SUBURBAN STUDS - Slam 1978

Formed in 1976 and hailing from Birmingham, the Suburban Studs consisted of Eddy Zipps (vocals/guitar), Keith Owen (guitar), Paul Morton (bass), Steve Pool (drums) and with their already punky sounding name were one of the first bands to be signed to an independent, the equally punky sounding Pogo Records, and marketed through the major label WEA Records. In their time they released two 7Inches and even an album within a year, a feat not reached by many a Punk band of the time. Originally featuring the sax antics of Steve Heart the instrument was felt to be inappropriate to their sound and he left to start the Neon Hearts.

The Suburban Studs were active live throughout 1976 but were a different looking proposition then with a more glam look. Supports at the time included The Runaways. They played their first London gig at the 100 Club on the 31st August '76 supporting the Sex Pistols and The Clash. A quote from a Sounds review by John Ingham appears The Clash book "Last Gang In Town" where he describes their set as 'a laughable mixture of tacky jumpsuits, tacky make-up, tacky props and tacky music'. The Studs also headlined over the Clash on the 27th of October '76 at Barbarellas in Birmingham, this time complete with haircuts and a more Punk image, though still playing the same dated glam set as they did at the 100 Club. Gigs at the usual suspects like the Marquee, Vortex, Roxy Club and Barbarellas and tours even supporting the likes of AC/DC and The Runaways did nothing to break the band. Not even a John Peel session broadcast in December 1977 or appearing in a Punkrock special on ATV helped.

WEA supported with marketing and also helped land them on the double Live At The Hope And Anchor album with a live version of 'I Hate School' along with The Stranglers, 999, X-Ray Spex & The Saints among others. Their WEA Press release which accompanied their album Slam l is suitably hyperbolic and manages to sadly spell the bands name wrong in the first sentence! WEA Press Release Born in the slums of the Midlands and educated with street level certificates, the Surburban Studs are deeply involved with their music. "We're fed up with rock superstars", said lead vocalist Eddie Zipps. Their music has got fuck all to do with living on the street today. We live in a slum... You've got to play music, that's life, that creates a situation. Their debut album 'Slam' reflects the seamier side of life and focuses on Suburban Studs instinct. Unfortunately the music didn't live up to the hype. Mediocre album reviews in the music weeklies didn't help either. PR was reduced to occasional gossip including the singer being subject to random Punk violence which was prevalent at the time and the shenanigans of their fans when two girls at their Thames Poly gig flashed their breasts on stage, daubed graffiti & set off fire extinguishers. With no sales the band who were astute enough to jump on the Punk bandwagon couldn't progress further and just fell off the Punk map.

Having said that however, the single Questions/No Faith (1977 Pogo Records) is a peach as good as any. Classic driving overdriven punk at a frenetic and heart attack inducing pace. Steve Harrington (sax) who was later in the Neon Hearts played on the first version of Questions/No Faith (July 1977) which was withdrawn, both tracks were re-recorded when Harrington left to start the New Hearts and e-released in November 1977, this time with "No Faith" as the A-side. Slam their album feels like Punk by numbers. All the ingredients are there but there's something missing and that's a spark. For once I think the reviews of the time got it right. Like the art work on Slam below? They couldn't get straight jackets from anywhere and in the end had to have them tailor made. Their only other single was I Hate School/Young Power (1978 Pogo Records) pulled from their album and this time reusing the album over in monochrome. They are also on the Live at the Hope & Anchor Compilation (March 1978) again singing I Hate School in the company of The Stranglers, 999 and X Ray Spex. Ironic as one of them went on to become a teacher.

While bands like Eater and Menace never got a John Peel radio show, the Suburban Studs did which aired on 22.11.77 and which featured "Suburban Stud, I Hate School, Necro, No Faith" and that was it! (source: punk77)

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SEX PISTOLS - Silly Thing 7'' 1979

Regulars in my theater and I'm still fascinated by this music, and this for over forty years! There are a few bands that leave such a consistent level and such a lasting impression on me and when you consider that the Pistols only made one official album it speaks for itself, even today everyone knows their music (even the fucked up society) and the four don't need a star on the Walk Of Fame (the name alone makes me puke) which stands for commercial losers and means nothing at all. This beauty offers really two fantastic songs by the Sex Pistols and it was the third 7Inch released in promotion of the film The Great Rock'N'Roll Swindle. Written by drummer Paul and guitarist Steve and recorded after the band's original lead singer left the band. The flip 'Who Killed Bambi?' was written and sung by Tenpole Tudor and is a brilliant one and I love his voice. The band is and will always be a global cultural phenomenon and push the Punk virus into innocent hearts.

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KANGRENA - Terrorismo Sonoro EP 1983

Based in Barcelona are Kangrena and the four have only made in their short lifespan one 7Inch on Anarchi Rekords, and this sucker features five pieces of unique and irreproducible sound. The band was formed in 1981 by Kike (guitars), Johnny (bass) and Manolo (drums) while singer Quoque teamed up with them afterwards: He, uninvited, joined them up on stage for their version of "My Way" on a show in December that same year and was offered the vocalist's post. The name (a misspelling of the Spanish word for "gangrene"), was chosen because they wanted something that could be indentified with what they were doing. Or so they said in that interview for the Spanish fanzine "Melodias Destructoras." As for their influences, they said that musically it was the Sex Pistols sped up and Crass & Exploited lyrically. As for local influences, they expressed their like for Ultimo Resorte, Decibelios, R.I.P., Attak, Frenopaticss and some Siniestro Total stuff and their dislike for anything out of Madrid. They kept playing about once a month until their debut EP 'Terrorismo Sonoro' was released in 1983, some compilation appearances (mostly on tapes) followed and a seventeen track cassette called Estoc De Pus was released in 1984 and a second 'El Cubo De La Basura' a year later. Shortly thereafter the band broke up. Kangrena weren't famous for melodic songs, they are rough, untamed, undisciplined and uncompromising Hardcore that will blow your mind after several listens and more effective than any Aspirin, guaranteed!

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THE IMPS - s/t LP 2022

Interesting plater by Bollmora Rekords and this combo meets me for the first time and they kick really ass. The Imps started 1977 in Stockholm and members were Anders (vocals), Jonas & Kai (guitars), Magnus (bass), Christer (drums) and unfortunately never made it onto vinyl during their active days. So this little compilation features fourteen songs (recorded 1978-1981, I think) from their rehearsal room and probably also live pieces in an extreme uncooked & raw quality. A few liner notes: "And in the late '70s, when the Sex Pistols and Ramones were putting out their records, musical ability wasn't important. However, we were motivated and formed the Imps at a young age (fifteen and still students) and took part-time jobs to fund our equipment. Somehow we got everything together and started rehearsing in a basement of our school with cover versions and after a while we played our first gig to a full house at a school party in Fisksätra. It was a great loud evening and when we were finished after thirty minutes, only ten people were left in the room, but those ten loved us. The Imps got better and better and they gigged all around Stockholm. In 1981 we opened for the Dead Kennedys at a place called Underground in Stockholm. The band made two demo tapes before we called it a day in 1982." (Anders, January 2022)

You see, this is a little story of how it happened at many places in those days, and the will & desire to make music burns like wildfire and is the drive to start something meaningful with its young age. The Imps are passion, crazy & musically simple but incredibly sympathetic. Listen!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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THE NOTHINGS - Alot To Learn 12'' 1983

Welcome to another rare slab from California with catchy powerful music by the Nothings from Los Angeles which were active in the early Eighties and this is their lone release and reissued 1999 with two bonus tracks (jojo). The band consisted of Rob (vocals), Phil (guitars & vocals), Lenny (bass), Bob (drums) and this five track 12Inch was released via Augustus Records. A short review: "If you thought the Sex Pistols sound was dead in 1983, you’ve got “a lot to learn,” because this Southern California group is the mirror image of the Pistols stylistically. They’ve got the same crunching rhythm attack and wall-of-sound guitar on the Rotten one’s vocals are missing. Highly recommended for nostalgia buffs." (Jeff Bale, MRR #10 • December 1983) - He describes their music perfect and the four are the American version of the Londoners, in every way. Oh Yeah, a fucking great five cruncher! They didn't get invited on compilations in their active lifespan, presumably because the songs always exceeded the three-minute mark but I think, they deserve full attention.

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PANKRTI - Lepi In Prazni EP 2014

Great re-release of Pankrti's first 7Inch from 1978 on Ne! Records (limited to 300 copies, 100 in black and 100 in clear vinyl) with two bonus cuts, I'm guessing unused studio demo recordings but I'm not sure. Pankrti (Bastards) was founded 1977 in Ljubljana by Peter (vocals) and Gregor (manager), completed with Mitja (guitars), Jure (bass) & Slavc (drums). These five became one of the most important former Yugoslav Punk bands. They have a rough sound and it's still cool today, because there were hardly any bands behind the Iron Curtain at that time. After five albums released, band ceased to exist at the end of 1987, but in 1996 they temporarily reunited to perform as support act for the Sex Pistols in Ljubljana during their Filthy Lucre Tour. In 2003, Pankrti were included in the Yugonostalgic Croatian rockumentary Sretno Dijete, which deals with the former Yugoslav Punk & New Wave scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The band has numerous compilation appearances, some of you can find on the blog, and have been active again since 2007. This EP kicks and demonstrates concentrated determination.

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VICIOUS VISIONS - Retrodisrespect 1980-1983 [2019]

Vicious Visions was formed in Halmstad by Magnus Svensson alias No (vocals) & Bo Karlsson alias Mr. Boo (instruments) but soon moved to Berlin and honed his craft in occupied houses in the shadow of the iron curtain. They may come from the same city as Roxette but their music has more in common with Suicide, Stooges and the Residents. Where the single "I beat you" got an extra dimension because the band had no drummer at the time of recording and therefore used drum machine, Retrodisrespect can give a slightly broader understanding of how Vicious Visions sounded; here are songs from both full band set to just the duo behind the single. From wild Punk cleaners to Suicide-scented nowave. In collaboration with the band, Busy Bee Productions can finally give the world a full-length album with Vicious Visions. You can read in Peter Jandreus' Swedish Punk Encyclopedia (which features the cover of the 7Inch "I Beat You/No No's" on the cover) that the duo began in 1979 with covers of the Sex Pistols drowned in an ocean of Feedback and howling. Vicious Visions was a trio with Burco Bozztic drummer of Sabotage 81 for some time, the group performed locally in Malmö, Gothenburg, Denmark & Germany... This fantastic anthology published in 2019 by Busy B Production allows you to do an opinion beyond their single single, an approach much closer to the Residents of the 80s with Snakefinger, Chrome and the early Punk wave of the Screamers than the Swedish Punk bands of the time. Vicious Vision's single "I Beat You" is a holy grail within the Punk, not only because of the limited edition of just 109 items, but also because it is a Monster hit. Great Stuff!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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MALCOLM McLAREN - You Need Hands 7'' 1979

The Great Rock'N'Roll Swindle is the soundtrack (will follow soon) of the best, in my opinion, Pistols film, it includes also performances by other artists, and the movie tells a stylised fictional account of the formation, rise and subsequent break-up of the band, from the point of view of McLaren. The double record set features a significant number of tracks that omit Lydon entirely; most of them written and recorded after the band broke up. There were a lot of 7inches released and one is this record which only in France appears. Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols, also performed as a solo artist, initially popularising hip hop and world music and later diversifying into funk/disco, the dance fashion for "vogueing" and merging opera with contemporary electronic musical forms. Side a is a quiet ballad I would say while the B-side is the symphonic version of 'God Save The Queen'. I'm sure the most of you have the whole album it's really their second official record and belongs in every decent record collection. Malcolm died on 8.April 2010 in a hospital in Switzerland, R.I.P.

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COMMANDO 9mm - Amor Frenopático 1986

Great debut by Commando 9mm from Madrid. Formed by two other groups which dissolved in 1984. On the one hand, Manolo (vocals/bass), member of La Uvi, and El Pollo (guitars) & El Mosca (drums) from Larsen. They began to play in a venue on Calle De Embajadores. In this place they composed their first songs and in 1985 they won the third prize in the VIII edition of the Rock Villa Trophy in Madrid and the city council releases their first 7Inch Odio En Sudamérica via Ayuntamiento De Madrid which is pretty extraordinary, I think. The album shows the bands energy and the songs are powerful and present their musical arguments. They did it solidly based on the forcefulness that came from the second line, the one that the drummer usually occupies on stage, Pollo's implacable manner on the guitar and Manolo's personal voice, almost the only possible one, one would say, for the sound of Commando 9mm. Ramonian punk-rock, resounding songs with a clear vocation for entertainment. Musically, the group's first album was mainly marked by The Professionals, the post Sex Pistols combo. Amor Frenopático was released via La General, a subsidiary of Fonomusic and the first change of the drums takes place, entering Jesús Bracero in substitution of El Mosca. Jesús recorded the drums on side A, while El Mosca recorded the other half. Spirited and expressive songs from one of my favorite bands from Spain and whose power is further refined in the following albums. - 1:1 yesterday was okay, will be difficult in Barcelona.

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V/A - New Wave 1979

Well, I have a feeling history is repeating itself right now, and war has unequivocally caught up with stupid humanity again. Hard times are coming and the impotence of the politicians leads to death and destruction. Anyone who still thinks that humans are intelligent beings will be disappointed once again and will have to reconsider their attitude, but I don't want to comment further on the current situation, I'm trying to concentrate on the essentials, and that's the music. - This Compilation from K-Tel Records is a nice selection of hits from bands that were slowly gaining popularity in the late 70's/early 80's and released a few catchy tunes that were heard almost everywhere which added to their notoriety. Many cheap compilations came out , because the fat major record wankers sensed easy money with this new kind of music. This is one of them and not bad at all in my opinion. Dear friends, stay fascinate, have a great weekend and enjoy the sound of this sixteen virtuosos.. wherever you are.

1.Dreaming - BLONDIE

2.Back Of My Hand - THE JAGS

3.Making Plans For Nigel - XTC

4.Toast - STREET BAND

5.Money - FLYING LIZARDS

6.Straw Dogs - STIFF LITTLE FINGERS

7.The Prince - MADNESS

8.Because The Night - PATTI SMITH

9.Rock Lobster - THE B-52's

10.Ca Plane Pour Moir - PLASTIC BERTRAND

11.King Rocker - GENERATION X

12.Nice Legs Shame About You - THE MONKS

13.Gangster - THE SPECIALS

14.Charade - THE SKIDS

15.Time For Action - SECRET AFFAIR

16.Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle - SEX PISTOLS

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LES VERMINES - Bad Childhood 1983

Now to a combo that already appeared sporadically in wdthtc on some compilations: Les Vermines from Rouen, active around 1980-1989. Line-up: White Spirit (vocals), Torchon (guitar), Ted (bass), Daniel (drums) and this is their amazing debut on Rive Gauche Records. Bad Childhood is peppered with eleven superb candy canes. Info: To history and purists, punk has only lasted for a season. In 1977, the death knell had already sounded. This did not prevent the Vermines from continuing the adventure in the 80s with two albums in their own juice worthy of the best English productions of the good era. Adopting the language of the Queen of England, the group doesn't seem to care about this detail of the story and rushes headlong into a punk à la Sex Pistols and Ramones from which they also cover the title Blitzkrieg Bop and Warhead by the UK Subs on this album. The Rouen scene can be proud of these boys and you can convince yourself by the excellent songwriting and the amazingly good quality of these four. Recorded & mixed in twenty-two hours during summer 1983. They left two albums, a 7Inch and a tape for posterity, plus some compilation appearances. Brilliant debut in every way!

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SEX PISTOLS - No Future U.K.? 1989

Great compilation of demo sessions taped by the Sex Pistols in July 1976 - January 1977 and give a fantastic insight into the original line-up's rough sound. The majority of the tracks first appeared on the now infamous Spunk bootleg, released a few weeks prior to the bands only album, Never Mind The Bollocks. The songs are recorded surprisingly well and I like every single one. It's really a shame that the Pistols broke up in 1978, we all know the reasons, but with their refreshing provocative attitude they caused a sensation and stay unchallenged in the Punk olympus and this record is a perfect example. I am grateful that they were there!

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BIZON KIDZ - Get Your Kicks By Throwing Bricks EP 1981

The icon of Punk (Sex Pistols) had just disbanded and in England nobody cared anymore about rebellious young people with a preference for hard three-chord music. But Punk has proved to be a keeper to this day, both in terms of music style and attitude to life in the Netherlands and had just started in 1978 in many cities, including Utrecht (of course the hype which started 1976 in England & the U.S., had not gone unnoticed by the Netherlands before 1978.) On January 7, 1977, the Pistols performed @ Paradiso in Amsterdam and Iggy Pop scored a top forty hit with Lust For Life. The fierce and primitive sounds of such as the Ramones, the Clash, Sex Pistols, etc... had a great influence on Dutch musicians. This sound might be alive and kicking in Utrecht, but there weren't many places to play. Bizon Kidz were one of those bands that were founded in the late Seventies by Bertie & Ilonka (vocals), Oscar & Philip (guitars), Buffel (bass), Frans (drums) & released their only piece of cake on their own (500 copies) in the early eighties. Ten minimalist short songs with two-part singing are offered that can easily harmonize with the pleasant November sun, not bad at all!

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EPPU NORMAALI - Aknepop 1978

Aknepop is Eppu Normaali's first album which was released on Poko Rekords and "has fourteen straighforward Ramones and Sex Pistols influenced seventies goodies with Finnish lyrics full of youthful energy and political zeitgeist comedy influenced by a Finnish proto-punk/rock&roll band Virtanen." Eppu Normaali is one of the most popular bands -- perhaps the most popular -- in the history of Finnish rock music. They have recorded thirteen studio albums since their inception in 1976 -- nine of these have gone platinum and the rest gold. They've sold over a million albums in Finland, which is a significant amount for a country of five million, and are the rare Finnish act able to sell out 30,000 tickets in a stadium concert. They began as an irreverent punk band that turned toward guitar-oriented rock. Finns have called them "the poor man's Dire Straits," although their output is far more varied than that of Mark Knopfler. Their debut was among the earliest & most popular records on the early young Finnish punk scene. Their sarcastic and hilarious songs, such as "Poliisi Pamputtaa Taas" ("The Police Pounces Again") were beloved by both the music press and the kids, while the mainstream and adult contemporary crowds were either unimpressed or hostile. (JT Lindroos) - Sexy Stuff!

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V/A - Bored Teenagers Vol.9 2016

And exactly what I described earlier applies to the following compilation; emotional authentic music by bands that perfectly reflect the zeitgeist and with their attitude towards life bought a few instruments and founded a band to express their emotions, some made it to a single and that was it. The baby is called Bored Teenagers and this is the Volume 9 in this highly collectable series that has done for Punk what the Pebbles series did for the obscure gems from the 60s. We have unearthed another batch of Punkrock Gems! This time only five bands but they had so many great tracks we couldn’t leave any off.

Info: First off is a band called the Crabs that most people are aware of as they appeared on the decent Farewell To The Roxy compilation back in 1978 with their ultra catchy track Lullabies Lie. Sadly no further recordings were released as the band folded in 1978 and became the backing band for Max Splodge but little did we know, the band did record four studio tracks for the highly collectable Lightning label and were scheduled for a release in March 1978. One thing led to another and the band never signed the contract and the tracks were shelved. Rough cassette copies circulated over the years but Tony the singer still had the master tape. This band should of made it and is criminal they are not up there with the likes of some of the bigger bands!

The second band to feature is FU-2 from Southend-On-Sea. Their roots can be traced back to late ’77. After years and years of trying to track this band down after seeing some Youtube footage, we hit lucky and found the singer. He had moved so many times and to our astonishment, he still had in his possession the original five trackmaster tape. The really interesting thing about these tracks is that all the recordings feature a certain lady who was made famous by appearing in the Sex Pistols film The Great Rock'N'Roll Swindle, Yes…. Helen Of Troy. Her vocals are so unique and some might say out of tune but blend perfectly with the opposing vocals of Terry Piper. All five tracks can be heard here! Be warned!!!! These tracks are catchy and you will be singing them all day! Once again, three out of these five tracks have never been heard before!

Next up is a band from Caterham in Surrey called Nuffin’ who were mates with The Damned & Johnny Moped. Their claim to fame so to speak of is that they had Roger Bullen (aka Dee Generate) as their drummer before being head hunted by Eater. Things were looking good for Nuffin’ as in November 1976 London Weekend Television broadcast a documentary by Janet Street Porter on a new youth cult called punk rock that was sweeping the nation. You can hear one of their tracks being played in that program. Here we have all four of their studio tracks that have never been heard before and are direct off the original reel to reel master tape.

The next band are Norwich’s first Punk band the Toads. These tracks that are featured are the essence of Punk, no messing about, straight in with 1234.. Bang! Short and sweet! After only a year or so theywere gone but the nucleus of the band re-appearing as Silent Noise.The last band are the Coils from out of Morpeth in Northumberland of all places… Once again, no  messing about, 1234 and singing about what was happening around them! Just take a listen to Fascist and Smash The Front! - Once again, a fucking ass kick on vinyl!

Enough for today, I'm tired and drunk, I only chilling now and I'm hungry...

1.Victim - THE CRABS

2.Save My Skin - THE CRABS

3.Lullabies Lie - THE CRABS

4.Blue Unction - THE CRABS

5.PG Tips - FU-2

6.Maybe - FU-2

7.Sorry - FU-2

8.Soho - FU-2

9.Sindy Michelle - FU-2

10.Centre Point Anywhere - NUFFIN'

11.Red Day Blues - NUFFIN'

12.We're Plastic - NUFFIN'

13.Pigs Can't Fly - NUFFIN'

14.All I Wanna Be Is A Star - THE TOADS

15.Suppression/Oppression - THE TOADS

16.I Don't Care About You - THE TOADS

17.In The Subway - THE TOADS

18.Nowhere To Go - THE TOADS

19.Bank Job - THE TOADS

20.Eyes - THE TOADS

21.Mixed Up Kid - THE TOADS

22.Blood On My Wheels - THE TOADS

23.Supermousse - THE COILS

24.Fascist - THE COILS

25.Upper Class Cretin - THE COILS

26.Land Of The Dead - THE COILS

27.Smash The Front - THE COILS

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DANGEROUS RHYTHM - s/t LP 1981

Today and tomorrow the semi-finals and I can hardly wait until it starts. Four teams, each of which I think has the quality & power for the title, but only two make it to the final, we'll see who achieves it. In any case, my tip is clear if you have paid attention. But let's change the continent for a moment and take a detour to Central America and visit Mexico City and meet Dangerous Rhythm and you heard right, Mexico isn't much known for numerous punk bands, but they exist there too. D.R. was formed in Mexico, August 1978 by Cuban singer Porfirio "Piro" Pendas, Marcelo (guitar), Johnny (bass) & Rip Sick (drums), and can claim to be one of the first punk bands in the country. Piro, the band's vocalist, immersed himself in the whole Los Angeles scene, and was in contact with the Chicano side of the city through Tito Larriva from The Plugz and other bands from the area like Circle Jerks, Fear, and Black Flag. The impact of punk classics like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, or the Ramones obviously had a big influence on their sound. Dangerous Rhythm never forgot their family tree, absorbing large doses of unconventional rock like the New York Dolls, The Stooges, and Lou Reed. All these elements helped the band forge their own style and so they starting with songs sung mostly in English and vibrant, direct melodies and in 1979 the time had come and the band released their first EP No No No via Orfeon with three fantastic killers. After laying the foundations of the non-existent punk scene and recording their first eponymous debut album in 1981. It was released by Hip 70, a label run by Armando Blanco, who owned the club of the same name, which was the focal point of the Mexican scene in the '80s. The end result was mind-blowing and shows a band with nerve that played new wave with a punk rhythm. Their debut was reissued by a Spanish label called Beat Generation on 180-gram vinyl and features replica cover art and inserts plus a liner notes written by Piro in an edition of 500 copies. Solid Stuff!

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SUBTRACTIONS - It's Exposed EP 2015

Another uncovered whopper, a massive missing link of first wave West Coast punk. Four incredible songs that never saw a release during their tenure until now, boiling over w/punk brilliance, pulse-pounding and antagonistic anthems that immediately command your attention. From the recently-unearthed 1980 studio recordings, HoZac Records presents Punk pioneers from Fresno/California: The Subtractions.

"When one thinks of Fresno, CA punk bands certainly aren't the first thing to come to mind. This sleepy city located inland and about the halfway point between Los Angeles and San Francisco became a hot spot for 60s rock bands to stop through which carried over into the 1970s, when the wave of hard rock washed over the town, resulting in numerous bootleg LPs from AC/DC, Van Halen and more. Fast forward to the appearances of "punk" across American pop culture (DEVO on SNL, Sex Pistols US tour, Ramones planting seeds everywhere) and you've got bands springing up around every corner, Fresno included. And even on the first Maximum Rocknroll compilation, Not So Quiet On the Western Front, three Fresno bands made their debut appearances, Maniax, Nazi Bitch & the Jews and the Frigidettes, but little was known about the bands that predated those, until now.

The Subtractions were the brightest-sounding pure punk band of the bunch, and although stacked with a lively gig schedule, complete with a sold out support slot for the Dead Kennedys, they sadly never left their recorded mark on the world in their original inception, but luckily they DID have the good notion to make a recording before they went their separate ways, and finally seeing the light of day in October 2015 is the "lost" debut EP called It's Exposed on HoZac Records in edition of 500 copies." (Todd Killings) - Here they have four tracks rescued from the vault, listen!”

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PROBLEMI - Nije Po Jus-U 2014

Holiday friends, bad weather, good times for blog visitors. I open the treasure chest with a compilation nuggets by Problemi. Founded in Zagreb, August 1978 as a result of the social economic situation and new trends (punk) spreading rapidly over the world and the first line-up consisted of Marino (vocals), Valter and Žarko (guitars), Maurizio (bass), Milenko (drums). After some line-up changes they played their first gig in September 1978 at a youth center with several young bands. Interestingly, Marino, as the youngest member, is responsible for the created punk expression of the group, in which he involved slightly older members who grew up on a fiercer, but more classical understanding of rock music. Initially, the band included in the repertoire arrangements of songs by bands such as the Sex Pistols, but they soon focused on their own songs. The music is mostly created by new guitarist Boris, while the lyrics are written by Marino. So, absolute enthusiasm and more than necessary musical foreknowledge blended into the youthful rebellion with a good dose of banter and the Pula legend was created. The band lyrically expressed itself as a voice of the people by saying publically what people thought, and encountered a resistance from the authorities.

Even though art shouldn't have boundaries, the government did a lot of silence the band by restricting public gigs and recordings. Despite this, Problemi survived for several years by changing band members, and consequently, styles of performing. However, they never compromised the message they were bringing to the public. Numerous gigs throughout Croatia and Slovenia are still remembered by fans and members of other well established bands of the time. A month after their first gig, Problemi get their first chance to play in the hottest club at the time Uljanik, which Pero remembers as a big part of that time because only the best were invited by Uljanik. 

At the beginning of the eighties they finally got the chance to record a handfull of songs at Truli, Zagreb which were published on the essential Novi Punk Val 78-80 compilation. They stopped working late 1980 (singer Marino passed away on February 2, 1981) because some members were drafted to the compulsory army, marking a period of silence for the band. 

Nije Po Jus-U is full with their complete former studio sessions and rare pieces recorded at home in Pula, June 1979, a total of fourteen rough smasher. Released via Rest In Punk in an edition of 250 copies with glossy black/white insert featuring liner notes, photos, lyrics. Fine Work!

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V/A - Punk Rock/New Wave '77 1978

I hope you have a pleasant Easter days and time for good music. Today a obscure release with mostly bands from the UK and on this compilation, which came out in Portugal via Pirate Dream Records in an edition of 400 copies, are only classics that saw the light of day as 7Inch at the end of the 70s. I bought the slab on my Antarctic vacation thirty years ago from a penguin near the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, after long haggling, for a few dollars. You can surely imagine how amazed I was when I found such a rare record, nowadays only available at high prices, in this region and of course didn't hesitate for long. Well, sometimes I'm lucky too and today I present you the little anecdote and I'm sure you will like the stuff as well. Even though we exchanged addresses, I never met the penguin again, but it will stay in my memory forever. So friends, enjoy the good ole sound that still towers over many current records and I know that won't change.

1.I Wanna Be Free - THE RINGS

2.Friday On My Mind - LONDON

3.Siouxie Sue - LONDON

4.Your Generation - GENERATION X

5.In The City - THE JAM

6.Non Stop Dancing - THE JAM

7.Taking My Love - THE JAM

8.Art School - THE JAM

9.Slow Down - THE JAM

10.Batman (There) The Me - THE JAM

11.Outside View - EATER

12.Thinking Of The USA - EATER

13.Broken Windows - WARM GUN

14.They Call Me Energy - HIDEOUS STRENGTH

15.Motörhead - MOTÖRHEAD

16.City Kids - MOTÖRHEAD

17.You're So Dumb - SKREWDRIVER

18.Love Detective - THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE

19.God Save The Queen - SEX PISTOLS

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