THE LURKERS - Fulham Fallout 1978

It's time for a classic one which is dedicated to the Lurkers, legendary British punx from Uxbridge/West London, formed 1976 and the original line-up consisting in Pete "Plug" Edwards (vocals), Pete Stride (guitar), Nigel Moore (bass), Pete "Manic Esso" Haynes (drums) and still active nowadays. They are notable for being the first group ever on Beggars Banquet Records for whom they released two albums. The style on their debut is a good demonstration of how they earned the nickname "The British Ramones" and it came out between the previous two singles, containing fourteen slices of nearly melodic lowbrow masterpieces, including a new version of the pogo-tastic 'Shadow'. "No pretensions, no hype, no frills and were nothing less than pure rock'n'roll. This is a band who deserve so much more respect than they get" One reviewer described it as by far their best with production that really makes the guitar kick. It's sloppy and amateurish, but that's what makes it so great. "Be My Prisoner", a song from the album, appeared on Streets, a compilation (BEGA1) from 1977 of early UK combos from a variety of independent record labels. - In my opinion their best album; catchy songs, singalong choruses, simple Punk'N'Roll, must have!

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THE WUFFY DOGS - Boys Went South EP 1983

One rare lost nugget by the Wuffy Dogs from California and the band consisted of Peter (vocals & guitars), Bob (bass), Johnny (drums), Roger (keys/vocals) and their only single was released on Beerhall Putsch Records (ca. 250 copies) with members of The Rotters and MIA. It has become one of the rarest records in Punk in it's 36 year history, most copies chucked in the trash on a last minute trip to Japan, this rarity has entered the four figure price range in recent years. Re-released 2020 by Meat House Productions as limited edition, 500 copies I think, so grab one before they are gone because the four catchy songs are fun and relaxing. Not represented at all on compilations and I would say the detectives didn't do enough research.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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CÓLERA - Dé O Fora EP 1986

Nice re-release from Can I Say Records/Your Poison Records of the Dé O Fora EP by Cólera from São Paulo, originally released on the Belgian Hageland label back in 1986 and it's good that an Iryic sheet is included because I really don’t understand a word (my Portuguese teacher became too expensive) and it’s not immediately apparent which is Side-A, but that's irrelevant. This litte fucker contains four unpolished pearls of melodic HardcorePunk: exotic, raw & catchy. 2011 then the reissue with different covers and in limited editions. Their sound is a bit similar with Italian bands, I don't know much melodic punk bands from either country, apart from the Oi! sound, and the South American HC bands are without exception an enrichment of these genres. Cólera started 1979, formed by Redson and his brother Pierre on drums, they were soon (1980) joined by Val (bass), forming the classic line-up that would record their best material. After almost twenty years out of the band, Val would return in the late 2000’s which gave young kids a chance to see the classic trio live. Cólera were one's that never turned its back on punk or D.I.Y. ethics. While their contemporaries tried (some succeeded) to make it big by turning metal or new wave, they kept pretty much the same formula all along: energetic, melodic hardcore punk with extremely catchy choruses. They released eleven albums, three singles and lots of compilation goodies. Cólera didn't reinvent the wheel, but like the dice for backgammon they were an important motivator for the Brazilian underground scene and has sown the seeds for the new explosion.

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HOTEL KEMPAUSKI - Demo 2019

Ich möchte euch jetzt eine Band vorstellen aus Kiel namens Hotel Kempauski, und warum ich das will ist schnell erzählt. Die Welt ist klein und einer der Gitarristen ist ein entfernter Arbeitskollege, zumindest beschäftigen wir uns mit einem Produkt welches er vertreibt und ich verwalte. Und nach einigen netten Gesprächen kristallisierte sich eine gemeinsame Vorliebe und die heißt Punkrock, und das liebe Gemeinde ist nicht alltäglich. Seit gut zwei Jahren hänge ich nach und heute endlich hab ich die Muse euch die Herrschaften näher zu bringen und vielleicht findet sich ein label und gibt den Jungs eine Chance. Die selbsternannten Bauspar-Punks von der Ostküste überführen Hardcore-Punk in seine längst schon überfällige Midlifecrisis. Live gibt es Tempo, Zynismus, ellenlange Ansagen und Einflüsse aus vier Jahrzehnten Punkrock. DIY-zertifiziert, die Band besteht aus Schrammi (vocals), Olli & Teller (guitars), Herbert (bass), Felix (drums). Musikalisch gibt es ordentlich auf die Mütze mit den typischen norddeutschen Punklyrics, keine Phrasen und Statements, eher nachdenklich und emotionale Texte die exzellent zu den treibenden Rhythmen einfließen. Die Jungs verstehen ihr Handwerk und reihen sich meiner Meinung nach nahtlos in die Liga bekannter bands wie Turbostaat, Muff Potter oder Duesenjaeger ein. Fazit: verdammt coole Songs einer 'jungen' band die hoffentlich mehr Aufmerksamkeit genießt und verdient. 

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V/A - Kulturschock Attacke Vol.1 1986

This compilation from Sig-Tiu Records is really a decent one and stands in the Champions-League of the best and most important records of German subculture in my opinion, and is one of my favorites, even though the sound quality varies from band to band but that doesn't hurt the listeng pleasure. The band/song selection is terrific, and most of them haven't release anything else. Somehow I can't help but I feel a slightly dark touch with clear announcements in between and I don't mean that negatively, on the contrary, every song is absolutely great and by and large one an enjoyable slab, 1oo% - B.t.w. the second volume has to go through the qualification first and will follow someday. - I'm sure these sixteen songs are able to fascinate you, so enjoy the compilation with its two lyric sheets and off into the weekend!

1.Final Fight - CIRCLE OF SIG-TIU

2.Fragile - CIRCLE OF SIG-TIU

3.Wir Wollen In Die Freiheit - WOHLSTANDSSCHADEN

4.Willst Du Ihn Gehen? - WOHLSTANDSSCHADEN

5.Next Generation - CRAPSCRAPERS

6.Manchmal - LACHENDE SEELEN

7.Tote Werfen Keine Schatten - ÄNI(X)VÄX

8.Äni(X)Väx – ÄNI(X)VÄX

9.Wie Die Piraten - RABATZ

10.Psychoterrorist - NEW BORN BABIES

11.Ich Hab Es Satt - NEW BORN BABIES

12.Euthanasie - EUTHANASIE

13.Keine Chance - WEHRKRAFTZERSETZER

14.An Die Wand - WEHRKRAFTZERSETZER

15.Money's The Reason They Fight For - IM ZEICHEN DES KREUZES

16.Politician Sucks - IM ZEICHEN DES KREUZES

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HEATFARM - Hævn Over Skøgen EP 1997

Good Morning dear followers und heute an diesem Feiertag bei noch strahlendem Sonnenschein ist meine Laune dementsprechend gechillt und das erste Weizen getrunken. Mal sehn, was de Pappa in den kommenden Tagen aus seiner Schatztruhe auspacken wird. Jetzt ein kurzer Besuch Richtung Norden und dort treffen wir auf Heatfarm, a four piece from Copenhagen and consisted of Mads (vocals/bass), Brille & Klavs (guitars), Matthias (drums) and founded around the mid-90s, I think. This is already their third single with three songs and came out in white vinyl via Grammofonpladeselskabet Rocky2, their own label. They play decent melodic songs, but not the Californian variety, rather a weird mixture of ass-kickin' and lalala sounds, scrubbed down nicely, with bizarre to sometimes funny lyrics. I first noticed them from the OX Compilation #31, where they can be found with the title song. Unfortunately, the two other songs on this slab are not as brilliant as the opener and yes, you can do it but on a 7Inch I wouldn't put them on it. Well, that's all I know from Heatfarm, although they made two albums and four singles and I guess the band broke up in the early 2000s.

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TZN XENNA - 1981-2011 EP 2012

Exotic punk now while watching the soccer match vs Denmark and I have much info about the When, Where + Whys: TZN Xenna is a punk combo from Warsaw and one of the earliest in Poland. The band was founded in August 1981 by vocalist Krzysztof "Zygzak" Chojnacki, guitarist Marek "Markus" Kucharski, drummer Tomasz "Gogo Szulc" Kożuchowski and bassist Piotr "Czomby" Dubiel, who was soon replaced by Jacek "Sydney" Zientała (as Dubiel became the guitarist for Deuter). Initially, the band used the name Kamash And The Ekers. Their rehearsals took place in the "Skarpa" Community Center, where the musicians played their first concert on September 9, 1981. In autumn 1982 the band played the "Rock Galicja" tour with Dezerter and Deuter in the southern part of Poland, performing in, among other places, Rzeszów and Krosno. In August, they won the qualifying rounds at the "Open Rock" festival in Krakow's "Rotunda", performing alongside groups such as Turbo and Stalowy Bagaż, which allowed them to perform at the festival in Jarocin. However, the musicians declined to do so, describing it as a "militia festival". At that time, the group appeared in a report by Telewizja Polska on subcultures ("The Way of Life" by Ewa Skurczyńska), as well as in a program about Polish punks produced by the West German television ARD. In 1983, Zygzak was replaced by Falkonetti, as new singer. Not much later, the musicians stopped their activities. Gogo Szulc left to join Tilt, while Sydney, in the second half of the 1980s, started a short collaboration with Robert Gawliński (then ex-Madame) in the form of the band The Didet Bidet.

In 1984, TZN Xenna returned with a line-up of Zygzak, Markus, Falkonetti (bass guitar) and new drummer Dariusz "Dynia" Dynowski. With this line-up the band performed in October in the Warsaw club "Stodoła", playing alongside with Siekiera and Youth Brigade. The following year, the musicians performed, among others at the "Róbrege" festival, and recorded four songs in the Tonpress studio.

In 1986 Robert "Mionek" Micorek joined the band as a second guitarist. This five-member TZN Xenna line-up played concerts until mid-1987, when the musicians decided to quit. Zygzak later continued playing in the bands Lumpers and The Klaszcz. Dynowski joined Deuter between 2000 - 2003 as a drummer. 2011 they played an concert as part of the 2nd edition of the Rock na Bagnie festival in Strękowa Góra and the year ended with the release of their second EP, TZN Xenna 1981-2011. In April 2012 the band entered the studio and recorded material for their third EP, Ścierwo and performed at the Jarocin Rock Festival for the first time in its history. On September 1, 2012 they played their first foreign gig in history in Berlin and in November, the first studio album Pogo Girls saw the light of day

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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CORPSE & TWO FINGERED APPROACH - Split LP 2017

Finally summer and appropriate temperatures, Yeah... and let's sweat a little now with raw 1982-83 UK stuff. This split record was create by Inflammable Material in an edition of 300 copies with two bands who shared the same Cheshire locale. The fire starts with Corpse from Winsford, formed in August 1982 by Weedy (vocals), Adam (guitars), Daryl (bass), John (drums) and the younger/more rough-around-the-edges apprentices. Their six tracks are culled from their 1983 demo. Two Fingered Approach were from Crewe and formed in late 1980 by Mick (vocals & guitar), Ricky (bass), Dave (drums) and they issued one rare 7Inch in 1982 via Virus Records as limited edition of 500 copies, all three fast, raw and angry melodic killers plus tracks from the split demo 1983 with Corpse are included here, all remastered from original cassettes, four page insert within and for the first time on vinyl. Solide Platte! 

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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63 MONROE - N.F.G. 12'' 1980

A quick post before I cycle to the dentist and infos from an unknown person which I found on the net at some point: 63 Monroe came into being in mid 1980 in London Ontario. It wasn't exactly a new band. It actually was a name change from N.F.G. (No Fucking Good) to 63 Monroe. The punk band NFG could no longer get work because of their notorious reputation. The members at this point in time were, Steven R. Stunning (vocals), Markii Burnaway (guitar), Mark DeRoux (bass) and Pete Lambourghini (drums). The band played its first job as 63 Monroe in Grand Bend, Ontario without incident and got steady work until a very brief break-up in 1981.

The band reformed months later with a new bassist named Pete Dekoker and a new drummer Jeff (Rooster) Rooth just in time for the release of their debut recording, this superb 12Inch on Nardem Records. In 1983 the new line up released a cassette titled Reign Of Terror. Soon after the band signed on with Savvy Records and released two singles. Oddly, these singles were both cover tunes; Henry VIII and a ripping version of White Christmas. In 1985 the band released their debut Stinkin Out The Joint perhaps their best known release. The band supported this album playing many gigs including CBGB's in New York City.

In early 1989, Markii Burnaway returned to the band. 63 Monroe began recording sessions with intentions of releasing a new album. With everything seemingly going well and sounding as good as ever, the band parted ways playing its last performance in August 1990 at "Call The Office" in London, Ontario Canada. 63 Monroe's greatest asset is their wildly energetic live performances. Taking nothing away from their recorded work, it was almost impossible for this energy to be transformed on to their recordings. And then...63 Monroe reunited July 5th and 6th 2002..and is back in business. Great record with seven goodies and popular on numerous compilations as well.

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DEAD MAN'S SHADOW - The 4P's 1983

After five decent singles, London's three piece combo Dead Man's Shadow released their debut album with fourteen melodic tunes on Expulsion. Original started D.M.S. with the first foray to studio activity as five piece and existed with Matt (vocals/bass), John (guitar), Ian (drums) until they broke up in 1984. They enjoyed only minor commercial success and that's a bit of a shame, because the three captivate with catchy melodies and excellent interplay. Sometimes too long for my taste, half of them more than three minutes, and I guess this was the band's undoing. Their second and final album, To Mohammed A Mountain, came out on Criminal Damage Records (shortly then the band dissolved), plus some compilation appearances. Fazit: good record but nothing earth-shaking.

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