The Birds
- title
The Complete Collector's Guide to Rare British Birds
- label
Deram
- format
- CD
This was Ron Wood's first band back in 1965. They called themselves "London's greatest R.&B. group", and were very much part of the Mod sound and look. It's funny that this CD is being added today, as Pip is bringing The Pretty Things to the station today for an interview prior to their Tuesday Sep. 21 (tonight) show at the Middle East in Cambridge's Central Square. I'm sure the Pretty Things played shows with The Birds and knew them well. On this brand new anthology, their three 7"s are presented (both A & B-sides), plus demo acetates and unreleased songs, all studio and very good quality. There are 18 songs on this CD.
---Carl, September 21, 1999
Import 5 song EP with an English vocal version of "Beautycase" plus "Joe Le Taxi" (Vanessa Paradis cover from the album) and the exclusive "Un Garcon Comme Toi". Stereo Total have everything that I look for in a band. They have the sound, the look, and the mystique. Schneider tm with Hanayo singing cover "Joe Le Taxi"as well, on a soon to be released 12" on City Slang. 
Excellent quirky Cornelius style electronica and indie pop. 5 tracker on Bungalow. The first song on the B-side is sung quite ably by a Japanesefemale vocalist. It's probably my favorite song on this EP, and it really kicks with it's 70's soundtrack bassline and music which wouldn't sound out of place on a Jimi Tenor record. The second song on the B-side sounds almost like the 1977 Eno/Snatch song 'RAF' without the girls talking about their careers while sitting in the plane ('RAF' was the B-side to Eno's 'Kings Lead Hat' 7", and is worth seeking out if you've never heard it). The A-sides of this 10" are a very new mix of the best song ('Ride My Bike') from the recent Dauerfisch second album, and one of the best songs ('wholelottaweasel') from that record. That song features a recognizable sample from Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love'. 
4 new songs not on their full length. They're a Scottish band who play guitar based instrumentals with occasional vocals who play a groove laden post rock that sounds like something Jimi Hendrix might have thought up if he had recorded the "Blow By Blow" & "Wired" records instead of Jeff Beck back in '75 without using solos, or to use a more current analogy, sound like if Mina (Berliners who record for Bungalow) didn't have the organ and keys as up front as they do. The Amsterdam band Donkey (who also record for Guided Missile) could be considered to hold a similiar worldview to El Hombre Trajeado (The Suited Man) in their instrumental songs live and on the last 'Stroke My Wings Gently' record. The fourth song could almost be Kreidler or To Rococco Rot with it's use of sound. 
2 new songs which remind me of the elusive LA band Charles Brown Superstar of a few years ago (particularly the first song). Volume All*Star are from Seattle WA and run the Slabco record label as well. They have out a full length on Too Pure which was also on Slabco, and one which was only released on Slabco. This is their first and only release on the popular Bad Jazz label out of England. You can expect to hear female vocals, synths, samples, and beats in a semi-professional setting. 'Sergeant Bumbledillopig' has a male electro-ish background vocal, female and male rapping, and some turntable action in addition to the usual sounds. 
3 new songs from this NYC band. Moog madness a la an 80's version of Add N to (X) or a tamer Suicide . Natty dayglo sleeve. Their first and only release on Germany's Bungalow records. The first song ('Snatch') is a boppy synthy instrumental, the second song ('Six Bucks an Hour') sounds like Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love', and the B-side song ('Country of Smiling Faces') is a somewhat-nonsensical -Japanese-vocal-sounding march of a song.
Russel Senor's new band. He was the guitarist in Pulp, who left after the 'Different Class' LP. Venini is a female vocal new wave band with a vocalist who reminds me of an English version of Jacqui from Cha Cha Cohen (and The Dustdevils before that). Russel's band writes simple songs, but they work well because they sound good, in a Camden Crawl kind of way.