After two live albums, Les Claypool's Frog Brigade was renamed The Les Claypool Frog Brigade, a more definite title for what would be the group's sole studio album, Purple Onion. Released September 24th, 2002, I don't remember playing this much on my radio show at the time. It was on WAIH's playlist though, and somehow a copy made it into my CD ( Read more... )

Throughout the 1990s Primus was a college radio staple. You couldn't scan the left of the dial without running into "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" or "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver." Primus was a more demented Red Hot Chili Peppers - in other words, perfect for college radio. They lasted from 1986 until 2000. During that time, bassist Les Claypool ( Read more... )

With only six proper studio LPs spanning 1977-1985, it's not difficult to complete a basic collection of music by The Clash. This is one of those moments where I look at my music collection and think, "well, I've dropped the ball on this one." I quite enjoy this band's music and really should have all of their albums, but for whatever reason I've ( Read more... )

Creatures, Clan of Xymox's 8th overall album (and first for Metropolis) opens with "Jasmine and Rose," arguably one of the best songs Ronny Moorings ever penned. Yes, it sounds like a long lost track by The Sisters of Mercy (and yes, Andrew Eldritch can suck my left one and fuck a duck while stewing in his impotent rage over my Goth music ( Read more... )

In this, Off the Rack's 100th entry, we move from a band who sounded like they should have been signed to 4AD in the 1980s to a band who actually was signed to 4AD in the 1980s. No, we've yet to get to the Cocteau Twins, but instead their labelmates Clan of Xymox (sometimes just Xymox).

Activate the WABAC machine: the year is 1985. Two years ( Read more... )

Released four years after Time and the Maiden, but only two years after Claire Voyant was signed to Metropolis Records, Love Is Blind is the group's third studio album. The official release date was September 24th, 2002 and judging by Metropolis' failure to send a copy to WAIH, the label didn't seem to have any interest in promoting it like they ( Read more... )

Sometime in the Spring of 2001, I was sitting in the office at WAIH, thumbing through CMJ Weekly when I spotted a review for Claire Voyant's Time and the Maiden. The Cocteau Twins and 4AD Records in general were name-dropped and I gave the Metropolis Records college radio promotions department a call to ask for a copy to be sent.

As it turned out ( Read more... )

Released in 2003, seven years after Magician Among The Spirits, Forget Yourself is the last album by The Church currently residing in my music collection. Obviously I have some major gaps in my collection when it comes to The Church's studio output. Forget Yourself is the band's thirteenth studio album, and there are three LPs between it and ( Read more... )

At the center of the cover art is a framed photo negative of Harry Houdini. The title is a reference to Houdini's experiences with the supernatural. The year was 1996 and Magician Among The Spirits was the first album The Church recorded and released after their contract with Arista was fulfilled (and not renewed). If things had gone bad when ( Read more... )

Affixed to the front of the jewel case to my copy of Gold Afternoon Fix is a sticker. Upon it is printed the following: "Strawberry Fields $7.79." Strawberry Fields was a music store and coffee house that existed at the corner of Market and Main Street in Potsdam, New York from 1998 until they moved in 2010. A Google search brings up listings ( Read more... )