sábado, 16 de diciembre de 2023
THE REDUCERS - Let's Go [USA power pop] 1984 Rave On Records TGP-1001
#1 CMJ chart-topper from the glory days of college radio and the classic 1984 LP from the pride of New London, CT.
"You know, rock and roll like you dream about it." - Robert Christgau, The Village Voice
"If I were The Replacements I'd be looking over my shoulder at these guys; they're far too good to ignore." Option Magazine, 1985
THE LEEPERS - Back In The Day [UK mod revival 1979] 2010 Detour Records DRCD057
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The Leepers were no different from all the other hopefuls all looking for stardom except they had the look, the attitude and two great song writers in their ranks in the way of Gary Simpson & Pete Helmer along with Paul Helmer playing bass and Sav on drums. One of Petes other brothers (John) had already found fame in the up-and-coming Brighton based band The Piranhas.. With MOD sweeping the country back in 1979, the band had a shared interest in the 60s. The lifestyle, the music, the scooters AND above everything else THE CLOTHES! The band were courted by several record labels but sadly no deal followed. By late 1980, the Mod scene started changing. The smartly dressed Mods started wearing more elaborate clothes with frilly shirts and sequins. This new scene was Psychedelia. The band didnt see it as selling out, just a natural progression to what had also happened in the sixties. They changed their name to Le Mat and brought in new member Mark Mifsud-Bonnici to add a new direction to the band by introducing violin & Keyboards. With this new line up, they signed to Whaaam Records and released one single and one album.
THE DILS - Dils Dils Dils [USA punk rock, power pop 1977-81] 2001 Bacchus Archives BA1166
This was one of the most important bands of the first Punk wave in California. They were a band apart, with a lot of political content in their lyrics. Here are two of their three singles plus ten live cuts from 1977-1981. Their leaders, the Kinman brothers, started Rank & File in the mid 80's.
THE HASKELS - Taking the City by Storm [USA punk rock, power pop 1980-82] 2020 Sptunge SPL 026
Rising like the phoenix from the ashes of the first version of the band; The Haskels served up heavy doses of three minute, adrenaline-fueled hard punk pop, as evidenced on the highly sought after, Killed by Death bootlegged, “Taking the City by Storm” EP released in 1981 on their own Milwaukee Hits label. Now the full story of the band can be heard, seen, and told.
As the decade turned from the rust belt 70’s to the Reagan-era 80’s, the original Haskels (see their self-titled LP released last year on Splunge) split into two factions, with the local punk/new wave/post-punk scene moving to the gritty Starship club in downtown Milwaukee. The Haskels were instrumental in getting bands to play the venue, including the Oil Tasters, Plasticland, Ama-Dots, Shivvers, Die Kreuzen and a burgeoning Violent Femmes.
The version of the Haskels represented here initially included Presley Haskel and Gerard LaValliere, fresh from the first line up of the band; joined by the crack rhythm section of Bobby Mitchell and Vodie Rhinehardt. Later tracks, including the EP were recorded by the Presley/Bobby/Vodie trio. In either case, the material is a match made in punk pop heaven; coupling Presley’s knife-sharp songwriting sensibilities with a tight unit of A-Team musicians driving the music forward.
“Taking the City by Storm” includes 14 tracks of rare and never before released material from the Splunge Archives. The release is comprised of demos, live tracks and the entire, highly coveted “Taking the City by Storm” EP, remastered for the first time.
martes, 7 de noviembre de 2023
THE CHIEFTONES - The New Smooth and Different Sound [USA pop, beat 1966] 2023 Numero Group Records NUM607
Billed as “Canada’s All Indian Band,” the Tsimshian Nation garage band The Chieftones stormed the U.S. in the mid-’60s with their own brand of native rock n’ roll. Led by guitarists Billy Thunderkloud and Albert Canadien, the band was filled out with Jack Wolf on lead guitar, Barry Clifford on bass, and Richard Douse on drums. Their repertoire was a heady mix of guitar instrumentals; Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Duane Eddy, and Brazil’s Los Indios Tabajaras, but through the lens of the American sock hop.
After a brief stint at Edmonton’s Alberta College, The Chieftones hit the road, eventually setting up a home base in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where they reportedly worked as ranch hands in between tours.
More Buddy Holly than Link Wray, The Chieftones lone Cuca single—1966’s “Do Lord” b/w “I Shouldn’t Have Did What I Done”—expressed the group’s radio-friendly ambitions. The rest of their Cuca recordings, however, explore their indigenous roots. Tribal drums keep time under a wash of surf-y guitars. Ceremonial dance numbers are reimagined for the Elvis generation. When the single failed to light up the phones, the album was shelved, discovered only recently by Numero’s crack team of magnetic tape sleuths.
The New Smooth and Different Sound collects 12 unreleased demos and their sought after Cuca single, all recorded at the Sauk City recording mecca.
EMPIRE - Expensive Sound [USA new wave, post-punk 1981] 2003 Poorly Packaged Products PPP-CD-002
Empire was an offshoot of punk legends Generation X, very influential for the '80s Washington D.C. hardcore and UK neo-psychedelic scenes, acting somehow as the missing link between new wave and grunge. “Expensive Sound” was originally released in 1981, their music was raw, bare, warm—distinct from the glacial, antiseptic pop that would dominate the decade.
While “Expensive Sound” may be better known for the bands it inspired — the neo-psychedia of The Stone Roses and the athletic fretwork of Fugazi — they deserve appreciation on their own merits: one of the finest guitar pop records of the era.
THE BLACKJACKS - American Independents Complete Recordings 1984-1989 [USA garage, rock, pop] 2004 Retrospect Records RR-04-006
The Blackjacks were a four-piece band from Boston who released one sole full-length record plus an EP called "Basic" in the mid-1980s.
They remind me of bands like Infidels or The Outnumbered but they played a very personal brand of potent garage pop, track 'Zeroing in on Me' being quite representative of their sound, but they could also play more refined songs like the jangly tune 'Possession' or the poppy 'Simple Math' which John Borack himself listed among the "100 Killer Pop Tunes" of all time in his "Shake Some Action" book.
The best song on here is probably 'That's Why I Always Dress In Black' which should appeal to all Radio Birdman fans.
sábado, 4 de noviembre de 2023
THE TUNNELRUNNERS - Neath Abbey Road [UK punk rock 1978-82] 2018 Only Fit For The Bin Records OFFTB024
This Release Rounds Up Everything The Band Have Ever Recorded From Late ’77 Up To The Early 90s. This Band Were Known As The Welsh Ramones. The First Five Tracks Are From The Bands Only Release That Came Out In 1981, The Next Five Tracks Are From The Bands Unreleased Second EP And The Remaining 18 Tracks Are ALL Unreleased.
TOP DRAWER - Solid Oak [USA psychedelic rock 1969] 2022 Guerssen GUESSCD069
One of the rarest private pressings from the US, originally released in 1972 by this band from Mansfiel, Ohio. Psychedelic hard rock with a charming, homemade feel. Including the monster psych opus “Song Of A Sinner” plus more cool tracks with great guitar/organ interplay.
GENERAL ACCIDENT - 1977-1980 [UK punk rock] 2019 Only Fir For The Bin Records OFFTB049
General Accident whose home town was Reading became the Band to see around the town.Soon to be selling out local venues and causing mayhem. Regularly headlining a Punk club called BONES where some big names on the punk scene played. the band was just a front to a drug ring…. They were raided, arrested,fought the law and the law won.
The band were active between 1977 – 1981 and managed to release one single on the ‘Quicksilver’ label called ‘Computer Dating’ b/w ‘Person To Person’. Both of which are featured on this release along with eighteen previously unreleased tracks.
martes, 31 de octubre de 2023
ZOOM - Sweet Desperation [Canada garage, rock, punk 1977] 2016 Ugly Pop Records UP061
ZOOM formed in Toronto in 1976, going on to release (arguably) the city’s first punk 45 before parting ways and joining The Viletones and The Diodes. The duo tracked their material anyway, culminating in this blistering, 13-track masterpiece.
RJ & THE RIOTS - RJ And The Riots [Philippines garage beat 1964] 2022 Guerssen GUESS204
Led by teen guitar wizard Ramon “RJ” Jacinto, RJ & THE RIOTS was one of the first rock&roll /beat bands from the Philippines and certainly the first to release original rock n’ roll songs with lyrics in their own country.
This is the first ever reissue of their second album, originally released in 1964 and now impossible to find (four stars rating in Hans Pokora’s 1001 Record Collector Dreams book). Including original songs like the monster instrumental “Fuzzed”, the garage sounding “Advertising Man”, “Girl Nice”, the surf rock of “Trip To Manila” and more plus a few rad covers (Beach Boys, Buddy Holly…). The album was recorded at the home studio built by whizz kid Ramón Jacinto, who also operated his own record label (RJ Productions), magazine (Teenstone) and radio station (from his parent’s backyard!).
VVAA - Ork Records New York, New York [USA punk rock 2015] Numero Group NUM060
In August of 1975, the world’s first punk record label was born. Ork Records: New York, New York is a tale of Terry Ork, a film-obsessed fugitive of Warhol’s Factory set. Ork’s impresario ear would pull damaged, literate new rock music from the pregnant Bowery grime of CBGB, resulting in debut 45s by Television and Richard Hell, as well as landmark recordings by the Feelies and Lester Bangs. It’s a tale of Charles Ball, who’d steer Ork Records through solo exploits by Big Star’s Alex Chilton and the dBs’ Chris Stamey. And it’s a tale told in scorching sides by Richard Lloyd, Marbles, Prix, Mick Farren, Cheetah Chrome, the Idols, the Erasers, the Revelons, Student Teachers, and more.
lunes, 30 de octubre de 2023
THE DOLE - Flashes Of Brilliance, Warts 'N All [UK punk rock 1978] 2018 Only Fit For The Bin Records OFFTB034
The DoLe were one of Peterboroughs most successful bands in the late 70's along with The Now.
On this historical and must have release, it features both sides of the bands lone single from 1978, Five tracks that have been taken off the original reel to reel master tape that was recorded at the legendary Spaceward studios in 1978 that are unique in its self as it has a two prong male / female vocal attack… plus a whole heap of other recordings from various rehearsals etc....
THE SATYRS - Don't Be Surprised [USA garage rock 1965] 2023 Beat Rocket BR 171
Unfiltered North Carolina ‘60s garage rock from Asheville teen stompers The Satyrs! This LP features previously unissued tracks and their lone 1965 single - all bookended by two savage versions of the title track!
STEVE STARLUST - Lostnfound [USA galm rock 1977-80] 2023 Reminder Records REM 20
1970s-1980s Long Island, NY proto-punk / glam vocalist and guitarist. Fronted Starlust AKA The Steve Starlust Band, and later The Grapplers, a wrestling-themed group with the same members minus the guitarist who was replaced by Brian Unger. Each band only released one 7" single, although a Starlust LP recorded for Capital (USA) / EMI (England) was never released due to a financial dispute between the labels and the group's manager. Both groups performed in NYC and the Grapplers toured the east coast of the USA.
RANDY & THE GOATS - On The Lam [USA psychedelic soft rock 1981] 2023 Riding Easy - digital file
Released on the small Broken Records label, "On the Lam" was one of those early-1980s releases that sported a distinctive mid-1970s sound.
There is a proto-punk / pre-grunge DIY edge here but at it's core we have a singer- songwriter character who evokes Reed, Dylan, Johnny Thunders even.
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