Week Sixty: Gothic/Industrial - Front Line Assembly - "Mindphaser" - Tactical Neural Implant

Back in 1999, when my boyfriend (at the time) and I heard that Spahn Ranch, Switchblade Symphony, and Front Line Assembly were putting on a show at The Backroom in Austin, TX, we knew it was time for a middle-of-the week road trip, since it fell on a Wednesday night!!!

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I will reiterate the fact that I was primarily at this show to see Switchblade Symphony; therefore, I know very little about Front Line Assembly. In fact, I just realized that I had their name spelled incorrectly (as one word for Frontline) in my introduction above the ticket stub. Don't worry... I went back and fixed it on all the posts.

Anyhow, I went to Wikipedia to learn more about FLA, and here's what they had to say:

"Front Line Assembly (FLA) is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. Influenced by early electronic and (post-)industrial acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Portion Control, D.A.F., Test Dept, SPK, and Severed Heads, FLA has developed its own unique sound while combining elements of electronic body music (EBM). The band's membership has rotated through several members over the years, including Rhys Fulber and Michael Balch who are both associated with several other successful artists."

Since "Mindphaser" is the only song that I really like by them, I am going to take you into the weekend with a song by Severed Heads called "Big Car" since they were mentioned in the Wiki write-up and since I doubt I will ever mention Severed Heads again.

"Jesus...had days like this"

"Cyborgs - cybernetic organisms..."

"Machines with living human tissue and programmed to destroy"

The silence is deafening

Regression hangs in the air

A motionless world sits waiting

For new codes

A war of technology

Threatens to ignite

Digital murder

The language of machines

Mesmerised by a decade of faith

Flowers and remorse

A fading vision lost in time

Tragedy on course

Synthetic conspiracy

Masters of the human race

The mind now knows

New levels of fear

Implanted brain cells

Control is gone

We seem to believe

Truth is regression

The tension shows

The tension shows

"A quantum leap forward"

"Full OCP binary cyborg technology"

"State of the art destructive capabilities"

"Commanded by a unique combination of software and organic systems"

"Jesus...had days like this"

The target we seek

Slowly comes into sight

The countdown begins

For launch into hell

The tension begins

"State of the art destructive capabilities"

The kill is swift

It makes no sound

Aggression take its toll

Rhythm of violence

Cuts through the air

There's no more control

The sky turns brighter, a evil red

Missiles fly through the air

Shattered dreams

Shattered hopes

There's bodies everywhere

"Bwahahaha"

"State of the art destructive capabilities"

Week Sixty: Gothic/Industrial - Switchblade Symphony - "Drool (Mother)" - Serpentine Gallery

Back in 1999, when my boyfriend (at the time) and I heard that Spahn Ranch, Switchblade Symphony, and Front Line Assembly were putting on a show at The Backroom in Austin, TX, we knew it was time for a middle-of-the week road trip, since it fell on a Wednesday night!!!

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It's fairly safe to say that my mother is probably the biggest and most dedicated fan of my blog, but she informed me yesterday (via text message) that this week's selections have been her least favorite thus far... It's sort of ironic that today's song has the word mother in the title and the lyrics. It was not planned that way, mom... it just happened. :-D

Switchblade Symphony was not around for a terribly long time, and although I would never claim them as one of my favorites, I still really do like their sound.

They also covered a song by Siouxsie & the Banshees for the tribute CD that I mentioned a few weeks back; so I will include that cover - "Night Shift" - along with one of their other hits, "Gutter Glitter", below the lyrics...

She's been standing in my place

Let's go out and slap her face

She's been sitting in my chair

Let's go out and pull her hair

Yes you scream and you shout

Girl you'll never get out

No you never will see what's new

Yes you scream and you shout

No you'll never get out

No you never will see what's new

Mother says to stay right here

Mother says to stay right here

Mother says to stay right here

Right here

Mother says to stay right here

Mother says to stay right here

Mother says to stay right here

Right here

She's been sleeping in my bed

Let's go out and shoot her dead

She's been dancing in my dress

Let's go out and make a mess

Yes you scream and you shout

No you'll never get out

No you never will see what's new

Yes you scream and you shout

No you'll never get out

No you never will see what's new

With you....

Iridescent eyes of the seahorse cries

Treasures she loves others despise

A shooting star shan't fall very far

Dim fireflies held in glass jars

April showers bring May flowers

Dazzling dust tossed in wind gusts

The trap door is open

The window half closed

The tapestry curtain vivaciously grows

Iridescent eyes of the seahorse cries

Treasures she loves others despise

A shooting star shan't fall very far

Dim fireflies held in glass jars

Mother says to stay right here

Mother says to stay right here

Mother says to stay right here

Right here

Mother says to stay right here

Mother says to stay right here

Mother says to stay right here

Right here

Tell me what's new with you

Yeah, you're that girl

Tell me what's new with you

Yeah, you're that girl

Is it her or is it me?

Week Sixty: Gothic/Industrial - Switchblade Symphony - "Clown" - Serpentine Gallery

Back in 1999, when my boyfriend (at the time) and I heard that Spahn Ranch, Switchblade Symphony, and Front Line Assembly were putting on a show at The Backroom in Austin, TX, we knew it was time for a middle-of-the week road trip, since it fell on a Wednesday night!!!

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The first time I ever saw Switchblade Symphony was actually in May of 1998 when they opened for Gary Numan at The Galaxy Club in Dallas. I do not have a ticket stub for that show because it was a last minute decision to attend, and we just paid our money at the door.

I do remember that Tina and Susan were super-pissed because someone broke into their trailer and stole all of their band merchandise. They vowed never to return to Dallas. I'm not sure if they kept good on their word or not.

I was really stoked about getting to see Switchblade Symphony for a second time because both Tina and Susan had such interesting looks and because they put on a decent live show.

Since I was there primarily to see this band, I will dedicate both today and tomorrow to
Switchblade Symphony, and I'll reserve Thursday for Front Line Assembly.

In addition to the video for "Clown", I'll also include a live YouTube clip for "Bad Trash"... Notice that Susan is playing a KORG synth... that's because they're the best!!!

Crying loud you are crawling on the floor

Just a beautiful baby

You're nothing more

Close your eyes

You are crawling into sleep

I swear I won't break you

If you let me take you

Where the willows never weep

Where the willows never weep

Coming quick into your wonderland

Flying high on bleached white sand

Tranquilized by lights you'll lose your way

Well just come with me and I'll make you see

With me you'll want to stay

Can baby come out to play

Circus lights are shutting slowly down

But still you're up in the air

And loving your wings

My dear you play the clown

You're still up in the air

And loving your wings

What's gonna happen when you come down

Week Sixty: Gothic/Industrial - Spahn Ranch - "Heretic's Fork" - The Coiled One

Back in 1999, when my boyfriend (at the time) and I heard that Spahn Ranch, Switchblade Symphony, and Front Line Assembly were putting on a show at The Backroom in Austin, TX, we knew it was time for a middle-of-the week road trip, since it fell on a Wednesday night!!!

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I can definitively say that Spahn Ranch was never one of my favorite Industrial bands. I did not necessarily dislike them... however, their sound wasn't very original (in their defense, however, it's not exactly an easy thing to do to come up with an original Industrial sound) and I was seriously creeped out by their video for "Locusts" (included below).

My ex loved Spahn Ranch and had been waiting for years and years to see them. He was a huge fan of the Industrial sound, which often left me with a pounding headache, especially when he played it really loudly in the car. One thing that I did dig about Industrial music, though, was the sound clips that were often inserted from obscure films and such.

When we had our band, we used to stick lines from films in our songs. It didn't always work out the way we hoped, but on one song, we totally nailed it with some lines from the film, Say Anything.

I will also include a YouTube clip for another one of their songs called "Vortex"... If you watch this video, that stage setup at the beginning of the clip was exactly how it looked at The Backroom show...

Pull the curtain over the head

Blackened by all the needs

Feel the grift that sent them to God

Belief in another, the carbine is lifted

Heard the voice, the high screaming

Situation welded sensation

The murderer's among us and we are the lifted

The masters have all been anointed

Melted wing and prayer

As angels would say

Built to erase

Your coldest trace

You're like a movie now

Melted wing and prayer

Pulled the curtain over the head

Heard the voice that pitched screaming

Filling the jars with all the hatred

The masters among us and we are anointed

Melted wing and prayer

As angels would say

Built to erase

Your coldest trace

You're like a movie now

Melted wing and prayer

Pull the curtain over the head

Blackened my life with all such needs

Feel the grift that sent them to God

Belief in another the carbine is lifted

Melted wing and prayer

As angels would say

Built to erase

Your coldest trace

You're like a movie now

Melted wing and prayer

Week Fifty-Nine: iPod Picks - Part Deux - World Party - "Way Down Now" - Goodbye Jumbo

For Week Fifty-Nine, I'm lacking a bit of inspiration for a theme, so I'm turning my iPod loose again (in the form of putting it on shuffle) and letting it do the picking, just like I did in Week Thirty... Fortunately for me, it still hasn't died yet... It will be a sad, sad day when it eventually happens...

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Wow! This is such a great song to take you into the upcoming weekend. Sadly, I do not know anything at all about this band, other than the fact that I love this song, as well as one of their other hits called "Ship of Fools"... So I will have to resort to Wikipedia for help on this one...

"World Party is a British pop/alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving The Waterboys."

"Recorded at Wallinger's home in 1986, his debut album Private Revolution yielded two minor hits in the UK, 'Private Revolution' and 'Ship of Fools'. 'Ship Of Fools', however, did much better outside the UK — it reached no. 4 in Australia, no. 21 in New Zealand, and no. 27 in the US, in the process becoming the act's only major international hit."

"In 1994, World Party recorded 'When You Come Back to Me' for the Reality Bites soundtrack influenced by David Bowie's 1975 song 'Young Americans'."

Inside my TV eye
Never stop to wonder why I'm
Way down now
I'm way down now
Some faceless get on the screen
The most honest man I've ever seen
I'm way down now
I'm way down now
Won't you show me something true today
C'mon and show me anything but this
She took us by the hand
Hell was the promised land I'm
Way down now I'm
I'm way down now
I'm lying by the road
Because she cut off all my clothes
I'm way down now
Way down now
Won't you show me something true today
C'mon and show me anything but this
Inside my future eye
What I see just makes me cry
I'm way down now
I'm way down now
The clocks will all run backwards
All the sheep will have two heads
And Thursday night and Friday
Will be on Tuesday night instead
And all the times will keep on changing
And the movement will increase
There's something about the living babe
That sends me off my feet
There's breeding in the sewers
And the rats are on their way
They're clouding up the images of perfect day
And I know I'm not alone
And I know I'm not alone
And I know I'm not alone
Anything but this
Can you hear me I said
Inside my TV eye
I never stop to wonder why
I'm way down now
I'm way down now
Then some faceless get comes on my screen
The most honest man I've ever seen
I'm way down now
I'm way down now

Something new! Something true!

Week Fifty-Nine: iPod Picks - Part Deux - The Church - "Metropolis" - Under the Milky Way: The Best of The Church

For Week Fifty-Nine, I'm lacking a bit of inspiration for a theme, so I'm turning my iPod loose again (in the form of putting it on shuffle) and letting it do the picking, just like I did in Week Thirty... Fortunately for me, it still hasn't died yet... It will be a sad, sad day when it eventually happens...

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Even though my trusty little iPod selected the song, "Metropolis", which I very much enjoy, I am going to tell you a story about the song, "Reptile", instead --- I will also include the YouTube video below.

I once had a student who had impeccable taste in 80's music. Apparently, his uncle was in the military, and he got to travel around quite a bit. He visited England every summer, and he knew enough about most of the 80's bands that I liked in order to be able to carry on a decent conversation.

One day, he asked me to make him a mixed CD of some 80's songs. After clearing it with his mother - he was, after all, a student, and I needed her "ok" - I made him the mixed CD as requested. His favorite song on the mix ended up being "Reptile", followed very closely by a Depeche Mode song... I can't recall which one I put on that CD.

He came to visit me this past May, right before I quit teaching, since he heard that I was leaving. He will be a senior in high school this upcoming year. I asked him if he remembered that CD that I made for him, and he said that he still has it and that he even transferred all of the songs over to his iPod.

It's little things like that which will make me miss teaching every now and then, but I am really liking my new job so far!!!

I will also include another favorite, "Under the Milky Way"...

There'll never be another quite like you
I'm so involved with everything you do
Don't say nothing good will ever come of this
Don't say the damage is worse than it is

Back in Metropolis, circuses and elephants
Where the oranges grew
Back in Metropolis nothing can ever topple us
When I'm standing with you

You stare down at some crowd from your trapeze
And when you fell they fell down on their knees
And when you broke they scrambled for a piece
And when you spoke I felt their anger freeze 

Back in Metropolis, circuses and elephants
Where the oranges grew
Back in Metropolis nothing can ever topple us
When I'm standing with you
Back in Metropolis talk about a holocaust
And then visit the zoo
Back in Metropolis the weather is ridiculous
What's it all leading to
And it's only a day away
We could leave tonight
You could sleep along the way 

Dream in black and white

Week Fifty-Nine: iPod Picks - Part Deux - The Monroes - "What Do All the People Know?" - The Monroes EP

For Week Fifty-Nine, I'm lacking a bit of inspiration for a theme, so I'm turning my iPod loose again (in the form of putting it on shuffle) and letting it do the picking, just like I did in Week Thirty... Fortunately for me, it still hasn't died yet... It will be a sad, sad day when it eventually happens...

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This is such a great feel-good tune, and it has popped up in my world at the most random times. A few summers ago, I heard it on 100.3 - Jack FM - when I was driving around town. Then I proceeded to purchase the EP from Amazon.com.

A few months ago, I heard it when I was grocery shopping at a local Albertsons, which happens to have a penchant for playing phenomenal 80's tunes and which is why they have gained my loyalty as a shopper!

A few weeks ago, I was at a birthday dinner with a co-worker at P.F. Changs, and I heard it yet again while we were dining --- along with The Cure and Echo & the Bunnymen.

Now, my iPod decided to select it for one of this week's posts so that I could share it with you. I honestly haven't heard any other tunes by this band, and it appears, from what I read on Wiki, that they had many issues that prevented them from achieving much success. However, I really, really like this song, and I hope you do too!!!

You know I told you once tonight
That you could always speak your mind
You work so hard to say what's right
I watch you do it all the time
And when I called you on the phone
You said that I could be the one
But here I'm standing all alone
And you're out lying in the sun

Tell me am I getting in to deep
Every night I'm talking in my sleep
Lately I am so confused
I really don't know what to do
Could you be the one I'm thinking of?
Could you be the girl I really love?
All the people tell me so
But what do all the people know

You know I told you once tonight
That you could always speak your mind
You work so hard to say what's right
I watch you do it all the time
And when I called you on the phone
You said that I could be the one
But here I'm standing all alone
And you're out lying in the sun

Tell me am I getting in to deep
Every night I'm talking in my sleep
Maybe we're just holding on
To something that'll soon become
Could you be the one I'm thinking of?
Could you be the girl I really love?
All the people tell me so
But what do all the people know

Do you think I'm blind to what you do?
Do you think I really care for you?
Or is it just another game that you and I pretend to play
Do you think we both should let it go?
Do you think we both should let it show?
Or is it just another game that you and I pretend to play

Tell me am I getting in to deep
Every night I'm talking in my sleep
Lately I am so confused
I really don't know what to do
Could you be the one I'm thinking of?
Could you be the girl I really love?
All the people tell me so
But what do all the people know

All the people tell me so
But what do all the people know
All the people tell me so
But what do all the people know

All the people tell me so
But what do all the people know
All the people tell me so
But what do all the people know

Week Fifty-Nine: iPod Picks - Part Deux - The Cars - "My Best Friend's Girl" - Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology

For Week Fifty-Nine, I'm lacking a bit of inspiration for a theme, so I'm turning my iPod loose again (in the form of putting it on shuffle) and letting it do the picking, just like I did in Week Thirty... Fortunately for me, it still hasn't died yet... It will be a sad, sad day when it eventually happens...

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This song reminds me of the day I went to Six Flags with my other band member. The place where he worked had their company picnic at Six Flags every year. He had just broken up with his girlfriend, and my boyfriend at that time had to work that day; so he recruited me to go with him.

Everyone kept asking, “Is this your new girlfriend?” He kept replying, “No, it's my best friend's girlfriend.” After about the tenth time, he looked at me and stated, “Man, I feel like a scratched Cars album.” After being questioned for about the twentieth time, I granted him permission to just say, “Yep!”

I will also include YouTube videos for three of my other favorites by them --- "You are the Girl" & "Just What I Needed" & "Magic"...

you're always dancing down the street

with your suede blue eyes

and every new boy that you meet

he doesn't know the real surprise

here she comes again

when she's dancing 'neath the starry sky

she'll make you flip

here she comes again

when she's dancing 'neath the starry sky

you kinda like the way she dips

she's my best friend's girl

she's my best friend's girl

and she used to be mine

you've got your nuclear boots

and your drip dry glove

and when you bite your lip

it's some reaction to love

**BONUS POST** - Week Fifty-Eight: Guilty Pleasures - Right Said Fred - "I'm Too Sexy" - Up

Since I have spent a great deal of time this past year attempting to impress you with my musical selections and memorabilia, this week I am going to introduce you to my guilty pleasures. These are songs that may leave you scratching your head and asking: "She likes whaaaat?!?!?" I just hope you will still be able to respect me in the morning!!! :-D

Also, I will have to pull all band info from Wikipedia because I don't know much about any of these artists, other than the fact that I like these somewhat goofy songs!!!

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Oh wow!!! This was way too good to pass up... So I was going through my ticket stubs to see if I could gain inspiration for next week's posts, and I came across this little gem:

No need to rub your eyes to make sure you are seeing this correctly... that ticket stub does, indeed, say Right Said Fred. Now I really hope that you can still respect me in the morning!!!

And here's what Wikipedia says about this terrific trio:

"'I'm Too Sexy' is sung from the point of view of a histrionic-narcissistic fashion model. The song's lyrics express (over) confidence that his personal level of sexiness makes him too sexy for numerous things, most notably his shirt ('so sexy it hurts'). The list also includes 'my love (love's going to leave me)', 'Milan, New York, and Japan', 'your party (no way I'm disco dancing)', 'my car (too sexy by far)', 'my hat (what d'you think about that?)', 'my cat (poor pussy... poor pussycat)', and the song itself: '...and I'm too sexy for this song', at which point the song abruptly ends. The song samples the guitar riff from Jimi Hendrix's 1967 song 'Third Stone From the Sun'."

And since it appears that Rythm Syndicate (did they purposely spell it that way?!?!? --- oh, you know I had to look it up, and according to Wiki, the answer is: yes!!!) and Shanice were also part of that evening's entertainment, I suppose I will dazzle you with YouTube clips from them, as well; although, I will admit that I really don't remember either of those bands/artists --- no, really, I don't; I would confess to you if I did...

I’m too sexy for my love, too sexy for my love 

Love’s going to leave me 

I’m too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt 

So sexy it hurts 

And I’m too sexy for Milan too sexy for Milan 

New York and Japan 

And I’m too sexy for your party 

Too sexy for your party 

No way I’m disco dancing 

I’m a model you know what I mean 

And I do my little turn on the catwalk 

Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah 

I do my little turn on the catwalk 

I’m too sexy for my car too sexy for my car 

Too sexy by far 

And I’m too sexy for my hat 

Too sexy for my hat what do you think about that 

I’m a model you know what I mean 

And I do my little turn on the catwalk 

Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah 

I shake my little tushy on the catwalk 

I’m too sexy for my too sexy for my too sexy for my 

‘Cos I’m a model you know what I mean 

And I do my little turn on the catwalk 

Yeah on the catwalk yeah on the catwalk yeah 

I shake my little tushy on the catwalk 

I’m too sexy for my cat too sexy for my cat 

Poor pussy poor pussy cat 

I’m too sexy for my love too sexy for my love 

Love’s going to leave me 

And I’m too sexy for this song