TACONES - Difícil 7'' 1981

Interesting combo from Madrid, formed in the late 70's by Alberto Larios (vocals/guitar), Ramiro (guitar), Fernando (bass/keyboards), Carlos (drums) and this is their second 7Inch on Zafiro. Four young people, fascinated by the look of the swinging Mod scene in the UK and the catchy refrains of the new sound, founded the Tacones with pure beat premises, heavily influenced by veteran British beat bands with a long tradition such as the Kinks, Searchers or the Beatles. Dressed in impeccable suits, shirts and ties and gleaming pointy boots in the purest mod style that added visual appeal to their polished live shows. In March 1980, they released their first single, based on the soundtrack of the Juan José Porto film of the same name, Crónicas Del Bromuro/Rita (Chapa Discos), where they performed a cover version of the Los Brincos song 'Mejor'. They started playing gigs in small towns like El Tiemblo, in the Albacete bullring, and received extensive mostly positive reviews nationwide and got a bit better known. Prior to the long awaited album, Chapa released another single Difícil/ Rita Se Hizo De Oro in 1981 which earned good references, delivering an energetic, catchy and melodic songs that ranks among the best of their short discography.

At the end of the year, they switched from Chapa to parent label, multinational Zafiro, falling into the hands of then-flashy arrangers and producers and Requiem Final (1981) saw the light of day. The album's song of the same name was intended to pay homage to John Lennon, who was murdered the previous year. It was also released as a 12Inch in a limited edition for fans, complemented by the voice of the presenter Joaquín Luqui, who dedicated some warm words to the late ex-Beatle. But neither the critics nor the general public took notice of this work, which was soon to be found at bargain prices on the shelves of the big department stores.

Unabashed pop with plenty of good reviews, but the truth is that the band, with their well-crafted songs, their impasto voices and all their coherence, sadly went unnoticed, maybe because they foresaw the moment, maybe because their album lacked the ingredients for suspense . Whatever the case, the Tacones disbanded and disappeared forever in the fall of 1982 after releasing one final single, Te Mintio/Clin Clin (Zafiro), to little success.

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LEATHERFACE - Fill Your Boots 1990

Gladly seen and always welcome in my house are my friends from Sunderland and first of all a sentence that I want to put to your heart and can only underline: "England's Leatherface are a rare treasure in contemporary music, a good old-fashioned Punk band who are neither near-sighted nor necrophiles." (Alex Ogg) And exactly these words will still be able to be said about the four in one hundred fucking years. Cherry Knowle from 1989 is the bands first full length and is considered to be a Hardcore masterpiece nowadays. The second followed a few months later on Roughneck Records and also there, all hallmarks are in place: "melodic and gruff, fast and abrasive, blunt and wistful." The recordings sound a bit more professional and mature and only eight tracks were taken for Boots (this file contains the CD version with four bonus farts, vinyl rip soon) but these are completely sufficient and fuck your brain in a catchy way. But that's not all folks, it gets even better because with their third album Mush they created one of the most intense Punk records of the nineties. Weekend's near and I pack my suitcase. Aloha!

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DACKELBLUT - Fluten & Tauchen 1997

Now an older rip and some of you may be familiar with the sound of Hamburg's Dackelblut, sprouted from the rest of the seeds of Blumen Am Arsch Der Hölle, which in turn were the successor band to the legendary Angeschissen. With a slightly different line-up, the band consisted of Jens (vocals), Andreas (guitars), Wieland (bass), Heiner (drums) and this is their second & last album on Schiffen Records. In terms of lyrics, haunting everyday observations are written in witty words and musically packed in brilliant perfection. As with the debut, Frankie Stubbs managed to give the songs the right polish. All records of the band are only available on vinyl and in 2022 the complete discography (two albums & one single) were re-released as a double LP which I can only recommend (buy here). Fluten & Tauchen has thirteen great, cynically refreshing Punkrock attacks that hardly any other combo can write and anything but botched! A very good record that shouldn't be miss in any decent collection.

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NASTY MEDIA - Spiked Copy EP 1978

Obscure combo from Leeds which release one 7Inch via Lightning Records and they were active from 1977-1979 and it's not surprising that their single has disappered into insignificance because all four songs have the same monotonous rhythm, stomp through without much fuss and sound the same, unspectacular fits perfect here. But it's okay and one song even made it onto the Killed By Death #007 Compilation. About line-up or anything else I have no further infos, but one thing is sure, in a few hours and after more than three years of abstinence, I'm back in the stadium and enjoying the DFB Cup match between the SGE versus Darmstadt, that's going to be hot.... you can also watch it live on TV.

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V/A - BIPPP: French Synth-Wave 1979-1985 [2006]

Born Bad Records released this charming Compilation with thirteen rare pieces with a 16 pages booklet, including bands stories & photos (unfortunately only in French) and we enjoy a healthy mix of Cold/New Wave goodies from the early days. Info: "Increasingly detached from the original Punk formula, the modern and arty youth of the early eighties set itself to jettison an artform that had lost much of the nihilistic and exhilarating energy of its halcyon days, stuck, as it was, in an endless and noisy regression. 'No Future' was the motto of an artform without a cause that no longer echoed with the mindset of the time. Disheartened but eager to experiment and create, a New Wave of French musician followed the beacon of Jacno’s seminal 79 hit “Rectangle”, a visionary, digital coup de grâce ,courtesy of a former punk which dealt the Rickenbacker and Fender era a fatal blow. The cold and robot-like bips of analogic keyboards took over. Casio, Korg MS 10, Arp Omni were the new paraphernalia of the növö generation. The ideal conveyers of its retro-futurist elegance and self-professed cold arrogance. They were pinnacles and symbols which turned as potent a fetiche as the electric guitar in the fifties or the laptop in the nineties." Not as punkie as Vertigo, but absolutely brilliant!

1.Contagion - A TROIS DANS LES WC

2.Ping Pong - ACT

3.Je T'écris D'Un Pays - LES VISITEURS DU SOIR

4.Terroriste - VOX DEI

5.Touche Pas Mon Sexe - COMIX

6.Partie 1 - TGV

7.20h25 - C.K.C

8.Pretty Day - MARIE MÖÖR

9.Game And Performance - DEUX

10.Polaroïd-Roman-Photo - RUTH

11.Aller Simple - VITOR HUBLOT

12.Le Jour Se Lève - VISIBLE

13.Viol AF 015 - CASINO MUSIC

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UNDERJORDISKA LYXORKESTERN - Lögnens Mästare 12'' 1982

Now to a band where I'm really undecided. On the one hand their music bores me a little, on the other hand I can't say they suck, do you know what I mean? There are passages that I really like and some that don't infect me and I'm open to good early sound that came out of my youth, and you can't know everything and there was a lot of crap as well (see NDW) but I'm really undecided on this combo. Kicks partly and becomes uninteresting at the same time. A damn conflicht. But I'm posting it now, because it's rare and not total scrap, decide for yourselfs. Some facts: Underjordiska Lyxorkestern (Underground Luxury Orchestra) were formed after TT Reuter and Garbochock were finished and was a Swedish band from Lund and consisted of Henrik (vocals/keys/horns), D.F. Mikael (guitars), Peter (bass/violin/vocals) Binke (drums) and this is their second release on Heartwork Records after the fucking rare Kärleksön 7'' (five testpressings made & remains unreleased, was 1983 as one-sided single released). The only album, Prairie Romanser, was released in 1982 via Silence, and that was it. After releasing their first record, they were the opening act for Siouxsie & The Banshees on their Scandinavian tour in Summer 1982. Peter left the group in 1982 and they continued for a short time as a trio before disbanding in the mid Eighties. Found on some comps, one of them the great Vägra Raggarna Benzin Vol.3 & 4 double record set on Massproduktion. Well, it would be interested what you think about it and write your opinion in the comments.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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AESTHETICS - Accept. Except. Not Nothing Negative EP 1981

The Aesthetics were founded in Westminster/California and they consisted of Seph (vocals), Paul (guitars), Gino (bass), Jim (drums) and this is their only EP on Psychobud with four hectic tracks that shine with shrill guitars and a very stuttering rhythm. When I search for this rare EP, I keep coming across the term 'Art Punk'. What is that? I can't classify this term, but when I listen to the music I can't discover anything about it. Sure, the guys don't celebrate an ordinary mid-tempo sound and catchy is different, and a six minute song on a 7Inch as well, but is that the reason for naming it that way? I don't know, for me it's a very good Punk record with snotty vocals and brilliant music, played a little differently but cool. Maybe it's still too early to discuss this further, and the four weren't invited to compilations at the time, but the detectives paid tribute to the Aesthetics on their selfmade CD-R and that's good.

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1ST OFFENCE - Night The Punks Turned Ugly EP 1983

It's Friday and you know what that means, time for cool music and good mood, both are now performed by a band from Livingston and in the early Eighties, the underground scene there consisted of more than a dozen bands and one of them was 1st Offense, which consisted of Rollo (vocals), Gus (guitars), Bod (bass) and Sammy (drums). The boys didn't last very long, from about 1981-1984, playing local gigs with irregular regularity and releasing their only rare EP Night The Punks Turned Ugly 1983 on Chaos Records. A review: A real abrasive, guitar-heavy mid-tempo Punk record. The title song, which they’ve borrowed from a newspaper headline, concerns a Punk “riot” and has an amazingly cool oriental-flavored guitar bridge. Real hot! The other cuts are more typical. (Jeff Bale, MRR #10 • December 1983) - Well, I find all three songs catchy and would put each one on a Compilation, they haven' been considered for such, hmmm. In 2017 followed a reissue on VomitoPunkrockRecords in various versions. Enjoy!

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HUGGIN' WAYNE - All The Goods 7'' 1992

One more short-lived combo from Finland and Huggin' Wayne consisted of Timo (vocals/bass), Lasse & Mikko (guitars), Reiska (drums) and in their active days (1991-1993) they released this little 7Inch via Trash Can Records in an numbered edition of 600 copies. Two strong groove numbers with heavily distorted guitars and a bombastic, bass-heavy sound, I would say it's almost Stoner Rock. Rhythm dominated, sluggish and impulsive. Little infos about the boys but I guess, all members have merged into other bands. On compilations they have another song on Runeberginkatu 8 that was released in 1993 via Oskun Divari. Both Thumps Up!

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DEPRESSION - Moderne EP 1980

Only record by Depression from Bordeaux with two short goodies and an almost five-minute piece on the flip. Minimally driving mid-tempo rhythms with two creaky guitars, pleasant short solos and the long track is audible as well. The band were formed 1980 by Jean-Marc (vocals/bass), Alain & Gilbert (guitars) and Jean-Claude (drums). They met after a classified ad at Gaby, a guitar dealer in Bordeaux, and they rehearse at the Chalet in Pompignac, a studio that's actually an annex to Jean-Marc's house and will be familiar to many musicians. Patrice replaces Jean-Claude on drums shortly before recording the 7Inch, recorded @ the Isis Studios and 1000 copies were pressed, but at least half have been lost or destroyed. Concerts in the Pergola, in the Bénauge with the Stilletos, first part of the SAINTS in Libourne 1981. A concert in Pau in front of 1500 people where suddenly several cops rushed the group, because of the loud noises. Several tracks have been recorded but unfortunately another vinyl didn't came out and in 1984 the band disbanded. "Barbelés" appears later on the Bordeaux Rock Compilation (2006) and other songs from the EP are featured on numerous unofficial compis.

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