The Del-Byzanteens' Lies to Live By.
The Del-Byzanteens were a band in the early '80s. They featured the filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, but this is more or less unrelated to the fact that they were great. My good friend Jeff Larson ripped me his vinyl copy of their sole LP, Lies to Live By, and I've been digging it immensely.
The first half is poppy new wave with a darker no wave influence-- in other words, the kind of music that a lot of people are trying to make today, while failing to summon up the quality and ingenuity that is present here. "Draft Riot" should be #1 on the charts ("the charts"?), as its hook continues to slay me, my mouth watering the first time I heard its chorus; "War" is a winning cover of a calypso number by Atilla the Executor. (As a calypso fan, I was very pleased with the attitude.) The second half is more industrial, "jammy," hypnotic, with the 31-minute record finally tailing off in a 5-minute experimental collage. (31 minutes sounds too brief, but it's just right.)
I want to see this record issued on CD, remastered, with bonus tracks! This group is good enough, and it fits right into the sonic zeitgeist while showing people a thing or two.
I'm going to live up to my status as a music blog, for once, and, with Jeff's permission, I'm posting the link he gave me to the album. It's a zip file. Enjoy.
The first half is poppy new wave with a darker no wave influence-- in other words, the kind of music that a lot of people are trying to make today, while failing to summon up the quality and ingenuity that is present here. "Draft Riot" should be #1 on the charts ("the charts"?), as its hook continues to slay me, my mouth watering the first time I heard its chorus; "War" is a winning cover of a calypso number by Atilla the Executor. (As a calypso fan, I was very pleased with the attitude.) The second half is more industrial, "jammy," hypnotic, with the 31-minute record finally tailing off in a 5-minute experimental collage. (31 minutes sounds too brief, but it's just right.)
I want to see this record issued on CD, remastered, with bonus tracks! This group is good enough, and it fits right into the sonic zeitgeist while showing people a thing or two.
I'm going to live up to my status as a music blog, for once, and, with Jeff's permission, I'm posting the link he gave me to the album. It's a zip file. Enjoy.
posted by Spencer Owen at 10:55 AM
4 Comments:
Dude! You're a Lifesaver. Been hunting for this album since i was an acne-speckled teen in early '80s. Never issued on CD?? Got ya Zip File, and listening now. Sounds better than i recall.
Cheers from rainy Auckland, New Zealand. Richard.
There are a few more ressources on www.myspace.com/delbyzanteens
Enjoy :)
Apparently, there are plans to release a Del-Byzanteens concert dvd! See this blog for more.
Hello everyone! I don't know where to begin but hope this place will be useful for me.
In first steps it is very nice if somebody supports you, so hope to meet friendly and helpful people here. Let me know if I can help you.
Thanks in advance and good luck! :)
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