Music Gifts from Arizona

Out of the clear blue, I got a package in the mail from an address that I didn't recognize in Arizona.  Inside was an awesome gift of records and miscellaneous good cheer from Bret Helm and Brent Berg.  I know both of them from vinyl enthusiasm groups on Facebook, and they are both all around good guys.  Bret manages the Life On This Planet blog that I have praised elsewhere on this blog and is also a member of the band Audra.  Brent runs an independent record store in Scottsdale called The Record Room, voted best vinyl record store in that area in 2013.  Some day, I sincerely hope to visit him there.  These gentlemen conspired to make my day by sending me some very cool items.  Check this out...

Inside was a killer Record Room T-shirt, bumper sticker, promo flyer, two LPs, and a 10" EP.

click for larger image

The first thing I needed to put on the turntable was, 'Lonely Is An Eyesore,' a 1987 compilation of artists on the 4AD label including Colourbox, This Mortal Coil, The Wolfgang Press, Dead Can Dance, Throwing Muses, Cocteau Twins, and Clan of Xymox. I have lusted after this one for quite a while, and I'm blown away to finally have a copy of it.  This is not an easy one to find, especially in the American midwest.  Gorgeous 23 Envelope cover art and printed inner sleeve.  Aw yeah.

click for larger image

Also included was Gene Loves Jezebel's Discover album.  Many moons ago, a few of us were sharing a GLJ vibe in the Vinyl Community and I mentioned that Discover was one of the few early GLJ records that I still haven't found.  One of these guys saw that, remembered it, and picked up a copy of this record when they spotted a copy.  It's that kind of thoughtfulness and generosity that keeps me tied to the VC, irrespective of how large and fragmented the group has become.

The record that completely blew me away, though, was the 5-track 10" EP from the band Psi Com, which was Perry Farrell's band before Jane's Addiction, Porno For Pyros, or his founding of the Lollapalooza festival.  

I'm sure both Bret and Brent knew this EP well, but it was Bret that I saw sporting a Psi Com T-shirt and talking about them online.  The band never made it past this EP, and because of that I assumed my chances of ever owning a copy of this were slim to none.  I am grateful for all their gifts, but this one really had my jaw on the floor.  Click on either label for a larger image and more detail.

The 10" record is housed in this beautiful envelope-style sleeve printed on recycled cardboard.  It was recorded in March of 1985 at Radio Tokyo, and originally released as a 12" on the Mohini Records label at that time.  This 10" version was released later, in 1994 on Triple X Records.

My sincere thanks to Bret and Brent.  As I told you when this arrived, I wasn't having the best week, so this gesture was particularly welcomed.  I am thoroughly enjoying this music, and I hope to get something just as interesting together to send to you in the near future.  In the meantime, thank you very much!