Meet The Ronettes - Compiled by eL Stinkeyes (2010)

Throughout the decades there have been many adaptations on the "Girl Group." The Go-Go's, The Bangles, En Vogue, The Spice Girls, onto the flashes in the pan of "lo-fi" bands today and you get the picture. None of these come close to the original idea. There are many factors involved here besides the ladies. There were A-list songwriters, arrangers, musicians, singers, and producers all behind them working on "the" hit. Out of all these pioneering femmes, my favorite would have to be The Ronettes.
Ronnie Spector's uncanny vibrato. Beehives. Tight-ass skirts. Attitude. Sex Appeal. All these elements added up to revolutionizing the role of woman in song and on stage. One of the first rain drops of the women's rights storm brewing in the sixties.



You go girls.

(Los) Blops - Iquique (1979)

Chilean psychedelic chameleons Los Blops/Blops formed in 1970. Their first record was recorded in less than a day and released by Discoteca Del Cantar Popular De Las Juventudes Comunistas, only to be destroyed by the military for association with the communist youth. They collaborated with the legendary Victor Jara and became part of the neo-folk umbrella Nueva Cancion Chilena. This is all during the brutal revolution and coup of Salvador Allende which led to the even more brutal military dictatorship. Nine years later they composed music for a documentary about the northern province of Chile, Iquique that is never officially released until a bootleg cassette appears with side A as the soundtrack and side B as filler from their first LP. Easy on the ears pastoral acoustic music with a whiff of psychedelia in the air. Peaceful resistance music.

For chingos of downloads from Nueva Cancion and Victor Jara click here.

Iquique is here.

Los Holy's - Sueno Sicodelico (1967)

Once again leave it to Peru to dig up some pure awesomeness. Los Holy's  debut album is basically fuzzed out Duane Eddy surf guitar, sopping wet with reverb farfisa, Ayahuasca and alot of imagination. Very cinematic in scope save the Hawaii Five-O cover. It reminds me of  Joe Meek's Vampires, Cowboys, Spacemen and Spooks. Maybe I'll post that someday too.


Here

Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1991)

This album is still amazing. Shoegaze guitar sweeps. Lush vocal harmonies. Pop hooks. Punk flare. Like it matters but Bandwagonesque won Spin magazine's 1991 end of the year poll for best album, beating out Nirvana's Nevermind, Creation label mates My Bloody Valentine's Loveless and R.E.M.'s Out of Time. If you knew, sit back and remember. If you dont know, get you some.



Oi

Mike Patton's Mondo Cane - Live @ Teatro Rossini, Lugo, Italia 5/24/2007

Let's be frank. I grew up on Faith No More and Mr. Bungle but eventually Mike Patton became just annoying to my ears. I respect him as an intrepid, prolific artist and entrepreneur but......I don't know. Tomahawk? OK. Peeping Tom? Yuck. Lovage? Meh. Fantomas? Barely. Even his Ennio Morricone compilation released on his label Ipecac was about 20 songs too long, but wait! Look! (Inserting foot in mouth) Mike Patton is using his unique and amazing voice to recreate Italian pop and folk songs from the 60's. This project, Mondo Cane, is said to be years in the making. The official release date is set in this first week of May. In honor of this occasion, here is a live show from 2007 in Italia. Natural Born Crooner.


Mangia!