NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - Ring Of Wild Roses 1996

Friday, weekend and we come to a man who can't be more versatile. I'm talking about Nick Cave, Australian musician, singer-songwriter, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor, his music is generally characterised by emotional intensity, a wide variety of influences, his baritone voice and lyrical obsessions with death, religion, love and violence. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds were formed in Melbourne 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist Blixa Bargeld after the demise of the Birthday Party. So far, they have released sixteen albums and they're still active. These live recordings were released via Kiss The Stone and were taken: tracks 1-9: Bizarre Festival 07/17/1996, tracks 10-11: White Room 1996, tracks 12-14: Brixton Academy 08/14/1996 and I find the song selection very successful and shows an appealing cross section of his music. Enjoy & be enchanted!

Brother, My Cup Is Empty/Loverman/Mercy/Your Funeral My Trial/Where The Wild Roses Grow/The Weeping Song/The Mercy Seat/Nobody's Baby Now/Jack The Ripper/Stagger Lee/Henry Lee/Do You Love Me?/Into My Arms/Where The Wild Roses Grow

here

SOUTH OF NO NORTH - Fell Frozen 1986

South Of No North was one of the first true darkwave bands to emerge in Greece and consisted of Andreas (vocals), Michalis (guitars), George (bass), Fivos (drums), George (keyboard) and when Charles Bukowski wrote South Of No North, he didn’t know that an Athenian dark wave band would use his title as their band name in November 1983. They had their first gig at Grava’s High School in 1984 with the bands Metro Decay, Villa 21, Yell-O-Yell and Art Of Parties, all label-mates in Creep Records. Mostly influenced by bands such as Japan, Bauhaus and Joy Division, they covered a dark music spectre which was made obvious by their only video shot in their rehearsing studio (check “Baby Steps To A New Era, Vol.II”).

 Their gigs were very rare, considering the existing live clubs of those years, but this didn’t stop Creep Records from signing them up to release the first Greek dark wave album in history. “Lacrimae Christi”, their debut, was recorded during September 1984 and was released April 1985. New wave and dark wave took over in the Greek underground. It was easy to attend to some small gig and see the Headleaders in a bar called “Blue Note” (later called “Masswell”) near Kipseli Square, which was territorial South Of No North’s area. This bar had one of the first VCRs in Athens, playing music vids of foreign new wave bands. Punks like the band Ex-Humans were also hanging around. Actually, Fivos, Ex-Human’s drummer, was also playing with South Of No North, as well. The band used Edgar Alan Poe’s poem “Anabell Lee” for one of their songs in their second album, “Fell Frozen” (which was the last release of Creep Records). During the following years there were a few changes in their line up as two keyboard players were added, which pushed their style away from the guitar-oriented sound. In 1989 they opened for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Rodon Club and released the album “South Of No North” reaching the peak of their career with their most successful song, “Sha La La”. One year later they parted ways after a concert with Last Drive and Villa 21. Their last album, a compilation called “Rajah”, was released in 1992 featuring material taken from their past albums. Rumor has it that the band had a new album recorded, which was never released. Later, some of them formed the band Rock Xerox. In 2003 they had a reunion show for the Elfentanz Festival, in Gagarin 205 Club.

here

DIE UNBEKANNTEN - s/t 12'' 1982

Now a rare gem from the heart of Europe: Die Unbekannten (The Unknown) were formed in June 1981 by two ex-pat Brits living in Berlin, Mark Reeder & Alistair Gray, for the legendary "Konzert zur Einheit der Nation" (Concert for the Unity of Germany) held in the SO36 club in Kreuzberg on 17th June 1981. They recorded this first successful vinyl shortly afterwards for Elisabeth Recker's Monogam label. This controversial three track sucker also featured their friend Thomas Wydler (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) on drums. It was a collection of gloomy & politically themed songs, such as the cold-war classics "Radio War", "Casualties" and "Poseidon" (a bi-lingual song in English and German, about the sinking of a Poseidon nuclear submarine). After selling a few thousand copies the record was culled from the shelves. Oh folks.... I need finally my vacation.. Blurrghhh!

here

V/A - For Our Beloved Departed! [Special] 2014

Exactly one year ago, I lost my love - R.I.P. my beloved Girl, still missing you!

1.In A Lonely Place - NEW ORDER

2.Gone - DAVID HOLMES

3.Jewel - CRANES

4.Into My Arms - NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

5.The Sage - VAMPIRE STATE BUILDING

6.Nur Zu Besuch - TOTEN HOSEN

7.Kein Zurück - WOLFSHEIM

8.Der Tanz Der Schatten - THEATRE OF TRAGEDY

9.Where The Lights Won't Shine - PSYCHED UP JANIS

10.Atmosphere - JOY DIVISION

11.Roads - PORTISHEAD

12.Missing You - PINK TURNS BLUE

13.Let Your Fingers Do The Walking - SORT SOL

14.It's All Over - THE GOD MACHINE

15.Late Night - THIS MORTAL COIL

16.Exit Music - RADIOHEAD

here