In The Trashcan
Records GEM020
"Baby, you can drive my car... until death do us part..."
Neue Deutsche Welle about driving in your car. It's 1982 and the Germans are kings in Automobile Land, which started a decade earlier with Kraftwerk's "Autobahn". This band, however, came from Austria. "Ich fahre mit dem Auto" ("I drive my car") is also featured on their second album "Bikini Atoll".
This is the flipside to "Holiday in Cambodia", a mind-blowing punk song from 1980. Written by Ray Pepperell, guitar player and by singer Eric Boucher aka Jello Biafra. The follow-up single "Kill the poor" included a printed inner sheet with lyrics from several B-sides, inclyding this "Police truck".
Vince Taylor's "Brand new Cadillac" sung in Dutch by Belgian singer Bert De Coninck who recorded two albums and three or four 45s at the end of the seventies.
And here is this song again, this time in English by an English band I'll always love. Fantastic people they are. In 1997 Dig The Fuzz Records released this version as flipside to "Dig the fuzz".
Released on the tiny label Teen Scream Records from Friesland, the northern province of the Netherlands, that also gave us other Dutch combos such as The Perverts, Beyond Lickin' and The Firebirds. Double-bass rockabilly with loads of covers in their live set, such as "Jack the ripper", "The way I walk", "Ubangi stomp", "Trouble bound", "Flyin' saucers" and also "Human fly". They were big fans of The Cramps and the Meteors and thus also big Sting-Rays lovers.
Drag strip racing was an American thing and even loved by punk trash garage heroes like The New Bomb Turks who recorded this song for a Crypt Records album, but saw this song also issued by Spanish record label Munster in 1992.
As members of the Surfers Against Sewage movement in Britain, they recorded this "Toxic beach" EP for Snatch Records to complain against toxic waste in their country. Eco-surf rock about a gasoline drinking hobby like hot rods, sounds hypocrite to me. But I must admit that "Hot rod party" is an excellent surf/hot rod tune and I think Sir Bald Diddley had the same feeling about this band, hence their full album on Alopecia Records two years later.
In 1995 The Green Hornets saw their second release, an EP on Alopecia Records, recorded at Toe-Rag Studios. It's sung by The Queen Hornet aka Jane. Multispeed organ, fuzz guitar, hot sax around Nish' bass licks and Craig's drumkit are the perfect ingredients for a garage classic, English style, which would evolve into Frat Shack parties, Wild Weekend Festivals and even movies.
Giant Claw released 45s on coloured wax in numbered limited editions. This 1000 copies release by the Australian garage-billy band Intoxica was their second and last release. In 1989 they also recorded a full album with many covers like Link Wray's "Ain't that lovin' you baby", Wanda Jackson's "Funnel of love", The Revels' "Intoxica", The Ventures' "Journey to the stars", Gene Maltais' "The raging sea" and under big influence of The Cramps and The Cannibals. This "Squad car" was recorded originally by Eddie & The Showmen in 1963.
It's the only release I know by this foursome. Great lo-fi surf guitar instrumental by this band that is also known as Diablo & The Sin Men. I think they come from Glasgow, Scotland. This EP also includes Benny Joy's "Wild wild lover", "Hey Girl" and "Stella's gotta fella", originally by The Fireflies.
The label reads "written by Chocolate Watchband". Davie Allan… they all forgot about you in 1991? And Mike Curb, who actually wrote the song in 1966 already? An instrumental song about bike riding and racing by a band that normally played hardcore music, grindcore even.
Now something completely different. It's a car song, but it's far from rock'n' roll. Nikki Sudden's band Swell Maps was formed in 1972 and disbanded at the end of the decade. They'll always be remembered for their "Read about Seymour". This 1979 Rough Trade release is arty punk rock, written by Adrian Nicholas Godfrey aka Nikki Sudden. His brother, Epic Soundtrack (or Kevin Paul Godfrey) was the drummer.
The trashiest of all garage trash bands to hail from the US were The Mummies from San Francisco, with best known member Russ Quan. Estrus reissued this 45 in 1996 and they also featured it on their first Estrus album "Play their own records" in 1992. "Test drive" is a Billy Childish styled instrumental.
A hot rod/car accident standard from the West Coast's duo Jan & Dean, brutally exploited by Nash The Slash (born Jeff Plewman) in 1980 for Cut-Throat Records and reissued a year later by DinDisc.
A split-7" with Robert Johnson And Punchdrunks on flashy blue vinyl on Bang!Records from the north of Spain. Swedish garage kings from the first hour, formed in 1981 already. At the end of the 80s they somehow lost control. In 1998 they recorded this fuel loaded instro smasher which was released a year later. A Nomads anthology CD from 2002 is the only place where you can find "Trucker speed".
A lot of people died in their cars. This is a song about the death of Dave-id Busaras aka David Scott Watson, who wrote the A-side "Pagan love song", still one of the best Virgin Prunes songs. The run-off message in the end groove reads "Ha Ha he's not really". Has this final song on this volume got something to do with cars? Ha ha, not really.
