THE MONKS - Bad Habits 1979

This is a record I must listen twice before it gets me. Released on EMI, the Monks were an English punk band formed in the late 1970s, by former members of Strawbs - Richard Hudson, John Ford and Brian Willoughby, along with Terry Cassidy (vocals and synthesisers) and Clive Pierce (drums). The album spawned a number 19 hit single in the UK Singles Chart "Nice Legs Shame About Her Face". The song was originally a demo not intended for release and Ford later commented in Mojo magazine, that "it was a bit of a problem when it was a hit." They dabbled with 1930s style music in 1980 as 'High Society', before in 1981 returning to the pseudo-punk format of The Monks for a follow-up album released in Canada only called Suspended Animation. While the album failed to produce further UK chart success, the band were huge in Canada particularly and playing stadium gigs. 1982 the Monks were history. Read more about them by clicking thomasdarcymusic. Overall a nice album with a few hits and good guitars. The singer sometimes reminds me of Jefferson Turner/Cockney Rejects and the instrumental at the end is almost a beautiful piece of surf.

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CORTEX - Spinal Injuries 1983

Cortex was a combo from Gothenburg and were active from 1980-1988. Front Figure and sole constant member was Freddie Wadling. He had a major role in the Gothenburg music scene and played in several bands, for example Perverts, Rukorna, Blue for Two (electro music), Lädernunnan (The Leathernun) and The Mobile Whorehouse. The band is today best known for the song 'The Freaks', who are featured in the film God Save the King. Cortex grew out from Freddie Wadling's former band Liket Lever and was called at first (from January 1980) Coma Jesus, but they quickly changed the name into Cortex. 1981 they released their first 7inch at Heartwork Records. The band was initially very punk-related but then more towards into a decent new wave sound. Today, however, the band counted as the most post-punk band. The band changed its constant members, and even their song material was wide. Cortex was initially on the label Heartwork Records, run by Henrik Venant in Lund during the first half of the 80s, but then switched to the Gothenburg-based Radium 226.05 label. Their legendary rare debut slab Spinal Injuries came out 1983 (recorded 1981) and offers ten cool punkish wave-rock-pop tunes, including the song 'The Freaks', their most famous creation. The band released a live album, plus two others, compilation songs (Abcess Exil m.fl.) and at the end of the 80s the band split up and has now cult status. Lovely piano, singalongs, fine guitars + great lyrics: A perfect Album!

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A.B.H. & SUBCULTURE - The Oi! Collection 1998

Decent compilation from Captain Oi! Records, eight tracks from Lowestoft's A.B.H. and ten from Cambridge's Subculture. A.B.H. started in early 1981 with Pete (vocals), Chris (guitars), Nigel (bass), Tony (drums) and in the beginning they played easy covers of Damned and Sex Pistols tracks relying on speed and energy to substitute for ability and originality but even then they aspired to more. Quickly own pieces were written and interspersed in the gigs. Chris was replaced by Steven and this line-up remained for the rest A.B.H. Lots of Gigs were played and in July 1982 they recorded in Hillside Studios the first demo with four songs. One year later followed the second and these numbers had been written since the first demo and continued the proletarian theme and established sound. Problems had been building for some time and could no longer ignored; the band broke up at the end of 1983. Subculture originally formed in Cambridge in mid 1982 with a line-up of Better (vocals), Dean (guitar), Fall (bass), Matt (drums). Heavily influenced by the Cockney Rejects they made their vinyl debut on the "Oi! Oi! That's Yer Lot" compilation and then they secured a deal with Essential Records and issused the three track "Loud & Clear" EP (now a much sought after collectors item).
Have fun with the two and let's see what the three Lions are doing against Colombia.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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NERDS - Peter, Paul & Carrie 7'' + 1 1991

I still have a quick one: the Nerds from Frankfurt were a three piece combo, Andi Social (vox/bass), Stephan (guitar/vox) and Felix (drums) and they released two 7inches via the Get Happy! label in the early 90s and I think of both 500 copies were pressed. The three played lots of gigs in the Rhine-Main area, especially in the Batschkapp they were a welcome act and with their powerful punk sound they always inflamed the crowd that it was a real pleasure. Wild, hectic and always catchy without end. Unfortunately never had so much attention that they deserved and so the band remained relatively unknown. Well, with a total of 1000 copies of both 7inches this was hardly possible or just not wanted and since I'm a dear contemporary, both are united in this file. Over & Out!

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B.TRUG - Lieber Schwierig Als Schmierig 1982

And one more German punk slab from the fucking Rock-O-Rama (RRR14) label and this record comes from a time when the streets create the honest, pure & rough punk sound, far from the self-righteous politicay correct political incorrectness of later productions. Not only the uncompromising sound, but also the lyrics are absolutely authentic. B.Trug were Joe O. (vocals & bass), Jolly (guitars & vocals), Pit (guitars), Susi (drums) and came from the deepest heart of Bavaria, a region called Allgäu, they recorded fourteen solid mangy wild songs in the typical ror sound but the hardness can't cure properly because the sound is peculiarly leaky. According to punk-quality standards, the reason for the disappearance of the group could be mistreated. Too bad, since they have at least laid one of the last legitimate garbage punk classics (Frank Apunkt Schneider, Ventil Verlag 2007). In 2006, Teenage Rebel Records reissued the album. Enjoy this classic, I turn to the next knockout round, Belgium-Japan.

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PURRKUR PILLNIKK - Googooplex 1982

Last post June and we move to Reykjavík and find Purrkur Pillnikk with their final record on Gramm Records. It's Friday and I'm tired and therefore no more words, great band with catchy music. I wish you all a sunny weekend, with or without football and stay kind!

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SPLIFF - The Spliff Radio Show 1980

OK, just a few words about yesterday's K.O. of the German team: First; they deserve it, they never showed their form and the will to get the cup again. All three games were agonizing, they played timid and inhibited and as defending champion unworthy. Of course the criticism is loud again but I would not speak of a new beginning, Löw made mistakes, He should have taken more young fresh hungry players and should not nominate the two players who made this stupid photo with this dictator. Anyway, Leber geht weiter! and the WM continues. Now to the post and a record a record which I haven't heard for ages. Spliff was a New German Wave rock band, active in the 1980s. 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. Their album 85555 however was released in a limited English edition too, which is extremely rare. They had major hits on the German singles chart with Carbonara and Das Blech. Despite their influential status, the band was short-lived. Many of the musicians subsequently formed a band called Froon. The Other Ones was another offshoot band, which included Alf Klimek, who appeares on this album as Alf Klimax and I must say, this is their best record, sixteen solid punk rock songs, top lyrics, a few funny jingles in between and the euphoric Rock Is A Drug as coronation at the end.

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SLOBOBANS UNDERGÅNG - I Varje Tid 7'' 1983

Slobobans Undergång was one of Sweden's heaviest punk band and showed that the punk and hard rock some could be combined well before the two genres called crossover. The bands from the Swedish punk stronghold Gothenburg and this is their forth release which came out at Hiss Records. In their existance they released a few 7''s and EP's and a split LP with Rövarna. So here we have two nice songs and remarkable is in both the bass line which mills each brain and if you only listen to then you find a funky rhythm, pretty sing-a-long refrains with it and finished are two songs that are worth to pack on a single. Here, says singer Staffan Hassling the story of the band from the first light chaos gig to the day when the band decided to let the runout silent and in 1985 the band broke up. - I recommend their Maktgalen EP and more Swedish stuff you can find over wdthtc.

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DIE HORNISSEN - Pale Blue Eyes 7'' 1982

A few minutes until the last preliminary round game against South Korea and I'm very excited. A quick filler: Die Hornissen, on the A side's a six-minute Lou Reed cover, mixed and cut by Holger Czukay from Can. The B-side presents a produced by Tom Dokupil own composition. "Essential is the project of the Cologne painter Walter Dahn & his friend Detlev Kühne, making Die Hornissen as the old Reed/Velvet-classic, Pale Blue Eyes' with rhythm machine and Billigorgel credit. Holger Czukay quality guarantee from mixed (and is perhaps responsible for the emotional and the Shadows bass guitar?). Those who can not decide whether he preferred the cover version or the original aims, can calm the B-side, Hello! Hello? (Time Tunnel) 'and hang up the humorous / strong amateur electronics engineers mixed (by Tom Dokoupil listen)" (Konrad Schnabel, Sounds Nr.1/1983)

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FIENDENS MUSIK - En Spark Rätt I Skallen 7'' 1978

Fiendens Musik (Enemy Music) are a swedish punk band from Malmö, founded in 1977 by Mats Zetterberg and Mats Bäcker as a rock band in Lund which originated as a pure cover band, quickly developed when they began writing their own songs, inspired by early punk, pubrock and New Wave. The first single, "En Spark Rätt I Skallen (A Kick Right In The Head)" was released on record label Bellatrix (ca. 2300 copies) in Malmö and was the band's breakthrough. The band stood between the old Swedish folkmusic and the fresh new punk. Stage performances were characterized by a high tempo, fast songs, pounding guitars, bellowing sax and a frantic stage show with musicians who literally fell over each other. F.M. played together with bands like Ebba Grön, Dag Vag, Grisen Skriker, TT Reuter and others in the punk movement that they did not belong, but sympathized with. They released in a short time four singles and two albums, the band's composition varied slightly, but the most important members were Mats Zetterberg (vocals), Harry Schiffman (guitars), Mats Backer (sax), Peter Kempinsky (guitars), Ulf Karlberg (bass), Ingvar "Krupa" Nilsson (drums), and Karl G. Jonsson (texts & design). The band's name refers to criticize the publication "The people have never won the enemy music" which was published by the Maoist October Publishers the same year that the band was formed.

- Special Thx to Fredrik -

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