Time for a big one now!Totally unknown and underrated synth punk (from a very wide view)band.Food and Shelter's sole album "Square Dance," released in 1984 on Resistance Records (Marina Del Rey) came not in a cardboard sleave, but in a sheet metal one! A booklet included info and pictures , showing members Russell Jessum, Debbie Spinelli (who also played with 17 Pygmies and Cindy Lee Berryhill) and Fey Ruza. The music ranges from ear-piercing tape loop experiments to catchy "pop" tunes. Instruments used include vibes, piccolo, clarinet, horns, xylophone, marimba, and tin whistle.Overall, a great synth punk meets minimal electronics meets Residents era squeezed popish experimentation here.Very strong are the influences of the pop-ish side of LAFMS scene,early Tuxedomoon,17 Pygmies,but also Screamers ,etc.A track that was featured in "Radio Tokyo Tapes vol.2" compilation is included here and ,as far as i know, these are their only recordings.PLEASE if anyone has morerecordings of this unique band(demos ,outakes,etc)send it!One of the best US LPs from the early 80s ,imho!
THANKS ANDREW FOR THIS GEM!
get it here
Ach! I know you really wanted this album and I've been meaning to rip a copy for you for a while. Feel bad about that, but glad someone stepped to the plate. At least I see you used part of my description from my download album "WeirdPunkLA" so hey, at least I contributed one tiny bit.
ReplyDeleteFun-To-Know Fact: I heard an interview with Russel Jessum back when this album came out on the long(and still)running KXLU show "Stray Pop" where he mentioned that the sheet metal album cover cut someone in the production process and there were some albums released with blood on them! Not my copy, alas...
Holy shit. As if we needed more proof that Mutant Sounds is the best music blog on the internet. I've been looking for this album for way too long - thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteSwell batch of new posts, Mutants!
ReplyDeleteHappy to know you finally got your mitts on a copy of the F&S album, Jim... (And thanks for sharing it with us.)
All the Best,
TS
I found out about this ablum about 2 years ago via the New Wave Outpost board. Luckily a kind soul sold me a copy for cheap (relatively speaking) and it's been a prized addition to my collection!
ReplyDeleteNice one, that's been one of my favorites for a couple years now. As mentioned by Mr Fab, the sheet metal sleeve is quite sharp, adn I've cut myself on it before...
ReplyDeleteFood and Shelter also have a live song on the "Lives of Lhasa" compilation on Lhasa Productions. It's a comp of live performances from the Lhasa Club in Hollywood and includes bands like Necropolis of Love, Henry Rollins (spoken word), and a few others.
Russell Jessum, frontman of Food and Shelter, was also a founder of the legendary "Anti Club" in LA that booked extremely eclectic shows - from post punk to bluegrass to indie to punk to electronic to deathrock.
actually i bought my own copy in 1986...it had stains of blood on the metal sheet that was starting to rust....along with some unknown source humidity the metal sheet appeares after years to be rusted in about 85% of the surface...the pity is that rust and humidity affected vinyl and my copy is full of scratches and totally unplayable...since then i never came through another copy to replace the damaged...i'm glad i have it now thanks to Andrew ,even in digital format
ReplyDeleteGoutroy-I'll post that Lives Of Lhasa comp soon. I got my copy right at the source, as the Lhasa club was my preferred teenage hangout in L.A. Some of the Steaming Coils material in my forthcoming 8 disc archival post of their material was recorded there...
ReplyDeleteI actually had my hands on a copy back in the day, but I considered the artwork kinda lame, and thus passed! ;)
ReplyDeleteOh well...
Best,
TS
LOL!! Ollie and goutroy, you guys really get around.
ReplyDeleteHope you're enjoying the lp Ollie.
I was lucky enough to find a few copies of this lp, including getting one from a person who was romantically involved with Russell when the group was active. Actually, I think that's the copy I sent you Ollie.
A great lp made moreso by the fact it was their only release. A favorite of mine.
Indeed those sheet metal covers are sharp...the blood on my copy is my own.
ReplyDeleteNeu Mejican
this is fabulous! nun with a gun is a great track. thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteDoes any one know how many were pressed?
ReplyDeleteI turned up a copy of this record in Los Angeles about five years ago. Mine is different in that it does have a generic cardboard sleeve.
It's numbered from an edition of 200, and it has a painted Jackson Pollack style (black, silver, grey), with a rubber stamp in blue ink reading "Food and Shelter" along the left hand side. It's signed, "Drucker 85 114/200" in the upper left-hand side. There's nothing on the back cover.
There was no booklet, but the inside of the jacket has a black and white print glued to both sides of the inner lining.
Anyone else come across this version?
Anonymous, I saw that version once in a record store some twenty years ago, the cover was the cover of "Jedda By The Sea" by 17 Pygmies turned inside out and then hand-painted.
ReplyDeleteAndreas, a.k.a. Andrew
Thanks Andreas/Andrew. This copy is the same! What a cool cover, right!?
ReplyDelete