RUDOLF'S RACHE - Kings Of Balla Balla 1988

I know, I have posted this record before but I don't fuckin' know when and where, apparently not in this theatre. Anyway, Rudolf's Rache are four punx from Rastede and were founded in the early eighties and after three tapes (listen to the first) the small punk label Starving Missile from Munich finally showed mercy and took the band under her wings and released their debut EP 'Unrasiert' in 1985. Two years later followed the second EP 'Pffrrrt!' under severe labor pains in our cosmos. A numerous fan base formed in East Frisia and the youth clubs were no longer sufficient for concerts, the whole region finally screamed for an album. To meet all the wishes, the four rented again the prestigious Masterplan Studio and recorded with some guest musicians Kings Of Balla Balla, also on Starving Missile. After that, Europe was open! Many gigs in stadiums were played, two 7inches and another album ('93) were released until the band decided in the mid 90's to spend the earned money and to lead a decent life as investment banker, real estate agent, cook and lawyer... until today. Solid punk rock with not so serious stories.

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THE REPTILES - Reptiles For Tea EP 1983

Not much infos about the Reptiles, probably from Newcastle, and after two demos they released their only record on Volume Records with three nice crackers, also hardly represented on compilations, that alone shows how rare this 7Inch is. Very pleasant catchy songs, excellent production and an absolute secret tip. A must listen!

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LOOSE PRICK - Mua Potkitaan Päähän 7'' 1979

Loose Prick was formed fall 1977 in Kouvola by Pauli (vocals), Jussi (guitar), Harri (bass), Timo (drums) and existed for five years. Their debut 7'' was recorded February 5th 1979 @ the Microvox studios and released via the essential Poko Rekords label. Both songs are written by guitarist Kylliäinen, and they a pretty good. I'm in a hurry so reach more info about Loose Prick via the Valkoiset Sotilaat album post or visit finnmusic for the full bio.

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TEJP - Tung Rock 7'' 1979

Back to the late seventies with a cool rockin single by this obscure Swedish group. The A-side starts with a Chuck Berry intro and pushes through the whole song, fast rockin' and a solid solo in the middle. I like the driving rhythms here which shots me instantly in a good mood and a perfect start into the weekend. Surprisingly good sound for a forty years old record, respect! Side B is no less bad, starts immediately forward and I like it a bit better. Wow!!! Extreme mid-tempo proto punk rock'N'roll. The band were three piece: Inge Tillberg (guitars), Thomas Wretman (drums) and Stabben Wahlman (vox+bass) and what has become to them is beyond my knowledge. It's their only record I think and was self-produced by the band and released in a small edition. Tejp (Tape) is a good rock'N'Roll band and I like both tracks and the punk factor is clearly audible. Worth a listen!!!

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AVIADOR DRO - Alas Sobre El Mundo 1982

It's late and I have the perfect record for the last hour of this Thursday. I love their song on the Navidades Radioactivas compilation and on their debut are ten quiet melodic synth-pop numbers. Aviador Dro is an electronic combo from Madrid and were formed 1979 by Servando Carballar (keyboards), Arturo Lanz (vocals), Gabriel Riaza (bass) and Juan Carlos Sastre (guitars). They are the pioneers of electronic pop in Spain, in the wake of American bands like Devo, the Residents or the Kraftwerk and even invented the term tecno-pop, which they used in late 1979 to describe their music in interviews. The band has had several line-ups with their leader Biovac-N as the only remaining original member. From the first Aviador Dro lineup, a number of members split to form Esplendor Geometrico, with a more radical approach to music. Their more creative period was between 1980 and 1985. They founded label DRO to release their own provocative anthem, "Nuclear Si" as single. DRO was to become the most important independent label in Spain. In October 1982 they released their debut album, "Alas Sobre El Mundo", presented on the album cover itself as «A Fascinating Elepé Of The Aviator Dro». The themes of the album reflect their anti-systemic ideas and passion for science fiction and mythology. At the end of 1982 and after Julián Ruiz saw Aviador Dro performing in the golden room in Madrid, they decided to recording "Frequency Selector " in two dance versions + pushed the 12-inch forward.

The success of "Frequency Selector" provides a large number of performances throughout Spain. After a tour and again with Julián Ruiz at the controls of the production they record 1983 the 12'' "Amor Industrial", in clear reference to the theme "Computer Love" by Kraftwerk. On the B-side are more experimental topics included, produced by Jesús Gómez, such as "Arquitecto Acero" & "Envasados Al Vacío". By 2012, they have released thirteen albums and are probably still active.

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THE BATES - Angel Face 12'' 1989

A long day on the computer with a lot of music is coming to an end and I complete this stormy Sunday with a very good combo from the Wiener Neustadt. Ex Bates Men released this 12" on RST Records and featuring a Goth Rock cover version of The Glitter Band's "Angel Face" and they had to change their band name into Bates Unlimited due to a legal controversy with the German band The Bates. Four solid rockin' goodies with a touch of melancholy (want I to throw in) have they recorded here which I can't hear every day but now and then... check for yourself!

- Special Thx to Reinhard -

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STORMTROOPER - I'm A Mess 7'' 1977

Good rockin' 7Inch from Stormtrooper, at home the Isle Of Wight, and they were active 1975-1978 and the band consisted of Nigel (vocals), John (guitar), Jeffery (bass) and Mike (drums) and their onlyl record came out via Solent Records in a simple sleeve stamped with song title and band. Some copies included an insert with lyrics and recording info. Originally recorded as a demo in 1975. Released two years later after the band ceased to exist. In 2010, RaveUp Records brought out a small compilation with ten rare tracks which is sold out for a long time and I want to give you some words about the album:

Stormtrooper formed and disbanded in a fury in 1975 before punk rock arose out of the ashes of glam and pub rock! Their debut single "I’m A Mess" was described by the British music press as "the sound of a commuter being shoved under a tube train in the rush hour, one for howling at the moon and a tale of drunkenness in the wild of Soho". The band formed at the bar in the Marquee Club by British front man Nigel Hutchings and bassist Jeff Piccinini who recruited John Pilka on guitar and Mike Lee on drums. They recorded a demo of 4 songs in August of 1975 and then signed with Corruption Management on the Portobello Road for a couple of pints and some distant promises. The band played only one gig at the Bath Pavilion, then split-up. This, ladies and gentleman, was before the birth of punk rock and the tracks of this anthology are pure “punk” before… punk!!!!

And if you like what you're reading then click over to the Old Wanker and get the stuff.

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FRESHLY - Air (Quoth She) 1986

Now a re-upp from the unfortunately inactive Phoenix Hairpins blog which was first posted by Curious in 2007 and I want to adopt his words here: "Danish band Freshly originally started as Freshly Riots. As Freshly Riots they released two records. The first is the Delightfully Fresh EP in 1982. Second release is the Hope album released in 1984. This album contains eleven tracks of punk inspired by early Stranglers. For the second album 'Air (Quoth She)', they shortened the name to Freshly and went for a more postpunk sound, with some hints to Killing Joke. All records were released on their own Bondeskiver label. Another release on this label is the 'Complication' comp. slab (maybe soon) with ten punk & new wave bands from Denmark as War Of Destruction, Electric Deads and Sods." Last strong record of this great band whose music evolved from snotty punk to melodic numbers.

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ERIC HYSTERIC & THE ESOTERICS - Drive You Crazy 1981

Pretty rough debut from Eric Hysteric & The Esoterics on Wasted Vinyl Records and the band consisted of Sam & John (vocals), Andy (bass), Eric (guitar), King Bee Jones (drums), Ricky (guitars/bass/vocals). In addition to his work as a solo artist (since 1971) Hysteric was a member of S.C.U.M (1978-1979), the Vomit Visions (1979-1982) and the Frankfurt riot combo Der Durstige Mann (1982-1995). In addition, Hysteric wrote for several Frankfurt fanzines, including "Same Old Song" and "Ultra Hard Core Punk Sounds," and was notorious (among others, the English Zig Zag Magazine and the German music magazine Sounds) for his letters to the editor. The first public project of Hysteric was the punk band S.C.U.M (Löhnberg/Gießen). After a disastrous appearance in the Jugendzentrum Gießen - acclaimed by art students - Hysteric emigrated to London. During sporadic visits to the ancient homeland, he took with the Vomit Visions, which in June 1979 from the remains of S.C.U.M. emerged, various songs on, and provided the punks at the Frankfurt flea market with the latest records from the UK and the US.

In London, Hysteric went to the studio in 1980 with Andy Groome and Leigh Kendall from the Australian punk pioneers Last Words. The result was the album "Drive You Crazy" released under the name Eric Hysteric & The Esoterics. "The Esoterics LP DRIVE YOU CRAZY is one of the most misunderstood masterpieces of pop music. Not a single weak song, uncompromisingly performed, heart-touching "(Karl Bruckmaier, Bayerischer Rundfunk March 14, 1990).

In 1982, Hysteric returned to Germany and founded under the motto: "Who takes us seriously, it is your own fault" together with the (already then) legendary chain spunk Markus Monoton, who had been a member of the Frogs und den Elbseglern, the riot combo Der Durstige Mann. While the German music critic ignored DDM, who initially also included Oskar (drums) and Marcel Roth (guitar), Due to the hairstyles of Monoton and Oskar, who had turned into skinheads around 1980 in protest against the punk turned fashion punk Barney Hoskyns in the New Musical Express (January 8, 1986) understood the DDM philosophy expressed in the programmatic title "This Is Frankfurt Not Boston (Fuck Off L.A.)" and was thrilled, Der Durstige Mann is a filthy sound far removed from our own (american) punk rock, which is extremely conservative, hedged behind allotments of slogans, etc. (...) Two of them are skins, slouching outside public lavs, the other two walled lingering in front of boutiques in grotesque young-men-wear modeling poses. I guess this makes you kid of the cheap trick of Frankfurt punk. M. Monoton (sing) and Eric (guitar) say: "I whistle on London and LA, and they are right."

After the radical trash aesthetic of the first two EPs surprised the thirsty man, now shrunk to the duo Hysteric/Monoton, 1984 with the 12'' "Saufen Ohne Ende" and the album "Bier 4 Tot", of which the single "Bier Nix Gut!" was decoupled. Tesco Vee: "Here are the guys who are really sounding slick enough to enter the world of commercial jingles and the like. Do not get me wrong. It's still boss, the bossest. "The highlight of this pop-phase was the 1985 single" Im Winter Whiskey Im Sommer Pernod".

After reviews and reports in the Bravo, a re-release of "Bier 4 Tot" by Rock-O-Rama and a placement in the WOM sales charts threatened commercial success. Hysteric responded with a radical change of course: Der Durstige Mann found back to his roots with the album "Himmel & Hölle". On the solo albums "The Crazy King (A Fairy Tale)" and "Für Dich" developed Hysteric his "difficult idiosyncratic, but highly sensitive music" on. Eric died on January 20, 2016.

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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

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