John's Children - Orgasm (1970)

"Desdemona" by John's Children


Before he was the primary artist and songwriter for Tyrannosaurus Rex, Marc Bolan had dreams of great stardom but hadn't much traction.  Through gall and talent, he hooked a manager in Simon Napier-Bell who most famously worked for The Yardbirds.  Originally, Napier-Bell mulled over adding Bolan to The Yardbirds lineup. Instead, he decided to add him to another one of his bands, John's Children.  Bolan brought to the outfit a catalog of ready-to-go songs which quickly became singles, but he was unhappy with the artistic direction of the band and left it after four months.  Before Bolan even joined, the four-piece had already recorded a couple singles and an album, Orgasm, which was scheduled to release in 1967.  The name of the album was a bit of a hang up, though, and delayed its release in the United States until 1970, well after the band had dissolved.

Here is the discography surrounding John's Children's debut album:

The Love I Thought I'd Found (1966 single)
Smashed! Blocked! (1966 single)
Just What You Want - Just What You'll Get (1967 single)
Desdemona (1967 single)
Live at the BBC (1967 radio session)
Midsummer Night's Scene (1967 single)
Come and Play With Me in the Garden (1967 single)
Come and Play With Me in the Garden (1967 EP)
Go-Go Girl (1967 single)
It's Been a Long Time (1967 single by Andy Ellison)
Fool from Upper Eden (1968 demo by Andy Ellison)
You Can't Do That (1968 single by Andy Ellison)
Orgasm
A Midsummer Night's Scene (1989 compilation album)
Playing With Themselves (1990 compilation album)
Playing With Themselves (Vol. II) (1991 compilation album)
A Strange Affair (The Sixties Recordings) (2013 compilation album)

"Smashed! Blocked!" by John's Children


Pass the Headphones!!

Tyrannosaurus Rex - My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows (1968)

"Hot Rod Mama" by Tyrannosaurus Rex


Yes recorded their second album at Advision Studios in London.  Advision was a top recording studio in the late sixties and seventies and one of the first with an eight-track machine.  An artist that took an early crack at the eight-track was the psych-folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex.  The duo released their debut album My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows in 1968 on Regal Zonophone Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Tyrannosaurus Rex's debut album:

The Road I'm On (Gloria) (1964 single as Toby Tyler)
All at Once (1964 song as Mark Feld)
The Wizard (1965 single as Marc Bolan)
Reality (1965 single as Marc Bolan)
Hippy Gumbo (1966 single as Marc Bolan)
The Third Degree (1966 single as Marc Bolan)
Debora(h) (1968 single)
My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows
The Beginning of Doves (1974 compilation album as Marc Bolan)
The Maximum Sound Session (1993 compilation as Toby Tyler)
The Beginning of Doves (2004 compilation album as Marc Bolan)

"Debora(h)" by Tyrannosaurus Rex


"Sarah Crazy Child" by Tyrannosaurus Rex


Pass the Headphones!!

Yes - Time and a Word (1970)

"The Prophet" by Yes


It took a while for Steve Howe to find a lasting band of which to be apart.  Yes (previously visited) had the privilege of recruiting him after their founding guitarist Peter Banks left the band due to creative differences.  Yes released their second album Time and a Word in 1970 on Atlantic Records.  Although Howe joined the band around this time and was pictured on the back of the album, he did not actually play on it.  Banks did.

Here is the discography surrounding Yes's second album:

Every Little Thing (1970 live album)
Sweet Dreams (1970 single)
Time and a Word
Time and a Word (1970 single)
Something's Coming: The BBC Recordings 1969-1970 (compilation album)

Belgian TV Special about Yes


Pass the Headphones!!

Bodast - Bodast (1969)

"Nether Street" by Bodast


Steve Howe had several offers to play lead guitar in a couple established bands after the breakdown of Tomorrow.  Instead, he stuck with an upstart group of veteran musicians in a band they named after themselves (Bobby Clarke, Dave Curtiss, Steve Howe.... Clive Skinner).  Bodast had a record deal with Tetragrammaton Records but the company (and they) folded before their debut album's scheduled release.  They only held a handful of recording sessions and the products from those sessions finally saw the light of day in 1981 thanks to the guitar hero cult that surrounds Steve Howe.

The "1969 album Bodast" is a hypothetical album reconstructed from the extant recordings.  More than a what-might-have-been alternate history, this tour stop is a record of how a group of musicians were transitioning as they and the larger musical landscape moved from psychedelic rock to progressive and hard rock.

Here is Bodast's complete discography:

Bodast
The Bodast Tapes (1981 compilation album)
The Early Years (1990 compilation album)
Spectral Nether Street (2000 compilation album)
Towards Utopia (2017 compilation album)

"I Want You" by Bodast


Pass the Headphones!!

Tomorrow - Tomorrow (1968)

"My White Bicycle" by Tomorrow


Davy O'List quit The Nice in the middle of production on Ars Longa Vita Brevis.  The remaining three members of the band started a search for a replacement guitarist but decided against having one at all.  One of the guitarists they tried out was Steve Howe, a virtuoso and graduate of the UK underground rock scene.  His first album appearance was with the psychedelic rock band Tomorrow, a group most notable for its live act and underground cultural cache.  They released their only album Tomorrow in 1968 shortly before breaking up.

Here is Tomorrow's complete discography:

Maybellene (1964 single by The Syndicats)
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (1964 single by The Fairies)
Howlin' for My Baby (1965 single by The Syndicats)
On the Horizon (1965 single by The Syndicats)
Leave My Kitty Alone (1965 single by The Syndicats)
Don't Mind (1965 single by The Fairies)
Get Yourself Home (1965 single by The Fairies)
Time Is on My Side (1965 single as Four + One)
Stop! Wait a Minute (1965 single as The In Crowd)
That's How Strong My Love Is (1965 single as The In Crowd)
Finger Poppin' (1965 song as The In Crowd)
Why Must They Criticise (1965 single as The In Crowd)
Sha-La-La-La-Lee (1966 single as The In Crowd)
Am I Glad to See You (1966 single as The In Crowd)
My White Bicycle (1967 single)
Revolution (1967 single)
Christmas on Earth Continued (1967 live album)
Tomorrow
10,000 Words in a Cardboard Box (1968 single as The Aquarian Age)
50 Minute Technicolour Dream (1998 compilation album)
Live & Unreleased 1967 (2001 compilation album)

"Now Your Time Has Come" by Tomorrow


Live Set on The Beat Club in 1964 by The Syndicats (a pre-Tomorrow Steve Howe band)


Pass the Headphones!!

The Nice - Ars Longa Vita Brevis (1968)

"Little Arabella" by The Nice


When Bryan Ferry was forming Roxy Music, he put out several adds in music magazines to recruit musicians.  In response to the advertisement for "Perfect Guitarist," approximately 20 such Perfect Guitarists applied including Davy O'List and Phil Manzanera.  The most Perfect Guitarist, however, was O'List who had previously been a member of the pioneering progressive rock band The Nice.  Manzanera was liked well enough in his rehearsal that he was offered a job as a roadie, which he took.

O'List, however, quit Roxy Music soon after joining (replaced by the ready Manzanera) in a bit of history that echoes his departure from The Nice.  When he left then, The Nice were in the middle of recording their second album Ars Longa Vita Brevis which saw release in 1968 on the Immediate label.

Here is the discography surrounding The Nice's second album:

Ars Longa Vita Brevis
Brandenburger (1968 single)

"Ars Longa Vita Brevis" by The Nice


Pass the Headphones!!

Roxy Music - Roxy Music (1972)

"Sea Breezes" by Roxy Music


Some members of Aswad attended Holland Park School.  The school has produced a good number of notable alumni as well as notable teachers.  One ceramics teacher (fired, I hear) was Bryan Ferry who would go from educator to rock and roll star with his band Roxy Music.  Roxy Music released their debut album Roxy Music in 1972 on Island Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Roxy Music's debut album:

Roll It Down the Hill (1970 single by Yellow)
Hart Rock '71 (1971 compilation song by Yellow)
Got a Bad Leg (1971 single by Smoke Stack Crumble)
Roxy Music
Virginia Plain (1972 single)

"Virginia Plain" by Roxy Music


"Ladytron" by Roxy Music


Pass the Headphones!!

Aswad - Aswad (1976)

"Back to Africa" by Aswad


In 1980, Jah Shaka cameoed in the film Babylon, an appropriate homage since the film centered around sound system culture (see last post) and, that same year, Jah Shaka had been awarded as having the best sound system around.  The film starred actor and musician Brinsley Ford.  Ford founded the roots reggae band Aswad who released their debut album Aswad in 1976 on Mango Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Aswad's debut album:

Back to Africa (1976 single)
Three Babylon (1976 single)
Aswad
BBC Sessions (1976 radio session)
John Peel Session (1976 radio session)

"I A Rebel Soul" by Aswad


"Natural Progression" by Aswad


Pass the Headphones!!

Jah Shaka vs. Fatman - In a Dub Conference (1980)

"College Dub" by Jah Shaka vs. Fatman


Zulu Warriors practiced a style of dub called "Warrior Style", an extreme style pioneered by the Sound System and artist, both known as, Jah Shaka.  (History note: As far as I've read, artists/musicians who owned and operated Sound Systems in Jamaica were basically traveling DJs that trucked their gear around and would play their own original material, usually ska and reggae.  Sound Systems were often named and just as famous as their owners.  This tradition followed the Jamaican diaspora to the UK where the material they'd play was more often remixed reggae beats, called dub).  Jah Shaka's first album was a sound clash, a programmed "battle" between Sound Systems, versus Fatman and his Sound System Fatman HiFi (illustrated on the album cover).  Jah Shaka vs. Fatman's In a Dub Conference released in 1980.

Here is the discography surrounding Jah Shaka's debut album:

Stand by Me (1976 single)
In a Dub Conference

Jah Shaka Live at Cubies


Pass the Headphones!!

Zulu Warriors - Warrior Dub (1989)

"2000 Style Inna Warrior Dub" by Zulu Warriors & Naph-tali


Naph-tali collaborated with dub producer and artist Jah Warrior on the single "2000 Style".  Then, Jah Warrior performed by the name Zulu Warriors.  The moniker only lasted for the aforementioned single and one album, 1989's Warrior Dub.

Here is the complete Zulu Warriors discography:

2000 Style (1989 single by Zulu Warriors & Naph-tali)
Warrior Dub

"Dub Away" by Zulu Warriors


Pass the Headphones!!

Naphtali - Mental Slavery (1991)

"Separation" and "Dub Separation" by Naph-tali


LIDJ Incorporated's "Black Consciousness" single split sides with another dub artist, Naph-tali (sometimes Naphtali).  Naph-tali released his debut album Mental Slavery in 1991.

Here is the discography surrounding Naph-tali's debut album:

Hole Up Your Hand (1987 split single)
Vibes Studio Showcase (1989 compilation song)
2000 Style (1989 single with Zulu Warriors)
Mental Slavery
Satan Disciples (1991 split single)

"Jah Song" by Naph-tali


Pass the Headphones!!

LIDJ Incorporated - Black Liberation (1990)

"Black Liberation" by LIDJ Incorporated


Sound Iration was a producers' project that did not last for long (as far as I can tell).  Before the project disappeared into the ether of the fast-changing world of reggae and dub roots music, they remixed an album by another dub group of the era: LIDJ Incorporated.  LIDJ Incorporated released their debut album Black Liberation in 1990.

Here is the discography surrounding LIDJ Incorporated's debut album:

Black Liberation (1989 single as Xylon)
Black Liberation
General Penitentiary (1990 single)
Line Up (1990 single)
Dub Liberation (1990 remix album Meets Sound Iration)
Black Consciousness (1991 single as RIDJ Xylon)
Rasta (1991 single as Enhancers)

"Line Up" by LIDJ Incorporated


Pass the Headphones!!

Sound Iration - In Dub (1989)

"Iration Time" by Sound Iration


Vocalist Tenastelin and the dub band Sound Iration collaborated on the single "King of Kings".  Both of their debut albums were also later released as a compilation.  Sound Iration sent out their only album In Dub in 1989.

Here is the complete Sound Iration discography:

The Seventh Seal (1988 single)
King of Kings (1989 single)
Dream (1989 single with Bim Sherman)
In Dub
Dub Liberation (1990 remix album vs. LIDJ Incorporated)

"Holshe's Dub" by Sound Iration


Pass the Headphones!!

Tena Stelin - Wicked Invention (1989)

"Jah Equity" by Tenastelin


Tenastelin (or Tena Stelin) was the featured artist on Brain Damage's album tracks "Spirit World" and "Genetic Weapon." This UK dub vocalist released his debut album Wicked Invention in 1989.

Here is the discography surrounding Tenastelin's debut album:

Commercial Bwoy (1986 single)
Jah Equity (1989 single)
Wicked Invention
Urban Getto Youth (1990 single)

"Burial Tonight" & "Commercial Bwoy" by Tenastelin


Pass the Headphones!!

Brain Damage - Always Greener (On the Other Side) (2002)

"Pre-War Psychosis" by Brain Damage


Fixing the last stop's misfortunate spoonerism, we now end up at Brain Damage.  Although many a band are named such, this particular French dub band just happened to be the easiest Brain Damage to deal with in terms of finding a generally complete and accessible discography.  Brain Damage released its debut album Always Greener (On the Other Side) in 2002 on the French independent record label Hammerbass.

Here is the discography surrounding Brain Damage's debut album:

Bipolar Disorder (1999 EP)
Always Greener (On the Other Side)

"Brain Booster" by Brain Damage


"Genetic Weapon" by Brain Damage


Pass the Headphones!!

Dain Bramage - I Scream Not Coming Down (1986)

"Flannery" by Dain Bramage


Famous drummer and frontman Dave Grohl has told the story, many times, of Naked Raygun being his first concert at age 13.  Only a couple years later, he'd be joining/forming his own bands in the Washington D.C. area.  Of which Grohl was a member: the short-lasting, punkish Mission Impossible begat the shorter-lasting and unheard Freak Baby which then begat Dain Bramage before Grohl suddenly quit the band and the family line was cut short.  While only active for a little over a year, Dain Bramage did manage to release a short LP I Scream Not Coming Down in 1986.

Here is the complete Dain Bramage discography:

Alive & Kicking (1985 compilation song by Mission Impossible)
77K (1985 compilation song by Mission Impossible)
Thanks (1985 split EP by Mission Impossible)
Demo One (1986 demo)
Demo Two (1986 demo)
Laundry Room Demos (1986 demo)
I Scream Not coming Down

Dain Bramage Live in Burke, VA


"Helpless" by Mission Impossible


Pass the Headphones

Naked Raygun - Throb Throb (1985)

"Surf Combat" by Naked Raygun


Prior to Big Black's time as a band, Big Black band members Santiago Durango (guitar) and Jeff Pezzati (bass) founded Naked Raygun in 1980.  Pulling double duty for two years, Pezzati left Big Black before the recording of their debut LP and Durango left Naked Raygun before the recording of their own debut Throb Throb in 1985.

Here is the discography surrounding Naked Raygun's debut album:

Busted at Oz (1981 compilation songs)
Demo (1983 demo)
Basement Screams (1983 EP)
Flammable Solid (1983 single)
Live at the VFW#18 in Kansas City (1984 live bootleg)
Throb Throb
Live at Maxwell's (1985 live bootleg)
Live at the Peppermint Lounge (1985 live bootleg)

"Rat Patrol" and "Metastasis" by Naked Raygun Live at the Metro


"I Lie" by Naked Raygun


Pass the Headphones!!

Big Black - Atomizer (1986)

"Cables" by Big Black


Poster Children's album Flower Power gave the impression of a band unsure of the punk/new wave divide they wanted to fall on.  This uncertainty is aurally palpable as the album is divided by the sonic productions of two separate producers.  The producer on the first half of the album was the young, brash and purely punk Steve Albini.

A wunderkind of the Chicago underground scene, Albini would eventually become its very vocal conscious, decrying any band that sacrificed its raw sound for a more friendly sonic palette as they might try to graduate from the Chicago scene to the mainstream.  If you wanted that raw sound, you often went to Albini to produce your album.  He honed his craft and particular aesthetic in producing recordings for his own bands.  His first band was the solo project turned noise-rock trio Big Black.  Big Black's first album was 1986's Atomizer released on Homestead Records.  The EPs Bulldozer and Racer-X are also worth highlighting.

Special Note: If you pay attention to the listed discographies, you'd have noticed that I often include singles, EPs, and/or compilations from other bands (who never last long enough to record a proper album) that featured members who'd go on to be part of the tour stop's band lineup.  In this case, Big Black bass player Dave Riley was a member of the short-lived bands End Result and Savage Beliefs.  Normally, I don't highlight these bands because they're pretty deep cut and only occasionally reveal a unique or worthwhile song (the last one on the tour being "Amen" by Danny King and The Mayfair Set), but Savage Beliefs is notably great.  Reminiscent of Wire's simple punk perfection, Savage Beliefs's songs are all delights and I can't help feel that, with them, there was a huge missed opportunity.  Story is their breakup made Steve Albini cry.  I can imagine.

Here is the discography surrounding Big Black's debut album:

Lungs (1982 EP)
Bang Zoom Issue #3 (1983 compilation songs)
Big Black (1983 live bootleg)
Bulldozer (1983 EP)
The Moral Efficiency of Savage Beliefs (1983 EP by Savage Beliefs)
The Master Tape Vol. 2 (1983 compilation songs by End Result)
Racer-X (1984 EP)
The Middle of America Compilation (1984 compilation songs)
Il Duce (1985 single)
Rema-Rema (1985 single)
Ward (1985 EP by End Result)
Live at No Bar & Grill in Muncie, IN (1985 live bootleg)
Atomizer
Big Money (1986 EP)
The Hammer Party (1986 compilation album)
God's Favorite Dog (1986 compilation songs)
Live on VRPO (1986 live bootleg)
Live at Paard Van Troje, Den Haag, Holland (1986 live bootleg)
Heartbeat (1987 single)
Headache (1987 EP)
Happiness Is Dry Pants (1987 compilation song)
Sound of Impact (1987 live album)
The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape (1987 compilation album)
Hog Butcher for the World (1987 compilation song by End Result)
You Weren't There: A History of Chicago Punk 1977-1984 (2008 compilation song by End Result)
Big Big Sky (2015 compilation album by Savage Beliefs)

Big Black Live at CBGB's


"Kerosene" by Big Black


"What's Left in the Fridge?" by Savage Beliefs


Pass the Headphones!!

Poster Children - Flower Power (1989)

"She Walks" by Poster Children


Park's debut album was produced by Brendan Gamble.  Another who weaved his way through bands and studios (primarily as an engineer), Gamble's first album recordings were with the Urbana indie punk band Poster Children.  Poster Children released their debut album Flower Power in 1989 on the Limited Potential label.

Here is the discography surrounding Poster Children's debut album:

Another Face (1985 single by ¡Ack-Ack!)
Automatic (1986 single by ¡Ack-Ack!)
Better Than God (1986 compilation song by ¡Ack-Ack!)
Toreador Squat (1988 demo)
Flower Power

Poster Children Live at The Gallery in Normal, IL 1988


"Byron's Song" by Poster Children


Pass the Headphones!!

Park - Scene 14 (1998)

"1000 Yard Stare" by Park


Baxter packaged the song "These Times" on the compilation album How to Be a Hero.  Of course, the compilation album featured about 15 other bands but most of them more established.  There was one other, sort of, "rookie band" on the compilation though:  Park.  From Springfield rather than Chicago (like the last handful of tour stops), Park plays a hard-edged pop-punk.  They released their debut album Scene 14 in 1998 on Playing Field Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Park's debut album:

Demo (1996 demo)
Blue Screen (1996 EP)
Mood Ring (1997 EP)
Atmosphere Only Gets You so Far (1998 compilation song)
Scene 14
The Sound of Sirens (1998 split EP)
How to Be a Hero (1999 compilation song)
Pocket Bomb (1999 compilation song)
Live at Viele's Planet (1999 live bootleg)
Random and Scattered (1999 EP)

"Racing a Train" by Park


Pass the Headphones!!

Baxter - Troy's Bucket (1997)

"Mandatory Option" by Baxter


What's this?  We were about to head to the band bassist Pete Wentz is most famous for being in, but it seems we've detoured.  Instead, the tour's being dragged away by another founding member of Arma Angelus who is also more famous for being in a different band.  And of course, we're not going to be covering that more famous band either.

Instead, we follow Tim McIlrath (who was a member of Arma Angelus for only a short period of time) as he plays with his Chicago post-hardcore band Baxter.  They released their debut album Troy's Bucket in 1997 on Astroyboy Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Baxter's debut album:

Baxter (1996 demo)
Troy's Bucket
More Than Music (1997 compilation song)
Lost Voices... (1997 single)

"The Star-Spangled Banner" by Tim McIlrath (of Baxter)


Pass the Headphones!!

Arma Angelus - Where Sleeplessness Is Rest from Nightmares (2001)

"We Are the Pale Horse" by Arma Angelus


This time we'll follow Racetraitor band members Daniel Binaei and Andy Hurley to their next band Arma Angelus.  Bassist Pete Wentz is here, too, but he's not playing bass for this band (he's the lead singer) and we're still not yet to the band he's most famous for being in.  Binaei, Hurley, and Wentz were all members of Arma Angelus from its inception, but only Wentz was a member when the band recorded their only album Where Sleeplessness Is Rest from Nightmares in 2001.

Here is the complete Arma Angelus discography:

The Personal Is Political (2000 demo)
The Grave End of the Shovel (2000 EP)
Chicago Arise from the Ashes (2001 compilation song)
Ascend from the Darkness (2001 compilation song)
Where Sleeplessness Is Rest from Nightmares
Covered in Blood (2002 compilation song)

Arma Angelus's Last Show


Pass the Headphones!!

Racetraitor - Burn the Idol of the White Messiah (1998)

"Suffocation" by Racetraitor


As the tour keeps touring, let's keep following Pete Wentz.  We're not quite to the band he was most famous for fronting, and, in fact, our next stop is a band he wasn't in but with which he occasionally played fill-in bass.  Like Extinction, Racetraitor was a straight edge hardcore band from the mid-to-late 90s.  Short-lived, they released their only (short) album Burn the Idol of the White Messiah in 1998.

Here is the discography surrounding Racetraitor's debut album:

Hinckley (1995 single by Hinckley)
Continuing the Tradition Demo 1996 (1996 demo)
The Great Age of Enlightenment? (1998 compilation song)
Burn the Idol of the White Messiah
Make Them Talk (1999 split EP)
By the Time I Get to Pennsylvania (2016 single)
Invisible Battles Against Invisible Fortresses (2017 EP)
Compilation Vol. 1 - A Benefit for Animal Sanctuaries (2017 compilation song)

Racetraitor Live at the Fireside Bowl


Racetraitor Live at the Electric Factory


An Interview with Racetraitor's Andy Hurley


Pass the Headphones!!

Extinction - Hypocrisy Breeds Traitors (1999)

"Dying for Tomorrow" by Extinction


The community of Degrassi also attracts a lot of talent.  Most of the time this talent comes to town as visiting bands that play local concerts or do interviews for the school paper, but Degrassi also attracts famous musicians that go undercover and, weirdly, pretend to be locals.  For bassist Pete Wentz, it seems he simply enjoyed the local vibe and hung out downtown for a while.

Before he was famous for being in a nationally popular pop-punk band or hanging around Degrassi high schoolers, Pete Wentz was a figure of the underground Chicago hardcore movement where he, alongside many other young hardcore musicians, formed bands; recorded demos, compilation songs and singles (sometimes, an EP); then disbanded.  It wasn't until 1999 when his band Extinction shook up the formula and managed to release a (short) album Hypocrisy Breeds Traitors.  They then disbanded.

Here is the discography surrounding Extinction's discography:

Everlast (1993 demo by Everlast)
...Drown the Self... (1994 single by Everlast)
The Cold War (1994 compilation song by Everlast)
'94 Demo (1994 demo by Plagued With Rage)
I Won't Forget (1994 single by Plagued with Rage)
Outcast (1996 demo by Birthright)
Outcast / Final Judgement (1996 split single with Birthright)
Birthright (1996 single by Birthright)
Ascension (1997 EP by Birthright)
The First Crush Compilation (1997 compilation song by Yellow Road Priest)
For the Sake of Dedication (1997 compilation song by Plagued With Rage)
What Have You Created... (1997 EP)
The Difference Between Us (1997 compilation song)
All Systems Go! (1997 compilation song)
Out of Darkness (1998 EP by Birthright) 
Glenview Hardcore (1998 compiation song by XFirstborn)
Milemarker / Yellow Road Priest (1998 split single with Yellow Road Priest)
Hypocrisy Breeds Traitors
The Path of Compassion (2002 compilation song by Everlast)
These Words Run in My Veins (2008 compilation album by Birthright)

Extinction Live in Louisville


Extinction Live in Toronto


Pass the Headphones!!

Cory Lee - What a Differene a Day Makes (2005)

"The Naughty Song" by Cory Lee



Degrassi High not only produced musical talent; Degrassi High also attracted musical talent.  Ms. Oh (or Cory Lee) was a pop artist with a Juno-nominated club hit ("The Naughty Song") and a couple albums before taking a music-teaching position at Degrassi.  Her debut album on Sextant Records What a Difference a Day Makes released in 2005.

Here is the discography surrounding Cory Lee's debut album:

The Naughty Song (2005 single)
What a Difference a Day Makes
Goodbye (2005 single)

"Goodbye" by Cory Lee


Pass the Headphones!!

Cassie Steele - How Much for Happy (2005)

"Rock Your Bones" by Cassie Steele


Jimmy Brooks (or Aubrey Graham or Drake) wasn't the only student of Degrassi High aspiring towards a musical career... though he's so far the only one to make a successful go of it.  Fellow student Manny Santos (or Cassie Steele) also gave it a shot with her release of How Much for Happy in 2005.

Here is the discography surrounding Cassie Steele's debut album:

How Much for Happy 

"Blue Bird" by Cassie Steele


Pass the Headphones!!

Drake - Room for Improvement (2006)

"Come Winter" by Drake


Drake was one of the first to champion The Weeknd with a promotional post on his OVO blog, and he helped chart The Weeknd's early course in his ascent of the music industry.  Drake released his own debut mixtape Room for Improvement in 2006 only five years prior to The Weeknd's.

Here is the discography surrounding Drake's debut mixtape:

Room for Improvement

"Extra Special" by Drake


Pass the Headphones!!

The Weeknd - House of Balloons (2011)

"The Party & the After Party" by The Weeknd


The Weeknd sampled Beach House's song "Master of None".  The sample appears in his own "The Party & the After Party" from his debut mixtape House of Balloons.

Here is the discography surrounding The Weeknd's debut mixtape:

House of Balloons

"Wicked Games" by The Weeknd


The Weeknd on the streets


Pass the Headphones!!

Beach House - Beach House (2006)

"Apple Orchard" by Beach House


The musical Legrand family added a third generation to its musical lineage in the 21st century.  A niece to both Christiane and Michel, Victoria Legrand teamed with Alex Scally to form Beach House, a dream pop band out of the Baltimore indie music scene.  They released their debut album Beach House in 2006 on D.C. label Carpark Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Beach House's debut album:

Apple Orchard (2006 single)
Beach House
Master of None (2006 single)

"Master of None" by Beach House


Interview


Pass the Headphones!!

Les Blue Stars - Les Blue Stars (1954)

"Lullaby of Birdland" by Les Blue Stars


I always love a good family connection and Michel Legrand comes from a very musical family.  His father Raymond Legrand was also a bandleader (but without much of a recorded footprint for a Tour stop) and his mother was the sister of a famous conductor, Jacques Hélian.  Christiane Legrand, Michel's sister, was a popular singer who first started her career as a member of various vocal groups.  The first vocal group she was a part of was Les Blue Stars and known in English-speaking markets as The Blue Stars of France.  They released their first album Les Blue Stars in 1954.

Here is the (probably incomplete) discography surrounding Les Blue Stars:

Les Blue Stars
Lullaby of Birdland (1955 single)
Les Blue Stars (1956 EP)
Lullaby of Birdland and Other Hits by The Blue Stars of France (1956 compilation album as The Blue Stars of France)

"Tous bas, tous bas" by Les Blue Stars


Pass the Headphones!!

Michel Legrand et Son Orchestre - I Love Paris (1954)

"I Love Paris" by Michel Legrand et son orchestre


Some of the songs on Catherine Sauvage's debut album were arranged by composer Michel Legrand.  More famous now for his film scores, Michel Legrand broke out as a popular band leader and arranger for popular singers.  He and his orchestra's debut album I Love Paris saw release in 1954 and became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

Here is the discography surrounding Michel Legrand's debut album:

I Love Paris

"Mademoiselle de Paris" by Michel Legrand et son orchestre


"Under the Bridges of Paris" by Michel Legrand et son orchestre


Pass the Headphones!!

Catherine Sauvage - Catherine Sauvage Chante Ses Derniers Succès (1954)

"Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange" by Catherine Sauvage


Léo Ferré struggled peddling his songs for years without much success until he made the acquaintance of cabaret singer Catherine Sauvage.  An immediate champion of his work, she sang Ferré's now classic Paris Canaille.  She made the song an instant hit and both the singer's and the songwriter's careers, interwoven, took off.  Although Sauvage's early discography details are foggy, her debut album Catherine Sauvage chante ses derniers succès released in 1954.

Here is the (probably incomplete) discography surrounding Catherine Sauvage's debut album:

Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange (1954 single)
Catherine Sauvage Chante Ses Derniers Succès
1 (1954 EP)
2 (1954 EP)

"Paris Canaille" by Catherine Sauvage


"La Fille de Londres" by Catherine Sauvage


Pass the Headphones!!