Platter of the day

Some odds and sods today - iTunes seems to have separated compilations in this view, so we have Ash's 'Punkboy' bubblegum thrash from before they went pseudo-metal, The Astro-Zombies' 'Manson Family', 'Screen' and 'Tetra' by Avrocar, Azusa Plane's 'United States Investment in Other Countries, and B. B. King's 'Everyday' and 'Sneaking Around'. A mixed bunch - I've never liked every track on a compilation. All these tracks are by bands I've collected on vinyl and never got round to getting on CD or download.

'Punkboy' is simple indie disco floorfiller, though I've always loved their rural Northern Irish teen punk stuff - 'Petrol' and 'Uncle Pat' in particular, which I have on ultra-rare 7" vinyl. 'Punkboy' is about snobby music purism, of which I'm utterly guilty. It's also a cover song, originally written by the wonderful Helen Love. Ash were just emerging as I went to university - I thrilled to read in NME that they turned down a tour with the Stones because they had to sit their GCSE exams (aged 16) and similar escapades. 'Petrol' and 'Uncle Pat' are  frenetic indie dancefloor fillers: massive guitar hooks. Wish I knew who'd nicked my Ash t-shirt.

I know nothing about The Astro Zombies: they came to me via my friend Mark's compilation'Sickos, Psychos and a Solitary Little Girl', which collects all the songs he could find about 

serial killers. Apparently they're French psychobillies and that's it. The Manson song's very 

poor and not on the web, and I won't punish you with their 'You Are Shit'. So here's a rather mellow one by them, 'Psychos on the Road' from their album Mutilate, Torture and Kill.

Avrocar were amongst my favourites when I was buying a lot of experimental vinyl, often 

instrumental stuff. They played a mix of Krautrock and electronica and were from 

Birmingham, like Broadcast, who were ace. You can never go wrong with a good drone.

Azusa Plane (Myspace) was another drone-rock thing, by Jason diEmilio, who died very young. No Youtube: admirable in a way. It's one of those bands/projects which didn't care a hoot for commercial success or public recognition, and 

concentrated purely on sound. diEmilio killed himself, and anyone following his music wouldn't have been surprised: the music is glitchy, despairing, drifting, full of ennui.

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Finally: who doesn't like BB King, the King of Blues?