DIE VERGIFTETEN PFEILE - Chaos Ist Mir Lieber 7'' 1982

Hailing from Vienna comes this small piece of vinyl which was released via the legendary and best Austrian label Panza-Platte and you guessed sure, it's their only release. 'Es Geht Mir Gut' was packed on the rare cult compilation Heimat Bist Du Großer Söhne which is also released on Panza-Platte one year later. Musically here are two numbers somewhere in the direction of NDW meets Pop and Punk. Slightly jaunty guitars with a touch of ska influences, nice bassline, variable rhythmic drums and a clear voice. Fazit: Very successful record with a solid production. Recommended!!!

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TRIO - Anna 7'' 1982

Next stop in our Soundbox is a band which come direct from heaven and I remember those three buddies very well and when I first listen to this song I thought to myself: Was ein Brett! Trio was formed in a small German town called Großenkneten/Ostfriesland 1980 and they are most noted for the song "Da da da..." which was a hit in thirty countries worldwide. But Trio was more than this. Their simple songs are more punk and (would they released their records on a small label, these would big rarities nowadays) their partially humorous lyrics the media labeled them as NDW and sure they made music that time but I mean they a far far away from all those numerous stupid records and I think that's the problem with the shitty majors. Anyway, two great songs with a rare live one on the B-side. New rip/scans in usual WDM quality. So far so good, rainy today and I have a ticket for the soccer game versus Leverkusen...

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PURPLE SCHULZ & DIE NEUE HEIMAT - Sehnsucht 7'' 1984

A very subtle ballad with appealing words follows now. Sehnsucht is the name of the baby and is a nice 7Inch on EMI and made by Purple Schulz & Die Neue Heimat. The original band (based on the scandalous company) was founded in 1981 by musicians Wolf Maahn and Klaus Heuser and it should be the perfect NDW combo. But especially Wolf soon lost interest in the formation and Mister Schulz then became the lead singer and soon a solo artist. In the transition phase, this single falls during this time and the band is called then Purple Schulz Und Die Neue Heimat. This song still came from their early days but was then published by the bands new name. While Neue Heimat only reached number 33 in Germany with their single "Ich Bau' Dir Ein Schloss", this goodie made it into the top ten and stayed in the charts for half a year. Almost forty years old but still an intense song with depth and a lot of feeling. HUGH!

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DÄMMERATTACKE - Tausend Seen 1982

Panza-Platte, the legedary label released a lot of finest Austria underground records. So here's the prove for a further example: Dämmerattacke is a band from Wien/Neustadt formed 1979. The band brought never heard music to light and struck all in amazement except to those who put their music categorically as synthybooming. And in fact there is no snotty '77 punk rock around here, their music is more oblique wave post-punk with pretty much synthesizers (I not mean the cheap NDW scrap you know), the melancholy voice of Michael, coupled with very personal lyrics lends all the songs a somber mood and pop sounds different. Hmm, really hard to describe. Well fuck it, all ten songs are for me a pleasant listening experience and I'm grateful to present you this rare piece of vinyl here. The band disbanded 1983. Note from the cover, Instruction For Use: Play This Product Loud An Turn Up Treble! OK, here we go...so what do you think?

- Huge Thx goes to Mr. Reinhard -

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JAWOLL - Rendezvous 7'' 1983

One of my favourite songs from the 80's is this one by an interesting band that I would not denote as a typical NDW band, rather German Rock. And who is behind it follows in this small description:

Jawoll was founded 1981 at the Kassel Art Academy, where singer Kornelia Scholz and drummer Matthias Kutschke studied. As the guitarist was an Englishman the lyrics of  'Taxi' was initially in English. But after the appearance of the first Ideal album they decided only to sing in German. After a few gigs the band was discovered from Hamburg Rüssl-Räckords-Verlag, who procured them an elaborately staged appearance in the former cult broadcast Bananas. After the broadcast their first 7inch 'Taxi' scrambled into the Top 20 of the charts. A tour throgh Germany followed and the second single 'Rendezvous' made it to number 49 on the charts. After several changes of record company the third single 'Ich Bin Verrückt Nach Dir' appeared in 1984 and reached number 2 in the ZDF Hit Parade. In 1986, the band broke up and the members left the music business, except for the guitarist Robert Foster, who emigrated to Canada, and with singer Jann Arden celebrated international success and to this day he is still active as a musician. Sadly Kornelia Scholz died 1988 from leukemia (Info by Matthias Kutschke, thx!).

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TOM PETTINGS HERTZATTACKEN - s/t LP 1982

Start July with Tom Pettings Hertzattacken, an Austrian rock band were founded in 1980 by Eberhard Forcher and in 1983 they land an Austropo hit with "Bis Zum Himalaya". Shortly after its founding, the band had their first gig in Amerlinghaus/Vienna. In June 1980 the band has with 'Tonight' a goodie on the Donaustrand EP compilation and the following year with 'Radio Radio' on the compilation Wienmusikk from the Schallter label. The band toured Austria and Bavaria, released a few 7inches and 1982 their s/t debut album, again at Schallter Records which was recorded at Gorilla Studio/Wien in October 1981. Their sound is a typical mix of NDW pop with a dash of punk rock what is especially reflected in the lyrics (you know the wonderful melancholic Austrian language???). And that's what makes the platte!!!!  Thirty-Seven minutes shallow pop: cozy, fluffy and with 'Deine Augen' a real blast on it. Cool record in any form. In 1985 the band broke up after the release of the album "Echo Der Liebe" under the name Tom Petting & Die Silhouetten.

- Special Thx to Reinhard -

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PART TIME PUNX - Frauenhasser EP 1988

This rare record is my only one from the Part Time Punx, founded in a touch of boredom and grandeur in 1985. The first samples took place in the living rooms of their and other people's parents, but actually they almost never rehearsed. They are still and rightly the undisputed (unfortunately uncrowned) Schlagerpunk kings. In their songs are the likes for punkrock, NDW and English noise pop of the old school combined with the unmistakable trash charm of eternally puberty childrens heads. At home are the Part Time Punx in the area of Weilmünster (between Limburg and Giessen). So this third EP came out on Orgasm Records and offers three genious lo-fi gassenhauer.

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MKK - Was Ist Denn Los Mit Mir 1982

MKK (Middle Catastrophe Combo) is a band which was founded in Berlin by seasoned studio musicians and singer Thomas' Crümel "Pliveritz who died much too young. This is their only album and was released by Toledo Records. Musically they play pretty pop music with lots of keyboards and very melodic harmonies. Awesome the title track 'What's Wrong With Me' and the ballad 'Every Way, Every Street'. Lyrically the band spread socially critical texts that differ from the usual NDW bands. That's reason for me to call MKK not a Neue Deutsche Welle band, just more punk and Thomas's rough vocals gave all the ten songs additional hardness and make this album never boring. If you like all the early PowerPop stuff then lend your ears to the MKK sound. You will not be disappointed.

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DIE HETEROS - Leistung 7'' 1982

Active in the early 80ies, die Heteros were a five piece, Karen (vocals), Wolli (guitars), Bram (bass), Mark (drums), Hajo (sax/vocals), from Cologne and released one nice album (Die Romantik Ist Tot) on Telefunken and from this are these two very contrasting tracks thrown as single on the market. First, the refusal song 'Leistung' in which they give a clear rejection of our competitive society, nice swing mode. On the flip-side a cheeky cheerful instrumental version of a classic german schlager. Punk meets NDW - nothing earth shattering but old material and mostly good. Brrr, now quickly a hot tea and turn the heating up, minus 10 fucking degrees.

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V/A - Labels Unlimited (The Second Record Collection) 1979

"Here we go then, just nipping round the corner into another decade and, in marked contrast to the more ludicrously large corporations, the small independant labels are healthier than ever." I'll quote David from the backcover and he was right, because underground music, i.e. Punkrock/New Wave, was emerging more and more and the majors sensed easy money (best example NDW). Formed in Great Malvern, Worcestershire in 1978, Cheery Red Records is one of the labels that at the time gave a number of very good young talented bands the opportunity to get their music noticed and spread beyond the local scene. This compilation is second one after the Business Unusual record with sixteen combos from Great Britain. Musically not fixed to a genre, but rather variably designed, partly equipped with a few songs that are rather uninteresting for me, but overall a decent mix which shows once again how creative and emotional the start of a new movement far away from the mainstream can be. If I compare that with today, where only junk is called music, this album is a masterpiece. Well, society just keeps getting stupider and they prove it to me every day. Enjoy the record and I'm looking forward to the Bundesliga ⚽ afterwards, Ja Ja Ja, here we go then!

1.Big Time - RUDI

2.Take It All Away - GIRLSCHOOL

3.Iggy Pop's Jacket - THOSE NAUGHTY LUMPS

4.Cold City - SPIZZOIL

5.N.C.B - LLYGOD FFYRNING

6.Hypocrite - NEWTOWN NEUROTICS

7.Holocaust - CRISIS

8.I Don't Want To Work For British Airways - SCISSOR FITS

9.Wot's For Lunch Mum? (Not B***s Again!) - THE SHAPES

10.Jilly - THE PIRANHAS

11.Pleasant Valley Sunday - STAA MARX

12.Who Killed Bruce Lee? - GLAXO BABIES

13.Closed Shop - POISEN GIRLS

14.Red Box - I JOG & THE TRACKSUITS

15.After All Love - AK PROCESS

16.Metal Sheet - SECOND LAYER

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IDEAL - Der Ernst Des Lebens 1981

Almost a year earlier, Ideal had set a milestone in the young NDW scene with their debut album and it's still a fantastic record and a year later the second followed, which is again a strong statement from the Four. Der Ernst Des Lebens has become a bit more mature and smooth in terms of sound and the rough Punkroots (so I want to call it) are a bit lost to the mix, but the record still impresses with its good variable songs and they do this in an expressive way, no Ideal album is fucking boring!! As you can easily see, this is the promo version with a different cover and the lyrics are printed in English and French. Recorded again with the line-up of Humpe, Deuker, Behrendt & Krüger. Conny Plank was the producer and all songs were recorded in his studio, released then at WEA. At the time, the label emphasized almost like a prayer wheel that it was a "dance combo (from West Berlin)" and that the music was "definitely dance music". There was talk of "strict rhythms that demand movement and pop music" as well as "music without frills, without superfluous ornamentation. The roots in the New Wave movement are not denied. And yet the possibilities of studio recording have not been neglected". The descriptions may seem wooden, but ultimately the hodgepodge of descriptions is understandable. Ideal combined melodic features of the Schlager with the drive of New Wave, mixed with a bit more offbeat passages. Catchy, hard riffs and the typical subtly psychedelic interjections, with South Seas/Caribbean flair and an emphatically decadent mood, eleven nuggets that still sound fresh.

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NEUES DEUTSCHLAND - s/t LP 1981

Also rather unknown band that consisted of three members: Peter (vocals), Sabine (drums) and George (guitars & bass) and as Rewix they released 1980 a 7Inch which is extremely rare these days and a year later they made their only album as Neues Deutschland on Iron Curtain Records/Herkules Records with sixteen solid four chord songs. Reminds me a bit of the sound of the Hamburg ZickZack label, simple and sometimes a bit experimental but by no means boring, could also go through as NDW. Lyrically they move in personal & sociocritical wording so that all in all a good punk record was made.

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ESQUELETOS - Radio 222 EP 1983

Before I get myself back to digitizing, and I'm looking forward to the slabs, first a short snack from Spain. A quick trip back to the early Eighties, the time when José (vocals/guitars) and Enrique (bass) formed the group RPM and recorded a demo that captured the interest of Hispavox, who recruited them for their alternative label Flush! Records. After changing their name to Esqueletos, they released their only 7Inch Radio 222 with three solid goodies that range from, I would say early NDW sound with an air of fast dirty Punkrock (last track), the approach to the mod revival of The Jam. However, Hispavox hardly promoted the record and the members opted for dissolution. Enrique becoming part of Las Ruedas, while José did the same in La Frontera, achieving great success during the 80s & 90s. That's it!

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NICHTS - Tango 2000 1982

Today I come after a friend's request who asked me to post this record, so here we go. After the success of the debut Made In Eile and the Germany tour, Nichts goes straight back to the studio and recorded their second album. Tango 2000 stayed in the German album charts for fifteen weeks, where it rose to #22. Again, it was largely positively received by the music press: a band with a sense of style and a sound that is simple and accommodating. In March, the single "Licht Aus" came out which was presented on TV in the youth program Musicbox and the band played fittingly on an almost dark stage with only lit few spots. The flip is "Ein Deutsches Lied" and gave rise to various discussions about German lyrics in pop and rock music (not worth mentioning nowadays) because society is stupid and doesn't understand anything. In June 1982 came the second single "Tango 2000", a tango disco parody with a concise, unmistakable tremo guitar. This single was the band's greatest success and is next to "Radio" the most famous Nichts song and has been used for numerous compilations. A fine record with good lyrics that stand out positively from the rest of the NDW garbage, and Andrea's voice does the rest.

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