Axemen - Big Cheap Motel (1984)


Originally released in New Zealand on a cassette in ’84, written (in one night!) as an agitprop performance in response to an Australian milk company’s corporate sponsorship of a Christchurch “Summer Rock” festival (“All Ages! Free Music! Picnics Welcome!). Ten songs railing about sexism & corporate social engineering (aka advertising), & one obliterated Stones cover! Ultra-underground art-damage punk rock with a vague affinity to like the Fall, maybe throw in a little Crass, post-“Fun House” sax skronk, maybe something more blatantly weird like the Lemon Kittens, trace elements of Flying Nun pop – but “Big Cheap Motel” basically makes “Palace of “Swords Reversed” sound like “Rumours.” Maximum ramshackle. Recorded live at the festival in question, or on some bedroom/basement boombox. Strangely inspiring document of resistance & weirdness. Sticker & insert with updated liners/lyrics.

Note: I have received a request for the link to be taken down until the album is sold out and I am respecting that request. Buy it here!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I love axemen. thanks.

Hive Mind Holy Shroud said...

this is great.

Stuart Page said...

this is actually a pretty accurate account of it... just something to do back in 1984 and lovely that you guys are into it now, personally I still Love this album, and I really Love the title track "Big Cheap Motel". Excellent that it's permanently sealed in America's best quality wax. Thanks to the Kings of Saudi Arabia.

Stuart Page said...

Ah I didn't realise you were ripping us off. Jeez, it's only just gone on sale, do you think you could wait till it's sold out? There's only 700 copies. Crikey, oh well, sheeesh....

decrepittapes said...

Link has been taken down. Will be re-posted once it is sold out.

decrepittapes said...

Link has been taken down. Will be re-posted once it is sold out.

Stuart Page said...

> decrepittapes said...
> Link has been taken down. Will be re-posted once it is sold out.

Thanks man! People should buy the vinyl anyway, it's got an awesome cover, really groovy labels based on the original cassette release, and a collectable sticker! It's available from a myriad of sources around the world:
http://www.midheaven.com/press/pdfs/axemen_bigcheap_onesheet.pdf

http://www.normanrecords.com/records/104964

http://www.flight13.com/details/83097/axemen-big-cheap-motel

http://www.midheaven.com/artists/axemen.html

http://sakistore.net/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=2489&products_id=71106

http://www.roughtrade.com/site/shop_detail.lasso?search_type=sku&sku=309756

http://www.rhythmonline.co.uk/entry.php?albumid=140941

http://www.konkurrent.nl/dezeweek.html

http://www.fortedistribution.co.uk/newreleases.php

Duncan said...

Have bought the vinyl (Monorail, Glasgow)... Woulda been good if there was a link to a zip of the album with it, so I don't have to wait til it's sold out to chuck it on my ipod...

Stuart Page said...

> Have bought the vinyl (Monorail, Glasgow)... Woulda > been good if there was a link to a zip of the album > with it, so I don't have to wait til it's sold out to > chuck it on my ipod...

Why not record it on your computer, just plug your stereo amp into yr computer and record it and save as MP3 or AAC, bingo! Badda Bing! Voila! We appreciate your not posting yr MP3's so we can have a go at selling the vinyl first :-)

88 said...

quite the paradox, pretty sure a myriad (greek 10,000)is considerabley more than 700, hunh?

alas I stopped buying music without hearing at least some or most of it first, tired of getting gyped by crap with maybe 1 good track, long time ago learned if only 1 or 2 songs were played on air, or posted on mp3.com, those were the best tracks and rest was awful trash, I can't believe labels don't already get it that every other disc sold is very likely to be ripped and resold or given and reripped probably a 'myriad' times

though I respect your respect to hold the link awhile, it ought to be interesting to see how long it takes to sell 700 discs worldwide, which brings the question, how will you know ??