LIFE...BUT HOW TO LIVE IT? - Burn EP 1991

Life... But How to Live It? was a Norwegian punk band, formed in the summer of 1988 in Oslo. The members all frequented Blitz, a squatted building in the middle of Oslo, where many other notable Norwegian hardcore bands such as So Much Hate and Stengte Dører had their base in the late eighties. They split up in 1994, but played one concert in 2002 celebrating Blitz' 20th anniversary. This is their 2nd EP with three great punk tunes, female vox and the Beatles cover of "Norwegian Wood" is awesome. Enjoy!!!

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V/A - .EP. 1985

Another rarity from the house of Fredrik's small music box is this little compilation EP with, of course, four Swedish punk bands that are relatively unknown to me. Probably appeared in small copies and today traded for a lot of money from collectors, such is life. The first track crashes off with brisk melodic punk rock with a rough voice, next, another snotty solid track with some breaks and again with a rough voice (is here the same singer on the mic?), the third one is a cool poppy tune with a light, catchy rock sound and a long guitar solo and with almost four minutes the longest song (no rough voice), also fine and last but not least: Tredje Könet from Stockholm with a pretty '77 punk tune. All sung in Swedish and one more lost nugget that has surfaced again.

1.En Dag I Åmål - SLITA FICKA

2.Svinen - POJKFAN TRILSKAS

3.Betong - BROILERS

4.Människor I Nöd - TREDJE KÖNET

- Special Thx to Fredrik -

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NAME - Die Name Schallplatte 7'' 1980

Obscure band from Reutlingen with their only release. This 7inch has three different covers and each record was limited to 500 copies. Sure there's absolutly no info about the band in the web so I translate one review I found: "As modest as the simple title and the length of the single: the A-side takes nevertheless still 2:05 minutes but the B-side has to be content with 1:42 minutes. A pity, because what the Reutlinger NAME here offers is best groovy Pogo. Hard pounding bass-drums-guitar basis over the singing and square Synth figures run. The only mangle is that the lyrics are almost incomprehensible. The meaning of the words of the A-side was also closed after four listening completely. Breaking at least the B-side some lines through: "I slept with her, she is having a child of mine ..Where is the period?....where?...Why I have no rubber used, why she's not take the pill?" With regard to the spread of new music in southern Germany, the single from NAME, Rolf (bass, vocals), Klaus (drums), Schilly (guitar, vocals & synth) and George (guitar, vocals) is a true pioneer. This is after all the first record on which the music of the much too sparse punk and New Wave bands in Reutlingen/Tübingen has been scraped into grooves and thus can finally be disseminated. Recorded at Atlantis recording studios in November 1980, the distribution runs over Moderne Musik in Hamburg and the band itself. For all modern people, which now has turned the Mouth watery, this plate is highly recommended." (Source: Punk-Disco). Both songs have this what we called now kbd sound and they're fuckin' awesome. Pflichtdownload!!!

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PRLJAVO KAZALIŠTE - Moj Je Otac Bio U Ratu 7'' 1979 + Crno Bijeli Svijet 7'' 1980

Next post brings us to Yugoslavia and I give you some wikipedia info:

Prljavo Kazalište (meaning in Croatian language: Dirty Theatre) is a rock band from Zagreb, Croatia. Since its formation in 1977, the group changed several music styles and line ups but remained one of the top acts of both the Croatian and the former Yugoslav rock scenes. Founding members included: Jasenko Houra (rhythm guitar), Zoran Cvetkovic a.k.a. Zok (lead guitar), Nino Hrastek (bass) and Tihomir Fileš (drums). Its first vocalist became Davorin Bogovic, although they were thinking about taking Davor Gobac (later of Psihomodo pop) instead. All of them, except Houra, previously played in another band called Ciferšlus (Zipper), but after he joined them to form a new group, they opted for the name Prljavo Kazalište after an episode of the satirical Italian comic book Alan Ford, which was very popular in the former Yugoslavia. In its early beginnings, Prljavo Kazalište's was a Punk band, although they initially wanted to sound like The Rolling Stones for whom they maintained a great admiration. The group performed live for a first time in 1978 at a gig organized by the magazine Polet where they were noted for their furious punk image and stage performance. In the same year, Prljavo Kazalište released its first single, the punk rock sounding Televizori for the major record label Jugoton.

In 1979, Suzy Records released their 2nd single 'Moj Je Otac Bio U Ratu'. That song was included in the great Novi Punk Val compilation which was compiled by Igor Vidmar, along with Pankrti, Paraf and other prominent artists of the former Yugoslav Punk scene. In 1979, they released their first eponymous album, produced by Piko Stancic, for Suzy Records. It was promoted when the group performed as a support act of the Yugoslav band Bijelo dugme at a concert held at the JNA Stadium. During the recording sessions, Zoran Cvetkovic left the band and was replaced by Marijan Brkic. The album soon came to prominence all over the former Yugoslav federation for its social commentary and provoked the then-ruling one-party system, additionally because it also featured probably the first gay-themed song in Yugoslavia titled 'Neki Djecaci (Some Boys)' (followed later by "Retko Te Vidam Sa Devojkama" by Idoli). The authorities valuated the album as "šund" ("Kitsch") and hence they imposed higher taxes on its sale price, while the records considered "truly artistic" enjoyed a reduced tax rate.

Both 7inches are quite cool and I recommend a listen to their albums.

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SNFU - She’s Not On The Menu 7'' 1987

SNFU (She's Not Fuckin' U) is a Canadian punk rock band formed in 1981 in Edmonton, Alberta and later relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia. They have released nine full-length albums and are cited as a formative influence on the skate punk sub-genre, as well as the punk rock scene at large. From their founding in 1981 by lead singer Mr.Chi Pig and brother's Marc and Brent Belke, the band has broken up and reformed numerous times, each time gaining more and more loyal fans along the way eager to share the gospel of SNFU with the next generation. This 7'' was self-released by the band, 500 pressed with silk-screened covers. Side A recorded 1984 and is another mix of the original song (which is much better as this), side B from December 1982. Saw them 2009 live here in Frankfurt and they were fuckin' brilliant - You Need This!!!

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PINPOINT - Third State 1980

A very underrated album is the full length by Pinpoint which were formed by Arthur Billingsley (AKA Arturo Bassick) in 1978 after he left the Lurkers, compiled by David M. Allen (bass) and Hugh Griffiths (drums) and it's really a shame that this LP received not much attention at the time of its publication. So for this we are bloggers here to change that. They released overall with the album three 7inches and the most known is their debut single Richmond, all on Albion Records. This album has ten great songs on it, a perfect mixture of fast punk numbers (Blind Eyes, Dark & Red), cool synthesizer smasher (Family Life, Waking Up To Morning, Drowning In The Wave Of Life) and simply great wavie tunes (Listen To The Snow, Hospital, Third State) and a fine ballad (Somebody Told Me). This brilliant record receives my full score and belongs in every punk collection. Compilation featuring the band on Killed By Death #1010011010 and Pure British Pop For Raw People Vol.1 and there is a complete collection CD with all their recordings out which you can order here. So enjoy the 'Third State' and have a sunny time.

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VACANT LOT - Living Underground EP 1981

This Canberra based punk band released their only record on Doublethink and offers four weird punkies and they are a bit different to the "conventional" sound I know from down under. The songs are split in two great smashers, Multinationals was used for the nasty Bloodstains Across Australia compilation, the opener of this little piece is also a tasty punk tune and the other two goes more experimental with lots of electronic parts but not bad, not such shit which I sometimes find on good records, cuts like a three minute humming or something like that, you know certainly, I have to throw up. Not here, the five stars make this musically excellent. Check them out for gigs because they're still active and enjoy this stuff. Auf Wiedersehen!

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YPÖ-VIIS - Hyvästi Masentava Maanantai 7'' 1980

Ypö-Viis made history in Finnish punk scene. They were the first punk band to have a self-released record out. Ypö-Viis was formed in Karhula in summer 1977. Originally the band was five-piece, but as they changed their style to new wave, the organ player and second guitarist were dropped off. The remaining trio was Miika Söderholm: bass & vocals, Mikko Holmström: guitar and Rabbe Johansson: drums. Their first record was the one-sided self-financed 'Energia On A Ja O' (200 copies) and were published in late 1978. The latter song was a cover version of the Clash's, 'London's Burning'. Followed by the 2nd single 'Mari Pogoaa' from 1979 and a contribution on the great Hilse compilation. They moved to the legendary finnish label Poko Records and in autumn 1979 the 3rd record 'Me Myytiin Itsemme' came out. In spring 1980 they made by far their best release, the single 'Hyvästi Masentava Maanantai'. The B side is sung by Räsänen. Both are catchy tunes, and everything looked good again. Ypö-Viis existed from 1977 to 1981.

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H.D.Q. - Believe EP 1988

H.D.Q. from Sunderland were in the late 1980s one of the most innovative and popular punk bands on the island - More information about the band click H.D.Q. - They founded together with Snuff the new generation of UK bands that are more oriented to American standards à la Dag Nasty as in British No Future Punk. After their split legendary bands like Leatherface and Doctor Bison were formed. And you can hear clearly: Believe, released on Loony Tunes Records, contains four inflaming songs and especially "Through My Eyes" is my absolute favorite one. Today very rare and hard to find and if you don't catch this I don't know what's wrong with you.

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ASBEST - Klaustrofobi EP 2005

Like their previous 7Inch "Nyt Blod" from 2003, Copenhagen's Asbest offers us with these record once again beautiful hardcore thrash punkies in the vein of Discharge or early Black Flag. The anger & passion sonicate the harsh sound and the gruff vocals round off this perfect mixture, if that’s your thing don't hesitate to grap this. Released via the great Danish label Kick N' Punch Records and this melodic goodie is not only for fans of K-town hardcore interesting, pick this up or get fucked - Cooool. Achja, two more bloody asskicker on the tasty København I Ruiner compilation.

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