July 23, 2010 Playlist

"Suicide (Second Album)" by Suicide (1980)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Suicide  "Suicide (Second Album)"  1980 (USA)
Suicide's first album from 1977 was called Suicide, as was their second album from 1980, though it also features the names of the two members, Alan Vega and Martin Rev, on the cover.  It's just simpler to call this one Suicide's Second Album, OK?  Suicide were an incredibly important band in the history of underground music, beginning in the early 1970's as a hippie art project, and debuting on vinyl in 1977 and thus getting lumped in with the punk movement.  They are perhaps best described as a psychedelic minimalist electronic group however -- though their stage performances were so brutalizing and outside the norm for a "rock concert" that they wound up sparking more riots than just about any other "punk" band!  Audiences couldn't take what they were laying down:  chainsmoking Alan Vega hiccups and croons through heavy echo like a demented Elvis impersonator, while Martin Rev stands at the back of the stage grinning malevolently and occasionally attacking his keyboard as the drum machine pummels on and on.  Suicide's first album has a wonderfully cheesy lofi ambience, but for their second album they teamed up with Ric Ocasek(!) and produced a somewhat slick and very danceable album that still retains the sneering street rat malevolence of their debut.
Though they sometimes go a decade or more between gigs, Suicide has never officially "broken up" -- here's Vega and Rev doing their thing in 1997 on a song from this album, "Mr. Ray" and here's a (somewhat cynical) ballad,  "Dream Baby Dream", which was a single released around the same time as their second album (and covered in concert by Bruce Springsteen!)  "Ghost Rider" shows the original in-your-face Suicide of 1977 (punks feared them!)  We also have some listener requests on the show this week, including "krautrock" represented by Amon Duul 2, and the legendary San Francisco hippie group Jefferson Airplane.
 
(N) = New Release
(R) = Listener Request
   
Artist Song Album Year (label) Country
Amon Düül 2 (R) Dem Guten, Schönen, Wahren  Phallus Dei 1969 Germany
Agitation Free (R) Khan e Khalili Malesch 1972 Germany
Can (R) Halleluwah Tago Mago 1971 Germany
 
 
Jefferson Airplane (R) Never Argue With A German If  You're Tired Or European Song Bark 1971 USA
Jefferson Airplane (R) Fat Angel (Donovan - live) Bless Its Pointed Little Head 1969 USA
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band Shifting Sands Part One 1967 USA
Weather Report (R) Waterfall Weather Report 1971 USA/Austria
/Czech.
The Godz May You Never Walk Alone (Hank Williams) Contact High Wit Da Godz 1966 USA
 
 
Golden Triangle
 Rollercoaster Double Jointer (N) 2010 (Hardly Art) USA
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
 Burn Rush To Relax (N) 2010 (Goner/Revolver) Australia
The Poison Control Center
 Being Gone Sad Sour Future (N) 2010 (Afternoon) USA
The Fall Funnel Of Love Your Future Our Clutter (N) 2010 (Domino) UK
Mondo Drag
 Love Me Like A Stranger New Rituals (N) 2010 (Alive Naturalsound) USA
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
 Between My Head And The Sky Between My Head And The Sky (N) 2009 (Chimera) Japan/USA
 
 
Tokyo Police Club
 Favourite Food Champ (N) 2010 (Mom & Pop) Canada
Crystal Castles
 Year Of Silence Crystal Castles II (N) 2010 (Motown/
Universal)		 Canada
Four-Tet Sing There Is Love In You (N) 2010 (Domino) UK
Caribou Hannibal Swim (N) 2010 (Merge) Canada
Flying Lotus Do The Astral Plane Cosmogramma (N) 2010 (Warp) USA
   
 
Suicide Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne Suicide (Second Album)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1980 USA
Suicide Fast Money Music Suicide (Second Album)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1980 USA
Suicide Dance Suicide (Second Album)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1980 USA
Throbbing Gristle Adrenalin A-side 7" single / Greatest Hits 1980 UK
Sun Araw Leaves Like This Leaves Like This EP 2009 USA
Moon Duo
 In The Trees Escape (N) 2010 (Woodsist) USA
   
 
Stereolab Stomach Worm Peng! 1992 UK/France
Royal Trux Up The Sleeve Cats & Dogs 1993 USA
The Velvet Underground The Murder Mystery The Velvet Underground 1969 USA
             
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