Fitz Of Deprression video

Some videos os Fitz Of Depression playing Eugene, Oregon during the second show of a West-coast tour on April 21st, 2009 (My birthday ! And Iggy's birthday, too!). I had only joined the band 4 days earlier. Thanks to Turbojugend Eugene for sending this in these clips (and the T-shirts!)

Loveslug - "Strike me blind" Demo 1987

A few cuts from Loveslug's first ever demo. This was recorded right after B.G.K. broke up, in 1987. I wanted to get away from the overly politically correct bullshit from constipated, hypocritical squatter nerds AS FAR AS POSSIBLE and have some FUN doing it, singing songs about phonesex and Neanderthals.
PLUS put more ROCKNROLL in the punk. It's not called punk ROCK for nothing, hey I'm just sayin'. But more about that later. It was either "cross-over" or "jazzpunk" in those days. Everybody hated us.

However, future members of the HELLACOPTERS, GLUECIFER and TURBONEGRO took notes when we played their towns. Sluggy tells you no lies. Go and ask them if you don't believe me.


NOTE TO SELF : Insert old fart reminiscing stuff here

Anywhoo the source is 2nd (3d? 4th), shall we say 'budget' cassette tapes I dubbed personally on my cheap-ass cassette player so don't expect much in the way of quality. I did however try to (ahem) enhance the sound digitally (rush job though) but it's my barfday and I'm leaving on a west coast tour in a few hours. So deal, por favor. But you get the riffs, as per usual.

the songs :
- slap your slug
- quest for fire
- charlie
- search and destroy

ROCK ME

password : slugtrails

Hydromatics - the DVD

That's right folks, a full Hydro DVD ! Joe Chonto documented every single show on the last Hydro European tour with no less than three cameras in HD quality, and is currently in the process of distilling a zillion hours of footage into a full length rockumentary that shall be available in DVD format.
Here's what Joe had to say about the project himself :

Spinal Tap moments : Yeah, there's a whole lot of that!!! I played a little bit for some friends at work that cracked them up good; where Scott asks "Do you guys take requests? Do you know Stairway to Heaven?" And Paul responds in Indian accent "Steroids to Heaven? That is my very favorite song next to I Left My Snake In San Francisco."
Tomfoolery aplenty but also cool stories from Scott about the history of Sonic's Rendezvous Band and other things, that great footage of you and Ries in Bilbao at night, talking about the music biz, what the Hydromatics means to you, etc.
And of course the hotel room debacle in Rennes when we all got rudely awakened by the housekeeper, Benno's memorial -- just a whole range of stuff that goes way beyond the cookie cutter predictability of rock & roll road movies.

One thing guaranteed -- the Hydromatics film will have a whole lot of content.

- Joe

Yet another project in the works

Now it's getting a bit hard to keep track of all the cross fertilisation going on here, but it looks like former Hydromatics and Powertrane drummer, Ann Arbor native Andy Frost (pictured far left) will reunite reunite with yours truly this summer for some heavy duty rocknroll.
Andy played on the Powerglide album and did several full European tours with the Hydromatics. We plan on recording something in Seattle with Jack Endino, so stay tuned !
In this video : Andy in action with Powertrane featuring Scott Morgan, Robert Gillespie (Rob Tyner band) and Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman).

LINKS

Powetrane official
Powertrane on Myspace

Just a bunch of Hydro flyers

Who wants to see some pretty flyers ? ME ! ME ! ME !

Fitz of Depression tourdates

I'm a mongoloid and just joined Fitz Of Depression (Olympia, Wa.) for a little West coast tour. These guys have been around since 1988 or so and released a ton of stuff.

TOURDATES

Apr 18 2009 Tony V’s Garage Everett, Washington
Apr 21 2009 Samurai Duck, Eugene, Oregon
Apr 22 2009 Henflings Tavern Santa Cruz, California
Apr 23 2009 Annies Social Club, San Francisco, California
Apr 24 2009 The Relax Bar Los Angeles, California
Apr 25 2009 Ruby room, San Diego, California
Apr 29 2009 Burnt Ramen Richmond, California
Apr 30 2009 Fire Escape, Sacramento, California
May 1 2009 Whiskey Dicks Saloon, South lake Tahoe
May 2 2009 Sheas Tavern, Reno, Nevada
May 3 2009 Billy Bombay's, Redding, California
May 4 2009 Portland, Oregon TBC

GOODIES

GET "let's give it a twist" by Fitz of Depression
GET "swing" by Fitz of Depression
(password : slugtrails)

LINKS

Fitz Of Depression MySpace

Rave records compilation #3 (2006)

Another release I didn't know a thing about. This one contains the Loveslug track called "Loser Bar" which was previously released as a split single together with Skin Yard on Glitterhouse (Europe) and Rave Records (USA).

You can buy the song here for $0.99 but as per usual, I have no clue whatsoever where that money goes. It definitely isn't me.

Loveslug - Circus of Values LP/CD

The fourth (actually 3d and a half) + final Loveslug release came out in 1994 shortly before band broke up, and Glitterhouse records, let's say, 'parted company' with us. Needless to say we never got a penny from that label, which seems to be 'not uncommon' among the artists on their roster.
To my surprise the also appeared to own a third of the publishing rights later. How the hell did that happen I'll never know. Then, and fifteen years later (i.e. just now) I learned that the record was also licensed to and released by Rave Records in the US (cat. nr. Rave 025) on vinyl. Did anybody even bother to tell the band ? Hell no. In which context this bit information is also interesting.

Deja vu / Deja screw, that's what I'm talking about brothers and sisters.

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY, German band DIE AERZTE blatantly stole my title "RocknRoll Ubermensch" (as they state themselves on an early pressing of their album with the same name), to consequently sell hundreds of thousands of copies of it.

Sluggy gets no love folks.

The sleeve art was created by famed Dutch underground comic artist Peter Pontiac, who also did record covers for B.G.K. and the Nitwitz. A part of it was reproduced on the cover of his (highly recommended!) rocknroll book "Pontiac Review #5"

GOODIES

GET "Circus Of Values" (password : slugtrails)

LINKS

Peter Pontiac expo

Loveslug - Snailhouse Rock 12"

This is the second Loveslug release, I think from 1988/1989. It is an 8 song, 12 inch 45 rpm mini LP that came out on Glitterhouse Shitterhouse records from Germany. The first 1500 copies were pressed in fluorescent green vinyl, consequent pressings are in black vinyl. The bizarre cover picture appears to be the portrait of some artist who used live snails doused in paint as his "brushes".

I'll digitize and upload the tunes when I have the time.

Loveslug - Coyote Date 45

Loveslug "Coyote Date" single. I stole the cover pic from a "feminist art exhibition" in hopes of getting "you're sexist" flak. But of course, when you try, it never happens. The flipside "Quest For Fire" is a different version from the one that appeared on "Howl" magazine freebie. I.e. it was actually mixed. I think 1500 copies exist. The "Coyote Date" lyrics are pretty sordid.