NEWSPAPER & WEBSITE, REVIEWS - No particular order
 11(the free see dee was released in Nov/Dec 2006 as a limited release of 300 copies and is no longer available, sorry.) |
Is
This Music # 25 -1 June 2007 Trakmarx
27 V/A - "See Dee Compilation" (Topplers) Forget:
"it was easy, it was cheap, go & do it!" Try instead:
Ôit's easy, it's free @www.topplers.net - go & do it!"
"See Dee Compilation" is the latest venture from those
diligent keepers of the DIY flame, Topplers. Gathering together
a genuinely eclectic roster of artists, "See Dee Compilation"
collects sterling contributions from Jowe Head (Swell Maps), Gang,
The Madness Of Crowds, The Decider, The Existentialists, The Platforms,
Dan Melchior (Broke Revue), Steve Treatment, Mong, Masque, Olives
Hairy Custard (Jowe Head), The Knockouts, Killola, Out Of Nowhere,
Angel Racing Food (Jowe Head), Jeremy Gluck (Barracudas), Pottedheid,
Mr Luggs & Steve Treatment & The Nomen. All killer, no
filler, "See Dee Compilation" perfectly illustrates
the depths & strengths of Topplers. Their canny blend of established
left-field generals, contemporary cutting edge crackpots &
interesting finds from further a field marks them down as a label
of taste & genuine worth. John Lenin - tMx 27 - 11/06
Grandma Betty - Granny Takes a Trip :1980 CD (Topplers) So; a chappie finds a cassette recording of an old lady named Betty narrating a trip to Europe. In Scot accent, Betty rambles on about having tea, the prices of things, what she ate at each meal, and how many rooms are in her hotel. Also on her mind is the rudeness of Parisians and the filth of the Belgians. The finder of the cassette gets his buddies together - a bunch of Glasgow DIY deviants - and they create a soundtrack to Betty's yaketty yak which is mostly entertaining one play through and even makes me crack a few smiles on listen number two. I am not gonna chance losing the charm by giving Betty another spin and instead donate this CD to the local college station, where I assume it will get plenty of play. ÐSS Z-Gun Oct 2007
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Angel
Racing Food - Venus Bigfoot
(Topplers) Is that Glaswegian Mark E Smith really shouting "hairy
on the outside, hairy on the inside too" to an Adam & the Ants
beat? 'Venus Bigfoot' might be about a monster, of the feminine
genre, though it sounds like thereÕs a Barbie doll on backing vocals.
"What a dark cave she has, what a comprehensive vocabulary
she possesses". Sounds like the ideal partner, if you like
neanderthal prehistoric types. Which you might well given that the
music which seems a close descendant of psychobilly acts like Guano
Bats or the Membranes. Mention is also due for 'Little Butcher Shop
Lassie', a paean to a girl of the non-vegetarian persuasion. All
this strangeness, and the fact that former Swell Map Jowe Head is
heavily involved, means we recommend you investigate further. //Bernhard
Bessing, Is This Music August 2007 |
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The
Knockouts - The Remarkable Sounds of India EP (Topplers) A charming
record by a Scottish band covering (mostly) Indian songs. Seems
that one of these chaps is a big fan of Indian music so he and another
sat down, figured the songs out and set them to rock & roll
arrangements. The words were done phonetically. And then there is
a cover of the Ramones "53rd & 3rd" with vocals done
in Hindi, perhaps an entertaining idea, but inconsequential in reality.
The Indian songs? Good stuff that could have been great had the
band chose to go a bit more Punjab and a little less punk rock,
a sound that tends to flatten the songs out. -- SS Z-Gun
Oct 2007 |
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Mr Luggs Live in Stewarton - August 30, 2007. Mr Lugg's Scottish brogue is so thick and his ranting fueled on that this live set comes off as - at least at its head - a demented attack. Apparently, this pub was expecting a pleasant evening of sing-a-long and got instead a spirited snarl. At first, Mr Lugg's set is quite exciting, a liquored up gorge of Scot spittle & wicked pickery. But as the evening wears on, the audience's bitterness has turned to boredom and you can hear their chit chat above Lugg's strum strum. Perhaps not by coincidence that the audience gets bored about the same time Luggs softens his attackÉand where I also start to get bored. Fans of Mr Luggs and the Nyah Fearties should track this down, as this will probably be as close as they get to seeing Luggs live. Those unfamiliar, you get the hesitant advice to find and listen to the first five or six songs and walk away rattled. ÐSS Z-Gun Oct 2007
This is a free download album - get it here... |
JOWE HEAD Solo Album - From a Parallel Universe... (TV010 2006)
If ever there was a band with too many ideas, it was Sollihull's Swell Maps. Since the band's dissolution in the early '80s, it's members have continued to issue strange transmissions from the DIY wilderness. Even further out that the psychedelic junk-pop of the Swell's prime mover, Nikki Sudden, is that of sometime Television Personalities bass player Jowe head. 'From a Parallel Universe' is profoundle odd. Unsteady but rewarding. LOUIS PATTISON |
PLAN B 14 September 2006 More deranged goofiness from the former bassist od television Personalities, and the tallest and most cultivated of the cult seventies pre-punk band Swell maps... This isn't so much Do It Yourself, as Done It Myself, Bought The Pressing Plant, Watched A Few Too Mant Late Night Films And Now I Have No Idea What To Do With My Life. Like Viv Stanshall, only bald! EVERETT TRUE |
Trakmarx
28 - Barry Island Angel Racing Food - "Arf" (Topplers) Angel Racing Food - for those of you with your heads stuck up your arses - are the latest incarnation of Jowe Head (Swell Maps) - aided & abetted by Jeffery Bloom (TV Personalities) & Lee McFadden (ATV). "Arf" collates 11-slabs of 'eccentric mutant-rock' for the discerning listener: "Ravenous Scavenger", "Butcher Shop Lassie", "Clockwork Sparrows", "Ketchup Money" - even the song-titles have a personality of their own. Standout cuts include the group's classic debut 45 - "Venus Big Foot" - & the aforementioned "Clockwork Sparrows". It may well be nigh on 30-years since "A Trip To Marineville" lit the blue touch paper that launched the post-punk DIY explosion - but that doesn't mean that "Arf" can't stand next to it shoulder to shoulder. In many ways, Topplers & their ilk are the Rough Trades of the noughties & while their inspiration struggles to contemplate life without Sanctuary's (rapidly evaporating) money Ð The Topplers of this world carry one regardless. Love not lucre. It's never been about the money, you see? |
Steve Treatment & The NoMen - "2005 A Sided 45"
(Topplers) The legendary Steve Treatment returns to the confines of
a record player after an absence of 26 years! Debuting back in 1979
on Swell Map's Rather Records, Treatment is widely regarded as one of
the major protagonists in establishing the defiantly DIY approach that
has evolved (via lo-fi) into the no-fi sound of the true underground
that we know & love today. Released on 7" (& CD) by those refreshingly
honest & wholesome types down at Topplers, "2005 A Sided 45"
houses "Vanish", "You're Gonna Receive Treatment",
"Don't Do It (If It Makes You Feel That Way)", "Echo
In The Backstreet", "The Tea Went Cold" & "Aargh".
Superior fair in almost every respect, welcome back Mr Treatment, park
yourself over there next to Mr Childish. Isidore Ajar
tMx 23 Ð 01/06
Mr. LuggsÊÊ Neeby Deep Ma Gubboch 7" Ê (Topplers) My black heart warms whenever the postman brings me a package with Topplers as the return address. And this time a few inches of tar melted upon removing this 3 song lathe cut 7" from the package. Mr Luggs has released two great CDs on Topplers and other stuff with the Nyah Fearties and the Junkmen's Choir. These three songs are in the same vein as those on Luggs' CDs, a combination of bluegrass, found sounds, experimental DIY punk, and Scot weirdness. Call this a bog stomper's take on Eugene Chadbourne's C&W LSD and I wouldn't argue. It has the same kind of playfulness, outsider approach and reverence for music. Good stuff. Only a couple hundred made, if that. -SS Z-Gun
Jowe HeadÊÊÊ From a Parallel Universe CDÊÊ (Topplers) ÊÊÊÊ Swell Map and long time TV Personalities bassist, Jowe Head has become a DIY institution so it is rather understandable that his present home is with the Topplers' label, Scotland's champion of UK DIY.Ê The ten songs on Mr. Head's newest are no departure from...uh...pretty much anything. Jowe makes entertaining, quasi-eccentric, idiosyncraticÊ songs that characterize that not so quite postpunk yet post punk sound of the early 80s UK. In other words, well crafted, slightly odd tune smithery.Ê Not enough meat here for me to chew on, but certainly a good listen. 300 copies made, in case you are keeping count.Ê --SS Z-Gun
Steve Treatment & The NoMen - 2005 "A" Sided 45 (Topplers)
| Steve
Treatment & The NoMen - 2005 "A" Sided 45 (Topplers)
All A-sides here people, nothing cast off. You would hope so too as this is Steve Treatment's first release in 26 years, and this 7" captures 6 short and glorious tracks, some re-recorded from his late 70's home tapings as well as new gear. Lo-fi but crisp, brittle punk ethic rock 'n' roll with barely audible vocals, 'Echo' a psychedelic nursery rhyme. Proper old style package here, fold out 7" cover with lyrics and other collage scribblings. An intriguing rediscovery. Skif vanity project |
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The Knockouts - D-Zug/El Problemo/Husband Material (Topplers) Grimy instrumental rock n' roll that swings in, out and around corners, spinning with one-arm around each and every obstruction.'D-Zug' has a whistling zip of organ thrust that keeps the guitar rumble in check; if Add N To (X) did surf-punk, they would probably sneer and flick their quiff just like this.''Husband Material' sees them clearing out the back of their 60's garage, sweeping shelves of oily bolts and washers with one sweep of a forearm. Skif vanity project
Masque
- "Sometimes I Might EP" (Topplers)
This is ace. I know fuck all about Masque - except that they're on the
totally brilliant Topplers Value records - but one thing's for sure:
they make a fucking glorious cacophony. "Frankendoctor" pokes
fun at alpha males over an aural maize of industrial clatter/vague rockabilly
shapes. It actually sounds like there are 3 records playing at once:
squalls of McGeochesque guitar compete with the Aphex Twin's Black &
Decker hammer drill: "Somebody call the mental health inspector",
intones a Scottish accent. "These Are Bad People" is another
stormer Ð same MO, same constituent parts - different trousers. "Hatred
& Violence (there's not enough) & "Sometimes I Might"
offer more of the same without a hint of boredom. Masque are a power
in the darkness demanding to be embraced into the new dawn of your ever
mutating consciousness. Skronk'n'prole art threat.
Evan Halshaw - tMx 20 - 07/05
Olives
Hairy Custard - "Olives Hairy Custard" (Topplers) Jowe
Head rears himself once again with this cracking 12-cut LP on Topplers.
Olives Hairy Custard contain 2 Australian hardcore punkers - Les Miserable
& Garlon Hairmungus on gtr & bass respectively - & ex-Thrilled Skinny
sticksman, Elliot P Smoke. This eponymous debut LP was recorded between
1997 & 2005 at the Sonic Bunker & engineered by Rob McClymont. With
only 2 songs longer than 4 minutes - this is a concise & direct collection
of truly eclectic beat music. Spikey, strident, addictive, exhilarating,
hilarious - & above all - consistently inventive, Jowe Head has lost
none of the experimental bent he honed so effectively with the marvellous
Swell Maps (& later still, Television Personalities) - surely contenders
for the unluckiest group in the history of the world - ever. "Necktie",
"Cream Of The Crop", "Big Chunks" & "Not A
Song" fly by at a heck of a rate - as if they'd just escaped from
a carbon monoxide infested garage - whilst "Good Guy", "Belly
Of The Beast" & "Fat Boy Slob" illustrate the darker
side of Head&rsquos muse. Clocking in at just under 35 minutes, "Olives
Hairy Custard" is a wonderful thing to behold. The sleeve is dressed
in suitable Birds custard colours - & features an illuminating shot
of the group on stage in gnome hats & brightly coloured dungarees! Another
quality release from the best Value label in the country:
Watch out for Jowe's new group - Angel Racing Food - currently cutting
up a rug near you shortly. Keep an ear open. Jean Encoule - tMx 20 -
07/05
#20 of TRAKMARX also has articles on the greatest Stooges album ever - "Funhouse" and an interview with The Prefects... excellent!
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ak ink - issue17 |  |
Mong - The Sound of Mong Imagine an unreleased Simpsons episode in which Groundskeeper Willy takes the drug suitcase from Fear and Loathing and goes on a bender in a lo-fi recording studio. Ok, maybe it's not fair to stereotype Scottish accents, but they're naturally entertaining, aren't they? The 8 songs on this cd are refreshingly weird if not genuinely good. Half of the songs are spaced out blues/dub jams with lyrics about inarticulate wants and Captain Beefheart, and the other half are 80's drum machine beats with distorted guitar and yelling. Random instruments, strange sound effects, and childrens' voices are layered into the mixes, adding depth and strengthening my recording-under-the-influence theory. The whole thing is sort of like a German amusement park; it's confusing, you can't understand what anyone's saying, and the sense of humor is cheesy, but the experience is just so bizarre that it's worthwhile to check out for a few minutes. - Shane
Olive's Hairy Custard - Self Titled. Honestly, I'd been dreading listening to this from the band's name alone. Olive's Hairy Custard...even if you go with the most innocent interpretation, it's still pretty gross. Maybe I just don't get British humour, I dunno. Anyway, the insert features shots of OHC playing in various costumes, including superhero and swimmer. The liner notes explain that frontman Jowe Head is an OG punk, formerly playing with Swell Maps and Television Personalities. Also, two of the members (Les Miserable and Garlon Hairmungus...ugh) apparently pioneered the Australian "farm-core" scene. I was a little worried about putting "farm-core" into a search engine, but luckily the results were not disgusting. From an interview with the Fabulous 23s: "Farmcore is an up and coming sound from the countryside, parties on farmland, bass rumbling through the valleys, tractor joy-riding, ramblers with laptops. The fabulous 23s and CCR are writing farmcore tracks between rock climbing and late night sessions at the local pub. There are a lot of farm animal noises in it and expect a speed morris-dancing offshoot with sticks and bells rhythms." Fair enough. By now you're saying, "Ok, thanks for the history lesson, asshole, what does it sound like?" And I'm saying, "Alright, alright, hold on..." and finally putting the thing in the CD player. And you know, it's not bad. Let's put it this way: out of the 4 records Jenn sent me to review, this is probably the only one I'll ever listen to again. The first (and best) track, "Necktie," sounds sort of like the Dead Milkmen meets Built to Spill meets Beat Happening, and the rest of the album stays true to those references in varying degrees. The old punk roots are definetly there, especially in the drums and bass. The guitar, however, is inventive, angular, noisy, and much more creative than your standard punk rock fare. There are a lot of off kilter riffs, discord, and various effects and secondary instruments (e.g. melodica, mini piano, and "vibrator"). Jowe's vocals have a low Calvin Johnson-esque thing going on, while Les Miserable sticks to yelling. The vocals/lyrics are the weak point here (did he just say "vagina market?"), but anyone in the Anchorage scene should be used to that by now (DIS!). Seriously though, I think this band would be best enjoyed live, singing through a crappy pa with their amps cranked. And dressed up as bandits, of course. - Shane
RUNNIN'
FEART FANZINE... |
The Madness of Crowds - on E & a nice space party for you (topplers 005) These two albums are as similar and different as trees in a forest. Two bold statements that are beyond punk rock in their outlook and also very much part of the DIY ethic. George from the NoMen indulges his ultra krautrock influences and creates the genre of glambience. "A nice space party for you" is more in the vein of Cluster and early Kratfwerk; ideal for a heavy duty soak in the bath or a 2001 space oddessy trip into the stratosphere. "On E" on the other hand is a much edgier sound with layers of guitar to the fore. With shades of Glenn Branca being trapped in a lift with Suicide this 30 minute masterpeice propells to an ear splitting climax. Hats off to topplers for continuing to push further than most record labels The Cult Figures Live 1981. This band's 1979 single "Zip Nolan" was one of the best DIY pop-punk records ever. This is a live recording from 1981 when they supported GBH in Birmingham. It is hilarious!!! You can hear the audience heckling and the band winding them up!! Some of the songs are great and it's a pity they only ever released two singles. This CD has amusing sleevenotes from the singer explaining all the gory details of the night...only £2 from www.topplers.net MONG - The Sound of Mong (Topplers Records) Some of these guys used to be from Troon's only punk rock band "the Boys from Battery D." Twenty years later they still manage a sneering punk shocker but the standout tracks on this album take sleazy blues riffs and add a twisted world-weary vocal to create a sound unlike anything you've heard! The first track is outstanding as the singer warns of the danger of playing Captain Beefheart at tea-time! Other tracks use Link Wray and Arrows style guitars on top of blitzkreig rhythms and there is a truly bizzarre part where someones granny comes in and talks about her holiday in Amsterdam! This is an extra-cheap CD available online from www.topplers.net - get it before it gets you! |
SPLENDID E-ZINE - march 21 2005 Merman Blues - Jowe Head
- 7" single - Topplers records
Jowe Head's C.V. already reads like an obscurity-loving indie-rocker's
wet dream -- cred-heavy stints in Television Personalities and Swell
Maps assure him cult hero status, even if he never touches a microphone
or an instrument again. But that's not Mr. Head's plan: between his
recent work with Angel Racing Food and a proliferation of singles and
compilation tracks under his own name, he's clearly in the midst of
a dark-horse bid for market dominance. This particular seven-inch offers
an interesting cross-section of Head's work. Nominal A-side "Merman
Blues" is a bit of a slog -- a densely-layered, echo-drenched voyage
to the droningest corner of trippyville. There's a sort of sardonic
psychedelic vibe at work here that should appeal to Roy Montgomery fans,
though these "Blues" are far busier, rhythmically speaking,
than most of Montgomery's work. There are also hints of compromise in
the production, specific details lost or garbled as the tune was mixed
down to a manageable form. It's not a failure in any sense of the word
-- just one of those songs that deserves to be remixed at some point
in the future. "Baby Bounce", on the flip, is a more energetic
effort, with a clattering rhythm track, jittery guitar and keyboard
interplay, and some wordless, echo-soaked chanting in the background.
A handful of extraneous sound effects finish the picture -- are those
jet planes? Vocally, Head sounds great -- even trendy -- mustering a
surly snarl that lands somewhere between stentorian post-punk and J.
G. Thirlwell. As a result, "Baby Bounce" will hook people
who wouldn't have touched a Jowe Head record a few years ago. "Merman
Blues" may be a harder sell, but look at it this way: when Head's
surprise coup topples the music industry later this year, you'll have
to like it. Better get started now. -- George Zahora
SPLENDID
E-ZINE - april 20 2005 Unshakeable
- The Decider - 7" single - Topplers records
On "Unshakeable", The Decider adopt the low rent aesthetics of cheap
electro and bedsit indie. Marrying the cheapest of cheap drum sounds
with a low-slung bass line that sounds like Martin Hammet recorded it
25 years ago, the Scottish group creates a quirky, danceable gem. Lewis
Mitchell's amusingly half-arsed vocals and mundane subject matter match
the drably funky backing, and are enjoyable in a shabby loser sort of
way, sure to fill indie disco dance floors with shuffling, corduroy-wearing
music fans. "Recommended" provides more of the same, adding an insistent
keyboard line to the guitar/bass/drum machine setup. Though solid, it
can't match the first track's hookiness. Sadly, the spiral continues
with "Recycle It", which lives up to its name by being so weak, you'll
be tempted to melt the record into something more useful -- or, failing
that, to use it as a coaster. It sounds like a rejected Flying Lizards
B-side (if that's conceivable), and would be overlong at a minute. At
its full running time, it feels like some kind of fiendish endurance
test. -- Nick Norton
The Cult Figures Ð
"Live At The Cedar Club 6/4/80" Ð (Topplers)
The Cult Figures were mates of The Swell Maps, releasing 45s on both
Rather Records & Rather/Rough Trade in 1980 & Õ79 respectively (yes,
perversely the Rather/Rough Trade 45 came out before the Rather one).
ÒZip NolanÓ even went so far as to employ various Maps in the backing
group & remains one of the great forgotten Punk/DIY 45s.
This release, from the totally admirable Topplers Value Line series,
captures the ragged guitars, 60s sensibilities & Birmingham accents
of The Cult Figures live supporting GBH at BirminghamÕs Cedar Rooms
in April 1980. The audience reaction throughout is muted, to say the
least. Wrong group, wrong venue, wrong time. You can feel the simmering
tension between songs as The Cult Figures toy with the idea of asking
the entire audience outside for a fight to decide whether or not Punk
is in fact dead. At one point someone shouts, ÒJah WobbleÓ. WhatÕs that
all about?
The Cult Figures deserve their place alongside Swell Maps, TV Personalities
& their ilk. This LP canÕt fail to appeal to both fans of Billy Childish
& students of where ye olde Punk Rock went next. Clue: it didnÕt move
to Stoke!
Topplers Value have loads more DIY Punk, folk-punk, Krautrock & other
stuff you may like . . .
Guy Debored Ð tMx 19 Ð 04/05
Jowe
Head Ð "Merman Blues" Ð (Toplers)
Another glorious release from the equally glorious Toplers Records Ð
ÒMermanÕs BluesÓ is a dysfunctional sea shanty by the ever-perplexing
ex-Swell Map, Jowe Head. Coupled with the equally enticing ÒBaby BounceÓ,
this exquisite 45 is strictly limited Ð so head for the URL at the foot
of this review with little or no delay. Both songs were recorded by
Graham Hullett in Camden Town in 2004 & feature artwork based on ÔPincer
MovementÕ Ð a painting by the obviously multi-talent Mr Head himself.
Exemplary entertainment.
Marquee Smith Ð tMx 19 Ð 04/05
#19 of TRAKMARX also has articles on the GUN CLUB and an interview with SPIZZ! (plus more great stuff.. and check out their back issues...)
Mr. Luggs "Tea Time Listening" CD From Topplers, the torch-bearers of the modern UK DIY scene, comes Mr. Luggs, also of the Junkman's Choir. Pulling together Scottish ranting, bagpipes, and weird jams, while throwing out what one might consider a song, this Scotsman comes up with something that is certainly punk, in his determination to stand at the margins and wave his cock at the crowd. Maybe this is the demented stepbrother of the Country Teasers, a thing that owes more to Celtic jigs than the Fall. It is certainly not the ol' 1-2-3-4 with distorted guitar and backbeat. In fact, as a whole I really can't figure out what this is other than one guy's take on what his idea of music is. In that way, this totally fits into the spirit, if not sound of Mr. Luggs' DIY forefathers. Great while sober and I'd imagine even better drunk.(SSR)
ERS s/t CD - It is no secret any longer that CDs cost pennies to make. However because of corporate greed, major labels have set unreasonably high prices for the format. This practice, coupled with inferior sales, forces independent labels to price their releases at similar, though often a bit lower, wholesale rates. But there are ways around this. The same technology that makes CDs possible also allows for a label to market them directly to the music lover and drive the price down. Topplers, a UK DIY label, is doing just that. Packaged no frills, Topplers has a "value" series of CDs that run about $3 a pop. The one that just got popped out of my CD player is by ERS. Billed as "krautpunk with a strong Scottish influence," ERS sounds like a bunch of dudes with a 4 track in their bedroom fucking around. The songs are punk in that loose DIY, anything is a song type of way. And most of this is as memorable as that. However ERS does a collaboration with the Deciders and the NoMen on the song "Teeth Like Needles" which will please any Tronics, Urinals, or Homosexuals fan and make this Value CD, well, valuable. (SSR)
Mong "The Sound of..." CD Another of Topplers' very entertaing Value CDs, which means it is $4 to you and that is not too much to pay to check out the mysterious Mong. Sounding like some Cockney retard reared in a swamp, Mong digs the same ground that Southern Culture on the Skids did way back in their infancy, but with a drum machine, more punk determination, and less musical polish. In this case that is a plus. By one song title, Mong tells us that Captain Beefheart is to blame for Mong, but this is less "authentic" than Beefheart and more on the blaaaaarrrrghhhh side of things. Not brilliant or even mind-blowing, but certainly not a waste of your time.(SSR)
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Masque - Sometimes I Might (Topplers)"Formerly noisecoreists Area 39,Masque make for a frightening listen -'Frankendoctor' is all industrial beating, distorted guitars and sampled (?)screams.Dense and uncompromising, they somehow wrench tunes out of the morass -'These Are Bad People' is closest to 70 Gwen Party with Scottish accents,while 'Hate and Violence' sounds like Cabaret Voltaire finally got pissed off with their legacy being stolen and have come looking for you." Is This Music #15 out now Masque - Sometimes I Might (Topplers) Eeek. Post-Ministry electro-industrial synth sounds sung by the Proclaimers on crack. In an age of internationalisation and linguistic regularisation, the overt Scottishness of the lyrics is a breath of fresh air. That said, there is some real nastiness thinly masqued (do you see what I did there?) just beneath the surface. Whereas Sheep on Drugs did similar sort of stuff but with a bit of a smirk, 'Sometimes I Might' is an outpouring of pure angst and cynicism. George Dubya comes in for some particularly rough treatment, but then he deserves to. Not one for Daily Mail readers. Top marks to Topplers for their rip of Tesco Value logo. Shane Blanchard, TASTY FANZINE The Masque - Sometimes I Might EP (Topplers) Kicks into life full of industrial menace, like Ministry sans the PCP. Blusterous drones with detached robotic semi-harmonics bolted on and although not impervious, it is a caustic, grazing, hammerblow of a record with perky beats bubbling temptingly beneath 'Hatred and Violence (There's Not Enough)'. The vocals take me back to days of Mick Prolapse chuntering into his meths, while 'Sometimes I Might' takes Earl Brutus twisted glam to dangerous doom-metal depths. Nasty, in an ideal way. Skif - Vanity Project
Masque - Sometimes I Might (Topplers)
Alright,
remember how your mom would tell you, "If you don't have
anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? Well I'm
gonna ignore that advice to tell you about Masque's new EP "Sometimes
I Might" from Topplers Records. Hailing from Glasgow, Masque
are an electro/laptop/noise group or it could be just one guy,
and he’s not working hard. The music sounds like it wants it to
be 1992 again with electronic drumbeats and a shit load of samples.
The words that are sung just seem to be the titles repeated over
and over. Luckily there are only four songs so I don't have to
listen very long cuz this kind of shit pisses me off. I don't
know if this music (I use that term loosely)could be played live.
But no matter, I would rather see Clay Aiken fronting WhiteSnake
opening for Hanson then see Masque. But I'm not you. You could
like this if you're into Throbbing Gristle, early bad Ministry
or being touched by your step dad. |
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AK Ink -fanzine/e.zine - Cult Figures Live at the Cedar Club 6/4/1980. Yes 1980. Topplers Value Records has sent in this little out of key and off time gem if you want to call it that. This live cd is pretty horrible, not cause it from the 80's, cause itÕs a really bad performance from a band that probably called it quits long ago. Also on the bill that night was GBH and during sound check someone knocked over Cult's bass and broke it so GBH lent them their bass and gtr. The gtr was made by a neighbor out of a piece of fence wood or some shit and could not be tuned. When they returned the gtr back to Jock he asked, "What did you do to it?" "I tuned it!" said the gtr player from CF. Jock replied"I usually just tighten 'em up". Now you can get an idea of how bad it sounds. You know it's bad when someone yells out "chorus" during the song and then they try and go into a weak chorus that is so off time that some of the members actually stop and wait to see where to come back in. Cult Figures are some crazy ass brits playing pop punk long before there was even such a label. (AK Inc is baked in Alaska!)
....leading to 2 7"s on Topplers records. First up, Jowe Head. A 2 tracker,
recorded in Camden of very odd d.i.y stuff. Can't possibly compare it
to anyone but there's hints of early Bunnymen, Captain Beefheart & The
Fall on the flip side but the 'A' side....fuck knows....Anyhoo, he's
the former bass player from Swell Maps/TV Personalities for yer information....following
on from that we have The Decider who've obviously decided that a lawsuit
from Joy Division's solicitors would be a top chuckle as they totally
hi-jack "She's Lost Control" & call it "Unshakable". Very amusing bunch
of Scottish art rockers who blatantly don't give a flying fig. Both
these 7"'s are really limited, numbered & VERY old skool indie.
JOWE HEAD: "Merman Blues/Baby Bounce" TOPPLERS RECORDS exclusive single
by former SWELL MAPS and TV PERSONALITIES member Jowe Head and his band,
in the tradition of those legendary bands: pop with an eccentric touch!
Limited edition with a deluxe glossy fold-out sleeve! www.topplers.net
DECIDER!: "Unshakeable" TOPPLERS RECORDS new band from Glasgow/Scotland
(including Billy of the ELECTROLUVS) with "retro-futuristic" electronical
Art-Punk-Funk, influenced by the likes of early The FALL, CONTORTIONS,
and actually the title-song is an electronical adaption of JOY DIVISION's
'She's Lost Control Again'... www.topplers.net
Jowe Head Merman's Blues 7" Topplers Two tracks of Jowe's special
brand of avant-pop! Jowe was the bass player with SWELL MAPS, then TELEVISION
PERSONALITIES, as well as fronting a handful of other bands since then!
Jowe's single on Topplers records comes in a lavish fold-out sleeve!
The cover is a tribute to Jowe's first solo LP, "Pincer Movement"; The
rear contains the illustration Jowe had planned to use for "Bobit Juice"
and the inner sleeve features "Baby Mary". UK import.
Decider Unshakeable 7" Topplers Debut 7" single by Scottish art-rockers The Decider! Influenced by Gang of Four, The Fall, James Chance & the Contortions. In a deluxe glossy fold out sleeve. Three tracks of P-P-Post Punk, Raging Funk! For fans of Factory Records. Side one couples the electro-rock experimentation of 'Unshakeable', with the short, sharp shock of 'Recommended'! Side two is a sinuous slab of retro-futuric funk! Thunderous bass and drums carry this track relentlessly to climax after climax! This single had already been filling dancefloors as far apart as Glasgow and Italy! UK import.
Debut single from decider who feature members of the Noi Men and Electroluvs. 'Unshakeable' is like a rare diy single from the late 70s that uses the bass line and drum sound from Joy Division's 'she's lost control again'. 'Recycle it' is like a long lost Scritti Politti demo from their mid period - a sort discofied lo-fi monster with choppy guitars. 7" only on topplers records
Jowe Head ex bass player with the Television Personalities, Swell Maps and Househunters with two tracks from an unreleased (album) from the early 90s. The a side sounds like a drunken explorer at the bottom of the sea who found a old psychedelic album and tried to cover it. The flip is more straight up and sounds like one of the extra tracks found on the swell map cd reissues. 7" only on topplers records
Review
by Steve Treatment
The Decider 'Unshakeable'
Outstanding! Sounds different from anyone else! A bit of New Order influence
care of the now legendary Billy Samson (drummer and producer). However,
if influences got LOST IN SPACE, this lot came back to Earth with a
few gems en-route and landed! It sounds chart-bound and it's all been
on the Moon and back!!! Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
'Recommended' - starts off life like 2004 skiffle and wow! what a voice!
This is vital vinyl.
'(Don't) Recycle It!' Love them flyin' saucers! Feels nice...
...and while we've got the record deck out... The Decider's 'Unshakeable' (7", on Topplers) is a queer cove. The high point of the three tracks is B-side 'Recycle It' - it sounds like the beats from Blondie's 'Heart Of Glass' have been used for the basis of the song, with assorted wailings, dodgy bass noises and rather crap guitar bursts accompanying the drunk-sounding chap who provides the vocals. Lead track sounds a bit like Joy Division might sound if they wanted to be a disco outfit. Strictly limited edition, and there's a damned good reason why... And just when you least expect it ANOTHER one comes along. On the same label, the 7" from Jowe Head - 'Merman Blues' - is another curious, poorly-produced lo-fi affair: B-side, 'Baby Bounce', could well be Captain Beefheart, whereas the A-side is Nick Cave at half-speed singing the bongo blues. Most odd.
The
Decider - Unshakeable 7" (Topplers) Don't fuck around with
Joy Division. Is this some sort of bad joke? The Decider have taken
the novel approach of not writing their own songs, but changing the
words to 'SheÕs Lost Control'... and fucking it up, good and proper.
I thought that judging by the art work of the record we would have some
acid house, but instead we have this sack of shit. The other songs on
offer here sound like the type of stuff Black Grape would have thrown
away, let alone the Happy Mondays. I don't even know what this is...
Oh, hang on, yes I do... Its pig shit.
Drew Millward
Jowe
Head - Merman Blues (Topplers) I saw this had come from the same
label as The Decider, and rightly my heart sank. Art School in-joke
gone too far? Clueless ness? A rich benefactor? I really cannot and
will not review this. I don't have the time or inclination... What I
can tell you is that it is really poor, very poor indeed. If you are
looking for the worst label in existence may I recommend Topplers.
Drew Millward
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Runnin' Feart #11 - Scottish Punk Rock Fanzine! (there was a free Yonko CD with this issue featuring a few Topplers bands!) ERS (Topplers Records) ERS are a German punk band who have connections with ex members of Nyah Fearties. Mr Lugs from Fearties & JunkmanÕs Choir sings lead vocals on some tracks. They are big in the underground Teutonic art-punk scene where the Fearties metal bashing percussion was a huge influence! THE DECIDER! - Unshakeable (Topplers 7") These guys are from Glasgow but sound more like they should be in Manchester! The A-side is a pure rip-off from Joy Division's "She's Lost Control" with a bit of New Order, and the B-side is a slab of punk-funk like early eighties ESG and A Certain Ratio! Should be on Factory Records! The ex-Nyah Fearties bass player is involved in this record and so is the son of Davy Feartie!!! £3 inc post from www.topplers.net JOWE HEAD - Merman Bues (Topplers 7") If you like the Swell Maps (whos classic single "Read About Seymour" crops up on every other punk compilation), you'll love this. Jowe Head was the Maps bass player then he joined the Television Personalities and has been bringing out his own brand of weirdness ever since. These two tracks are from the mid nineties and released for the first time! £3 inc post from www.topplers.net Both the above records on Topplers have big fold out sleeves and are numbered limited editions! Cool! |
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The
NoMen - The Keys to Talgarth Road (Topplers) ***** With their latest LP, the west coast based NoMen have produced what is effectively a tribute album composed of original songs. having waxed obsessively with underrated punk virtuoso Steve Treatment on their website, the band hooked up with the forgotten legend to record some of the songs that had lain discarded in a drawer at Treatment Towers. Their collaboration has actually produced quite an eclectic album, some way removed from the far-out punk of treatmentÕs heyday. The Nomen have obviously had fun experimenting with different musical styles during recording, and such respectful irreverence is infectious. (Alan Radcliffe) Sept 2003 (This album can be downloaded FREE.) |
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The Knockouts - Reverb Time (Topplers) Likeable nonsense from the "best instrumental band in Luton" - the tools of their trade include theremin, guitars, bass and drums; as well as a fairly wonky keyboard which offers hints of ClinicÉ but some crunching powerchording means a light-hearted stab at Batcave-era goth, and a more morose Joy Division-inspired second track. Meanwhile, 'Husband Material' takes us back a couple more decades with some prototype psychobilly, Johnny Kidd style. //Stuart McHugh, Is This Music June 2007 |
