DIE PROFIS - Neue Sensationen + Alte Geheimnisse 2008

Interesting release on Teenage Rebel Records and on this anthology are the only and much sought-after album from 1982 plus demo songs, compilation contributions and live recordings, some tracks by the previous band Stairs. We're talking about Die Profis from Düsseldorf which formed 1979 as Stairs by Ralf (vocals/guitars), Hans (bass), Roland (drums) and this formation made their only 7inch, Hey You, in 1980 via Big Record Deal and on it are two delicious Modpunk goodies that created a sound throughout the German musical landscape in the early Eighties that made them very special, but the German mod scene, with a few exceptions, never caught the attention of the big bands from England. They changed their bandname into Die Profis, and Rainer replaced Hans on bass, and the now rare and only Longplayer Neue Sensationen was recorded and released on Schallmauer in 1982. The independent sound from Rock'N'Roll, Pop, Ska and Punk is wonderfully solid and is characterized by the very good lyrics and underlines the brilliant quality of this band. A reviewer writes: "The perfect soundtrack for growing up in a stuffy society that gets on your nerves with its norms and values, while you just party to good music and make out with girls." Absolutely right! They split in 1984, reformed in the late '80s with a new line-up, finally disbanded in the early Nineties.

- Great Thx to Nolti -

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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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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 -

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V/A - Shake Some Action Vol.5 2003

Today I wanna shine with a few essential compilations and we kick off with a mini serie called Shake Some Action which bring us rare Powerpop, Mod & New Wave pearls from the late 70s to the mid 80's and each volume illuminates a special area of our wonderful planet and #5 is dedicated to the U.K. and Ireland. The whole thing is really put together with much love, as well the detailed booklet with all infos about bands/songs. I give 10 points out of 10 and it's damned important that such discs are dug up by fiery doers, Thx!

1.Can't Wait 'Till The Summer Comes - RONNIE MAYOR

2.Can't Get Over You - THE QUESTIONS

3.Here Comes My Baby - THE SMITH

4.Zero Ambition - BACK BEAT ROMEOS

5.Laid On A Plate - MARK ANDREW & THE GENTS

6.101 Damn-Nations - SCARLET PARTY

7.Cry A Little - THE CHICAYNES

8.You've Never Heard Anything Like This - THE FRESHMEN

9.The Beat Is Back - THE FIRST STEPS

10.Language School - THE TOURS

11.I Can Detect For You 1.000.000 Miles - ANDY ARTHURS

12.Love Letter - THE STEP

13.Rock'N'Roll Radio - THE YOUNG ONES

14.Shape Of Things To Come - THE HEADBOYS

15.Johnny B. Rotten - THE MONKS

16.I Can't Wait - THE JOLT

17.When The Tanks Rolled Over Polland Again - AUTOMATICS

18.(I Wanna Be A) Policeman - THE CHEATERS

19.Audio, Audio - THE CLASSICS

20.10% Will Do - HEROES

21.Ambition - TV 21

22.Nervous Breakdown - WHITE HEAT

23.Girls In Action - THE INVADERS

24.Hotel Carabineros - THE SECRET

- Great Thx to Reinhard -

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V/A - AK•79 1979

This little masterpiece was released by Ripper Records and has six bands, each with two pieces, from lovely New Zealand in the luggage and brings us the early underground of the late 70s closer. Not easy to get nowadays some slabs from there in Europe and the original 7Inches are as rare as a polar bear at the South Pole. Hence that is important there are records like this that shine at least with a little bit of the sound otherwise not reachable. Hugh, I spoke!

1.Mysterex - SCAVENGERS

2.Never Been To Borstal - TERRORWAYS

3.I Am A Rabbit - PROUD SCUM

4.True Love - SCAVENGERS

5.Suicide - PROUD SCUM

6.She's A Mod - TERRORWAYS

7.Certain Sound - SWINGERS

8.Funny Stories - PRIMMERS

9.Squeeze - TOY LOVE

10.Baby - SWINGERS

11.You're Gonna Get Done - PRIMMERS

12.Toy Love Song - TOY LOVE

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WASTELAND - Leave Me Alone 7'' 1980

Second 7Inch by this combo from Canterbury/Kent and Wasteland were Tony (vocals), Don (bass), Tom (guitar), Tig (drums). This slab was released via Invicta/Ace Records in an edition of 500 copies. Two nice mod punkies with female vox, even on compilations, for example Back To Front #3. So it is, soon Soccer Euro-League, Yeah!

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OPINIÃO PÚBLICA - No Sul Da Europa 1982

Opinião Pública (Public Opinion) was a Portuguese mod punk band from Lisbon and were founded 1981 by Carlos (vocals), Pedro (guitars), Luís (bass + keyboards) and Carlos B. (drums) in the midst of Boom Do Rock Português; the wave of emerging Portuguese rock bands. With the most important combo, the grandiose band UHF, they had a special relationship. They played lots of concerts with UHF and singer António produced their only album. The recordings became possible after an excellent gig @ the band competition of the Festival Só Rock in Coimbra 1981. The group released one 7Inch (Puto Da Rua) & this album, both on Rotação. While the single, similar to UHF's early releases, showed strong influences from Punkrock & Powerpop was the spectrum of the album's songs broader, and included rock and new wave songs. They played more concerts, mostly in the Lisbon area, with bands like Xutos & Pontapés, Rock & Vários and UHF and others. Well, the album was not really successful so the band dissolved in 1982 and some members of the band continued as musicians, Luís plays later in the pop band Entre Aspas. What remains is a beautiful album with ten shallow powerpop nuggets which can help at lovesickness or other personal differences.

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