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!

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SHAM 69 - John Peel Session 28.11.1977 EP [2020]

Another unofficial release of an early John Peel session, this time by Sham 69 and the line-up on these recordings were Jimmy (vocals), Dave (guitars), Dave P. (bass), Mark (drums) and I guess, I don't have to tell you much about this early English and brilliant band. Founded 1975 in Hersham and with Borstal Breakout & If The Kids Are United they create two immortal hymns and everyone who listens to Punkrock must know this bloody songs and both will long be heard while you and I rot in eternal black! If not, catch up immediately! Maybe together with them, but that's a fartz. The four hasn't commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived their name from a piece of football-related graffiti that founder Jimmy Pursey saw on a wall, which originally said Walton and Hersham '69 but had partly faded away. Numerous albums were released just waiting for you to hear and they are still touring the world, be sure they are coming to your town. Some compilations in the blog aren't unimportant as well. Enjoy five rough goodies in a row and in one go.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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THE CURSE - Shoeshine Boys 7'' 1978

Female band from Toronto the Curse were formed by Mickey Skin (vocals), Trixie Danger (guitars), Dr. Bourque (bass), Patzy Poizon (drums) in 1977 and this is their only 7Inch on Hi-Fi Records. The girls present us two rocking numbers, played solidly and somehow charming. Brilliant info from their fb page: "Ostensibly Canada's first female punk band (with challenges to that throne by the B-Girls and the Dishrags), Toronto's Curse were there right from the get-go, slotted to open for the Tools on a cancelled May 27, 1977 gig at the SEED Auditorium on McCaul, later backing up the Viletones at the infamous Crash'N'Burn club in June, and then taking the stage at CBGB a month later on an all-Canadian bill ("Outrageous Punk bands from Toronto!") that included the Viletones, the Diodes and Teenage Head. And singer Mickey Skin's spoken-word rant occupied the b-side of the frighteningly rare Punk artifact, the Centre for Experimental Art and Communication's 'Raw'/War' split seven-inch with the Diodes.

The Curse took the punk credo to its extreme, with Skin sporting a fake lobotomy scar on her forehead, pulling hot dogs out of her pants and then squashing them on stage. At Shoeshine Boy's record release party, they served a Purple Jesus punch that could only be drunk by sucking it out of tampons floating in the punchbowl. This was the Curse's only release as a band and it caused considerable outrage in a Toronto still cringing from the horrific rape and murder of 12-year-old shoeshine boy Emanuel Jaques along that city's seedy Yonge Street strip. 'Shoeshine Boy', despite its ripping guitar chords and perfunctory snarls, trod on touchy territory with its topical lyrics ("Emanuel with the curly hair/Why don't you climb on up these old stairs?.. They'll beat you/Mistreat you"), and especially with the singularly chilling chorus of "wrapped in a plastic baaaag". What's more, copies of Shoeshine Boy were then mailed to the jailed killers, further stoking the public's anger. Though the b-side is a bit of a toss-off, with its faux metal riffs and cutesy vocals, the record did manage a second pressing the following year with a new cover and the offending 'Shoeshine Boy' obligingly slotted to the b-side." (Bio by Michael Panontin) - Enough for now, weekend's near, Skloomo! 🍺🍻🍺

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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FRESHLY RIOTS - Perhaps Demo 1982

Yeah Yeah Yeah, this record blows you off your couch and is an absolute must for demo fans, and the Vikings are always welcome in my castle. I'm talking about Freshly Riots, a five piece founded in the brisk 1980 in Gedsted (North Jutland) and Perhaps is their second demo which was originally released on their Bondeskiver Records. The American label Queer Pills thought, it would be good for us to recall these valuable and rough recordings and so this fantastic record was created in an edition of 500 copies, thereof 100 in gray vinyl. A short official description: "Awesome dissonant music with elements of raw chaotic 60s garage psych. Instantly familiar and catchy but also dark and ominous and weirdly chaotic and unnerving." That's exactly right I would say. Their first EP followed in the same year and then their famous Hope album (1984), which had a different, more wavy sound but without losing their Punk roots. By mid-1984 they shortened their name to FRESHLY and a demo with two songs (both on Rot Records' Rot In Hell compilation, coming soon) came then in 1985. A year later their last big experiment Air (Quoth She) followed, on which they appear in a completely different guise and then at some point they broke up to merge into other bands. What remains, one of the best combos from Denmark and always worth a short break.

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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V/A - Enjoy The Gift Of Life EP 1990

This is supposed to be a limited Promo 7Inch, but I'm not sure. Fact is; four bands from three continents have come together to delight your heart with their refreshing art. Opener are the Badtown Boys from LA, who have been around since 1986, have released five albums and convince with melodic singalong songs, Channel 3 from Cerritos, established 1980, are certainly well known and play hard, fast stuff that even made it onto some European compilations, numerous records from the boys are available. The b-side starts with Sticky Filth from New Plymouth, NZ and the trio released four quality albums. Their evocations of provincial Punk and working class life are among New Zealand’s finest and most honest and the powersound they make is raining down to a howling vocal and constant beat, one of the most distinct, Electric Blue Peggy Sue & The Revolutionions From Mars were from Oulu, active from 1986 to 1996, long band name with many members, six in total. Seven albums exist and the only unknown combo to me but a worthy conclusion on this little piece of vinyl which came in various different cover colors.

1.We're Through - BADTWON BOYS

2.What About Me - CHANNEL 3

3.Weep Woman Weep - STICKY FILTH

4.I Do It All The Time - ELECTRIC BLUE PEGGY SUE & THE REVOLUTIONIONS FROM MARS

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V/A - It's All Been Said Before... EP 1993

...Yes, it's a bootleg Punk!' and not a bad one at all. For an unofficial release, the artwork (a 9-Page booklet sleeve) is amazingly elaborate and available at a low price, I think I paid three euros for this slab. All songs are already been released, details here, and the song/band selection is also impressive and shines with nine fast loud goodies. Some familiar to me, some new. Reason enough to enjoy this record at a relaxed moment. It's going to be hot today, that means 🌞🌊

1.Adversity - CHUMBAWAMBA

2.Rules - B.G.K.

3.Police Brutality - URBAN WASTE

4.Police State - STATE

5.Polizia - IMPACT

6.Spero Venga La Guerra - WRETCHED

7.Common Sense - GOOGOL PLEX

8.Funny Dance - BRAIN DEATH

9.Never Ending Game - ABSOLUTION

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LAZY BONES - Im Reich Der Wilden Biere EP 1993

Five piece from Stendal with their only record on Riech-Filz-Produktion and the line-up consisted of Leasy (vocals), Michi and Pohli (guitars), Zimmi (bass), Willi (drums) and previously the Lazy Bones appeared on a few old cassette compilations. Musically we're at home in a tense D-Punk frenzy with wonderful lyrics and snotty music (also note the artistically valuable cover in this context). This isn't really new, but this little outpouring underlines another sign of life from an East German combo who certainly had a lot of fun by the recordings and conveys exactly that with high quality requirements... now you know; I approve of a coffee and want to see what the day has in store for me.

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THE DICKS - Peace? EP 1984

Long overdue the following combo from Texas, the Dicks which were formed 1980 in Austin by Gary (vocals), Glen (guitars), Buxf (bass), Pat (drums). The four are known for their confrontational stage presence (Floyd was an open homosexual who frequently appeared in drag on stage and had no qualms about getting in the face of close-minded audience members) and raucous music. They started writing burly, blues-drenched Punk anthems and began playing raucous, shows with local heroes the Big Boys. Unlike that band’s funk-infused, high-production value drag show, the Dicks opted for a cruder but still spectacular approach. Their first masterful single Dicks Hate The Police, released in 1980, brought them much attention and is now regarded as a classic and has rightly been republished in large numbers. This EP is unlike anything else before or after, a total powerhouse of a song. The flip found the band playing faster and harder than most other US combo at the time. Peace? is their second 7Inch on MDC Dave's Radical Records label with three great numbers. In 1983, the band relocated to San Francisco. However, Glen, Buxf, and Pat soon decided to return to Austin. Floyd carried on with the Dicks' name, recruiting new members Lynn (drums), Sebastian (bass) and Tim (guitar). This line-up released the second album (These People) before calling it quits in 1986. Floyd and Lynn went on to form Sister Double Happiness. 

The group disbanded in 1986, although occasional one-off reunion shows featuring the Austin lineup occurred through the 1980s & 1990s. In 2004, Dicks began playing regular reunion concerts in Austin and elsewhere. The line-up for the shows consists of the original Dicks, with the exception of Glen, who died sadly in 1997. A documentary film, The Dicks From Texas was released in 2015 about the band, Austin & the Texas Punk scene along with a tribute album with twenty-seven bands covering twenty-eight Dicks songs. The Dicks announced that their final show would be October 30, 2016 @ Grizzly Hall in Austin however due to popular demand, a second show was added the day afterward. That's it folks!

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COCKNEY REJECTS - The Peel Sessions 08.08.1979 & 13.02.1980 EP's [2014]

Well, since the fucking formatting doesn't allow me to write any text next to the picture, I have to write my words as usual, although I would like it to be different. Fuck This Bitch! This is really a pain in the ass and I can't understand this bullshit system... Egal, now a double feature with two rare John Peel sessions by the Cockney Rejects which came out on Pirate Love Records in a limited edition of 300 numbered copies each. I guess, I don't have to tell you much about the boys, they were one of the first Oi! bands that formed by brothers Jeff & Micky Geggus in the EastEnd of London 1977. The band are fans of West Ham United and the violence depicted in their lyrics was often mirrored at their concerts, and they often fought to defend themselves (often from supporters of opposing football teams) or to split up conflicts between audience members. But those are just side notes, the Cockneys are a venerable combo who are still touring and very active, even forays into the metal genre show how versatile and brave the Londoners are, and to date they have released nine albums, the first two are classics which the so-called Punks will still hear in one hundred years, I think. It's been a nice day of swimming so far, I bought a pack of fifty Rolo's and now I'm watching a little Tour De France with a Benediktiner but weekends without football suck which you can certainly confirm!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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NEWS - Dirty Lies EP 2018

It's rare that I post a record twice but the following record by Melbourne's News was re-released by Buttercup Records in 2018, this version in 200 hand numbered copies on orange vinyl, with two more previously unreleased rarities on the fip. One from their 1978 demo, the other a live recording and both in an awesome qualitiy. The thing was released in different formats and with good reason. A brilliant combo with a great spirit and splendid songs and a perfect opener for this sunny weekend. Liner notes plus a sticker within, but getting a copy after four years won't be easy and cheap. Good luck with your search. 💋

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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