Tag Archives: 90′s

Gomez – We Haven’t Turned Around 12″ (1999) Vinyl Download!

 

This is the album that made me think I wanted to visit the UK. Well, not this actual 12″, but the LP that this 12 was derived from. I bought this 12″ a few years after I bought the original in high school. Sue me…joke’s on you, I’m broke.

For a split second it seems like a good idea, vising the Cream Isle. After all, Britannia rules the waves! Wait, can they really do that? Is their science so far ahead of ours? We can’t even clean oil, albeit millions upon trillions of gallons of oil, from our waves. Yet somehow they are able to force the foaming sea to bring millions of Britons breakfast in bed each and every morning. 

Rule, Britannia!

There really aren’t any perks to visiting England. It’s not like you can hang out for a week on one of their fabulous beaches. You can’t visit their quaint little alpine lodges. You can’t witness the splendor of untainted fauna roaming virgin countrysides. You can’t do none of that because none of that exists! 

And do you know why? It’s because the United Kingdom is just a bigger version of New Jersey. There are a lot of weird-looking white people living there with no other place to go. So, in protest of their shitty luck, they’ve been forming unholy missionary positions for the past millenium and producing terribly ugly babies. And those babies have been killing off any wildlife, African Swallows included, they could get within their single-barrel shotgun sights. England, Wales and Scotland aren’t the shallow end of the gene pool…they are the trash compactor. 

Instead of white trash they have "chavs".

But somehow this little island of misfit boy toys never fails to produce a steady stream of musical savants. And you know what, it kind of gives me the creeps. It’s not like these guys are being fostered in a culturally rich environment. The Beatles were from Liverpool, for Christ’s sake. 

With less than 900,000 “Liverpudlians” within the greater city limits, Liverpool is less populous than Cincinnati. The only thing that ever came out of Cincinnati was 27th President of the United States William Howard Taft. He was a president so terrible that Teddy Roosevelt came out of political retirement to form a new political party in an attempt to knock Taft, Roosevelt’s former Vice President, out of office. 

Nice pants, asshole.

So how, oh how, is it that this land mass crawling with cheeky monkeys keeps birthing killer bands? After listening to the song “Gomez In A Bucket (A Seaside Town Made Of Ice Cream, Slowly Melting)” I think I’ve found an answer both simple and mysterious. That, of course, is the little known existence of an unbelievably potent strain of Indian hash called “Symphalamajamjam”. 

Everyone thinks that Gandhi was the reason India gained independence from the British. Non-violence my ass. No, it was because all of the Maharajas running the Indian drug trade got together and said enough was enough; those British bastards had hampered their sweet cheeba trade for long enough. So, in a bid to rid their dominion of the buzzkill wankers, the head Maharaja met secretly with GeorgeVI to let him in on a little secret. 

This guy loved the doobage.

Boss Maharaja sais, “Look Georgey Boy, I don’t like you and you don’t like me,” he says. “You been floppin’ your stinky pikey feet all over my sweet subcontinental turf for too long. I want you gone and gone quick but I’m gonna make it real sweet for you, see?” 

Boss Maharaja leaned in real close to George VI. It looked as if he would kiss George on the brow, but he resisted. 

“This here Symphalamajamjam is gonna make all your people real good at the gee-tar. One toke and they will be just as good as the Beatles, maybe better.” 

“Why in the bloody hell would I want my subjects acting like insects, blub blub blub,” said a moistening Charles. 

“That’s not important, my man, that’s not important,” said Boss Maharaja. “What is important is that you take this little brick of sticky wicky home along with these seeds. Every street and alley in London will be like a god damn Gilbert and Sullivan convention. You dig?” 

“No, but your turban is very convincing.” 

And that’s how Gomez came to produce this 12″ in 1999.

Click here to download We Haven’t Turned Around and all the fixins’.

Tracklist

A1   We Haven’t Turned Around 6:30  
A2   Flight 3:30  
A3   Rosemary 4:51  
B1   We Haven’t Turned Around (X-Ray Version) 3:16  
B2   Gomez In A Bucket (A Seaside Town Made Of Ice Cream, Slowly Melting) 10:02  
B3   Emergency Surgery 2:18

 

 

  

 

Unwound – A Single History (1991-1997) Vinyl Download

 

When I entered the 7th grade I was only a baby.  I knew nothing of covert lunchtime dumpster smoking. Shit, it took me half of the year to figure out why everyone was posing so much; I didn’t see any cameras. I wore tight, pure white Levi’s Silvertab jeans the first day of school. My musical tastes consisted of listening to the 5-disc “Classical Music From Around The Globe” set that was part of my parent’s CD collection and every once in a while threw in Genesis’ We Can’t Dance when I was feeling really sassy. 

 

Eventually I picked up the mandatory mid-90′s punk and ska bands (NOFX, Operation Ivy, Pennwise, Bad Religion, etc.) that Cincinnati suburbanite youths clung to in the hopes of appearing cool. For a while I skirted with the concept of  hip; I could ollie over two stacked skateboards, I had JNCOs with 30 inch pipes (big enough to flip them upside down and wear them as a ridiculous skirt for comedic relief at family reunions), and I even carried a pocket knife to class. So tuff. 

Despite my greatest effortsI was always miles and miles away from true cool, figuratively and literally. The really cool kids were the ones doing heroine and listening to Unwound in some Seattle warehouse loft their older brother Crust rented out. They had piercings, real tattoos, real VD and were over Kurt Cobain even before Courtney blew his brains out. They were accomplishing real feats of cool 24/7 while I was trying to learn the lyrics to The Aquabats’ “Captain Hampton & The Midget Pirates” 3000 miles away in West Chester, OH. 

 

Before I picked this album up I had never heard Unwound. Not once in my entire life. I’ll admit I know nothing about the Post-Hardcore scene or even the regular Hardcore or curious Pre-Hardcore scene. I just don’t look good in black jeans. However, I feel like I should have heard about them at least once since this retrospective was released over 10 years ago. I mean I’ve been first mate on Black Bart’s MP3 Submarine for a while; from Napster to Bearshare to Limewire to modding a DC++ hub in college to my current venture as peddler of cheap vinyl smut. But I never heard Unwound. 

Well, after running multiple scenarios through my head about how this could be I finally came up with a solution: I simply wasn’t cool enough to pick up the Unwound wavelength. It was a long-lasting punishment for attempting to rock an undercut despite my superhuman cowlicks (I bore an uncanny resemblance to a Bighorn Sheep) 

You skate?

I’ve finally served my time for my crimes against style and now can be as angsty as I wanna be all throughout the twilight of my 20′s. I choose to do that by throwing on Unwound when I have houseguests over and saying, “Oh yeah I really got into this band in, like, the 5th or 6th grade. It kind of changed everything for me after I ran away. Kind of gave me a voice for all the shit I was going through. You’ve never heard of them? Wow, where are you from again?” 

 It’s going to be so awesome. 

<<Click here to download A Single History at 320 kbps from vinyl>>

 

  

 

DJ Shadow – Endtroducing (1996) Vinyl download

 

*download below* 

This is the album that shepherded me into the rolling knolls of Vinyl Hunters Valley. This is because it causes the most mysterious synaptic firings within my squishy grey matter. Makes my temples swell with a pleasing uneasiness. Causes mysterious pockets within my loins to quake and flutter. 

It's my HEAD, Schwartz, it's MY HEAD!

OK, so basically I have no idea what it does to me but I’m certain it transmits some sort of ultrasonic frequency that says, “GO ON EBAY AND BUY A TURNTABLE RIGHT NOW. NOT LATER, NOW. TURN OFF COPS, YOU’VE SEEN THIS EPISODE, GUY, BUY ONE NOW.” So I did and never looked back. 

Despite the fact that I love, love, love this album I’ve been avoiding reviewing it here because it’s difficult to capture the essence with letters. Most stereoponies love to saddle the “Trip Hop” label onto this album but that does it no justice whatsoever. That term conjures the visions of hippies listening to hip hop, smoking a big J and spouting, “whoa man this rap groove is, like, so trippy. It’s totally gnarring my buzz, man.” While this album will most likely multiply and sassify marijuana-induced intoxication it’s so unfair to tie it to pot culture. Endtroducing would never, EVER get caught dead in patchwork corduroy pants. 

Our youth are under attack.

Other bucking vinylbroncos like to describe  the album by mentioning Endtroducing’s ingredients: hip hop, jazz, psychedelia, movie dialogue, television show trialogue, percussion samples etc. However none of these phonocowboys can ever really capture this wild one.  True, you get a flavor of each along the winding train ride through British Columbia that is Endtroducing but it’s so much more than bits and pieces. It’s like describing your favorite pizza to a friend and saying, “Yeah man I had this awesome food today it was, like, a bit of tomato, flour, a touch of salt and some, like, I think cheese.” Those ingredients are all fine and good but separately they wouldn’t do an Adriatico’s Bearcat Pizza justice just like calling this album a fusion of genres is a crime. The sum is much greater than the parts. 

I think, maybe, this album is like watching the most beautiful little bubble you ever saw. You can watch it dance on the wings of an invisible wind but as soon as you try to capture the damn thing in your hands it’s gone. You’ve taken your dirty little paws and ruined such a magical, delicate thing. You should be ashamed of yourself. We were all having such a wonderful time watching that little orb. Next time chill out, stop trying to bottle it up and just behold its angelic splendor while the gettin’s good. 

"From listening to records I just knew what to do...mainly I taught myself. And you know I did pretty well...there were a few mistakes that I have just recently cleared up. I'd just like to continue to be able to express myself as best as I can. I feel like I have a lot of work to do still. I'm a student of the drums and I'm also a teacher of the drums too. And I would like to be able to continue to let what is inside of me, which comes from all of the music that I hear, I'd like for that to come out, and it's like it's not really me...the music's coming through me."

What’s truly incredible about Endtroducing is how it was composed. You have to remember that this was created in 1996 and if anyone even had a laptop it could maybe hold a gigabyte of files, if you were lucky and rich. In addition, music manipulation software like AudioMulch or Adobe Audition hadn’t been invented yet. So, Shadow had to use an Akai MPC-60 music sampler/beat machine to cut, splice, and melt his tracks together. If you then take into consideration exactly how much trial and error of listening to thousands of big vinyl discs it took to find the necessary sounds for the album it becomes evident that either a miracle was performed in the making of Endtroducing or Shadow’s some sort of DJ genius. I prefer to believe the latter, especially after taking watching the following video. 

 

So if you haven’t heard this album, regardless of what music you’re into, you need to get in the boat and get your float on. If you’re a fan you can always use a higher quality rip. And, if you really want to get deep, pick up the vinyl and take a voyage into the continental divide…of your mind!!!! 

Click here to download Endtroducing

Kris Kross – I Missed The Bus 12″(1992) vinyl

*download below*

Kris Kross is one of the greatest gimmick groups of all time. Better than Insane Clown Posse, better than The Aquabats, better than The Monkees even. Kris Kross, those loveable puppets of Jermaine Durpi, didn’t have to be creative with their gimmick. They just turned their clothes around. That’s it. Clothes turned around. Poof, famous.

I remember when kids would turn their pants around in 3rd grade after recess and pretend they were the super duo. It seemed so cool at the time but thinking back it was nearly impossible to walk and the zipper was on your butt. Yes think about that…the zipper was over your butt. What was Jermaine Dupri trying to tell us regarding his wunderkinds? I think the following picture sums it up nicely.

Black Dracula: So boyz, ya’ll mean ya’llz zipper is right over ya’llz butt cracks?

Kris Kross: Yes Black Dracula.

Black Dracula: Dat, my boyz, iz X-QUISITE!

Kris Kross: JUMP JUMP!

8)

Click here to download I Missed The Bus

8)

A1   I Missed The Bus (Backwards To School Mix) 4:00  
A2   I Missed The Bus (School Krossing Mix) 2:56  
  Mixed By – Phil Nicolo
Producer – Andy “Funky Drummer” Kravitz* , Joe “The Butcher” Nicolo , Phil Nicolo
B1   I Missed The Bus (LP Version) 2:59  
  Backing Vocals – Eddie Weathers , Jermaine Dupri
B2   I Missed The Bus (Instrumental) 3:00  

Daft Punk – Around The World (Virgin Records America Promotional 12″) 1996 vinyl

*download below*

In 8th grade Daft Punk hit the scene and turned my world upside down.  At the time  I was wading in a sea of shitty punk and ska bands at Hopewell Junior School; just barely keeping my head above the turdy foam threateninig to extinguish my angsty being.

Suddenly a lifeboat emerged on the horizon in the shape of Michel Gondry’s stupidly simple yet fantastically brilliant video for Around The World:

My 13-year-old “brain” didn’t know what I was seeing but loved it. The song and the video were such an enigma–how could such basic elements of sight and sound evoke this potent feeling of digital empowerment from deep within my pubescent belly?  I didn’t know then and to be honest I still don’t know now.  But it still gets my ass shake shake shakin none the less.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Tracklist

1. Around The World (Tee’s Frozen Sun Mix)

2. Around The World (I:Cube Remix)

3. Around The World (Album Version)

4. Around The World (Motorbass Vice Mix)

Voivod – The Lost Machine 12″ clear vinyl (1993)

*download below*

This musical brew usually ain’t my cup of tea.  However, I know that the folks that dig this sort of thing particularly love rare releases.  So here you go, if you like Voivod or prog rock/thrash metal dig in.  I will say that the second track “Jack Luminous”, which clocks in at a staggering 17 minutes und 26 seconds, is by leaps and bounds and fox and hounds my favorite of the two.  Of course, this will be your favorite as well.

From what I’ve gathered this 12″ was released during a the band’s transition period when they were claymating their 80s metal days sound with the more progressive/alternative vibe that buttblasted the scene in the early 90s.  But I could be completely wrong: if there’s one thing I don’t really care to understand its genres or who begat who.

Maybe that makes me musically retarded.  Well, baby, if I’m retarded I don’t want to be bright.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM TO MP3

Danny Tenaglia – Tourism (1998) vinyl

*download below*

“I’m your DJ and I’m going to take you on a tour of a 12 inch.  Yes, a 12 inch.”

Here’s another treat from Sneadles from LAser.  This monster four disc dance, trance, grab-a-man-wherever-you-want-electronic album might go down as the most unapologetic ass-shaking club vinyl collection for the ages.  Imagine yourself in a huge, dark club surrounded by pulsing strobes, dripping bodz, and the smell of lovesweat everywhere.  This is what’s playing in that club–now and forever.  Don’t fight the feeling cuz it’s already done.

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DJ Magic Mike & Vicious Base – It’s Automatic (1991) vinyl

vicious base

*download below*

This is one the diamonds in the rough that I picked up from WMSR, Miami’s University’s student radio station, right before they liquidated their entire inventory of vinyl.  What initially caught my attention was the totally badass cover.  I mean just look at it.

Look at those two pimps standing triumphantly on stage with the most insanely large speaker setup ever convieved.  I mean the stacks are actually set up on top of a huge subwoofer–the turntables are magically impervious to the subsonic bass pounding the writhing all-sexy-lady audience.

And just look at those buxom beauties, just crawling their way up to the crotchal regions of Magic Mike and Crew.  How can they resist their midnight black leather suits and lustrous 24k gold chains?  I know if I was there I probably wouldn’t be able to either.

Oh, and there’s a bitchin’ primary colored light stack.  Epic.

The album is pretty much what you’d expect from the cover–kinda in the vein of 69 Boyz’ eternal classic “Tootsie Roll” but also packin’ a sock full of quarters just in case shit gets real.

To fully enjoy this album I highly recommend that you listen with nothing less than 12 inch woofers driven by, at the absolute minimum, 100 watts each.  The bass, or BASE in Magic Country, is the real reason peep this.  It’s a nonstop onslaught of  sub 50hz pummeling that has to be felt to be appreciated.  It’s the kind of bass that just makes you want to rollerskate frontwards, backwards, and all crosslegged in an eternal thump- in-the-trunk driven loop of euphoria.

Check this shit out here: www.mediafire.com/download.php?mzyjmhnxzdm

1. It’s Automatic (Club Mix)
2. It’s Automatic (Radio Edit)
3. Magic Mike Will Load the 12 & Hit Ya!
4. Back to Haunt You