FCS North >> Ride the darker wave

FCS North - "1222"
(Pacifico Recordings, 2000)

This track is probably the most epic achievement since Homer write The Iliad in one weekend on the backs of some napkins at his local Olive Garden restaurant, which was literally just some tables in the middle of an olive grove at the time.  FCS North (pron. "Focus North," often abrv. FCSN) was a jazzy / post-rock-y / electronic-y group from Seattle, featuring some former members of the impressive post-punk band Satisfact.  I say "was" because I think nowadays they stick to doing DJ sets, remixing, and general electronic(a) stuff, rather than the complex organic recipe on their debut album.  Andy Sells of FCSN is my favorite or second-favorite drummer ever (probably only second to Jack DeJohnette), and he has literally been a drum teacher for many years as his day job.  The way the bass (played by Josh Warren) stealthily enters the song reminds me of the way the T. Rex walks up to the campsite(?) in Jurassic Park, with the viewer only able to see a glass of water trembling with each of its footsteps.  Who says great cinematography can't be found in the most unlikely places?  I didn't even know what cinematography was when I saw that in a tiny theater on Hilton Head Island when it came out, but I'll always remember that scene.
"1222" is preceded on the album by an untitled recording of 3 whole minutes of waves crashing... Top that, "chillwave" bands.  This tidal action fits in perfectly with the CD cover, which is just a photo of the ocean, devoid of any writing, though the cover of the LP version apparently does have some writing.  I've always thought of the album as having a "sky blue" feel to it; to top it off, the band's record label was called Pacifico.  I remember listening to this CD on a sweltering September night in 2003 while driving over to see The Sea And Cake, who also have one of the most insanely great drummers ever.  Before heading out that night, I watched the premiere episode of a show called One Tree Hill, haha.  Man, talk about a cutting edge evening of entertainment... I also used a car phone for possibly the only time in my life, one with a cord attaching it to a '95 Chevy Suburban which I inherited a few years later after my car was lost in Katrina.  Anyway, the way the keyboards swell up and envelop the listener in the beginning of this track will never cease to fascinate me.  There is also a great contrast of speeds -- the fast, crisp drumming vs. the slow, eerie keyboards & bass -- that gives a disorienting overall feel.  (I keep saying "track" rather than "song" because a song must, by definition, have vocals, you know.)  "1222" was also released as a 12" single/EP, backed with "Police Laughter" and "High Rize"; I will be posting the latter on here someday.

Pic: Can't think of one now, though I did plant an olive tree last week, so I should probably show it here. (See first sentence of this post.)
Update, 7/21/11 - Here's a pic of the top of that olive tree, which is about 5 feet tall and is named Gregg, taken right after I planted it on April 1st:

Planets with similar climates: Tristeza - "I Am A Cheetah" (2000) & "Halo Heads" (2005), Miles Davis - "Rated X" (1972), The Mercury Program - "Tequesta" (2002), Fela Kuti - "Confusion" (1975), The Orb - "Star 6 & 7 8 9" (1991), Macha - "Light The Chinese Flower" (1998).

Venus Beads >> What I wouldn't give to make time stand still

Venus Beads - "Heaven And Back"
(Emergo Records / Roadrunner Records, 1990)

This song kicks off one of my favorite EPs ever, fittingly titled Transfixed.  The bassline (surely in the top .01 percentile of all time) is just ridiculously sexy and sinister, in a very dub-wise post-punk way, like The Pop Group, Moonshake, P/i/L, Gang Of Four.  The guitars lull you into a sense of calm before launching an ambush... Yes, you can tell by now that I like that tactic.  There's even some excellent and mystical wind chime action about halfway through.  The lyrics are not about God or religion.  The mastering level (volume level) is very low, so you have to turn the volume and bass up on this one in order to put the boom in your box.  (If someone out there can "remaster" this song by increasing the loudness and bass levels, and then send it back to me, I'd be forever grateful and I'd post it on here.)  This band allegedly had a minor college radio hit with the song "Moon Is Red", but "H&B" is the song that could've really captured the public's imagination, in my opinion.  I still don't know what the band's name means; same goes for Bailter Space, Bark Psychosis, Kallabris, Nice Strong Arm, You Am I, A.C. Temple, Songs:Ohia, Grand Funk Railroad, Kayo Dot, Bananarama, Oöphoi, Gastr Del Sol, Orthrelm, Kajagoogoo, Hoobastank, Ui, The Plimsouls, Waka Flocka Flame, The Bevis Frond, Olivelawn, and many more.
Note: Transfixed was only released on 12" and cassette, but their record company was nice enough to include it as bonus tracks on the CD version of the band's album Black Aspirin, which is where I obtained this mp3.  Dischord and Touch & Go have also always been good about doing that.

Planets with similar climates: The Stone Roses - "I Wanna Be Adored" (1989), Bailter Space - "Robot World" (1992), Volplane - "Lost In Blue" (~1997), Verve - "The Sun, The Sea" (1993), The Cure - "Open" (1992), Swervedriver - "Deep Seat" (1991).

Currently basking in: The glow of the discovery that the cool unlabeled little aloe seedling that I bought for $4 at Harold's yesterday is apparently a devastatingly sexy "tree aloe" species called Aloe africana, which can get over six feet tall:

Photo of adult plant courtesy of toptropicals.com

Currently out of: spinach tortillas, feta, banana rum, coconut rum, lime juice, sand, topsoil, stapler

Antipop Consortium >> Haha you fell off

Antipop Consortium - "Your World Is Flat"
(75 Ark Records, 1999)

I got this CD in early '02 and immediately decided that Antipop would revolutionize and take over the hip hop scene... That of course never happened, since they soon signed to Warp Records and detoured into techno, but I think this song should go down as a classic.  It has a jazzy feel with staccato, Meters-esque drumming, congested Q-Tip-ish vocals and some nonchalantly clever lyrics, including a reference to Soundgarden's biggest hit.  This album was released on Dan The Automator's label, 75 Ark Records, which closed shop in 2001.  The idea of people falling will never not be amusing to me, especially when the thing off of which they are falling is the edge of the earth.  I was like, "You'd think they would at least put some railing around that."

Press photo; year unknown

So my garbage collectors took my mini trash can today, which had some pieces of broken wood in it.  No, not the big main can, but rather this smaller one that I sometimes use for random debris.  This thing cost about $10-12.  I'm cool to these dudes, always giving them free bottles of Gatorade a few times each summer, and pizza gift cards last winter.  All hoppers (the guys who ride on the backs of the trucks) are taught to never take anything remotely resembling a trash can, and in fact there are countless hilarious anecdotes about people trying desperately to figure out the best way to throw away an old trash can.  Even spray-painting "Throw me away" on a trash can will generally still not get it taken; the best way is to physically destroy or dismantle it in some way in order to get the hoppers' antennae to start tingling.  So Fortuna's wheel must've really been spinning my way today.  Also, the only noteworthy movie on cable tonight was Twins, so it was not the greatest day ever.  I think tomorrow I will go raid the Borders bookstore in Metairie on its last-ever day of business and hopefully snatch that Rainer Maria Rilke book, some David Lynch DVDs, and Repulsion by Polanski.  (Note to book/music/video stores trying not to go out of business: Trying to sell Criterion Collection DVDs for $50, and tiny poetry pamphlets for $15, is probably not the smartest way to move merchandise during an economic depression.  [And the recent mind-boggling addition of Chasing Amy to the Criterion Collection negates its existence.])

Planets with similar climates: A Tribe Called Quest - "Bonita Applebum" (1990), Das Racist - "Hahahaha JK?" (2010), Basehead - "2000 B.C." (1991), Special Ed - "Think About It" (1989), Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - "No Need For Alarm" (1993).

Curious (Yellow) >> Give me your hand but don't ask me for more

Curious (Yellow) - "Taken By Surprise"
(Red Eye Records / Polydor Records, 1990)

Okay, here's a quickie.  I was actually gonna post Bleach's "Burn" since I burned my thumb taking buns out of the oven yesterday -- please, folks, no childbirth jokes -- but fate intervened.  In 1967 a movie came out in Sweden called I Am Curious (Yellow), followed a year later by its sequel / sister film I Am Curious (Blue).  (The colors just refer to those of the Swedish flag.  My mom gave me a little 4x6" one last year because I'm part Swedish, albeit on my dad's side; on hers I'm Lithuanian & Austrian.)  The films were allegedly pretty scandalous due to their nonchalant sexual content.  I heard about the movie years ago but was not excited enough by its plot to seek it out.  Today I got the book for 20 cents at a thrift store in the not exactly hip town of Gonzales, La., giving me a perfect excuse to post this song, which I got a few years ago while scouring the Side Projects section of The Church's discography site.  The book has 250+ film stills in it, which makes it unlike any book I've ever seen before... I guess they had to do that because there's so little actual dialogue in the movie?
So anyway, this Aussie band was helmed by the very Swedishly-named Karin Jansson, who co-wrote The Church's worldwide hit "Under The Milky Way" a few years earlier.  Head Churchster (and then-boyfriend) Steve Kilbey returned the favor by producing and playing bass on C(Y)'s sole album, Charms & Blues, which was fittingly pressed on transparent blue vinyl.  The song's devastatingly cool n' sinister bassline will tell you it's Kilbey before you even look it up online.  The bicycle-rrific video is kinda hokey but memorable.  Jansson was previously in a feminist punk band called Pink Champagne.

The Fall had an album called I Am Kurious Oranj, but they're one of my most despised bands ever, so take my word that it fucking blows as hard as everything else they ever did.

Planets with similar climates: The Sundays - "Here's Where The Story Ends" (1989), Juned - "Hearts To Bleed" (1995), Camera Obscura - "Let's Get Out Of This Country" (2006), Jale - "Back On Track" (1996), Film School - "Time To Listen" (2010), Cat Power - "Cross Bones Style" (1998), R.E.M. - "Driver 8" (1985).

From 1970

Currently eating or drinking: Ritz Cheese Bits; Steel Reserve 24 oz beer / malt liquor thing (only $1.50 at a gas station; surprisingly good); Hubig's pie (blueberry).

Bleach >> Touch me and see I'm real

Bleach - "Hit On Me"
(Musidisc, 1992)

This song is an emotional rollercoaster, with singer Salli Carson pleading to someone why he should heed her advances and run off with her on a train to anywhere.  Her wordplay often has dual meanings, and in this case the "On" in the song title could be optional, since some of Bleach's other songs deal with rough courtship / bedroom activities, and the lyric "Every mile is etched on my body" could bear this out.  From a male listener's standpoint, it's hard to think of anything more enticing than the scenario she lays out in this song, and her mental instability just adds to the danger / fun aspects, because she might have a large knife or something.  (The train imagery, as well as the song itself, reminds me of Sonic Youth's "Shadow Of A Doubt," whose lyrics and video were inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's movie Strangers On A Train.)  Like the Chug song I posted recently, "Hit On Me" goes from soft to loud with frightful ease.  The soft side almost sounds like a jazz band playing in a dimly lit bar in a ghost town, and Salli sings in her "pretty" voice; the loud side is a Slayer or Helmet style onslaught, and is sung in her "angry" voice.  (It's hard to believe that it's the same person doing both voices, but it is.)  As you can imagine, there will be much more Bleach coming in this blog, though I can't post anything from their astounding (& only) album Killing Time, since it came out on a major label and recently had its life revived by being added to the iTunes store.

This is a vinyl rip I downloaded a few years ago; the sound quality is terrific despite some pops and cracks, and I doubt the dynamics of this song would be captured as well on CD format.  This song is from the Hard EP, which was released on CD and 12".  If you download the song (remember, just press the "share" button on the player), I included lots of photos from the artwork, including full lyrics, in the mp3 itself.

This band is not to be confused with the U.S. Christian pop-punk band of the same name; the U.K. Bleach came first and are one of my top 10 bands ever, whereas I've never even heard the U.S. Bleach.  (For a laugh, look at the reviews of Killing Time album on iTunes to see what confused fans of the U.S. band have to say.)

Planets with similar climates: Sonic Youth - "Shadow Of A Doubt" (1986) & "Pacific Coast Highway" (1987), Morella's Forest - "Hang Out" (1995), Band Of Susans - "Mood Swing" (1993), Lush - "Light From A Dead Star" (1994), Hüsker Dü - "Diane" (1983), Curve - "Crystal" (1993).


Currently not eating or drinking: Taster's Choice Hazelnut instant coffee.  I got this years ago and hated it, then bought some more recently to give it another chance, and now hate it even more, seeing as the taste is still similar to gasoline or mosquito spray, with an equally bad aftertaste.

Replikants >> This is our machine

Replikants - "Patty's Trip"
(5 Rue Christine, 1996)

Replikants were a side project of Unwound, with that band's singer/guitarist, Justin Trosper, and its original drummer, Brandt Sandeno.  Trosper is one of my musical heroes and Sandeno is just a ridiculously great drummer.  He stepped away from Unwound's kit in the early '90s and was replaced by his friend, the equally great Sara Lund.  This album has the blunt manifesto This is Our Message as its title, and it was the inaugural release on Kill Rock Stars' experimental sublabel 5 Rue Christine.  (Fun Fact: The label was named after Gertrude Stein's address.)  Replikants were sort of a "post-everything" band, using tape loops, jazzy drumming, ambient soundscapes, Krautrock-style beats, Dadaist vocal samples, and some sax.  Though the liner notes claim "No samplers or drum machines were used on these recordings," they did do lots of actual tape splicing in order to sample from other songs; they just didn't use digital sampling devices / drum tracks.  Yes, tape splicing, where you cut the audio tape with a razor blade and literally tape it to another piece.  "Machine" samples Henry Rollins' primal shrieks of "I'm not a machine!" from Black Flag's "Machine."  The liner notes also say "Dedicated to music deconstructionists past and present and future," and "We recommend listening with headphones and on shuffle mode for the CD."  I bought this CD from Kill Rock Stars mailorder in summer of '98 when my Unwound obsession was consuming me, and got the LP about a decade later.  The CD version of this album has 11 bonus tracks (#'s 14-24).
I'm not sure what "Patty's Trip" is about, since it's built of apparently random word samples, including possibly ones from a Speak N' Spell toy, and some devastatingly cool drumming.  I kind of wish that I knew what the female voice was singing, or that the Dadaist samples made some sort of sense, but part of the mystique of the song is its reliance on chaos theory.  I put this song on a mix tape for a guy named David Reilly, singer of the band God Lives Underwater (whose sole hit "From Your Mouth" you probably know), in '99, after meeting him in a chatroom.  By a stroke of luck, he was friends with Trosper, and passed the tape to him later that year while they were hanging out on the West coast.  Reilly was one of the nicest and most musically knowledgable people I ever knew... He was a big Plexi (one of my top 5 fav. bands ever) fan and admitted that he once threw up at a Mogwai concert due to the sheer loudness.  He died of an apparently accidental drug overdose in 2005, after battling addiction most of his adult life.  Big-time tangent there... As usual, you can feel free to stop reading any of my paragraphs about halfway through, before they devolve.  This song goes out to END, and of course to David.

I'll post a drawing I made of this CD's cover art about 12 years ago once I find it... It's in my old journal for art class.

If you live in the South, you get inundated with bands every March as they travel to or from SXSW in Austin, so I saw 11 bands last week for $10 total.  The best were Des Ark (like Fugazi fronted by Patti Smith), Caspian, Pygmy Lush (like Three Mile Pilot), and Native; Low were a bit disappointing, since they only played new stuff; Thou were their normal sludgy screamy selves; Marathon are a spazzy new local post-hardcore type band; Chiaroscuro played slow, elegant instrumentals; Screaming Females had a lot funkier sound than I'd anticipated; locals Aiúa will probably get signed to a hip post-rock label any second now.  One band, Moving Mountains, cancelled.  I also got a cool little cactus on the day I saw Caspian, and decided to name it Casper as a nod to that band's name and the fact that it's very silver, in fact practically white under certain lighting.


Planets with similar climates: Ciccone Youth - "G-Force" & "Platoon II" (1988), Zoviet*France - "Look Into Me" (1990), Tortoise - "Djed (Bruise Blood Mix [by UNKLE])" (1996), Future Sound Of London - "Dirty Shadows" (1994), Massive Attack - "Teardrop" (1998).


Currently waiting for: The sky to share her quenching bounty

Sorry Japan

Timing really is everything.  I actually composed that last post in late February but didn't throw it up onto here until a few hours ago.  I quickly realized the concept of "water torture" and the song lyric "burning like acid rain" seem pretty insensitive considering the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and now the nuclear meltdown(s).  So... my bad for that dick move.
In my defense, I remember feeling really lame on the morning after I did the Windy & Carl post, with a drawing of a dumb seashell, implying the ocean is a cute n' fluffy place, while news of the tsunami was all over TV.

Currently loaning: Mysterious Skin, Bubble, The Seventh Continent, Anatomy DVDs to my sister.  I haven't watched any of them yet because the DVD half of my VHS/DVD player broke a few years ago.

Mind-blowing Jeff Van Gundy tenso found on the always-entertaining Basketbawful

Chug >> Burning like acid rain

Chug - "Water Torture"
(Alias Records, 1996)

Chug were a co-ed New Zealand band who were signed to U.S.-based Alias Records.  I didn't dig the rest of this CD too much, and I in fact threw it away, but this song is just perfection.  The female vocals poke out from the schizophrenic guitars, which go from gently plucked harmonics to arena-ready riffage and back again in half a heartbeat.  I can't think of another song that nails the soft-loud dynamic with better panache than this one, other than maybe "Windshear" by Dazzling Killmen or "Choker" by Magic Dirt.  The way the vocals interlock with the spaces in between the guitar stabs is just tremendous; I think the chiming/plinking sound of the harmonics is supposed to represent water drops, hence the name of the song.  It was not released as a true single, but it was included on several various-artists compilations in 1997, including the CD w/ the August '97 CMJ magazine.  I first heard it that year on an Alias Records promo compilation CD called Year Of The Wagon, which Alias sent me for free after I wrote to them; it also got me into the indie rock anthem "Web In Front" by Archers Of Loaf.  After reading a glowing review of the album (Metalon) on AllMusic by the usually-trustable Ned Raggett, I'm wishing I had the CD back again to give it another chance.  The strangely unsettling cover art features two sprouting seeds that resemble a pair of swans.  There are European black swans that live in Lafreniere Park in Kenner year-round now, with freaky-looking red beaks and eyes.  I think they used to just stop in there over the winter while migrating, but decided to stay here.  They can also sometimes be seen at City Park in N.O.  I started collecting swan-related trinkets about four years ago for some reason, and have since added palm trees and mermaids to the queue.  Swans are just so darn elegant and cool, yet males fight each other to the death over females, and pairs supposedly stay together for life.

Planets with similar climates: Pixies - "Gouge Away" (1988), Magic Dirt - "Ice" (1994), Orbit - "Purge" (1995), Bleach - "Fuse" (1992), Sonic Youth - "Becuz (1995), Blonde Redhead - "Distilled" (1998).

Windy & Carl >> Something painted blue

Windy & Carl - "A Dream Of Blue"
(Ochre Records, 1997)

Here's 15 minutes of translucent intergalactic escapism from the husband and wife duo who basically perfected it, Windy Weber and Carl Hultgren.  They're too cool to even use drums or synths.  The other song, "Kate," is even longer and more tantalizing.  This came out as a limited edition two-track 10" EP on blue vinyl in 1997; Windy herself painted most of the covers and Carl painted some.  Anyone who buys me one of these 10"s gets a free lifetime subscription to Blowtorch Baby, as well as a personalized post which will be painstakingly crafted about the topic of your choosing.  This was reissued on CD with a decent bonus track ("Hypnos") and non-handpainted cover art in '98.

Drawing I made ca. '89-90 when I was ~12-13, and have no recollection of ever making.  My cousin Veronica (reflected in the photo) took this pic and sent it to me last week; it's apparently been in the Savannah-based bathroom of her mom, who is my aunt Kathleen, for all these years.

I was gonna see W&C in November '97 at the Mermaid Lounge in New Orleans, but it got cancelled.  I only had their Antarctica CD at that time, which I got as a subscriber to Darla Records' Bliss Out series, but it totally floored me.  I wrote to the band about how crushed I was and Carl wrote me back; he was very apologetic and he said the cancellation was due to illness.  I still have the letter and I'll post it on here when I find it.  In any event, I never got to see them live because they've never played in this state.

Planets with similar climates: Catherine Wheel - "Saccharine" (1991), Curve - "Rising (Headspace Mix [by Future Sound Of London])" (1993), Brian Eno - "2/1" (1978), Bark Psychosis - "All Different Things" (1989), Low - "Do You Know How To Waltz?" (1996), Mazzy Star - "Umbilical" (1996).


Currently watching: V - Getting better each week, though everyone seems to be a double agent, and yes, I watched the original V a little bit in the early '80s, though I only distinctly remember this one scene where V's were hatching out of these nasty, slimy green pods; Fringe - Jumped the shark long ago but I still watch it out of habit; American Idol - Haley Reinhart continues to vanquish those foes who would impede her; any basketball game featuring the Miami cHeat, hoping that Lebrick and Boshmallow will just give the ball to my man D-Wade and get out of his way during crunch time, and that they will endure more 5 game losing streaks; after beating the Lakers at home tonight, they celebrated as though they'd just won the VIIIth of the VIII championships Lebrick promised last summer.

R.I.P. Gregg Spyridon 1/30/53 - 3/8/11 - "Finish Strong"

The Comsat Angels >> They swim in the tide of galaxies

The Comsat Angels - "I Come From The Sun"
(Thunderbird Records / Normal Records / Crisis Records / Caroline Records, 1992)

The Comsat Angels quietly stormed back with this song on their album My Mind's Eye, a full decade after wrapping up their initial run of three classic albums over the span of 1980-82.  And by "stormed back," I mean "sold even fewer records than they did in their '80s artistic heyday and were ignored by most of the press in their own native England."  This smolderingly celestial track is prime proof of why you should never write off a great band.  (And hey, it only took Miles Davis 25 years to fully hit his stride, right?)  In terms of lyrical prowess, Steve Fellows is one of the all-time greats in my opinion.  An excerpt from this song: "In fiery arms Andromeda will take you far beyond the mortal sea of storms / In winter constellations ever wander and never go home."  There's no way a young-ass band could've created a song like this, though Slowdive were admittedly fresh out of high school when they were tearing shit up in the early '90s.  I wonder if Verve's "Man Called Sun" was influenced by this song, or vice versa; probably neither, since they both came out at about the same time, but both songs are equally mesmerizing.  (Note: This is an mp3 I got in 2005, hence it's not from the recently-remastered version of this album.  So I'd recommend buying the remastered version.)
Not much else to say here, other than you should go buy the Comsats' second album, Sleep No More, and I'm pretty much skipping Mardi Gras this year, and two words describe yesterday: AIR CONDITIONING... finally.  There was also sort of a surreal scene yesterday wherein I was trimming my big holly tree away from the A/C unit with a chainsaw and a hand saw while several dozen (>100?) bees were buzzing all over it on its new flowers.  Yes, spring has come very early here this year.  The whole pear-shaped tree was literally humming like a hive; I actually assumed there was a hive inside it at first.  But I didn't want to put the chore off like I usually do with any chore, so I just carefully removed some branches over about a 30-minute span.  The danger element was kind of erotic in a way, being so close to potential pain, though I'm not allergic to bee stings, so I didn't have a death wish or anything.   The bees and I had a tacit agreement to not cross each other's boundaries.  The little dudes went about their business, sometimes even brushing up against my face and arms while rushing towards me in fiendishly sporadic blitzes.  Someone ought to write a book like J.G. Ballard's Crash, but involving bees instead of car crashes.  It could even quite easily be fashioned into a snuff film, if that's what Hollywood demands this month.  And hey, when I was done, I had a big pile of... holly wood, so that must've been an omen.  I will try not to have as many nature-related anecdotes on here in the future, but like I said, it's springtime, so get used to it.

Planets with similar climates: Swervedriver - "Duress" (1993), Poem Rocket - "Dirigible" (2000), Gang Of Four - "The History Of The World" (1982), Cocteau Twins - "Road, RIver And Rail" (1990), Cush - "Porpoise" (2000), Verve - "Man Called Sun" (1992), Massive Internal Complications - "Strawberry Wine" (~1994), Simple Minds - "Someone Somewhere In Summertime" (1981).

One of several sculptures of Andromeda (Andromède) by Auguste Rodin

Currently reading: Peter Everett - Negatives; Raymond Carver - Where I'm Calling From (short stories)
Currently eating or drinking: Lean Cuisine Spinach, Artichoke & Chicken Panini (2 today); Silk Pure Coconut coconut milk (Plain & Vanilla)

A.C. Temple >> Final kiss on death row

A.C. Temple - "Chinese Burn"
(Furthur Records / Torso Records, 1987/88)

Yup, the name of the blog comes from this song.  I actually got into it several years ago via a blistering Peel Session recording of it, which I actually prefer over the studio version; I'll post that another day.  I actually used to think this song was called "Blowtorch Baby" or "Blowtorch," just based on its lyrics.  According to Wikipedia, Chinese burn is "a prank done by grasping the victim's forearm firmly in both hands, and then twisting the hands in opposite directions about the victim's arm, causing the tender skin to stretch, making it red and sore."  This prank goes by many other names around the world, but I'd never heard of it and have never had it inflicted upon me.

Note: Curve's '98 single "Chinese Burn" is not a cover of this one.

Update, Sept. 2011 - I'm adding the Peel session version (first broadcast on 7/29/87, so probably recorded a few days earlier) I mentioned above.  You can hear that John Peel introduces it as "Blowtorch," as I had surmised above, so that must've been its working title.  Here it is:

Planets with similar climates:  Band Of Susans - "The Pursuit Of Happiness" (1989), Live Skull - "Fort Belvedere" (1986), Poem Rocket - "Small White Animal" (1995), Sonic Youth - "Brave Men Run (In My Family)" (1984), Magic Dirt - "Eat Your Blud" (1993), DUSTdevils - "Neck Surfing" (1990).

Interestingly, and bafflingly, when searching for a.c. temple chinese burn on YouTube, this is the third result one gets.