V/A - The Dark Days Are Over (13 Weeks Later) 2025

Welcome to another indispensable release on WDM Records, and number 017 is a small follow-up to the last Compilation I posted thirteen weeks ago. Both can be considered as a whole. That's of course due to the experience I've had, and I know that the person concerned will never listen to this music, but I had a little hope for change and didn't want to accept this situation. After all, I thought there was some feeling involved, but now I know it better, the file is closed I can say. I thought so too, but I like to give a second chance and I think it's only fair, but when you realize there's really nothing there, just only self-interest, selfishness, and zero emotions, I have no other choice to let this person go who was truly important to me, and that hurts like fucking hell. Well, dear friends, it's not a pleasant experience and I know, I am a fool, but it's part of life, like buying bread from the baker or need to pee. I hope this selection reflects the inner turmoil I've gone through, and if anyone now in this trouble or has currently experiencing something similar will find comfort & strength in this fucker, hope it helps and conveys to you that YOU are valuable and don't let yourself be beaten down or taken advantage of, and that you will do better next time, recognize the signs and listen to your instincts. Personally, I have to say it's one of the best Comps I've ever made, and it accompanies me while cooking, cleaning, or posting. Every song is a nail in the coffin and a cry for help. And if this stupid bitch ever reading this: think about your life and stop screwing over people who like/love you and show a little respect! - So, now it's out and finished. My dear listeners, I wish you positive thoughts while listening to this short emotional musical roller coaster.

1 Brainstorm - ENGLISH DOGS

2 Young Girls At Market - THE BIZARROS

3 A Bitch Is A Bitch - GRUBERGER BROTHERS

4 Apolitical - BIG BOYS

5 Nugget Killer - POT VALIANT

6 Back Biter - THE RUTS

7 Greed - CANCERSLUG

8 Trapped In The Wreckage - THE PRESS

9 Baby Goodbye - SPITTIN' IMAGE

10 Let's Have Some Fun - THE NOISE

11 I Look Alone - BUZZCOCKS

12 Can't Tell No One - NEGATVE APPROACH

13 I've Got A Gun - NOMEANSNO

14 Eye Don't Like You - FINAL SOLUTIONS

15 Don't Talk To Me - THE EYES

16 Let Me Out Of Here - FIZIK

17 Just Can't Wait - THEATRE

18 Soul Train - PSYCHO'S

19 Right Way Home - XDREAMYSTS

20 I Don't Like You - JFA

21 Top Secret Man - PLASTICS

22 Object - AHEADS

23 Lies - DOMINOES

24 You're So Silly - TOKYOS

25 Fick Dich! - HEITER BIS WOLKIG

26 Local News - NEWTOWN NEUROTICS

27 What's This Shit Called Love? - PAGANS

28 I Don't Wanna Be Like You (Live) - LOS REACTORS

29 Revolution - X

30 Baby Come Back - THE SURVIVORS

31 Coming Down - EA80

32 Gone - VAGRANTS

33 Lies For Survival - FUNERAL ORATION

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DISCO ZOMBIES - South London Stinks 2021

Let's kick off the gloomiest month of the year with a highlight, and I love this band; everything about them is just perfect: the vocals, the humor, the music, the band name, the clothes, hahaha... and the guys have recorded three fantastic 7Inches and, I don't know if I can say this, they started working with a drum machine quite early on, because it's already present on their third 7Inch. The band consisted of Dave (vocals), Mark & Andy (guitars), Geoff (bass), Andy (drums) and the Disco Zombies should rank high in the pantheon of legendary English DIY Punk bands, but a frustrating career of bad timing, record label mismanagement and three terrific singles slipping through the cracks have kept them in the shadows. In 1977 they were Leicester’s greatest Punk band but the single that might have shot them to the top of the UK heap, filled with pop gems like Top of the Pops and Punk A Go Go, was scrapped at the last possible minute due to a production company implosion. Still hopeful, they moved to London and prepared for stardom. They recorded and released the John Peel favorite Drums Over London themselves, a song whose satire may have been too subtle for the masses. Sung from the viewpoint of a xenophobic right-winger, many took it as racist and it found fans among the crowd they were trying to critique.

Peel had to explain to Rock Against Racism it actually supported their views! Due to the success of Drums Over London, their first single finally saw release as The Invisible EP. Unfortunately as it was a year late it was seen as being out of time and quickly sank without a trace. With hindsight we can hear it for what it really was, an EP of killer Pop-Punk. And had it come out on time, their Top of the Pops would’ve beaten the Rezillos to the charts by six months. One more single, an artier affair with a drum machine and DIY atmosphere, was released. Here Come The Buts backed by Mary Millington, their tribute to England’s most famous Porn star suicide, marry a more PostPunk atmosphere of repetitious drum machine programming with their usual infectious melodies and snarling guitars.

Three more aborted records followed and more songs, only ever played live, were heard by increasingly fewer people as the Punk dream gave way. But now, at long last, the Disco Zombies, a great pop band with catchy hooks, witty lyrics and infectious energy - can be appreciated by the rest of us. Available for the first time since their release, the Disco Zombies’ three classic, collectible singles, coupled with seven bonus unreleased tracks, are featured on the new Acute Records Compilation Drums Over London. In addition, the digital download contains a complete live set including five more songs not recorded or heard anywhere else, as well as some choice covers that will prove the Disco Zombies are more than another forgotten Punkrock hard-luck story. 

I'm grateful for all these words, and unfortunately I can't remember where they came from. When the double LP came out back then, I had to grab it immediately. With its colored vinyl and excellent band history, the release on Optic Nerve Recordings was an absolute must fro me, and I can only recommend that you buy it. It's worth every fucking penny. - Again in detail: The Invisible EP, Track 5 was recorded in Leicester sometime in 1978 and is an unreleased demo cut, the Drums Over London 7'', Here Come The Buts 7'', plus more stuff which was recorded @ Alvic Studios/London in 1980 and remained unreleased till now. Essential !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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JESSE. - s/t LP 1998

Now rare stuff by Jesse. which was a three piece from Sunderland who released one album, featuring Frankie (vocals/guitars), Leighton (bass), Peter (drums) and a number of singles on the infamous Rugger Bugger Label in the Nineties. "You know as a musician if you ever supported Wat Tyler you really should consider giving up. Luckily for you Jesse ignored that non-existent rule and despite a European Tour together, they ploughed ahead and recorded this LP. It never sold in massive numbers but that’s neither here nor there. it still holds a special place in my heart." The complete discography was released as a double album just over a year ago, which I unfortunately don't own. Fourteen melodic Gassenhauer with Frankie's distinctive voice will bring the best mood to your veins, just like your morning coffee. And to that, the insightful words accompanying make this record an essential hearing. I'm ready for the weekend!

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PAGANS - Street Where Nobody Lives 7'' 1978

First, some good news: a few re-upps have been released from Kraken and you'll surely find them. What's going on today? Brilliant stuff by the Pagans, a four piece from Cleveland and active from 1977-1979. Members were Michael (vocals), Tommy (guitars), Tim (bass), Brian (drums), they reformed several times, with new incarnations and this is their second 7Inch on Drome (1st pressing limited to 1700 copies), and both tracks are pure energy, and the flip side is a damn anthem with the profound question "What's This Shit Called Love?" and that, my dear friends, is what I've been asking myself for fifty years. "Can’t beat it - this classic single has been reissued in limited supplies and should not be passed up. Raw, awesome raging Punkrock!" (Tim Yohannan, MRR #31 • December 1985) Does anyone have an answer? Of course, it always takes two, like with tango, and over a long lifetime you think you know what you're doing, but somehow there are high hurdles and also stupidity that prevent a harmonious relationship, things that just don't fit. Yes, yes, that sounds negative, but unfortunately, those are my experiences, although I don't want to conceal the positive aspects either. Anyway, the Pagans conjure up some impressive music, and their repertoire is surprisingly large for a band that hasn't been around for very long. Take it!

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SNFU - If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish 1986

The second album with BYO Records by Edmonton's SNFU and the record has received generally positive reviews since its initial release. In 1986, MMR described the material on the album as "much stronger than the tunes on their debut LP". In a retrospective review, critic Vincent Jeffries wrote for AllMusic that the record is "[c]onsidered by many to be the band's finest release" and that it "deservedly ranks high on many all-time Punk lists." But as SNFU biographer Chris Walter suggests, the album's thin and experimental sound also alienated some listeners, as the band itself would later express mixed feelings about the album's post-production mastering. Well, those are the official opinions and I don't say that it's thin and uninspired and there are some good songs on it, but the Bums is somehow too soft, you know what I mean? It doesn't hit me like the year before and so I still consider their first album is the best. Well, what do I know anyway? Fact is, it's a little different, and that usually can't harm, right?

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Impressions XXXV

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CHAIN CULT - Shallow Grave 2019

The next banger comes from Athens, and their 2018 demo already completely blew me away and made a huge impact with that. Melodic Post-Punk in a rich sound quality and beautifully desperate and hopeful lyrics. Chain Cult were founded in 2017 and involved in the local DIY scene for many years and that's where the three of them met and formed the band. The demo received a lot of praise and was sent to many labels, and La Vida Es Un Mus, an English label from London, responded, and that's how their collaboration began. To date, three 7Inches and two albums have been released there. Chain Cult celebrate loud and powerful vibes and I'll quote a short review for you: "Athens’ Chain Cult wastes no time, opening the first track with a catchy chorus-laden guitar riff that would sound just as much at home on a NewWave record as on a dark melodic Punk record. The raspy vocals sound a little like the singer from Oxymoron, which is refreshingly different. Anthemic songwriting and adventurous drumming tie the sound together. Definitely something to check out for fans of Scandinavian melodic Punk & melodic dark Punk." (Heather Blotto, MRR #441 • February 2020) All I can say is, if you don't know them, you should definitely start listening now. Perfect music for grey, gloomy days!

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MESSER - Im Schwindel 2012

Yay, the comeback of the year... I'm cured!!! - Just kidding, but I feel fantastic! And in keeping with this feeling now to a record that I really appreciate: Ladies & Gentlemen, let's come to a German band whose first two albums immediately impressed me, and the Baby is called Messer; formed sometime 2012 in Münster and on their powerful, atmospheric and feverish debut they consisted of Hendrik (vocals), Pascal (guitars), Pogo (bass), Philipp (drums). Let me start with the remarkable cover of this album. It depicts a sad person, marked by life, and was drawn by Hendrik and the unsettling complexity of the ten songs hardly leaves any time to catch your breath. Suitable for any listener who possesses a certain degree of empathy and is capable of developing feelings, even for other people, and who has had their own personal experiences and isn't like a dull couch potato who finds joy with its 1000 fucking TV channels and waits for so-called PayPal "friends". Whichever lines you choose, Messer's songs breathe despair, disillusionment, contempt, loneliness, anger, restlessness, hope and rebellion. A meal that's not easy to digest, but incredibly authentic. Released via This Charming Man Records, this captivating beauty relentlessly pushes forward, leaving no room for sleep. A Must Listen!

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SEGURIDAD SOCÍAL - ¡¡Konsspiracion!! [Tape] 1982

Today a nice cassette by Seguridad Socíal which were founded 1982 in Valencia by José (vocals), Santi (guitar), José (bass), Rafa (drums) and this is the first demo tape which came via La Norma and throughout their career, Seguridad Socíal has evolved from the skatalytic Punk of their early days to Latin and Mediterranean rhythms, establishing themselves as a prominent figure in the Spanish music scene. Led by José, one of the most established artists in Spanish music, the band is one of the most established artists in the world. A number of albums have been released (the last 2017), and the eight songs on this tape are catchy, just as I've come to expect from the Iberian Peninsula. I can't say much about their later albums, as I don't own any, but this pearl of music is passionate and captivating. Also happily invited to countless Compilations. Do yourself a favor and give the four your ears!

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A USEFUL PIG - Native Planes 1983

The Wanted List has one less search, requested by an attentive user and sent by such. I haven't heard a single tone from them myself, and first I want to mention the originell band name: A Useful Pig. A farm animal or a stupid two-legged creature with no life of its own and only doing what others tell it to do. I'm leaning toward the latter because I recently had experience with such a useless person. Well, a few pieces of information I could find: A Useful Pig were a short-lived four piece from Delft and consisted of Arie (vocals/guitars), Nico (guitars), Ina (bass), Rob (drums) and this fucker is their only one and features thirteen interesting nuggets that sound very minimalist yet have astonishing depth. At first, I found them a bit boring, but after listening to them several times, they came across like a full glass of Äppler, refreshing and hearty. And very diverse and no monotonous. It certainly takes some getting used to and isn't to everyone's taste, but the album is definitely worth a listen, and meaningless sounds different. Sounds interesting? - Grab it!

- Great Thx to trgec -

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