Tag Archives: Nirvana

Flashlite #694

Jillian Raye of 3rd Secret

Today we start off with the 80s garage and college circuit legends Fuzztones who have a new album. Then we check out 3rd Secret, which is really a collaboration between Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and Jillian Raye who already collaborated on two albums as Giants In The Trees. From London, we check out Japanese Television and from Japan we check out Dhidalah. Satellites is a very interesting concept from Israel that pays a homage to the great Anatolian rock music from the 70s. Helicon from Glasgow are back with the new EP and we also check out a new track from Clara Engel over in Toronto.

The Fuzztones – Nine Month Later;
The Fuzztones – Marble Hall;
3rd Secret – I Choose Me;
Giants In The Trees – System Slave;
Japanese Television – Snake Shake;
Satellites – Yagmur Yagar Tas Üstüne;
The Id – The Rake;
Baris Manco – Mozart;
Lamp of the Universe – Return as Light;
Dhidalah – Invader Summer;
Helicon – Freakquency;
Electric Eye – The Sleeping Sharks;
Strange Attractor – Gaia;
Clara Engel – Cryptid Bop.

Andy Gabbard – Fluff

Andy Gabbard - FluffAndy and Zach Gabbard are in a hard rocking, jammy band from Cincinnati called Buffalo Killers. As a band, Buffalo Killers delivered a string of five notable albums and both brothers wrote the songs. This year, Andy decided to try something on his own.

As a solo artist, Andy could expand his interests beyond the hard rock of Buffalo Killers. From love songs to a girl to a love song to his record collection, Fluff is a much more relaxing listen than any of the five he did with the band (and that’s not to say that Buffalo Killers records are a bore, au contraire).

Musically, there’s a lot of wonderful guitar solos on Fluff (Super National), great melodies (LYSM, Side B) and even an occasional Syd Barrett knockoff Octoman.

And while More sounds like the best song J Mascis never wrote, guitar riffing from the first minute of the record to the last minute record pays a wonderfully crafted homage to Nirvana. You might say, lots of bands pay an homage to Nirvana, but Andy Gabbard does it in a subtle, understated but loving fashion. I can only think of one band that did it so well: remember Monstrous from Rochester NY and their Mother Nature’s Slaves from 2006? Fluff is that good.

In contrast to its unpretentious title, Fluff stands out as the most well rounded and most thoughtful album of 2015.

Flashlite #340: Vinyl Junkyard 13

GutterballThis is another one of our Vinyl Junkyard editions at the Little Lighthouse. In Vinyl Junkyard specials I play almost entire LPs that I found dirt cheap somewhere laying in some bargain bin at a record store. This time we have two more albums from the nineties. Nineties were a time where LPs were being phased out on the market in favor of CDs. Still, some important record also saw vinyl versions. Today we have the first album for Gutterball and The Fall-Outs compilation album Here I Come and other Hits. Gutterball was a supergroup consisting of Steve Wynn (ex Dream Syndicate), Bryan Harvey and Johnny Hott (from House of Freaks), Stephen McCarthy (Long Ryders) and Bob Rupe (Silos). It was formed at the moment where Wynn’s solo career was not performing so well, House of Freaks were critically acclaimed, but also failed to chart in the post Nirvana era. Long Ryders and Silos broke apart, so the quintet went into the recording studio over in Richmond with a lot of good songs and great new-found energy. The resulting album was astonishing. Fall-Outs had a string of perfect singles in the late 80s and Estrus Records put them all together in ’93 on a great compilation record.

Gutterball – Top of The Bill;
Gutterball – Trial Separation Blues;
Gutterball – Lester Young;
Gutterball – Motorcycle Boy;
Gutterball – One By One;
Gutterball – When You Make Up Your Mind;
Gutterball – Think It Over
Gutterball – Preacher And The Prostitute;
The Fall-Outs – Here I Come;
The Fall-Outs – Brothers;
The Fall-Outs – Like Me;
The Fall-Outs – I’m Going Home;
The Fall-Outs – Greed;
The Fall-Outs – Dug My Grave;
The Fall-Outs – Another Fad;
The Fall-Outs – She’s Out There;
The Fall-Outs – Bury My Body;
The Fall-Outs – Made My Bed Gonna Lie In It;
The Fall-Outs – Brainiac;
The Fall-Outs – Scarecrow;
The Fall-Outs – Our Company;
The Fall-Outs – You Just Can’t Win.

Flashlite #275

Black Math HorsemanIn our new show, we introduce singer songwriter Chuck Ragan, from Florida, with his new record Till Midnight. He writes in a more traditional format and another new name, Bart Davenport writes catchy power-pop tunes. He comes from Oakland, CA, and has quite a following in Spain. From Australia, we check out Nervous Trend and in London, Vacilando 68 record label sends us Piper’s Son. Black Math Horseman appeared on the Nirvana tribute In Utero, In Tribute, In Entirety, but in the mean time they managed to break up. In the end, we finish off with Scruffy The Cat, which was a cool 80s college rock band from Boston. Their singer Charlie Chesterman passed away on November 4th last year, and we pay a tribute to him.

Stan McMahon – For All Your Ills;
Doug Gillard – Your Eyes;
Death of Samantha – Couldn’t Forget About That;
Sweet Apple – Troubled Sleep;
Black Math Horseman – All Apologies;
Nirvana – All Apologies;
Purson – The Contract;
Son House – Death Letter Blues (Blues Alphabet);
Holly Golightly – Pistol Pete (Live in CLE);
Holy Golightly And The Brokeoffs – Pistol Pete;
Chuck Ragan – Non Typical;
Bart Davenport – Loop in My Head;
Cretin Stompers – Randy Kraft;
Nervous Trend – Written Record;
Piper’s Son – Mining;
Scruffy The Cat – Thomas Doubter;
Scruffy The Cat – Capital Moonlight.

Flashlite #201

Shivering TimbersWe start off today with the new single for Sweet Apple. It’s a cover of Alice Cooper’s Elected. Then we check out the new band from Los Angeles, Blackfeet Braves. Los Straitjackets follow with their instrumental version of Nirvana’s Teen Spirit. Then we introduce new band from Australia, The Laurels. Shivering Timbers from Akron are in our Live in Cleveland segment. We also check out the new record for legendary Graham Parker. Some new reissues/archives are out as well. Jacke Deshannon’s final installment of her 60’s singles and Dan Penn’s soulful demos.

If you have time and you’re in Cleveland, stop by the Blue Arrow Records this Saturday where I’ll be playing a DJ set from 4 to 6pm. As usual, visitors will get some CDs with previous shows and a few lucky ones will also get (legal) download codes of some recent albums. There will be no Christmas tunes in the set-list! The rest is a surprise. Stick around, at 6pm there’ll be the Lake Erie comic book release party at the same location.

Paul Kelly – I’m On Your Side;
Sweet Apple – Elected;
Blackfeet Braves – Mystic Rabbit;
Los Straitjackets – Smells Like Teen Spirit;
Los Straitjackets with Sarah Borges – Wild Romance;
The Hi-Risers – Wild Romance;
Roky Erickson – You’re Gonna Miss Me;
The Laurels – You’re Gonna Miss Me;
The Laurels – Run For Cover;
Shivering Timbers – Wayfaring Stranger;
Jackie DeShannon – It’s So Nice;
Dan Penn – Come On Over;
Kriz crvene fuxe – Johnny;
Graham Parker And The Rumour – Three Chords Good;
Graham Parker And The Rumour – Fool’s Gold;
Kursaal Flyers – TV Dinners;
Died Pretty – Final Twist;
Matt Piucci And Tim Lee Gone Fishin’ – Something Happened.