COUPLE 'Top Of The Pop'

In the serie of posts submitted by the bands themselves here is Couple from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They were formed in 1995, and have since recorded and released 5 demo tapes/CD-Rs and have amassed a reasonable amount of fans simply through word-of-mouth and through positive reviews and articles.

Couple's debut album, 'Top Of The Pop' was self-released in April 2006 in Malaysia and sold by hand at their gigs and through their MySpace profile. The album was later picked up for a licensing release in America by Sizzleteen Records and in Japan by Wizzard In Vinyl.

The band's brain is Aidil Rusli. A gifted songwriter if you ask me. He writes melodic songs with memorable hooks and energetic beats. That's power pop isn't it ? While a lot of bands have a really nice sound but not all that much to say 'Top Of The Pop' contains songs among the best I've heard this year. As simple as that.

But I realize that my telling to get this album of a band you've never heard from the other side of the world is not enough. Here are some clues:

• On a first listen I was thinking Weezer, Teenage Fan Club or even Big Star.
  
  
• They were picked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of their '25 Best Bands on MySpace'.
  
  
• They were invited to play at International Pop Overthrow festival in Los Angeles and San Francisco which they had to decline because of lack of funds. Nevertheless the song 'Gotta Be My Gurl' is included in the International Pop Overthrow Vol. 9 compilation CD.
  
  
• Even if it's not enough with all that sugar-sweet power pop, you have to wait track 11 to hear the best song of the album — at least to my ears. In French we say: la classe !

Now that you know what it's all about, have an ear on it and check up the sites where it can be purchased: Amazon.com and CD Universe (with 4 bonus tracks).

With special thanks to Aidil

Tracklist: Now That I Can See / Rock N Roll / Tentang Kita / Gotta Be My Gurl / Turning Melancholy To Magic / It Don't Mean Much / Say Hi / Come Back Again / Maybe / You Don't Have To Be So Nice / Are You Ready?

• Couple 'Top Of The Pop' | alternate Sharebee link
• 2006

LINKERS 'Dusty Memory Lane'

Recorded between 1996 and 1998 this is the final release for The Linkers that, for professional and family reasons, the singer Jean-Michel Fauché leaves in 1998. 'Dusty Memory Lane' can't be promoted live without a frontman so the LP is a limited pressing of 200 copies, each one hand numbered,  published on Time Warp Records.

14 tracks of Hammond and Farfisa fulled, Fuzz powerded garage mayhem. This time recorded at two different places: Teyssonneau Mobile Unit and Le Chalet Studio. Thierry 'Kid Pharaon' Duvigneau is again involved in recording and mixing among other people.

The addition of a saxophone, female background vocals,  and the unusual dark mood on some songs ('Dusty Memory lane', 'Ligeia') make this LP something special in The band's discography.

After playing a while with an Irish singer, the group broke up definitively at the end of 1999. A reformation of The Linkers took place in January 2007 for the 'Bordeaux Rock' festival that revives ten bands of the '90s. A book - or rather a bible - by Denis Fouquet also entitled 'Bordeaux Rock(s)' redraws among the multitude of bands from the '60s to recent days the story of The Linkers.

Contact the band: thelinkers@free.fr

Visit Bordeaux Rock

With special thanks to fabrice

Tracklist: Shadow Play / Fire Rain / Owner's Manual / Soapy / Dusty Memory Lane / She Comes To Celebrate / Bloodshot Eyes / Shades In The Night / Tell Me Lies / Anyway / Ligeia / She Done Moved / Always In The Wild / Phantom Of The Tiger Girl

• The Linkers 'Dusty Memory Lane'
• 1999
• LP, Time Warp Records

JOHNNY THUNDERS Singles

This single has two unreleased acoustic tunes and a short interview with Johnny. He talks about LAMF and an unnamed upcoming album. This single seems to be the only place that either of these songs can be heard so it's well worth picking up.

Tracklist: Interview / Life Goes On / As Tears Go By

• Johnny Thunders 'Life Goes On / As Tears Go By'
• 1996
• SP, Sucksex Records (SEX 7)

two demos for the album 'So Alone'. Sound quality is good but the songs are not as full sounding as the final album versions..

Tracklist: Daddy Rollin' Stone / Leave Me Alone

• Johnny Thunders 'Daddy Rollin' Stone / Leave me Alone'
• 1996
• SP, Sucksex Records (SEX 10)

This single has 2 versions of 'Countdown Love'. The first side features Johnny Thunders and the Que Sera Sera 'Black Cats' band. It was recorded in 1985 at London England's Tin Pan Alley Studios. Sound is crisp and clear with the vocals and guitar taking prominence rather than the bass and drums. Background vocals by Stiv Bators and Michael Monroe are, unfortunately, not too exciting. They just add a couple of oowwws and aahhhss.

Side B features Jerry Nolan with the Teneriffa Cowboys again performing 'Countdown Love'. It was recorded in Stockholm Sweden in 1983 at Decibel studios. This is a more interesting version of the tune with slightly different lyrics and Jerry singing the chorus at a different pace.

Tracklist: Countdown Love / Countdown Love

• Johnny Thunders / Jerry Nolan 'Countdown Love'
• 1997
• SP, Sucksex Records (SEX 13)

In memory of John Anthony Genzale, Jr (July 15, 1952 - April 23, 1991)

NEW YORK DOLLS Singles

This single contains 2 tracks recorded live at 'My Fathers Place' NY on April 14, 1974 for a WBAB radio broadcast. It sounds quite good and the tunes are high energy. A very nice single.

Tracklist: Bad Girl / Chatterbox

• New York Dolls 'Bad Girl / Chatterbox'
• 1998
• SP, Sucksex Records (SEX 17)

This nice bootleg single contains 2 rough mixes from the Dolls first album. The songs are not as polished as the final mix but they're an interesting listen.

Tracklist: Lonely Planet Boy / Babylon

• New York Dolls 'Lonely Planet Boy / Babylon'
• 1998
• SP, Sucksex Records (SEX 15)

LINKERS 'The Outer Limits'

YEAAAAH !!! Here's another super-fuzzy Farfiza-driven record by the French garage kings. This 4 tracks EP, once again recorded at le Chalet Studio by Jean-Marc Sigrist, was originally supposed to come out on the Outer Limits label from Berlin. Things being what they are it was finally self-released by the Band on their own label Time Warp.

If you like their past releases, this one's in the same line but with that 'something more' that makes it my favorite from the Linkers stuff already posted here. This record is limited to 300 copies. A few copies are still available from the band. (contact: thelinkers@free.fr).

With special thanks to Fabrice

Tracklist: No Way Out / Nervous / Come On To The Linkers Side - Money

• The Linkers 'Outer Limits'
• 1995
• 7 inch EP, Time Warp