April 2016 – Jim Santo's Demo Universe

Mystery Friday Number Five: What Time Is It?

April 30, 2016 demou Comments 0 Comment

Welcome again to another episode of Mystery Friday! Time moves in strange ways in the Demo Universe, especially when I reach into the Box Of Unknown, pull out an unmarked cassette, play it, and attempt to describe it. Our subject today/yesterday is a Denon Anti Resonance Construction HD8/100 High Bias Head Cleaning Leader cassette. You can tell from the number of words that this is a premium quality cassette. It has a jewel box but no j-card and the cassette…

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Shiva Speedway: 3 songs, 1994

April 29, 2016 demou Comments 1 comment

PERSONNEL: Dezaray DeCarlo: Vocals, guitar Todd Katz: Bass Pam Nicholas: Drums Heidi Saperstein: Guitar Recorded by John Wood at Bird Dog Studios, Allston, Mass., April 1994 TRACK LISTING: Dirty Idea Genius Highway UPDATE 4/29/2016: Al Crisafuli, owner of the micro-indie labels Dromedary and Sugar Blast, was a big fan of Shiva Speedway, considered releasing a single on Dromedary, and kept in touch with Heidi Saperstein after they broke up. He posted this account to the Dromedary blog in 2009: Shiva…

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Closed Third Eye: Pseudo-Semi-Sorta: Cover

Closed Third Eye: Semi-Pseudo-Sorta (1995)

April 26, 2016 demou Comments 0 Comment

PERSONNEL: All guitar, bass, and voices by Dennis Except where noted all drums by Adam etc. TRACK LISTING: SIDE Idiot Face Help Won’t Help (Jason, guitar; Owen, violin) President (Eric, bass; Jason, Saxophone) Need (Owen, bass; Cindy, flute) Devolution (Elda, vocals) Yer Grave (Brian, guitar) Letting The Night In Black Gasoline (Derwood, drums; Pete, guitar) Other Need OTHER SIDE Void (Bob, voice; Tony R, bass) Dirt And Worms )Becky, drums; Owen, guitar; Tony R, bass & guitar; Jason, guitar) Octologue…

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Vicious Beatniks: Special Four Song Sampler, 1990

April 17, 2016 demou Comments 0 Comment

PERSONNEL: Dave Portolano: Vocals, acoustic and electric guitars Brian Lindgren: Guitars, E-bow, vocals Drew Schmitt: Bass Paul Wilson: Drums Recorded at Legend Studios, Central Islip, NY Engineered by Paul Umbach Produced by Steve Sabella and the Gumby Brothers Thanks to Bea and Harry for the use of the basement; thanks to Honey and Kathy and everyone else who helped keep us sane. TRACK LISTING: Slices Of Life (Lindgren/Portolano) Two Crazy Four Words (Lindgren/Portolano) Much Happiness (Lindgren) Without Love (Portolano) Led…

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Mystery Friday Number Four: Naked Came The Cassette

April 15, 2016 demou Comments 0 Comment

Welcome back to another episode of Mystery Friday, when I play a cassette tape from the box UNKNOWN and attempt to describe it. Tonight we have a TDK SA-X 90. Jewel box is in very good condition; just a scuff on the spine. The cassette itself is in mint condition, unmarked in any way. Sherlock couldn’t guess what’s on this tape. Let’s listen! Side A 1. “Hypnotized” seems to be the title. Prog-pop, like Collins-era Genesis or Foreigner or Rush….

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A Confederacy Of Dunces: Clean Garbage (Dunces With Wolves), 1991

April 14, 2016 demou Comments 5 comments

TRACK LISTING Side A The Coolest Guys Everybody’s Nice Until You Know Them I Still Have Him Mr. Stinginess Hating Me Again Something To Complain About The Land Of opposites Losers In Love 8 Months Ago The Fine Art Of Settling Thought That It Was Love How She Used To Feel She Loves Wintertime/A Sight To See Betsey Johnson Dress PERSONNEL: Joe Pampel, lead & rhythm guitars, bass, percussion John Dunbar, vocals, guitars, piano, bass, percussion Sean Grissom, cello, “Betsey…

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Mystery Friday Number Three: I Know You Are, But What Am I?

April 9, 2016 demou Comments 5 comments

Welcome to Episode Three of Mystery Friday! Time for another plunge into the box UNKNOWN. Tonight’s tape is a Scotch BX 90 135m Normal Bias. Scotch brand cassettes were not commonly used during this Universe; Memorex was much more popular at that time. And I can hear why — the spools rattle like mad as I fast-forward to limber up the tape. In any event, the cassette is in brand-new condition, the j-card has but a few scratches, and it…

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Jenifer Convertible: Live at CBGB, March 28, 1998

April 7, 2016 demou Comments 2 comments

PERSONNEL: Lenny Zenith: Vocals, guitar Jim Santo: Guitar, vocals James Pertusi: Bass, vocals Eddie Siino: Drums, vocals TRACK LISTING: Smoke Weak Brutal Deeam Coffee Rut Pretty Dress Lotion Anger (I Made A) Mistake Eight On March 27, 1998, five days after five inches of snow fell on New York City, an extraordinary five-day warm spell began. Each day had high temperatures of 80° or higher. The high of 83° on March 27 was a record (Source: New York City Weather…

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Monsters From The Id: Hyena Love Pt. II (A Drama In Two Acts)

April 2, 2016 demou Comments 0 Comment

ACT I: The Trees Are Bare (Prelude) Hyena Love Pt. II Born In Squirts Brain Damage Dog Fuck Up/Family Man Epitomy Of A Woman ACT II: Crowded With Worms Pooka Love Daddy Does Fine Jellyhole Motherfucker Mean Things Hyena in a ID zone Recess Is Over (Finale) Hyena Love Pt. 666 (Coda) Monsters From The Id was a home-recording project by one Joel Sotelo, then resident of Citrus Heights, California. Although the j-card is undated, its appearance in the reviews…

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Mystery Friday Episode Two: None More Blank

April 1, 2016 demou Comments 0 Comment

Welcome to Episode Two of Mystery Friday! Every Friday, I pull a cassette tape out of my box labeled UNKNOWN, play it, and attempt to describe it. This week’s tape is Maxell UDS-II 90-minute cassette. The cassette is clean and in very good condition; however, it is unmarked in any way. The jewel box encasing it is badly scuffed and the front has a big crack in it. It too, is unmarked, There is no j-card. I have no idea…

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