PANDORA's LUNCHBOX - "Moody Yam" (1994)

I was getting pretty distracted by 1994, so I don't remember much about this tape! I can tell you that Pandora's Lunchbox were from Wilmington, NC and that this tape was recorded live to DAT on a cold black night in May '94 and this is a pretty wild song!

Pandora's Lunchbox - "Luther The Geek Falls In Love"

MADE IN U.S.A. VOLUME 1 - "Various Artists" (1994)

I always thought this was an interesting project, a various artists compilation tape from Red Neon Tapes in Belgium featuring only music from the United States. I had a song on this tape that might not have been too bad if it had been mixed decently, but it wasn't! This tape also featured music from some truly amazing talent that included MISS IN DIARY, NOMUZIC, TEEN MILK, SCREAMIN' POPEYES, BLACK LEATHER JESUS, NEXT RADIO, SUM-ER 4, PINEAL VENTANA, BEATBOX "D", CRAWL UNIT, DONALD CAMPAU, SHAKE MECHANICS, NEXT RADIO, and our featured and extremely talented artist with a message that is still pertinent some 30 years later! If life is fair, these guys are rich and famous by now! (This song is genuine social commentary, but unfortunately the language is still not permissible by current FCC regulations which is just fucking stupid!) "Make Music, Not Money!" From San Anselmo, Ca. I'm so fucking proud to present...

The New Improved Jook Savages - "It's So Fucked"

RED ASPHALT - "Egg & Anvil" (1993)

I had exchanged a couple of tapes with Scott Davey in the bay area, and I think he sent me this RED ASPHALT tape that says it was recorded in San Anselmo, Ca. 1982 - during the Flood. Scott was playing keyboards, and had some vocals on these early recordings. The other members of RED ASPHALT were Tina James, vocals, Ron Hanik, guitar, Bruno De Martes, bass, and Ted Johnson, percussion, vocals. It's a one-sided tape, but it's "repeated on side 1 for your convenience." People were so much more thoughtful in the 80's! This is a pretty cool tune!

RED ASPHALT - "Survival, Evasion, Escape"

MITCH FRIEDMAN - "Pop Corn" (1987)

 This tape is by Mitch Friedman and is broken down into three sections, WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE ('84 - '85), SCRAP - Collected bits from 1/84 thru 4/87, and EXCUSE ME ('85 - '87). The red shirt on the cover is hand colored! Recorded in Schenectady and Woodmere, NY, and performed entirely by Mitch Friedman, except for a couple of guest vocals. Your guess is as good as mine what this song is about!

Mitch Friedman - "Boan-Ga-Loar"

 The liner notes state that "Mitch Friedman is proficient at zero musical instruments," and I believe it!

ROCKIN' ROD AND THE STRYCHNINES (1988)

Sometimes you just gotta get down to the basics of life and making music like drive, impulse, energy, and just a need to do it, and I think Rockin' Rod and the Strychnines personify that basic premise as well as anyone! The music is raw like the early Velvet Underground or somebody you probably knew playing music in their garage on a Saturday night! Rod was from Vashon, Wa, and this tape was released in 1988......Hit it guys!!

Rockin' Rod and the Strychnines - "I Like Your Style"

XAPbKO8 - V/A - "Ukraine Underground From "New Stage" Kharkow City" (1989)

 I felt like I hit the big time when I got things like a bottle of vodka from Bulgaria, or a tape like this from the Ukraine. This tape was a various artists compilation called "Ukraine Underground From "New Stage" Kharkow City," and the artists involved were Chuzroy / Alien, Chichka Drichka, and The Play! The bottom line is I'm one of the luckiest guys in the world, and here to prove it, is a raw and unbridled cut straight out of the Ukraine circa 1989! Maybe the only records they ever heard in the Ukraine were Hasil Adkins and/or The Fugs!

Tovarisch / Comrade - "The Dance"

NO PIGEONHOLES Vol 99 - Don Campau (1988)

 The "No Pigeonholes" theme by Ken Clinger

"Turn  On Your Radio!"

 I don't remember exactly how I came to be in contact with Don Campau. I'm pretty sure that I had read about his Lonely Whistle label in the cassette section in the back of Option magazine, which prompted me to write him. Well, I was looking for people to trade tapes with, and meeting Don was like hitting a goldmine! Eureka! Not only is Don Campau one of the most active independent musicians in the world, he hosted this radio show broadcast over the airwaves from Cupertino, Calif. and if you weren't within listening range, he would send you one of his "No Pigeonholes" compilation tapes of the show that he played your music on. And he did all that for free. As you can see from the label, it was various artists indeed! Here's the cut from:

GREEN PAJAMAS

DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEES - Spoken Word Comp - C.M.P. (1990)

This 1990 Spoken Word cassette titled "Disgruntled Employees" was a various artists compilation tape put together by Sverre H. Kristensen in Denmark. We were lucky enough to be one of the five out of twenty-six artistes from the U.S.A. The others were John Trubee, John M. Bennet, and Zoogz Rift. Our cut was called "X-13 Calling." This is a very poetic release that reminds me about when I was a college D.J. in the 70's doing a one hour poetry show on a Saturday night. I sure wish I had a copy of that show. Mostly all I remember is that one of the poets was slamming Jack Daniels before he went on the air, and that's about what this tape sounds like too! This tape featured artistes from Iceland, Norway, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, France, U.K., and this piece is from Belgium!

C.M.P. - "Lied Van De Neuzen" (Song of the Nose)