"Bremen's dumbest band, anyone who says otherwise should show their high school diploma!" We're talking about Mercedes Jens, a three piece which was founded sometime in 2016 by Hannes, Lukas and Thomas. "A very good record with four very good songs!" so describes the trio Mercedes Jens their first record, which is limited to 200 copies. In this file there are six songs in total, where I got the others from remains a secret. This is the soundtrack for adventurous young people, for pensioners who buy their own bread, for all age groups, and for lonely, aggressive pacemakers, also for young and old. They have three tapes and an EP out, and anyone who likes straightforward, magical Punkrock and dares to delve into the fucking ether of the spiritual depths of darkness with every note is in good hands with these guys from the Hanseatic City. Haven't heard such cool shit in a long time.
Friday, July 18, 2025
Thursday, July 17, 2025
FIZIK - Next To Me 7'' 1981
A few months ago I presented you the second and last 7Inch of the Belgian combo Fizik, now follows the first one on Kleo And this record is also a little diamond with two beautiful wavie songs. The A-side one is about the eternal theme of love, the flip takes criticism of a second popular topic: religion. There is no emphasis on violence or aggression in their sound, but rather the words are refreshingly presented at a pleasant tempo and that makes this interesting for me and I am sure for you too, my dear listeners. And that's it for today, I'm following the Women's European Football Championship and want to go to the Main before the next game. Enjoy Summer!
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
GLENN DANZIG - Who Killed Marilyn? 7'' 1981
One of the most sought after collector's items in the entire Glenn Danzig discography, the notorious, non-album 7Inch Who Killed Marilyn? and was recorded during Danzig's tenure with horror Punk icons the Misfits, this song was released as a solo single, and with an unreleased Misfit's track, Spook City USA! Both songs also appeared on the Misfits collection Compilations and were originally recorded in 1979, so there's really no need to buy the original 7Inch again for a lot of money. But whatever, both songs are brilliant, and anyone who likes the band and its frontman will buy them and hear music that's still fantastic, I can't say that about every band.
Monday, July 14, 2025
SUBCULTURE - Blood & Dust 7'' 2013
A nice 7Inch by Subculture, an Oi! combo from Cambridge, they started in early 1980 and original line-up were Bleeter (vocals), Dean (guitars), Phil (bass), Matt (drums), they split in 1983 and reunited in 2011 and this is one of their newer things, I think the second 7Inch, on Contra Records and 500 copies exist (200 on light marbled & 200 on dark marbled vinyl, the rest in black). The record is certainly not a sensation; their older stuff has more power and steam and appeals more to me but what the Fuck. They dared to write something new because people in this world are still full of crap, and in doing so they overcame their fears and stayed true into their hearts, which is something I can't say about everyone. Good Job!
Sunday, July 13, 2025
CHAOS U.K. - Total Chaos (The 7Inch Collection) 1991
We all know the great the Punk Collectors Series by Anagram Records which is always equipped with all rarities of the respective combos and today we enjoy the collection of Chaos U.K., a four piece formed 1979 in Portishead, near Bristol. They emerged as part of the Anarcho-Punk scene, developing a fast and aggressive HardcorePunk style, the original line-up consisted of Simon (vocals), Andy (guitar), Adrian (bass) and finally Richard (drums). The boys really kick with their three-chord, distorted guitars that almost always sound the same, and that's exactly the typical English speed sound I like to hear. You might think every song sounds the same and there's nothing new, but Chaos U.K. also has quiet moments and longer pieces. Not many, but they show that they have some instrumental mastery. The band recorded two EPs and a full album for Riot City Records and the debut was notable in the fact that the band's label claimed it was the "fastest, noisiest LP in the cosmos" in the short-lived "Punk Lives" magazine. Many records followed, their last one coming out in 2015. I guess they're still alive and touring the UK occasionally, and maybe something new will come out soon. I'm going to have breakfast now.
BIG BALLS & THE GREAT WHITE IDIOT - Art.1 Die Würde Des Menschen Ist Unantastbar 1980
Big Balls & The Great White Idiot were formed in Hamburg 1977, but its members had actually worked together to some extent since 1975 and experimented with other types of music. In 1977, however, they took the direction of playing punk, and that's when this name came about. The members of Big Balls & The Great White Idiot were three half-Icelandic brothers, Pétur Adolph G. Grund drummer, Atli Halldór Lothar Grund guitarist and Alfreð Grund bassist, the fourth member was Wolfgang Lorenz and played guitar and the brothers all sang. The band was among the first and best-known punk bands in Germany and is probably still active in some form there, although little has been heard of them in recent years. In their early years, they were considered very provocative and theit live performances were always an adventure. The Balls released about a dozen LPs and singles and were one of the first early German Punk bands and their lyrics were written in English.
Performances on stage were highly aggressive; they were known to shout at the audience to go home. "Baron Adolf" provoked the audience by wearing a Nazi uniform and a black moustache as an expression of anarchy. Punk News magazine called their sound "mean and ugly." Their reasoning was "Wir hassen alle und wollen von allen gehasst werden. Die Leute sollen durch unsere Musik zum Durchbrechen und Aufmotzen gezwungen werden, damit sie ihre Frustration merken.“ ("We hated everyone and wanted to be hated by everyone. Through our music we wanted to force people to have a break-through and feel a call to action, so that they would notice their frustration.")
Their first album was released in 1977 by Nova/Teldec, named Big Balls. Among the seventeen songs were several covers: a version of the Pistols' "Anarchy In The U.K.", in this case "Anarchy In Germany," a cover of "White Light, White Heat“ by the Velvet Underground, and a cover of "Search & Destroy“ by the Stooges. In 1978 Big Balls released their second album Foolish Guys. Their next two albums, Artikel 1 and Creepy Shades, were released on their own label Balls Records, the latter bringing a change in sound away from Punk. The Eighties saw the "Balls" (with French guitarist Hervé Rozoum) more often in theaters contributing their music to various stageplays. In the 1990s, the Balls produced several albums with actor Jan Fedder as "Jan Fedder & Big Balls".
"Rock'N'Roll is not just music – it is much more." (Balls motto)
Saturday, July 12, 2025
THE GOD MACHINE - Scenes From The Second Storey 1993
Now to a band that I came across through an acquaintance, there was an mp3 CD for me and these gentlemen were on it. And I owe them a lot, they are the namesake of this fucking blog and also a musical revelation. I'm talkin' about the God Machine, a three piece from San Diego and members were Robin (vocals/guitar), Jimmy (bass) and Ronald (drums) and they were active in the first half of the Nineties and they all lived and performed mainly in the UK and across Europe. They released an EP, Purity with the Eve record label, and were later given a recording contract with Fiction Records. They released two albums in their career, both with their trademark dark and industrial-sounding alternative rock, before Fernandez suddenly died May 23, 1994 from fucking brain hemorrhage. "This is their debut album with thirteen goodies and it's an elemental listening experience and is no easy listen. Some songs erupt from quieter phases, others settle into hypnotic, drone-like jams." - A really healthy mix of suffering, loss, anger and aggression that I love, many emotional worlds that each of us knows, some that you don't need but that keep coming into your life because people are blind and stupid, and this can be heard excellently by the God Machine. Must listen!
Thursday, July 10, 2025
BAD CHECKS - I'm Paranoid 7'' 1982
Debut 7Inch by this four piece called Bad Checks, founded 1980 in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina and they consisted of Hunter (vocals), Robin (guitars), Clifton (bass), Mike (drums) and this cracker was released on their own label Loretta Records. Info: the founders, brothers Robin and Clifton Mann, are the only two members who have lasted the entire time. Hunter of "Crash" Landen & the Kamikazes joined the band as frontman shortly thereafter and played his first show with the Bad Checks in 1984. A year later, the Bad Checks released "Graveyard Tramp" and went on tour. The band had more drummers than Spinal Tap and released numerous albums over the decades. Their last album, "High Dollar," was released in 1998 on Yep Roc Records and is pure garage punk with a touch of blues. (Megan Frye) - Two delicious numbers that have their own charm. I like both. Damn cool!
Wednesday, July 09, 2025
V/A - Zeven Vijftig 1981
Extremely rare Dutch Punk Compilation, featuring bands from Utrecht and Rotterdam. It sold at the time for 7,50 guilders, and 500 copies were pressed. It came in a soft cover, and was released by Rock Against Records, without a catalogue number. Don't be confused by the cover shown above, which I used to avoid censorship, the original is not suitable to show here, considering the violence and pornography that is available to everyone, this cover is extremely harmless, you know what I mean. Musically a collection of fantastic songs, including some classics, that are only on this slab and come across very entertaining, there are no titles on the album, nor any credits, absolutely D.I.Y. and if you find a copy of this record somewhere, you've hit a small jackpot. Until then, that will have to suffice.
1.Idealen - LULLABIES
2.Mama He's A Soldier Now - LULLABIES
3.Play It Pink - LULLABIES
4.No Human Right - LULLABIES
5.That Is The Blooze - LULLABIES
6.Rotterdam - NEO POGOS
7.Horrible - NEO POGOS
8.I Hate Rock'N'Roll - NEO POGOS
9.Soldier -NEO POGOS
10.Beatrix - NEO POGOS
11.Relation Sucks - NEO POGOS
12.Third World War - NEO POGOS
13.Self Opinionated - NEO POGOS
14.Fascists Never - RAPERS
15.Pogo On A Nazi - RAPERS
16.Mind Your Own Feelings - RAPERS
17.Nitriet - RAPERS
18.Have A Nice Day - THE NIXE
19.Love Song - THE NIXE
20.The Man Under My Bed - THE NIXE
21.Monarchy - ZERO-ZERO
22.The Clock - ZERO-ZERO
23.(Why Don't You) Run Away From Me - ZERO-ZERO
24.Geheimen - BIZON KIDZ
25.I Don't Wanna Live Like That - BIZON KIDZ
26.SOS - BIZON KIDZ
Tuesday, July 08, 2025
KIDNAP - s/t EP 1996
The following combo hails from Blois and they were initially formed in 1977 under the name Acier, which was abandoned the following year, in 1978, in favor of Radiation. The members at the time were Hugues (vocals), Chicol (guitar), Mireille (bass) and Aldo (drums), aged around fifteen. They quickly attacked covers of the bands of the moment like the Sex Pistols, the Heartbreakers and the Clash. Saturday nights in an attic which served as a premises, and which very quickly transformed into a place where people came to drink and have fun. Mireille was replaced by Fabrice, and the band gave its first concerts. In 1979, Hugues left for the army, and was replaced temporarily, then permanently, by Fredo, a regular at the place. The formation was now consolidated, and the band, now renamed Kidnap, could finally devote itself to its career and 1991 the band disbanded. This nice EP was released via Euthanasie Records in an edition of 850 copies and all four songs were recorded in the late Eighties. Found on numerous essential Compilations. Superb!
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