Lexicon Devil - The Germs

Punk pop from the Hollywood band featured in Penelope Spheeris' 'Decline and Fall of Western Civilisation' documentary.

The Los Angeles punk rock scene generally lacked the chip shop scumminess of it's London counterpart, though Germs lead singer Darby Crash famously tried to hide the fact that he couldn't play by rubbing peanut butter over himself and breaking glass on stage. Behaviour that impresses no one... apart from teenagers wearing black and creepy Germans.

My own personal Lexicon Devil is made by Goodmans. You can buy them in Tandy, right next to the Miami Sound Machines, the New Power Generations and the Aztec Cameras.

> Download this (1.9 MB)

Hold On - Sharon Tandy

She was from South Africa. Her first gig was singing to ruddy-faced Dutchmen at the Transvaal Automobile Club dinner dance. She looked liked she'd be happy 'putting on a show' with Cliff Richard in Expresso Bongo or dancing with the New Generation...

...but she got to record in the Stax Studios backed by Isaac Hayes and Booker T & The MGs, and made this sixties Mod classic with psychedelic rockers Fleur De Lys.

Sharon Tandy eventually gave up singing and moved back to South Africa, thus avoiding a Cilla-like fate of light entertainment, London Weekend Television and 12 grapefruits every day to combat the menopause.

> Download this (3.4 MB)

Manifesto & Book News

If it's ever been on K-Tel or Ronco, it's in. If it features hand claps, cow bells, syrupy orchestration, walls of sound, wrecking crews, sha-la-las, toothy teen idols, candy-based metaphors for carnal acts or lyrics about hugging, squeezing and rocking all night long, it's in.

I dig her deeply when she swings like that



> Martin Lampen (latest book news, contact details and other stuff)

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