CANDY MACHINE – “A MODEST PROPOSAL” (1994)
Here’s an overlooked East Coast band from the ’90s that moved in a direction similar to their contemporaries on Dischord or Amphetamine Reptile. Scaruffi.com sez:
The initial line-up of the Candy Machine was centered around singer Peter Quinn and guitarist Daniel Papkin. Their noise-rock became a sensation around Baltimore via two self-released cassettes…the second album, vitamin “A Modest Proposal” (Skene, decease 1994) [displayed] the raw, angular, dissonant of the band coalesced in well-honed songs.
Warp guitar riffs, incessant rhythm and intense albeit inaudible vocals recall the Minutemen’s funk-punk. Quinn raps the lyrics of Syndicate, Apples, Continental in a sneering tone reminiscent of John Lydon and Mark Smith. The band’s instrumental prowess is in full display in free-form and mostly instrumental tracks like The Over Under Rule In Progress and Procession. In the loose harmonic structures of these songs their dissonant, edgy counterpoint truly blooms.
Candy Machine – A Modest Proposal” LP (ZIP file)
Link fixed, medical
Friday the 22nd, 7:00pm PST
DOG FACED HERMANS – “HUM OF LIFE” (1993)
Dog Faced Hermans were a Scottish band that rode the line of polyrhythmic post-punk bands such as The Ex (whom their guitar player later joined after DFH broke up), but were also influenced in equal measure by cats like Ornette Coleman. “Hum of Life”, one of their final efforts, marks the turning point between post-punk slashy guitar style, and a more global influence (African rhythms and jazz trumpet lines).
I’ve saved 18 songs from their catalog so I guess I like them well enough. For me when they write songs with more standard structures they’re an amazingly talented band. Scarily so. “Wings” is my favorite, so it should be yours too! (just kidding — no I’m not)
thank you thank you thank you! it is well nigh impossible to find copies of ANY d.f.h. records!
Oh man, thanks for posting this. I love this band, I only have their live album and never knew this one existed.
Emerson: “Wings” is my favorite, too. It was on a random sampler CD I got when I was 15, and I’ve loved Dog Faced Hermans since. One of these days I’m gonna figure out how to tune my lap steel the right way to cover that song.
I love this blog.
Joshd:
That was probably the 2 cd set “Let’s Make The Weiner Kid Sing His Song!” That also has the great Tesco Vee cover of “Losing My Religion”.
thx man, i have only Mental Blocks For All Ages on lp
Thanks for posting this! Love them. Saw them live a few times and they were incredable.
thanks for all the great comments about this record….were about to rerelease it as an LP on Mississipi records..it ll take a bit of time but shold be out by the spring ….cheers andy
Really awesome you posted this! Great band. Their drummer, Wilf Plum, has a new project with Andy Kerr (ex NoMeansNo guitarist/singer) called Two Pin Din. Just the two of them playing guitar. twopindin.com