The Covid Blues

Well, We're all in quarentine now and haven't seen a live gig since St Patty's Day, even CIUT is in lockdown but it's not like I'm going stir crazy and compliling a list of vaguely Covid related tunes or any thing. But since you asked here's a list of vaguely Covid related tunes for your dancing-at-home-like-Risky-Business pleasure;

HUEY PIANO SMITH & THE CLOWNS ~ "THE ROCKING PNEUMONIA & THE BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU";


The orginal version of a song that would be better known as an Aerosmith.

LITTLE WILLIE JOHN ~ "FEVER";


The original and still the best version of this classic.

THE BEACH BOYS ~ "IN MY ROOM";


If there was anybody who probably would have enjoyed quarentine it was Brain Wilson.

THE McCOYS ~ "FEVER"


Still the best cover of this song.

AEROSMITH ~ "THE ROCKING PNEUMONIA & THE BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU";


Pretty sure Aerosmith are immune to any virus known to man at this point.

ROBERT PALMER ~ "DOCTOR DOCTOR";


Robert Palmer was like the frat-boy version of Brian Ferry which seems like a dumb idea but it works here.

ROXY MUSIC ~ "LOVE IS THE DRUG";


By this point Bryan Ferry was the lounge lizard version of early Bryan Ferry but it totally works

X-RAY SPECS ~ "GERM FREE ADOLESCENTS";


X-Ray Specs only ballad and it's as perfect as you could ask for.

JOY DIVISION ~ "ISOLATION";


Joy Division should be the official band of any quarantine

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN ~ "MY LIFE'S THE DISEASE";


And Echo & The Bunnymen can open for Joy Divison

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "PLACEBO EFFECT";


No; Echo & THe Bunnymen can open for Siouxsie & the Banshees, who can then open for Joy Division.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "PLACEBO EFFECT";


A decade later the Banshees went bac and redid the song with a freaking string section and it totally worked.

SIMPLE MINDS ~ "NO CURE";


People forget how different Simple Minds sounded when they started out.

THE FIXX ~ "SHUTTERED ROOM";


And the Fixx can open for Simple Minds

MAGAZINE ~ "THE LIGHT POURS OUT OF ME";


"Time drags, My time crawls. Like an insect, up and down the walls"

WIRE ~ "I AM THE FLY";


"I shake you down to say please as you accept the next dose of disease".

MISFITS ~ "COUGH/COOL";


Glen Danzig in his early Jim Morrison phase

IGGY & THE STOOGES ~ "SICK OF YOU";


Iggy Pop in his Jim Morrison phase.

SOCIAL DISTORTION ~ "SICK BOY";


Because of course.

MUDHONEY ~ "TOUCH ME I'M SICK";


Becuase of course pt.2

SOCIAL STRIFE ~ "COVID-19";


Local Toronto band joins in with a decent effort

DIAMANDA GALAS ~ "THIS IS THE LAW OF THE PLAGUE";


She has an entire album with a plague theme that was actually about the AIDS pandemic but it's still relevant, not to mention scary.

VAN MORRISON ~ "TB SHEETS);


Van The Man once did a classic tuberculosis song. Then he went and ruined it by becoming a conspiracy theorist mask-hole.

VICTORIA SPIVEY ~ "TB BLUES";


The original tuberculosis blues. Jimmy Rodgers would later take the title and have a bigger hit with a different TB song.

MERLE HAGGARD ~ "TB BLUES";


Merle's version of the Jimmy Rodgers version.

THE RIZDALES ~ "SO CLEAN";


London band sends us off with a helpful note

Throwback Thursdays Retro Video Project Pres; Siouxsie & The Banshees pt.3

I already made a bunch of Banshees vids but then I stumbled on to some more stock footage and there's always room for more Siouxsie.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "LOST LITTLE GIRL";


This is a Doors cover off the "Through The Looking Glass" album and uses some footage from a 1923 silent film "Brass" starring Marie Prevost who you may recognize from the nick Lowe song.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "LITTLE JOHNNY JEWEL";


This cover version of the Television song off of "Through The Looking Glass" uses some test footage from some 1960's Hammer Studios horror films.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "FOLLOW THE SUN";


This song form the "Hyena" era uses some test footage from a 1960's caveman film.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "TAKE ME BACK";


Another track from "Hyena" this time using some stop-motion footage of a flower blooming.

Throwback Thursdays Retro Zines ~ Rear Garde Magazine January 1989

January 1989;

In this issue of the Montreal based magazine; Interviews with Billy Bragg, 54-40, DRI, Mr T Experience, The American Devices, Karen Finley, DBC, Pump House, The Birth Defects, Blackjacks and a full length Boston scene report.

DRI ~ A WHOLE LOTTA SONGS IN UNDER FIVE MINUTES;


Record reviews of; Motorhead, Danzig, Das Damen, The Cynics, American Devices, Slayer, Traveling Wilburys, Los Lobos, Falco, Bootsy Collins, Ministry, Three Johns, MC Shan, Lime Spiders, Billy Bragg, Front 242, The Adolecents, Shinehead, Myles Copeland, Fishbone, REM, Forbidden Dimension, Heimlich Maneuver, Swindled, Hard-Ons, Druids.

Concert Reviews of; Siouxsie & The Banshees (by Moi!), The Three O'Clock Train, Testament &Raven, 39 Steps & One Free Fall, Grapes Of Wrath, DRI & Holy Terror, Itsa Skitsa, Jerry Jerry.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "RED OVER WHITE" (video by Moi);


Playing in Montreal that month were; Seven Seconds, Plasterscene Replicas, Jerry Jerry, The Weathermen, Youth Of Today, the Randy Peters, Savage Garden, The Swinging Relatives, the Northern Pikes, Michel Lemieux, April Wine, Asexuals, Sudden Impact & Groovy Aadrvaark, Me Mom & Morgentaller

54-40 ~ "Baby Ran";


In other news The Three O'Clock Train and the Pale Decendents broke up and the Nils were dropped by their record label.

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Montreal Campus Radio Charts;

CSRG Top 33 1/3;
This Month ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Cancon
1. The Pixies ~ Surfer Rosa ~ Vertigo

2. Schooly D ~ Smoke Some Kill ~ Jive

3. Front Line Assembly ~ Corrosion ~ Wax Trax

4. Bad Brains ~ Live ~ SST

5. Voivod ~ Dimension Hatross ~ Maze ~ cc

6. Sarah McLachlan ~ Touch ~ Netwerk ~ cc

7. Foetus ~ Thaw ~ Self Mutilation

8. Various Artists ~ Real Authentic Sampler ~ RAS

9. Rapeman ~ 2 Nuns & A Packmule ~ Touch & Go

10. Fail Safe ~ No One's Laughter ~ Demo ~ cc

11. Bill Bruford ~ Earthworks ~ EG

12. The Shuffle Demons ~ Bop Rap ~ Stony Plain ~ cc

13. Negativeland ~ Escape From Noise ~ SST

14. SWallow The Bird ~ SWallow The Bird ~ Scorpio

15. Denis Brown ~ Inseparable ~ WKS

16. Pail Head ~ Trait ~ Wax Tracks

17. Various Artists ~ Fast & Bulbous ~ Imaginary ~ cc

18. Boogie Down Productions ~ Stop The Violence ~ Jive

19. Moev ~ Yeah Whatever ~ Nettwerk ~ cc

20. Colour Me Psycho ~ Pretend I'm Your ~ Raging ~ cc

21. Stanley Clarke ~ If This Bass Could Talk ~ Portrait

22. Katie Webster ~ Swamp Boogie Queen ~ Alligator

23. Skinny Puppy ~ VIVI Sect VI ~ Nettwerk ~ cc

24. Dinosaur Jr ~ Bug ~ SST

25. My Dog Popper ~ 668 Neighbour Of The Beast ~ Patos ~ cc

26. Miriodor ~ Miriodor ~ Cuneform ~ cc

27. The Infamous Basturds ~ Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous ~ FMATYF ~ cc

28. Somewhere ~ Lights In A Fat City ~ These

29. Marilyn Crispell ~ Gaia ~ Leo

30. Various Artists ~ New Africa 3 ~ Celluloid

31. Various Artists ~ Human Music ~ Homestead

32. Test Dept ~ Terra Firma ~ Sub Rosa

33. Les Thugs ~ Les Thugs ~ Vinyl Solution

1/3. BAB ~ The Pill ~ Cassette ~ cc

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SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "WE HUNGER" (video by Moi);


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CKUT Top 35;

This Month ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Cancon
1. Ministry ~ Land Of Rape & Honey ~ WEA

2. The Sons Of Freedom ~ Sons Of Freedom ~ Slash ~ cc

3. Mary Margaret O'Hara ~ Miss America ~ Virgin ~ cc

4. The Gruesomes ~ Hey! ~ OG! ~ cc

5. Jeff Healy Band ~ See The Light ~ Arista ~ cc

6. Singers & Players ~ Vacuum Pumping ~ On-U Sound

7. KMFDM ~ Don't Blow Your Top ~ Wax Trax

8. Flour ~ Flour ~ Touch & Go

9. 1000 Homo DJ's ~ Apathy ~ Wax Trax

10. Motor Totemist Guild ~ Shapuno Zoo ~ Rotary Totem

11. Volcano Suns ~ Farced ~ SST

12. Bill Frisell ~ Look Out For Hope ~ ECM

13. Front 242 ~ Front By Front ~ Nettwerk

14. Mr Big Mouse ~ Drop That Ghetto Blaster ~ SSR

15. Sun Ra & His Arkrestra ~ Love In Outer Space ~ Leo

16. Das Damen ~ Marshmellow Conspiracy ~ SST

17. Pata Negra ~ Blues De LA Frontera ~ Carthage

18. Alpha Blondy & The Wailers ~ Jerusalem ~ Traffic

19. Soundgarden ~ Ultramega OK ~ SST

20. The Pursuit Of Happiness ~ Love Junk ~ Chrysalis ~ cc

21. Various Artists ~ Futurism & Dada ~ Sub Rosa

22. Pussy Galore ~ Sugarshit Sharp ~ Caroline

23. Various Artists ~ Acid Jazz Vol.1 ~ Ace

24. Etta James ~ Seven Year Itch ~ Island

25. Sweet Honey In The Rock ~ Live At Carnegie Hall ~ Flying Fish

26. Bad Brains ~ Live ~ SST

27. Sarah McLachlan ~ Touch ~ Nettwerk ~ cc

28. Various Artists ~ Faults To Follow ~ CIA ~ cc

29. Non Credo ~ Reluctant Hosts ~ Rotary Totem

30. Katie Webster ~ Swamp Boogie Queen ~ Alligator

31. Miriodor ~ Miriodor ~ Cuneiform ~ cc

32. Joe Mendleson ~ Born To Cuddle ~ Anthem ~ cc

33. Various Artists ~ Nicaraguan Folk Music ~ Flying Fish

34. Six Winds ~ Elephants Can Dance ~ Sackville

35. REM ~ Green ~ WEA



SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "MELT" (video by Moi);

The Throwback Thursdays Retro Video Project Pres; Siouxsie & The Banshees (pt.2)

More from my Throwback Thursday Retro Video Project. This week; Siouxsie & The Banshees, pt.2.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "HALLOWEEN";


This is a song off their best album, "Ju-Ju" from 1981. The video uses a 1907 short by the Spanish-French film-maker Segundo De Chomon, a contemporary of the more famous George Melies, whose style he expanded on.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "VOODOO DOLLY";


Another song off of "Ju Ju" using a Segundo De Chomon film.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "LET GO";


This song is a b-side off the 1984 "Swimming Horses" single using another Segundo De Chomon short film, "Les Oeufs De Paques" from 1907. I also used this film for an Ultravox song.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "PULLED TO BITS";


This song was originally a b-side that later appeared on the 1983 live album "Nocturne" using newsreel footage from the collapse of the Tacoma Bridge in 1946.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "SWITCH";


A song off their debut 1978 album "The Scream" using an Edwin S Porter film "Life Of An American Fireman from 1903.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "ISRAEL";


This track uses an odd short film featuring miniaturized versions of the Denishawn Dancers, an influential Modern Dance troupe from the 1910's.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "WE HUNGER";


This is a song from the 1984 "Hyena" album. This is a clip from a longer film "Shoes" (1916) directed by Lois Weber and seemed to fit the song perfectly.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "THE RAPTURE";


This epic track is obviously in need of a video, here using a chapter from a 1923 British serial about the "Dr Fu Manchu" character. Note the ending of this chapter has been lost.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "TURN TO STONE";


This track off the 1986 album "Peep Show" uses another film by Segundo De Chomon

Throwback Thursdays Retro Zines; "Rear Garde Magazine" ( June 1986)

"Rear Garde" was a Montreal based music magazine (mostly punk & post punk) from the late 1980's. Started by Paul Gott of the Ripcordz originally as a program guide for campus/community radio station CRSG out of Concordia University, the zine later evolved into a national music mag. This issue is from 1986 when it was still doubling as a program guide.

This issue is 20 pages in length and is subtitled the "Not a Cow-Punk" issue. The guide features in depth pieces on rockabilly guy Ray Condo, Montreal punk band The Asexuals, 8th Route Army, New York Garage Band the Fleshtones, Toronto Bluesman The Paul James Band, and California Garage-Psyche band The Three O'Clock Train and avant garde classical composer Wolfgang Bottenberg.

THE FLESHTONES ~ "SOUL CITY";


Reviews include Hasil Adkins, Nihilist Spasm Band, Chris Houston, Condition, Nurse With Wound, Current 93, Controlled Bleeding, Bowser & Blue. Concert reviews include Siouxsie & The Banshees, Lords Of The New Church & American Girls, Burning Spear and the 1986 Electro-Acoustic Festival with Pierre Henry.

Along with the CSRG top thirty charts there are listings for Montreal shows that month which included The Gruesomes, 10,000 Maniacs, The Shadowy Men, Green On Red, Donovan, Monty Cantsin, Killdozer, Three O'clock Train, 39 Steps, The A-Bones, Anne Clark, Depeche Mode, Julian Lennon, Deja Voodoo, Slickee Boys, The Darned, Sonny Okuson, Kool & The Gang, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Beach Boys, Archie Shepp, Public Image Limited (Hey! I saw that tour!), Tangerine Dream (saw them too).



THE THREE O'CLOCK TRAIN ~ "TAIN OF DREAMS";


CRSG Top 30 Charts;

This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;

1. ~ 1 ~ Three O'Clock Train ~ Wig Wam Beach ~ Pipeline ~ 11 ~ cc

2. ~ 2 ~ Ray Condo ~ Greenback Dollar ~ s/r ~ 6 ~ cc

3. ~ 4 ~ S.C.U.M. ~ Born Too Soon ~ Psyche ~ 12 ~ cc

4. ~ 8 ~ The Gruesomes ~ Jack The Ripper ~ s/r ~ 6 ~ cc

5. ~ 27 ~ The Cucumbers ~ All Shook Up ~ Fake Doome ~ 2

6. ~ 3 ~ The Paul James Band ~ Almost Crazy ~ Lick n' Stick ~ 4 ~ cc

7. ~ n.a ~ The Ramones ~ Something To Believe In ~ Beggars Banquet ~ n.a.

8. ~ 6 ~ The Nils ~ Sell Out Young ~ Psyche ~ 24 ~ cc

9. ~ n.a ~ Chris Houston ~ Hate Filled Man ~ Zulu ~ n.a ~ cc

10. ~ 7 ~ The Ripcordz ~ Circular Motion ~ s/r ~ 10 ~ cc

11. ~ 10 ~ Siouxsie & The Banshees ~ Tinderbox ~ Polygram ~ 3

12. ~ 12 ~ The March Violets ~ Electric Shades ~ Relativity ~ 3

13. ~ n.a ~ Nihilist Spasm Band ~ 1 x X = X ~ United Dairies ~ n.a ~ cc

14. ~ 15 ~ The Pandoras ~ It's About Time ~ Closer ~ 2

15. ~ n.a ~ Condition ~ Ghost Train ~ s/r ~ n.a ~ cc

16. ~ 14 ~ The Violent Femmes ~ The Blind Leading The Naked ~ Slash ~ 11

17. ~ n.a ~ Smudgeman ~ Changing My Name ~ s/r ~ n.a ~ cc

18. ~ 19 ~ Teenage Head ~ Trouble In The Jungle ~ Warpt ~ 13 ~ cc

19. ~ 9 ~ The Asexuals ~ Contemporary World ~ Psyche ~ 13 ~ cc

20. ~ 22 ~ My Dog Popper ~ Gino ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc

21. ~ 23 ~ Dayglow Abortions ~ Dayglow Abortions ~ Fringe ~ 2 ~ cc

22. ~ 25 ~ Johnathan Richman ~ It's Time For ~ Rough Trade ~ 3

23. ~ 28 ~ Sturm Group ~ Century Ho! ~ Green Fuse ~ 10 ~ cc

24. ~ 25 ~ Various Artists ~ It Came From Canada ~ OG! ~ 24 ~ cc

25. ~ 16 ~ The U.K.Subs ~ In Action ~ RFB ~ 6 ~ cc

26. ~ 24 ~ Mind Altering Device ~ To Touch The Face Of God ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc

27. ~ 24 ~ Rhythm Activism ~ Rhythm Activism ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc

28. ~ n.a ~ Test Dept. ~ Unacceptable Face Of Freedom ~ Some Bizarre ~ n.a

29. ~ n.a ~ Hasil Adkins ~ Out To Hunch ~ Norton ~ n.a

30. ~ n.a ~ Ludwig Von 88 ~ Houlala ~ Bondage ~ n.a

RAY CONDO & HIS HARD ROCK GONERS ~ "WAY OUT THERE";


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Jazz Blues Top 5;

This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;

1. ~ 1 ~ Skywalk ~ The Bohemians ~ Zebra ~ 3 ~ cc

2. ~ 2 ~ Larry Carlton ~ Alone But Never Alone ~ MCA ~ 3

3. ~ n.a ~ UZEB ~ Between The Lines ~ A&M ~ n.a ~ cc

4. ~ 3 ~ David Grisman ~ Acousticity ~ MCA ~ 7

5. ~ 4 ~ Jackie Washington ~ Is You Is Or Is You Ain't ~ Roto-Noto ~ 12 ~ cc

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Reggae/Afropop Top 5;

This Week ~ Last Week ~ Artist ~ Album ~ Label ~ Weeks On ~ Cancon;

1. ~ 2 ~ J.R.Express ~ She's A Dancer ~ s/r ~ 3 ~ cc

2. ~ 3 ~ Black Uhuru ~ Brutal ~ Attic ~ 3

3. ~ 4 ~ Becket ~ Stranger Man ~ Cocoa ~ 3

4. ~ 1 ~ Linton Kwesi Johnson ~ In Concert With The Dub Band ~ Rough Trade ~ 4

5. ~ n.a ~ Youssou N'Dour ~ The Rubberband Man ~ Magnetic ~ n.a

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SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "RED OVER WHITE";

The Throwback Thursdays Retro Video Project Presents; Siouxsie & The Banshees (pt.1)

More from my Throwback Thursday Retro Video Project. This week; Siouxsie & The Banshees. I always though their music had a cinematic quality.



SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "CARCASS";


Happily this track off the first album about festishizing "dead pork" turned out to be perfect for this weird French film

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "SUBURBAN RELAPSE";


Here's another song from the first album using an early French film from Pathe;

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "RED OVER WHITE";


This song originally appeared as the flipside to the "Israel" 45. This second, more lush version, appeared on "The Thorn" ep. The video is a collection of fan dancers from the 1900's. Some of the footage are of Loie Fuller, an American who invented the style and became very popular, especially in France. The others are various imitators from France and America including American Chrissie Sheridan, filmed by Thomas Edison. This may be my favorite video.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "PLACEBO EFFECT";


Another song off "The Thorne" the original version of which on the second album, this one using a film by Segundo De Chomon

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "OVERGROUND";


Another song off of "The Thorn" this time using a fairly obscure silent film "A Daring Crime".

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "MELT";


A song off the 1982 "Kiss In The Dreamhouse" album using an abstract film by German experimental film-maker Walter Ruttman; "Opus 2" from 1921.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "GREEN FINGERS";


Another song off of "Kiss In The Dreamhouse" using a short art film, "Tails" from 1976, by Paul Sharits. This film spliced together the faded, underdeveloped ends of other films, hence the title. I used this same film for songs by Cabaret Voltaire and Simple Minds song but couldn't decide which version I liked better so I kept them all.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ~ "CITIES IN DUST";


This video shows Berlin shot from the air in the 1920's, it's only a fragment but it suited the sunject matter so perfectly that I couldn't resist.

The Lego Will Rock

I swear I could watch these every day for the rest of my life;

JOY DIVISION ~ "TRANSMISSION";


JOY DIVISION ~ "SHE'S LOST CONTROL";


THE SEX PISTOLS ~ "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN";


KILLING JOKE ~ "REQUIEM";


THE DAMNED ~ "NEW ROSE";


MOTORHEAD ~ "ACE OF SPADES";


THE CULT ~ "SHE SELLS SANCTUARY";


AC/DC ~ "THUNDERSTRUCK";


IRON MAIDEN ~ "THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST";


IRON MAIDEN;


KISS ~ "DETROIT ROCK CITY";


ADAM ANT ~ "STAND AND DELIVER";


And I don't even like Kiss, in fact I loathe them. Now I await Lego Bauhaus, Siouxsie, Sabbath, Runaways and Van Halen;
BAUHAUS ~ "DARK ENTRIES";


SIOUXSIE ~ "HONG KONG GARDEN";


BLACK SABBATH ~ "PARANOID";


THE RUNAWAYS ~ "CHERRY BOMB";


VAN HALEN ~ "JUMP";