Coursing Through the Wires #18

Righting Past Wrongs:

• GOD -- "My Pal" (Au Go Go / Lance Rock, 1989)
  (and a bonus -- YouTube live performance)
• The Gravel Pit -- "Focusing On One Specific Goal And Achieving It" (Turn of the Century, 1991)
• Green Magnet School - Windshield (Stanton Park, 1989)

Perhaps "oversights" is a better word than "wrongs" ... I wrote about each of these songs way back in Coursing #3 and #4 without posting the music.  Circumstances (and my thinking about the musicsphere) have changed a little, and in this case, "late" really is better than "never."

Current Rotation:

• The Velterelles -- "Shut Up The F***" (self-released, 2005)

Damn.  This is what JSBX should have been -- raw, rough, rockin, dirty, fun, vibrant -- check out the photos for more proof.  I like to think of this tune as the theme song for Gerard vs. Bear.  I hope these kids from northeast England (Middlesbrough, to be precise) get back in front of some microphones soon... there's too much goodness for only two songs in rotation on the MySpace.

• Strange Idols -- "It's No Fun" (Chris Rotter Mix) (Shady Lane, 2006)

I mentioned Strange Idols briefly in Coursing #11. This track is from the limited edition 3-song remix CD-R enclosed with some copies of their new self-released 45, "It's No Fun" b/w "Old Times."   Currently streaming on MySpace, the original of "It's No Fun"  shows a steadier hand and fuller sound from their first releases ("Berlin" -- also on MySpace) but continues mining familiar and enjoyable territory -- if there were such a thing as a "new wave revival" in London in 1987, Strange Idols would be at the forefront.

• Lucky Soul -- "One Kiss Don't Make A Summer" (self-released, 2006)

Lucky Soul has just released its third single on its own Ruffa Lane label, "Ain't Never Been Cool" -- vinyl may be scarce here in the US, but the songs are also available for download on eMusic or streaming on MySpace.  My one complaint about their studio recordings is that they sometimes get lost in a high-gloss finish that overwhelms the delicacy of the music.  By contrast, "One Kiss..." is a live acoustic recording from summer 2006 that brings the songcraft to the forefront.  There's a full-length release coming later this spring, and I'm already excited about it.