ENGLISH SUBTITLES - Oranges & Lemons Demos 1978-1979

English Subtitles are punx from Oxford and were formed 1978 from the remnants of Norwich punk band In-Mates by Warden (vocals), Jewels & Lou (guitars), Dil (bass), Paul (drums A1-B3) & Des (drums B4-B8) and this compilation is part of the Euro Punk Series, which was generated by the great Italian based label RaveUp Records and is far from over. This essential record came in a limited edition of 400 copies, 100 of them on yellow vinyl, and offers thirteen tracks from the original demo tapes that in 1979 secured them a record deal with Small Wonder and recorded in two sessions at different low budget studios during the time they were playing a residency at seminal Oxford punk venue the Oranges and Lemons.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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GRISEN SKRIKER - Forsta & Sista EP 1979

Another cool punk band were Grisen Skriker (The Pig Screams) from Sweden and they were formed in autumn 1978 in Farsta, Stockholm by Henrik (vocals), Per & Hasse (guitars), Martin (bass), Mats (drums) and they had their first gig on 23. October that year. The band became one of Stockholm's biggest punk bands along with bands like Ebba Grön, KSMB and Skabb. They came as a fresh breath and as a kick right up in the then prevailing self-righteous Swedish pop and rock music. During their short active period the band released two EP's on Silence Zing Records and carry fifty-two gigs around Stockholm and other places in Sweden and they were famous for their wild theatric live performances. In 1995 came a CD via Silence Records out with both EP's and four bonus cuts (which unfortunately disappeared due to my carelessness). The band then split up in August 1979. Shortly afterwards some of the members formed the Rockets but I don't know much about them. Grisen Skriker contribute two songs on the legendary live compilation Oasen which was released in 1979 via MNW and on other relevant slabs. Overall two cool records with brilliant '77 punk goodies and their sound is a bit different to other bands which otherwise I know from Sweden in my opinion. TOP!

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RHEINGOLD - Das Steht Dir Gut 7'' 1982

Good vibes with a little NDW music from Düsseldorf and this is the first 7Inch from Rheingold's second album R. which is the soundtrack of the controversial cinema spectacle Der Fan, which was due to the naked scenes of the very young, barely adult TV presenter Désirée Nosbusch, who played the female lead as a counterpart to Staiger, and various brutal sequences including cannibalism symbols for heated discussions in worried the media. Das Steht Dir Gut is a consistently perfect catchy tune (one of my favourite songs), which was certainly one of the most melodious and catchy contributions of the increasingly commercial-oriented 82-NDW. On the flip is a short version of Stahlherz, an instrumental which is quite passable as well. Bodo Staiger died unfortunately on 4.12.2019. Schöne Single!

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V/A - A Wicked Good Time! 1981

One more compilation and this one's from the Boston label Modern Method Records and from "A Wicked Good Time" exist two volumes, this is #1, and we have thirteen bands, mostly unknown to me, which are somewhere between punk and alternative rock at home and they all made a record in the first period of the eighties, and the music is not quite punky but surprisingly good and not bad at all. The record starts really good with solid mid-tempo goodies but flattens out a little in the second half, not boring I would say, but it gets a bit out of hand and loses a little in lame mood music. All in all a good slab that isn't be worth fifty euros, but at least it can serve as listening pleasure until the match against the VfB in forty-five minutes.

1.Psycho Blonde - PASTICHE

2.3rd Floor For Me - THE OUTLETS

3.New Feeling - FUTURE DADS

4.I Wasn't Me - BOYS LIFE

5.Army Of Apathy - LA PESTE

6.Hit List - SWINGERS RESORT

7.Brains & Eggs - YOUNG SNAKES

8.Preppie Girls - VACUUMHEADS

9.Lease On Life - LA PESTE

10.Master - SUADE COWBOYS

11.Black Sand - BOUND & GAGGED

12.Before And After - SOMEONE & THE SOMEBODIES

13.This Reminds Me Of The Future - PASTICHE

14.Pulse Piece - BIRD SONGS OF THE MESOZOIC

15.Planet Spirit - THE LONERS

16.Personal Monsters - BOUND & GAGGED

17.Heroes Of The Dead - BOYS LIFE

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V/A - Punk Territory Vol.3 - US Hardcore 1981-84 [1994]

Holladrio my dear friends, I'm back from my vacation (I hope you missed me a little) and before I give you a few impressions, and there were a hell of lots, I'll be back musically, as promised, with a Bang! Volume 3 of the Punk Territory and this is catchy as hell. Fifty-five short blasts of eleven US bands come here together and the tracks are from their first singles which are nowadays as rare like snow in the Sahara. Exact details are mentioned in the booklet but unfortunately not here and I save myself the call for good scans, unfortunately there is no feedback but fuck it. This compilation is again varied enough to hold the interest of punk afficiondos from all eras and kicks the shit totally out of you, so welcome Honey!

1.Your Way - SHELL SHOCK

2.My Brain Is Jelly - SHELL SHOCK

3.Execution Time - SHELL SHOCK

4.Crucial Point - THE MOB

5.We Can - THE MOB

6.N.Y. Slam - THE MOB

7.Dr. Butcher - THE MOB

8.Pinstripe Suit - THE MOB

9.Label It - THE MOB

10.101 - THE MOB

11.Common Criminal - THE MOB

12.Fight For Right - THE MOB

13.Marionetts - JERRY'S KIDZ

14.B.R.S. - JERRY'S KIDZ

15.That's Life - JERRY'S KIDZ

16.Who Cares?/Death - C.I.A.

17.Hazard - C.I.A.

18.Commie Control - C.I.A.

19.Love & War - C.I.A.

20.No Thrills - C.I.A.

21.The Land Of The Free - PATRIOTS

22.Nobody No More - PATRIOTS

23.Subvert - STATE

24.New Right - STATE

25.Attention - STATE

26.Hard Line - STATE

27.No Illusions - STATE

28.Police State - STATE

29.Girl Violence - STATE

30.Fascist - WHITE CROSS

31.No Straight Edge - WHITE CROSS

32.Speed Of The Presses - WHITE CROSS

33.American Way - WHITE CROSS

34.Jump Up - WHITE CROSS

35.Suburbanite - WHITE CROSS

36.Nuke Attack - WHITE CROSS

37.Having Fun - WHITE CROSS

38.America America - SIN 34

39.Children Shall Not Be Heard - SIN 34

40.The Uniform - SIN 34

41.12 Hour Trip - SIN 34

42.Join The Race - SIN 34

43.Stupid Jerk - THE QUEER PILLS

44.Time To Fuck - THE QUEER PILLS

45.The Todd Killings - THE QUEER PILLS

46.They Saved Hitler's Cock - THE QUEER PILLS

47.Toy Soldiers - N.O.T.A.

48.Justice In America - N.O.T.A.

49.Fucked Up - N.O.T.A.

50.Cattle Call - N.O.T.A.

51.Riot Kids - N.O.T.A.

52.Life Is One - ANTIDOTE

53.Nazi Youth - ANTIDOTE

54.Real Deal - ANTIDOTE

55.Foreign Job Lot - ANTIDOTE

- Great Thx to Reinhard -

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DIE KAPAZITÄT - Bündig 12'' 1981

Die Kapazität was a three-man band and were founded in Hamburg in the early 80's by Christoph (vocals/guitars), Stephan (bass), Wolfgang (drums) and this 12'' is their first publication, appearing at the Konkurrenz label. Musically, the band operates a mix of wave/punk/melody, or simply pop music with a great sense of new wave sound. One year later they released their only full-length album Leichte Stimmen with thirteen numbers but I can't tell you much about this one. On this 12Inch we have five synth pop songs with a pleasant jazzy flavor. So folks, now it's quiet here for a week and if any link should be down, leave it in the comment section and I'll fix it when I'm back home. I'm flying today on my long-awaited vacation and I'm sure to come back with a bang. Have a great time!

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BESÖKARNA - 1979 [2021]

From Malmö and one of Stry's many projects and very short lived were Besökarna and they did a handfull of gigs during the seven, eight months of existence. The band consisted of Stry (vocals), Mats (guitar), Henrik (bass), Anna (organ), Bengt (drums) and they released two 7Inches on Heartwork Records (listen!) and they called their music "psynk" as there were a lot of psychedelic influences among the members. This nice compilations was excavated by Rundgång Rekords, 100 copies in clear, 400 in black vinyl, and contains ten numbers that were probably recorded during a demo session in their rehearsal room and haven't been heard... until yet. On some compilations they are also represented but mostly with the same song. An excellent slab for collectors, not so much for hardcore punks, but decide for yourself.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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THE CHAMELEONS - John Peel Sessions 1990

Music that I very admire comes from the Chameleons and they were a four piece formed out of the ashes of the short-lived combo Years in Manchester 1981 and one thing in advance: all albums are fantastic. Through the singing of Marks darkly ironic lyrics, their songs often dealt with personal themes of childlike innocence and awe of nostalgia. Perhaps most notably musically about their work was the band's innovative and distinctive use of double guitar melodies, provided by Reg and Dave. These arrangements were often characterized by the use of delay and chorus effects. Dave played a melodic and atmospheric guitar while Reg played a more traditional riff-based guitar and John's drumming blends in perfectly. This typical sound accompanies all records, a mix of rhythmic electric guitar textures that provide an atmospheric and intense backdrop for Mark's haunting vocals. After their third record Strange Times in 1986 and the sudden death of band manager Tony Fletcher in 1987, they abruptly broke up and numerous spin-off bands emerged, none of which achieved much success. - The John Peel Sessions were recorded between 1981-1984 and they released a total of four fantastic albums, each a masterpiece. This is music I can leave my everyday life, troubles, dark moments and other worries far far behind me, and this for decades, I only recommend buy their records wherever you see one. Come relaxed into the weekend and enjoy the wonderful music of this great and much too underestimated combo. Thx!

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APPENDIX - Top Of The Pops 1984

Hell Yeah, the first day of vacation and after a very long sleep and a short visit to my friend Januz at the weekly market, the blog is now getting down to business, with the second longplayer from Appendix from Pori which came out via Propaganda Records, licensed by the divine Cologne scum label Rock-O-Rama. Who already likes the debut of the four will be intoxicated here as well. Fifteen fantastic catchy melodic songs, mostly under two minutes, in an appealing sound quality, Egoldt wasn't certainly at the knobs, still virtuosos at work; Mikki (vocals), Jaska (guitar), Tomi (bass) and Vesku (drums). Arto Hietikko from the Toinen Vaihtoehto Magazine wrote: "On the second album Top Of The Pops the band mixed catchy punk with hardcore, and the result was an overall fine album. Faster hardcore songs alternate with slower songs and there are even some post punk influences to be heard. The record was released by Rock-O-Rama and it didn't seem to get as much attention among Finnish punks as the first album. Appendix definitely had a sound of their own compared to other Finnish bands. In Finland, at least, everybody instantly knows what’s meant a band is said to be “Appendix influenced”. They might not have been as extreme, angry, or in-your-face but they are still very much liked among punks worldwide and will undoubtedly continue to find new listeners with new generations of punks in times to come. More recently, Appendix has reformed, doing their best to spoil their legacy on a series of new releases, all of which are mostly watered-down crap, but in their heyday the band surely put out some world top class songs & they undoubtedly deserve their place in the Finnish 80’s hardcore punk history."

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FASTBACKS - Never Fails, Never Works 1991

Let’s beam us into September with a request which was said about five months ago in the Veins post. I went to the vast expanses of my record collection and found it there, and after a long disappearance, I brought them back to life: Never Fails, Never Works was released via Blaster! records, I guess a bootleg, and we find their first two singles plus other songs from the early days. A total of twelve fantastic lost American punk nuggets which burn your house down, annoy your neighbors, and even Scotty is speechless with such great melodic stuff. Now useful information, and I have to admit, I don't know where from: "One of the few first-wave punk bands who not only survived to the end of the century but did so with their original sound and focus intact, Fastbacks were formed in Seattle, WA, by three high school friends, Kurt Bloch, Kim Warnick, and Lulu Gargiulo. Bloch and Warnick began playing guitar in high school while Gargiulo took lessons in classical guitar at age seven but never played rock & roll until joining the band (though photos she took at local rock shows caught Bloch's eye, sparking a friendship). All three shared a great enthusiasm for both Queen and the Ramones; Gargiulo also loved '60s pop music, Warnick was big on '70s hard rock, and Bloch's taste embraced both. In classic punk rock fashion, Fastbacks were born when Gargiulo saw some nameless band playing at a local punk club who were so horrible that she was convinced even she could do better. With Gargiulo teaching herself rock guitar, Bloch (drums), Warnick (bass), and a friend named Shannon Wood (vocals), Fastbacks began practicing in the fall of 1979 and played their first show the following February. Later that year, Wood dropped out, Warnick stepped up to the vocal mike, and Bloch abandoned the drums to take over as lead guitarist, resulting in a core lineup that would remain in place for the next twenty years. The band then hired the first of a very long line of drummers, fifteen year old Duff McKagen, who would leave after about a year to move to Los Angeles, where he later joined a fairly popular hard rock band (estimates at the number of drummers who have worked with Fastbacks range from 12 to 20).

In April 1981, the band released their first single, "It's Your Birthday"/"You Can't Be Happy," which found their basic sound already firmly in place -- loose, scrappy punk rock with strong pop hooks, punctuated by Bloch's Rick Nielsen-meets-Johnny Ramone guitar solos, Warnick and Gargiulo's singalong harmonies, and Bloch's songs, which struck a balance between self-effacing humor and introspective self-analysis without sounding pretentious.

Over the next ten years, the Fastbacks were a largely local phenomenon; while they gigged fairly often in and around Seattle and scored the occasional show opening for bigger bands (including the Ramones, Public Image Limited, and John Cale), like most Seattle bands of the day, their popularity failed to spread outside the Pacific Northwest. While they never broke up, the group's activities slowed down in the mid-'80s, and it wasn't until 1987 that they released their first full-length album, ...And His Orchestra. Bloch joined the Young Fresh Fellows as a guitarist in 1989 and started producing other bands; Warnick began working at the offices of Sub Pop records, and Gargiulo pursued her career as a cinematographer. But Fastbacks had a small but loyal fan base, and when Seattle became the epicenter of the rock world in 1992 in the wake of Nirvana's commercial breakthrough, the group finally began receiving national attention. Sub Pop released a collection of the band's many singles and compilation tracks that year, The Question Is No, which became their first widely distributed album; while sales were modest, the press was wildly enthusiastic. Three more albums for Sub Pop followed, with 1994's Answer The Phone Dummy offering the group the luxury of being able to record an entire album in one studio over a period of two weeks. Even more importantly, some of their local fans had become rock stars, and the Fastbacks began opening for the likes of Mudhoney and the Presidents Of The United States Of America.

The big payoff was when Eddie Vedder invited the band to open three West Coast arena shows for Pearl Jam in 1995, and then twenty eight dates in America and Europe the following year. These high-profile dates didn't propel Fastbacks in rock stardom (which they certainly weren't expecting anyway), and the band continued to schedule themselves around Bloch, Warnick, and Gargiulo's other commitments until 2002, when Warnick, to the surprise of her band mates, announced that she was quitting the band, telling a reporter "As much as those songs mean to me, I've just grown tired of having to be a singer in a rock band."

A collection of stray singles tracks and unreleased recordings, Truth, Corrosion & Sour Bisquits was released in 2004; it captured the band in typically tuneful and energetic form, and proved that the Fastbacks called it a day every bit as fresh, enthusiastic, and powerful as when they began."

Great band, great music, great record - A Must Listen!

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