THE BATES - Angel Face 12'' 1989

A long day on the computer with a lot of music is coming to an end and I complete this stormy Sunday with a very good combo from the Wiener Neustadt. Ex Bates Men released this 12" on RST Records and featuring a Goth Rock cover version of The Glitter Band's "Angel Face" and they had to change their band name into Bates Unlimited due to a legal controversy with the German band The Bates. Four solid rockin' goodies with a touch of melancholy (want I to throw in) have they recorded here which I can't hear every day but now and then... check for yourself!

- Special Thx to Reinhard -

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STORMTROOPER - I'm A Mess 7'' 1977

Good rockin' 7Inch from Stormtrooper, at home the Isle Of Wight, and they were active 1975-1978 and the band consisted of Nigel (vocals), John (guitar), Jeffery (bass) and Mike (drums) and their onlyl record came out via Solent Records in a simple sleeve stamped with song title and band. Some copies included an insert with lyrics and recording info. Originally recorded as a demo in 1975. Released two years later after the band ceased to exist. In 2010, RaveUp Records brought out a small compilation with ten rare tracks which is sold out for a long time and I want to give you some words about the album:

Stormtrooper formed and disbanded in a fury in 1975 before punk rock arose out of the ashes of glam and pub rock! Their debut single "I’m A Mess" was described by the British music press as "the sound of a commuter being shoved under a tube train in the rush hour, one for howling at the moon and a tale of drunkenness in the wild of Soho". The band formed at the bar in the Marquee Club by British front man Nigel Hutchings and bassist Jeff Piccinini who recruited John Pilka on guitar and Mike Lee on drums. They recorded a demo of 4 songs in August of 1975 and then signed with Corruption Management on the Portobello Road for a couple of pints and some distant promises. The band played only one gig at the Bath Pavilion, then split-up. This, ladies and gentleman, was before the birth of punk rock and the tracks of this anthology are pure “punk” before… punk!!!!

And if you like what you're reading then click over to the Old Wanker and get the stuff.

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FRESHLY - Air (Quoth She) 1986

Now a re-upp from the unfortunately inactive Phoenix Hairpins blog which was first posted by Curious in 2007 and I want to adopt his words here: "Danish band Freshly originally started as Freshly Riots. As Freshly Riots they released two records. The first is the Delightfully Fresh EP in 1982. Second release is the Hope album released in 1984. This album contains eleven tracks of punk inspired by early Stranglers. For the second album 'Air (Quoth She)', they shortened the name to Freshly and went for a more postpunk sound, with some hints to Killing Joke. All records were released on their own Bondeskiver label. Another release on this label is the 'Complication' comp. slab (maybe soon) with ten punk & new wave bands from Denmark as War Of Destruction, Electric Deads and Sods." Last strong record of this great band whose music evolved from snotty punk to melodic numbers.

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ERIC HYSTERIC & THE ESOTERICS - Drive You Crazy 1981

Pretty rough debut from Eric Hysteric & The Esoterics on Wasted Vinyl Records and the band consisted of Sam & John (vocals), Andy (bass), Eric (guitar), King Bee Jones (drums), Ricky (guitars/bass/vocals). In addition to his work as a solo artist (since 1971) Hysteric was a member of S.C.U.M (1978-1979), the Vomit Visions (1979-1982) and the Frankfurt riot combo Der Durstige Mann (1982-1995). In addition, Hysteric wrote for several Frankfurt fanzines, including "Same Old Song" and "Ultra Hard Core Punk Sounds," and was notorious (among others, the English Zig Zag Magazine and the German music magazine Sounds) for his letters to the editor. The first public project of Hysteric was the punk band S.C.U.M (Löhnberg/Gießen). After a disastrous appearance in the Jugendzentrum Gießen - acclaimed by art students - Hysteric emigrated to London. During sporadic visits to the ancient homeland, he took with the Vomit Visions, which in June 1979 from the remains of S.C.U.M. emerged, various songs on, and provided the punks at the Frankfurt flea market with the latest records from the UK and the US.

In London, Hysteric went to the studio in 1980 with Andy Groome and Leigh Kendall from the Australian punk pioneers Last Words. The result was the album "Drive You Crazy" released under the name Eric Hysteric & The Esoterics. "The Esoterics LP DRIVE YOU CRAZY is one of the most misunderstood masterpieces of pop music. Not a single weak song, uncompromisingly performed, heart-touching "(Karl Bruckmaier, Bayerischer Rundfunk March 14, 1990).

In 1982, Hysteric returned to Germany and founded under the motto: "Who takes us seriously, it is your own fault" together with the (already then) legendary chain spunk Markus Monoton, who had been a member of the Frogs und den Elbseglern, the riot combo Der Durstige Mann. While the German music critic ignored DDM, who initially also included Oskar (drums) and Marcel Roth (guitar), Due to the hairstyles of Monoton and Oskar, who had turned into skinheads around 1980 in protest against the punk turned fashion punk Barney Hoskyns in the New Musical Express (January 8, 1986) understood the DDM philosophy expressed in the programmatic title "This Is Frankfurt Not Boston (Fuck Off L.A.)" and was thrilled, Der Durstige Mann is a filthy sound far removed from our own (american) punk rock, which is extremely conservative, hedged behind allotments of slogans, etc. (...) Two of them are skins, slouching outside public lavs, the other two walled lingering in front of boutiques in grotesque young-men-wear modeling poses. I guess this makes you kid of the cheap trick of Frankfurt punk. M. Monoton (sing) and Eric (guitar) say: "I whistle on London and LA, and they are right."

After the radical trash aesthetic of the first two EPs surprised the thirsty man, now shrunk to the duo Hysteric/Monoton, 1984 with the 12'' "Saufen Ohne Ende" and the album "Bier 4 Tot", of which the single "Bier Nix Gut!" was decoupled. Tesco Vee: "Here are the guys who are really sounding slick enough to enter the world of commercial jingles and the like. Do not get me wrong. It's still boss, the bossest. "The highlight of this pop-phase was the 1985 single" Im Winter Whiskey Im Sommer Pernod".

After reviews and reports in the Bravo, a re-release of "Bier 4 Tot" by Rock-O-Rama and a placement in the WOM sales charts threatened commercial success. Hysteric responded with a radical change of course: Der Durstige Mann found back to his roots with the album "Himmel & Hölle". On the solo albums "The Crazy King (A Fairy Tale)" and "Für Dich" developed Hysteric his "difficult idiosyncratic, but highly sensitive music" on. Eric died on January 20, 2016.

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NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - Ring Of Wild Roses 1996

Friday, weekend and we come to a man who can't be more versatile. I'm talking about Nick Cave, Australian musician, singer-songwriter, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor, his music is generally characterised by emotional intensity, a wide variety of influences, his baritone voice and lyrical obsessions with death, religion, love and violence. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds were formed in Melbourne 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist Blixa Bargeld after the demise of the Birthday Party. So far, they have released sixteen albums and they're still active. These live recordings were released via Kiss The Stone and were taken: tracks 1-9: Bizarre Festival 07/17/1996, tracks 10-11: White Room 1996, tracks 12-14: Brixton Academy 08/14/1996 and I find the song selection very successful and shows an appealing cross section of his music. Enjoy & be enchanted!

Brother, My Cup Is Empty/Loverman/Mercy/Your Funeral My Trial/Where The Wild Roses Grow/The Weeping Song/The Mercy Seat/Nobody's Baby Now/Jack The Ripper/Stagger Lee/Henry Lee/Do You Love Me?/Into My Arms/Where The Wild Roses Grow

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V/A - Death Metal 1984

A little treat for my Metal friends is for sure the fourth compilation of the Berlin Noise Label, whose Metal Attack Vol.1 has a surprisingly large number of downloads. just a pity that you don't say anything at all, well ... my metal days are long gone but now and then I have the feeling to pull out one of my few remaining slabs and sometimes I have to laugh at some songs how bad they are. Well, thirty years ago, my clock went different but even these times stay unforgotten. 

A bit info: Death Metal is a mini album by Helloween, Hellhammer, Running Wild & Dark Avenger. It contains the only recorded material of the German band Dark Avenger. The album offers an interesting snapshot of the ebullience and creativity of the Central European metal scene during the end of the early 1980s. At that time Running Wild had yet to develop their "Pirate Metal" schtick and considered themselves a black metal band. Helloween were more of a thrashy speed metal act rather than the melodic power metal vehicle into which they would soon develop. Hellhammer were the darker and heavier band of the foursome and would later be regarded as pioneers and inspiration for generations of European extreme metalers. This album is a perfect example of that sound. It's fast, heavy, dark, and far from mainstreem. A detailed review can be found on metal-archives. So, in one hour is kick-off in Vaduz.

1.Iron Heads - RUNNING WILD

2.Bones To Ashes - RUNNING WILD

3.Revelations Of Doom - HELLHAMMER

4.Messiah - HELLHAMMER

5.Black Fairies - DARK AVENGER

6.Lords Of The Night - DARK AVENGER

7.Oernst Of Life - HELLOWEEN

8.Metal Invaders - HELLOWEEN

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V/A - Musik Aus Bremen 1982

Another pearl from the small Bremen label Heimat Records whose records are nowadays extremely rare and much sought after because not many were pressed. From thirteen publications, two grandiose compilations are represented and on this we find not only punk but also a bit experimental, pop and new wave. As far as I know, an info sheet was enclosed, which unfortunately I don't have. Musically very pleasant selection and for me an important record of German underground activity. You can find some of the bands in the blog. Get It!

1.Instromenthol - ROSITA STEREO

2.Rock-Show Band - BE-BOP VASELINE

3.Totentanz - SHADOCKS

4.Sie Bringt Den Tod - ORGAN BANK

5.Voran - SHIZZO FLAMINGOS

6.Attentat - VOLKSABSTIMMUNG

7.Zerrissen & Genäht - SCHWARZE SPIEGEL

8.Harry Piel - SKLAVEN DER LIEBE

9.Das Allerletzte - AGM

10.Pogo Ente - ARTS

11.Warum Muss Ich Immer Weinen? - HOLGER KIELGAS

12.Königin - DIE 2 UND

13.Ach, Bitte!!! - BLENDER

14.Ich Warte - AROMA

15.Funky Way - SADÂA BONAIRE

16.Regen Über Tokyo - SIEGER 1957

17.Reeperbahn - A5

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HOMY HOGS - Nöje För Nekrofiler 1981

Swedish '77 hardcore now from Bro near Stockholm: the Homy Hogs are not just cartoon charracters, but were a teen brats punk band from Upplands-Bro (where Joakim Lindegren grew up) and existed from 1979-1982 which belong to the pioneers of Swedish hardcore-punk, though they also played a more regular punk rock before and after. The band members will occur, even as individuals, especially as Nandor/Krystmarodören, Porra/Dildo and LT/Leffe. When the Sex Pistols start 1977 the punk explosion they changed their name to The Kuk. Since the interest died out, but in 1979 LT and Kirran joined country events, better known as Shakin 'Hitler & The Kuk. Soon they changed their name to Little Lenin & the Homy Hogs and then it was shortened to just Homy Hogs. It took until the following year before they could collect themselves for the first public gig. The hard workouts with friends in the rehearsal did Homy Hogs ready for an unsuspecting audience. The band felt that punk has become too wimpy and now it was high time to annama the hard line. The only album, Nöje För Nekrofiler was released via No Records (200 copies) and dealt to both; the American hardcore as well as British anarcho-scene. According to LT was Homy Hogs uncompromising for punks, and when it was realized that the band would still explode did its utmost to Smash Overdose-songs would be as uncompromising as possible. The band plays a lot of intoxicated gigs between 83 to 86, LT and Gordis founded meanwhile Werewolf On Wheels - the natural extension of Homy Hogs. A newly produced series about the band produced by Lindegren in 2008 to number 5 of the cult punk fanzine Sika Äpärä, Lindegren has also made the covers of Homy Hogs LP "Werewolves On Wheels" and single "High Drive & The Rokker Triplane". A reunion for one concert as Werewolves On Wheels @ Gärdet Festival 1991 and one as Homy Hogs at a private party @ the Apromus 1992 were held. Highlighted here the cover versions of "I Wanna Be Your Dog & Why Don't We Do It In The Road"... a fuckin' great record!!

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RAMONES - Mondo Bizarro 1992

You can't do anything wrong when you pull out a Ramones slab, that shows your good musical taste and ensures attraction. Unless you are one of those who wear a Ramones T-shirt as fashion and have no idea what's all about, I see enough of you damn stupids! Well, what should I be upset about? Anyway, this modest rip saves me from doing the work myself, a little info from Wiki: Mondo Bizarro is the twelfth studio album by the Ramones, released in 1992. It is the first to feature their new bassist, C.J. Ramone, who replaced departed member Dee Dee Ramone. 

It was the Ramones' first studio album in three years, after the band left Sire Records for a new contract with Radioactive Records. The title was taken from the film of the same name, a 1966 sequel to the film Mondo Cane. Although Dee Dee had left the band, he provided the songs "Poison Heart," "Main Man" & "Strength To Endure" as compensation for the band bailing him out of jail due to problems with his long drug addiction. "Poison Heart" & "Strength To Endure" were released as the album's singles, in June and October 1992, respectively. In a 1992 interview for an Argentinian newspaper, Johnny Ramone said of the album, "Generally I always find two or three songs that I hate. From Mondo Bizarro, I really like almost all the songs and I am very satisfied with the result." However, when he was interviewed about the album for the 2003 documentary End of the Century, he stated, "I don't like it. I don't like it at all." In Johnny's 2012 autobiography he awarded the album (along with its predecessor, 1989's Brain Drain) a "C" grade, stating, "The songs are the weak spots on the album. C.J. was in the band, but his writing wasn't up to par yet." The album was certified gold in Brazil in 2001.

 Thirteen songs and number seven is one of my faves. R.I.P.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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HÜSKER DÜ - Everything Falls Apart 1983

It is really time that the Bundesliga starts again, Saturdays without is like shit that doesn't want out. But wants to get out is the second album from Hüsker Dü which was released 1983 by Reflex Records and this is the compact disc version with bonus tracks including the band's first two singles, the full version of "Statues" lasting over eight minutes, and an unreleased track recorded in St. Paul, Minnesota, basement called "Do You Remember?". With this masterpiece, the band continues where they left off at the debut; short, furious, intense and melodic songs with sharp-tongued lyrics. What else is there to say? Who doesn't know the album will be excited; who knows it, is excited. Loud, Fast Punk Rules!

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