VERDUN - Smash The H-Blocks 12'' 1985

And again France, from Rouen came Verdun, formed in 1981, but the first demo was released in 1984. The first originality is a shouted female singing, what is rather rare for the punk in France in this period. Their lyrics are really anarchistic like so many splendid UK bands and sometimes even a tiny bit arrogant. It is clear that the group was interested in the anarchist theoreticians and in political events of this time before writing some lyrics. This 12'' was released via New Wave Records and is a wild + rough platter. A kind of mixture between early power punk with buzzsaw guitars, mid-tempo speed, and good female vocals, a pretty debut sucker.

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GOGOL 1ER ET LA HORDE - Ce Que Je Veux Faire Quand Je Serai Grand 7'' 1984

Start today with a French post and these old veterans are surviving all the waves of the alternative rock movement. The origin of Gogol 1er Et La Horde is at the edge of the hexagon, close to the pebble beaches of Brittany. Dezandre Jacques, a young artist composer and Patrice Diaw put their talents together and founded a punk group, called the Horde (after, according to legend, a sleepless night watching the Breton horizon). Dezandre, Gogol, and Diaw, under the pseudonym Craw, begin the rounds of record companies and producers, but in vain, in September 1982, the Horde knows his early failures. Fortunately, through Odile Bernier, the wife of Professor Choron, Gogol get to know the legendary director of the satirical magazine Hara Kiri and the whole gang of designers and editors who gravitate around him. Choron, who prides himself while singing, the drag on his tours and this Patrick Mathé, director of the label New Rose, who agreed to sign their first album. This is a 7'' with two wild and explosive songs, in which the flipside (La Bombe) here the winner is, driving hard sound with a fat bass line. They released a lot of albums and they still active.

- Special Thx to Fredrik -

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C³I - Start 1988

From Hamburg comes this punk band called C³I which existed from 1985 to 1988 and they are part of an extensive family tree, in which time and again to familiar names from the history of Hamburg's punk rock scene encounters, Torpedo Moskau, Noise Annoys, Slime, etc. This is their only album with eleven lively punk rock pearls, the lyrics here held more personal and therefore not always easy to come across but that makes the band worth listening to. I have searched a long fuckin' time to get this record and it becomes very rare nowadays because a CD release is not to my knowledge in sight. So enjoy every note of this divine album.

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NEWTOWN NEUROTICS - His Masters Voice 1992

The next band is even one of those that I like a lot and can listening at any time: The Newtown Neurotics (later just The Neurotics) were an English punk rock/post-punk group formed in 1979. They were noted for their openly political music. I am usually sceptic with albums they titled "The Very Best Of ...." because they were largely released without the consent of the band and the artists' stand still empty and see nothin' of the revenue. And what is then packed on it are the songs that everyone knows and provides no little room for surprises in store. So here too, look at the tracklist and you know what I'm talkin about. This is really not a worse release and the songs here great but a few tracks I think are not included like 'Hypocrite', 'Suzy' or 'Local News'. But if you love the Neurotics then you don't give a shit. So like me, I love this fantastic three and every release is worth buyin' and listen to. - Strong melodies, brilliant lyrics and a dirty rough sound: that's the Neurotics.

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POLANSKY Y EL ARDOR - Chantaje Emocional 1983

Weekend is here and once again I beam myself to sunny Spain where find once again an interesting band. Polansky Y El Ardor was a punk/wave group from Madrid, formed in 1981 and after several changes the constant line-up were Victor (vox + guitar), Carlos (sax + keys), Sebastian (bass) and Pejo (drums) and they became one of the greatest representatives of the Spanish punk era. Their sound is a fine mix of post-punk and new wave and the saxophone here is partly annoying, it's just not a Punky instrument but sometimes it's ok. Their were sometimes ironic, sometimes absurd. The Spanish label Spansuls Records pay attention and quick a deal was made and after a few demos they published in late 1982 a 12Inch 'Ataque Preventivo De La URSS' which ultimately would be a great success. In the same year they won a rock contest in Madrid-Region and they signed a contract with the record label Ariola. In 1983 the first album Chantaje Emocional was released and a tour through Spain follows until 1984. Ariola rejected the band and the songs which were recorded sink into the no man's land. So the band finally made the decision to dissolve in mid 1984. Musikra Records choose two songs, El Preventivo (an early version of Ataque De La URSS) and La Noche (Unreleased), for the 'La Movida Madrileña' compilation (has this record anyone??). 2001 came out a superfluous CD on BMG. Those were the words, now click and listen to music!

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TAPPI TÍKARRAASS - Miranda 1983

Tappi Tíkarrass was a famous Icelandic punk/pop band and the name Tappi Tíkarrass, which in Icelandic means “Cork The Bitch’s Ass” was given after Jakob’s father claimed that the band’s music “fitted like a cork in a bitch’s ass”. Tappi Tíkarrass combined elements of punk and pop music to create an exotic post punk with references to Siouxsie and the Banshees and the first stage of The Cure. Miranda was released in December 1983 and with this album the band switched their music style to more pop melodies and mellow songs counteracting their previous punkish Bítið Fast í Vítið EP in 1982. Also in this album, vocalist Eyþór Árnalds was replaced in most of the songs, performing only two tracks: the title song and another version called “Mýrin Andar”. The inner sleeve featured handwritten lyrics of “Mýrin Andar” and a black and white child illustration by Björk. All in all a nice album with fourteen poppy songs, not bad.

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Z - In Berlin 1980

This record is in my opinion very underrated and whenever I see a copy you already get it for three or five euros. I mean cheap is not necessarily bad, got a couple of great plates for low prices and Z's only album, released on Rocktopus records, I've bought at the Au-Fest on summer 2013 for three Euros. Z were founded in late 1979 by David McCormack (vox), Klemens Domning (bass), Michael Kurzawa (guitars), Gerhard Helle (drums) & Johannes Fuchs (keyboards) and in spring 1980 they recorded in the Paragon-Studios their debut 7inch "Legalize Erdbeereis". Albrecht Metzger describes the cultural life of the time in Tip (maybe a scene-zine or whatever) from August 1980 so: "the Berlin scene is alive - more than ever. the late spring of this year blew the creativity and the new lust in making music out from the cellars and practice rooms." A lot of punk & wave bands were formed this time and a few records are still nowadays absolute classics (Beton Combo, Honkas, PVC, Tempo, Ideal, TV War, etc....). On this record are thirteen catchy goodies between wave and punk and that the singer is British makes them, as I find, more authentic. Very good mix of fast numbers, shallow poppies and melodic mid-tempo crackers, my favorites: 'City Groove', 'For The Kids', 'Wasted Heroes' and 'All In The Mind'. Another 7inch follows after the release of the album and their last 12'' comes out 1982 on Reflektor Z called 'Hühnerfarm?' and if anyone have this please send me mp3's. Z is a damn cool band and 'In Berlin' is a great one, "Keine Musik Für Irgendeine Schublade", I agree.

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NOICE - Tonårsdrömmar 1979

Noice was a Swedish pop punk/rock group from Gustavsberg, formed in 1977 and dissolved 1982. After playing cover songs and original songs at youth clubs and talent shows the group a rock band won a contest, Rock-79, at the end of April 1979 where the first prize was a single recording. However they recorded an entire album which was called Tonårsdrömmar (Teenage Dreams). The debut album sold no further, but the March 17, 1980 everything changed when Noice performed the song 'En Kväll I Tunnelbanan' (One Night In The Subway) in the TV program Monday Stock Exchange and became famous overnight. The group's heyday occurred while another Swedish group, pop group Gyllene Tider, also enjoyed great popularity. Noice and Golden Earring was often in contrast, when Noice represented metropolitan and tougher music, while Golden Earring accounted for a small town and lighter pop. Express held a popularity vote between the two, the Golden Earring won barely. Noice disbanded in 1982, but reunited for a short time in 1991 and conducted a handful of concerts. 1995 - 1996 Noice went out on a new tour and released the wild, wild world of old and new songs. Keyboardist Freddie Hansson died in late December 2001, although the singer Hasse Carlsson died in autumn 2002 of chronic liver disease hepatitis. So enjoy this power punk album and pay tribute and honor to this wonderful band.

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SAMIAM - Stump EP 1992

This combo belongs to my personal TopTen bands from the U.S. and I can say I have all their early stuff and more. I remember a sunny day in our WG of the glorious days in the Münchener Straße 28. My former roommate had the first two records of Samiam and he wants them no longer so he gave both to me and after listening I was delighted. They have very personal lyrics and the music is short and abrasive, so my interest awakes and I joined them live in 1999 and much later in the Batschkapp (maybe 2000 or 2002?). But after 'Clumsy' I lost my interest because the platters sounds somehow the same, I miss the rough-edged tone you know. So after the Gig Samiam stands no longer on my agenda. But I had nice moments with them. So here's a bit info: Samiam from Berkeley/California was formed in late 1988 after the breakup of the Gilman club mainstay Isocracy. They released records through New Red Archives and Hopeless Records in the US and Burning Heart Records in Europe. In the mid-'90s, the band had two releases on major labels, 'Clumsy' on Atlantic Records in 1994 and 'You Are Freaking Me Out' on Ignition/Tommy Boy in 1997. In late 2000, the band quietly ceased after supporting the 'Astray' album. Despite what was initially to be a breakup, they continued to tour abroad yearly with occasional shows in San Francisco & Los Angeles. This led to the recording of the band's 7th album, 'Whatever's Got You Down' in 2006. The Songs were originally released in the U.S. as "Don't Break Me 12'' and the German BlackBox label chose three cuts for their 7inch record, which is today a rare item. The special thing here is: all songs are acoustic recordings... Yeah! unplugged if you want. Imagine 'Home Sweet Home' or 'Sky Flying By' in these versions.. outstanding!!

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V/A - Nazis Raus! 1991

More relevant than ever, see the current circumstances every Monday in Dresden, or remember this date 1938 in Nazi-Germany or the racist riots in Hoyerswerda in 1991. I can't understand how they can deal with such a stupid ideology that brought nothing except death and destruction. I guess it's easy to throw life away and lose dignity & respect when you only feel hatred. Life is not always easy but that excused nothing. The one-way thinking is modern and easy but to have an own opinion is really not hard. Maybe this compilation helps, released via Weird System, show nineteen bands that there is another way and encourage to think about yourself.... more relevant than ever!

1.Nazis Raus! - BETONCOMBO

2.Hallo, Ich Heiss' Adolf - ABWÄRTS

3.Eckensteher - NEUROTIC ARSEHOLES

4.Herrenreiter - MITTAGSPAUSE

5.Nichts Gelernt - STUNDE X

6.Schweigen - EA80

7.Fahnensog - RAZZIA

8.Nie Wieder Faschismus - DIE MIMMI'S

9.Deutsche Raus Aus Deutschland - THE BUTTOCKS

10.Party In Der Gaskammer - MIDDLE CLASS FANTASIES

11.Vaterland - MALE

12.Fünf Vor Zwölf - DIE TOTEN HOSEN

13.Seekarten - SLIME

14.Glanz & Gloria (Armes Deutschland) - BLUT+EISEN

15.80.000.000 Hooligans - DIE GOLDENEN ZITRONEN

16.No Nazis - RUMBLE MILITIA

17.Gavur - EMILS

18.Dachau Disco - CRETINS

19.Faschos In Sibirien - PISSED SPITZELS

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