Those Shocking, Shaking Days - Indonesian Hard, Psychedelic, Progressive Rock And Funk : 1970 - 1978 (Now Again - 2010)

If you are fed up with my previous Mods posts, you'll find today rarest and more unusual sounds. Egon's one and onely Now Again Records label, explores this time the Indonesian psyche scene of the 70's. American, West European and African scenes have been largely explored, compiled and reedited but the Asian artists stay relatively ignored. Egon associated his digging forces with Jason "Moss" Connoy and Benny Soebardja to release this 20 titles anthology. Those Shocking Shaking Days is your only chance to ear Rollies funkd Bad News, Shark Move's Evil War, already sampled by Madlib, Super Kid slow psyche funk People, a mix between The Temptations produced by Norman Whitfield and Roy Ayers, or The Gang Of Harry Roesli fabulous break at the beginning of Don't Talk About Freedom. All this makes me think to the Tropicalia movement that was happening in Brazil at the same time. In both countries you find artists that were trying to break traditional musical molds and using Western music forms like a breath of fresh air in a harsch political context charaterized by a dictatorship. Like always with Now Again, the reedition work is splendid. You can find a nicely illustrated book accompanying CD with pictures of all the records covers and complete notes on each songs.

Download => Those Shocking Shaking Days

The Mark Four - The Creation (EVA Records - 1992)

If you like my Decca post a couple of weeks ago, then you'll appreciate this german pressing compilation of the sides recorded by The Mark Four/The Creation between 1964 and 1967. The Mark Four switched their name for The Creation in 1966 and had already changed two of their original line-up members (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Creation_%28band%29). When Alan McGee decided to create his label in 1983, Creation records, he borrowed the name of his favorite band, The Creation. This is probably one of the biggest legacy of The Creation, a band that is still vowed by garage aficionados. When you here the raw energy of the tracks of this nice little compilation, you easily understand why.

Download => The Mark Four - The Creation

The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird (Garrett Records - 1963)

If you want to learn everything about The Trashmen, just hit the internet or read the nice line note of this excellent Charly 2011 reedition. Surfin' Bird has acquired a cult status amon punk and garage collectors and when you hear their raw take on rock'n'roll, you easily understand why. Surfin' Bird, their only hit single, is a combination of two R&B hits by The Rivingtons, Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow and The Bird's the Word and probably the first single to chart with a sick punk voice on it. The Trashmen gained a new popularity in the mid 90's when Quentin Tarentino made of Misirlou the opening theme of Pulp Fiction.