The Mal Thursday Show: Halloween Special 2013

Direct from the haunted realm of Austin, Texas, Mal Thursday presents an expanded, remastered, and reanimated edition of The Mal Thursday Show Halloween Special, combining the 2011, 2010, and 2007 episode with 30% new footage focusing on a couple of Halloween-themed comps, "Mondo Zombie Boogaloo" on Yep Roc and "Garage Monsters," part of the GaragePunk Hideout series. Presented in Living Monophonic Sound.

 Playlist:
LOS STRAITJACKETS: Theme from 'Halloween'
SHOUTING THOMAS & THE TORMENTS: Dead Man Slide
BIG VINNIE & THE CATTLE THIEVES: Got Me a Monster
THE APOLLOS: It's a Monster
SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS:
The Tingler's Blues/Goo Goo Muck
THE FLESHTONES: The Haunted Hipster/I Was a Teenage Zombie
THE BLUE GIANT ZETA PUPPIES: The Wild Ride of Ichabod Crane
HEINZ & THE WILD BOYS: Big Fat Spider
THE SHARKS: Dracula's Daughter
SCREAMING LORD SUTCH: Jack the Ripper
THEE HEADCOATS: The Strangler of Boston Town
THE BUGS: Strangler in the Night/Albert, Albert
LOS STRAITJACKETS: Theme from 'Young Frankenstein'
ORVIN YOES: The Vampire
THE BOMBORAS: A Fistful of Terror
THE SEEDS: Evil Hoodoo
MANFRED MANN: Hubble, Bubble (Toil and Trouble)
Q65: I Got Nightmares
THE SKUNKS: You Scare Me
THE TEXREYS: Ghoul a Go-Go
THE MALARIANS: No
THE BORN LOSERS: Werewolves on Wheels
LOU REED: Halloween Parade
DEAD KENNEDYS: Halloween
THE SHAGGS: It's Halloween
THE (MOTHERFUCKING) BROWNS: Scream for Halloween
LOS STRAITJACKETS: Theme from 'The Munsters'
ZACHERLE: Happy Halloween
LON CHANEY JR.: The Maddest Story Ever Told (Theme from 'Spider Baby')
THE FUZZTONES: Happy Halloween
THE SWINGIN' NECKBREAKERS: No Costume, No Candy
CAPTAIN CLEGG & THE NIGHT CREATURES: Zombie a Go Go
THE TOMBSTONES: Black Cat
THE OUTSIDERS: Haunted by Your Love
THE MOONTREKKERS: Night of the Vampire
ROKY ERICKSON & THE ALIENS: Creature with the Atom Brain
THE CRAMPS: Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon
RONNIE COOK & THE GAYLADS: Goo Goo Muck
THE FRANTICS: Werewolf
SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS: Werewolf
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Werewolves of London
ROUND ROBIN: I'm the Wolf Man
BO DIDDLEY: Bo Meets the Monster
THE HOLLYWOOD FLAMES: Frankenstein's Den
THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Frankenstein
ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN: Coolest Little Monster
THE KINGSMEN: Haunted Castle
THE ROCKIN' CONTINENTALS: Count Dracula
THE SONICS: The Witch
THE LOLLIPOP SHOPPE: You Must Be a Witch
THE CIRCUS: Burn, Witch, Burn
THE MOVE: Night of Fear
THE LAST WORD: Sleepy Hollow
THE CORDS: Ghost Power

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The Mal Thursday Show #31: Halloween Special

The Mal Thursday Show #31: Halloween Special

Direct from the haunted realm of Austin, Texas, GaragePunk podcaster, rock n' roll musician, and part-time TV horror host Mal Thursday presents an expanded and remastered edition of The Mal Thursday Show Halloween Special, a triple-header of terror combining the original 2007 Halloween show, the 2009 reboot, plus 33% new footage. It's a strange brew full of zombies, werewolves, and wicked witches, not to mention hunchbacks, hobgoblins, and headless horsemen.

Presented in Living Monophonic Sound for your All Hallow's Eve listening and dancing pleasure.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW!


Playlist:
THE BOMBORAS: A Fistful of Terror
THE SEEDS: Evil Hoodoo
MANFRED MANN: Hubble, Bubble (Toil and Trouble)
Q65: I Got Nightmares
THE SKUNKS: You Scare Me
THE TEXREYS: Ghoul a Go-Go
THE MALARIANS: No
THE BORN LOSERS: Werewolves on Wheels
LOU REED: Halloween Parade
DEAD KENNEDYS: Halloween
THE SHAGGS: It's Halloween
THE (MOTHERFUCKING) BROWNS: Scream for Halloween
LOS STRAITJACKETS: Theme from "The Munsters"
ZACHERLE: Happy Halloween
LON CHANEY JR.: The Maddest Story Ever Told (Theme from Spider Baby)
THE FUZZTONES: Happy Halloween
THE SWINGIN' NECKBREAKERS: No Costume, No Candy
CAPTAIN CLEGG & THE NIGHT CREATURES: Zombie a Go Go
THE TOMBSTONES: Black Cat
THE OUTSIDERS: Haunted by Your Love
THE MOONTREKKERS: Night of the Vampire
ROKY ERICKSON & THE ALIENS: Creature with the Atom Brain
THE CRAMPS: Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon
RONNIE COOK & THE GAYLADS: Goo Goo Muck
THE FRANTICS: Werewolf
SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS: Werewolf
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Werewolves of London
ROUND ROBIN: I'm the Wolf Man
BO DIDDLEY: Bo Meets the Monster
THE HOLLYWOOD FLAMES: Frankenstein's Den
THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Frankenstein
ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN: Coolest Little Monster
THE KINGSMEN: Haunted Castle
THE ROCKIN' CONTINENTALS: Count Dracula
THE SONICS: The Witch
THE LOLLIPOP SHOPPE: You Must Be a Witch
THE CIRCUS: Burn, Witch, Burn
THE MOVE: Night of Fear
THE LAST WORD: Sleepy Hollow
THE CORDS: Ghost Power

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Mal Thursday's Ebay Garage Sale!

Money's tight, but you can make it right. Bid now!

The Malarians: Know/Finished In This Town CD

The Malarians: In the Cool Room CD

Cracking the Egg: The Untold Story of the Nightcrawlers DVD

Will Ferrell "Rojo Johnson" Bobblehead

Nolan Ryan 1969 New York Mets Statuette

Roy Oswalt Bobblehead Doll

Malarians Live Review by Dave Hayes

The Malarians
Sierra Grille, Northampton, MA
June 10, 2010
by Dave Hayes

The alarm went off for a half an hour before the soundtrack of my current dream slowly but surely became the soundtrack of my confused bedroom surroundings. CRAP. I was a half hour late for The Malarians gig at Sierra Grille, so I threw ons some clothes, a hat, grabbed my water bottle, and stumbled out the door mumbling some loud repeated phrase designed to wake me up out of my sleepy stupor.

When I arrived at Sierra, The Malarians were on. I peeked into the window to watch for a minute, in the same way I watched some of The Unband's infamous gig 16 years prior back in the early Bay State days that Mal Thursday started when he became booking agent in 1993. Only this time, Mal (his real name is J.M. Dobies) was fronting his band from WAY back in the day (they were active from 1984-1990, and began at Hampshire College, I believe).

When I walked in, I first saw my friend Greg, said hello, and then immediately noticed Dancing Larry. I knew then that this was an old-school Northampton freakfest shakedown of the highest order, and a cheshire cat grin replaced my semi-drooling tired pie-hole.

The Malarians were ROCKING. I kept telling people all night it was as if they were a working band, as if they'd never stopped. It was COHESIVE. This was not the sound of old friends getting together for a couple practices and a couple gigs. THIS BAND HAD A VIBE, an energy of urgency that the best bands produce.

Mal throughout the night timed his classic 'YEA-YUHs' at just the right moments, which was like a band mantra.

These guys were purveyors of classic surf and garage rock replete with farfisa keyboard sounds, backing vocal harmonies, and Mal's classic stutter dance, with his hands thrown in the air like a rock and roll boozy cockatoo, fingers and arms flailing every which way.

Eric Payne (aka 'Lime Rickey') rode the drums with total rock abandon, yet complete control. It was a push-pull balance that he conjured all night long and it drove the tunes, along with Les Lebarge (aka 'Les Fillin') on bass, who was THUNDEROUS with his big ass Gibson Thunderbird cranking away.

The combination of guitarists John Lebhar (aka 'Johnny Tomorrow') and Robert Sherwood (aka 'Bob Medley') was potent. These guys are both total pros, one would lead while the other comped, they'd both riff together, it was just spot on axe-slinging, and the left-handed and right-handed symmetry was cool visually, I thought. Great singers too, can you tell I had fun?!

You could see why these guys were so popular back in the day. It had a retro vibe, but was played with an energy that just felt important and FRESH. Near the end of the night they did a slow-tempo version of Stepping Stone, that was grinding and had many a booty shaking.\

I only wish they would play more. A killer night of original valley rock and roll that began 25 years ago, and may have finished up (in terms of live performances) on this night (although as of this writing there is rumor of more potential live dates). I am grateful I was there to witness it, and gave my bones a good shaking.

The Immolators closed out the night, and while I had to split due to my insane work schedule, I did catch a couple of turns, and the band is aptly named. Mike Dumont was on bass and lead vocals, and Chris LaPlante was on keys and background vocals, and a couple of younger musicians who were ripping it to bits. It was straight ahead rock and roll, and there is no question these guys have their own vibe, and should be paid attention to. It also didn't hurt that Dumont's bass cabinet is the size of a single wide trailer.

Long live rock and roll in the CT River Valley.

Chunk Archives

Announcing the official launch of Chunk Archives, a new indie/garage/reissue label based in Austin, Texas. The label is the brainchild of Mal Thursday, who ran the "obscure but rewarding" Chunk Records label from 1986 to 2000. Chunk Archives will be reissuing many classic recordings, as well as new and previously unreleased material.

The initial releases from Chunk Archives are the reissues of the LP catalog of '80s garage rock semi-legends The Malarians, and are currently available as mp3 albums on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and other leading digital retailers:

In The Cool Room

Know/Finished In This Town

The above titles are also available as limited edition CDs from The Malarians Online Superstore.

My Massatucky Walkabout, Pt. 1

Today is my birthday, and I'm feeling bloody old. Also a little worse for the wear from all the rocking...Three months ago, I returned to Massachusetts for the "Tour of Route 9" with my old bands the Malarians and the Cheetahs. Last week, I went back again to do two more shows with the Malarians (see previous post). I wrote the following in July, but never published it. Here is part one of "My Massatucky Walkabout."

It was one month ago today that I made my return to the concert stage with a gig at the Sierra Grille in Northampton, Mass., which is located in the building that once housed the Bay State Hotel, where I used to book shows in the mid-'90s under the guise of my rock 'n roll alter-egomaniac Mal Thursday. For the proper historical context, check out Ken Maiuri's June 3rd piece in The Daily Hampshire Gazette:

Clubland: Local legend Mal Thursday returns to reanimate Valley

Although the tour was not a popular move at home (my marriage would be in much better shape had I kept it to just the four dates with the Malarians, or had not gone at all), it was something I had to do, and in spite of it all, I'm damn glad I did it.

I flew in on the afternoon of the first gig, a Cheetahs show with the Egos and Evil Bill at the Sierra Grille, former site of the Bay State Hotel, where I ruled the roost back in the salad days of the Northampton music scene circa the mid-'90s. It wasn't a total triumph, but it was good to be back. The next night, we played a barn-burner at Church of Boston on a bill with Lyres (sounding as good as they ever have, and I've witnessed dozens of their shows over the past quarter-century) and the Coffin Lids. Northampton band the Immolators were supposed to be on the bill as well, but Mike Dumont a/k/a Liv Damage got lost in traffic, despite the fact that the club is just a few blocks from Fenway Park. I drove back from the gig with Cheetah David Trenholm, and once we exited the Mass Pike, we navigated a spooky, foggy, winding route that was totally Ichabod Crane-like.

New England: it's centuries-old crazy.

I then had several days off, most of which were spent on my own without access to a car, the internet or cable TV. I had plenty of time for reflection, and to rehearse with the Malarians. I had pooh-poohed the idea of a reunion for many years, owing to the fact that founding member Slater Awan (Kent Garver) was dead. But I warmed to the idea over time, and we kicked serious ass. And miraculously, my voice held up.

Thanks to Ken Maiuri, Matthew Dube, Gary Carra, and Vincent Bator for writing up my return; Marc Solomon for providing shelter and sanity; the boys in the bands, with a special shout-out to Les LeBarge a/k/a Les Fillin, for learning 25 songs and rocking them thoroughly; and a host of others, not least Jeff Conolly, Tim Downie, Mark Sheehan, O'Brien Tomalin, our producer Sean Slade, Glenn Merrill-Skoloff, Dancing Larry, Andrea Newhouse, Meag Kennedy, the Immolators, the Egos, Evil Bill, and Peter "Spec" McHugh.

No thanks, and a special place in hell for the Malarians' opening act at Church, who have started a "Boycott the Malarians" Facebook page because they felt that should have received a bigger cut of the $130 that was to be split between the three bands. They were an awful, awful semi-pro '80s synth-drivel band made up of NBA employees. I think the horrible lead singer was their boss, and they were afraid to tell him that he looked like a spastic or that his songs were terrible. I did go slightly batshit on their lame asses, calling them "Kobe-enablers" and accusing them of being "in cahoots with the L.A. Rapers."

They did, however, generate some good one-liners:
"They make A-Ha sound like AC/DC."
"Like Missing Persons without Dale Bozzio or Flock of Seagulls with less balls."
"The Malarians may or may not have stolen their money, but they stole 45 minutes of my life."
"Music to eat a gun by."

Fuck 'em. I had a ball.

Apologies to the Donut Kings

The Malarians Mini-Tour of Route 5 was a mixed bag, with the Sierra show a loud, fuzzy romp through the catalog, and the ZONE reunion marred by my desperate clowning, along with the obligatory sound problems and stage management issues. Although advertised as starting at 8 p.m., the show didn't start until 9:30 p.m. due to the aforementioned P.A. problems. One of the bands had canceled, but the late start meant half-hour sets and I took it upon myself to hijack the proceedings with boorish obliviousness, with the Donut Kings getting the worst of it. All apologies. They should have put me in a cage until the agreed-upon showtime.

Oh well. Mea culpa.

On the plus side, our set was punk as fuck, I danced with Dancing Larry, and vaguely remember doing a somersault across the floor. And Eighth Route Army was GREAT.

The Malarians 2010 Mini-Tour of Route 5

The Malarians are back again (in Western Mass, that is) for two dates this month, Thursday September 9th as part of the "Bay State Reanimated" series at the Sierra Grille in Northampton, with special guests A Dick Supreme, and Saturday the 11th for the ZONE 30th Reunion Benefit Concert at Canal Gallery in Holyoke with Eighth Route Army, Bamboo Steamers, Art Kritics, Donut Kings, and Thrillpillow.

Advance tickets are only $3.50 in advance.

Some would say that "The Tour of Route 9" in June was more of a mini-tour, and this is more of a micro-tour, but I say more than one date qualifies it as an official mini-tour.

The band's LP catalog has been reissued by Chunk Archives. In The Cool Room and Know/Finished In This Town are available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Napster, and other leading digital retailers, or as limited edition CDs at The Malarians Online Superstore.

Check out The Mal Thursday Show #29 for "Songs I Taught the Malarians," an episode full of songs the band has covered over the years (click image to launch podcast):

The Mal Thursday Show #29: Songs I Taught the Malarians

The Mal Thursday Show #29: Songs I Taught the Malarians

In a self-referential variation on the "Songs the Lyres Taught Us" series, Mal spins the original versions of 29 songs that he covered with his band the Malarians (the American garage band, not the Spanish ska band) between 1984 and 1990, including several that have been revived for the band's reunion tours in 2010. Dedicated to the memory of Slater Awn (1963-1994).

The Malarians' LP catalog has been reissued by Chunk Archives and is available on mp3 from iTunes, Amazon, Napster, and other leading digital retailers, and on CD from The Malarians Online Superstore and on the swag table at Mal's gigs.

Presented in Living Monophonic Sound.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW

Playlist:

THE MALARIANS: Mighty Idy
THE HAUNTED: 1-2-5
THE MINUTEMEN: #1 Hit Song
DEAD KENNEDYS: Let's Lynch the Landlord
FEAR: Fresh Flesh
BLONDIE: In the Flesh
THE CRAWDADDYS: Why Don't You Smile Now
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: European Son to Delmore Schwartz

? & THE MYSTERIANS: Ten O'Clock
DONOVAN: Superlungs (My Supergirl)
SYNDICATE OF SOUND: Little Girl
THE RATIONALS: Little Girls Cry
THE GENTLEMEN: It's a Cryin' Shame
THE MIRACLE WORKERS: Tears
THE UNCALLED FOR: Do Like Me
THE VENTURES: The "In" Crowd (bed)
THE UNRELATED SEGMENTS:
It's Gonna Rain/Where You Gonna Go
THE MAGIC MUSHROOMS: Never Let Go
BELFAST GYPSIES: Boom Boom
THE PAINTED SHIP: Frustration
THE MALARIANS: Paranoia (bed)

THE MODERN LOVERS: Astral Plane
LOTUS STP: Broke Down
THE LITTER: Action Woman
THE ROCKIN' RAMRODS: She Lied
13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS: You're Gonna Miss Me
THE MAGIC MUSHROOM: I'm Gone
THE MALARIANS: A Walk in the Sun

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The Mal Thursday Show 2010

Although I've stepped up the pace of late, I've only managed to produce seven episodes of "The Mal Thursday Show" this year.

The reasons for this are many, chief among them the GaragePunk Podcast Network's new free-for-all schedule (I thrive on deadlines, and now there aren't any), my old band band The Malarians' reunion tour, and the inordinate amount of time it takes to scrape together a living in this economy.

Here are all of the episodes of the show I've produced this year, plus the New Year's Eve show, posted in the last few hours of 2009. Click on the images to launch podcasts:








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The Mal Thursday Show #28: Psummer's Purple Phogg

The Mal Thursday Show #28: Psummer's Purple Phogg

Summertime's almost gone, kiddies, but Mal Thursday is back to make the most of what's left of it with a bitchin' batch of boss wax to beat the heat. The new Mondo Topless long-player, Freaking Out, has been a turntable staple at Mal's pad of late, so there's a couple of tracks from it here, as well as the original versions of some of the songs featured on the album. Also included are recent releases and reissues from the Higher State (whose fuzz-blastin' instrumental provided the title for this episode), Paul Messis, Roky Erickson and Okkervill River, the Sons of Hercules, Les Klepstones, and Mal's band the Malarians. Conflict of interest? No.

Presented in Living Monophonic Sound.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW!

Playlist:

MONDO TOPLESS: Get Me to the World on Time/Nothing Can Bring Me Down
THE VERTEBRATS: Left in the Dark
THE BREAKERS: Don't Send Me No Flowers (I Ain't Dead Yet)
THE OPEN MIND: Magic Potion
THE MALARIANS: Sky Wild
THE HIGHER STATE: Song of the Autumn/Psummer's Purple Phogg

THE MIRACLE WORKERS: Hey Lover
LIL' BOYS BLUE: I'm Not There
THE MARAUDERS: Since I Met You
THE MOVE: Stop And Get a Hold on Myself
THE ACTION: I'll Keep Holding On
THE HIGH SPIRITS: I Believe
PAUL MESSIS: Lost and Found
THE DWARVES: I Wanna Kill Your Boyfriend
GENE CLARK: So You Say You Lost Your Baby
LYRES: But If You're Happy

KIM FOWLEY: Hollywood Nights
ALICE COOPER: Requiem for the Spiders
THE SONS OF HERCULES: Easy Action
ROKY ERICKSON & OKKERVILL RIVER: John Lawman
THE MULLENS: You Really Move Me
THE FLESHTONES: Feels Good to Feel
LES KLEPSTONES: She'll Always Be Mine

THE MOURNING AFTER: Set Me Free

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The Mal Thursday Show #27: The Ballad of Mal Thursday, Pt. 4

THE MAL THURSDAY SHOW #27: The Ballad of Mal Thursday, Pt. 4

Mal Thursday is back in black (turtleneck, that is) with Part Four of "The Ballad of Mal Thursday," an episode loaded with his blood, sweat, and testosterone. Mal's return to rocking last month on the Malarians' Reunion Tour of Route 9 has reawakened the rock n' roll animal within, and as the selections on this show demonstrate, that animal is part rooster, part cheetah, and part pig. Chunk Archives has just reissued the Malarians' LP catalog, including In the Cool Room, Know, and Finished In This Town, available for download on Amazon, iTunes, and all the usual suspects, or as limited edition CDs at The Malarians Online Superstore.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

THE PRETTY THINGS: Midnight to Six Man
THE ROADRUNNERS: Pretty Me
THE EASYBEATS: I'm a Madman
THE FIVE MORE: I'm No Good
PAUL JONES: I've Been a Bad, Bad Boy
MADD INC.: I'll Be the One
LES KLEPSTONES: Play Your Game
SYMON GRACE & THE TUESDAY BLUES: You Won't Get Me Workin'
THE MALARIANS: Brightness
LYRES: How Do You Know?
THE CHANCELLORS: On Tour
THE THOUGHTS: All Night Stand
MANFRED MANN: The One in the Middle
MOTT THE HOOPLE: Saturday Gigs
THE SONS OF HERCULES: IOU Nothing
Q65: I Despise You
THE THROWN-UPS: Your Band Sucks
THE MIRACLE WORKERS: Go Now
THE MINDBENDERS: Off and Running
THE EYES: I'm Rowed Out
THE WHO: The Good's Gone (BBC)
THE LITTER: A Legal Matter
THE JAM: I've Changed My Address
THE PAINTED SHIP: Little White Lies
HUMBLE PIE: A Nifty Little Number Like You
LULU: The Boat That I Row

Don't miss the first three installments in "The Ballad of Mal Thursday" series (click on images to launch podcasts):

Not Quite Finished In This Town

I've been out straight ever since I got back to Austin, so I haven't done a blog post in a month. I'll start with some of the press I got while on tour with the Malarians and the Cheetahs. First up, "Not Quite Finished in This Town" by Matthew Dube, originally published June 10th in The Valley Advocate:Countless area bands have been conceived, lived and disappeared since former local impresario Mal Thursday (pictured above, center, with The Malarians, 1987)—also known, equally enigmatically, as J.M. Dobies—last stepped off an area stage.

Thursday's heyday was concurrent with a very active time in local music lore. Any night in the '90s could find him all over Northampton, somehow simultaneously booking shows at the Baystate Hotel, leading a band of garage rockers through a rousing rendition of The Standell's "Dirty Water," and shaking hands with someone on a deal to release a 7-inch single on his own Chunk Records.

After vanishing from the scene under hazy circumstances and leaving music altogether, Thursday is currently in the midst of a prodigal Massachusetts reunion run, playing shows with two of his former Valley bands, The Malarians and The Cheetahs. He checked in by phone from his current home in Austin, Texas to talk about his bands, his disappearance, and his spate of impending area gigs.

The Heyday

Mal Thursday's first band, The Malarians, was born in 1984 and lasted until 1990. The group was a rave-up garage band known for rollicking live shows and matching black turtlenecks.

The group produced three releases, In the Cool Room (1986), Know (1988), and Finished in this Town (1990), and reached a respectable level of success in their day, receiving good airplay and cracking the CMJ Top 20.

Thursday transitioned to a new project, The Cheetahs, following the breakup of the Malarians. They released a holiday single in 1992, followed up in 1993 by a split 7-inch with Angry Johnny, featuring the band's version of the Johnny Cash classic "Ring of Fire" with guest vocals—and pig squeals—from Angry Johnny himself.

Around this time, Thursday was cranking out releases on his own Chunk Records, an imprint that quickly became known for releasing solid singles by national acts and for producing some of the area's finest recordings before or since. His roster included seminal acts like Guided By Voices, Sebadoh, DMZ, the Lyres, New Radiant Storm King, Scud Mountain Boys, and Silver Jews.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Mal Thursday's Victory Lap

Mal Thursday's Victory Lap by Vincent Bator

Once upon a time in the early ‘90s, the western Mass. indie music scene was a vibrant, buzzing place to be. Rumors floated through the air (and in the “industry” thanks to a Billboard article in 1992) constantly that the next big scene after Seattle was Northampton.

To a degree, that hype was well-founded: Bands like Sebadoh, New Radiant Storm King, and Scud Mountain Boys were attracting the attention of the music business. All of those bands (or their collective members) were widely hailed by the critics and hugely influential on a new crop of artists.

But there was a great local music scene prior to those halcyon days, and one individual who both participated in it, and then later promoted it, is returning to Massachusetts to get his due.

In 1984, a Hampshire College student on the seven-year plan, formed a garage-rock band heavily steeped in the music of The Seeds, The Sonics, DMZ, Lyres, and Roky Erickson, that decades later would be influential on a whole new generation of like-minded musicians. The band was The Malarians, and that guy was the snappily-monikered Mal Thursday. In 1986, the group released its seminal recording In the Cool Room (Chunk Records) and the rest as they say, is history.

While not a huge record in its time, In the Cool Room (remixed and remastered in 2009) defines an era, a genre, and ultimately The Malarians. The band recorded a CMJ charting EP, Know, in 1988, and recorded an unreleased LP, Malarians for Mothers and Daughters a/k/a Heavy Hits during that time. In 1989, after a series of line-up defections, the latest incarnation of the band recorded a live LP, Finished in This Town. And a year later, the band was indeed done.

The Malarians/Courtesy of Chunk Archives

Life After The Malarians

Mal went on to form Mal Thursday and the Cheetahs in the ‘90s, working in the same vein as The Malarians.

What really cemented Thursday’s stature in the local scene was the label that he ran, Chunk Records, and the Bay State Hotel where he booked bands from 1992-1995.

Chunk Records released more than two dozen records (mostly 45s and compilations on vinyl), many of them by local bands such as Zeke Fiddler, Steve Westfield, Tizzy, Queer, and The Veronica Cartwrights. The complete story of the label is lovingly re-created by Thursday at his blog.

Thursday was partly responsible for growing a music scene in Northampton while booking the Bay State Hotel with local and national indie music groups. The Bay State Hotel had a comfy “living room” atmosphere that was both intimate and conducive to experiencing up-and-coming bands or bands that were breaking. For all that’s exciting about Northampton’s current music scene, nothing compares to those times.

Mal Thursday Returns

On June 3rd, Mal Thursday & The Cheetahs return to the Bay State (or the Sierra Grille if you prefer), and The Malarians as well on June 10th. A sort of victory lap, The Cheetahs and The Malarians will also play a date each in Boston, while the Malarians play Worcester and Amherst (part of Hampshire College’s 40th anniversary).

Never one to be inactive, Thursday, now a family man living in Austin, TX, has been busy with numerous musical projects, most recently overseeing the re-releases of both of his old bands’ recording output, hosting a show on GaragePunk Podcast Network and writing a film column.

In a recent e-mail exchange with Northampton Media, Thursday (real name: J.M. Dobies) talks retrospectively about his career, the Bay State Hotel, and why he’s touring again.

NM: How did a kid from Massena, NY, of all backwater ‘burgs, turn out like you?

MT: Growing up in Massena was sort of like growing up in Canada, in that it was 10 miles from the border, and an hour from Montreal. We got to enjoy the cultural benefits of Canadian television and radio. My parents were pretty cosmopolitan, my father being the young doctor who moved to the North Country because of the area’s Eisenhower-era boom economy with the St. Lawrence Seaway and the aluminum industry.

I always read a lot. I loved rock ‘n’ roll. I went to boarding school in 1977, where I first dabbled in music, and tried to sing with a band. In the Fall of 1980, I went to Hampshire College which was where I really got into music, much to the detriment of my studies (although I did eventually graduate seven years later)...

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

The Malarians' 'Know' and 'Finished In This Town' Now Available at CD Baby

The Malarians' 1988 Know EP and the 1989 live recording Finished In This Town have been reissued in a deluxe digital and CD release at CD Baby. The mp3 album is available for download now ($4.95 for the five EP tracks, or $9.99 for all 20 tracks), with the CD due to be released on June 8th, just in time for the band's 2010 reunion tour of Route 9.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

Following up the recent digital reissue of Massachusetts' garage kings The Malarians' 1986 LP In The Cool Room, here are 1988's blistering five-track vinyl EP Know and the equally feverish 1989 live recording Finished In This Town in a deluxe CD and digital package.

The Malarians' most successful release, Know features the band's classic line-up: Mal Thursday, Johnny Tomorrow, Bob Medley, Slater Awn, and Lime Ricky. The record went top 20 on the CMJ charts and sold out of its original pressing in weeks.

With only Thursday and Awn remaining, the Malarians made an attempt at replicating the MC5's "Kick Out the Jams" LP by recording the new line-up, featuring Mike Sewell of the Lonely Moans, Steve Healey of Wingtip Sloat, and Peter "Spec" McHugh, at their second-ever gig with a mobile truck at Springfield's Zone Art Center. Finished In This Town was given an abortive release in 1990, when the band broke up prior to the pressing of the CD. Only the Cassette was issued, in very limited quantities.

Together at last, The Malarians' Know/Finished In This Town 20th Anniversary Limited Edition CD from Chunk Archives.
Know produced by Sean Slade and Jim Fitting

Finished In This Town produced by Sean Slade and Mal Thursday

And don't forget to pay a call on The Malarians SwagShack at Cafe Press:

The Mal Thursday Show #26: Songs the Lyres Taught Us, Vol. 4

The Mal Thursday Show #26: Songs the Lyres Taught Us, Vol. 4

In honor of Lyres' upcoming appearances in Boston (Friday June 4 with Mal Thursday and the Cheetahs and the Coffin Lids) and Worcester (Friday June 11 with the Malarians and the Immolators), Mal presents Volume Four of "Songs the Lyres Taught Us." More great records from Jeff Conolly's secret stash, from such stellar artists as the Standells, the Stonemen, and the Seeds.

Presented in Living Monophonic Sound.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW

Playlist:

LYRES: Feeling No Pain
THE STANDELLS: Zebra in the Kitchen
DON & THE GOODTIMES: Little Sally Tease
THE SONICS: Dirty Robber/The Witch
THE BEAU BRUMMELS: Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby
THE HUMAN BEINZ: Nobody But Me
THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND: Let’s Talk About Girls
LYRES: Seven (Live Cavestomp ’97)
THE OUTSIDERS: What’s Wrong With You
WALLY TAX: You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me
THE JAY JAYS: Today I’m Gay
LYRES: Give Your Love to Me
THE STONEMEN: No More
PETE BEST COMBO: I’ll Try Anyway
THE TROPICS: Tired of Waiting
THE BOOTS: But You’ll Never Do It Babe
KENNY & THE KASUALS: It’s Alright
THE STOICS: Enough of What I Need
THE SPADES: We Sell Soul
13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: You’re Gonna Miss Me (Take 6)
THE SEEDS: Just Let Go
LYRES: What a Girl Can’t Do

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MAL THURSDAY SHOW

The Malarians' 'In The Cool Room,' 'Know,' and More Now Available as Digital Downloads

Originally released on Chunk Records in the 1980s, the recordings of my old band The Malarians (the American Garage Band, not the Spanish ska band) are now available as digital downloads at Amazon and several other services, and coming soon to iTunes. The remixed, remastered, and reanimated version of In The Cool Room, our lovable first LP from 1986, is available now at Amazon.com, on the Chunk Archives label.

The 20-track 2-for-1 Know/Finished In This Town CD combines the Malarians' most successful release, 1988's bombastic, blistering five-track statement of purpose Know with the equally feverish 1989 live recording Finshed In This Town. Available June 1st.

The Malarians at Church of Boston June 9th

The Malarians Swag Shack at Cafe Press

Announcing The Malarians Swag Shack at Cafe Press. To commemorate the band's return to the stage on their 2010 "Where's the Money?" tour of the Commonwealth, a limited series of T-shirts, Beer Steins, BBQ Aprons, and other high-quality swag are available. Proceeds to help pay for my plane ticket from Austin to New England.

cafepress.com/themalarians