ZEB & THE FAST ONES - Raggare Beware + 1 EP 1983

One more highlight from Sweden today with Zeb & The Fast Ones from Linköping and they released two incredible 7Inches in the early Eighties on Eugen Records. And Ola tells you a bit about the band that is captured on B-Sound which I of course reproduce here for you lazy bitches: "This is the story about Zeb & The Fast Ones as I can remember it. All I will tell has hopefully happened and it is in fairly right order as I remember it. You should remember that it was over seventeen years since Zeb and the fast ones were active, so to you who think you can the history better I hope you will overlook. Spring 1983, Zeb were established by Ola (vocals), Lärm (guitars), Martin (bass) and Ove (drums). All members had known each other since nine-year compulsory school. With just a pocketful of own songs and some cover we made our live entrance the summer 83 on an outdoor event in Valla. With about the same number of tunes the band did enter Bosses studio the fall 83 to record what became our first single Raggare Beware. After this a number of plays at home ground. Especially was a play at Kvinnebygården when we entered the stage without guitarist, not the worlds most successful concert but it was appreciated by all who at this time liked experimental music. Zeb & The Fast Ones did also manage the trick to go outside Linköping.

Sometime the winter 83/84 the way was to Stockholm and the famous stage Tre Backar. We were the last band on stage this evening and the arranger cut the power just after a pair of tunes, not exactly what we had expected. A play same winter in Jönköping resulted that we got the opportunity to be warm-up band to Peter and the test tube babies. 6. June 1984 we entered the stage in Jönköping’s cultural art center accordingly for the biggest audience we ever should meet. If we had been some older and more experienced we should certainly solve this mission better, but as I remembered the play (or the little I remember) we mangle as possessed by a devil and then the result was accordingly. Well, 1984 was a delicious time and to Jönköping many of that times celebrities as Black Flag, G.B.H, Adicts and Johnny Thunders. It was also at that time the second Zeb single was recorded. If it was at the spring or the autumn I cannot say. Worth to be mentioned about the second recording was that Bosse had become tired of our huge consumption of medium-strong beer and gave us the advice to drink strong spirits then it should result in a lower amount of empty bottles.

On autumn 1984 also a second guitarist was recruited named Finken and the time with him was however very short. The tune writing accelerated autumn 84 but the writing of lyrics didn’t. At a concert on Arbis with its fine old traditions (as warm-up for the Vibrators) certainly 3-4 tunes lacked a real text. This caused me and also Martin change our roles. Thus I started to play bass and Martin began to sing. It showed to not work either and the consequence was that Martin left the band in spring '85. Myself I throw in the towel after an outdoor concert in Trädgårdsföreningen the summer 1985.

Some time a wise man said probably: "If you want to quarrel with your mates you should establish a punk band". Exactly this happened Zeb & The Fast Ones. The personal chemistry might not have been the best from the beginning and the fact that all members had different opinion on how seriously you should look at things did not make the situation better. Anyway we were a Punk band in the crowd, not better than or worse than anybody else and the memory still lives as a batch of wear singles as from time to time change owner on some vinyl fair. We had our moments and I still remember this period with happiness."

So folks, many thx to Ola for his authentic impressions and now: ENJOY!

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EDDIE & THE SUBTITLES - Skeletons In The Closet 1981

At the moment I'm a bit busy with other things, so I hardly find time for wdthtc, but I'm trying and today I come to an interesting record that not only offer Punkrock, the grande debut by Eddie & The Subtitles from Orange County which came via their own label No Label Records and is nowadays a rare classic. The band consisted of Eddie (vocals), Max (guitars), Chaz (bass), Brent (drums) and this is a fantastic concoction of early OC sound with bloody New Wave interludes. They release their first vinyl Fuck You Eddie! in 1980 with two great songs which was already a strong exclamation mark and brought live shows with the Circle Jerks, Black Flag and many other heroes of the period. So they created a small fan base around them and their second and last album Dead Drunks Don't Dance finally followed in 1983.

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DANGEROUS RHYTHM - s/t LP 1981

Today and tomorrow the semi-finals and I can hardly wait until it starts. Four teams, each of which I think has the quality & power for the title, but only two make it to the final, we'll see who achieves it. In any case, my tip is clear if you have paid attention. But let's change the continent for a moment and take a detour to Central America and visit Mexico City and meet Dangerous Rhythm and you heard right, Mexico isn't much known for numerous punk bands, but they exist there too. D.R. was formed in Mexico, August 1978 by Cuban singer Porfirio "Piro" Pendas, Marcelo (guitar), Johnny (bass) & Rip Sick (drums), and can claim to be one of the first punk bands in the country. Piro, the band's vocalist, immersed himself in the whole Los Angeles scene, and was in contact with the Chicano side of the city through Tito Larriva from The Plugz and other bands from the area like Circle Jerks, Fear, and Black Flag. The impact of punk classics like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, or the Ramones obviously had a big influence on their sound. Dangerous Rhythm never forgot their family tree, absorbing large doses of unconventional rock like the New York Dolls, The Stooges, and Lou Reed. All these elements helped the band forge their own style and so they starting with songs sung mostly in English and vibrant, direct melodies and in 1979 the time had come and the band released their first EP No No No via Orfeon with three fantastic killers. After laying the foundations of the non-existent punk scene and recording their first eponymous debut album in 1981. It was released by Hip 70, a label run by Armando Blanco, who owned the club of the same name, which was the focal point of the Mexican scene in the '80s. The end result was mind-blowing and shows a band with nerve that played new wave with a punk rhythm. Their debut was reissued by a Spanish label called Beat Generation on 180-gram vinyl and features replica cover art and inserts plus a liner notes written by Piro in an edition of 500 copies. Solid Stuff!

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STRETCH MARKS - What D'Ya See 1984

Well, let's move back to Canada and visit Winnipeg. There we meet the Stretch Marks and after the great Who's In Charge EP 1983 they delivered a year later their only album via their own label Headbutt Records. First, a suitable review: "While some of the ferocity and offbeat humor of their debut EP is absent here, Winnipeg’s STRETCH MARKS still manage to come out with a creditable album. Breakneck thrashers like 'Turnbuckle Stomp' and the title track are the standouts among these thirteen mid- to fast-speed punkers, though the cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon [Rising]” also lives up to all expectations." (Steve Spinali, MRR #17 • September 1984)

Stretch Marks were an unyielding quartet of road warriors who waved the flag for western Canadian hardcore like few others. Because singer Dave McCombe (a.k.a. Dik Savage), Bill Jackson (guitars), Kelly Jackson (drums) and bassist Mark Langtry (a.k.a. Sikby, a.k.a. Mark Stretchmark) were more organized than most other bands, they formed their own record label Headbutt Records and released a six-song EP called Who's In Charge in 1983, followed by the thirteen song album What D’Ya See in 1984. They even had a booted, circle-dancing cartoon alligator as a mascot! The Who and What records gave the band a reason to tour to all points west and south and so they did, relentlessly and purposefully, playing any venue that would have them, from garages for less than a dozen people to Southern California auditoriums for thousands. These two recordings are thus snapshots of a specific time and place, and this Sounds Escaping collection, which features all nineteen tracks from those releases, plus two songs released on compilation albums and one previously unreleased cut, is an essential document of an age.

It’s also a very real encapsulation of the Stretchies’ evolution as both writers and players. The songs from Who’s In Charge are short, sharp bursts of rage, with nihilistic lyrics that howl at the insanity of Cold War politics (this was the Reagan era, remember), the possibility of nuclear holocaust (Barren Cities) and the posing of inauthentic scenesters (Professional Punks). The band also had a sense of humour that was an important part of their live act and which surfaced on Dogs World.

What D’Ya See captures Stretch Marks at their best. They were a taut, well-oiled unit by 1984 and left audiences breathless with the sheer pace and brutal force of their sonic attack. Songs such as 'Time In Black' and 'Deaducated' were guaranteed to fill any pit, while other cuts, such as 'Another Tragedy', 'Lookin’ For Danger' and the fabulous 'Preacher', featured arrangements and tempos that hinted at new directions. The rousing 'Turnbuckle Stomp', a hilarious tune about AWA wrestling, quickly became a fan favourite wherever it was played.

The Who & What collection comes with an exhaustive, full-colour booklet (this one’s twenty-four pages) featuring a band history by Chris Walter and a funny piece by Matt Vinet, who managed the Stretchies from 1981 to 1985. It’s been worth waiting thirty-three years to finally hear it all in one place. (source: winnipegfreepress)

Perfect album that really kicks, my favorite song is 'Another Tragedy', fits perfectly at the moment.

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V/A - Killed By Hardcore 2001

Well, I think this record needs no description, stands everything on the cover. Number one of three records, made in U.S.A. with detailed insert. I think I go back in bed, was intense yesterday (like this stuff)... Amen!

1.Public Opinion - URBAN WASTE

2.Koruse - GASMASK

3.Utopia - TERVEET KÄDET

4.Moral - SOUND OF DISASTER

5.Going On - NOG WATT

6.Broken Promises - NO PIGS

7.Taking Away Your Rights - N.O.T.A.

8.Deo Fora - CÓLERA

9.Riot - ACTIVES

10.Clutch The Flag - CAPITAL SCUM

11.Fuck It - THE LEFT

12.Dead Generation - ULTRA VIOLENT

13.In This Town - THE FIX

14.Born Prejudice - AMERICA'S HARDCORE

15.Punks United - FALLOUT

16.1984 - GENETIC CONTROL

17.America's Power - YOUTH PATROL

18.Ajatuksen Loppu - LAMA

19.Home, Religion, Native Country - KANSAN UUTISET

20.Shell Helpt - INDIREKT

21.Black Sheep - NIHILISTICS

22.Going Back - THE EXECUTE

23.No Illusions - THE STATE

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