[Christopher Arnott continues to rummage through his old 45s)

1. Dada Banks, Microwave b/w Communism?
This 1980 New Haven new wave single features an old New Haven Advocate colleague of mine, Hank Hoffman (now proprietor of the Connecticut Arts Scene website) on—to quote the record sleeve—“Guitar, fuzz guitar, vocals,” in that order. (Randy Stone is on bass, Richie Gleen the drummer). Hank’s now hard at work on a studio-honed psychedelic power pop masterpiece, but this single represents his scruffy early days, and it’s a treasure. “Microwave” is a rant against capitalist corporate culture, a sentiment underscored by the flip side, which mocks Western preconceptions of Russia: “Communism, Communism, that threat we’re taught to fear.”

2. Quest of the Moon Breed, Mares of Night b/w I Felt It.
Quest of the Moon Breed crystallized what was going on at the Tune Inn.
Bandleader Stark evoked Einsturze Neubaten, Nine Inch Nails and novelist Clive Barker (from whom I assume the “Moon Breed” part of the band name came from) in his nihilistic stage antics (smacking a lighter-fluid-laced cymbal drum with a flaming torch, getting all tribal and naked) but he’d assembled a hardcore band to back him, not the sort of synth band that was becoming the fashion.
This single’s tracks were prepared for QotMB’s album Legion of Sleep, and I notice now on MySpace that Stark has a current band called Legion of Sleep. That’s a sleep of Rip Van Winkle proportions.

3. Cavedogs, Step Down b/w Proud Land.
The Cavedogs were to the Boston music scene of the early ‘90s what Bobcat Goldthwait was to that same city’s comedy scene around the same time: they were embraced by the scene, then resented when they started getting national attention. The old “Too soon! Not your turn!” refrain. The fact that they fully deserved to make the leap was immaterial. The Cavedogs had it all. All three members were strong songwriters, they knew exactly how to adapt their material for the stage, the studio or their comedy/variety radio specials, and they perfectly fit the raucous pop feel of the times—until grunge hit, at almost exactly the same moment that The Cavedogs released their second album, Soul Martini, on Capitol. This is an early Trust Records single from the late ‘80s, both sides of which later appeared on their debut album Joy Rides for Shut-Ins. The copyright has been issued to “Hey Leggo, That’s My Donker” Tunes.

4. Brian Stevens, The Piper b/w Zasu Pitts.
Speaking of The Cavedogs, following the band’s dissolution, they all quickly found other projects, most of which seemed to involve the then-up-and-coming Q Division Studios and the Q Division record label. The other two Cavedogs formed bands, but Brian Stevens went solo—that kind of studio-intense solo which yields brilliant, layered pop junkets like this. It’s an overwhelming sound, but Stevens manages to inject his old Midwestern Cavdog sense of humor: the lyrics are interjected into a faux interview on the record sleeve. Both tracks are from the mindboggling full-length Brian Stevens album Prettier Than You. Stevens play most of the instruments, though sax, clarinet and drums/percussion sounds are by others, and the great Jon Brion is credited with “lead and professionally executed guitar solos.”

5. Thee Roman Gods, Panic b/w San Fransisco Girls.
Spell check: “Thee” and “Fransisco” are both the correct use here. This is a Fleshtones one-off, covering songs by Otis Williams (A-side) and The Fever Tree (B). It’s the familiar live Fleshtones guitar/keyboard/harmonica/handclap/sing-along frenzy. Which sucks as a single, because the party’s just getting started.