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The Dream Syndicate and the Paisley Underground


felser

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20 minutes ago, romualdo said:

We also had our own "Paisley Underground" scene down here in Australia through the 80s

some great bands like "Hoodoo Gurus", "Lime Spiders", "Scientists", "Wet Taxis", "Triffids" (early), "Church" (early), "Ups & Downs", "Stems" plus New Zealand had the amazing "Chills"

:tup

Rhino's CHILDREN OF NUGGETS compilation offers a pretty fine introduction to many of these groups.

 

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26 minutes ago, romualdo said:

We also had our own "Paisley Underground" scene down here in Australia through the 80s

some great bands like "Hoodoo Gurus", "Lime Spiders", "Scientists", "Wet Taxis", "Triffids" (early), "Church" (early), "Ups & Downs", "Stems" plus New Zealand had the amazing "Chills"

I have a good bit of the early Hoodoo Gurus, and really enjoy it!   I consider "Under The Milky Way" by the Church to be one of the most beautiful records I've ever heard, but that was a later/different sound for them.

6 hours ago, EKE BBB said:

They played in Madrid back in 2016, IIRC, and I stupidly missed that gig!

From my point of view, the list of groups belonging to Paisley Underground (or New American Rock, as it was mostly known here in Spain), connected or influenced by this musical development, could include:

Green on Red,

Dream Syndicate,

Long Ryders,

Three O'Clock,

Bangles,

Rain Parade,

True West,

Game Theory,

Wednesday Week,

Los Lobos,

Let's Active,

R.E.M. (early stuff),

Guadalcanal Diary,

Jason & The Scorchers, 

Violent Femmes,

Rank & File,

Smithereens, 

Naked Prey,

Lone Justice,

Del-Fuegos,

Del-Lords...

 

Great list for me to explore some, thanks!  Isee the history slightly differently with my USA line of sight (though labels are never as neat and clean as we would like to make them).  There was a parallel movement centered in Athens, Georgia which included R.E.M., Guadalcanal Diary, and Let's Active from your list.  And Many of the other groups on the list, such as Los Lobos and Lone Justice, were considered "Roots Rock", yet a different tag (not really an organized movement),  and the Blasters were a major force in that.   The first eight groups you mention are all definitely considered Paisley Underground, which was west-coast based for the most part.  The Smithereens were out of the New York City area, and were thought of more as like a latter-day power pop group.  The Paisley Underground groups tended to have some psychedelic flourishes (as did the Athens crew, though less so), and the others don't (though the early Lone Justice sort of does).  I need to explore some of the groups you 

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I had so much of that US Paisley underground material plus the Aussie & NZ equivalents on original vinyl (including the legendary NZ label Flying Nun) but sold much of it through the 90s to feed my jazz habit (which was voracious)

10 minutes ago, felser said:

I have a good bit of the early Hoodoo Gurus, and really enjoy it!   I consider "Under The Milky Way" by the Church to be one of the most beautiful records I've ever heard, but that was a later/different sound for them.

"Under The Milky Way" LP & single were huge "indie" hits in Australia but as you say that was much later in the Church's career (early 90s)

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9 hours ago, romualdo said:

We also had our own "Paisley Underground" scene down here in Australia through the 80s

some great bands like "Hoodoo Gurus", "Lime Spiders", "Scientists", "Wet Taxis", "Triffids" (early), "Church" (early), "Ups & Downs", "Stems" plus New Zealand had the amazing "Chills"

Australia has some great bands, for sure! Love the Hoodoos, Spiders, Church ... and also Radio Birdman.

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25 minutes ago, BFrank said:

Australia has some great bands, for sure! Love the Hoodoos, Spiders, Church ... and also Radio Birdman.

Ah "Radio Birdman" (Aloha Steve & Danno) - now we're going back to the 70's & you cannot forget "The Saints" - both punk legends & predating the Sex Pistols,

The Saints (remember "Stranded") originated from my home town, Brisbane & are all my vintage. Ed Kuepper (ex Saints, Laughing Clowns - now that's a great aussie band) moved back here quite a few years ago & is still very active on the music scene.

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1 hour ago, romualdo said:

Ah "Radio Birdman" (Aloha Steve & Danno) - now we're going back to the 70's & you cannot forget "The Saints" - both punk legends & predating the Sex Pistols,

The Saints (remember "Stranded") originated from my home town, Brisbane & are all my vintage. Ed Kuepper (ex Saints, Laughing Clowns - now that's a great aussie band) moved back here quite a few years ago & is still very active on the music scene.

I kind of missed the Saints for some reason, but definitely need to check them out.

Other related Birdman bands: New Race (one-off MC5/Birdman tour and albums), and New Christs.

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On 2/22/2019 at 9:04 AM, romualdo said:

I had so much of that US Paisley underground material plus the Aussie & NZ equivalents on original vinyl (including the legendary NZ label Flying Nun) but sold much of it through the 90s to feed my jazz habit (which was voracious)

Flying Nun stuff is probably as or a bit more valuable than many of the jazz records we collect.

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  • 2 weeks later...
35 minutes ago, felser said:

Both great albums in their own ways.

True. Didn't mean to dis Jackson, who I like, just amazed at the cover resemblance. I knew little about jazz when Body and Soul came out, so never noticed.

Edited by T.D.
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