LOVE A - Eigentlich 2011

Welcome March and we're listen to one of my favorite bands and since I already celebrated a lot of words in the 7Inch post, I refer to a useful bandinfo from Rookie Records, so let's wreck the neck of Fußpilz: Love A were founded in Trier early 2010 by Jörkk (vocals), Stefan (guitars), Dominik (bass), Karl (drums) and have a lot of band experience from previous years and other constellations. The four are characterized by a snotty and energetic sound, which despite all punk attitudes also characterize pop elements and texts with wit, charm and depth. Love A always keep the tension going: The five move between NDW bonds and Hamburg school as well as between urgent, German punk and rhythmic indie rock. The lyrics strike a balance between plastic and cryptic, cynical and hopeful, nodding and shaking their heads. The drums come straight and to the point, the guitar oscillates between staccato-like volleys and melodic caresses, the bass presses and supports, the synthie fills the last gaps with flat sounds. The voice screams, sings & proclaims words in German - somewhere between everyday observation, cynicism, politics & humor, between punk rock rage & mild gentleness. Deutschpunk for the year 2011. I liked the sound of the four directly by the first listening (at a gig together with Turbostaat), and so far their records as well. What me bothers a little is that their gigs are sell out quickly because these are no longer advertised on posters and are therefore the social media idiots first stand in line... Shit Politic, I would say. Anyway, I've seen them often enough, give the mutants a chance.

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IHMESPATZEN - Haste Musi, Haste Töne 1982

Last record for today with rare material from Lower Saxony with the Ihmespatzen from Hanover and they played a healthy mix of New Wave/Punk and were never an NDW band. Their first sign of life was this mini album on Spargel Schallplatten (500 copies) with eight catchy numbers. In the same year they released a live tape, which was recorded on 4th August 1982 in the Raschplace Pavillion/Hanover, as Die Ihmespatzen Verspilen Sich in a limited edition. In 1982 followed the second album "Zu Gast Bei" on No Fun Records, of which 2000 copies were pressed. The Ihmespatzen were: Enno (vocals), Ralph (guitars), Detlef (bass), Wolfgang (keyboards), Immo (drums) and found on two tapes and a vinyl, Zu Gast Bei No Fun, compilation.

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SPLIFF - 85555 1982

One of my favorite NDW albums is the second by Spliff from Berlin which were active in the 1980s. The slab ran up and down and is still brilliant after almost forty years. The members were already playing together before they were 'adopted' by Nina Hagen when she came to West Germany in 1977. They recorded two albums with her as the Nina Hagen Band before continuing under the name Spliff when Hagen went solo. Their characteristic sound was a mix of electronic music, reggae and punk rock. They recorded The Spliff Radio Show in 1980, their only album in English. After parting ways with vocalist Alf Klimek, the remaining members carried on in German sharing vocals between all four of them. 85555 however was released in a limited English edition too. They had major hits on the German singles chart with "Carbonara" and "Deja Vu". Despite their influential status, the band was short-lived.

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DIE LASSIE SINGERS - Helfen Dir 1991

June, summer, sun, beautiful music and since I had the pleasure to spend eight hours in the office today, I need cheerful music now and that's what the Lassie Singers do. Founded 1988 in Berlin-Kreuzberg and parted again ten years later. With their mixture of creative brilliance and technical dilettance, the band musically fit into the tension between late NDW aftermath and the burgeoning indie self-confidence of the early Hamburger Schule. On the one hand, the lyrics celebrated an offensive naivety and playfulness, but often played with a mischievous and charming hostility towards men. Thanks to legendary song titles such as freedom from a man's mouth (Puke), The couple's lie or How a narrow-minded taxi driver has just destroyed a burgeoning young love (Cologne), the Lassie Singers were at times as "female response to die Ärzte". Core of the group were Christiane Rösinger (aka Christiane Hügelsheim) and Almut Klotz (aka Almut Schummel), the rest of the cast varied. The founding member Funny Van Dannen left the Lassie Singers before the first album, but continued to contribute songs for the band. With Kathrin von Witzleben, Herman Herman and Heiner Weiß the band was completed and the first concerts were played at the legendary Kreuzberg SO36. Pretty soon amn got to the major sony, so that in 1991 the debut album "The Lassie Singers Help You" varied. Commercially, it was not very successful, as well as the Moodier successors "Sei A Go Go" 1992. Three years later, Klotz and Rösinger returned with a completely new line-up, including former Ideal guitarist Eff Jott Krüger. With "City Land Crime" and the accompanying single "Schade" the band reached the pinnacle of their success and also convinced the critics. Although the Lassie Singers sounded as pop and professional as never before, but by no means renounce the snappy-grotesque lyrics. However, the cooperation with Krüger was not consistently harmonious, so that the work was completed quickly. Instead, they tried one last time as a "real band". In 1995, the band recorded the album "Hotel, Hotel" with Britta Neander from Ton Steine ​​Scherben on drums and bassist Dodo Herting. Klotz and Rösinger recorded their first guitar themselves and was produced by Thomas Meinecke in Hamburg.

After four albums, hundreds of concerts and a lot of spilled pop star blood, 1998 the Lassies are over. "Tours make you old, fat, ugly and sad", they say at some point and enter the last round with the "Time-To-Say-Tschüss" tour. Not without promising to make young musicians into pop stars with their label Flittchen Records - they can never become as big as the original Lassie Singers. In the same year, the two compilations "Best of ..." & "Rest of the Lassie Singers" appeared on the specially for Klotz and Rösinger founded Flutchen Records. Christiane & Britta founded the band Britta with Julie Miess, while Almut Klotz found short-lived projects like Parole Trixi or Maxi played under people and was active in the Popchor Berlin founded by her together with Reverend Chr. Dabeler under the name Klotz + Dabeler. Almut Klotz died in August 2013 of cancer, Britta Neander died at the age of 48 years after a heart surgery in Berlin.

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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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CO-AL 159 - s/t LP 1982

Never heard this band before and I'm always happy to come in touch with new stuff, especially when it comes from Germany. This band has been named after a car registration, presumably their license plate and I find this very originell. This nice idea is also reflected in their music because it comes up with a simple scrape sound which I call NDW punk or whatever, the guitars reminds me of the Düsseldorfer KFC and you know how great they were. In 1982 the members from Coburg published their only album on Rockport Records with twelve songs. Remarkable their cover versions of "Lemon Tree" and "Blue Suede Shoes". Everyone should listen to these wacky songs, really. CO-AL 159 were Carsten (drums), Clement (bass), Jörg and Kurt (guitars) and Marion and Alex (voices), and here ends my info. Well, what remains is another cool platte which shines with the two part-singing and simply minimalistic sound effects: Cult!

- Big Thx to Fredrik -

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RHEINGOLD - s/t LP 1980

A band with I grew up is not a punk band, No! at that time NDW was hot and a lot of bands were founded and published cool records. This is one of them: Rheingold was a German New Wave group that consisted of Bodo Staiger (vocals, guitar), Lothar Manteuffel (lyrics) und Brigitte Kunze (keyboard). They sang both in German and English and released three LP’s and several singles between 1980 and 1984.Before they formed Rheingold, Bodo Steiger sang together in a band with Marius Müller-Westernhagen. Inspired through the Düsseldorf's music scene and fellow Germans Kraftwerk, Steiger formed Rheingold who was named after the opera "Ring der Nibelungen" of Richard Wagner. Lothar Manteuffel wrote the songs and Brigitte Kunze did some vocals on their first self-titled LP that was released on Weltrekord. (38 weeks in the charts). Their most successful 7'' 'Dreiklangsdimensionen' was released in 1980 as well as the singles 'Fluss' and 'Fan Fan Fanatisch'. Fan Fan Fanatisch apperaed on their second album "R" which was released in 1982 and was used for the movie Der Fan, which cast also included Bodo Staiger in the main role, short story: A young presenter (Desirée Nosbusch) adores a music star called R (B.Staiger) and eat him because he does not reciprocated her love. The media "Scandal" pushed the sales of the soundtrack at #13 in the album charts. The band also released English versions of the songs in England and USA, not with much success as they hoped though. Neither did their last album show more success and so the band split and they never released music under this name. Lothar Manteuffel teamed up with former Kraftwerk musician Karl Bartos to form Elektric Music and Bodo Staiger was working with ex Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flür and today he’s busy as a music producer. Rheingold were always a welcome contribution on various NDW compilations.

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NICHTS - Made In Eile 1981

Underrated band from Düsseldorf who had a real hit with 'Radio' and were wrongly packed in the NDW drawer in my opinion and after two successful and one less album, the band split in 1983. Tobias learned drumming in 1978 as a founding member of KFC. When in January 1981 the first record Letzte Hoffnung was out it came to a conflict with Tommi Stumpff. Both left and founded Nichts with Andrea (vocals) and Chris (bass) and they recorded a demo which unleashed positive reactions so the independent label Schallmauer Records released their first record Made In Eile. The song radio was particularly noticeable due to its earwig quality, so that Chris played it to the Bananas director Rolf Spinrads. This was enthusiastic and invited the band to record a video for the broadcast of 8 September 1981. Since it was clear that radio had the potential to a hit, the band and Schallmauer Records decided to decouple the song in time for the show with the major label CBS Records as a single. The Bananas broadcast made Nichts known nationwide and after seven months, 70.000 copies had already been sold, although due to poor distribution, the plate was difficult to obtain. Nichts went on a tour in Germany and returned to the studio to record their second album Tango 2000, they had offers from five major labels, which were played against each other, the contract finally won WEA Records in Hamburg, Schallmauer was involved as a production company in the contract.

In February 1982 the four went on a four-week tour of Germany, which had been booked by a professional concert agency (Blindfish) and the gigs were completely sold out. In Hamburg, before the club Uncle Pö with 800 left at the door remaining visitors to a police operation, so that larger halls had to be searched and the agency attached a mini tour through Austria and Switzerland. More gigs followed, now already in larger halls, these were partly sold out, as in Hamburg (Markthalle) several times. The 7'' Tango 2000 was decoupled, a tango-disco-parody with a concise, unmistakable tremolo guitar and this became the band's biggest hit. In summer 1982 it finally came to a break, band leader Michael left the band to start a solo career: "We actually had no big problem with each other. I was just driven to our chosen direction, and I wanted to do something different."

Andrea and Tobias decided to continue the band with two new members: Stephen, former guitarist of the Bochum band Bertha And Friends and Peter on bass. In the usual rapid pace a new album Aus dem Jenseits were recorde and released in January 1983. The band managed to recapture the Nichts sound despite the absence of Clauss' incisive guitar playing with the new members, but the album failed to match the band's great successes. A booked three-week tour of Germany had to be canceled due to an injury Brinks. The band broke up afterwards. What remains: catchy songs that still sound fresh and charming and remember, ten beers are sometimes too much.

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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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BILDSTÖRUNG - s/t LP 1981

Bildstörung saw the light of punk 1979 in Frankfurt/Main, influenced by bands such as Mittagspause, KFC or Male, but also of British mod and ska groups. Maybe Frankfurt's first punk band with German lyrics. Various gigs followed, mainly in the Rhine-Main area with other essential bands like Hans-A-Plast, ZK or Middle Class Fantasies. 1981 comes their first album with fourteen cool Punk songs out and in early 1982 start recording the second album, which is never released because the band dissolved shortly afterwards. In my opinion, now a classic one, even if the songs not much aggressive and they were put by the media into the NDW/Wave league, the label GeeBeeDee is not exactly famous for hard punkrock stuff, but this album is a contemporary relict of the early young age of punkrock in germany.

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A5 - Erst Ausgabe EP 1980

The beautiful short life of the band A5 from Bremen ranged from 1980 to late 1981 and the commercial success of the Neue Deutsche Welle was immense and A5 don't five a fuck and wandered off the scene. A5 is a band which characterizes the transition from Punk to NDW very nice and presents a wonderful mix of both. In September 1980, the band consisting of Sabina May, Ego/N, Harald Hass, Wolf Schaller, Rainer Kosch and Knox, their first EP Erst Ausgabe (also known as Seesack EP) were recorded and was released by No Fun Records. In the summer of 1981 they toured with famous bands such as Hans-A-Plast, Rotzkotz and Der Moderne Man and in October 1981 they released their second and last vinyl Kalte Erotik 7'' and shortly after, in late 1981, the band broke up. So on this record are four pretty mid-tempo sterile strips.

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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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SIEGER 1957 - Regen Über Tokio EP 1982

The releases from the Bremen based label Heimat Records are always interesting. Musically, they move between early German Punk, NDW or experimental stuff and sure some redundant records including. I like the label because they set not specifically in one direction such as AGR or Weird System did, rather they gave bands from Bremen and surrounding areas the chance to put their music among the people. They wanna stay small and nowadays Heimat plates are extremely rare and precious. If I can catch one, I don't hesitate. About Sieger 1957 there is not much to tell. A few members were active in AGM, the best punk band in Bremen, and this is their only release. Three tracks you like or dislike. It starts with a reggae tune, sax-intro and lapping comfortably forward. No real Punk cracker at all but nice playing as well. 'Aufstand In Der Badewanne (Riot In The Bathtub)' attracts the pace and is a nice two minute NDW/Punk goodie. The last one 'Europa' is the best for me here, much music like an instrumental and good lyrics about living in our narrow Europe. Check it out!

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DIE WESTDEUTSCHEN CHRISTEN - Laß Mich Nicht Allein 12'' 1980

A fairly unknown band traveled through the eighties were Die Westdeutschen Christen from Berlin. The band's name is a bit funny and I would be interested as the guys came to it and christian rock came somehow later, poser noises... rather, very good NDW sound in the vein of Grauzone or ExKurs, thus quite similar to New Wave and catchy and simple without being superficial. All the four songs on the record are nice and danceable. They released their full length s/t album in 1982. So this sound of this 12'' is absolute characteristic for the early 80's in Germany and was released via Epilepdisc. All in all, no failures, a fine record and anyone who likes minimalistic sounds is right here anyway.

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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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DIE GOLDENEN VAMPIRE - Hinter Der Grünen Tür 1982

Now such a real strange piece of vinyl from a time when musically in Germany all was possible. The Berlin label Zensor has consistently done produce and publish interesting records. Die Goldenen Vampire are a band that has stuck in the middle and pulled out their own thing. Remember doing the whole concept almost a little of the very early stuff from Der Fluch, but less punk, bands like Geisterfahrer and the Cramps may have left their influences. This also is a decent pinch of common rock and roll feel, so that a comparison with the later active Vampire State Building is not very far. Horror texts, NDW-Wave-Gothic-early music and a creepy cover art make me spontaneously much fun and I'm wondering if the band has released even more, and what happened to the musicians yet. Who likes the sound of Der Fluch of Geisterfahrer should take the drive and try this rare Mini-LP. The record is nowadays quite expensive, because you might not often find a copy in your hands. (Alexander Pohle)

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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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EXTRABREIT - Hart Wie Marmelade 7'' 1980

A little nostalgia with old German rockin' stuff tonight with this 7inch from Extrabreit. The flip is a none album track and what should I say, it's long tome ago that Hart Wie Marmelade was played everywhere in the club in these times and I am always amazed in which countries the old NDW records land up and be heard. It was a nice time with interesting music, that can't be denied or? I know you like the stuff because the download link of their third album is still active. Two decent numbers, very well played, good lyrics, even today still okay.

- Special Thx to Fredrik -

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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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DIE X AGENTEN - Im Lichtermeer 1982

This is one of my primary records and I'm glad I can listen up at any time original sounding from this Hamburg punk/wave band X-Agenten and their song "Wanderer" is well known by any NDW fan. I remember a friend of mine had this record and we have heard this song up and down and I was then quite funny about this song because it has not much to say and the music is very monoton and I thought they're a typical useless NDW band. Today, however, I like the song really well. I discovered their first LP many years ago at a record fair and took them with me and I think the album has with NDW not much to do, fast punky pieces, little ska and pop elements makes 'Im Lichtermeer' by far do not sound so shallow and superficial, they have brilliant lyrics too and the music of the X-Agenten fits nicely into the year 1982, when German underground music under the name of the Neue Deutsche Welle enjoyed their day, although at that time also a lot of pop and related genres NDW were called and a lot of shit was thrown on the market. A year later, Durch Die Wüste, the second album was released tends more into a pop sound, but it's still far away from the drunken-society-normed shit, you know. Unfortunately, completely underestimated in my opinion, because they were a band with many facets and this makes them very interesting and still worth hearing nowadays.

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