TREMANIA - Flucht Nach Vorn 2000

It's still early that day but the next post fits this hour like a kiss on stormy seas. This album is one of those which should not disappear into oblivion. The only record from Tremania, a band from Dortmund and they shine with their powerful melodic, sometimes tinged dark, punk sound. Like V.V.L., Wegschaun...Gold or Ende November their music is timeless, sophisticated, honest, angry, melancholic, desperate. A band which recognize the signs of the times and they popping this bluntly and directly in each face. Peppered with nice intros, musically speedy and then again to screw with beautiful ballads the pace down is this an absolute listening pleasure and I'm really excited. This band has something to say! Too bad they had a short lifetime but another highlight of rare German punk music. 

- Extra Special Thx to Contra -

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THE VAPORS - New Clear Days 1980

Last today and it's the nice PowerPop debut by the Vapors on United Artists Records which I already posted in my old unforgotten blog. Info: The Vapors (David Fenton (vox/guitar); Steve Smith (bass); Edward Bazalgette (guitar); Howard Smith (drums) were a relatively short-lived (1979-1981) new-wave rock band from Guildford, one of the more interesting one-hit-wonders that flourished and then vaporized during the dawn of MTV. The band rose solely on the success of their single "Turning Japanese," a disturbing pop ditty that strangely connects madness and masturbation. However, the band's debut, which includes "Turning Japanese", boasts many other worthwhile moments. Underneath the band's English pop sound lurk strange references to and connections between Japan, war, adolescence, and insanity, all of which course through the album like phantom mental patients. The loneliness and isolation are palpable undercurrents a sharp edge to the deceptively peppy pop framework.

New Clear Days contains the UK hit single "Turning Japanese", which reached #3 in the chart in February 1980. A remix of "News @ Ten" (named after the well known ITV news programme), went to #45 in July of that year. A third single, a re-recording of "Waiting For The Weekend" which included a horn section, failed to chart. The title is a pun on Nuclear - nuclear weapons and power stations being major issues at that time. The album cover shows a rather grimy television screen displaying a BBC TV weather forecast. Among the symbols for clouds is one centred over London which is, upon closer examination, a mushroom cloud. In addition, one of the temperature symbols has been replaced with one warning of radiation and the weatherman glows. "News @ Ten", a cynical examination of the generation gap and the fear of ending up as complacent as the parent he despises for his conformism, was expected to be a hit on the back of the success of "Turning Japanese"; its poorer performance was blamed in part by the long-running strike at the BBC's Top Of The Pops which meant it received very little media exposure. There was also a marked reluctance by BBC Radio 1 - then the nation's premier radio station - to play a song named after an ITV programme.

Apart from the three singles, the best known other track is "Sixty Second Interval". Its ambiguous lyrics have been interpreted alternately as concerning the short cease-fires agreed between armies during wars to allow each to attend to their wounded in the no-man's land between them. The song was the inspiration behind the long-running "Sixty Second Interview" feature of the UK's Metro (Associated Metro Limited) free newspaper given away at public transport stations. "Letter From Hiro", the album's lengthy melancholy finale, concerns the sense of powerlessness a boy feels as events push towards World War II, and towards the inevitable ending of his friendship with his more patriotic Japanese penpal ("And when the sun was rising somewhere in the East, and when a flag meant more to Hiro than to me"). The song concludes with the playing of a traditional Japanese tune on a cymbalum. (source: unknown)

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HERMANXS DE LA MENTE FURIOSA - Agitadorxs 2013

Today the debut record of this young band called Hermanxs De La Mente Furiosa from Monte Grande and they honor us with twelve melodic nuggets and I give you a bit of info from their fb page: "We started making noise at the end of 2007, with the strong idea of being able to transmit thoughts, feelings regarding the social and political, from a personal and collective perspective, where everyone feels involved and involved; believing that you can also generate and create a space, that from the music, other alternative tools are broken down, to what the model offers us; supporting and helping each other, without falling into egoisms, competencies, and respecting us as PARES ... we do not see music as merchandise, but as the maximum expression of freedom that we have as people; We rely on self-management, in doing it your mismx as a tool to generate things, and with this we realize that many things can be generated, we do not pretend to fill our pockets, and we do not pay for playing, that goes very much in opposition to what we think as a collective, we prefer to use the damn money to generate something much more conscious among varixs, and that a recital is not just a rock show..." Solid Work!

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NIVEAU NULL - s/t EP 1981

Now a brilliant release which was long on my Wanted-List and I'm proud to present you this absolutly rare gem of a nice german punk record by Niveau Null, active from 1979 until 1981. Released on Heimat Records, a small independent punk rock label in Bremen which was founded 1980 and they were focussed by bands which came mostly from Bremen and the surrounding area, and all records came in a fuckin' small edition and not every one has a cover. "Then the record came out, but the cover weren't finished, so they decided to use the stencil for most of the covers of the record. When the covers actually arrived, most of the records were sold without the regular cover." (adsw77) - I've searched a fuckin' long time for this release and when I listen to this garage early '77 punk style sound I'm happy to start blogging. Without I presumably would stand in the shit! Four brilliant songs here and they also feauterd on awesome compilations: The Best Of The Rest 1/2, Nur Hits [Tapes], Unser Sämbler, Bloodstains Across Germany 1 + 2 (coming soon) and Break The Rules #9. In 2015 WSDP released a fantastic compilation of thirteen songs in an edition of 100 copies which sold out within a few hours. Cheers!!

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LOST CAUSE - Forgotten Corners + EP 1982

Today a wish of my own is fulfilled with the only album from Lost Cause, a combo from Orange, CA, formed in February 1981 by Johnny (vocals), Scott & Steve (guitars), Helmüt (bass) and Danny (drums) and they released their debut EP 1981 on High Velocity Records (which I only had and is within) and a year later this mini record & disbanded in 1983. Too bad that they were only very briefly together because the potential and power of their songs are for me the best from the States; solid teamwork, the necessary pace plus the harmony of both guitars and the perfect dirty mix give the band the sound that a punk record must have... I'm excited and you will be too! 

- Great Thx to Reinhard -

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V/A - Hurra For Norge # 2 2007

Get ready for the second Volume of rare Norwegian punk 1979-1986 by Svindel Records and it's again full with goodies you never hear before. Taken from demos, rehearsals, outtakes and much rough live numbers which are here available for the first time (as with Volume 1) and all infos you need about bands/songs are within. Good mood and sweaty hands are guaranteed, discover something new and inject the dose of wild passion into your pear.

1.Snutesvin - Ø.B.K.

2.Konstant Anfall/Fader Vår - K-ANFALL

3.Skyggene Fra I Går - OSLO BEURS

4.Det E For Jævlig - KVIIIN

5.Problemer - HÆRVERK

6.Drøm Eller Mareritt - FEBER

7.Dødsonanist - DATAKLUSS

8.Små Små Barn - KONGELIGE RÆVER

9.Rockerne Er Nekrofile - DE SJENERTE

10.Det Er Bare Løgn - BETONG HYSTERIA

11.Hærverk - SVARTEDAUEN

12.The Crazed - FLINTSTONES

13.Hippieblod - STROYERS

14.TV's Cool - Z-OFF

15.Gud? - STERKE SVAKHETER

16.N.R.K. - BARN AV REGNBUEN

17.Supermann I Kvikksand/Skoletrøtt/Ku Klux Klan - OVERDOSE

18.I Don't Know - FRONT PAGE

19.Tel Hævete Mæ Dæm Aill - KONFRONTASJON

20.Æ Veit At - WANNSKRÆKK

21.Regjer - SVARTE FAEN

22.Pass Deg - REITGJERDET

23.Omega - BANNLYST

24.Brenn Loven - OPPSLUTNING

25.Seks Fot Under - SISTE DAGERS HELVETE

26.Kværk Kleppe - SLIPS

27.Se Dæ Rundt - MITTI SKRITTI

28.Complicated Minds - EASTER BUNNIES

29.Hooker - PINK DIRT

30.Alle Er I Mot Oss - KAOS

31.Levende - NORRRSKE BUDEIER

32.Mannen I Badetkaret - ØRESUS

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THE RAGS - Crunch!! 1991

The European Championship qualifier against Estonia is very one-sided therefore a short detour to wdthtc. After their great three song EP the Rags pushed their only album a year later on Incognito Records with ten '77 style supple punkrock nuggets and it crunches neatly and captivates with great melodies and highly recommended listening. I guess a short time later, the band has scattered in all winds.

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PUTSCH - Kein Traum 12'' 1982

The band's first single was recorded in 1981 with Rudolph Dietrich, then devoted himself to his own projects and this Mini 12'' of the Zurich band Putsch was then with the following formation: Stef (vocals), Christian (guitar), Roger (bass) and Stefan (drums) recorded and released in 1982 via R.F. Records and is a committed product with a rich funky bass. For a while they managed to keep the level, a third 12'' Geniess Es Nicht came out then the band of the brothers Roger & Stefan Müller left without a trace. On compilations rather not represented, only on Definitiv Zurich with one song. Musically not as hard and dirty as many other well-known Swiss colleagues but with good lyrics and wavie vibras.

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CONTINGENT - s/t LP 2015

From Danger Records/Poch Records was finally the lost and only one album by Contigent in an edition of 500 copies released. The band were founded, probably in Brussels, by Bob (vocals), Eric (guitars), Guy (bass) and Jo (drums) and this line-up made their vinyl debut 1980 on Contigent Records and is a fine four track killer EP and was their only record and appeared on a bunch of great compilations .. until 2015. Why it did not come to the longplayer at that time is apparently due to the lack of interest of labels, money or possibly internal band rubbings. Now the recordings from 1981 have been dug up, remixed and sound amazingly fresh and absolutely fantastic. Comes with lyrics and rare pictures, unfortunately not there but who has one for me please send. Ears up for fourteen wild catchy stars.

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UGLY AMERICANS - The Dream Turns Sour 1984

The debut slab by the Ugly Americans on Discipline Records is an infamous fourteen dirty song masterpiece. Simon Bob Sinister founded the Uglys along with Danny Hooligan, Chris Eubank and Dan Adams in Durham. Adams soon left and was replaced by Jon McClain. After releasing two albums and a 7Inch the band broke up in 1986. This is an excellent record and very representative of what this band sounded like in the day. Great catchy mid-tempo numbers seasoned with quick snotty attacks plus a few melodic ballads. They drove that dirty aggressive sound a little back on their second longplayer Who's Sleeping In My Bed? but I like it too. Simon then joined C.O.C. and in 2014 the band reformed and released the Panopticon EP and since then they played shows in North Carolina and I think they're still alive.

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