THE ZEROS - Don't Push Me Around 1977

  

The Zeros are a four piece from Chula Vista/California, founded 1976 and this little fucker combines seventeen rare and unreleased classics from 1977, seasoned by Javier (vocals/guitars), Robert (guitars), Hector (bass), Baba (drums). They released three 7Inches in the late seventies, early eighties and the band was considered as pioneers of punkrock on the West Coast and they infamous for playing an entire set consisting of eight replays of "Beat Your Heart Out" in San Francisco. They played their first major gig in Los Angeles at the Orpheum. Opening the show was the first performance by the Germs, followed by the Zeros and then the Weirdos. In 1980, after they recorded their third single, the band fizzled out. In 1995, the four resurfaced with a new album, Knockin' Me Dead. More recently, the Zeros reunited to tour in Spain in early 2007. All four members reunited again for a short West Coast tour that began in San Diego in June 2009. In October 2010, The Zeros embarked on a short tour of the East Coast and been active ever since, I think. This nugget was released via BOMP! Records in 1991 and shines with huge melodic biscuits, five of them live.

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EXECUTIONER - Hellbound 2019

Enough cuddle songs, today we will hard, fast, tight and loud and this short lived San Jose Punk/Hardcore band were formed in the early 80s by Dave (vocals), Bill (guitars), Phil (bass), Lauren (drums) and had an immediate impact in the South Bay Area and the surrounding suburbs, while they may have only been around for a few short years. This record features their studio recordings from '82 and '83, including the tracks from the legendary, 1983, cassette-only, San Jose comp Growing Pains and discogs say they released a 12Inch in 1985 but I think, this is another band because no track of this release is here. With their distinctive metal influenced guitar work they sounded unlike many of their contemporaries who were bashing out 1-2-3-4 play it fast hardcore. Executioner had a much more developed style and a higher caliber of songwriting skills and the recording show just how ahead of the curve they were. Anyway, this decent compilation was excavated by PukeNVomit Records in an edition of 110 copies in splatter vinyl, 540 in black, comes with an insert, flyer booklet, postcard photo and sticker. I can only say an interesting band whose music excited me the first time I listen to it and that can only be brilliant.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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AKTION SÄGEWERK - Aufrecht Gehn 1992

Founded 1981 in Buchen and the band has numerous albums out, all self-released and known only to a few. The baby is called Aktion Sägewerk, and consists of Zenzi (guitars/vocals), Ralph (bass/vocals), Bundi (drums/vocals) and this is the debut on Face Music, 500 copies were pressed. Their credo: "We can't do anything, but we're good at it." That's why they decided punkrock as their style. And because they were overwhelmed with playing songs by other musicians, they wrote their own. Their bad reputation spread so quickly that soon people from all over the world came to pay homage to them. The band experienced their most successful period in the 1990s. At that time, the three musicians founded a civil law society and covered their costs with performance fees. In some years they gave up to thirty concerts. The musicians not only made the Schwarzwald and Odenwald unsafe, but also shook the stage at concerts from Oberstdorf to Hamburg and from Hoyerswerda to St. Ingbert. 

Today I can't say exactly how I came to the band but the fact is, I like their music and their lyrics aren't 08/15, so I contacted the gents, I think it was Bundi who answers, and ordered their record, plus the others, which are unfortunately only available as CD. I guess there are more available, just get in touch with them. Aufrecht Gehn has thirteen solid numbers, including a well-made Nena cover, plus charming fast hits and can best be described as DeutschPunk, whereby Zenzi's predilection for beat music can be clearly heard. In 2001 they decided to take it easy. At the moment they play once a year at Café Pfeiffer in Buchen. Schöne Platte!

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NEWTOWN NEUROTICS - Elephant Demos 1980

Available for the first time No Plan Records conjures first-class nuggets by one of my favorite bands out of the hat. Recorded 1980 with their original drummer Tig, these demos have never been previously released and resurfaced now when the band is about to celebrate its 40th bithday. Why they never put these recordings on vinyl remains a mystery. Perhaps because shortly afterwards they changed the drummer and wanted to record these songs with him? On this deluxe gatefold longplayer you'll find ten originals from back in the day and one exclusive cover (Peggy Sue) recorded live in 1980 as well. As for Newtown Neurotics, you know what you can expect: heartfelt tuneful punk rock that makes you stop and reflect upon things, just like punk is supposed to. Edition of 350 copies, 300 black vinyl, 50 blue. If you don't know the band, I definitely recommend you, to look for more, no matter if compilations or albums. They're still active and in 2018, funds for a full-length documentary on the band's history were successfully raised through Kickstarter: Kick Out!: The Newtown Neurotics Story. Enjoy!

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MISFITS - Static Age 1997

October says goodbye, and which band is particularly suitable, exactly: The Misfits. I was absolutely of the opinion that I already posted this slab, but I couldn't find it in the search function, which has nothing to say, but obviously I suffer from Alzheimer. Egal, fact is: Static Age is an important and influential masterpiece, recorded in 1978, with seventeen melodic superb numbers for me almost the best songs that they ever written. Although it was the first entirety album the band ever recorded, it was not released until 1997. Numerous positive reviews can be found, and I would like to quote the following here:

"Recorded thanks to some studio time received in exchange for giving up an early label name claimed by another company, though unreleased in its original form until its appearance on Box Set, Static Age shows that early on the Misfits' particular vision was strong enough to last over a full-vinyl set. "Full" being relative, admittedly; like the band's other few full-length efforts, Static Age barely cracks the half-hour mark, packing in seventeen songs (plus a brief crackle of, naturally, static at the start and finish). Everyone in the band as they stood at the time just smokes; the recording quality is raw and strong, and those qualities which helped the Misfits stand out from the pack, especially Danzig's amazing singing and Franche Coma's fierce guitar takes on the singer's melodies, are on fine display. There's a fair amount of clangor and mess, to be sure, but it all sounds perfectly intentional, capturing a blend of punk mess, horror theatrics, and wicked humor that was theirs alone. Classics abound: "TV Casualty," with its blatant I Love Lucy end sample, the ridiculously entertaining sex fantasy "Teenagers From Mars," the perfectly pissed off "Attitude," and the crashed thrashers "We Are 138" and "Return Of The Fly." Then there's the brilliant "Last Caress", cartoon criminal punk idiocy turned into singalong madness later made famous by Misfits fanatics Metallica. Given how many tracks slipped out here and there over time on the various overlapping compilations, hardcore fans will find this a bit redundant in the end, but newcomers to the group will find this essential. Discographical matters got even more confused in later years when Static Age was issued as a stand-alone effort with three more songs appended from the sessions, including "Spinal Remains" and a re-recording of "She." (Ned Raggett, AllMusic)

A real nugget and absolutely indispensable!

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SPECIAL DUTIES - '77 In '97 1997

Twelve years later, the band was back on scene for the 1995's Fuck Reading at the Brixton Academy. After that the group didn't split again and now, they are still gigging and recording. One result is their second album, released via Captain Oi! records and Mark created really new material on his label for the first time: the reformed Special Duties were at the start. And of course they didn't sound more modern in 1997 than they did in their heyday at the beginning of the 80s. A short review: "77 in 97 is produced a little better and compositionally a tad more relaxed than most of the old pods of the group. Still, the guys are still going crazy. A song like "Top 40", for example, shows that their old hardcore punk edge is still there. "No Place For Reason (In My Heart)", however, already goes through as powerfully commercial. Many other songs are more in the '77 style, but not too tame. And it is precisely in this niche that special duties fit best at an advanced age. By the way, as a bonus there are six old demo takes, including the classic "Violent Society". (Jan Jaedike) Well, I tell you, don't be afraid of their debut '77 In '82, which also sounds rough and harsh. Great band, and they continue to fuck our ears with great arguments, that'll kick the cold out of your house, guaranteed!

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NOCTURNAL PROJECTIONS - Studio Recordings 2018

All right friends, for the weekend a band that I appreciate very much and whose music is extra class, a few basics: Formed in Stratford, near New Plymouth, New Zealand in 1981, Nocturnal Projections was the explosive project of legendary and prolific brothers Graeme and Peter Jefferies (who would later form This Kind of Punishment before launching their solo careers), who along with friends Brett Jones and Gordon Rutherford, created some of the most energetic and influential avant-garde punk rock to emerge from the country.

Largely ignored during their tenure (but revered and referenced in the years after their breakup) and often compared to UK contemporaries like Joy Division, Comsat Angels, The Fall, or Wire, Nocturnal Projections stood well apart - never enjoying the luxuries of unlimited studio time, music videos or international fame, the NPs possessed a driven, rough-hewn serrated edge that cut through the lot comparisons to the UK post-punk exports of the era. They were ahead of their time, completely singular, and for those that had the benefit of seeing Nocturnal Projections play live – formative, with a dedicated cult following to this day.

As residents of New Plymouth’s Lion Tavern during their first year as a band, they perfected their soaring, impactful live set locally (often as the only band, without an opener and 3 hours to fill!) before heading off to Auckland in January of 1982, performing with bands like The Fall, John Cooper Clarke, and New Order at venues like The Mainstreet Cabaret, The Rumba Bar and Reverb Room. *The band recorded three EPs at Stebbing Studios in Auckland: The self-titled and self-released 7” single released April 1st of 1982, with the “Another Year” 12Inch following later that year. Their self-titled three song 12” was recorded in 1983, and released by the band posthumously that June, after the band called it quits. The Jefferies would move on and regroup with Rutherford and sound engineer Andrew Frengley shortly after the NPs fell apart to work under the This Kind of Punishment banner.

“Complete Studio Recordings” comprises the three original Nocturnal Projections studio records, direct to board recordings on a 24 track and not a synthesizer to be found! This release is a crucial part of New Zealand’s punk history, remastered and collected for existing fans and new audiences. Frantic and fast punk anthems like Nerve Ends In Power Lines, Isn’t That Strange, and In Purgatory are a shot in the gut, while slower, more introspective tracks like Difficult Days and You’ll Never Know reveal what the band had in store later with TKP. Nocturnal Projections are hard to pin down: bright, slashing, and prominent guitars with driving solid basslines and drums in tight lockstep, all with Peter Jefferies’ urgent signature baritone vocals soaring alongside – the result is still perhaps the most energetic, unique, and fresh music to ever emerge from the post-punk scene. 

One more great album Inmates In Images was released in 2018 and comprises the band’s best and rare material recorded right off the board at key gigs, capturing the unique and unbridled energy of Nocturnal Projections. And now: ENJOY!!

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DEZERTER - Kolaboracja 1987

Let's move to east Europe and we meet one of the most famous bands there and the following info is from somewhere, here we go: SS-20 were formed in May 1981, in the Warszawa region. All four members were very young, and more or less learned to play their instruments by forming this group. The original line-up was Robert "Robal" Matera (vocals/guitar), Darek "Stepa" Stepnowski (bass) and Krzysiek Grabowski (drums). Soon after, Darek "Skandal" Hain joined on lead vocals. By the beginning of '83, the group had introduced the new name, Dezerter, at which point the members had solidified their sound, as a hardcore punk group, certainly the second generation. Sierpien 1983, Dezerter were granted the opportunity to record a EP under supervision of the state label Tonpress. The general commission selected four songs they found most lyrically acceptable. 1987 Skandal parted ways with Dezerter, and their first concert without him would be the Jarocin Festival, at which point Robal took over on lead vocals. This same year, the group's meeting with Canadian punk Joey Shithead of D.O.A. brought them the issue of their first full length, Underground Out Of Poland. Released by Maximum RockNRoll Collective,  the record consisted of live recordings from their demos, and the four tracks from their Tonpress 7", re-issued without authorization of the label. 

The case was with all punk bands to record with Tonpress, that the label usually found some way of the rights to the recording remaining in custody of the state label, and the group recieving absolutely zero royalties. This year, the group also made their first professional studio LP, Kolaboracja. The album was issued under a vinyl-club, and only available through the post. Released by the Razem Label, 5000 pressed. Today, a very rare item. Great Stuff!

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PVC - Basic Colours 1984

PVC was founded directly after the first punk rock concert (February 25th, 1977 The Vibrators) in Berlin by Knut (vocals / bass), Raymond & Gerrit (guitar). After trying out different drummers, Jürgen finally joined the band and completed the first line-up. PVC existed in this combination until February 1979. During this time, in March 1978, the group created the term WALL CITY ROCK, which gave them more freedom in developing their musical spectrum. The ribbon carousel continued to rotate vehemently and after a short interlude from original drummer Jürgen D., Knut and Raymond continued with Torsten (drums) and Jimmy (guitar) as PVC. The band existed with this line-up from the end of 1979 to 1984 and released three albums. Basic Colours is the third one and has ten rock numbers to offer. From 1988 and with more line-up changes, the band was active (but not really a new album was recorded, only a few cool compilations with their old stuff came out) until their last concert on March 10, 2012 @ Wild At Heart in Kreuzberg.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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V/A - Me Want Breakfast! 1987

A fine unofficial release is the Dangerhouse Collection of their label bands with rare songs of the first 7Inches. Quickinfo: "In 1977, Dangerhouse was one of the first independent labels to jump into the fray and document the burgeoning West Coast punk rock scene, and all these years later their taste and judgment seems damn near faultless -- they released records on many of California's finest first-wave punk bands, including X, the Avengers, the Weirdos, and the Dils, and future members of Wall of Voodoo and the Gun Club were lurking among the members of Dangerhouse's other acts. Thankfully, the folks behind the label were also mindful of production quality, and were able to make great sounding records despite limited means -- their stuff simply sounded better than what most indie labels were offering in the early stages of the game. This compilation is a raucous and wildly entertaining look at what was one of America's most vital punk rock scenes, and few collections can match this for sheer power and lunatic joy." (Mark Deming, All Music Guide) Interesting song selection, numerous classics and very well done.

1.We Don't Need The English - THE BAGS

2.T.A.Q.N. - EYES

3.Kill The Hippies - DEADBEATS

4.Prolixin Stomp - RHINO 39

5.Mr.Big - THE DILS

6.Nothing Means Nothing Anymore - ALLEYCATS

7.We're Desperate - X

8.Solitary Confinement - THE WEIRDOS

9.Los Angeles - X

10.Disneyland - EYES

11.Survive - THE BAGS

12.Class War - THE DILS

13.Xerox/No Compromise - RHINO 39

14.Neutron Bomb - THE WEIRDOS

15.Adult Books - X

16.Let's Get Rid Of New York - RANDOMS

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