There was something of a New York thing going on in the ninth issue of Your Heart Out (which can be downloaded for free here). The trouble is round our way when anyone mentions New York is has to be the imagined New York that comes from watching Downtown '81 too many times. Well, partly that. But more from being a kid and trying to piece together a New York read about in magazines and heard through music. And that music would be from the New York cauldron of the turn of the '80s.
And that's why it's no surprise that the cover of our ninth issue was of an 8 Eyed Spy record, where Lydia Lunch would front a back-to-basics outfit that supposedly was Creedence meets Al Green but sounded like nothing on earth. This followed hot on the heels of her LP for Ze, Queen of Siam, that twisted jazz noir masterpiece with its gorgeous cover. And that was the point because it all got very confusing trying to unravel who was recording with whom for whom. That mess was part of the attraction. A brief snippet on Cristina here. A page on Lydia there. Something on Rosa Yemen or Lizzie Mercier Descloux somewhere. Something on August Darnell somewhere else. A few paras on James White. A few paras on James Chance.
Of course things got more fragmented. Members of the Contortions popped up in 8 Eyed Spy. George Scott would start up the Raybeats with more ex-Contortions. he would tragically die, but his vision woud be seen through. And The Raybeats would go on to make some wonderful instrumental recordings that evoked both the spirit of surfing and exotica but hint at the future with some experiemntation with electronic rhythms. Their records are surely ripe for rediscovery.
In the meantime as our own London songs project continues it's very appropriate that a New York songs project should get underway to complement it. The latest post is a particular delight as it features a video for the Bush Tetras' Too Many Creeps, one of our very favourite songs, which oh yes features another ex-Contortion Pat Place doing some very special things on guitar. That actually provides the perfect opportunity to share more Bush Tetras footage ...
Of course things got more fragmented. Members of the Contortions popped up in 8 Eyed Spy. George Scott would start up the Raybeats with more ex-Contortions. he would tragically die, but his vision woud be seen through. And The Raybeats would go on to make some wonderful instrumental recordings that evoked both the spirit of surfing and exotica but hint at the future with some experiemntation with electronic rhythms. Their records are surely ripe for rediscovery.
In the meantime as our own London songs project continues it's very appropriate that a New York songs project should get underway to complement it. The latest post is a particular delight as it features a video for the Bush Tetras' Too Many Creeps, one of our very favourite songs, which oh yes features another ex-Contortion Pat Place doing some very special things on guitar. That actually provides the perfect opportunity to share more Bush Tetras footage ...
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