Category Archives: singles

Chris Joss: A Part In That Show 12-Inch Single

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Chris Joss is a musical juggernaut. Based in France, the Chris Joss experience is a funky, uber-smooth retro callback to the disco dance floors and too-cool-for-school Shaft-style action soundtracks I grew up digging very much. The fact that Joss plays all his own instruments cinches the deal–he has too much talent to measure and if you are one of those people (like me) who can sit through an otherwise lukewarm 60s or 70s film because it has a killer soundtrack, this 12-inch is for you. A Part In That Show is from the You’ve Been Spiked album, a must-own. Go to the Chris Joss site to hear a very generous free sampling of everything he’s done to date. RECOMMENDED.

The Prima Donnas 7″

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The Prima Donnas were new-new wave long before The Epoxies or any of that lot came along. In fact, I was lucky enough to scoop up this now-out-of-print 7-inch in 1998, ferchrissakes! The Prima Donnas were described gamely as “punk rock without guitars” but really, you don’t need such descriptions. It’s a two-song romp with “She Had Alien Written All Over Her” and “Break Your Fuckin’ Head” both scoring high marks for energy, enthusiasm and fun sing-along-harmonies in goofy brit accents.

 Originally released on Peek-a-Boo Records, this is now available as a download from emusic.com. I highly recommend searching for this single in any Texas record store, especially near Austin and San Antonio. The Prima Donnas later released both songs from the vinyl on the full-length Drugs, Sex & Discotheques, which is full of great moments including one hilarious chant at the end of Reagan’s Dead:

“Reagan died/but his clone survived/run and hide/mass suicide”

Buy this CD with extreme haste, especially if you have a love affair with cheap synth tones. I love this CD and am quite pleased to own the single. If memory serves, Peek-a-Boo was located in Austin, but the website now lists a California contact address. Regardless, I will always associate The Prima Donnas with Texas, as that’s where I got hooked on them—in that scortching, evil 100+ heat.