Thursday 21 December 2017

Throwback Thursdays Retro Videos Presents; Savage Republic, pt.1

This week on my Throwback Thursdays Retro Video Project; Savage Republic.
Savage Republic may well be my favorite obscure 1980's post-punk band (American division). This California group with an ever-shifting line-up combined epic spaghetti-western-surf-guitar with tribal drumming, industrial distortion and some occasional ethnic seasoning to create a moody, atmospheric sound completely their own. They also had a striking visual style for their record covers as they had access to an antique off-set printing press and a willingness to use it. They put out a series of albums starting in 1982 to about 1992 before splitting into various spin-off groups, some version of Savage Republic exists to this day. They made no actual videos which is a shame as I always thought their cinematic music especially well suited for the medium.

SAVAGE REPUBLIC ~ "TABULA RASA";


This is a song off the 1988 fourth album "Jamahiriya" using an early DW Giffith film "Edgar Allan Poe" in which Poe is inspired to write "The Raven" in order to find money to feed his dying wife. The actor does bear a striking resemblance to Poe.

SAVAGE REPUBLIC ~ "JAMAHIRIYA";


Another track off the fourth album this time using a 1908 film "The Haunted House" by Spanish film-maker Segundo De Chomon, a contemporary of the Frenchman George Melies whose style he expanded on.

SAVAGE REPUBLIC ~ "TRUDGE";


The group were in full-on Ennio Morricone on this epic track off the 1986 "Trudge" ep. For the vid I used a George Melies film "The Alchemist".

SAVAGE REPUBLIC ~ "TREK";


The other epic track from "Trudge", this time using a perfromance art film by Dutch film-maker Franz Zwartjies.

SAVAGE REPUBLIC ~ "TARANTO";


This track uses another Segundo De Chomon film "Les Grenouille" from 1908.

SAVAGE REPUBLIC ~ "VALETTA";


For this Mediterranean influenced track I used a documentary film "Burgos" about a Spanish city made by in 1911 by Segundo De Chomon in one of his rare docs, it's also one of the earliest colour films. The music runs out before the video ends and normally I would have junked it but the imagery matches up with the music so perfectly I had to keep it.

Tuesday 5 December 2017

Next Week; CIUT's 30th Anniversary Pub Crawl!

CIUT's been on the air with 15,000 Watts of power for thirty years so join us for our Year End Pub crawl.

Thurs.Dec.14 at the Bovine w/The Swinging Pussycats, Unbelievers and Doghouse Rose;

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THE UNBELIEVERS AT CIUT;


DOGHOUSE ROSE;


THE SWINGING PUSSYCATS ~ "GOO GOO MUCK";


THE SWINGING PUSSYCATS ~ "THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING";


Fri.Dec.15 at Cherry Cola's w/Luau Or Die, The Speedkings, Mark Malibu & The Wasagas and The Hang Ten Gallon Hats;

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THE SPEEDKINGS ~ "SOAPBOX PREACHER";


THE SPEEDKINGS ~ "WRECKING YARD" & "DRAGSTRIP GIRL";


MARK MALIBU & THE WASAGAS ~ "PET CEMETERY";


LUAU OR DIE ~ "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER";


Sat.Dec.16 at the Cameron House w/Christian & The Sinners, George Westerholm & the Wildcats, The Cliff Divers, The Calrizians

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CHRISTIAN & THE HANGOVERS ~ "LIFE GETS IN THE WAY";


THE CALRIZIANS;