MDC - Millions of Dead Cops (1982)

Playing fast, hardcore punk associated with far left sociopolitical issues has earned the band close association with Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys, as well as numerous other US punk bands of the early eighties. The band was also unique in frequently changing their name to a different initialism of MDC with every new record released. Incarnations include Millions of Dead Cops, Multi-Death Corporation, Millions of Dead Children, Millions of Dead Christians, Millions of Damn Christians, Millions of Dead Contractors, Metal Devil Cokes, and Magnus Dominus Corpus.

Steven Jesse Bernstein - Prison (1992)

This powerful album by the late Seattle writer Steven Jesse Bernstein (wikipedia) is one of the most effective and uncompromising spoken word records in the field. Bernstein took his own life in 1991, and this disc acts as both his swan song and a tribute by his collaborators to his poetic talent. These readings were recorded in 1990-91 (many of the pieces appear in his book, "More Noise Please") and were posthumously set to music by producer/composer Steve Fisk. Just prior to Bernstein's death, only one track had been fully finished, but he liked what he heard and agreed for Fisk and Sub Pop to proceed with the project. The result would have made him proud.

His confrontational, scathing voice marches through the door and slaps your face, backed up by dense, lazy, looping beats and samples that rearrange your furniture and hide the TV remote. These tracks demand and deserve your attention. Although he's an underground hero in the Northwest and has been championed by those in the know (William S. Burroughs endorsed him, and "No No Man" was used in the opening montage of Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers), his body of work remains largely unread and unheard by the masses. For more Bernstein audio, an unaccompanied reading of "Come Out Tonight" can be found among the grunge tracks on the Sub-Pop-200 compilation. (RYM, monocle)

Tommy Guerrero - A Little Bit Of Somethin (2000)

Tommy Guerrero's A Little Bit of Something sounds like the former skate punk has been listening to a whole lot of mid-period Beastie Boys albums. It's not the in-your-face rhymes or punk-based aggression that's influenced him, but the group's canny mix of samples and new music that blends influences from all kinds of unexpected, offbeat places. (Tracks like the languid, groovy "Four TRK Samba" also suggest that Guerrero has a full complement of Cornelius albums.) These brief instrumentals -- 15 tracks in 39 minutes! -- ignore the drone and ambient schools of electronica and post-rock in favor of a magpie-like interest in variety and novelty. This makes the songs on the aptly titled A Little Bit of Something wonderfully varied and never tiresome. (The sounds even change within songs, such as the way "So Blue It's Black" starts out as a duet for acoustic guitar and vinyl noise but then eases into mellow, '70s-style fusion.) This is an enchanting, fascinating album.

Captain Beefheart - Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970)

Produced by Captain Beefheart himself, Lick My Decals Off, Baby was a further refining and exploration of the musical ideas posited on Trout Mask Replica. As such, the imaginative fervor of Trout Mask is toned down somewhat, but in its place is an increased self-assurance; the tone of Decals is also a bit darker, examining environmental issues in some songs rather than simply concentrating on surreal wordplay. Whatever the differences, the jagged, complex rhythms and guitar interplay continue to amaze. Those wanting to dig deeper after the essential Trout Mask Replica are advised to begin doing so here.

The Soft Boys - A Can of Bees (1979)

One of the band's earliest recordings, featuring their signature tune "Give It to the Soft Boys", A Can of Bees includes a lot of the zaniness principal member Robyn Hitchcock would become known for in his later work, but the band had not yet jelled and found them still in search of their ultimate sound, an amalgam of new wave and psychedelia. However, the record is essential to any Soft Boys collection, as it demonstrates the band flying in the face of what was happening musically at the time and creating their own unique style. (AMG)

Minibosses - Brass (2005)

Following up on the post for The Advantage, here is another video game cover band. The Minibosses are quite a bit more popular than the Advantage, but not necessarily better. Same familiar tunes, also played very tight and exact including minute details, but quite a different sound. Where the Advantage sounds like Math-Rock, the Minibosses sound more like a metal band.

1 Castlevania 5:27
2 Ninja Gaiden 4:10
3 Double Dragon 1:09
4 Super Mario Bros. 2 6:15
5 Ikari Warriors 1:56
6 Blaster Master/Contra 6:46
7 Mike Tyson's Punchout 3:32
8 Kid Icarus 1:41
9 Megaman 2 10:08
10 Metroid 6:33

Airport 5 (Robert Pollard) - Tower In The Fountain Of Sparks (2001)

Tower In The Fountain Of Sparks was the first album featuring Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout in 5 years since Tobin left Guided By Voices after 1996' Under The Bushes, Under The Stars. It's also one of the first famous Pollard "postal rock" collaborations in that the instrumentals were recorded by Sprout at his home in Michigan and then mailed to Pollard who sprinkled the tracks with his trademark melodies and lyrics. Right off the bat the first 2 tracks remind you of their past glories with two of the best choruses they've ever penned. The next two tracks take the album in another direction as Pollard seemingly tries to channel Prince on Subatomic Rain and then swaggers back to the mic for one of his shout along on One More. Don't let these two tracks sway you though (even though you might find yourself in a shower when no one's looking trying to channel Pollard...channeling Prince), as the next two tracks, Mission Experiences and The Cost Of Shipping Cattle take the album in an even different more experimental direction while also acting as a setup for one of the most memorable and glorious returns to form from this duo. The run of Circle Of Trim, War & Wedding, Stifled Man Casino, Up The Nails, Tomorrow You May Rise, and Feathering Clueless will no doubt remind you that these two specimens once recorded albums like Vampire On Titus and Bee Thousand. The album ends with Remain Lodging (At Airport 5) and one of the most memorable singalongs on the album, it's hard to be a drone, in a hive of women.

The Advantage - Self- and Elf-Titled (2004 & 2006)

Here are the two LPs by Nintendo cover math rockers The Advantage. If you've never heard these you're in a for a treat. The Advantage features members of the band Generic plus Spencer Seim and Carson McWhirter of Hella. Very precise covers of 8-bit classics coming really to life with Seim's drumming. If you've grown up playing the NES these records are a must, otherwise they're still excellent math-rock exercises.

The first album covers more recognizable tunes in a fairly straight-forward fashion, while Elf-Titled takes a few more liberties and has significantly better production quality.

The Advantage (2004):
1. Megaman2 - Flashman
2. Double Dragon 2 - Stage 2
3. Goonies 2
4. Bubble Bobble
5. Bubble Bobble - Shark Skeleton
6. Wizards And Warriors - Intro
7. Bomberman 2
8. Bionic Commando - P.O.W. Camp
9. Super Mario Bros. 2 - Underworld
10. Super Mario Bros. 2 - Overworld
11. Contra-Snowfields
12. Zelda - Fortress
13. Batman 2
14. Megaman 3 - Dr. Wiley Stage
15. Double Dragon 2 (Story, And Boss Music)
16. Castlevania 3 - Epitaph
17. Ninja Gaiden - Mine Shaft
18. Mario 3 - Underworld
19. Blastermaster - Stage 2
20. Ghosts 'N' Goblins - Intro
21. Ghosts 'N' Goblins
22. Castlevania - Stage 3
23. Marbie Madness
24. Metal Gear - Jungle
25. Contra - Boss Music
26. Castlevania 3 - Evergreen

Elf-Titled (2006):
1. Batman - Stage 1
2. Contra - Alien's Lari & Boss Music
3. DOuble Dragon III - Egypt
4. Sucktails - Moon
5. Metroid - Kraid's Laur
6. Air Fortress - Not Fat Iced Caramel Hazlenut Soy Latte With Extra Whipped Cream
7. Bomberman 2 - Wiggy
8. Castlevania - Intro + Stage 1
9. Solar Jetman - Braveheart Level
10. Goonie 2 - Wiseman
11. Double Dragon II - Mission 5
12. Forest Of Death
13. Castlevania III - Boss Music
14. Megaman II - Stage Select + Metal Man
15. Castlevania II - Woods
16. Guardian Legend - Corrider 1
17. Wizards & Warriors - Tree Trunk, Woods, Victory

The Bartlebees - Urban Folk Legends (1998)

Now that I mentioned them covering Patrik Fitzgerald's Safety pin stuck in my heart (see two posts down), I feel obliged to share this gem. The Bartlebees were basically a German clone of the Television Personalities (and in fact regularly collaborated with Dan Treacy), who (unwillingly, some cynics might say) had a distinct charme with their thick accents, tone-deaf singing, and over-the-top naive lyrics. Nevertheless, they've released some of the finest songs coming out of the Bavarian woods.

The highlight surely is the excellent Patrik Fitzgerald cover (which I had on repeat for a few days), but this record is full of pleasant surprises. Some tracks are in line with their somewhat clumsy earlier records, on others they're playfully experimenting with styles they've never touched before (stereo effects? I thought you guys were garage!). And Then Suddenly even steers into c86/shoegazing territory and manages to sound better than most of the stuff that influenced them.

Easily the most accessible Bartlebees album out there, and a highly recommended starting point for the band. For a more authentic collection of typical Bartlebees songs watch out for the 26-track compilation of early recordings From Paths of Pain to Jewels of Glory, which I'll post sometime in the future.

VA - Without The Beatles (1996)

"Oh dear Prudence!", I hear you say, "Not another Beatles tribute". Yeah, there may be almost as many Beatles tribute albums as Beatles bootlegs and most of them stink more than said bootlegs, but the artist line up on this one justifies a listen or two. Yukio Yung aka Terry Burrows of the Chrysanthemums, Alan Jenkins and the Creams (a member of the Deep Freeze Mice family), DIY icon R. Stevie Moore, Bevis Frond, Martin Newell (of the Cleaners from Venus), Todd Gillingham, and Jet Set frontman Paul Bevoir among others contribute to this carefully crafted JARmusic release with extensive liner notes and exquisite artwork.

So what do you get when you let some of the most obscure musicians loose on the songs of the least obscure band in history? To be honest, the result mimics the career of the Beatles: some outstanding gems amidst a sea of mediocracy. Maybe it's because I had high expectations, but there's a bunch of outright boring pop versions on this album, which do neither the original nor the cover artist justice. Nevertheless, the compilation is worth getting, for the first two tracks alone.

The liner notes are quite funny, and can be read in their entirety at http://www.moorestevie.com/2/wobeatles.html.

01. Yukio Yung + Free as a Bird
02. R. Stevie Moore + Getting Better
03. Gonzo Salvage Company + Can't Buy Me Love
04. Colin's Hermits + I Am the Walrus
05. John A. Roberts + Dear Prudence
06. The Creams + Yesterday
07. Martin Newell + Baby You're a Rich Man
08. The Out-of-Towners + Think for Yourself
09. Bevis Frond + You Never Give Me Your Money
10. Paul Bevoir + Eleanor Rigby
11. Matmosphere + Yer Blues
12. Todd Dillingham + Helter Skelter