DRONGOS FOR EUROPE - Death's A Career EP 1982

Here's another classic one from the UK and this is their 3rd 7inch on Tempest Records. I can only say another damn cracker in the punk universe and you will sure share my opinion. I have some info from their home page here which I would like to put in you:  

"Formed in 1979 in Birmingham/England, playing early gigs with mates G.B.H. The Drongos first single was a DIY release in 1981 called 'Hope And Glory'. The band also recorded two EPs on Inferno Records in 1982 - 'Death's A Career' and 'Eternity', which actually charted at around 47 in the national UK charts - Unfortunately, nobody in the band bothered reading music press at the time or listened to Radio One (we were the first punks in our town to have our own flats/ homes, so everyone came back to our place to get wrecked. We didn't need much encouragement to join in) So, to cut a long story short - we never knew

until our then guitarist Anton joined in 1999, that we sold any records, and we of course never made any money and got ripped off like every band on Inferno Records. The band split in 1985 - reformed in 88 - carried on and off until the mid 90s, never actually splitting up but not doing anything, either. "Without doubt one of the most exciting Punk bands playing anywhere in the World today. From the brilliant 'Barcode Generation' to 'Hotline To Hades', the Drongos are no longer playing the best Punk Rock in the UK, but clearly setting the standard for Punk to come. Intelligent. Exhilarating. Honest. Quite simply brilliant". Drongos For Europe are currently one of the hottest bands in the UK gigging and touring more than most bands from the eighties, having toured many times in Europe and also touring the U.S."

Great sound, great songs, great band!

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LES HATEPINKS - Hate!-Oupupo Songs EP 2007

Here we have the awesome weirdos Les Hatepinks from France and they're playing pretty fresh '77 snotty punk rock. Hell what a great fuckin' record!!! Each song is thirteen seconds long and is make to play loud. I quote from the lyric sheet: "Terms of creation: record 16 songs in one night. No songs should be composed before the recording session. No post-recording is possible (no fucking Protool assembly!). No song should be "just funny noise (no spoken word, no instrumental shitty jam...). 5 grams of speed should be used during the recording session. Cocaine ain't speed. Nobody should cry his mother during the recording session. Lyrics should have no more that 2 different sentences. Onomatopeia like "Yeah!", "Fuque!" or "Une deux trois quatre!" do not count as a sentence. Except for a voice, no dubbing is possible... Every song should be a denunciation against this shitty society and the vacuity of modern life. If the result is deep shit, no shame is autorized. Send this crap to the record label in any case. Take drugs and kill yourself." So if you agree with that don't wait any longer and make the stage yours and get this fuckin' awesome record now! 2009 they play a final show at the Machine à Coudre in Marseille.

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KICKS - The Secret 7'' 1981

I was asked for a compilation which I unfortunately do not own. So I wrote an email to my friends and got it finally. However, it still lasts a little up to the Shakedown! post but I will give you a small tidbit by this awesome Brisbane punkers. This 7inch was published original by Shake Records and re-released 2012 by 540 Records. So I wanna use an excellent review from GraveMistakeRecords which descripes the band/record perfect:

"Official reissue on 540 Records of this Australian "post punk" classic from 1981 that sounds so much like Bauhaus it's crazy! This is the 6th in the series of Shake/Savage records reissues of some of the best punk ever to come from Australia. After nearly three years (and nearly as many chords) The Young Identities decided to try something different if not entirely distant. They still get a buzz from fast and sinister music so they change their name to Kicks and release a very limited edition cassette singe titled 'Leather/Godzilla'. Sounding fresh, brash and furious but with more depth than previously heard, the boys continued to expand on the new noise with the 1981 vinyl double A side follow up 'Return of the Action Man/The Secret'. The single sold well locally and was an acknowledged influence on new and upcoming bands like Mystery of Sixes and Public Execution. Officially though, it was to be Kicks last recorded release, until now... where thanks to the good folk of 540 records it raises it ugly hydra-head again!"

I believe therefore everything is said and I can be even grateful to that people who dig out such brilliant classics. Two excellent songs from a very good band.

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POWER AVENUE - California 7'' 1982

Power Avenue was a punk/wave/noise band from Zurich in the early 80's. Their only record was released in June 1983 in an edtion of 1000 copies. This hard to find little fucker is even in Switzerland quite rare. Musically very eletkro oriented with a noisy guitar accompanied and sung in french in german. Two driving monotonous songs that not change the world but wanna be heard. That's all info I can give you but I think you wanna test it, don't hesitate.

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TRUST - Antisocial 7'' 1981

Absolutely unknown band to me (and I listen in the early 80s lots of Metal music) are the next band and this record comes from a French heavy metal band which was founded 1977 in Paris and popular in Europe in the first half of the 80s. Trust are Bernie (vox), Raymond (bass), Nono (guitars) and Jeannot (drums). The band released its first single "Prends Pas Ton Flingue" in the same year. This record was re-released when the band made its first short-lived comeback in 1992. Interestingly Iron Maiden's drummers Nicko McBrain and Clive Burr were part of Trust line-up in the 80s (who would have thought this?). Antisocial is a high-class rocket which I already hear from other combos but this here is the original and it's a typical hardrock tune with a slight punk undertone, mid-tempo and a solid guitar-solo, I'm really excited as well from the flip, a peppy loud 2:42 number. You can tell what you want, if any don't like this sound you better move to Disneyland. The band disbanded in 1984 and reformed in the 2000s for live shows and new recordings.

- Huge Thx to Fredrik -

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RAMZES & THE HOOLIGANS - Poland/Alkoholand EP 1994

One more rare item from the glorious 333 x Up & Down series and does a good job. Ramzes & The Hooligans are Polish Oi!/Punk group from Rydultau. Despite a few concerts, they became famous with simple, often controversial, yet humorous texts concerning matters that they hurting every day Polish society. The band does not consider itself bound to any ideology, and their texts can be found even mockery of joy after the death of Adolf Hitler, and assigning him to the evil world. The band almost broke up after the departure of vocalist Ramzes to Germany after 1989 (the mocking words of the song Easter fall Together we'll go to the church of the Lord Jesus to kiss, we all really happy that he is an idiot crucified for us, which apparently had flee the country), however, and there he played a few gigs and released the album 'We Are Back', which is the German release of A Clockwork Orange. Dirty UK '77 fashioned bootboy-streetpunk!

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JABBERWOCKY - We're Just Bom Bom Boys EP 1995

Well, the weather is still shitty, rain & rain & rain and I start today with this dutch garagepunk band from Vorstenbosch/Holland and members were Dirk and Edwin Timmers, Michel van Lanen and Patrick. Jabberwocky made several records between 1993 and 2000, toured Holland and Germany and played several times at the VPRO's Club Lek. Jabberwocky split up in 2000, but reunite in 2006 with new energy! This four track EP was part of the "333 x Up & Down" series of Incognito Records and was recorded at John's "Pink Noise Studio" in Eindhoven. Fast & catchy-trashy as fuck.

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MEGAFOONS - Nooit Meer Fascisme EP 1983

Megafoons are from Utrecht and this is their second EP. I would describe their music as folk/punk or unplugged. Slide violins, slide guitars and bongos are their instruments, they sing in dutch dialect strong political lyrics (I think it goes exclusively against war and its consequences, we all see what's going on in the Middle East. When mankind learns at last from the past?) - Four charming songs coming over. It must be not always fast and aggressive. A very nice one I think.

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VIIMEINEN KOLONNA - Onnellisuus Ahdistaa EP 2001

From Helsinki comes this fantastic hardcore band (last column), and this is their first release on Fight Records. And Fuck! what a horny music. Influences of Discharge or Terveet Kädet are here and all the nine songs roars out of the speakers so that these must do a quite maximum job. If I could only understand what these weird guys sing here? The Finnish language is world class and I think the guys are really pissed off. aggressive quick notes that I can always play. The world as a punk rocker is not easy. Everyone who enjoyed classic hardcore 'Made In Finland' can't getting away from this awesome band. B.t.w. great cover artwork.

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BELLA BELLA - Telefon 7'' 1982

Another collaboration from unforgotten multitalent Fredi Fender (Mordbuben AG), here as singer of Bella Bella (formed 1982, disbanded 1983) and this is their only record, released on WEA Records, with two nice poppy Wave songs. The title song is about learnin' another person via the phone and the voice is pleasant and you go ahead with stimulating conversation and in the end you come together and you just fall in love (or not). Surely I know such a situation like this and it could be happen every day. So be attentively, perhaps this can be the love of your life. The b-side is a cropped instrumental version. Nice & not Sleazy!

- Special Thx to Reinhard -

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