STRINDBERGS - Bibeln 1983

Interesting band (named after Swedish author August Strindberg) from Stockholm that create a nice New Wave sound with a guitar flashing here and there that also sounds punkie at times, but the most part the tracks stay true to the three-minute framework. At first I was a bit skeptical because of the cover and the band name, but when converting the files I became friends with them and even listened twice, you see... the stuff works. You need food: Strindberg's original members consisted of the former KSMB drummer Johan Johansson on guitar & vocals, the former the Moderns bassist Janne Borgh on vocals & bass and Johan Carlén on drums. The latter stopped after the recording of the album Bombpartyt to concentrate on art studies. He was replaced by Pär Lundström, who started playing with the band during its last tour. During Strindberg's short time, they managed to release three albums & three singles. The first album was though to be a live album from a concert @ the Ultra house in Stockholm but a mistake by the sound technician led to that nothing was recorded that day and the album Bibeln was instead recorded in studio. The mini-album Med Strindbergs Ur Tiden came about as a result of a couple of days of studio time when a new single was to be recorded, but instead the group had time to make a whole album. The sound on the album is simple and raw, and sounds more like the band could sound live. The last album, Bombpartyt, was recorded six months later. Hard tour life and private problems led a little later to the split of the band. There were two compilations released on CD: Strindbergs (1990) and Släktklenoder 82-84 (2005).

In 2009, the band reunited at the Peace & Love festival and on the roof of Kulturhuset together with the drummer from Hellacopters, Robert Eriksson. The gigs were so much fun that there were repeats in 2010 with two gigs @ Kulturhustaket and one @ Ögir in Köping, and 2011 with a gig again at Kulturhustaket. 2012 was the international year of Strindberg and the band then played a few exclusive gigs around Sweden, including at a sold-out Nalen in Stockholm and @ Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg. The line-up consisted of Johan Johansson, Janne Borgh and again drummer Robban Eriksson from Hellacopters. Since then, the band has repeatedly played single gigs with the same line-up.

I think, a nice record that is good for stress relief.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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NORSKE GUTTER - Hvem Faaen Tror Du Du Er? 7'' 1980

Norske Gutter (Norwegian Boys) was a five piece and part of Oslo's underground scene in the Eighites and early Nineties. They played a solid mixture of Punk, Pop and Rock and their lyrics, which were in Norwegian, often had explicit content. The line up consisted of Stein (vocals), Johnny Yen (synth/piano/organ/vocals), Ståle (guitar), Ole (bass), Tom (drums) and they released in their lifespan four 7Inches on various labels. A bit info: The single's packaging and content were of a kind that the Kingdom of Norway had never seen before: nationally romantic motifs were homoerotically parodied on the cover, and the lyrics horrified puritans of all stripes. With the next release, "Madam Arthur"/"Jenny Jenny", a kick against double standards, and the third, "Gud Signe"/"Dans" (led to accusations of insulting majesty), playing live became increasingly less likely. But it was not due to a lack of musicality or pop quality, because the music critics praised the band, and the public bought the records - the first single's circulation of 1600 was e.g. sold out. After many years of silence, a new line-up was crafted in 1992, and the single "I Am The Eggman" came out, but without the same uproar that previous releases caused as far as the content was concerned. But the group's composition attracted a lot of attention in the press and the record also became Norske Gutter's biggest success in terms of sales, with around 2500 copies sold. (source: Norsk Pop & Rockleksikon) - Rarely represented on Compilations but on the first Anarki & Kaos: Norsk Punk 1979-1981 they were rightly included. Done, the last Friday post in 2022

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MANIACS - Chelsea 77 7'' 1977

Nothing new but damn cool and I'm stealing a bit basics from discogs: "Alan Lee Shaw (guitar, vocals) and Rod Latter (drums) came at the end of 1976 from Cambridge to London and founded alongside John "Twink" Alder and Dennis Stow (bass) the group the Rings. Following a few live gigs and one 7Inch "I Wanna Be Free" the group parted ways. Alan and Rod found via an add in Melody Maker the new bass player Robert Crash and the Manicas were found. The first concert was in France (Mont De Marsan Punk Festival) with The Clash, The Damned, and The Police on the same bill. In September 1977 the band recorded five songs, two of them made it to be released as the "Chelsea '77/Ain’t No Legend" 7Inch. In January 1978 the band split. The Maniacs were one of 1977’s original first flush Punk Rock bands in London signing to United Artist Records." Immortalized on numerous compilations and always welcome, not ordinary for a short-lived band.

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CRIMINAL SEX - Gangsters EP 1982

Criminal Sex were a four piece from Chesterfield and consisted of Pez (vocals), Bern (guitar), Sime (bass), Noz (drums) and their lone record was released via Flexi Tits Disc and this a damn cool stuff. Four brilliant old fashioned Eighties UK Punk smasher in less than seven minutes are being smashed out of here, and it's a shame there's only one fucking slab. The guys had potential and are rough and crazy in their own way. Intense and powerful and a real delight for any old school lover. On compilations they made it on an EP (Bloodsucker, '86) and three tapes. You see, the four are not hermits, but they aren't a busy musical ballet either. And when the pain was no longer bearable, the band was revived with a different formation as Criminal X and in 2017 the album Ernie Else Is A Police Informant followed, which received mostly positive feedback (read) and we will see how it goes on, enjoy!

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SUPERSTOLK - Froiedich's Kristkind EP 2010

Yesterday I didn't manage to post this ingenious D.I.Y. EP by this Offenbach duo, but there's more time this morning and it is the only Christmas post this year and I dedicate this honor to two good friends of mine and together they are the exceptional band from the small neighbor of Frankfurt: Superstolk. The band consisting of Mr. JörgRitter & Mr. TorstnKauke. Musical geniuses that cannot be pigeonholed play pop, jazz, rock, electronic, Punk & Hardcore. They've made a lot of releases and this EP is a big smash and let's see what they tell us now: "Here is a little Kristmas-present for everybody: Superstolk are playing twelve very trashy Punkrockrocker that were totally improvised and recorded using "Direct Brain-to-Audio" technics...This must be funny. After these songs Superstolk are playing the most popular x-mas-melodies directly to the recorder without practicing once. As merry as your christmas can get!" I promise you'll be amazed. Visit the world stars from the rhine-main-area at home on unpop-media and search for more obscure musical highlights, and this abstruse EP is exactly what Christmas this and every year deserves!

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V/A - Vertigo - Synth Punk Blasts 1978-1984 [2020]

When I took notice of this record I bought it immediately, on the one hand because the song selection is great, the time of release, the bands (more than 50% unknown) and I love international stuff, and then limited, so damn... why waiting?? Info: Vertigo is a compilation of SynthPunk, mainly from little known bands. This first volume will be available (vinyl only, limited to 300 copies) on December 15th, features American, German, British & Swedish bands. The term SynthPunk has been popularized in recent years, or rather vulgarized, becoming a genre that mostly describes electronic or new wave bands. This compilation highlights anger and nihilism punk with the violent rhythm of a fingering that assails a keyboard. Here, no synth pop, no new wave, no experimental music. This could be the sequel to the Killed By Synth compilation which is also led by raw razor shape synthesizers.

A brilliant review: "Well, first things first: compared to the unrelated but similarly-themed Killed by Synth comp. that preceded it, this new comp at least succeeds in only including bands that actually used keyboards, so no BIG BOYS, OIL TASTERS, or BOB this time around. In true KBD tradition, the focus here is on the the flipped-out and the fucked-up in the words of the compiler(s), “no synth pop, no new wave, no experimental music” and despite (presumably) being named after the SCREAMERS song, Vertigo skips over the usual synth-punk suspects in favor of some deeper and less obvious cuts. Highlights include the Bloodstains-via-Red Snerts snot of “Sophistication” by PLASTIC IDOLS (Houston’s answer to DOW JONES & THE INDUSTRIALS), organ-smeared mutant new wave with wild femme vocals from Santa Cruz’s SCHEMATIX on “Nothing Special,” the dark, frenetic end-times robo-pulse of “Happy Funeral” by Sweden’s KITCHEN & THE PLASTIC SPOONS, the jarring juxtaposition of sparse minimal wave and intense, unhinged vocals in German from DER KÜNFTIGE MUSIKANT’s “Es Ist Kalt”… also, totally bold move with the inclusion of “Food Fight” by the VILLAGE PEOPLE (yes, really) in the post-disco early ’80s, they revamped their image to pass as New Romantics and recorded this one-off, utterly dumb but kind of amazing slice of PLASTIC BERTRAND esque punksploitation with the former “construction worker” channeling his inner Tomata Du Plenty, now officially enshrined as the first dollar bin KBD bonzer. Not a predictable comp by any means, and that’s very much to its credit. (Erika Elizabeth, MRR #454 • March 2021)

This blast works fine and rubs really against my nervous head. Have a relaxed time with this hot fucking stuff and a pleasant time travel!

1.Laundramat Loverboy - ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

2.Making Time - THE STEVES

3.Trust In Technology - ADAPTORS

4.Businessman's Bounce - CRAIG BEVAN & THE TOURISTS

5.Love Me Tonight - THE MD'S

6.Bo Party - THE NAROS

7.Sophistication - PLASTIC IDOLS

8.Idle Worship - G SPOT

9.Food Fight - VILLAGE PEOPLE

10.Nothing Special - SCHEMATIX

11.Computer Love - LORD MANUEL & LA PESTE

12.Happy Funeral - KITCHEN & THE PLASTIC SPOONS

13.Here's What You Find In Any Prison - HIT PARADE

14.Es Ist Kalt - DER KÜNFTIGE MUSIKANT

15.Invisible Man - ANTI-MATTER

16.Stamp Out Mutants - TREATMENT

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V/A - Oi! Rare & Exotica 1997

Twenty-two Oi! presents from 1981-1996, wrapped and shipped from all over the world and in time for fucking Christmas we're travel to every corner of this beautiful planet to show our gratitude. Brought to us by Teenage Rebel Records, this unofficial release certainly doesn't make the bells ring sweet. On this decent compilation you will find some gems, that you may have passed in all those wasted years but now, within reach of you again and this selection describes a fantastic period in the musical Oi! history. With that, the curtain closes for today, the lights go out and now I'm going to cuddle with the Christ Child.

1.Futur Pour Tous - REICH ORGASM

2.Working Class - HOPE & GLORY

3.Eternos Amigos - CENTRAL DO BRASIL

4.Standerds Rule - COCKNEY COCKS

5.Dead Hero - 12 POINTBUCK

6.Rezystencja - REZYSTENCJA

7.Muz S Kozusinoym Rimcom - ZÓNA A

8.Let's Oi! - PSYCHOTERROR

9.Eu Tenho Um Pobre - MATA-RATOS

10.Los Planetas - LA LECHE

11.Ultimos Rockers - ANTISOCIALES

12.Hoffnung - STROMBERG POLKA

13.Modern Trouble - BIRTHWARD '82

14.Lautaro Rocanrol - OCHO BOLAS

15.Grito Proletario - COMANDO SUICIDA

16.Unite - MANIACS

17.Pyramid Party - QUICK & THE DEAD

18.Justitienmord - AGENT BULLDOGG

19.Kulttuuriarmeija - KOHU 63

20.Guido Und Anne - MICKY & DIE MÄUSE

21.No Tag - NO TAG

22.Concrete Jungle Jive - DIMINISHED RETURN

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FEINBEIN - Feinbein's Psychoshow 1983

Well, I had imagined the long weekend off differently, but the new equipment is driving me crazy and I have to find a solution quickly, otherwise I'll run amok. Irrespective of that, I come to the next post and we meet the local heroes from Hanau called Feinbein with their second album with ten rocking numbers are adorned with sophisticated lyrics and they may sound funny sometimes, but they shine with a healthy portion of sarcasm with criticism of different kinds of social conditions. All seven are also very talented musically and I recommend the third album, Schräge Vögel for further samples. A small contribution to Hessian music culture, also suitable for HardcorePunks. Breakfast now!

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OPPSLUTNING - Demos 1981-1982 [2010]

This interesting record is the demo recording from January 1982 by Oppslutning from Stavanger and it comes out at the beginning of the same year as self-released tape I guess. The band was formed of two disbanded bands Kortslutning and Oppspist (hence the name) and consisted of Jan (vocals), Erik (guitars), Otto (bass), Jone (drums) and didn't create anything on vinyl during their active time. Stavanger-Mandal International Records has remastered the piece and put fourteen cute chocolates on it, provided with a DIN-A insert (but only in Norwegian) and thus conjured up a worthy album of the four. Came in an edition of 300 hand numbered copies. Oppslutning have appeared on almost every Hurra For Norge compilation, Svindel Records' superb series released in the early 2000's. The sound is a bit old & simple and crackles almost monotonously, but the mastering of the moderate Oi!/Punk goodies was it worth and after twenty minutes the last groove is played.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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V/A - Clay Records Punk Singles Collection 1996

Well, Christmas is just around the corner and you might know this is not my time and I'm just only enjoying the days off before going back to servitude on Tuesday. But first we relax and the freedom kicks off with Receiver Records, who released this little compilation by the Clay Records label and this Punk Singles Collection "captures some of the prime material released on one of the most important labels in Britain's transition from Punk to Hardcore. The collection is naturally dominated by Discharge, who have eight of the twenty-two songs here; there are also multiple selections from G.B.H, the Abrasive Wheels, and the Lurkers, plus one track apiece by the Killjoys and future goth mainstays the Sex Gang Children. While it might be better for some fans to simply pick up compilations by the individual artists for a more detailed look, this will serve those who simply want a more concise overview." (Steve Huey) - Now you know what to expect: rough, trashy, and urgent sound, that pleases even the innocent Christ Child. 💀

1.Reality Of Wars - DISCHARGE

2.Fight Back - DISCHARGE

3.Decontrol - DISCHARGE

4.Never Again - DISCHARGE

5.No Survivors - G.B.H.

6.Sick Boy - G.B.H.

7.This Dirty Town - THE LURKERS

8.State Violence State Control - DISCHARGE

9.Give Me Fire - G.B.H.

10.Drag You Out - THE LURKERS

11.This Is Not Love - THE KILLJOYS

12.Frankenstein Again - THE LURKERS

13.Catch 23 - G.B.H.

14.Jailhouse Rock - ABRASIVE WHEELS

15.Mauritia Mayer - SEX GANG CHILDREN

16.Banner Of Hope - ABRASIVE WHEELS

17.The Price Of Silence - DISCHARGE

18.Let's Dance Now - THE LURKERS

19.The Prisoner - ABRASIVE WHEELS

20.The More I See - DISCHARGE

21.Do What You Do - G.B.H.

22.Ignorance - DISCHARGE

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