Tag Archives: Bevis Frond

Flashlite #675

2021

Last year we started our year-end review of best albums that we heard in the past year. This week we head positions 14 to 1. For the number one this year I chose Californian band Cool Ghouls. After several delightful garage rock records, last year they took a huge leap and made a fantastic genre spanning record that shows good taste, measure and expert knowledge of rock’n’roll history. One song will remind you of Beach Boys, other on Todd Rundgren, another one of Byrds, Love, Leonard Cohen… approach seems deliberate and result is stunning album. In a post-post-post modern post-capitalist world an this album looks like a conveyor belt in which best moments of the past roll by one by one, perfectly strung together until the final product comes out. They do their recycling shamelessly and proudly. It’s paradoxically original. It’s an art form. And we love it here.

Our list for 2021 looks like this…


30 The Most - Of What We Have
29 Mike Edison and Guadalupe Plata - The Devil Can't Do You No Harm
28 Chris Church - Game Dirt
27 Kid Khan Unlimited - Opiate Them Asses
26 Daniel Romano - Kissing The Foe
25 Grave Flowers Bongo Band - Strength Of Spring
24 Motorpsycho - Kingdom of Oblivion
23 Yola - Stand For Myself
22 The Exbats - Now Where Were We
21 Shaye Zadravec - Now and Then
20 David Gahan and The Soulsavers - Imposter
19 Danny Kroha - Detroit Blues
18 Murlocs - Bittersweet Demons
17 Salebarbes - Gin à l'eau salée
16 Red Devil Ryders - Pour Me Another One
15 Big Hogg - Pageant of Beasts
14 Endless Boogie - Admonitions
13 Bevis Frond - Little Eden
12 Lelee - Cuka, bije, pumpa
11 Astute Palate
10 Divine Horsemen - Hot Rise of an Ice Cream Phoenix
09 Kid Congo - Swing From The Sean DeLear
08 Rosali - No Meduim
07 Petrified Max - Year Gone By
06 Dinosaur JR - Sweep Into Space
05 Richard Rose - Radiation Breeze
04 A Little More Time With Reigning Sound
03 Bat Fangs - Queen of My World
02 The Reflectors - Faster Action
01 Cool Ghouls - At George's Zoo

And playlist for today is:

Endless Boogie – Bad Call;
The Bevis Frond – Cherry Gardens;
Lelee – Pozeluvam;
Astute Palate – Loose Wings;
Divine Horsemen – Mind Fever;
Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds – (Are You) Ready, Freddy;
Rosali – Mouth;
Petrified Max – Blue Skies Always;
Dinosaur JR – And Me;
Richard Rose – Evil Twin;
Reigning Sound – You Ain’t Me;
Bat Fangs – Never Coming Down;
The Reflectors – Carry On;
Cool Gouhls (Closing Meddley).

Flashlite #663

"Mattiel

Today, we start with the new single for Petrified Max who are very productive in recent months. UV-TV is also running steady with one mini alum per year and today we introduce the latest one. Nick Saloman and Bevis Frond are back again with their new album and so is Thalia Zedek who we know from the days when she was in Come. Out good friend Clara Engel has a new album and Mattiel is back with new single. In our final block, we introduce James McMurty from Austin TX and Brothers Steve, a band from LA.

Crocodiles – Be My Lover;
Petrified Max – My Dancing Trees;
UV-TV – Overcast Forever;
UV-TV – Wildflower;
Dinosaur Jr – Walking To You;
The Bevis Frond – That’s Why You Need Us;
The Bevis Frond – Do Without Me;
Thalia Zedek Band – Binoculars;
Come – Dead Molly;
Colleen Green – Posi Vibes;
Josienne Clarke – Deep Cut;
Ronstadt & Harris – Sweet spot;
Clara Engel – Pomegranate Seeds;
Mattiel – Those Words;
Mattiel – Til The Moment Of Death;
Alvilda – Demain;
James McMurtry – Operation Never Mind;
The Brothers Steve – Griffith Obervatory;
The Magnetic Fields – The Day the Politicians Died;
KRGA – Sancerre Nights.

Flashlite #514

Pete ShelleyToday we open with the new tune from Bevis Frond. They are still putting out great dense albums. Bob Mould will be back with the new record next year, but the advance single from it is already there. Thee Melomen over in Zagreb Croatia have a new single and the new album is out too, both titled Disappear. Also in Zagreb, San Mikulec keeps cranking up great songs. Further sough down the Brotherhood and Unity Freeway, in Macedonia, we have Vasko, always extremely productive, with a new single for his project 21 vek. UK singer Elisa Zoot teamed up with Calibro 35 on a new single. We also have to obituaries. Seid 1st Karajlić, keyboardist of Zabranjeno PuÅ¡enje passed away on November 9th and Pete Shelley, the legendary leader of Buzzcocks passed away last week. This episode is dedicated our fallen rock’n’roll heroes.

Emma Decorsey – Viber;
The Bevis Frond – Pheromones;
Bob Mould – Sunshine Rock;
Bad Moves – Shitty Tomorrow;
Muertos – Spin;
Thee Melomen – Dissapear;
Sloming Moops – Little Daggers (Irena Zilic cover);
Irena Zilic – Little Daggers;
Emma Decorsey – ID (Live in CLE);
Clara Engel – Black Licorice;
Ty Segall – Pretty Miss Titty;
Gong – Pretty Miss Titty;
Zabranjeno Pusenje – Dok jezdis ka Alemanji;
Buzzcocks – Ever Fallen In Love;
Buzzcocks – What Do I Get;
Dee Rangers – Kisses Sweeter Than Wine;
Rod Bryan – Buffalo River (Prehistory) Don’t Open the Door;
Tav Falco – New World Order Blues;
21 vek – Kako vo 96ta;
Calibro 35 with Elisa Zoot – Travelers, Explorers.

Flashlite #348

Potty MouthToday we have some big bands that came up with new records recently. Nick Saloman’s Bevis Frond sounds strong on Example 22. Los Lobos rock out with some of the best tunes they made in their long career on Gates of Gold. Electric Six continue steady stream of annual records with Bitch Don’t Let Me Die and Eagles of Death Metal are back after seven years of silence with Zipper. Juliana Hatfiled had a record with her trio early this year, but also, four other ladies from Boston called Potty Mouth emerge greatly inspired by Juliana. Finally, our friends in Perth Australia, Zerodent, are trying to find home for some newly made recordings, and we sample one of the songs.

Faces – That’s All You Need;
Barreracudas – Backup Plan;
Zerodent – I Am Coming In;
Lemonheads – It’s About Time;
Juliana Hatfield Three – Ordinary Guy;
Potty Mouth – Creeper Weed;
Ben Vaughn – Then The North Wind Blew;
Bevis Frond – This One;
Bevis Frond – Backanile;
Electric Six – If U R Who U Say U R;
Mark Lanegan – Methamphetamine Blues;
Mark Lanegan – When It’s In You;
Eagles of Death Metal – I Love You All The Time;
Los Lobos – Gates of Gold;
Sonny Vincent – Don’t Tell Me (Live in CLE);
Trotsky Icepick – Boy With A Book;
Nikki Sudden – Such A Little Girl;
Sandy Denny And The Strawbs – All I Need Is You.

Sweet Apple – The Golden Age of Glitter (Tee Pee), Doug Gillard – Parade On (Nine Mile) and Death of Samantha – If Memory Serves Us Well (St. Valentine)

Sweet Apple and Doug Gillard reviewWhen Mick Jagger was in his late forties he recorded Primitive Cool and Steel Wheels. Certainly not the highest point of his career. But, it seems that the generation of musicians who are in their late forties these days are growing up a bit slower, putting better and better records as the time goes by. Examples are many – Nick Saloman from Bevis Frond, Matthew Smith from Outrageous Cherry, Rich Hopkins… The heroes of this story, Doug Gillard and John Petkovic are in that group.

Gillard and Petkovic started back in the eighties in a band called Death of Samantha. After several underground records and an extensive touring schedule across the USA in a van, the band morphed into Cobra Verde. Then, in the nineties, Robert Pollard hired the entire band to be the new line up of Guided By Voices. Gillard then stayed with Pollard and Petkovic split with a new line-up of Cobra Verde.

Petkovic’s latest project is Sweet Apple. The first album in 2010, Love and Desparation was a rocking record, but the latest one Golden Age of Glitter shines even brighter. There are no fillers on this one. The record also features a multiple help from some super talented musicians J Mascis, Mark Lanegan, Rachel Haden and Pollard who reunited with Petkovic on several tunes (pun intended – one tune he helped with is actually called Reunion). As one author wrote about the record, it plays like an exercise in enlightened revisionism, describing Petkovic’s desire to revisit some of the long lost musical genres of the seventies. But a really disarming thing about this record is the song writing talent and enthusiasm that Petkovic clearly put into the album. You can trust me on that one – I had a rare opportunity to see the album being built up from the first set of vague guitar riffs, recording and struggle to find an appropriate cover – to the first vinyl press testing.

Gillard also had a record recently. It’s called Parade On. He is well known as one of the finest guitarists in alternative rock (whatever it is), mainly from his tenure in Guided By Voices. But even the big fans of GBV can’t name too many of the songs Gillard has written, other than one of their biggest hits I Am A Tree. On Parade On, his song writing talent absolutely shines. In a private conversation with Gillard, he confessed that he attempted to make an easy listening record. And indeed, Parade On can stand next to any Paddy McAloon’s work, but with a bit harder edge, especially instrumentally.

There are two things in common to the new records of Gillard and Petkovic. One – they are probably the greatest and the most consistent albums they’ve ever written. The two songwriters defy their age with enthusiasm for rocking and rolling, sounding more youthful than ever. Two – the records also came out while their original band Death of Samantha reunited and rerecorded their early tunes on a really cool live record called If Memory Serves Us Well. Certainly, Gillard and Petkovic are at the very peak of their careers as songwriters and performers. Perhaps one way to achieve an even greater artistic peak would be to start writing new music together. You read it here first!

The Bevis Frond – White Numbers (Woronzow)

The Bevis Frond - White NumbersOne of the most exciting and definitely the most monumental come-backs this year is The Bevis Frond latest album White Numbers. This once very productive band lead by Nick Saloman published three records in ’87, and then an average of two per year until the new millennium. They returned in 2011 after seven years of silence with The Leaving of London, just to remind us that Saloman still has a lot to say. But this year’s White Numbers is a masterpiece.

Nick Saloman was known as a guy who could combine the loud guitars of punk, post-punk and underground rock with psychedelic sentiment of The Byrds and songwriting skills of the British pub rock era. In fact, it’s one of the best kept secrets that Saloman’s vocal is the best Roger McGuinn imitation since Tony Poole of the Starry Eyed And Laughing. I’m a huge fan of all those people and I making these comparisons it in the most heartfelt way. Saloman was great at this all the time, but on White Numbers, muse has struck him really well. Songs are wonderful love songs full of ambiguity and contrast that draws you in. It’s the excrement floating on the sea, makes it beautiful to me. The best known Bevis Frond song is by far Lights Are Changing which was also compiled on Children of Nuggets. On White Numbers, song This One is probably the most similar to Lights Are Changing.

Now I need to explain why this record is so monumental. First of all, the quality is strong and my attention was kept for the entire of 85 minutes of the regular run of this record. No editing needed, no losers. You read it right, it’s 85 minutes of rock’n’roll, but only for the part of the record with convential songs, all the verses, choruses and guitar shredding. Then, when you think it’s all over, there’s 45 minutes more of something that the band calls Homemade Traditional Electric Jam. Now, most bands would cut it out, and let’s be frank, most bands can’t pull a 45 minute jam without shooting themselves in the feet. Not the Bevis Frond! The Jam is full with interesting passages and it wraps up this really big record in a most perfect way. I can only think of one record that managed to do that so effectively. We had it last year on our year end list, Rich Hopkins album Buried Treasures.

How do you put 130 minutes of music on a vinyl LP? You need three records. So, the vinyl version spreads out that much, putting the long jam on the third LP and also splitting it in two down the middle. This is actually a helpful thing for that demanding jam since you can take a break and flip the record down half way through. It’s a British import here in the US, so the triple record is a bit pricey. It also suffers a bit from a mid frequency distortion and sibilance throughout the entire length, especially the first LP. This seems to be common on most modern pressings. So get a CD or files for this one if you care about the sound. If you like the big cover, photography on the front and behind is very interesting to study, so get an LP if you care about the cover art. It also comes equipped with a lyrics sheet, which is always a plus in my book.

Flashlite #223

Lisa MycholsToday we have new songs for Black Lips and Grant Hart. Nick Saloman and his Bevis Frond has a new double album out called White Numbers. We also sample the new tribute record called Dring A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute to Lite Rock, which collects interesting cover versions of cheesy 70s radio hits. As it turns out, those songs weren’t that bad after all, so we hear Lisa Mychols’ cover of David Soul’s Don’t Give Up On Us and Plasticsouls’ cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Sentimental Lady. Australia is the land of great garage rock bands. Step-Panther is another new name from that scene to prove it.

Jeff Beck Group – Spanish Boots;
Step-Panther – Liar Liar;
Step-Panther – My Neck;
Black Lips – Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah;
Black Lips – Crusing;
Ty Segall – The Motivator;
Steve Wynn – Shelley’s Blues pt 2 (Live in CLE);
The Young Rascals – Find Somebody (Eddie);
Grant Hart – Letting Me Out;
Nova Mob – Buddy;
Miss Chain and the Broken Heels – Little boy;
The Masticators – He’s Coming Out;
Lisa Mychols – Don’t Give Up On Us;
Plasticsoul – Sentimental Lady;
Plasticsoul – Cock Rock 101;
Bevis Frond – Hold The Fort;
Bevis Frond – Cruel World;
Bevel Emboss – City of Amsterdam.

Flashlite #142

Nick Saloman, Bevis FrondToday’s show is filled with new records from the garage rock scene. Mark Sultan has two new records out Whatever I Want and Whenever I Want. King Louie is back after three years of silence with the new band called Missing Monuments. Rain Bonnets have yet another EP out. Indie legend from London Nick Saloman is back with another Bevis Frond record, his 23rd since 1987, but the first one since 2004. His longest break yet. The Bats from New Zealand are back as well. But the most anticipated return this year is definitely Tom Waits…

The Bo Keys – Just Chillin’;
Mark Sultan – In Future Worlds;
King Louie’s Missing Monuments – (It’s Like) XTC;
King Louie and The Loose Diamonds – She’s Losing Her Hair;
Exploding Hearts – The Pink Demo – Waste of Time;
Cute Lepers – 77;
Hunx And His Punx – Can We Get Together;
The Rain Bonnets – Eye Fishing;
The Bevis Frond – Stupid Circle;
The Bevis Frond – Splendid Isolation;
Jack Oblivian – Moses and Me;
Tommy James And The Shondells – Moses And Me;
The Bats – By Night;
The Bats – In The Subway;
Dawn Chorus and The Bluetits – I’m Going Down;
George Harrison – Mama You’ve Been On My Mind;
Lee Ranaldo – Mama You’ve Been On My Mind;
Tom Waits – Martha;
Tom Waits – Face To The Highway.