SHIMMER DOWN. Land of Made Up Dreams

Random connections and recollections. Breathing labored from swimming in the bloody summer smog of fantastic L.A. The sights and sounds shimmering, the hissing of summer lawns, all idyllic and fleeting. Hot hot heat rises up from moving sidewalks, sprinklers count it out, but the gasoline line, suspends time. Double Nickles On The Dime.

Las Puertas de Percepcion

David Hockney - A Bigger Splash (1967)

 

David Hockney - A Lawn Being Sprinkled (1967)

 

Hockney at work

 

David Hockney - lithograph 1978-80

DAVID HOCKNEY by Christian Guémy SEE MORE HERE

KALEIDOSCOPE: BLUES FOR ALLAH

For some reason The Growlers got me thinking about Kaleidoscope and lo-and-behold Everloving Records, who put out The Growlers last EP (Hot Tropics), put out a couple obscure records by former Kaleidoscope member Chris Darrow. The band also featured David Lindley.

'Keep Your Mind Open' always sounded like a Guide By Voices track to me, though not sure why.
'Sefan' and 'Taxim' also have the Greek/Eastern vibe.

The Real Blues For Allah!

RED CROSS (YUP, REDD KROSS!) ALIEN SLEESTACKS FROM BRAZIL, UH LOS ANGELES

Long time fan of this band. Hey Zues! We used to go see these guys all the time, waaay back. Neurotica to Third Eye era. The cutest girls were ALWAYS at the Redd Kross shows. The McDonald brothers started playing in like junior high. I had not heard this EP in ages. Snotty kids, brat punks or punky brats. Attitude, not fashion. Well, fashion later... First gig? Opening for Black Flag.

RED CROSS EP 1980-
with Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks, Bad Religion, on guitar)
All six songs from the 45 EP. Six songs, 6 minutes, punk.

Olderly skool footage... 1982 - Santa Monica

Too f*cking cool for school. Gilberto Gil said Os Mutantes were mutants because they already knew everything. He was referring the fact that they seemed to be knowledgeable, experienced and culturally hip despite being ridiculously young. They were all still teenagers. Jeff and Steve McDonald of Redd Kross were the same way, beginning to play and record at a young age. They cut their teeth in the nascent L.A. punk scene. They did tons of great covers, like on Teen Babes from Monsanto. They covered Os Mutantes' Bat Macumba on the Tater Totz - Alien Sleestacks From Brazil album in 1988! (Yeah, '88, they were alrady on that sh*t!) The album was a side project with Pat Fear of White Flag and Michael Quercio from The Three O'Clock

Bat Macumba Oba!

TATER TOTZ: BAT MACUMBA by Clark Quente

'Aliens' insert w/ photoshop f*ckery

Their cultural cannibalism was similar to the Tropicalistas in Brazil in that they simultaneously poked fun at and/or worshiped the pop culture they consumed while going from poorly played punk (albeit with unbridled enthusiasm.) to groovy pop-psychedelia.

...said sleestacks. the og mutantes. rita lee superstar

Dug the t-shirt of theirs that said 'friends of Cher'. This was before the creepy auto tune tune "Do you Believe" plastic surgery disaster... Cher is still hot... In a mutante way!


They ripped live after years of playing together. They did a rocking cover of "Puss N' Boots" by the New York Doll on the amazing Hell Comes To Your House compilation, which also included Social Distortion, 45 Grave.

PUSS N' BOOTS (1981)

From Teen Babes from Monsanto...

CUZ THEY SING;

heaven only knows that i love you
heaven only knows that i hate you
heaven only knows i despise you
heaven only knows i idolize you

And destroy tunes by Bowie, The Stones, Kiss, The Stooges. And throw in a tune from Bewitched. You get the heavy and you get the sweet. Something they always did so well.
Yeah a nod is as good as a wink, but they always wore their hearts on their sleeves.

HEAVEN ONLY KNOWS (1984)

'teen babes' insert x 4 tabs, er times...

Couple old friends used to play this round the house. Great original

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE YOUR FRIEND (1990)

'Nuther classic original. Stellar album. "Laughing at all the assholes at the Rainbow tryin' so hard to cope, what a joke."

PEACH KELLI POP (1987)

Redd Kross is still playing after reforming around 2004 with longtime member Robert Hecker. Hecker joined in '84 for the 'Teen babes' tour. They played Coachella in 2008. Steven McDonald may be in a town near you. He is currently touring in Off! with Keith Morris from the Circle Jerks. Blistering old school punk. They just played Lollapalooza. Check out cool interview with him about records on BEAT GOES ON.

Crazy complete discography with artwork Record Collectors of the World Unite.

-Frosted Flake

The Untouchables vs. Repo Man

A two-fer, as I was looking to post something by The Untouchables and up pops a little video of them in Alex Cox's Repo Man. Cult classic LA cinema with the boys playing Vespa riding thugs; Rudy gangsters! They were a sick band with loads of energy and style. Check 'em out getting down with 'Free Yourself' originally released on their 1984 Live and Let Dance EP. Repo Man came out the same year.

Poster by Zach Hobbs (Check his gig posters!)

Album cover from: Album Cover Art Gallery

MOD WORLD (THE QUESTION-DADDY ROLLING STONE)

Picked this EP up way back when at Fender's Grand Ballroom after a scooter rally. I can't remember who else played that day, but I remember the Question killing the Yardbirds "For Your Love". The Question were one of the best bands out of the LA Mod revival scene in the early 80s. Like a lot of the LA bands from that scene, they sort of slipped through the cracks and never really got their due. This was the last track on the EP. Great cover version.



The question daddy rolling stone by Clark Quente

Yrz truly back in the diz (Big ups to Dave Maxwell)

Listen to some more mod chunes from the LA scene. From http://www.mistersuave.com/