Couch Potatoes - Curiosity Rocks Cassette 1982

Couch Potatoes became Couch Flambeau.
And they're from Milwaukee, and
still do an occasional show here
and there. They're wildly entertaining,
and funny. The songs are catchy,clever
and the guitar playing usually borders
on punk rock meets Eddie Van Halen.
Jay will like that one. Well, he can
play! Yeah this is weird,me posting a
cassette,but that how this originally
came out, and this is from 1982.
And that's how a lot of local bands just starting
out put out their first releases in the 1980's. They are
one of a kind,and this cassette is warts and all, so don't
expect perfection.
The first track has obvious tape issues,but then the
noise goes away,pretty quick.(I must have played this
thing 100 times back in the day) The rest of the tape
sounds fine.
I was just warning you, dear listener.
It was recorded a long time ago, 27 years to be exact,
so deal with it. I think they've got "something", and I don't
mean a disease or anything like that, I think they're talented,
and original. I posted some other things from them, but this is
vintage Couch Flambeau. I think we all thought that they
were going to get signed to a major label and they would
never talk to us little people anymore, but it didn't happen.
It's a shame they didn't get signed, because they are/were
good!
Couch Potatoes Curiosity Rocks

Calling all musicians from Wisconsin!

If you were in a band and put out singles and records from
the late 50's to about 1970, I really want to talk to you!
I'm doing an article about early rock music from Wisconsin
and hope it is published in a magazine. Please contact me
via garage66@live.com ,tell me what band you were in, and
lets take a trip back in time. I'm really looking for bands that
might have recorded on Wright Records, Cuca & Sara Records,
Target Records, Tee Pee Records, Trend, Feature,Coulee,
Rampro, Dynamic Sound, Big Sound, Pentagon, and any other
smaller labels, and no matter what I still want to talk to you,
because it's hard to get a feel for the times back then, without
talking to someone from that time. I also want to talk to you,
if you were a fan that went to a lot of shows, and have photos,
records memorabilia, and anything to color this article. It would
be wonderful to talk to people that went to The Scene Club in
Milwaukee,and tell me about the place,the bands,and anything
else you'd like to talk about.
Please write me soon.

Highs In The Mid-60's Volume 15 Wisconsin Part 2

Highs In The Mid-60's Volume 15 Wisconsin Part Two has fifteen
more tracks of Wonderful Wisconsin sounds.. This particular
volume came out in the mid 1980's, and was part of a series
of twenty-eight volumes of music from the early to mid sixties.
Some of the other volumes concentrate on other states, for example:
there's three volumes for California (the largest music concentration,
they also had more radio stations dedicated to music)
a couple for Michigan, one volume for Colorado,
2 or 3 volumes for the Northwest (a real hotbed of music)
there's one focusing on Illinois bands, but surprisingly two for
Wisconsin (Go Wisconsin bands!). And this is like many of
the other volumes, it's focuses on the lesser known bands
that put out singles on small labels. Featured here are The Baroques
with "Nothing Left To Do But Cry",The Shaprels "A Fool For Your Lies"
are friendly easy to like pop music, then you get to
Gord's Horde with a song called "I Don't Care" and
all hell breaks loose. A frenzy of keyboards and drums, recorded
somewhere in outer space, I believe. A song about a cheating girl,
and basically he sulks and doesn't care what she does.
The main theme of most teen/garage angst rock and roll songs.
The Challengers are my favorite,perhaps it's the strange backwards
sounding recording sound of "The Challengers Take A Ride On
The Jefferson Airplane" the actual title is an ode to the
San Francisco band,and is a playful slice of psychedelia.
And I always say, guys, please,more cowbell.
The Family with "I Wanna Do It" is a dirty little song, filled
with innuendos,repeating "I wanna do it with you", "I wanna do
it to you" easily the most basic,simple and unfortunately also a
forgettable track.
The Cannons with "Days Go By" attempt to harmonize with a
pop song that's somewhat forgettable. It does not stick to
you as soon as it's over with. But that's okay.
The Wanderer's Rest go full bore with the folk rock song
"You'll Forget",which has a fabulous Stonesy feel of
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction guitar hook in it. Fits right in
1965,right at the top of the heap with other folk rockers The Turtles.
The Mustard Men who are also a favorite of
mine with "I Lost My Baby", do a song with an R & B feel, and
terrific call and response towards the end. They must have been
the real deal live.They have a British Invasion Animals sound.
The Impalas, do a fabulous snarling punk blues rock version
of "Spoonful". Just listen to the vocals, these guys mean it!
Yes there's talent in Wisconsin, in the 1960's and these bands
prove it. Some of the music is primitive,but these are mostly teens
making music,by themselves.They recorded it, and pressed these
records, with little or no help from anyone giving them professional
direction. Maybe that's why I like this, it's raw talent, and playing.
The Spacemen with "Same Old Grind" is a direct copy of
"I'm A Man", but you can't complain, since that's a great song to cover.
It fits right there in garage rock heaven like the songs "Louie Louie"
and "Gloria". Who can resist the simplicity and stomp value?
I can't. The rest of the album is nothing really earth shaking or new.
The Mid-Knighters perhaps are the odd ones,doing a sort of
oldy moldie styled "Charlena", it has a rockabilly and country feel.
The band The Rehabilitation Cruise,has quite possibly the strangest
name,and I'm still not sure what they are singing about in "Mini Skirts".
I can't tell whether they like mini skirts or not. I keep listening to
it and wearing a groove into it, but still...I don't get it.
It will perhaps, remain the biggest mystery known to mankind.
The Fugitives "Come On And Clap" sounds like a merging of several
classic songs, with maybe a little bit of a Little Honda /Beach Boys
crescendo. What could be better? It blends the cars,girls,California,
the sunshine happy clap along theme. Only it's in Wisconsin.
Sample this wonderful album below for your own bad self.
And stay tuned for more Wisconsin music. Wait until I drag out
all of the polka records, I know you're excited.
Highs Volume 15

Les Paul Guitarist Extraordinaire From Waukesha,Wisconsin

Les Paul & Mary Ford "How High The Moon"

Les Paul June 9th,1915 - August 13th, 2009

Highs In The Mid-60's Volume 10 Wisconsin

This is the album you must own, along with the other volumes from AIP Records,this is Highs In The Mid-60's Volume 10. This compilation contains some rare records from Wisconsin bands,that are next to impossible to find,so this series was created. Even copies of this compilation album seldom turn up anymore,they were released in the late 1970's early 80's. And at some point they made 28 volumes of these concentrating on each state.There's two for Wisconsin,saying yeah,there's enough cool music here to compile. Actually there could be at least 5 volumes. There's two volumes of Highs In The Mid 60's for Michigan 60's rock, several for California,a couple for the Northwest, and so on and so forth,it would be in your best interest to search them all out,if you love 60's garage music. Because recently,in the last 10 years or so, garage music singles have shot up in value, and this might be the only way people can hear this music. But never fear,dear garage music fans, there's a lot of wonderful labels, putting out this music on small labels, and it would be worth the search and time to seek them out. It's not only valuable to collect these, but the music is really fun,and addictive.You will thank me, when you hear this,well, at least I hope so. One other thing of note,is most of these singles came out on tiny labels,like Cuca,Tee Pee,Dynamic,Nite Owl, and so, this might be the only way you can hear them again. Many of these singles were pressed in limited quantity. Featured on this particular compilation is the Shag or Shags,known by both names, and their biggest single for Capitol records "Stop & Listen", from 1967,which I never get tired of listening to,since there's nothing quite like it for fuzz guitar, and if that wasn't enough,there's the Noblemen "Dirty Robber",from 1960, which is a fabulous piece of surf/frat rock/early garage rock hybrid that's also infectious.
Another song of note, is The Wanderer's Rest "The Boat That I Row" (from 1967) is a fine slice of pop garage rock,that also will stick to the roof of your brain, along with Lord Beverly Moss and The Mossmen "Please Please What's the Matter", doing the best R & B singing and playing that you ever heard, along with the wackiest guitar freakout at the end of the song,perhaps they didn't know just how to end the song,either way it's priceless. The Hinge from Appleton doing "Come On Up" (from 1968) is a terrific cover version of The Young Rascals song, The Young Savages (From Milwaukee) "The Invasion Are Coming" (1967) perhaps not to be taken too seriously -seeing as they think outer space martians are coming soon. Still it's a fun song, and sang tongue on cheek, and has neato reverb and "outer space" effects, although simple,it's effective. I do believe there is an invasion coming, but maybe they didn't know it was the British Invasion. The Deverons "On The Road Again (1965) is a fine example of the folk rock sound,in the mid 60's. The Faro's (from Neenah) "I'm Cryin'" perhaps is a little poor sounding, on the mix, which suffers a little muddy sound, but still pounds out like a good R & B cover that it is. Still for the time, this compilation record came out it was COOL enough,to start me collecting that genre of music, which I will always be glad I did. I always listen to this music. Because if you know the disease that is record collecting, it is never fully complete.So you collect all of your life, hoping to find that original rare record that isn't so much worth five or a thousand dollars, but it's the copy you must have to complete your collection. So you hear it the way the band made that single back in the day. More of this stuff soon, because there's another volume on Highs In The Mid 60's Wisconsin Part Two, so please stay tuned.
Highs In The Mid 60's