings : Rhino Handmade : RHM2 7759

When a group of proto-hippie New York poets decided to get together to form a band, who’d of thunk that they’d be the precursors to both the folk rock and the punk rock genres? Started in the 60’s, the Fugs were proudly in favor of peace, free love, marijuana and freedom. They were against the status quo and were deemed so anti-government that they were the subject of a full scale FBI investigation.

Years before Frank Zappa and Jim Morrison made bawdy lyrics fashionable, Ed Sanders, Tuli Kupferberg and their group of cohorts were out making trouble, giving the FBI migranes (the Chicago branch contacted the Washington main office at one point to ask if they should arrest the FAGS for obscenity and un-American activities). Far from being babbling idiots though, Sanders and Kupferberg were (and still are) incisive, accomplished poets. Their celebration of free love and marijuana was not done just to titilate but as an honest statement of purpose and freedom: you’re not going to find Howard Stern or Marilyn Manson trying to exorcise and levitate the Pentagon. This is probably why the Fugs are not Rock’n'Roll Hall of Fame residents or staples on VH-1 and are to be admired for it.

(from Perfect Sound Forever)

After the Fugs gained some fame and notoriety from their actions (they tried to exorcise the demons from the White House) and their recordings, they somehow managed to sign to a major label. From 1967 to 1970, hey released a number of albums for Reprise Records. While the label didn’t censor them or pressure them in anyway to make more “commercial music”, they also didn’t keep the records in print. These recordings have languished in “out of print” status for more than a quarter century and finally saw the light of day in 2001.

These recordings are made available from the most excellent Rhino Handmade division of Rhino Records. Rhino Handmade’s mission is to resurrect lost recordings, clothe them in excellent packaging and present them as collectible limited edition releases.

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