Before I get into this, thought I'd say where I'm coming from, I'm about 50 years old now, the first music I actually remember listening to was ??, bugger now I've forgotten his name, "24 hours from Tulsa" was the song, first album I bought was the 1st Kinks, I liked that early 60's British R&B, still do, then Radio London came along with John Peel and boy those San Francisco sounds blew me away, and still does, then it was that progressive rock, wow man, blues and rock and psychedelia all rolled into one, then I got married in 73, music sort of stopped for 10 years, till the kids started shouting back, then off I went again, checking out what I'd missed, but it was not the same. But when I discovered Music & Elsewhere about 4 years ago, I was reborn, cos it's all still out there, just keeps those ears tuned.

So here are my thoughts on whats on the latest release from M&E

1. The Now - "The Now" from M&E 431

This is a great track, full of energy, it's not complicated, it's loud, got FUZZ and DISTORTION coming out of it's ears, and it's all at 11+ on the dial, it's not your sound system it's them, brilliant in my opinion and theres no vocals.
Contact : Neil Lawrence, 79 Canterbury Road, North Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 4PD, U.K.

2. Eye - "The Vivisector" from M&E 427

Well what do You say, has this got a message or what, Animal rights, Human rights and a drugs message, all wrapped up in a great sound, it moves, it's a LARGE sound, ram that message home baby.
Contact : Ryan, P.O.Box 1327,Woden, ACT 2606, Australia

3.Silverskin - "Showdown"

Man! is this Gothic or what, do I know what I'm takin' about, dunno, this is forceful rock 'n' roll and it growls, it's got laid back breaks to, gets my vote for sure, I'm going to have to bribe Mr Magic with money to get this one I'm sure of that, play it loud and bugger the neigbours, in nicest possible sense of course. I think Arni Schwatzawotzit must have helped out.
Contact : Peter Wooliscroft, 17 Housefield Road, Bentilee, Stoke On Trent, Staffs, ST2 0DA, U.K.

4. Wine Dark Sea - "Teethmarks" from "Wine Dark Sea" M&E 425

Are these guys german, nice vocals with a good backing track that got beat, but not enough bite or not enough laid back psych for me, I know I'm impossible to please.
Contact : Martin Lynch, 122 Osidge Lane, London, N14 5DN, U.K.

5. Earth - "Dreamtravel" from "Supernaut" M&E 430

I expect great things from this lot, bought the last tape didn't I and was not dissapointed, it's got a nice start and then it digs in, these guys are the power chord masters for sure.
Contact : Wolfgang Erdmann, Ludwigstr.49, 63263 Neu Isenburg, Germany

6.Zerobranco - "Attendi" from "95-97" M&E 424

These guys are Italian, arn't they, they've got to be, I rented a room in an Italian household once and they all sounded like the girl singing on this, how many words a minute is that, this track certainly moves, take no prisoners, mamma mia, but I don't understand italian.
Contact : Luca Merlin, Via Galvani 12, 35020 Albignasego (PD), Italy

7. Terri B - "Wrap me up in your skin" from "Open The Box" M&E 426

Nice, laid back, psyched out, just lay back, eyes closed and float, you know it'll do you good, theres an angel playing a harp somewhere, now I've got 3 tapes to weazel out of Frimley.
Contact : Stone Promotions, 271 Park Road, South Moor, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 7AP, U.K.

8. Grasp - "So many people" [Guest Band]

The guest band Mick sez, well I think they're gonna stay, another very listenable track, a tale of every day life maybe, "don't follow me cos I'm lost to"
Contact : Katrina Rainbow, 44a Quarry Rigg, Lake Road, Bowness On Windermere, LA23 3DT, U.K.

9. This Elegant Chaos - "To be free" from "The Virtue Circle" M&E 432

Pop rock I think, nice laid back breaks, but it doesn't do much for me.
Contact : Gary Brown, 48 Hambleton Road, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 1HH, U.K.

10. Kev Orkian - "Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (1st movement)"
from his tape album "Rock & Roll Suicides"

It's classical, but played with electronics and a guitar, probably how he would have done it today if he'd been around
Contact : Kevyn Dymond, Guaranteed Cleveland Records, P.O.Box 35, Arcata, CA 95521, USA

11. Carlo R De Shouten - "Shiallia" from his tape album "Jamming The Dragon"

Starts quietly with flute, then theres two flutes, then wham in comes the bass, thumping away and then oft we jolly well go with guitars joining in as we go, not a bad track all in all, "like something out of fiddler on the roof" I want to say, don't quite know why, there arn't any fiddles in here.
Contact : 1434 Goehler, Cullman, AL 35055, USA

12. Doug Michael & The Outer Darkness - "As time wears on" from "Collections 1993-97" M&E 433

Guitar and probably a vocoder doing harmony, relax now and drift away, chill out man.
Contact : 2889 Seville Circle, Antioch, CA 94509, USA

13. Ras Al Ghul - "D.Vine B.Earth" from "Ras Al Ghul" M&E 428

Tablas here, sound affects to, not my cup of tea, so can't really judge it merits but it does have something, I'm sure it does, oh yeah rythem
Contact : Fernando Cerqueira, Av. Do Ultramar No.24 R/C DTO, 2780 Oeiras, Portugal

14. Acid Fuck - "Sex & Drugs & Acidfuck" from "Cranial Drift" M&E 429

Now I'm really getting out of my depth, "Sexs and Drugs and Rock'n'Roll" no acidfuck, a sound scape maybe, that rolls you around it's hills and dales, this IS electronic and it's not to relax to I'm sure, there a hint of war of the worlds in there, look out for martians in thar hills.
Contact : Kev Trundley, 8 Coris Close, Marton Manor, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, TS7 8SR, U.K.

15. Alien Planetscapes - "Gravel" cassette single on M&E

Look out it's a flock of electronic sparrows, then the gravel sets in, I half expected Arthur Brown to break out at any time with all that brooding deep bass sounds around.
Contact : Doug Walker, 191-32 116th Avenue, St.Albans, NY 11412, USA

16.Titania Moon - "Cometstar" (extract it sez here) from M&E 422

and then it's Titania Moon come in, riding a comet, to make us all feel alright with the world again, get that blood pressure down, just follow that comet, coming to you from a bedroom somewhere in Hertfordshire.
Contact : Mick Skinner, 54 Cromwell Road, Ware, Herfordshire SG12 7LA, U.K.

Well there you are, 16 tracks on the current M&E sampler, well worth the £10 subscription again, where do these bands hide themselves, does Mick shine his Majic Torch and they are found, or is it just that these guys are unsigned, don't have to tone it all down to keep the record company happy, make it suitable for mums and dads, hang on a minute I'm a dad and I love these tapes, I must me weird, where are those pills, got any Prozac mum.

To find out more write to
Mick Magic,
Music and Elsewhere,
6, Farm Court,
Surrey,
GU16 5TJ,
UK

Thats it Weird Rod signing off Mail Me if YOU dare

P.S. It was Gene Pitney who was on his way to Tulsa my wife reminded me

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