Concrete Blonde - Mexican Moon

Style: Indie.
Similar Artists: The Call, Sparks, Lone Justice.
Recording year: IRS, 1993.

Concrete Blonde grew out of the Los Angeles post-punk club circuit that produced bands like X, Wall of Voodoo, and the Go-Go's, but it wasn't until 1987 that the band even recorded its first album. The group was founded by singer/songwriter/bassist Johnette Napolitano and guitarist Jim Mankey, who initially called themselves Dream 6 and released an EP. Their insistence on complete artistic control was off-putting to the major labels who took notice, however, and it wasn't until 1987 that the group signed to I.R.S. and changed its name to Concrete Blonde at the suggestion of labelmate Michael Stipe. Concrete Blonde's self-titled debut album betrayed the influence of the Pretenders, while 1989's Free was a tighter showcase for Napolitano's developing songwriting and produced a college radio hit with "God Is a Bullet."

After the demise of their original label, I.R.S., Concrete Blonde released Mexican Moon on Capitol in the fall of 1993. The band, once again, produced themselves with Sean Freehill, and Paul Thompson returned to the fold on drums after sitting out Walking in London due to immigration problems.

The album is a striking marriage of Johnette Napolitano's dark, lyrical imagery and the band's alternative-tinged pop sensibilities making it, perhaps, their most fully realized effort. "Jenny I Read" kicks things off with the tale of a chance encounter of a fallen, reclusive starlet. Guitarist James Mankey shows versatility playing acoustic and Spanish guitar on the dreamy title track and the wah-wah effects of the brooding "Jesus Forgive Me (For the Things I'm About to Say)." "Heal It Up" was the unsuccessful single but is a bracing number with a ferocious vocal performance by Napolitano. Despite the inspired playing, intelligent and insightful lyrics, and the crisp production, Mexican Moon failed to expand the group's audience and would prove to be their last release before breaking up.

Fields Of Haze... Underground for all.

Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Friends - A Flowerdance Collection

En esta ocasión, Fields Of Haze se honra en presentar a sus visitantes, una pieza de verdadera colección, la compilación de canciones preferidas tanto por Nick Cave como por Tom Waits, cada uno de ellos exponentes importantes de su corriente musical; uno del movimiento post punk en una línea nihilista otoñal y el otro de un jazz experimental con tonos de cabaret underground. Incluye duetos tan extraños como Tom Waits y Peter Murphy, o Nick Cave y Concrete Blonde, o Tom Waits y Elvis Costello, ...


Mejor escúchalo tú mismo.


In this occasion, Fields Of Haze have the honour to present to his visitors, a piece of true collection, the compilation of favourite songs of Nick Cave as Tom Waits, each one of them important in its trend; one belonging to the post punk movement in an autumnal nihilist line and the other from an experimental jazz with night club underground tones. It includes strange duos like Tom Waits and Peter Murphy, or Nick Cave and Concrete Blonde, or Tom Waits and Elvis Costello,…

Better listen by yourself.

Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Friends

Fields Of Haze.