KAMALA & THE KARNIVORES - Girl Band EP 1989

We stay cozy but now with a bit more punk factor with female power four piece Kamala & The Karnivores, a San Francisco Bay Area band which was active from 1987 until 1989 when they originally disbanded. They were one of the few female bands closely associated with the early days of 924 Gilman Street, a Berkeley institution that is the longest running all ages venue for underground music in the US. The band recently reformed in order to play the Lookouting Festival at 924 Gilman in January of 2017, a popular four-day event that drew well over six hundred attendeesworldwide. The Karnivores enjoyed themselves so much that they have opted to play a limited run of additional shows in 2017. The band consisted of Kamala (vocals), Todd (guitar/tambourine/vocals), Lynda (guitars/vocals), Ivy (bass) and Maracas (drums) and sounded a little indie-rock in their tempos and melodies but they pulled it off with a Punkish swagger. Definitive East Bay pop band and we have four sweet songs about being in love, killing boys, and black thumbs, this is their only 7Inch released via Lookout! Records and Compilations featured the band on the The Thing That Ate Floyd from 1988. In 2018 there was a final sign of life in form of a mini-CD with seven songs called Vanity Project.

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ICE CREAMS - Flashes 7'' 1979

Well, now it's getting a bit poppier and yes, I know many will now think, what's wrong with you, but the record is absolutely worth listening to and the Ice Creams from... well, where from... were a short-lived four piece that only released this 7Inch on Mafia Records. The band consisted of Ernst (vocals/guitars/keys), Paolo (guitars), Sidney (bass) & Werner (drums). The boys combine elements of pop and rock and create beautiful melodies, giving the two songs a characteristic sound. "Flashes" is one of their most famous songs and has been played in various European countries. However, the band didn't have an commercial success and this record is now more an insider tip among fans of this era. Cozy & chilled, let them enter!

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WHIZZ KIDS - Suspect No.1 7'' 1980

Okay, let me first say this isn't my vinyl rip, except for the B-side, which is from the East Compilation but since nobody is able to send me a solid copy and I'd like to work through the wanted list I looked for the single and it's really amazing that there isn't a good quality of this bloody sucker anywhere and to buy it, well, you can see for yourself how much money people want for this, hence this stolen A-side because I think this four piece deserves a bit of your attention as well. The Whizz Kids were a four piece from Lincoln and consisted of Lox (vocals/guitars), The Dodger (guitars), Dave (bass), Rob (drums) and this ist their second 7Inch which was released via Ovation Records. Otherwise, not much is known about the band itself and there is only less infos, they were active in the late Seventies, early Eighties and are mainly known for their contribution to the local music scene. Well, maybe an original rip will be welcome at some point, so it stays on the Wanted-List. The title track is an excellent PowerPop number while the flip is a bit quieter, cool stuff in any case. - My screams have been heard and forget the words above of a bad rip, now the excellent vinyl version:

- Great Thx to Bruce -

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IDIOTS - Der S⁰⁴ Und Der BVB EP 1983

I would say that the guys who follow now are pretty popular with you and your comments and downloads show that, so I think it's time for the self-released debut record by the Idiots from Dortmund. They started in 1978 with slow Oi! Punk which you can hear on this record very well, then developed into HardcorePunk in the mid Eighties. A review: "The Idiots are a primitive, alcohol-swigging bunch from Germany. They stumble between Oi-influenced sing-alongs (like the title cut) and sloppy, enjoyable thrashers (like “Edeka”), all the while preserving a sense of humor and fuzzy guitar backing." (Jeff Bale, MRR #17 • September 1984) His words sum it up perfectly and that's the great thing about the band, it's not about political crap or world-weariness but about everyday life and its challenges and the way they put that into their lyrics is simply remarkable. This is probably the reason why many appreciate and love this band so much. Unfortunately, I haven't seen them live yet, at least I think so, my memory is also a bit failing. Anyway, great record with 5 hits!

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THE BOMBS - Live! 7'' 1979

So my dear friends, and before I turn to soccer, which starts again today, we come to a record from a band that hasn't much released. From Wisconsin came the Bombs and this is their lone record on their own label BombRecords with two live goodies which were recorded I think in the late Seventies but I have no further infos. This beauty is an example of the high-energy music of the era and features the rawness and lightheartedness of fast & powerful songs that reflect the heyday and rough style of Punk. The band was part of the emerging scene and may have played at various clubs and concerts that were important in promoting the rough sound during this era. However, infos about the Bombs and their music are rather limited compared to more popular bands of the era. Fact is they were part of the Bloodstains Across Wisconsin CD-R from 2012 and that is already a small tribute. Really sad as I said, bio or history about them are hardly available, as they aren't one of the most well-known representatives of scene. They were likely influenced by other well-known bands such as the Ramones, Sex Pistols or the Clash. While the Bombs may not have achieved the same level of fame as some of their contemporaries, they contributed to the diversity and development of Punkrock and their music could be appreciated by collectors today.

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MR.X - Never EP 1981

I was browsing through my hard drive again and came across the following slab and it is amazing what treasures lie dormant there. Mr.X were originally from Hobart but spent time based in Sydney and this is their first EP on EMI Custom Records with four solid tunes and 2000 copies were pressed and the band is best known for their music in the early 1980s. Their EP "Never" was released in 1981 and features a mix of Punk/New Wave elements that were popular at the time and they were part of the emerging underground scene in Australia and helped develop the genre. The slab is fairly unknown because the competition was very fierce at the time and they had a hard time competing with their wavy sound so they went largely unnoticed but the record did receive praise in their home country for its distinctive sound and catchy melodies. Unfortunately there isn't much comprehensive information about the band themselves as they didn't become as well known as some of their contemporaries. Nevertheless, the EP remains an interesting piece of music history that could appeal to fans of the genre. I like the female vocals, the decent mid-tempo sound and also lyrically they have something to say, amazingly professional and no scrap. A second 7Inch came in 1983 and after that Mr.X was history.

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THE DAMNED - Friday 13th EP 1981

Just the right time for an almost classic and it's difficult to say anything bad about the gents from London. At least I don't know of any bad albums, but I have to admit I haven't heard them all. I'm lazy today and will use a few lines from Wiki that sum up almost everything in a nutshell, here we go: This little four track beauty was issued by the Damned as the result of a one-off liaison with Nems Records and was released on 13.November 1981, which fell on a Friday. The lead-off track, "Disco Man", was featured on many Compilations, also becoming a live favourite. Two of the other three tracks, "Billy Bad Breaks" and "Limit Club", were composed by the band; the final track was a cover version of the Rolling Stones song "Citadel". Not tired at all and elegant sexy, who needs words when the music has everything? A very good phase of the band!

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FEHLFARBEN - Agenten In Raucherkinos 12'' 1983

The last attempt to tie in with the past was made by Fehlfarben (... emerged from the free-spirited Düsseldorf Pioneers Mittagspause, who had been attracting the attention of the scene and a few media people since their fantastic single "Herrenreiter". When they released Monarchie Und Alltag on EMI and weren't the ideologically firmly anchored band that some wanted to see them as, they were accused of selling out and betraying the underground cause. This ultimately didn't work out, because while, for example, the Clash signed with the then world's largest label CBS with an embarrassingly rambling revolutionary attitude, they didn't make any such claims. Art is free, otherwise it isn't art.) with their third album Glut Und Asche and these two songs were released in advance as 7inch & 12inch and it turned out rather weak. The steam has definitely gone and both pieces are extremely shady, shallow monotone pop songs and so the end had to come a year later. Lyrically still in a good mood but to blow me away it needs more spirit and rawness, too smooth all this... well, listen to it and you'll know what I mean.

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MALIBU KENS - Be My Barbie... 7'' 1981

"This is one of the first independent Punk 7Inches from Edmonton. Blank Generation might possibly have beaten them to the racks, but at this point Edmonton's best known Punk band, SNFU, didn't yet exist as such. The Malibu Kens formed in 1980 under the name Joey Did & The Necrophiliacs, and became the Malibu Kens by 1981. Shortly after the name change, the band's style changed from Punk to Pop. A very limited edition cassette of the early material was recorded after the name and stylistic change, released under the Joey Did & The Necrophiliacs name. The Malibu Kens were never very popular during their short lifetime, often relegated to being the unpaid opening act at most of their gigs, but they persevered and produced a number of recordings. In 1981 they released the Be My Barbie 7Inch which was recorded by Mike (vocals), Scott (guitars), Dennis (bass) and The Dobe (drums), co-produced by the band and Kim Uprigh of the Modern Minds, whose single was released in 1980. In 1982 they recorded the song Physical Poison for the Westwatch Compilation which was never released. A year later they recorded two songs for the It Came From InnerSpace Compi. In addition to these vinyl cuts, they also issued a number of basement demos & live recordings on cassette." (Steve Roby)

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THE TAXIS - No More Shit For The Kids 7'' 1978

Five piece from the dutchland and this is their only record on Polydor with two nice rockin' tunes which others like to call Punkrock but for me the boys are too harmless, too soft I would almost say. The lyrics don't seem bad to me and visually they also fulfill the clean Rock cliché. But that's it. Both songs are listenable (the flip takes some getting used to), no question about it, and certainly good for a hot fucking selfmade Compilation (i'm still waiting for your submissions), but apart from that they are unlikely to stick in your mind. - A perfect kiss for 2025.

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