Bunny & The Lakers- Numbers LP
Here’s one I’ve seen shared in snippets across many different blogs, but I’m not sure if it’s ever been shared in full. Perhaps on some long, distant, since purged blog. I’ve had this kicking around on my shelves for a while now, rescued from a NYC shop otherwise known for techno, house, and hip hop (you never know!), but I was recently encouraged to take it down and re-rip it, and I’m glad I did, because it’s quickly jumped up the ranks as a autumnal favorite. Besides, the digital copy I DO have has the track names reversed, so this one is worth another look however you want to dice it.
Bunny & the Lakers performed only once, and self-released this album on LP and cassette in 1979. Only 500 records are known to exist, each of them hand-numbered. There are QUITE a few sounds explored over the course of this LP, including the krautrock dirges of Faust, pummeling experimental electronics a la Throbbing Gristle, icy piano and synth workouts by way of Telekon, quirky synth punk sounds similarly explored by Tone Set, and even a skittery no wave hybrid thrown in for good measure.
The album is wildly experimental and may not be to everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s definitely lots to love here. I especially love the bleak “Weekend Guests,” which features female vocals, primitive electronics, and more gorgeous stream-of consciousness piano ramblings. Closing track “Dolphin Bay” is gorgeous as well… Many of the tracks blend into each other, so I’ve tried my best to separate them. Side B is a bit more structured, but I’m a little unsure where one track ends and the next begins on side A.
Bunny & The Lakers- Numbers LP
1. Inhalation / Ventalation
2. Cops On Parade
3. Yalps From The Alps/Shrieks From The Peeks
4. Maid In Sweeden/Batlore
5. In Terms Of Germs
6. TB Farm (Kiss Me Now)
7. S.O.S.
8. Weekend Guests
9. Sandy
10. Dolphin Bay
October 16, 2017 at 10:50 am
Intriguing rarity to dig up. Haven’t thought about this record since I heard and dismissed it on release. Time gilds all things!
November 9, 2017 at 4:59 am
This here’s a generic comment, apropos of things other than the download de jour…
I just got done quickly paging through the whole SOR blog, looking for an album cover that’s stuck in my mind, but alas, no album or artist name to go with. No luck: I didn’t find it here.
But I did find this: My awareness, understanding and appreciation of (actually) independent music in the 1980s was massively expanded by Systems Of Romance. As I was zooming past all those posts with my finger on the Pg-Dn key, I kept saying things like “wow” and “yeah!” – I even had to stop, back up, and snag some new-to-me music here and there. Thank you, ‘Johnny Teardrop’, for dropping the art, artists and information that made a difference.
November 29, 2017 at 4:18 pm
What a great album this is. Thank you for posting it.
May 31, 2019 at 5:07 pm
Oh, I’ve been looking for this one! Thank you so much!