Mudhead - Complete Recordings

Don't know much about these folks, but someone already uploaded this on youtube so you can hear and read info over here.

For some reason his version of this unofficial compilation is missing a track called Stare which exists in my version, so there it is. Overall pretty cool group, early noise rock with a psychedelic twang, lovers of the Surfers that's for sure. Deranged vocals and acidic guitars, shame the audio quality is only fair, otherwise I'd probably come back to them more often.

1. Eleutheromania
2. Charlie's Golden Ticket
3. 666 Children
4. Eleutheromania
5. Monkey
6. Third Leg
7. Dog
8. Mother And Child
9. Empty Without You
10. Scarab
11. Stare
12. City of Rain
13. Eleutheromania

1-2 are from The Jumbo Sound Of Mudhead (1988),
3 from A Limited Gourmet Boxset Of The Unclean & Imperfect (1990), 4-7 from What Does God Say About It? (1987).
13 wasn't in when I got it, I added it myself, from a compilation called Live From Lawrence (1988).

Complete Recordings

מעצ

1982, days of the Lebanon War, a couple of Israeli leftists formed an activists group called ועד למען בריאות הציבור (Public Health Committee). Among their anarcho activities, they were also making music, playing live in some peace protests.
Those roots led to the formation of מעצ (Ma'atz), a socio-political band, merging ethnic/oriental music with new wave. Minimal Compact would be the first thing to come to mind, but influences are varied from Gang of Four to Yemenite folk.

Based in Tel Aviv, yet they weren't really part of the local new wave scene. They didn't perform often and when they did it was mostly on students festivals in colleges and less in clubs.
Ilana Tzabari (Bass, Vocals), Ziv Lewis (Synth), Hezi Davidian (Guitar), Lior Saar (Bass, Drum Machine). Also contributed in the group's early days were Nevo Svorai (Vocals) and Ido Amin (Drums).

The bandcamp up above is their first and only cassette, self released on February 1988. 200 copies were initially pressed by their own "label" called "לא BUDGET" (לא=No). Later sources say about a 1000 were sold, I think it's a bit exaggerated, but probably more were pressed indeed. Personally I think it's a cool album, but not something I listen to often, other than the first track which is a straight-up classic with its iconic samples (Hebrew needed) and guitar work. Track 8 is also a personal favorite, but I'll always come back to a cover made by the blog sweethearts Mujahideen. 
In 2001 it was re-released by Earsay on CD with bonus tracks. Those are not on the bandcamp version so I got you.

Ilana Tzabari, Hezi Davidian, Lior Saar, Ziv Lewis

מעצ - שבת אחים קטעי בונוס / Ma'atz - Brotherhood Bonus Tracks 

10. הודי
11. לעבודה ולמלאכה
12. שישי אינסטרומנטל
13. עיזים
14. שעונים
15. קן בין עירוני
16. מוצקים
17. Jc Hopes
18. Remix השעון ההיסטורי

Now, the real intention of this long planned post (since this blog formation pretty much, like most other posts), is to share rare demos that I have on my PC. I can't remember how I got these. I'm sure it'll interest some local readers of this blog who probably enjoy this band more than I do. I know the band has recorded a full length worth of materials with Nevo, I reckon this is it. 1985-ish recordings, maybe someone will correct me. I left the titles as they were in the original files.

Tzabari, Saar, Davidian, Lewis
Photo by Dvora Gruda

מעצ - סקיצות / Ma'atz - Demo

1. מוצקים [full version of track 16 above]
2. עיזים [full version of track 13 above]
3. גטס
4. תורכי [early version of אילמז]
5. ערבי
6. קונסולה [early version of שבת אחים]
7. טבול ראש [early version of טבול ראש בחול]
8. על האדמה
9. פלייבק [early version of השעון ההיסטורי]

In 2023 Nevo also uploaded a collection of his demos with the band to his own bandcamp:

First track here is an early version of a song that Nevo's later group (called Israel) will play.
The following are the same as in the demo I uploaded (some are slightly different versions):
3 is track 5, 4 is track 8, 5 is track 2, 6 is track 7, 7 is track 1.

If you wanna see some videos documentation, they participated in an indie film called Tiftuf directed by Danny Yitzhaki (Tzabari's husband at some point), where you can catch them in action in a couple of scenes.

God

Tos Nieuwenhuizen,
1987.09.13 (I think)

Before Kevin Martin's, God has revealed himself upon the earth in the form of a dutch power trio. I'm not gonna expand many words about this, mainly cause I'm not the biggest fan of this group, just cleaning some stuff off the computer, so thought I'll upload it here first for whoever.
Don't get me wrong, all three of them are highly technichal, talented players for sure, and the music is a bizzare mix of progressive art-y heavy thrash metal jams, something like Gore-Black Sabbath-Black Flag-someone, but I just never come to listen to any of the albums, never struck me as memorable ones. Someone will enjoy it more for sure.
First line up was responsible for first two albums (their semi-primitive debut Sweet Life is undoubtly my favorite) included Tos Nieuwenhuizen (guitar), Daan van der Elsken (drums, vocals) and Michael Cavanaugh (bass). Tos left on and the last album saw the addition of Björn Warning (guitar, vocals) and Joszja de Weerdt (guitar), with them the sound became a bit more "90's alternative" thing.

If you're looking for more God, be sure to check this '87 radio session up at Brob Tilt's tapes, it's even claimed to be better than their studio, for me it's all the same. Brob also scanned an interview with them at his Zine-World if you care.




1988 - Sweet Life (as said, their best)

1. See Smoke, Smell Fire
2. The Finger
3. Settling Down
4. Lust
5. Wimps
6. Teste Marce
7. Stomping Ground
8. Sack B.
9. So Be It!
10. The Asset of Punishment

1989 - The Shametree

1. Risk of Regrets
2. Blessed
3. Wordsworth
4. Stuck
5. Can You Take It
6. Medicine
7. What Climax
8. Brainstorm

1991 - Headrush

1. Image Down
2. Fooler Of Fools
3. You Know Me Not
4. When Time Is Present
5. Zero Sicks
6. Taste
7. Horizon The Liar
8. Drink Deep
9. Black Balled
10. Chicken Song
11. Who'll Decide
12. Child
13. Classic

Harry Crews

Lunch & Gordon

Just finished a book called Scar Lover by Harry Crews.. yeah that was a waste of time.. not quite sure if I should ever try another one by Crews, but I do know that I'm not gonna take any more book recommendations from these girls.

Harry Crews was a short project which got some fame thanks to the fact it's a collaboration between Lydia Lunch and Kim Gordon, among with drummer Lisa Tomicich (Sadie Mae) and second guitar player Patricia Place (who left before any show was played).

They went on a Euro tour in 1988, and broke up after that, releasing their sole official release Naked In Garden Hills (1990), which is mainly their last show in Vienna, plus three songs off their London show (which you can find here fully).

Lucky for the fans, some more material was recorded live and that's what this one is about.

Some info was again, taken off the great From The Archives site, which made this post so much easier to write, thanks.

Lydia Lunch, Kim Gordon, Lisa Tomicich

1988.09.05 - Live at Huset, Århus, Denmark (partial debut show) 

Broadcast by Danish FM Radio

1. Man Hates Man

2. Distopia

3. -Interview

4. Knockout Artist

5. Casual Lunch "Audience Baiting"

6. Gospel Singer

1988.09.09 - Live at Ritz, Stockholm, Sweden (partial)

Broadcast by Swedish FM Radio

1. About The Author

2. Distopia

3. The Gospel Singer

4. The Way Out

5. Car

6. Babylon Blues

1988.09.22 - Live at Mean Fiddler, London, England 

1. About The Author

2. Man Hates Man

3. Distopia

4. You're It / The Gospel Singer / Knockout Artist

5. (She's In A) Bad Mood (Sonic Youth Cover)

6. The Way Out

7. Bring Me Down

8. Car / S.O.S.

9. "...A Little Something"
10. Orphans (Teenage Jesus And The Jerks Cover)

Enjoy

Slab!

Mentioning Scott Kiehl's drumming on last post regarding Sweet Tooth, made me want to post some rarities by the band which caused him to move from Illinois to England, Slab!
This post is for Slab's enthusiasts.. if you don't know Slab!, just go listen to Descension before you check this.. and if you do know, and don't like, than just get the fuck out.

Dissatisfied with Robin Risso's unable to improvise, the one who drums on their maverick debut Descension, experimental industrial metal (which is the only way I can think which won't offend Stephen Dray to describe Slab!) decided to find a new fellow to join in. Chris Baker who also contributed drums before, suggested his friend Scott, saying he is the only man who can fit that job.
Eventually, Scott flew to Chicago just to come back with a native friend, Lou Ciccotelli, to record Slab's second album Sanity Allergy, which saw Scott playing bass, and Lou drumming.

Bill Davies, Robin Risso, Paul Jarvis
Stephen Dray, Dave Morris (Descension)

Only Slab recording to feature Scott on drums is their 3rd Peel Session, which was recorded between the two albums, included very heavy early version Sanity Allergy's Last Detail, a brutal-fierce version of Descension's Big Sleeper, and two unpublished songs

1988-02-21 - 3rd Peel Session

1. Last Detail
2. Bride of Sloth
3. Big Sleeper
4. Killer For A Country

Stephen Dray - Vocals, Saxophone
Paul Jarvis - Guitar
Dave Morris - Guitar
Bill Davies - Bass
Scott Kiehl - Drums
Hugh Rawson - Trumpet

Later on, after being not satisfied with Sanity Allregy due to some reasons (even though I think it's a great album), the band sort of fell apart, forcing Stephen and Paul too look for new members. This next line up is documented in single Death's Head Soup, and also in a live bootleg which presents some Sanity Allergy songs with a more psychedelic feel

Paul Jarvis, Lou Ciccotelli, Dave Morris,
Scott Kiehl, Stephen Dray (Sanity Allergy)

1989 - Live in Hultsfred, Sweden

1. Land of The Midnight Sun
2. Switchback Ride
3. You're Not Alone
4. Last Detail

Stephen Dray - Vocals
Paul Jarvis - Guitar
Nick Page - Guitar
Boleslaw Usarazewski - Bass
Rob Allum - Drums

Next up Nick left the band, to make place for Graham Sherman an NME journalist, which according to Slab's very informative and well written biography by Stephen Dray, was their finest era, and if by any chance you have recordings of this line up, please share.
I'm also looking for 2nd Slab! Peel Session, which was avilable through Head Heritage forums some years ago and now link's dead.

2019.03.06 Update: I present, 2nd Slab! Peel Session