Wow… didn’t know anyone else had heard of The Rainmakers. I was a huge fan when they were touring around the flyover states. Saw them half a dozen times in Wichita. I still listen to their first three albums pretty regularly.
I happened on them when they put out their first album and have been a fan ever since, and that’s even without ever getting a chance to see them live. Bob Walkenhorst is easily my favorite songwriter.
Flirting with the Universe is their fourth album - after a bit of a recording hiatus after The Good News and the Bad News, and it’s far and away my favorite. It’s obvious that they took their time and carefully crafted an album designed to showcase their talent. It’s unfortunate that it still didn’t manage to bring them the recognition they’ve always deserved, but I appreciate it.
It took me a long time to find out about their 4th and 5th albums. By the time I learned they’d been released, they weren’t available in the US. My girlfriend ordered them from a brand new little web store front in Iceland, of all places. That was before the age of streaming, obviously.
Looking at wikipedia, I see they got back together in 2011 and made a couple more albums. I may have to track those down.
I happened to run across a CD of the fourth one used, a couple of years after it released. I didn’t even know it existed before that, and definitely didn’t know it’d end up becoming my favorite. And I still don’t have a copy of the fifth. I do have the last two though.
25 On is sort of reminiscent of Tornado or The Good News and the Bad News - a return to form. It’s pretty good on its own, but sort of suffers by comparison. Monster Movie is odd but interesting. It feels kind of self-indulgent, but in a good way - just a bunch of guys sitting around playing what they want to play just because that’s what they want to play. It’s a bit disjointed, but I like it.
Off the top of my head…
The Presidents of the United States of America - The Presidents of the United States of America
Stan Ridgway - The Big Heat
The Rainmakers - Flirting with the Universe
XTC - Black Sea
Morphine - Good
Bloodhound Gang - Hooray for Boobies
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Rattlesnakes
The Mattoid - Great Lovers
Frank Zappa - Joe’s Garage
Was (Not Was) - What Up Dog?
…or something like that…
Man I’d take Drums and Wires if I had to pick an XTC album but it’s so great to see them mentioned
I did not expect to find bloodhound gang on any of these lists.
Can’t argue with it much. Jimmy Pop is a dumb white guy. Not old or new, but middle school. Fifth grade like junior high.
Wow… didn’t know anyone else had heard of The Rainmakers. I was a huge fan when they were touring around the flyover states. Saw them half a dozen times in Wichita. I still listen to their first three albums pretty regularly.
I happened on them when they put out their first album and have been a fan ever since, and that’s even without ever getting a chance to see them live. Bob Walkenhorst is easily my favorite songwriter.
Flirting with the Universe is their fourth album - after a bit of a recording hiatus after The Good News and the Bad News, and it’s far and away my favorite. It’s obvious that they took their time and carefully crafted an album designed to showcase their talent. It’s unfortunate that it still didn’t manage to bring them the recognition they’ve always deserved, but I appreciate it.
It took me a long time to find out about their 4th and 5th albums. By the time I learned they’d been released, they weren’t available in the US. My girlfriend ordered them from a brand new little web store front in Iceland, of all places. That was before the age of streaming, obviously.
Looking at wikipedia, I see they got back together in 2011 and made a couple more albums. I may have to track those down.
I happened to run across a CD of the fourth one used, a couple of years after it released. I didn’t even know it existed before that, and definitely didn’t know it’d end up becoming my favorite. And I still don’t have a copy of the fifth. I do have the last two though.
25 On is sort of reminiscent of Tornado or The Good News and the Bad News - a return to form. It’s pretty good on its own, but sort of suffers by comparison. Monster Movie is odd but interesting. It feels kind of self-indulgent, but in a good way - just a bunch of guys sitting around playing what they want to play just because that’s what they want to play. It’s a bit disjointed, but I like it.
I just now bought 25 On and Monster Movie. Haven’t listened yet because I’m stuck on zoom for another 90 minutes!
never heard of any of these
Weirdly insulting thing to say. Maybe listen to them.