THE ATHENIANS - Steppin' Out With The Athenians [UK Scotland r&b 1964-65] 2018 Wah Wah Records LPS216

 

The most popular and productive line-up of The Athenians beat group came together in Edinburgh in late 1963 and comprised Rick Alcorn (Bass), Ally Black (Guitar), Keith Henderson (Guitar), Arthur Mackey (Drums) and Ian Orr (Vocals). After a deep delve into the catalogues of Sue, Chess, Atlantic, Motown etc. a pretty sassy outfit became the exponents of some very acceptable R&B/ Rock. Having now acquired a fan club, a manager and a large following, the band were playing seven nights a week, two of these as residents of the famous Gamp Club, allegedly their second home.

Although only part-time, they were relishing their situation especially the attention coming from the student fraternity at Edinburgh University and soon they'd be performing with Manfred Mann, The Hollies, The Animals, The Pretty Things, Diana Dors (what?) and many, many more. The University connection was to introduce them to their first taste of recording as a request was made to cut a single to promote the Charity Appeal for that year. Entering Craighall Studios in early Feb. 1964 tracks 'You Tell Me/ Little Queenie' are produced and released in all their glory (It has now been confirmed by rock historians/pundits that this record is the first 7" Single to be released by a Scottish beat group).

The Athenians

AGAPE - The Problem Is Sin - Live And Unreleased [USA christian psychedelic rock 1973-1993] 1996 Hidden Vision Ac-3023

 

1996 release. "Official reissue plus five bonus tracks... Agape should be remembered as the first Christian hard rockers. A band well ahead of their time. This release captures the intensity of Agape's live performances as well as providing some unreleased studio tracks. The live cuts are taken from an 8-track release which was produced as a promotional item passed around to local radio stations. Only a handful of copies of this ultra-rare 8-track were ever circulated. One copy recently changed hands for $200. Since resurrecting this find we cleaned it up and digitized it as best as the technology allowed." "This 8-track only live recording from a California college gig in 1973 captures the band in just the right jammy guitar-psych mood you hoped for. Extended excursions on tracks from their studio LPs, plus a title track unique to this release; all of it certain to please any fan of westcoast Jesus psych-rock with a dose of Hendrix and keyboard prog/jazzrock. Raw recording with in-yer-face sound and an enthusiastic crowd."

Acid Archives

Agape 

SNEAKERS - Sneakers [USA pop, power pop 1976] 2015 Omnivore Recordings OVCD-151

 

Expanded reissue of 1976 indie-pop classic featuring future members of The dB’s and Let’s Active.

Sneakers

LONG ORME - Long Orme [France acid folk 1975] 2018 Wah Wah Records LPS208

 

Ultra rare, sought after French acid folk psychedelic masterpiece, Long Orme is the work of singer-guitarist-songwriter Yves Fajnberg, his girlfriend singer Anne Marie Butel plus a full cohort of musician friends. The LP was laid down to a 2 track Revox Reel To Reel recorder between late 1974 and early 1975 and originally released in 1975 by Sonart Disques to such a limited run that an original copy sells nowadays for no less than 400 euros.Together with Yves Chauvet, Fajnberg had worked on Dominique Droin’s Wave On LP issued by Le Kiosque d’Orphée, all done on a small home studio set by Chauvet. They used the same facilities, mainly two 2-track Revox reel-to-reel magnetophones and an 8-track mixer, to produce a delightful peace of poetry and acoustic guitar.

Long Orme

IGGY & THE STOOGES - Tribute To Ron Asheton [USA rock, punk, live 2011] 2013 MVD Visual MVD571D

 

This exclusive concert event feature Iggy and the Stooges playing songs from The Stooges, Fun House, and Raw Power, along with performances by Deniz Tek, Henry Rollins, and many more special guests. 

Ron

VVAA - Louisville in the 60s (The Lost Allen-Martin Tapes) [USA garage, psychedelic] 2019 Out-Siders OSR077

 

14 tracks from the Louisville late 60s/early 70s garage–psych scene.

These cuts (all of them previously unissued except for one originally released on a rare 45) were found in the archives of the city’s well known Allen–Martin Studio, after the owners retired and the place closed down.

Including some rather well known names such as The Rugbys, The Illusions, The Keyes and The Oxfords, as well as more obscure local heroes like Free Reign, The Premieres, Roc, Conception...Highlights include fabulous psych rockers by Rugbys and Oxfords; fuzzed out garage by Blues and Illusions; psychedelic hard–rock by Babylon and Free Reign; jangly teen beat by JB and The Young Wheels; killer psych covers of Beatles and Traffic by Keyes and Company Front, ...

Louisville

SLOW - Against The Glass [Canada, punk, garage, rock 1985] 2017 Artoffact Records AOF278CD

 

It is almost impossible to over-estimate the effect of Slow on Canadian music. Formed in the mid-80s in Vancouver, and releasing only one album and one 7" on Zulu Records, the band has consistently been called one of the most influential punk rock bands in Canada and forerunners of the Seattle grunge scene. Perhaps most infamously, Slow is also the band that brought Expo 86 to its knees.

Not bad for a band that recorded only eight songs.

Slow was formed by Thomas Anselmi, Christian Thorvaldson, Stephen Hamm, and Terry Russell. Ziggy Sigmund was added to the line-up soon after as a second guitarist. The band released the 7" I Broke the Circle in 1985, followed by Against the Glass in 1986, which featured the legendary "Have Not Been the Same," one of the most iconic songs in Canadian music history. The song's name was even taken as the name for the CanRock Encyclopedia, published by ECW Press.

Slow's brand of rock n roll and punk rock has not aged one bit: Anselmi's voice is monstrous, the guitars seriously rock n roll, and the drummer is all energy and destruction. Against the Glass is the kind of album that could only be delivered by a veteran act of 20 years---or a bunch of genius teenagers with not much better to do. Artoffact Records present the first-ever official reissue of Slow's only album, complete with both tracks from the first 7".

Slow