The Always Blue Society Compilation Vol. 1

I decided to make a compilation of sorts to give a general idea of how all the artists sound that I've posted so far. I made somewhat of an attempt to put the songs in an interesting order so that it has a decent flow to it. Here's the tracklist:

1. Look At Me I'm You - Blossom Toes
2. On With The Show - Idle Race
3. I'm So Happy - Rainbow Ffolly
4. My Clown - July
5. Love Jumped Through My Window - Arthur Lee
6. Five Day Week Straw People - Five Day Week Straw People
7. (We Are) The Orange Alabaster Mushroom - The Orange Alabaster Mushroom
8. Look At Merri - The Rain Parade
9. Kingsley J - Vibrasonic
10. Grave Implications - The Tape-beatles
11. Love Without Sound - White Noise
12. I Am The Fly - Wire
13. Babbling Flower (Live) - Dead Meadow
14. Daddy's Bare Meat - Acid Mothers Temple and The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.

Download The Always Blue Society Compilation Vol. 1

More Tape-beatles

Here's a website with a bunch of albums by the Tape-Beatles as well as Public Works, which is another alias of theirs. One of the links to download a song from The Grand Delusion is screwed up on this site, which is why I posted the album here. So don't try downloading it from this site. I'm not sure if there are any other bad links but I sure hope not. Also, I realized the link for The Grand Delusion was dead, so I re-uped it. Anyway, here's the link:

U B U W E B :: The Tape-beatles / Public Works / Collaborations

Rainbow Ffolly - Sallies Fforth (1967)

Rainbow Ffolly was a British psych-pop band that released only one album. The band was founded by two brothers named Jon and Richard Dunsterville, Jon serving as the songwriter. After recording a 12-track demo at the Jackson Recording studio, the songs were sent to EMI who were so impressed that they asked to release the demo as an album. The band was hesitant because they hadn’t meant for the demo to be a finished product, but they went ahead with it anyway because it was so difficult to get a recording contract at the time. Unfortunately, the album didn’t have good sales and they didn’t make enough money touring, so by 1968 they called it quits. It’s a shame because I’m sure if they had the opportunity to record a proper album, it would’ve been great. The music on Sallies Fforth is a combination of upbeat and slow psychedelic pop full of rich vocal harmonies, great songwriting, and quirky psychedelic intros.

Stand-Out Tracks:
“She’s Alright”
“I’m So Happy”
“Drive My Car” (Not a Beatles cover)
“Goodbye”
“Sun & Sand”

"I'm So Happy"


Download Sallies Forth

The Tape-beatles - The Grand Delusion (1993)

This really isn't a psychedelic album but it's hard to find and a really interesting album so I'm going to put it up anyway. The Tape-beatles are a multi-media group from Iowa City that formed in 1986. The Grand Delusion is the only album of theirs I've heard so far. It was created as a reaction to the Persian Gulf War, using voice samples largely derived from speeches (lots of Bush Sr.), television news, and occasionally some crazy religious types. These voice samples are placed into eerie contexts with collages of sampled sounds and music.

"Grave Implications"


Wikipedia entry on the Tape-beatles

Download The Grand Delusion

Five Day Week Straw People (1967)

This is some guitar-driven British psychedelic rock featuring John Du Cann of the Attack, Adromeda, and the Atomic Rooster. After the Attack parted ways, Du Cann was asked by the independent label Saga to record a psychedelic album and so he wrote a loose concept album about the typical weekend of the British working class. The band was taken to record the album at a studio, which turned out to be a children's nursery and within 4 hours, the album was recorded. Because it was written and recorded so hastily, there are times when you can tell the band isn't quite together, which I think adds to the charm of the album. Considering the circumstances, most of the songs are surprisingly good although some are a little bland. I particularly like the guitar solos. This also includes a number of bonus tracks by the Attack.

Stand-Out Tracks:
"Five Day Week Straw People"
"I'm Going Out Tonight"
"Gold Digger"
"Car Wash"
"Dust Is In My Eyes"

"Five Day Week Straw People"


Download Five Day Week Straw People

Arthur Lee - Vindicator (1972)

This is the first post-Love album from the late, great Arthur Lee. Although it's not on the same level as Love's best work, it's still a great album that showcases Lee's looser, bluesy style. It seems that Lee was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix during this time, which isn't surprising considering he had recorded some music with Hendrix before his death. Lee and Hendrix have history that dates back to when Hendrix was a session guitarist for the Isley Brothers. I can only imagine how sweet it would have been if the two had recorded an album together. For some reason, this album is no longer in print and sells for absurd amounts of money online, so don't sleep.

Stand-Out Tracks:
"Love Jumped Through My Window"
"Find Somebody"
"Everybody's Gotta Live"
"You Want Change For Your Re-Run"

"Love Jumped Through My Window"


Download Vindicator

Wire - Chairs Missing (1978)

This is veering away from the psychedelic theme but this album does have somewhat of a psychedelic influence. Wire is a post-punk band from London and this is their second album, following the punk rock classic Pink Flag. With this album they took a more experimental approach without veering too far away from their punk sound. The sound of this album draws comparisons to early Pink Floyd, which I think is evident at certain times but not overwhelmingly so. Overall, I think this is an excellent album with a great balance between punk, pop, and more experimental material.

Stand-Out Tracks:
"Practice Makes Perfect"
"French Film Blurred"
"Marooned"
"Outdoor Miner"
"I Am The Fly"
"From The Nursery"
Too many to choose, really.

"I Am The Fly"


Download Chairs Missing

Rain Parade - Emergency Third Rail Power Trip/Explosions in the Glass Palace (1983/84)

Rain Parade were a part of the 80s Paisley Underground scene in LA along with such bands as the Bangles, the Three O'Clock and the Dream Syndicate. Of this scene, Rain Parade had the most psychedelic influenced sound. Their music is calm, melodic pop heavily inspired by 60s music, most noticably the Byrds. This album combines the 1983 LP Emergencty Third Rail Power Trip and the 1984 EP Explosions in the Glass Palace, which does not include the departed founding member David Robak. Robak would go on to form Opal, which eventually would become Mazzy Star.

Stand-Out Tracks:
"This Can't Be Today"
"I Look Around"
"Look At Merri"
"No Easy Way Down"

"Look At Merri"


Download Emergency Third Rail Power Trip/Explosions in the Glass Palace (2 files)

Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - Does the Cosmic Shepherd Dream of Electric Tapirs? (2004)

Here's an interesting album from the Japanese psychedelic collective, Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. The album starts off with "Daddys' Bare Meat" which is some intense, psychedelic jamming. Then it moves onto a few calmer acoustic tracks. "Suzie Sixteen" is a playful song with what seems to be improvised jibberish for lyrics. "Hello Good Child" and "The Assassin's Beautiful Daughter" are fairly slow tracks with great vocals, guitar, and psychedelic textures. The 25-minute "Dark Star Blues" is an epic psychedelic freak-out in the AMT tradition and the album closer, "The Transmigration of Hop Heads" is 18 minutes of ambient drone.

"Daddy's Bare Meat"


Download Does the Cosmic Shepherd Dream of Electric Tapirs?