Notes from the underground.

JUST GOT A COPY of a classic C-movie entitled Desperate Teenage Lovedolls. Shot on the most meager of budgets in the early '80s, and with the cooperation of Redd Kross and some of the local Los Angeles punk bands of the time (Nip Drivers, The Bags, Sin34, White Flag, etc), it's a send up of B-movies like Russ Meyers' Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (and if you know the film you'll get some of the nods). It came out and achieved almost immediate underground success, but now it's been released on DVD for your very own home-viewing pleasure and/or discomfort. It's pretty sketchy all around and often hilariously ridiculous, but done in complete fun, as it follows the band the Lovedolls on their rapid ascent amidst unfriendly LA beach gangs, unscrupulous sleazy manager types, and heavy drug use. The music is great, including Redd Kross as they are delving into the psychedelic Neurotica period after being noisy punk kids. The acting is not, but overall, it's pretty hilarious, and the DVD has some bonus stuff ... Going even further back, got a somewhat spotty video of a great band, The Small Faces: Under Review. The Small Faces were one or the best bands of the mid '60s R&B-influenced mod scene, from their knockout debut single "What Cha Gonna Do About It" in 1965 to their crash and burn three years later. This video has great footage of the band and some interesting narration, but it's broken up with interviews of critics and "experts" of the Small Faces (including some fat bald guy with a guitar who plays along with their music) that sometimes adds interesting information about the band, and sometimes leaves you simply annoyed. A must-have for a fan of the Small Faces and mod stuff, but not the best piece of work. Might be better to rent the film Blow Up ... How's this for a curveball? Got a CD comp called Flying High Again: The World's Greatest Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and it's a bit of a headscratcher. No denying the potency of Ozzy's dark powers, but most tributes like this are a bit cheesy, especially when towered over by the originals. I guess the consensus is that this is a mixed bag, there's some rippers on there, and the likes of Lemmy, Lita Ford, Children of Bodom, and others offset the presence of Dee Snider. Please go buy some Sabbath records and kill yourself ... Finally got to checking out the new Mudhoney record Under a Million Suns--and Lordy it smokes! These guys continue to crank out raw tunes rooted in 1960s dirge, and this sees a little of singer Mark Arm's recent stint fronting the revamped MC5 lineup rubbing off, as this record includes some horn arrangements. The opening track "Where is the Future?" is an ode to broken promises and unfulfilled expectations that most people should be asking themselves, or more appropriately, their governments ... Got another release from the Seattle area that harkens back to the days before the hype: Jack Endino's Permanent Fatal Error. It's heavy and dark in places, reminiscent of his old band Skin Yard, but also straight ahead, guitars up front, blasting, and his vocals sound kind of hoarse and raspy like Lemmy. It's also great to hear Rob Skinner (ex-Coffin Break) pounding the four-stringer on this one ...