Cool and Strange Music! Magazine - 02 - Summer 1996

44 Pages·1996·67.905 MB·English

by  various

l:aol And Stran eM usic!
c
---------------Magazine
• "e:t!;C'e,E:t! 'e IJnu\Uef ~eunf!\ • SUMMER 1996
W
ell, hePe's o"P Secom~ lss"e of [fool Am~ StPa'1ge ~fosic! Magazi'1e, am~ ifs
o"P r.iesi yei! Yeah, yeah ... we ~rnow .. .ii's j"st o"t SecoatJ lss"e! Well, r.ieap
wiih "s am~ let "s '1at o"Pselves 0'1 the riack a lillle, will yaP We thi'1k it's rieHeP
r.ieca"se we've got mope '1ages, rieHeP '1Pi'1ti'1g, rieHeP looki'1g '1hotos am~ lots of gPoovy
f 0'1tS! We ho'1e YCJU thi'1k so, too! So he Pe we go, ki.,s! U's go'1'1a r..e a'1otheP cool Pi.,e
thPo"gh those wil.,, wacky a"" sometimes tacky woPI., of JlE(}CJFlOS!!!!
Publlsher/Edllo'1 Dana Counfry'tman
l.a.,,ouf and Desl!finz The saime !fiu'f'
Es:eculfre A.drlsorz Helth B. Ellis
Proofreaderz Tricia Meler
Prfnfi..S Ser'f'fcesr Paci/le Cop,-& P,,fnfJ..S Co.
Conlrlbutln!'i W'rltersz
Da'f'e Guhlo- Phil /'tlohl
Biii Johnson Brother Cle'l'e
Stefan Her.,, Ed Haz
D. I- s.,,1..,,1. lllch W'llhelim
COOL AND STRANGE MUSIC MAGAZINE is published on a quarterly basis by Dana CountnJman for
Lnbor Of Love Productions, in association with Fontmeister Design. All contents are copyright 1996 Ta-Dah!
Productions, Inc., unless otherwise noted. Sample and single copy price: $3.95. A years' subscription (4 issues)
for the U.5.A is just a measly $12, $19 elsewhere (IMO). Make checks payable to COOL AND STRANGE
MUSIC! MAGAZINE. Because of the adult nature ofs ome oft he art, you must state your age and include your
signature. Unsolicited manuscripts/articles are welcome, but must be accompanied by a SASE for return. All
letters sent to Cool And Strange Music! Magazine may be printed, unless requested otherwise by the sender.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher. Not to
be sold to minors or small Jann animals.
Cool And Strange Music!
Magazine
P.O.Box 8501, Everett, WA 98201 USA, Planet Earth
e-ma~_: [email protected] NEW Fax#: [phone]
2 f,00/ And Strange Music!" END O' SUMMER 1996
-----Magazine
In This Issue• ••
Edi-toriaJ. 4
Le-t-ters, We Ge-t Le-t-ters 'llVege~•ack•an.d&ack&o:t:Iettere--- 5
WesJ..ey Willis by Phil :Noh..1. '7
Yo"U. OWJ.V' T.h.a-t? by Dav-e G..u..Iow .IO
.F_ree .Desigii by Ed .K"az ..I2
The Los-t Esq"U.i"Y"eJ.. LI>! by Brodier C.lev-e .IS
..Ferraii-te & Teicher by Brodier C.lev-e ..IG
.Da"Y"i.d. Le-t-ter.m.aii •s Records by Da:n.a Coui:1:t~a.n ..I9
i\Te wA .n.d. .Dif:fereii-t Ci> Re"Y"i.ews 2..I
Co"Y"er .A.rt Goiie .Bad! 22
Swed.eii Swiiigs by S-tefa:n. .K"ery 3..I
.Bra--v-e Co.m.bo by .Rich Wilh.ehn. 33
To.m. Lehrer by Jeff. ll'Lorris 28
Coin_b"U.s-tabJ..e Edisoii• s To"U.r :N'o -tes 42
S-traiige CJ..assified.s 43
Great Big
Cool A.'J:."'\.d.
I I
Stra.'J:."'\.ge
I I
I I Tha.'J:."'\.k-
I I Yo'\,;I.' s !:
I I
I I
Special thanks to the following
I I
Cool folks for making the SECOND
I I
Issue of our Strange magazine
I I
another rip-snortin' success!• ••
I I
I 1 Michael Toth • D.J. Sylvis
\.. ___________ ..J
Steve Young • Rich Wilhelm
Annie Sat/er • Brother Cleve • Tricia Meier
Dave Guhlow • Irwin Chusid • Frank Davis
Phil Noh/ • Marjoe Gartner • Joseph Holmes
Sean Berry • Chara Calderone • Jeff Morris
'e
Ralph Alfonso • Nancy Neiman• Ed Kaz • Bill Johnson
fe' Ke:i'h
~it ~ ~e~ky 'rhenk~ e:11;~!!!
END O' SUMMER 1996 CAJOI And Strange Musict 3
----""'-Magazine
.A..:n.d iiow,
a few words f.roi:n.. our Ed.ii;o.r. ..
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Hi kids!
Wow! What an amazing 3 months it's been! First of all, the response
to the Premiere Issue of Cool and Strange Music! Magazine has been
ohenomenal! I'm sure that you'll notice the major differences in the
quality of the magazine that you're holding in your hands, compared to
the Premiere Issue. We've got a great color cover, more pages and we've
upgraded our ol' computer equipment, and stuffed it full of cool fonts (I'm
a suckerfor fonts!) You'll also notice a lot more photos, courtesy of our
new scanner. (I see lots of photos as a very important aspect to the future
of this publication.) The other big change in my life was the birth of my
first son on June 6th, merely two weeks ofter the first Issue debuted. (See
photo for proof. That's my beautiful wife, Tricia and Iw ith our newest little
record collector, Matthew.) Hey, it's my magazine, so let me shaw off the
kid, will ya!l've already started him on o strict regiment of Mrs. Miller and
Spike Jones records. After all; he's gonna inherit all these things some day,
so he needs lo get familiar with them early on!
Okay, on to other subjects. Iw anted to talk a little about my feelings
of price-gouging in the exotic/strange phenomenon. There's a guy on the
Internet who is famous for overcharging far these great old records. Ih ave
a hard time believing that very many people are paying his outlandish
prices, but who knows? Iw as in a used record store in San Jose last summer,
where my wife and I were vacationing. After looking through the Yellow
Pages, I found o very cool used record store there, jam-packed with great
records. My enthusiasm quickly turned to disbelief and anger, however,
when In oticed that there was nothing in his store priced under $25! He was charging 25 bucks and up for everything ... old Tijuana Brass, Lawrence
Welk, even Mantovani records!!! Finally, in frustration, I went up to him and asked if he had a 'dollar' box. He laughed in my face and said "I
don't think even the Goodwill sells 'em for a dollar anymore!". Disgusted, I walked out of his store without spending anything. The place gave
me the creeps, and reeked of 'rip-off'. On my drive bock to our hotel, I noticed a Goodwill store only a couple of blocks from this guy's store.
Iw ent in and guess what? ... ! found piles and piles of great records, and I bought an armload of them .. .for a dollar each! Take that, Mr. Overpriced
Records Man! ·
But you know, Ig uess the bottom line is ...s hop carefully. If you wait long enough, and can stand to wait, chances are you'll probably
find the record you're looking for at the price you're willing to pay! But let the buyer beware ... Caveat Emptor, baby! My message is this ...t o
all the overpriced dealers of the world ...s hame on you! But I suppose if they find people willing lo pay their greedy prices, shame on the buyers
for allowing themselves to fall prey to these guys! These spoilsport dealers care little for the great music on these once-forgotten music and are
just out to make a sleazy buck. But you know, if we all stick together and boycott these money-grubbing jerks, maybe they'll lose interest and
sell baseball cards or something else. At least that would make me feel better. Okay, I'm done ranting! On with the magazine!
-Dana Countryman • Editor/Publisher
This Issue is dedicated to the memory of my record-collecting Uncle,
Kenneth Campbell who passed away just hours before this went to
press. An avid collector of some 10,000 78s, his influence on my life
and interests has been a major one. I will miss you, Uncle Kenny.
4 f,oo/ And Strange Music!"' END O' SUMMER 1996
-------Magazine
lE1"1"ERS lE1"1"ERS lE1"1"ERS lE1"1"ERS lE1"1"ERS lE1"1"ERS lE1"t~~
Letters
them to me for 25 or 30 bucks. I saw an Esquivel cassette of their own finds. Or something like ..,.
LP with a price of$75on it ata local show. When that...
I told the dealer I'm not ready to spend that kind Phil Milstein
of money for that record, he simply informed the Cambridge, MA
"They're hot." No one bought the record.
Henry Perone Thanks for your thoughts, Phil. You bring up
Bridgeport, NY several good points. As the magazine continues
ofa C ool
to grow, we will continue to define the direction of
Thanks for your note, Henry! I can Ya gree with the magazine. The first issue; admittedly, was a
you more. You bring up the subject of one of my bit disjointed. We will be concentrating less on
biggest pet peeves, people who try and cash in elementary primers of the various genres in the
on the beauty of collecting and finding these issues to follow. The issue you are holding in
wacky old albums. (See my editorial on the your hands now, is really more along the lines
~And
previous page to hear me rant in that I originally intended. I had to scramble a bit
more detail.! to come up with enough articles to fill out the
..... Premiere Issue, but now that more people are
.....
Dear Dana Countryman, starting to know about the magazine, we are
Thanks very much for sending me a beginning to receive more in-depth articles on
~Strange
copy of your first issue. I thought it specific odd-music subjects. One thing's for sure,
was a pretty good initial effort, al though, and that's that the magazine probably
though I found a lot of the subject can't please everyone. But we figure that if you
sw matter to be rather predictable. There seems to find a couple of articles that interest you, then
Nature! be a bit of confusion, in fact, as to whether your we've done our job.
intended audience are novices to this sort of Thanks for your constructive criticism!
music, or those who've been around it for a while.
For instance, you've got several articles that Dana:
serve as primers on Esquivel, Space Age etc. Somehow, someway, a copy of Coo/ And Strange
and exotica in general, and yet you also run a Music! Magazine crossed my desk and it is
Spike Jones story that is not a career overview, thoroughly enjoyable. I don't recall if I was inter
but rather a thoughtful study of the history of his viewed by Bill Johnson or not (I've done so
To Everyone Involved: clothes, which is quite an obscure topic! @%!'# many phoners in the past 2 years), but
Here's my 12 bucks for the next 4 issues of your My own interests run much more toward the his Short History of Space Age Bachelor Pad
cool magazine. Thanks for the 1st issue. I en latter thrust, and I found myself merely skimming Music was 100% on the money! Guy did his
joyed it very much. I wanted to contribute some the more basic articles, but I would suggest that homework and I appreciate it.
photos of some neat stuff from my collection for over the course of your first few issJJes you Two things:
your Naked Ladies Issue, but I won't be able io choose to move in one direction or the other, and 1) Would you kindly send a copy of C&S to Sr.
this time around ... maybe in a future issue. I'm an then work that side of the street vigorously. Then Esquivel himself? I know he would love it. Maybe
avid collector of these great LPs. To me, it's I think you'll be on to something, because there put a Post-It flag on the page with Wayno's illo.
much more fun than collecting Top 40 or "Rare clearly is a market for a well-done publication Drop him a note, if you like. He answers all mail
Rock Albums" at $100-$1000 each! I'd rather about strange music. (eventually}.
have a copy of "Music For Robots", than a Buddy Another suggestion: one of the things that both 2) Since you promise interviews with "movers
Holly or Elvis album anyday! I was collecting ered me about the two RE/Search books is that and shakers behind the scenes", I'd love to yak.
strange stuff eve before the RE/Search books I grew very frustrated with merely reading about I have some new projects I'm working on, and
came out and made it popular. A couple of my other people's great record finds. Words and would be happy to extemporize on what's come
favorites: pictures seem to be a wholly inappropriate me before. Besides Sr. E. .. And Raymond, I've be
Shock · Creed Taylor dium for dealing with something as ephemeral come quite fascinated lately with the bizarre life,
Exploring The Unknown -Walter Shuman and special as music. If the records under dis erratic recordings and grisly death of UK pro
Scary Tales -John Zacherie cussion were easier to come by, then the curios ducer Joe Meek. I'm also working on an album of
By the way, if anyone gets any ideas ity aroused by all the interviews and pictures music associated with TV pioneer Ernie Kovacs.
about publishing a price guide for these kinds of wouldn't be such a frustrating thing to quench. It's an odd collection of recordings.
records, I'd like to cast my vote "NO!" right now! My suggestion is that you have the subjects of Irwin Chusid, Director
There are already people in my local area who your Collector's Spotlight prepare a cassette of The Raymond Scott Archives
don't give a damn about lounge music, haunting selections from the records he or she will be Hoboken, NJ
,.,,, d.. ,, the same flea markets and thrift stores that I do. talking about in their interview, and make it
They buy them for a dollar or two and try to sell available by swap to anyone sending a similar )) )).4 0
~i~l1 S~l~~l1 S~l~~l1 S~l~~l1 S~l~~l1 S~l~~l1 S~l~~l1
ENDO' SUMMER 1996 f,oo/ And Strange Music!" 5
------~ Magazine

r----------------------------------,
\ViC)LiCY \ V i l l i )
The Madness Of King Wesley
by Phil Nahl
When asked by an MTV interviewer whether he minded that some people attended
his live shows simply to laugh at him, Wesley Willis abruptly replied, ''They come
to hear the music. I know how to rock and roll them bones."
illis will be the first to tell trious ingredient of talent is truth, and Wesley is
you that he and his band, certainly not afraid to rock and roll them bones.
The Fiasco, can rock. That One cannot listen to a song by Wesley Willis
is, if you have the courage and not be affected in some way. Nearly everyone
to approach this 6' 5", 300 will laughat him, but to understand what it is that
pound recording staratacon makes his music so hilarious has as much to do
cert. Of course you must first with the frivolity of pop music in general and the
be prepared to meet the man guidelines that he so blatantly ignores, as it does
tete a tete. with the simplicity of his style. Understanding his
The world of Wes music must begin by
ley begins with a crash learning more about
ing of the skulls, and he the man ...
even has a knot on his On October 21,
forehead the size of a 1989, Wesley Willis
Yugo to prove it. Wesley began to hear voices.
Willis will rock your He was diagnosed as
world. He is a man who having chronic
will eagerly invite you schizophrenia. In
to visit his psychotic 1992, he began to
musical realities and write songs and since
force you to take a ride then has produced
on his demented merry several (some say 20)
go-round. albums. He sold his
Wesley will run self-produced CDs
circles around your con wherever he could,
ventional pop sensibili on the street, in the
ties. Which ear you stands at sports
choose to listen with will events and in the lob
depend on your own bies at rock and roll
relative perceptions of concerts.
art, music, and taste. It National atten
is easy to dismiss Willis as talentless and clueless tion was on the rise when Oglio Records compiled
but it must be acknowledged that the most illus- a collection of Wesley's solo recordings and)))).
L----------------------------------~
END 0' SUMMER 1996 CAJol And Strange Music!" 7
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•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
released Rock n Roll Will scheduled for October.
Never Die a "Best Of' What American will
Wesley's songs about no doubt realize is that
his favorite bands. This Willis will be a very hard
recording was Wesley's (Actual quotes from a few of Wesley's songs ...) sell. His abrasive style is
first to be advertised for the most part based
and promoted nation "As I rock the jam session, I'm going to keep on on a single musical pat
ally. At the same time the perpendicular every day. And each time when tern; a pattern he will
Oglio was working on I rock 'n roll, I'm going to keep busy on the repeat song after song
Wesley's solo career, blowtorch." with only a slight change •
The Wesley Willis Fiasco ofrhythm and of course,
was coming to national "Rock over London, rock on Chicago. Diet Pepsi, lyrical content. This pat
attention. The Wesley uh-huh." tern is interrupted only
• Willis Fiasco is a hard when he is accompanied
rock band with Wesley "I'm sorry that I got fat. I will slim down." by his band, an occur
as the front man. The rence which is all too
Fiasco released an inde "You are the girl of my dreams. Just remember seldom realized. In that
pendent recording on this meaning. I will always love you like a respect I certainly hope
their own label, Urban milkshake." that American Records
Legends. The Fiasco has -Lyrics from his song "Uz Phair" will feature more tracks
toured the US and is with the entire band and ..
currently on hiatus. "The band got down like a magic kiss. The rock use Wesley's solo per
Rock n Roll Will and roll was perfect." formances as an extra •
Never Die received posi -Lyrics from any number bonus. •
tive reviews in a variety of of songs about rock bands. Let's begin with an ••
of major national publi understanding of a solo •
• wcaotuioldn st,u rann do utth eto CbDe "Skrew, Skrew, Skrew, S-kTrheew c, hSokrruesw .t"o his song Wpeilrlfios.r mIamnacgei nbey Wa ekseleyy •••
Wesley's last nationally about the band Skrew board and bass line com
distributed indepen- plete with canned drum
dent solo recording. )))J.39
Willis started to create a follow
ing among both rock fans and
rock stars, including former
Dead Kennedy lead singer, Jello
Biafra, who put out a collection
of Wesley's songs on his own
Alternative Tentacles label. In
the early part of l 996 Wesley
was signed to a non-exclusive,
two-record deal by American
Records. With the buzz sur
rounding The Fiasco and
Wesley's growing solo career,
American Recordings decided to "'
sign Wesley to a his own two 1!
0
record deal featuring his solo aIu:l:l
material. The first is due in stores
0
in late August and the second is Cl
0
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
8 f,oo/ And Strange Music!'"
K<trib ~ifMERrrBizes backstage wit.h Wesle~.
------Magazine
Fish heads, fish heads eat them up yum!. ..
Available now!
Barnes & Barnes
VOOBAHA
Please Please Me • Boogie Woogie Amputee • Gum by Jaws Lament •
De Pumped Out Blues • Clip Clop (Ode To Equus) • I Hope She Dies
• Party In My Pants • Fish Heads • Sewey Hole •The Lumanian Love
Song • Cemetery Girls • Something's In The Bag • Linoleum •When
You Die • The Vomit Song • Boogie Woogie Amputee {Early Version) •
High School Gym •Three Drunk Newts •Voyeur • Cruising Through
Westwood • Neanderthal Love • Please Squeeze My Knees Louise •
I Love You Baby
VVesley VVillis
The Obscurity File Rock 'N' Roll
Will Never Die
Various Artists
Ogden Edsl Kinko The Clown
Killer Pussy Teenage Enema Nurses ...
Wild Horses Funky Poodle
Unit 3 With Venus Pajama Party
Little Girls The Earthquake Song
Bouquet OfVeal DworfTossin'
Angel & The Reruns BufFt Come Back
Klondike Karl Time Is A Ticky Talk
Brian Briggs See You On The Other Side
Bollock Brothers Harley David
LAX Ronnies Song
The Vandals Urban Struggle
Scott Goddard Cowpunk
Bird & Mac Donald The Rodeo Song "Courtney Love"
Ogden Edsl Kinko Returns "Hootie & The Blowfish"
Ogden Edsl Scott Goddard
Killer Pussy
Mower OfThe (8c';~•) You Break It,
Ogden Edsl Bikini Wax You Bought It!
SCOll-
YOU BRUK 1Ji.
YOU BOUGHI' n.
"Kinko The Clown" "Teenage Enema "I 0,000 Camaros"
"Dead Puppies" Nurses In Bondage" "Cowpunk"
"Bikini Wax"
The first thing people notice about Here it is again! You know, you really
our house decor is our wall o' records. should teach them where this belongs.
Their comments are usually "Gee, It's funny though, I never see their toys
that's a lot of records", or "Have you scattered around."
listened to all of those?". (Actually I
haven't.) It's gotten to the point where I finally had to 'fess up and admit it ...
I don't know what we have anymore. we didn't have kids, thus forcing me into
I'll be looking through the stacks for phase two of "You OWN That?":
something, and come across an al
bum I have no recollection of buying. ... The Defensive Phase:
This can be downright Friend: "Aha! I knew that Chipmunks
embarrassing when some 1---------:;;;-::;;;::;;:;;;~;a~l:b~u:m~w~aas· yours!"
one else is doing the look Me: "Hey, they were
ing. Friends of ours have good! Did you ever see
pawed through our pride them live?"
and joy. and what do they Friend: "They were
pull out to examine? The faking it! They didn't even
White Album? No. play their own instru
Beethoven? No. The ments!"
Chipmunks Songbook?
... You guessed it. After you've been col
lecting cool and strange mu
"The CHIP- sic a while, you become fed
MUNKS?!", they shriek up defending yourself and
in horror, as if being your so-called musical
attacked by vinyl coo tastes. Hey, you've spent
ties. "You OWN that?" good money on these things.
As they try and con They're your records,
tain their mixture of dammit, and you're proud of
laughter and disgust. each and every one of them.
My first reaction is
feigned ignorance. "Chipmunks? You bet I
own that! I can't wait for the
boxed set! That's the one with
the bootleg version of 'Free
Bird'!"
Our friends must have a few vinyl skeletons in
This worked fine for a while, until our friends their own closets. After all, how else would they
found it strange that the suspect album magically know all the lyrics to "Witch Doctor?".
reappeared in the same spot in the wall o' records,
time after time. -Dave Guhlow
"Boy, those kids of yours sure are persistent. 000000000
10 f,oo/ And Strange Musicr END O' SUMMER 1996
------"'-Magazine