gullbuy music review

January 18, 2005

Damaged Goods Cheap Sampler Vol. 3

various artists
label:: Damaged Goods

For years now the Damaged Goods label has been one of the best labels out of the UK to combine the best of punk, pop and garage with their cd and vinyl releases.

If you've known the best from this label like the Billy Childish projects, Holly Golightly, Helen Love and their original punk reissues like the Raw deal compilation, then this cheap sampler from the label has more of what you want.

Raheem Hershel

title:: Gotta Have the Pokey
label:: Crème Organization

Raheem Hershel is Danny Wolfers of Holland's The Hague. Danny records under many names, including Polarius, and most famously, Legowelt.

Gotta Have the Pokey is an 8 song EP with minimal instrumentation - drum machine beats, a Roland TB 303 bassline machine, and a synthesizer.

Mud

title:: Use Your Imagination
label:: Glam (Cherry Red)

Mud is an early 70s glam band who achieved success as one of the 'Chinichapp' bands, that is, bands performing songs written by Nicky Chin and Mike Chapmann. This same team wrote songs and controlled the careers of Suzi Quatro, Smokie and Sweet.

Use Your Imagination is the album they made after leaving the Chinichapp stable to feature self-penned songs. They had already started writing their own songs, but those songs never went further than B-sides of singles.

re:bird - the Electronicat remixes

various artists
label:: Angelika Kohlermann

Electronicat is a crazy Frenchmen with a love for guitars and electronic music. He has consistently put the two together in recent years for some remarkable electricore music.

Electronicat is given the remix treatment on RE: Bird - The Electronicat Remixes. Oddly enough, even though this album was released at the end of 2004 on Gerhard Potuznik's Angelika Koehlermann label, it actually consists of remixes of songs from the 2002 album Birds Want To Have Fun

Unclassics - selected by Morgan Geist

various artists
label:: Environ Records

Unclassics is a 10 song compilation that has some tracks with a 'Mutant Disco' sound and others with a chilled out version of instrumental dance music.

This compilation was put together by Morgan Geist - half of the NY duo Metro Area. Morgan also records under his own name, and runs Environ Records, home of such artists as the Kelley Polar Quartet. If you enjoy other stuff on Environ, this comp is a sure bet.