Friday, February 12, 2021

MODERN MINDS - Go! 2007

The Modern Minds were a PowerPop combo from Edmonton and consisted of Moe (vocals & guitars), Bob (bass) and Kim (drums), founded in the bedroom community of St. Albert. All three had known each other for years and had played together previously, the band in its present form and attitude was formed in January 1979. They made their debut in June '79 at Bordon Park as The News. In January 1980 the name was changed to The Modern Minds. In the same year they met an enchanting creature and Theresa's World on Bumstead Records from 1981 is their only record and in her Bungalow Rock we find three golden goblets with exquisite northern Italian frangolino, the taste of which reminds us of ripe red strawberries, and invites us to pluck the endless fields of temptation.

The band has been accused of being too raw and unpolished, of having potential but who can't or won't refine themselves into a slick suitable for mass market appeal, they have struggled with this attitude and with the difficult Edmonton music scene since their beginnings. This struggle may be a result of the fact that the Modern Minds feel no obligation to anyone or anything except themselves and the music they feel is important. Due to the negative vibrations of all these assholes, their Rock'N'Roll ghosts slowly faded and the band broke up; It's Gone! In the last several years, Theresa has gained some notoriety and, along with some additional recordings, released on this small compilation with eleven melodic and raw songs as CD in 2007 through a small Japanese label called 'Base' & finally reissued as vinyl in 2018 by UglyPop Records (1st press in red/300 copies & 2nd press in black/500 copies). Solid release with massive infos within & high explosive 💣💣💣

- Great Thx to Fredrik -


Thursday, February 11, 2021

T.S.O.L. - Dance With Me 1981

Now a remarkable classic and these gentlemen already appeared in this theatre and since I can't add anything with my own words, I use these who have already said it. Short info by Bradley Torreano from allmusic: "In the early years of Los Angeles punk, one of the premiere hardcore bands was T.S.O.L., which stood for True Sounds Of Liberty. Offering poppier music than many of their contemporaries and featuring an image that appealed to punks who wanted to dive deeper into the gothic subgenre already being offered by many British punk bands, T.S.O.L. became hugely popular on the local scene but never translated that success to national exposure because of their ever-shifting lineup and sound. Formed in 1978 by four pasty-faced youths with a passion for the emerging hardcore scene, T.S.O.L. was originally based in Huntington Beach, California. Featuring the lineup of vocalist Jack Grisham, guitarist Ron Emory, bassist Mike Roche, and drummer Todd Barnes, the band burst onto the local club scene with an image that included white face paint and dark, energetic anthems about alienation and troubled youth. A few members had already tried their luck with a band called Vicious Circle, so gigs in the South Bay and Orange County were easy to get despite many of those shows ending with riots that would ban them from the very same clubs. A politically fueled eponymous EP would be the band's first official release, and its emotional sound and vicious attitude were enough to ensure their standing as a major force in the scene...."

Dance With Me is the debut album by T.S.O.L. and was released 1981 though Frontier Records. While the band's eponymously titled debut EP, released earlier that year, had been filled with radical leftist lyrics, this record moved away from politics in favor of horror film- and gothic-inspired subject matter. The album includes the bands most well-known song, the necrophilia-themed "Code Blue". Colossal & Outstanding record in every way, you better be quick!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -


Wednesday, February 10, 2021

VICTIM - The Teen Age EP 1980

Third and final 7Inch from Victim on Illuminated Records with three crackers. The band was founded mid 1977 in Belfast (relocated to Manchester in 1979) and soon they became familiar faces on the fast-emerging Belfast punk scene. On this record, produced by Rat Scabies, Wesley (vocals & bass), Joe (guitars) and Jeff (drums). Started as four piece they released two EP's in the late seventies. They toured a lot with renowned bands and a fourth single plus further demos were recorded but unfortunately never released and little of it is left and after undergoing several line-up changes, the band existed until 1990. But hope came when in 2003 Overground Records released a compilation of all of their early works and 2016 two more CD's came out with new and revised material of the late phase. Also guest on Bloodstains and Killed By Death #33. Great Stuff.


Tuesday, February 09, 2021

DIE HETEROS - Leistung 7'' 1982

Active in the early 80ies, die Heteros were a five piece, Karen (vocals), Wolli (guitars), Bram (bass), Mark (drums), Hajo (sax/vocals), from Cologne and released one nice album (Die Romantik Ist Tot) on Telefunken and from this are these two very contrasting tracks thrown as single on the market. First, the refusal song 'Leistung' in which they give a clear rejection of our competitive society, nice swing mode. On the flip-side a cheeky cheerful instrumental version of a classic german schlager. Punk meets NDW - nothing earth shattering but old material and mostly good. Brrr, now quickly a hot tea and turn the heating up, minus 10 fucking degrees.


Saturday, February 06, 2021

STEVE ROBERTS - Do You Know Who I Am? 1982

Drummer Steve Roberts (U.K. Subs, Cyanide, Exploited) with his rare solo album, released via The Exploited Record Company. Thirteen typical UK smasher from the early 80s he wrote here (five of them cover versions) and capable musicians support him in the implementation of his musical creations. Not bad the record and a new positive surprise for me. If you like the sound of the bands above you can't ignore this album. Now it's time for the ten o'clock tea.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -


Friday, February 05, 2021

RED BERET - First Impression 1984

Damn cool and an amazing First Impression by Red Beret, a four piece from Long Beach and this is their only album on Bemisbrain Records. And if I compare their music with the post before, I would throw their slab immediately in the trashcan. Twelve fantastic melodic nuggets have the four, Victor (vocals), Jimmy (guitars), Greg (bass) and Tony (drums), recorded and I'm really enthusiastic about the modest mid-tempo sound and the charismatic voice, which is soft and sometimes harmless, rather untypical for Long Beach bands, and that's exactly the special trademark of Red BeretI know, I got some of my friends excited with the band via their second compilation appearance on When Men Were Men... And Sheep Were Scared from 1985 and I can tell, these guys have an appealing taste. Should you be able to get hold of a record, you have to dig deep into your pocket, from € 50,- upwards it starts, a hell of a lot and certainly worth buying. Anyway, I'll stick with it, a fucking hot record!!!

- Big Thx to Reinhard -


Thursday, February 04, 2021

THE ZIPPERS - A Six Song Mini Album 1981

Los Angeles based four piece pop band The Zippers consisted of Bob (vocals & lead guitar), Lewis (guitars), Danielle (bass) and Malcolm (drums), and were active from the late seventies to early eighties. In this short lifespan they released a 7Inch and this little six song mini-album on Rhino Records. Well, to be honest, I can't do much with this record, no groovy powerpop, no punk roots and no real highlights in their music. A babbling, monotonous, unspectacular interaction is all I can feel. Sorry, not my cup of tea. But I don't want to withhold another opinion from you and I'm sure some of you like the sound: "Although once strictly a tough club band, the tracks here expose a mature, musical quartet with songs and skills aplenty; the mood runs hot and cold. A neat record, but deduct points for swiping the Small Faces’ 'What’cha Gonna Do About It' for an ORIGINAL, 'I’m In Love' (Ira Robbins)."
Choose your option!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -


Wednesday, February 03, 2021

THE DIESE HERREN - Hunger! 12" 1982

Obscure four piece from Hagen and Hunger! is their only vinyl appearance, released in a limited edition of 500 copies on Tonträger 58 Hagen, and the band consisted of Frank (vocals), Günter (guitars), Detlef (bass), Peter (drums). Besides this 12Inch, the band had a couple of compilation invitations, and I mean "a couple". Musically enjoyable five entertaining numbers which doesn't necessarily contribute to global warming, but if you want to create a podcast with early rare German contemporaries, you should listen to the Herren and make use of it. Interesting slab in any case and now I'm going to have a five-course meal for breakfast & don't be jealous, friends. 🍠

Tuesday, February 02, 2021

V/A - Rock Anti Mili 1988

Another great compilation, originally released as tape to support any facilities, occupied houses, etc... and finally reissued, and for the first time on vinyl, by El Lokal six years ago, motto: Rock Anti Mili! Not difficult to guess what the twenty-one, partly well-known, bands want and I think it's still a hot topic today, because who needs fucking orders, uniforms & armys? Little fat ugly types who can't satisfy their woman/man and don't know what "LIFE" means, types with massive inferiority complexes, unscrupulous industrial bastards, blah blah blah... I can name a lot more assholes, but let's leave that, the inculcation of such benefits has been substantially pioneered and influenced by our subculture; beautiful noises spread out from this record and I love the aggressiveness of Spanish bands and this wonderful slab has enough of them. Comes with lyric-sheet and cool artwork. ENJOY!!

1.Antimilitar - R.I.P.
2.Zure Soldaduska Ere Ez - TXORROMORRO
3.Somos Presos - DAMBA
4.Lucha Por Tu Patria - ULTIMATUM
5.Juventud Engañada - BAP!!
6.Un Año Perdido - MORTAJA
7.No Quiero Ir A La Mili - BASURA
8.Puta Mili - POTROTAINO
9.Mili No - PORKERIA T
10.Ruido De Sables - M.C.D.
11.Secuestro - ZER-BIZIO?
12.Morireis - LA POLLA RECORDS
13.Rebelion Medieval - TIJUANA IN BLUE
14.Por Un Pais - PARASITOS
15.No! - TARZAN
16.Odio Obedecer - L'ODI SOCIAL
17.Basta De Hiroshimas - MONSTRUACION
18.Siguiendo Los Pasos De Tu Padre - SUBTERRANEAN KIDS
19.Locura De Guerra - MAXIMO VOLUMEN
20.Soldados - ULTIMO GOBIERNO
21.Cancion Antimiltar - EL JUARNA, EL FELI, EL IZQUI Y EL OTRO


Monday, February 01, 2021

V/A - Killed By John Peel #1 2020

Friends, there is hope again on the KBD front and after a long time finally a new compilation is out and the creators of Vatican Radio Records have the great idea "to conjure up one of the best punk rock compilations we've heard in a long time, from the amazingly rich vaults of John Peel's BBC 1 radio session recordings. Focusing on the less known side of the huge Peel Sessions catalog, Killed By John Peel comes stuffed to the rafters with mind blowing and little known gems from the opening track with French Synth Punk pioneers Métal Urbain and the incendiary recording of their hit E-202 to the closing with the kick ass Power Pop Punk hit She's Alarming by the Wasps, each and every single track on this monster record presents a band at their prime giving it all @ the legendary BBC Radio1 studios." And to my knowledge, Volume 2 is about to be release and we can look forward to it. Great stuff and absolute essential! 

1.E-202 - MÉTAL URBAIN
2.Gangland Warfare - THE OUTCASTS
3.Antipope - KING
4.Yummy Yummy - RUDI
5.Jealousy - IDIOT DANCERS
6.Further Education - THE CORTINAS
7.Going Round In Circles - ALTERNATIVE TV
8.Open Sound 1978 - SKIDS
9.She's Alive - SCARS
10.Countdown - THE LURKERS
11.Energy Boy - THE FLYS
12.Haircut Bob Dylan - FUNBOY FIVE
13.Bits - PRAGVEC
14.She's Alarming - THE WASPS