V/A - Även Vackra Fåglar Skiter (Live) 1992

Released via Birdnest Records gives this double record set an fantastic impression of the Swedish underground scene with bands that have caused a sensation with good Powerpunk rock since the mid-eighties, all this were recorded live during Totalgalan, the 18th and 19th of October 1991. This is the CD Version and we find we also infos inside but only in Swedish. But I'm sure these little bio or liner notes express what can be heard, namely a solid selection of bands/songs that achieved a bit of fame in their country and outside of it. Check out the blog and you will find studio material for many of the protagonists mentioned here. Cool piece!

1.Grusgrop - KÖTTGROTTORNA

2.Zuga - KÖTTGROTTORNA

3.Can't Stand It - CHARTA 77

4.Vikingjazz - TUK TUK RALLY

5.Betongbarn - STREBERS

6.Elsa - STREBERS

7.Hallucinationer - D.L.K.

8.Yellow Submarine - PUBLIKEN

9.Svart Jul - CHARTA 77

10.Sånger & Eld - TUK TUK RALLY

11.Lycklig - 23 TILL

12.Hungrig - KÖTTGROTTORNA

13.U.S Of C.C - THE PAST

14.Do Anything You Wanna Do - 23 TILL

15.C.P Framför Sin T.V. - D.L.K.

16.Bonnrock - KÖTTGROTTORNA

17.Häxcalypso - KÖTTGROTTORNA

18.Midsommarvisa - STREBERS

19.Whats Your Feeling - THE PAST

20.Bikt I C-Dur - TUK TUK RALLY

21.Pärleporten - STREBERS

22.Doesn't Make It Alright - CHARTA 77

23.Ensam Kvar - CHARTA 77

24.Tänk Om Jag Vore... - D.L.K.

25.Sofia Dansar Go-Go - TUK TUK RALLY

26.Sista Supen - 23 TILL

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here

EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN - Kollaps 1981

Blixa Bargeld, F.M.Einheit & N.U.Unruh: this was the first line-up of the 'LÄRM' musicians called Einstürzende Neubauten from Berlin. I don't know if I've already told you, but at some point I heard their sounds on the TV, some eighties music show, and I stopped immediately and had to hear and see it: hammering, drilling, atonal bass noises, distorted guitars and a sudden loud & psychotic screaming voice. At first I didn't know what to think of them, but gradually I started to like the stuff and thought: "Wow, they're crazy but they're doing an excellent job with their homemade instruments. This is fucking innovation!" Well, dear readers, that was forty fucking years ago and do you know that? You see the past clearly in front of you and look at yourself now... that's absolute horror and I hate getting fucking old. Well, anyway, I became a fan of their artistic work and after a few years they finally became more melodic, and a little more commercial (but only a tiny bit). Finally, a good review from someone who can do it better than me:

"Einstürzende Neubauten's first album, as one might imagine, is their most primitive and radical effort, the purest expression of their original aesthetic. This makes the album both historically significant and conceptually intriguing, of course, but what's most interesting about this album is that it still sounds surprising decades after its release. Often, albums that are considered extreme art statements upon their debut sound almost quaint a few years later, but while Kollaps perhaps sounds less extreme to ears that heard industrial music turned into disco pabulum by the likes of Nine Inch Nails than it did before, songs like the eight-minute title track and the rumbling live closer, "Negativ Nein" are still a fascinating blend of rhythm and random bashing, tonality and atonality, with anguished vocals by Blixa Bargeld that often seem to have little connection with anything else in the piece. The brief tracks, like the 80-second "Sehnsucht," are even more extreme explorations of pure noise. Starting as early as the next album, Einstürzende Neubauten would begin slowly introducing more mainstream musical concepts into their aesthetic, making Kollaps as undiluted a listening experience as there is in the entire catalog." (Stewart Mason)

Released via ZickZack Records and the first edition included a sixteen-page DIN A4 black and white booklet with song lyrics + photos. A record for Die-Hards. Enjoy!

here

V/A - Compulsive Agitation EP 2023

The tenth and latest release from dutch D.I.Y. Subunderground Compulsive Agitation’s, Compulsive Agitation, is an excellent EP Compilation featuring six songs from five bands, hailing from the Netherlands as well as the UK. Edition of 400 copies on black vinyl. Well, the label should be familiar to you as it is the home base of the talented school of fuzzpunk, or in short: Ford's Fuzz Inferno whose contribution has not yet been published. This also applies to the other songs (except for Waste). Nun, this little 7Inch is a real grenade with short loud impacts that absolutely smash me into the past when Hardcore became my driving force and I was flashed by the aggressive fast sound. And once infected, it stays in your heart and you know what's good for you. With Hans & Co. you know what you're getting and all ten records aren't late bloomers or lame copies of old heroes, NO! Honest straight pissed off Hardcore with appealing words rolling over you and rousing every lame ass to participate, and to that always an informative artwork. This litle goodies comes with an insert featuring alternative front cover designs and infos about the bands.

"Overall, 'Compulsive Agitation' is a fantastic EP release that showcases the strength and diversity of the old school Do It Yourself Punk scene. Each band brings its unique sound and style, creating a compilation full of energy and attitude." (THOUGHTS WORDS ACTION - 8th June, 2023)

Since the edition is very limited, it will be difficult to get hold of a copy, I have one and if you find one, grab it! Pushes anytime, especially with back pain.

Five Killer Punk Bands! - Six Killer Punk Hits! Enjoy!

1.Protect & Serve - KRUST WORTHY

2.Everything Is Grey - WASTE

3.Reptile Brain - SCOUNDRELS

4.Sab The Hunters - KRUST WORTHY

5.A Messed Up Situation - FORD'S FUZZ INFERNO

6.Urban Disease - RHI & THE RELICS

here

N.O.T.A. - s/t LP 1985

Hot Shit! You thought their past records were great, well here’s nineteen tracks that are rockin’, thrashin’, imaginative, and catchy. The slower songs have a catchy early ’77 Pop-Punk sound, and the thrash just rips. A good mix that shows that NOTA are expanding their boundaries and coming of age as a style to US Hardcore. (Ruth Schwartz, MRR #28 • September 1985) We're talking about N.O.T.A. (None Of The Above) from Tulsa/Oklahoma, a fantastic four piece that has changed its line-up over the years. On this brilliant slab the band consisted of Jeff (vocals/guitar), Russell (guitars), Bruce (bass), Bob (drums) and this is their first album on Rabid Cat Records with nineteen smasher, recorded 1979-1985, and all mercilessly fantastic. During their on-again-off-again existence they released three 7Inches and three full albums. They disbanded in 1987, but reformed in 1993 and finally broke up in 2000. Top record and I have to stop now because I must recovering from a crappy bike crash.

here

THE PAST - In The Future With The Past 1990

Short and painless, this is the sound of the first record by the Past after their long hiatus and it's an Explosion!, released via Birdnest Records and twelve smashers in less than twenty minutes have Linus (vocals/guitar), Pelle (bass/vocals), Roger (drums/vocals) smashed out at the Studio White Room on a cold grey November day. I guess, the songs turned out extremely awesome because there is a lot of darkness in Sweden at this time and I can well imagine how I would jump out of my skin with the gray haze and I have to admit I couldn't live there, too little sun. Well, maybe that wasn't the reason and I've never been to Köping, so it's purely fictional. Well, considering that the Past have released a total of four albums (last in 2021) there is little information about them, but that's okay. The music is decisive and with this album, which you aren't find on the crawling table for a special offer, the three created a solid little masterpiece. I know, you will love it!

here

EA80 - 20 EP 1989

I say goodbye to the ugliest month of the year with a rarity from my favorite band: EA80. From this little sunshine were 200 copies made for the Birthday of a friend of the band and was then served as a ticket to the Party on 23.December 1989 and was never sold regularly; there are three different artworks, all copies are numbered. 'Twenty' is a typical provocative song that hardly any other combo can write: ass kicking, self-reflective, uncompromising and clear. 'Coming Down' is a tender thoughtful Christmas carol for everyone who didn't stay at home (or don't want to stay at home these days) and 'Dilettanten' was recorded live in the rehearsal room in the distant past (1983?) and is dedicated to all those who have no solution for everything and thus continue to make things worse, Hauptsache es macht Spaß! Innovative and pithy as ever and enjoyable at any time.

here

AMOUR PUZZLE - Pas Mieux EP 1983

Perfect evening yesterday and my first concert since February 2020, great sound, lots of beer, and met a lot of old friends. Phew, but this morning I'm badly hung over and still have so much to do. And that's where a little pop goodie comes in handy and that's exactly what you get now. Here we go: Following the scuttling of Laxatif 126, Gil and Didier Gonet, respectively composer-guitarist and lyricist-singer, continue their journey by founding the duo Amour Puzzle in 1982. A year later the duo released their first EP Pas Mieux on Le Kiosque D'Orphée with four nice synth-pop songs, supported by Vincent (bass) and Nicolas (drums), which, if there was justice, should have directly climbed to the Top 10. The band hibernates in his home studio, recording many songs there At the same time, the duo reaps the fruits of the efforts sown over the two years past, through the national press. In 1987 comes their second and final 7Inch Prends Moi on the Parisian label Milk Shake Records with two supercharged Poprock which, if god drank less, would have deserved to be the HIT of the Eighties. 

here

D.R.I. - Dirty Rotten LP 1983

Kurt (vocals), Spike (guitars), Dennis (bass) & Eric (drums), the first line-up of D.R.I. (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) released their first masterpiece with twenty-two blasts on a 7Inch in 1983 on their own label Dirty Rotten Records. In the same year it was re-released as 12Inch by R Radical Records (MDC label) and this slab ranks high in my top ten. I remember exactly how blown away I was after going through this Hardcore firework, and the bar was already set high because MDC's debut is a milestone and I had a hard time imagining it rising, but this band from Houston (later based in San Francisco) went one "better". Pure energy paired with skilful, almost virtuoso interplay at a brisk tempo plus Kurt's fantastic voice. This is real magic and makes every Hardcore heart beating faster, being in love is harmless in comparison. And that's exactly the sound to get your emotions straight to the point and create slogans that are burned into your brain. Anyone who has heard that will have to become someone else, at least that's how it was for me. And this music is great if you want to clear your head, when it's full of shit, tried and true home remedy. You see, there's a reason I picked this record for today, and it's the weekend so appropriate for that too. I want give you a sparkling review which I can't:

"Starting with the awesome 'I Don't Need Society' and ending with the anthemic 'Explorer', D.R.I.'s debut album was an important stepping stone in the evolution of both metal and hardcore. D.R.I. drew a line in the sand between the American hardcore bands who wanted to stick close to the original punk sound and bands who wanted to branch out into heavy metal territory. D.R.I.'s use of thunderous heavy metal drumming and California Hardcore songwriting made Dirty Rotten LP something special, putting them in a category with Corrosion Of Conformity and Suicidal Tendencies as the forefront of a new movement. Their angry lyrics revolved around the usual political and social ills, but their approach was a staggering blend of pre-grindcore blastbeats (that particular drumming style may have even had its first recorded instance here), blunt and simplistic guitar riffs, and an acidic vocal workout from the young Kurt Brecht. His charismatic shout was the tone-deaf glue that kept the band together, especially in the face of abbreviated songs and sloppy playing. With some humorous lyrics, endless enthusiasm, and a penchant for short song times (only one song makes it past the two-minute mark), D.R.I.'s debut was a landmark album that paved the way for exciting new hardcore bands to spring up in its wake." (Bradley Torreano)

If you like loud old school Eighties Hardcore, this is for you! 

here

THE LEFT - Jesus Loves The Left 2006

Now awesome stuff from the Left, a four piece from Hagerstown/Maryland, founded in the early Eighties by Brian (vocals), JD (guitars), Kevin (bass), Bill (drums) and they didn't get much attention during their active time and this is a fucking shame because they are in every way brilliant, musically as well as lyrically, absolutely amazing and I see myself in their songs (Hell, 5 AM, Fuck It...), and I don't know why they didn't get the attention they deserve. The Left formed to flip the bird at the tedium of their hometown, and on the band's two mid-'80s EPs, It's The World and Last Train To Hagerstown (both on Bona Fide), the band did more than that, fusing together '60s, '70s, & '80s Punk with alchemical skill and black humor. Jesus Loves The Left (compiles the two EPs and other unreleased tracks) is a loving repository for the band's short history. It kicks off with the opening chords of Hell the best song on It's The World 12" (and one of the BEST songs of the past thirty years), crashing through your speakers when you press play. Brian Sefsic's sneer meshes perfectly with guitarist Jim', keening chords: "There's A Place/That They Call Hell/Where They Don't Treat You all that well." The slab rarely falters after that, tracks from a 1992 reunion sound nearly as strong and sarcastic as those from the band's prime.

But you'd be forgiven if you end up lingering on the first eight It's The World tracks. On 'Attitudes', a song that sums up all that is good about life and the Left, Sefsic sings with both Iggy-esque detachment and real wistfulness: "And thank you, God, for putting me on this earth/and all the wonderful, beautiful things you've given me." Then he adds, "Let's name a few," and Swope launches into a raw and sophisticated solo that takes the song in a completely unexpected direction. And I think to myself: What A Wonderful World!

So Jesus is a big fan of their music and you damned Christians can't be wrong, he signed it in his own blood, yeah yeah yeah.... and Bona Fide Records released this fantastic cross for all us maniacs and it's an essential document from a band who wrote superb songs that express a large part of my life and will never be forgotten. Must Have!

here

ANTI-CIMEX - The Complete Demos Collection 1982-1983

"One of the most pioneering and seminal Scandinavian Hardcore bands ever, that influenced past and present generations with their trademark of rough sound, iconic art and enraged tunes: Anti-Cimex". Formed 1981 in Gothenburg, the original line-up was: Nillen (vocals), Jocke (guitar), Jonsson (bass) & Charlie (drums). After rehersing for a while, they released their first EP Anarkist Attack. In 1982 the band kicked out Nillen and Jonsson took over the vocals part and Conrad became the new bassist. They also released a new single later in the year called Raped Ass and in 1983 they released another 7Inch Victims Of A Bombraid. Three years later Anti Cimex released a mini-LP called Criminal Trap. At this time, Jocke had got tired of the band and they asked Cliff, if he wanted to join the band, but he said no and the rest of the band members got tired of the problems and it resulted in the band splitting up. In 1990, Anti Cimex decided to start the band again after Cliff had agreed to join and they say, that it is thanks to him, that they regrouped. They released the comeback album Absolut Country Of Sweden the same year. In 1993, Anti Cimex released a raw live album Made In Sweden. The show was also shot on video, but never released. They later released a new live 7Inch Fucked In Finland Live 92 and later on followed the album Scandinavian Jawbreaker. After the release of this album, the band split up and the members started in other bands, such as Driller Killer (Cliff) and Wolfpack (Jonsson). In 2004, Pelea Records released the A Tribute To Anti-Cimex compilation, featuring a line up of d-beat and crust bands from all over the world, that were influenced by the Swedes. With this record, which took a lot of time and effort, the Italian label Agipunk cobbled together a firework of twenty-nine raw and pure tracks, and equipped them with interesting infos and also conjured up some colored limited vinyl for collectors. Fascinating, Spock would say!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here

DEAD BOYS - Young Loud & Snotty 1977

Not really new in Blogland, but I recently saw a movie about the former New York music club CBGB that came out in 2013 and it's very entertaining and interesting, check it out, and Cleveland's Dead Boys play a major role in it. They were among one of the early American Punk combos, and one of the most rowdy, provocative, and violent groups of the era, or the first band to escalate the level of violence, nihilism, and pure ugliness of punkrock to extreme new levels. Formed 1977 by Chrome (guitar), Blitz (drums), Stiv (vocals), Jimmy (guitars), Jeff (bass) as Frankenstein but the group only managed a handful of local shows before fading away. Changing their name to the Dead Boys the band caused an immediate splash in their newly adopted hometown, due to Bators' Iggy Pop-esque, audience-bating antics, and the group's vicious three-chord Punkrock.

A superb review: "Fellow Cleveland types Pere Ubu may have won the artistic kudos for their adventurous, surprising work, but if the goal was just to rock and rock again, the Dead Boys had them totally trumped. As both title phrase and capsule description, Young, Loud & Snotty accurately defines the predominating aesthetic so well that one could just leave it at that, but there's a lot more going on here than on the face of it. With perhaps surprising great production from demi-famous '70s rocket Genya Ravan, the five-some found something sonically smack in-between the US garage/punk heritage of the past and the more modern thrashings from overseas. Bators sneers, gobs, gasps, and whines with the best of them, but he knows his rock history, as does his bandmates. Zero and Chrome aren't guitar virtuosos, but they do know what makes a song great and aren't afraid to concentrate on that, while the Magnum/Blitz rhythm section keeps things moving as it does. In some ways songs like 'All This And More' and 'I Need Lunch' simply emerge from an alternate '50s, with admittedly much more feedback and stereo sound. Stone cold rock classic 'Sonic Reducer' starts things off -- amusingly -- with all sorts of phased drums and other fripperies that later generations wouldn't consider punk at all. That said, it's still blunt, brilliantly sung by Bators and kicks out the jams with messy energy. Other all-time greats include the perfect bored-and-needing-kicks anthem 'Ain't Nothin' To Do' and the thoroughly wrong 'Caught With The Meat In Your Mouth'. There's even a rock oldie -- a cover of 'Hey Little Girl' live onstage at spiritual home CBGB's. And why not? With great punk rock and great rock, Young, Loud And Snotty still packs a punch." (Ned Raggett)

Haven't listened to it for a long time and have now rediscovered it through the movie, and I have to say, that I would have loved to have been there, back then in New York. And now, onto the stage with you.

here

NEW ORDER - @ The Venue, Blackpool U.K. 30.08.1982

It's strawberry season again my friends and for the past few days I've been enjoying 500 fresh grams of them, that I can buy here on the side of the road from a local farmer. Even today, not exactly cheap but fresher. Yesterday I told you, that I have a lot of housework to do and today I finished Part 2 and I can tell you that cleaning windows is exhausting, especially when they are big. It's an old building where I live but I would never want to live anywhere else. For musical accompaniment I had this fantastic soundboard recording of New Order's Blackpool performance from 1982 in and I thought: why not post it? The sound quality is okay throughout and I like the early recordings of the four because I think they combine a perfect fusion of Joy Division & New Order and some of their new stuff is also to my liking and runs temporarily on my turntable. Nine songs but that's enough for an entertaining pastime. And now I want to go out in the sun.

Procession/Ceremony/586/Truth/We All Stand/Hurt/Everything's Gone Green/Age Of Consent/Ultraviolence

here

V/A - Break The Rules #7 1996

So that are no gaps here, now the missing piece of the puzzle of the essential compilation series from Incognito/Insekten Records headquarters: Back To Front; Means many rare unsung heroes who created fantastic music & colorful subcultures in the early wild years 1977-1982 worldwide and vehement flouted the dusty degenerate biblehousesocietynorms. Twenty-three brilliant examples prove once again that the music is different and the spirit is more alive than today. Mostly good stuff on this Volume and 1000 copies exist.

1.Züri Brännt - TNT

2.Stocking Clad Nazi Death Squad Bitches - BLEACH BOYS

3.Death By Disco - BLEACH BOYS

4.Stilla Natt - DESPERATE LIVIN'

5.Cover Girls - THE KLAN

6.Jürgen Engler's Party - DIE TOTEN HOSEN

7.Rockets & Rose - SWINGERS RESORT

8.Reagan - THE PAST

9.I.R.A. - THE PAST

10.No Room For You - DEMOB

11.1-2-3-4 - MOPOT

12.Regards - MICKEYNSTEIN

13.Wir Sind Die Marionetz - MARIONETZ

14.Don't Be Afraid To Pogo - THE GEARS

15.Jugend - P-NISSARNA

16.You Better Hear - MACHINES

17.Everything's Technical - MACHINES

18.Desperate - WARHEADS

19.New Trends - YOUNG IDENTITIES

20.Ajo Ajo - INCEST BROTHERS

21.Frenzie - CULT MANIAX

22.Marchin' Men - BELLEVUE

23.Ya Don't Want My Name - MATT GIMMICK

here

BANNLYST - Diskografi 2011

Solid release by Berlin based label Norwegian Leather and this awesome compilation features all their vinyl recordings (we're talking about Bannlyst I should maybe mention, a cool trash Hardcore combo from Molde & Oslo, existed between 1982-1985 and consisted of Finn (vocals), Børre (guitars), Per (bass), Thomas (drums) and some members later went on to play in So Much Hate and Stengte Dører, among other bands. Twenty four goodies in total with a good dose of metal and some pop sensibilities, carefully remastered from the original tapes and vinyl as all the master tapes have been lost over the years and I think they've done very well and it's nice to be able to enjoy those long lost nuggets again, from one of the best hardcore bands from this country. A blast from the past!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here

ARSON - White Folks 7'' 1979

Five piece from Toronto hereby invite you to listen to their only great & rare 7Inch on Motor Records, which was released in a limited edition of 900 copies, and since I can't talk about the How’s, Why’s and Wherefore’s, because I wasn’t there at the time, I found a small but shiny & informative anecdote from someone who knows better, here we go: In 1977, at the height of the punk rock pandemic that was effortlessly engulfing the globe, vocalist and composer Rude Tuesdai fortuitously joined forces with guitarist Marcel Lafleur to begin a musical friendship that has spanned more than three and a half decades and spawned the incendiary band ARSON, the rest of the gang were Chic (guitars), Spyke (bass), Mike (drums). Ask anyone who’s ever heard them live and they’ll tell you that ARSON sonically sutures the Detroit destruction of the Stooges and MC5; the New York noise of the Velvet Underground and New York Dolls; and the British brainpower of the Stranglers and Clash. I could go on, so I will. Arson has independently toured all across North America and played countless concerts in a myriad of notorious rock’n’roll breeding grounds like New York, Detroit, and Chicago while sharing stages with (and stealing spotlights from) much influential legendary luminaries as the Dead Boys, Misfits, Suicide, Troggs, Destroy All Monsters, etc…. Meanwhile, Rude and Martin continued to douse the band’s smoldering ashes with new songs until the time was right to finally tap their past and craft a contemporary sound containing the unflinching fury of their earlier incarnation.

Aided and abetted by John Sutton (Weakerthans) on bass and David Quinton (Mods, Dead Boys, Stiv Bators) on drums, Arson recently recorded an in depth profile for Toronto radio station CIUT while recent concerts have garnered a whole new generation of rave reviews. That not hyperbole, that’s a fact and you can take it from me because I actually was there back in 1977 at the height of the punk rock heyday. So who you gonna believe: me or your own ears? (Bio by Jeffrey Morgan)

Two amazing songs and really too little for a talented band like Arson.

here

DIRE STRAITS - Live @ the BBC 22.07.1978

 

New week and I'll start with something completely different, that means no punk rock but just as brilliant and when we talk about solid rock with corresponding soft elements, I can't get past this band and these guys fascinate me with their melodic and playfully impressive music, like the Wipers or EA80. Live @ the BBC is a live album by the Dire Straits which was released in 1995 but the songs were recorded on 22.07.1978 at BBC Studios in London and involved were Mark (vocals/guitars), David & Hal (guitars), John (bass), Pick (drums), Alan (keys), with one track recorded on 31.January 1981 for the BBC TV program The Old Grey Whistle Test. The album features one unreleased song, "What's The Matter Baby?", co-written by Mark and his brother David. The riffs and general structure of that song were largely recycled for the song "Lady Writer" from the band's second album Communiqué, which may explain why it was never re-recorded in the studio. Check out their '82 album Love Over Gold which is also superb.

here

RAT BASTARDS - 6 Song EP 2004

Now folks, it's getting loud and fast and this post is for all Hardcores out there and this fuckin' 6 Song EP is a great example for brilliant screamcore. Rat Bastards are from Chicago and the band started in the mid 90s featuring former Industrialized Autocracy members, along with late 80s scene member Pat Kelly. They are still playing today (after some lineup changes) and on this little noisecracker are Pat (vocals), Jay & Rick (guitars), Al (bass), Mike (drums), they made five 7Inches, this one on Kangaroo Records (Amsterdam label) and one album. For the collector nerds are the two singles on Will E. Survive Records very interesting, "Contaminated Minds" and the split with Dead Drunk. There's definitely been a shift musically since the early years, starting as a 80's style hardcore band which moved into a newer sound, incorporating into that both Swedish and Japanese H/C influences. They've all played in a lot of Chicago bands in the past and continue to do so. Now enjoy this classic hardcore stuff with the highest volume.

here

D.N.A. - Retrospective 2018

I remember, that the Swedish combo D.N.A. was long on the Wanted list, many years ago, and the response has been astonishingly high. This is proven by the functional link to their first EP A Trip To The Land Of The Dead.... And Back, from 1985. Black Konflik Records, a malay label, released this limited compilation with a red Obi strip gatefold CD in 2018, 500 copies, with more recordings of this wild and versatile band from Skövde. Unfortunately with no infos about the recordings (except who was playing), but I guess they were all made around the mid-eighties. But apparently all of the band's remaining songs are immortalized here, including those of their two EPs plus two live goodies. The quality is not the best, but enough for a purchase in your city or in the train. Mega interesting in any case and very difficult to get. It’s good that these classics can see the light of day after so many years. Despite the rough edges and shit-fi quality, the anger in those releases is unconquerable. Real punk blast from the past. A solid retrospective of an era that marked the birth of the raw punk and d-beat genre.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here

THE MEDIA - Bright New Future 2020

Return of The Media: From Polaroids to Instagram, from vinyl singles to SoundCloud, from printing presses to the internet - a lot has changed with our media in the past fourty years. But, late 1970s Portsmouth band The Media are hoping that some things don't change; that a great tune is a great tune and that a band with an enviable live reputation still have the chops. Love Child Records certainly think The Media still have it!

In 2019 we set about tracking the band down and launched a double A-side 7" single Jump Down/How Could You Lie in April that year. Now, after some fantastic mastering work by North London Bombing, Love Child can finally release a whole album!! The Media were a Portsmouth band formed in 1978, influenced by the UK punk explosion of 1977 and consisted of Martin Jacks (vocals), Brian Lee (drums), Pete Rossie (guitar) and Michael 'Chello' Whichello (bass). In a short space of time back in the days of the punk rock explosion (and everything moved very quickly in the late 1970s) The Media played loads of shows, honed their 60s beat meets 70s street/seminal suburban songs, got a bit good, built a large following, released two singles and by 1980 were featured in an early Phil Redmond (the producer of Grange Hill, Brookside, Hollyoaks, etc.) youth TV series Going Out. What could possibly go wrong? Their debut No Darling I Love The Media EP appeared in 1978 on their own Tearaway Records (Cherry Red Records distributed it). It featured live favourites T.V. Kids, Don't Sit Back, Getting High and Rose and Crown. It was a bit good and sold out. A second single, Southcoast City Rockers came out the following year on the Portsmouth collective Brain Booster Records, again it sold out. A video was shot for Southcoast City Rockers, heady stuff at a time when very few bands recorded videos. The single showed the band moving on musically, taking in elements of the UK's emerging Ska scene (led by The Specials' Two Tone label) and the Mod revival inspired by The Jam (they secured support slots with The Vapors and Secret Affair). On the back of the money they were paid for the Going Out TV series (The Media's scene featured a packed gig, with a young Peter-Hugo Daly careering around causing mayhem) the band went in the studio with the aim of recording songs for an album, nine songs were completed.

But, trouble at one of their support slots (lets be honest, there was loads of bother at shows in the late 1970s/early 1980s) led to the cancellation of a series of gigs, including a prominent London show, and the band split in 1981. Fast forward thirty-seven years and the master tapes from that album session were found by a band member in their loft. 

On the advice of Acid Attack's Dave Clarke the tape is sent to Paul Orwell at Love Child Records, who in turn played it to Adam Cooper of parent company Heavy Soul Records, both of these uber music fans gave it a massive thumbs up. Love Child Records set about restoring the nine track tapes and transferring them to files. Talk immediately turned to releasing a single and album... and then a possible reunion show. The first 7" vinyl single from this session, Jump Down/How Could You Lie, was released in April 2019, fourty years after release of first Media EP! Bright New Future is available in 100 copies yellow vinyl, 150 copies black vinyl, so better be quick!

- Great Thx to Bristolboy -

here

LIKBAS - Tell Me EP 2021

Now a fine record and let me immediately announce the liner notes from the insert because they make it clear: "Likbas was created as an aftermath of two previous influential Falu punk bands; P-Nissarna and Sloban Sloback, by Matts (vocals/guitars), Larsa (bass), Tomas (drums). Their music was more of a garage rock band with a nudge to NYC and Detroit scene, rather than an angry punk band. On a historical day in 1983, 27th of May, they entered Gävle Ljudstudio to record five tracks. Unfortunately no record was pressed from that session and then they eventually split up and the recording tapes were forgotten and stashed away. Now thirty-eight years later, a label known for its intrepid releases, namely Ken Rock, is keen of letting the world finally enjoy this unique recording. Matts have dug out the old 1/4" Reel-To-Reel recording tapes from the vaults and it has now got the final love and care it so deserve. The tracks can now be enjoyed on this striking 7Inch and the result sounds better than ever. The echoes of the past are here to stay!" And I would like to add; splendid, wild and loud music or in one word: Superb!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

here