The Gray Field Recordings is one person, R.Loftiss. I think that she's from Oklahoma, but know no more. Anyway, this track is from a limited issue (123 copies!) CD-R called Hypnagogia...



The Gray Field Recordings - Passiflora

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There's been mention of several JapRock bands on here recently most of which have sprung from the aforementioned book. I've been promising to compile/upload the top 50 list so as a festive treat to keep you busy over the holiday season here it is. (If anyone has any of the missing albums please do upload them). I've also uploaded a mix of some of my favourite tracks from the top 50, i'll include a track listing for it in the comments.

http://rapidshare.com/files/78293433/JapRock_Sampler_Podcast.m4a.zip

= 1. Flower Travellin’ Band “Satori”

http://www.divshare.com/download/2660409-202

= 1. Speed, Glue & Shinki “Eve”

http://www.mediafire.com/?7mnz2ttvxyy

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Read the chapter on the late '60s Group Sounds explosion in Julian Cope's new book last night.
A lot of Group Sounds records are either sappy ballads or cheesy pop, but one exception was Yokohama's Golden Cups. By far the wildest of the GS bands, a lack of any mind-expanding drugs in Japan at that time meant that the Cups turned to sniffing glue and paint thinner to get high before putting their own unique spin on American garage punk. The insane version of 'Hey Joe' in particular absolutely reeks of Bostik...



The Golden Cups - 'Hiwa-Mata Noboru'

The Golden Cups - 'Hey Joe'

The Golden Cups - 'Got My Mojo Working'

The Golden Cups - 'LSD Blues'

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Picked this first Wings album up a few months ago in an Oxfam in Barnet. It's somewhat denigrated on allmusic.com, but I like it for its loose compositional style and the Basement Tapes-ey feeling of the recordings.

Download

Not sure if Jarin or anyone else has mentioned this lot yet but Circle are the new leaders of the NWOFHM (or New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal). Now I'm not too sure that this REALLY IS Heavy Metal.. actually i have no idea how to categorise this band...but when I saw them over a year ago the guy on the merch desk told me to expect Judas Priest doing Krautrock.
I guess that's as close as you could get to describing the live experience of Circle...they take a heavy riff, hone it to perfection by way of cyclical repetition, and then beat the shit out of you with it!
But anyway, this looks like it was a big sweaty bucket of fun!
They played on some converted ex-police/army bus thing and a very wise young lady called Kerry filmed it.
Thanks Kerry!

Saw the great new Scott Walker documentary, '30th Century Man' at the weekend. As well as marvelling at the footage of men punching sides of meat...



Scott Walker - 'The Old Man's Back Again'

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Been a while since I posted, but here's some super-catchy late '60s freakbeat for you. Kippington Lodge were Nick Lowe's first band...



Kippington Lodge - 'I Can See Her Face'

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I made this a while ago - as the name suggests - but have really enjoyed listening to these moderately-spooky songs that seem to bode well with this horrid weather.... turn down the lights and invoke the spirit of 1971.

Here.

I always wondered why Pat hadn't done another band after Wheels, now I know why!

Other than being an especially gruesome Shakespearean tragedy Titus Andronicus are also a new band out of Glen Rock, NJ. Their second seven inch just came out on Troubleman Unlimited so I'm sure they will be destined for greater things. Musically they harp back to the shoe-stompingly anthemic glory days of indie rock. Think of an incredibly noisy, ramshackle version of Guided By Voices or The Exploding Hearts and here you go:

Apart from some modern stuff and the Flower Travellin' Band, my knowledge of Japanese rock music was pretty limited. Anyway, I've been dipping in and out of Julian Cope's Japrocksampler over the last month or so and this is my pick of the things I've found.

http://massmirror.com/c21ddbc96e8d410725f510cdb7c771a2.html

It's called 'Heavier Than A Death In The Family' by Les Rallizes Denudes and it is as heavy as a death in the family and possibly as traumatic.

Here's some footage of one them hijacking a plane. Cool.

I went to see Battles the other night and after being split over their album, I was totally blown away with them live. Other bands must try harder. This is a full gig someone filmed...

Such an uplifting song that I needed to share this classic video of Jethro Tull playing Bouree on a football pitch.

Legendary Sonic Youth Peel Session from this week in October 1988. Despite the fact that Daydream Nation had just come out, they only played Fall covers - including a cover of The Fall covering The Kinks from the 'Frenz Experiment' album...



Sonic Youth - 'Rouche Rumble'

Sonic Youth - 'My New House'

Sonic Youth - 'Victoria'

Sonic Youth - 'Psycho Mafia'

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This is good little bit of TV. If only they still did these kind of shows.
Oh well....

Basically it's a "Learn to play the guitar" programme from '69 hosted by Laura Weber.
She's almost like one of the Golden Girls and would be perhaps too annoying to watch if it wasn't for the way that Fahey constantly gets one over on her with his sly wit.
As it goes along I can't help thinking that there's a bit of sexual tension as the "Tutor" (Laura) cannot help but be bowled over by the talent of the "Primitive" (Fahey).
Maybe it's just me who thinks that...
Have a little look...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4