Stumble it!
February 22, 2008
Still Cool
The fashions were awful during my high school and college years, but I listened to some great music. Unfortunately, those were the days of the cassette and mixed tapes, so some of the more obscure artists have been lost to history.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got some fantastic, yet unplayable mixed tapes, which were as much fun to name as they were to play:
Fried Okra & Black Eyed Peas: featuring REM, Lone Justice, Primitons, Connells, Guadalcanal Diary, HooDoo Gurus (back then REM was “alternative”)
A Deadly Mixture: with Jesus & Mary Chain, Figures On A Beach, Depeche Mode, Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen
Club MTV: with the “top 40″ hits of the day, including Fine Young Cannibals, Bangles, INXS, “Goin’ Back To Cali” (the B side of the tape is labeled “Downtown Julie Brown”– anyone remember her?)
I have one with Wall of Voodoo on one side and the Sex Pistols on the other. The Smithereens and Dwight Yoakam. A couple of random songs from the Gun Club.
For years I’ve been saving a few cassette tapes in my attic, hoping I’d be able to dig up that music again. I tried in the days of Napster, with no luck. I’ve kept watch on eBay, to no avail.
I was updating the music recommendations on my right sidebar the other day and discovered that some genius has started converting some of this old music to CD, and in some cases, mp3.
Exciting finds included the db’s Like This
Sampling all these songs is making my basement smell like a frat house - beer plus urine and sweaty socks.
Someone needs to reissue The Connells. A sealed record on eBay from 1987 doesn’t do this iPodder much good. Although I suppose I could purchase one, like Darker Days
After digging through all this music, I spent an enjoyable afternoon driving to Target in the (much needed rain) listening to The Reivers (formerly Zeitgeist) sing Freight Train Rain
Oof– that was a painful calculation. I was eighteen in 1985, and I’m turning 41 in a few days. There’s not much to say about that, except that I’ve been slathering all kinds of potions on my face, and as soon as I look as good as Tina Turner I’ll let you in on my secret.
What bands and songs remind you of college or high school? Were there local bands that were awesome and should have made it big? (If you read the Amazon reviews for the db’s and Let’s Active, you’ll see people who thought THEY should have enjoyed U2 and REM’s success.) How about mixed tapes?
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Three years ago in My Tiny Kingdom: Finn Glamore: Poet Laureate
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February 22nd, 2008 at 9:47 am, Waidmann Says:
Anne,
Many of the new Receivers have the capability to convert your analog music to digital (that means you can hook your phono or tape deck to the back and convert it to CD). Once it’s on CD, you can save it on your computer and convert (Rip) it to .mp3 files pretty easy.
Or, you can purchase a USB Phonograph and play your records directly into your computer and convert them. There’s gotta be something out there that will do the same to your tape deck.
We’re trying to do that right now with our old records. It’s a pain in the butt, and takes a long time, but (we hope) it will be worth it.
Waidmann
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:35 am, Headless Mom Says:
There’s too many to list…My brother wrote about this not too long ago on his blog
http://samthebutcher.blogspot.com/2008/01/so-when-i-bought-my-new-car.html
He may also have some ideas of where to find this stuff-He’s quite the music guy. Good Luck!
Headless Mom’s last blog post..And About the Girls…
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:53 am, Sister Honey Bunch Says:
REO Speedwagon
B52’s
Bon Jovi and other BIG HAIR bands
Heart
Depeche Mode
Sister Honey Bunch’s last blog post..Fight The Frump: The Not-T and the Hot-T
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:16 am, Chandra Says:
Oh how we loved the mix tape! Hanging out by the radio hoping the stupid DJ didn’t mess up the beginning or the end of the song! Those were the glory days of the mix tape- kids these days have it too easy!
I was in high school in the late 80s early 90s so we had tons of the hair bands and for me there was none cooler than Def Leppard.
Chandra’s last blog post..Prayer Request
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:33 am, Russ Says:
INXS takes me back to high school.
Pink Floyd has many memories as well (no drugs for me, thus the memories.)
Russ’s last blog post..Friday Frustration by Russ
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:36 am, Laura M Says:
I was a huge Echo & the Bunnymen fan. Maybe I should say I *am* a huge E&B fan, since they’re still together and performing. Saw them in concert at JMU in Harrisonburg in maybe ‘87 or ‘88. I have most of their oeuvre on CD.
I also have, I think, the Connells CD with “Hats Off” and “1934″ and some other great ones. Saw the Connells in Charlottesville at a daylong outdoor festival in spring 1989, where I got a terrible sunburn followed by an even worse hangover. I think I got the Connells cd from lala.com, which I’ve found to be a good source for ’80s and ’90s music. (You trade CDs there.)
The Connells and Echo & B are still on my “most played” lists. Do you know the Woodentops? I liked them too.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 am, Karyn Says:
Oh goodness. My boyfriend and I did a lot of mixed tape swapping.
How about Duran Duran? I was thoroughly convinced I was going to marry John Taylor…
U2, Madonna, Springsteen, Depeche Mode, Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Concrete Blonde, Flock of Seagulls, The Cure, Cyndi Lauper… you have moved me to peek into my bins of cassettes and see if there is anything there I should look for in itunes… and covertly buy and never mention to anyone.
My math is wrong too, when I try to think how long ago I was 18. It must be that “new math”, it screws everything up. Well. That’s MY theory and I’m sticking with it.
Karyn’s last blog post..19th Nervous Breakdown
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:30 pm, Amy Says:
Anne~
I have the Connells on CD! It is very old and probably scratched but it’s around the house somewhere…I’ll make you a copy if I can find it. But if I have Connells CDs, surely you can get them somewhere. Although they did go to my high school so I may have one of the only copies…?
Good Luck!
February 22nd, 2008 at 4:25 pm, KLee Says:
There was no! way! that John Taylor of Duran Duran was going to marry Karyn, because he was already mine!
Anne, I recommend Pandora. (www.pandora.com) It’s a site where you can “favorite” your different artists, and will play things based on similar sounds/genres. You can have multiple channels, so you could have a Blast From the Past channel, and current favorites. I have stuff like: Tears For Fears, Howard Jones (I got such a kick out of your recent YouTubing of him!), Duran Duran, U2, Level 42, Scritti Politti, Marillion, The Hooters, Everything But the Girl and many, many more on my Pandora stations. The best thing of all, it’s free!
If it’s free, it’s for me!
I love it because I can listen to all that stuff that I have on vinyl somewhere, mouldering and gathering dust. The only bad thing about it is that you can’t rewind, and you have no control over what they play next. You do get to say, no, I don’t like it, and skip to the next song, but you only get so many skips an hour until you’re forced to listen all the way through something atrocious.
Let me know if you try it!
KLee’s last blog post..Is It Friday Yet?
February 22nd, 2008 at 5:03 pm, Cassie Says:
White Snake, Bon Jovi, Depeche Mode, INXS, Twisted Sister, Poison, Guns N Roses, Firehouse (I think that was their name), Nelson, New Kids On The Block, REM, Bobbi Brown, Cool and The Gang, Madonna, Cindi Lauper, oh god, I am getting old!
February 22nd, 2008 at 6:23 pm, Tina Says:
Oh, Oh, Oh - Depeche Mode, Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Circle Jerks, Flaming Butthole Surfers, REM, Duran Duran, REO Speedwagon, B52’s, Bon Jovi,
Heart, RAT, Scorpions, Tears For Fears, Howard Jones, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Flock of Seagulls, The Cure, INXS, Forigner, Styx, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sex Pistols, and Def Leppard. I need me some hair spray now and an acid pink sweatshirt with the neck ripped out to wear over my leggings and LEG WARMERS!!! Pardon me while I go tease my hair back into ’80’s shape!!!
Tina’s last blog post..Nerves
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:32 pm, leslie Says:
Ann my dear you have taken me back…
The funniest combination of music on cassette tape I ever made was on one side I had The Smith’s and on the other side I had Vivaldi’s Four Seasons! Remember how your tapes would get old and stiff and if you had auto-reverse on your stereo it would reverse in the middle of a song? So one minute I would be listening to Morissey whine and the next minute Vivaldi.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:48 pm, Susan Says:
The Gap Band! and the Police - there are spirits in my cereal bowl…
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:21 pm, Kathy Says:
I’ll just say that Jeff is well aware that Vince Neil is the only man I’d ever leave him for. And I have the pics from meeting him and then coming back home, so Jeff feels pretty safe.
My poor children get very little “new” music since we’ve had satellite radio. My 11 year old has the rockin’-est ipod ever with Crue, Iron Maiden, etc.
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:31 pm, Anne Turner Says:
The Reducers! And they’re still around! Two years ago a documentary was made about them- best unsigned band ever. Good guys. Fun music. Always great to dance to, especially live. I’d be curious what you think of them. They formed in the late 70s but I graduated from highschool in ‘87.
http://www.thereducers.com/audiofiles/
http://www.myspace.com/thereducers
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 pm, Jenny Says:
I can’t remember the last time I heard Lone Justice! Thanks for this list of “oldies”–they bring back such great memories!
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:59 am, sommer Says:
Funny! I actually have memories of elementary and middle school of Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. We would sing to that “Walk like an Egyptian!”
sommer’s last blog post..Green & Groovy Party…save the date!
February 23rd, 2008 at 11:19 am, annie Says:
Oh, we have lots of Connells CDs. They were one of our favorite bands to see live back in the day. I had no idea that the cds were hard to find. My husband has always said that it is tragic that they never made it big.
annie’s last blog post..He’s Always Been Emphatic
February 23rd, 2008 at 11:34 am, Jay Knorr Says:
Remember 120 Minutes? - the show that came on MTV that feautured all of “today’s alternative.” I recall dashing to the record store the day after each airing on many occasion to order the hottest new alternative album.
The Connells album, One Simple Word changed my life. Saw them open for Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ in Auburn not long after I saw The Cult blow Lenny Kravitz off stage!
REM’s Life’s Rich Pageant album is definitely in my top ten. How ’bout The Cure’s Fascination Street? The Pixies singin’ “Monkey Gone to Heaven” brings good memories.
I’m a litle younger than ya’ll but if you were around Auburn in the 80’s, you might remember a band called Mr. Resistor & the Incapacitators which were a newer version of the Rakes. They still play once a year down here at the Supper Club in December for a benefit. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to sit-in on drums with the lead singer/guitarist, Bruce Yandle on several occassions. Now, THEY should have made it big. Too bad college music turned from new wave to jam band ’bout the time a record deal should have been signed.
Remember Hoodoo Gurus, Husker Du, or the Lemonhead’s cover of “Luka?”
Early U2, the B52’s, and Athen’s own Pylon were cassette favorites. How ’bout New Order’s “Age of Ceonsent” or XTC’s “King For a Day?” The Stone Roses played some cool English funk. Echo & the Bunnymen’s cover of “People are Strange” is still one of the greatest remakes of the 80’s.
Violent Femmes’ debut album is one of the greatest albums of all time! We (a couple of bands I play in) still breakout, “Blister in the Sun” at party gigs.
They Might Be Giants’ “Ana Ng” still enters my mind once every so often.
The Replacements’ “Let It Be” was and still is a great album.
I could go on for hours listing all this great music.
As a musician still living in Auburn, I’ve watched our local scene go to complete and utter crap. None of these people know what good music is. I wish that I knew enough faithful that would visit a great alternative show a “Perfect Circle, of acquaintances and friends,” as REM sang about on the Murmur album. But for now, I’ll have to go on covering classic country, or soul, or 70’s rock to keep the beers selling. And dream of one day when all of this great music, MY music, can enter a live setting in a small bar once again. Thank you for the stroll down Memory Lane, I love your blog. War Eagle!
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:41 pm, justashley Says:
The Bodeans! Smithereens, The Church, The Dead Kennedys. What great memories! I thought that Jason and the Scorchers were the original performers of “19th nervous breakdown”. Not much of a Stones fan back then. What about the White Animals? I saw Elvis Costello at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta and that was AWESOME!
February 23rd, 2008 at 1:34 pm, Jo-L Says:
I have been lost in the iTunes vortex for several hours today so far, with most purchases consisting of the likes of Eminem, Nas, T.I. …. but this takes me back to high school, college … and to iTunes. I just bought INXS (thanks y’all) to add to my collection of LOVERBOY (Everybody’s Workin for the Weekend, a great song to listen to when buying beer underage and skipping Friday afternoon school), 38 Special, Billy Squiers (Strokin just does’t sound as good at 40 listenin to the iPod running as opposed to going 128 mph in a TransAm) but at least I will remember listening to it this time ….
February 23rd, 2008 at 2:39 pm, BamaGirlinNC Says:
Prince does it for me as far as flinging me back to the 80’s.
You Connell fans will be happy to know that the Connell brothers are alive and well in Raleigh, NC and occasionally play around here for charity events. They both have day jobs as lawyers, though. Still looking good, for guys pushing 50, and sounding great!
February 24th, 2008 at 2:05 pm, ksr Says:
I’m right there with you. My mix tapes sound very similar to yours, although I typically cut out product labels and used those as names (Instant Grits, anyone?). I want to buy one a machine that will put such tapes into digital format, but can’t bring myself to spend that much money on something I will be finished using after I get everything transferred. Maybe I’ll stalk craigslist for one.
February 24th, 2008 at 11:11 pm, Christy Says:
How great were the Connells? LOVE THEM and would LOVE to have their songs on my Ipod -
Christy’s last blog post..Lil’ Doodlebugs!
February 25th, 2008 at 12:54 am, heatherw Says:
The Dead Milkmen, 7 Seconds, Bad Brains.
Ah, the Cavern:) Do you remember the scary place at Tuxedo Junction or am I the one who remember it that actually made it to adulthood?
February 25th, 2008 at 1:48 pm, Shannon Says:
I love the Connells and have been searching iTunes for them for two years. I so can’t believe that they are lawyers in Raleigh.
Shannon’s last blog post..Lenten Resolution Update
February 26th, 2008 at 9:25 am, Kelly Says:
ohmygosh, I’m fixin to date myself here. ZZTop, Foreigner, Player, The Gap Band, Fleetwood Mac, Boston, ELO, Heart, Lynrd Skynrd, Shaun Cassidy, Bread, The Who…my brain just went dead.