Oriphiel

Welcome to the garage, where the music is loud, the go go boots are stomping, the pictures are occasionally obscenely large (though never off the screen, i'm not a monster), left randomly becomes right, and everything is stark! This is a haven for the strange and obscure, throughout all the ages (though particularly from the Psychadelic 60's). So if you have any super-freaky vintage songs in your library that you're just itching to recommend to someone, you now have a place to let your hair down and let loose. Recommend to your hearts desire! And if you're here simply to listen to music, I hope you have a fun voyage into the garage!

*Now with 30% more fuzz guitars!*

The Story So Far...

Albums Examined - 34
Favorite Album - "Girlsville" by Thee Headcoatees!
Favorite Song - Guys: Los Dug Dugs - "No Te Astuses, Es Solo Vivre" / Gals: The Pandoras - "That's Your Way Out"
Least Favorite Song - Guys/Gals: Kim Fowley/Althea and the Memories - "Worst Record Ever Made"
Weirdest Song - Guys: The Elastik Band - "Spazz" / Gals: She - "Hey You"
Most Embarrassing Mistake - I swear, I'll add the songs that I missed on Ultra Girls one of these days!

Album Index...

Garage Rock:
Girls in the Garage Vol 1 (CD) - Page 1
Friday at the Hideout (CD/LP) - Page 1
Ultra Chicks (CD) - Page 1
Here Are The Sonics! (LP) - The Sonics - (CD/LP) - Page 1
It's About Time (LP) - The Pandoras - Page 2
Pebbles Vol 1 (LP) - Page 2
Girls in the Garage Vol 2 (CD) - Page 2
She Wants a Piece of You (CD) - She - Page 2
Gloria (LP) - The Shadows of Knight - Page 3
Los Nuggetz (CD) - Pages 3 - 4
From Nowhere (LP) - The Troggs - Page 3
Drop Out With The Barracudas (LP) - The Barracudas - Page 4
Midnight Ride (LP/CD) - Paul Revere and the Raiders - Page 4
My First Holly Golightly Album (CD) - Holly Golightly - Page 5
It's Bad For You, But Buy It! (CD) - The Ace of Cups - Page 6
Headcoats Down (LP/CD) - Thee Headcoats - Page 7
Girlsville (LP/CD) - Thee Headcoatees - Page 7
Girls in the Garage Part 3 (CD) - Page 8
Pebbles Volume 2 (LP) - Page 8
Back From the Grave (LP) - Page 8

Rockabilly/Psychobilly:
Here's Little Richard (LP/CD) - Little Richard - Page 5
On Tar Beach (LP/CD) - The Deadbeats - Page 6

Punk/Post-Punk:
The Story So Far (LP) - The Mo-Dettes - Page 5
The Muffs (CD) - The Muffs - Page 6
Nikki and the Corvettes (LP/CD) - Nikki and the Corvettes - Page 7
Les Hell on Heels (CD) - Les Hell on Heels - Page 8

EP Madness!
Teen City (EP) - The Modernettes - Page 5
Bangles (EP) - The Bangles - Page 5
I'm Here, I'm Gone (EP) - The Pandoras - Page 5
Twist and Shout (EP) - The Beatles - Page 5
Gravest Hits (EP) - The Cramps - Page 7
Kleenex (EP) - Kleenex/Liliput - Page 7
Sir Psycho (EP) - The Sharks - Page 8
Cold Wars (EP) - The Rezilos - Page 8

Singles Mixer!
Sweet and Tender Romance - The McKinleys - Page 6
Bird Doggin' - Gene Vincent - Page 6
About My Baby - The Pandoras - Page 6
Walk - The Pandas - Page 6
Gloria - Los Rockin' Devils - Page 6
Willie Joe - The Mystery Trio - Page 6
Move - State of Mind - Page 6
I Fought the Law - The Cans - Page 9
Waitin' for my Girl - The Silvertones - Page 9 from outer space!
Good Connection - Five by Five - Page 9

Mystery Shots!
On Top of Things - The Chains - Page 6
Underground Oldies Volume 7 - Page 6
Songs For a Future Generation - The B-52's - Page 6
Koffin Kats - The Koffin Kats - Page 6
Sweetheart of the Sun - The Bangles - Page 6

Other:
The LHI Years (LP/CD) - Lee Hazlewood - Page 3
Honey Ltd. (LP) - Honey Ltd. - Page 3
Chariot Rising (CD/LP) - Dantalian's Chariot - Page 4
Stray (LP) - Stray - Page 7
Four Sides of Melanie (LP/CD) - Melanie Safka - Page 9
Airconditioning (LP/CD) - Curved Air - Page 10

Hey! I love Garage Rock from the 1960's, and I also love to talk about it, so I decided to put those two loves together into the super-love (that sounds like a Funk album) that is this journal. Feel free to read, or not, I'm fine with basically talking to myself until I forget about this journal and then stumble upon it years later leading to a good laugh. So, I guess I may as well start. Here's "Girls in the Garage", a fantastic compilation. It is a little hard to find, and when it pops up it's a bit pricey, but the entirety of it has been uploaded to youtube by those die-hard bootleggers who made this compilation possible in the first place. It's a little long, so I'll split it into two parts. Well, here we go...

Girls in the Garage: Volume One



Part One

A CD reissue/compilation of the first two records in the "Girls in the Garage" series, with a slight change-up of the songs. Really, this is the CD that cemented my love for Garage Rock, even if it is a bit rough and obscure... Anyway, this series has a strange history. Released by Romulan, it apparently was based off of old bootlegs and mystery mix tapes that were passed around, and kept the Garage Rock bands in this compilation alive with a sort of cult following.

1. Denise & Co. - "Take Me As I Am" - A really wild track about a girl who makes it clear that she can take her man, or leave him. Apparently, nobody actually knows who "Denise and Company" were, only that their song was passed around on tapes with their band's name scrawled on the label. This is definitely the angriest song of the bunch, and the singer's voice has a nice grit to it, adding that kind of rough blues/rock authenticity to the sound. Addendum: The Denise from this song has been identified as Denise Kaufman from the Garage Rock band The Ace of Cups! This song is a demo for their 45 "Boy, What'll You Do Then".

2. The Puppets - "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" - I believe this is a cover of a song by an all-male band, which is a nice twist. Kind of a turning of the tables. The harmonies work, and the band seems skilled enough with their instruments, although there is that trademark done-in-one-take feeling of Garage Rock (everything is just a little weird, a little "off", from the harmonies to the keyboard solo, leaving a solid yet unrefined sound).

3. The Models - "Bend Me, Shape Me" - Made famous by the sometimes garage rockers The American Breed, of Dunwich/Atco, The Models performed this song first, coming even before The Outsiders. This is a weird song that sounds distant, echo-y, maybe because of the poor quality of the master it was lifted from. Still, the harmonies work well, particularly in the second half of the song. Oh, as an aside, apparently The Models actually were models in real life. And the song ends with some strange proto-Techno noises, possibly just feedback added in for kicks.

4. The Chymes - "He's Not There Anymore" - Man, The Chymes are just the happiest Garage band you'll ever hear. I love how the Garage scene didn't just have raw-as-hell rockers, it also had clean pop-rock to balance things out. Anyway, happy as they were, The Chymes struggled to survive alongside every other band of the scene. This song isn't that raw, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me that it managed to chart well in it's time. Clean harmonies, a catchy tune, teen heart-break drama, it had all of the staples of the sixties.



5. The Bittersweets - "Hurtin' Kind" - A very classy take on the Tulu Babies' (or Baskerville Hound? I'm not sure why their name changed) minor hit. I highly recommend this song, as it's the one that tends to resonate most with people when I loan them this CD. Mastering the raw minimalism of Garage Rock, The Bittersweets really made something fun and timeless with this song. It may not be the roughest or the sweetest of the bunch, but it just has something in the way of impact that the original lacked. Also, there's a picture of the band all riding on a motorcycle floating around out there, which I find really funny for some reason... (I found it! Check out my avatar!)

6. The ID - "Them Ever-Lovin Baby Blues" - Imagine a girl pop band doing a sloppy-as-hell blues song, and you've got the gist of this one. This is one weird and rough song that people generally don't like, or are just unimpressed with. I can understand that. I personally get a kick out of it, especially by just how lazy the band seems with their playing, like they don't care at all. Addendum: I recently heard a rumor that "The ID" was actually the band "She/The Hairem". I personally don't think it sounds like them, but considering how weird and playful they could be, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the rumor ended up being true.

7. The Belles - "Come Back" - Love that bass driven intro, with the tambourine in the background! This song is really fun, and shakes up it's simplicity by having a complete change of tune and tone in the middle, but it quickly goes back to the core sound. Kind of has a bit of a Merseybeat/Liverbirds feeling to it, doesn't it?

8. The Belles - "Melvin" - Melvin! I don't even know where to begin with this one... It's like a roughed up, psyched out version of "Gloria" by the band Them, only played by an all-girl band. Everyone loves this song in a cult-classic type way, just for the fun and strange nature of it. The Pandoras did a cover of this one for "Bomp! Records" if you'd prefer to hear an even rougher version of it. As an addendum, I originally wrote that The Doors played "Gloria" first, which was dead wrong! It was made by the band "Them", and later covered to great success by "The Shadows of Knight".

9. Luv'd Ones - "Up Down Sue" - Yeah, The Luv'd Ones! The leading ladies of Dunwich Records! This is probably their most Psychadelic song, probably influenced most by front-lady Char Vinnedge who loved the Hendrix guitar style, even though she really keeps it simple on this track. With stark and resonating Fuzz guitar work, this song should hit any fans of the early Psych-Sound right in the feelers. The singing is pretty good, but Char was definitely no power-vocalist.


The Luv'd Ones

10. Kim and Grim - "You Don't Love Me" - A Merseybeat-esque take on the bar band classic. This version is light and bouncy, staying fun and simple (if a bit unexciting) throughout.

11. Lydia Marcell - "The Girl He Needs" - I didn't think much of this track at first, but people seem to respond well to it. I've listened to it a few more times, and it really isn't bad. Kind of simple, but the vocals are pretty good.

12. The Continental Co-ets - "Melody of Junk" - A great band with that knack for surf-rock that mid-west bands seemed to inexplicably have. This isn't my favorite track of theirs, being kind of simple and a little too sloppy (if that's even possible in Garage Rock) for my tastes. They constantly stop the song to insert what are essentially guitar fingering practices, like the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", which is both fun and funny, but kind of kills the speed and edge of the song.

13. The Beatle-ettes - "Only Seventeen" - A hilarious song that mashes up various Beatles songs, presumably sung from the point of view of the seventeen year old from "I Saw Her Standing There". This gal wants to hold your hand, and loves you ("Yeah, yeah, yeah!"). That being said, it's a really fun song that isn't horrible! I promise!

14. Althea and the Memories - "Worst Record Ever Made" - And we end this half of the CD on a low note. Thanks to music producer and big-shot Kim Fowley, we have this weird and kind of annoying improve ramble. Basically, this is just Kim talking into a microphone about random stuff, while some people lightly play a "Louie, Louie"-esque tune in the background, and a group of school girls that Kim apparently brought in from the street laugh and chatter away. Avant Garde artwork, or annoying pretentious junk that doesn't belong here because it isn't Garage Rock, and wasn't made by an all-girl or girl-vocalist band? You decide. Fun fact: Kim Fowley later went on to produce, manage and mastermind The Runaways, of Joan Jett fame. Addendum: You know, after thinking about it, I was a bit harsh on this one. It isn't horrible, and you can hear a definite sound that influenced many bands to come, such as The B-52's. And what would the world be like without The B-52's?! Love shack, baby love shack...

Oriphiel

Part Two

15. The Blue Orchids - "Oo Chang-A-Lang" - An infectiously cheery song about a girl who wants to be an adult, so she can start having fun. The most prominent part of the song is the tambourine work for which the chorus and song are named. The vocals are loud and sharp, and kind of hit you with that analogue-fuzz that feels like they're drilling into your ears. Normally it would kind of hurt, but it adds a really cool dirty contrast to an otherwise clean pop song.

16. The Girls - "Chico's Girl" - Feels like something ripped out of "Grease". It's a really simple, playful song that comes off as a bit childish and goofy at times. I really like the harmony that comes in after the first chorus ("Cause i'm Chico's girl!"), as it helps add some depth to the piece.

17. The Ladybugs - "How Do You Do It?" - Covering the Merseybeat classic made famous by "Gerry and the Pacemakers", The Ladybugs actually do a pretty awesome job. A little dirty, a little clean, the pop sound betrays the solid guitar work that culminates in a cool (but short) distorted solo. Honestly, I like this version better than the original!


The Ladybugs!

18. The Bootles - "I'll Let You Hold My Hand" - Yup, another all-girl band in love with The Beatles. Can you blame them? This number is actually very catchy (You'll probably find yourself humming it from time to time), but the low production value gives the harmonies that analogue-drill sound that I mentioned earlier. In this case, the drilling doesn't work as well. But overall, it's still a fun song that I wouldn't mind hearing someone cover in the future.

19. The Termites - "Tell Me" - I never thought someone could do a song better than "The Rolling Stones", as they always seemed to know just how to play a song to get a rise out of the audience. But I always thought their 45 "Tell Me" was strangely weak and lifeless. The Termites give it a go, and it just has the perfect amount of pop and attitude. Give it a shot, you might end up liking it as well.

20. The Sanshers - "Gonna Git That Man" - Heh. I'd forgotten about this song, until I saw it on the tracklist once again. It's very fun, especially the intro, but also very strange. Two ladies take turns singing the chorus, one with a clean voice, and one with an over-the-top dirty voice. You can't really love it or hate it, you can only stand in stark awe of it's bravado.

21. The Whyte Boots - "Nightmare" - I've always thought this song would work well in a B-movie. A little bit of rock, a touch of Motown soul and class, mixed with a crime drama story about a girl who kills her rival in affections for the man she loves. And of course, a whole lotta fun and camp. This song is really great for getting raised eyebrows and smiles from people!

22. Lyn and the Invaders - "Boy Is Gone" - Imagine a classy singer from the golden age of vocals stuck in a psychadelic land of fuzz guitars and electric organs, and you get the gist of this piece. I really like this one, simply because the smooth vocals work so very well in contrast with the gritty production values. It all adds up to a strangely haunting and compelling song that I highly recommend you listen to.


Lyn and her Invaders!

23. The Chymes - "Quite a Reputation" - My personal favorite of The Chymes, this one is just so happy and bouncy, it's in a world of it's own (surf-pop-rock?). It's always great fun when you've got a mix of Garage Rock, and you're listening to something really gritty, and then this one comes on after! Anyway, The Chymes as always bring their harmonies and clean playing to the fold, standing out as a particularly skilled act in the underground scene of the 1960's.

24. The Daughters of Eve - "Don't Waste My Time" - A vocal driven song, the surprisingly solid instrument work takes a back seat until it comes forward later in the song. This is another number where I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me it had charted in the mid-1960's.

25. The Continental Co-ets - "I Don't Love You No More" - The first all-girl Garage Rock song I'd ever heard, this track is actually the main reason I tracked down this CD, and got into Garage Rock in the first place. Later on, I heard The Sonics and was completely hooked. Anyway, this is by far the more interesting of their two offerings on this compilation, having very solid playing and vocal work. This track is in the similar vein of surf-rock, but everything just comes together so brilliantly. The Vocals, the harmonies, the heart-beat drumming, the slick surf-guitar work, it all just blends together perfectly. Whenever people dismiss "Surf Rock" as a pseudo-genre that was created to describe Dick Dale and Beach Boys rip-off bands, I play (among other tracks) this song for them. It really has a great amount of depth to it.


The Continental Co-ets

26. The Chimes of Freedom - "Jungle Rock" - Man, this song is strange. A group of girls scream, and sing about how animals in the jungle like to dance to rock 'n roll music. At first, I thought it was one of the more simple and weak tracks of the bunch, but man does that guitar solo sound cool.

27. The Starlets - "You Don't Love Me" - And here we end the final half of the compilation on a very high note! This track, the second of two covers of the same song, is just so raw that you have to love it. The vocals are clean and classy, but the slamming drums and wall of fuzz guitar work are just the perfect compliment. Unfortunately, the song lacks a guitar solo, although it does have a cool but very short break. It's like Gladys Knight decided to jam with the Shadows of Knight, and it's perfect!

Well, that's all there is to it. I hope you all enjoyed this compilation as much as I did! Overall, I would say that while this isn't quite a "must own" CD for the general music listener, it's definitely required listening for fans of Garage Rock (and fans of modern indie music seem to like it quite a bit as well). If you can find it for a reasonable amount of money, don't hesitate to nab it!

Oriphiel

Alright. It's that time again. I'm bored, and ready to rock in the garage. So here's another compilation, this time a true-blue classic. I'll be looking at the CD reissue, though you can find the original and reissued vinyl out there if you look hard enough.

Friday at the Hideout



The Hideout was a club in Detroit during it's musical apex, the 1960's, when garage rockers roamed the streets, and Motown Records began to impact the world of music with hit after hit. Of course, being a dance hall, The Hideout became infamous for hosting the most fun and exciting live acts around, focusing on a rock 'n roll atmosphere. During the height of The Hideout's fame, they cut a record compiling some of their current class acts, and that record became the cult classic "Friday at the Hideout". Not only did this album serve as a gateway to the world of Garage Rock for many curious vinyl collectors that found it in thrift shops and antique stores, it also helped to start the musical careers of people such as Bob Seger, Glenn Frey and Suzi Quatro back in the day. So, without further ado, let's get started...

1. The Underdogs - "Friday at the Hideout" - The signature song of The Hideout, as well as the song for which this album is named, it was apparently penned by the owner of the club. With a solid and quick drum beat, this track dares you to get up and dance! It's surely a fun song, but I think the echo effect on the singer's voice is a bit out of place; I wonder if the song would have benefited from it's removal.

2. Doug Brown and the Omens - "Thank Goodness It's Friday" - Right off the bat, the drums hit hard! A steady rocker with signs of the early funk sound. The singer is very talented, but I think he and the keyboardist kind of overdo it with this one.

3. Four of Us - "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" - Nice harmonic 1960's pop rock, the weakest part of this song is it's uneventful nature. It just doesn't stand out when compared to other pop-rock songs of the era, and seems out of place between tracks two and four, though I suppose it serves the purpose of alternating the mood between soft and heavy.

4. The Pleasure Seekers - "What a Way to Die" - One of the wildest songs put out by an all-girl garage band back in the day! Rough, heavy, and punctuated with awesome shouts and screams, this track is about a lady who gets crazy when she drinks, and is sure to please the rocker in you! As a fun bit of trivia, the lead singer of this song is Suzi Quatro, who went on to top the English music charts.


The Pleasure Seekers!

5. The Underdogs - "Don't Pretend" - With the classic go-go drum beat, paired with an electric organ and vocal harmonics, you really can't go wrong. Still, this song sounds a bit bare when compared to some of The Underdog's other tracks. Also, rather than have a fairly clean song punctuated with a fuzzy solo which was pretty much the norm back then, this song opts to do the opposite, being very fuzzy throughout with a clean and un-distorted solo.

6. T.R. and the Yardsmen - "I Tried" - Honestly, this song raises the bar for the others. It isn't perfect, but it just has a way of staying interesting and fresh throughout. With a fun vocal part (backed up with kind of sloppy harmonics during the chorus), a driving drum beat, and a tempo change, they really manage to mix things up. The guitar solo works well with a bit of a Rockabilly sound to it, and it's followed by a nice keyboard solo. This is one of those songs that has that done-in-one-take sound to it, being perfectly imperfect.

7. The Underdogs - "The Man in the Glass" - The Underdogs return again, this time playing a song about the introspection one has when they look into the mirror. It's a little more exciting and engaging than their last track, and has a fun vocal break at the end.

8. The Henchmen - "Livin'" - Based around a short but sweet guitar riff (like so many songs from the era), this track is an effective rocker. The solo is particularly fun, having a drum break and scream just before it, and it's not hard to find yourself dancing or playing an air guitar during it. The singer is good, but I think they were a bit out of their element in a Garage song.

9. Doug Brown and the Omens - "Youth and Experience" - Here come the Omens again, with their early funk-rock sound. Honestly, their singer reminds me of funk/prog vocalists from the 1970's. This song (Which has a tambourine! Hooray!) is about a man who is young, and can do anything he wants, including running for U.S. Senate (I think it's about an actual person. Bob Griffin?). It's a good song, if a bit tacky for it's advertising nature. "Get out and vote for 'em! He's what Michigan needs!" Taking a page out of Tommy James' book, eh?


Doug Brown and the Omens

10. The Underdogs - "Get Down on your Knees" - By far the most exciting track by The Underdogs, this song was apparently co-written by Bob Seger, who played/produced/wrote a whole mess of music for The Hideout. It does everything a good rocker should, including making you want to get up and dance! The intro, featuring a guitar riff alongside the keyboard, reminds me of early Heavy Bands like Deep Purple. Anyway, this track is about a man who wants the woman who dumped him to apologize before he'll come back, and has no other connotations whatsoever.

11. The Pleasure Seekers - "Never Thought You'd Leave Me" - Kind of a surf-pop song about the heartbreak of a bad breakup. Though fun and solid, it lacks the energy of The Pleasure Seeker's previous offering. Still, this one is more smooth, and should appeal to lovers of 1960's pop-rock.

12. Four of Us - "You're Gonna Be Mine" - Any song that starts with the "Wipeout" drum roll is alright in my book! This one sounds like what would happen if Brian Wilson got drunk and recorded a sappy song about a man who pursues the woman who rejected him. I'll let you take that as you will.



13. The Underdogs - "Little Girl" - Right off the bat, this one hits you with a haunted house-esque organ number. Obviously going for the slower/haunting feel, this one sounds like something out of a cheesy drive-in flick about surfin'. The singer is backed up during the chorus by a Beach Boy-esque high octave vocalist, and it works fairly well.

14. Torquays - "Shake a Tail Feather" - With a tambourine, an electric organ, rolling drums and guitar work, as well as a scream here and there, you've got all the tools of the trade here. The guitar break leads into a short harmony, ala "Twist and Shout". Although it doesn't stand out too much, I actually really like this one!

15. Henchmen - "Please Tell Me" - Similar to track 13, this is another slow track that goes for a haunting impact rather than a high speed energy. Probably worked well as a nice cool down song, to give the audience a chance to slow-dance with their partners.

16. Mushrooms - "Burned" - Another track that Seger had a hand in (he wrote it), it certainly has a definitive sound to it. Personally, I think it sounds a bit like an early Rolling Stones or Beatles number. It has that beat music mixed with rock 'n roll feeling to it. Anyway, this number is a nice change of pace, being fast yet light.

17. The Underdogs - "Surprise Surprise" - Their last song on the album, The Underdogs sound positively like the Shadows of Knight on this one, not to mention that the singer has a definite Mick Jagger influence to his voice. This one is very simple instrument-wise, being driven along almost solely by the vocals and drums.


The Underdogs

18. Four of Us - "Baby Blue" - My least favorite track of the album. While it isn't horrible, it simply just doesn't work right. The vocals and harmonies are too echo-y and don't mix well, and the basic tune doesn't stand out as particularly interesting. After saying that this may come off as an insult, but this sounds like it was originally a Rolling Stones number. It has that feeling to it. Anyway, this number just sounds like an uninspired cover, even if it is an original.

19 - Four of Us - "Batman" - Obviously a tribute to the Adam West era of Batman, this is a groovy instrumental in the surf rock tradition of twangy guitars and no vocals (reminds me of The Ventures). It's short but sweet, although there isn't anything very remarkable about it.

20 - Doug Brown and the Omens - "Norwest Lounge Radio Spot" - Another funky advertisement song by The Omens, this one sounds a bit like an early Motown number. I have nothing good or bad to say about this one! It simply is what it is!

21 - The Fugitives - "Friday at the Hideout" - And you're played out with the same song the album introduced itself with, this time by the first band to play The Hideout, The Fugitives. This number is a fun and raw live track (complete with the voices of the audience). It isn't musically extraordinary, but is amazing in that you can close your eyes and imagine being at The Hideout! This is a case of a song being wonderful simply for the ambiance and the feeling it provides.


A homemade album created by The Fugitives and Dave Leone, the owner of The Hideout

Alright! So, what did you think? Not only is this a fun compilation for Garage Rock fans, it's also of historic significance, being a snapshot of the wild 1960's Detroit scene. This is a classic album, and you're certain to like at least one track off of it. However, the main weakness of the album is the lack of variety. With almost every band having multiple tracks (especially The Underdogs having six), and a lack of exposure for underground bands of other genres, it isn't quite as exciting as it could have been. Still, give this one a spin if you ever get the chance!

Trollheart

I never expected to see the name Bob Seger in a journal about garage rock: certainly got my attention. Great review, and for anyone who was around at the time in Detroit I'm sure you've brought back some great memories.

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Oriphiel

Yeah, I hope so! Apparently a lot of great musicians played at The Hideout in their early days (I myself was surprised to learn that a young Ted Nugent played there).

Oriphiel

Come with me now, my non-existent audience, on a journey to a far-away world of mystique and wonder. To the land of...

Ultra Chicks: Filles in the Garage! Volume 1



The underground scene of 1960's French all-girls bands? My, that's oddly specific. Well, let's get into it!

1. Claire Dixon - "On m'appelle petit bout de chou" - Nice! Very catchy! Almost sounds like a Beatles song as covered by a French pop-rock band. It has that Merseybeat (as well as Rockabilly/Doowop to be honest) habit of matching the bass drum to the bass guitar for a heavy and bouncy backbeat. This is a great start for the album, and i'm surprised by how much I like it! Now it's stuck in my head...


Claire Dixon, I presume!

2. Liz Brady - "Bas les pattes" - I can't tell if this is Garage Rock or Garage Jazz/Swing... Either way, it's awesome! Really fun, especially with the fuzz guitar flairs that pop in during the chorus. I usually dislike songs with such an emphasis on horns, but the singer makes it work really well. Man, this album is really great so far!

3. Christine Pilzer - "Ah-hem-ho-uh-errr..." - Ah, time for the obligatory Psychadelic-flavored song. This one is kind of strange, but I guess that's the whole point. Anyway, gotta love the awesome music that happens after the chorus, with the great beat and the fuzz guitars! A really lively track!

4. Cleo - "Les Fauves" - Time for the slower song in the album, a change of pace that I usually don't like, but this time it works really well. Pretty catchy, with a simple beat and a talented vocalist. Not bad at all. Also, I think this is one of the shorter songs of the bunch.

5. Laura Ulmer - "Amoureux d'une affiche" - Alright, I think this is officially the most up-beat song I've ever heard. It's like happiness made into music! I kind of love it, but also am kind of inexplicably getting a tooth ache from it. A very fun song, and like the others it's incredibly catchy.


Laura Ulmer and company

6. Christie Laume - "Rouge Rouge" - Not bad, the beat almost sounds like something right at home in the repetoire of a male-garage band back in the states. But it's also kind of awkward, especially the chorus and the following male harmony. Just seems a little strained. Really could have used something in the middle to spice things up, like a tempo change or solo.

7. Charlotte Leslie - "Les Filles C'est Fait Pour Faire L'amour" - An awesome rocker that sounds like the theme song of a TV show about French Mods! Fast and supplemented by a fuzz guitar alongside a beat-style drummer, you really can't go wrong with this one. The slow-down with the bongo solo in the middle was a nice change of pace, and the singer has a great rock 'n roll voice!


Charlotte Leslie

8. Alice Dona - "C'est Pas Prudent" - A groovy crawler with generous amounts of keyboard work. Not bad, but also a bit stark when compared to the previous songs. Still, it's a fun change of pace, and kind of reminds me of a bar/club in one of those cheesy black-and-white drive-in horror movies.

9. Chantal Goya - "Il Court Les Filles" - A really cool song with an odd tone to it. Again, the addition of a deep-voiced male back-up singer is kind of awkward and annoying. I really think this song would have been awesome without all of the bells and whistles. Still, it's very fun, and fits in well with the other songs.

10. Andrea Parisy - "Laisse Tomber Les Tabous" - Another slow crawler that sounds right out of an old black-and-white flick, this time from a classy Film-Noire. Cool, confident, and with a touch of jazz, you can't help but feel classy while listening to this one! I think this may be the longest track of the album, but not by much.

11. Chorus Reverendus - "Dans Son Euphorie" - Another song influenced by Psychadelia, this is a fuzz guitar drenched rocker with cool vocals that work well in harmony, and has just a touch of the early Funk sound to it. I like it!

12. Claire Dixon - "Je N'ai Besoin Que De Tendresse" - Claire Dixon returns, this time with a straight forward pop-rock number. It's good, but a bit bare. Maybe the addition of a dirty fuzz guitar could have had a cool contrast with the clean vocals! Anyway, this one works well enough on it's own.

13. Nicole Paquin - "Mon Mari C'est Frankenstein" - This final track takes it's cues from Rockabilly more than Mod/Beat music, and it works pretty well. I don't speak french, so I have no idea why "Frankenstein" is in the song's title... Still, this one is a great rocker with a female vocalist, more in the vein of Margaret Lewis than Wanda Jackson. Not bad!


Nicole Paquin! Frankenstein not pictured...

Well, that's the end of our journey. I know this album was a little short, but it certainly made up for it with it's abundance of energy! I actually enjoyed this one quite a lot, and highly recommend curious music lovers to give it a shot! I believe you can find songs from this one on youtube, if you want to sample it.

Oriphiel

Okay, I know what you're thinking. You're tired of all these compilation albums, and my overuse of the word "stark" as both a positive and negative adjective. That's fine, because I've unearthed an album that is a true classic among Garage Rock, Punk Rock, Psychadelic Rock, and Rock 'n Roll fans alike. In fact, it might be the most famous of all Garage Rock albums! Originally released in 1965, and later reissued into CD format by the amazing Norton Records (and I believe the fantastic Big Beat/ACE have reissued them as well), it's...

Here Are The Sonics!



What, were you expecting "Incense and Peppermints" or something after the big build-up? I'll do that one after I run out of Garage Rockers and start looking at Psychadelic albums. Anyway, The Sonics are early Washington State rockers who were influenced by energetic acts such as Little Richard, and fellow Garage Rockers The Fabulous Wailers. Formed in 1960, they went through multiple line-up changes and experimented with their sound, until they hit their stride with the 45 "The Witch/Psycho". Apparently, their single became very popular, and they followed up the success by making even more songs that would be strung together for their first album, "Here Are The Sonics!". So, let's get started...

1. "The Witch" - The perfect halloween song, The Witch is a twangy number about a groovy witch who drives around and breaks the hearts of any men foolish enough to try to woo her. The singer cautions you about her, telling you how it is. This is a fun classic, but it's also not my favorite song by The Sonics. Still, for a first time listener, it's the perfect primer for what lies ahead...

2. "Do You Love Me?" - The Sonics took The Contours' timeless classic, and added their brand of insanity to it. Also, wow this song was mixed loudly! The only way to do it justice is to really crank it! I've found that there isn't a single person on earth who can resist singing along to this one, and for good reason. It's infectious with it's slamming drums (seriously, how many sticks did he break for this take?) and the raw vocals. Also working in their favor is the analogue recording equipment, which adds a gloss of fuzz over everything, making it dirty in just the right way!


The Sonics

3. "Roll Over Beethoven" - Great playing by the drummer, bassist, pianist and guitarist, it just hits so hard! The way the instruments come together to just slam into you at certain parts is incredible! However, the vocals are actually hurt by the limitations of analogue recording in this track, being very mismatched with the instruments. The harmony and the volume kind of make the vocals fail to mesh with the rest of the song, and they just sort of stay on top like oil on water. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

4. "Boss Hoss" - Another song that instantly punches into you, The Sonics show other rockers how to effectively use a Saxophone in a Garage Rock song! That raspy hum in the background works really well, not to mention the awesome solo! Again, the drummer is just slamming his snare and bass, and the singer is going nuts singing about his fancy hot rod. In my opinion, this is one of the stand-out tracks of the album, simply because The Sonics absolutely nailed everything about it! If anyone makes a movie set in the 60's that features hot rods, I'll be listening for this number!



5. "Dirty Robber" - Love the piano and saxophone! Another driving foot-stomper, this one has a real great Rockabilly sound to it, and was a cover of The Fabulous Wailers' punchy original. Very fun to sing along to, it has both a saxophone and guitar solo, and each works well to compliment the rest of the song. And the scream at the end sounds like it was painful...

6. "Have Love, Will Travel" - This one kind of needs no introduction. Probably the second most famous Garage Rock song of all time (After The Trogg's "Wild Thing"), it continues to pop up in random movies, TV shows, and advertisements. Even people who dislike Rock music as a whole tend to dig the beat on this one. Anyway, this track is a cover of a Richard Berry (who in his own right is a fantastic musician that doesn't get his due appreciation) number. The Sonics took it from the town hall sock-hop to the go go clubs, making it wild, energetic and rougher than anyone expected music could be at that point in time. Not only did this song cement The Sonics' place in rock history, it was also a game changer that inspired countless musicians to take the next step in intensity. Not to mention that it also has one of the most exciting Saxophone solos of all time (and that's coming from someone who usually can't stand Saxophones).

7. "Psycho" - My personal favorite song of The Sonics, this is like the theme song of go go culture. The chorus, for it's simplicity (It's just a drum rudiment followed by the singer shouting), is insanely infectious! This is the kind of song that makes even the squarest of squares want to get up and dance!

8. "Money" - The second most famous cover (behind the Flying Lizards, who were loved way too much back in the Post-Punk days if you ask me) of the Barrett Strong classic (which has a fun history, being Motown's first, great hit), this is another song played purely to get people on the dance floor. And since you probably already know the words, go ahead and sing along. Of course, it's faster and rougher than the original, but it still has that Motown charm to it.



9. "Walkin' The Dog" - Rather than go for raw energy and speed, The Sonics turn this track into something kind of light and humorous. A Rock 'n Roll standard that has been covered by many people, The Sonics may not have the best version, but they certainly have the most fun!

10 - "Night Time is the Right Time" - Another Rock 'n Roll standard, The Sonics just knock this one out of the park. From the opening scream onwards, you know you're in for something unique. The singer's howling mixes surprisingly well with an otherwise clean song, and offers a contrast to the vocal harmony in the background. The guitar solo comes in very strong, which is also very nice! It's another track where everything comes together very well!

11 - "Strychnine" - While not the most famous of their songs, this track has gained a sort of cult shaded love after being covered by The Cramps. Being a very energetic and exciting number, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the album. I love this song, and there are those who don't, but it's all good. Some folks like water, and some folks like wine...

12. "Good Golly Miss Molly" - The final song of the album (although the reissue has bonus tracks), you're sent off with a cover of Little Richard's classic dance hall rocker. It's one of the few songs where the speed and energy kind of work against it, as they strip off the original's class rather than add to it, and it comes off as a bit strained. It's a good song, but it's a bit simple compared to their other stellar covers.

And now the music is over. I can't recommend this album enough, as it's strengths far outweigh it's failures. Capturing an iconic band in their brief prime, it's a must-own album for any music lovers. Because I feel as though anyone with a love for music can appreciate the stark passion and energy in it, regardless of what genre they normally listen to. I've seen it impress people who only listen to the top of the charts, people who love light alternative rock, people who love jazz and big bands, people who love all the branches of metal, and so on into the infinity of musical genres. But beyond all that, I hope that it'll impress you as well, and inspire you to get involved in the world of music, just as it has inspired me.

Oriphiel

Alright! So i'm always looking for underground music from the late 1950's into the 1960's to listen to, but a huge part of the scene is very obscure and difficult to find. If any of you have any recommendations for bands, songs, or albums that you think I might like, regardless of genre, don't hesitate in the slightest to shout them out! I'd really appreciate any points in the right direction!

The 1960's were great and all, but haven't you guys gotten tired of me covering the same old time period? After all, the 1960's weren't the only time that Garage Rock was played. So the next time I come around, I'll introduce you all to a wild and exciting Revival band... And no, it's not going to be The Black Keys. Until then, have a great life, and remember that the best music happens in the garage!

WWWP

I really, really enjoyed the Girls in the Garage comp., thanks for sharing.

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#DEMODFROWNLAND
#TERMLIMITSFORMODERATORS

Oriphiel

Yeah, no problem! I'm really glad you liked it! There's no feeling like when you introduce someone to new music, and it resonates well with them, huh?