A Sudden Stroll

One hour in the company of the "small heroes" of 80's...

ALGEBRA SUICIDE horizon
("Big Skin", cassette, 1986)
POLISH AUGUST ten tips for beautiful nails
("No Platform For Heels", V.A., LP, 1982)
PERFORMING FERRET BAND bar room
("Performing Ferret Band", LP, 1981)
FACTION tired of love
("Faction", LP, 1981)
METHODISHCA TUNE orchestras
("Orchestras", 7'', 1981)
THE PLUGS bat brain moon man boiler boy
("Rupert Preaching At A Picnic", V.A., LP, 1981)
SCREEN 3 the dividing line
("Come Into My Jungle", 7'', 1983)
CAS CARNABY 5 death of a 1000 public houses
("Mr Morris' Funeral", LP, 1988)
INCA BABIES ramblin' man
("Opium Den", mLP, 1987)
THE LEGEND! talk open
("Some Of Us Still Burn", EP, 1985)
YEAH YEAH NOH prick up your ears [peel session]
("Fun On The Lawn Lawn Lawn", LP, 1986)
4000000 TELEPHONES we' re not coming out
("4000000 Telephones", LP, 1985)
IN EMBRACE to friends (an open letter)
("Passionfruit Pastels", LP, 1982)
THE LINES blow a kiss
("Therapy", LP, 1981)
JESUS COULDN'T DRUM frosty
("Ruttling Orange Peel & Blind Lemon Pie", LP, 1988)
SCATTERBRAINS lopen
("Musical Marriage", LP, 1983)
ZRU VOGUE do the zru
("Zru Vogue", LP, 1982)
D.J. LEBOWITZ holiday in cambodia
("Beautiful Hapiness", V.A., LP, 1988)
HAIGINSHA lusefeea
("Obscure Independent Classics vol.4", V.A., 1987)

A Sudden Stroll (19track comp. -by LaFolieDuJour )

V.A. A Wicked Good Time! (US)

A 1981 release from Boston's Modern Method label comprising local punk, indie, avant-postpunk acts. Rare and obscure stuff, some time-resistant, some not. Gems from Boys Life, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic, Bound And Gagged, Loners and others... Bosstown's always got the way to keep our ears busy!

A Wicked Good Time (13 bands - 17 tracks)

Cherry Red's SEEDS series compilations

What did new wave and early indie 80s look like in the eyes of late 80s? A kind of answer to this question was tried to be given with "SEEDS" vinyl series, one of the earliest retrospective efforts to highlight some of the (so called) great lost works from the 1977-1984 period. The series was released in 1987-88 from Cherry Red label. Most of the presented here bands come from UK. The five volumes bear titles as "Pop", "Rock", "Art", "Punk", "Electric", which is rather confusing, as in most occasions, the compilations are not really aesthetically separated.

SEEDS I: POP

a1 THE JUNE BRIDES every conversation / a2 FANTASTIC SOMETHING if she doesn't smile / a3 THE PASTELS heaven above / a4 THE SUEDE CROCODILES stop the rain / a5 VITAL DISORDERS tough times / a6 PROTEX don't ring me up / a7 HURRAH! the sun shines here / b1 TELEVISION PERSONALITIES three wishes / b2 THE SINATRAS happy feeling / b3 ST. JOHN'S ALLIANCE mark my word / b4 MARINE GIRLS don't come back / b5 THE WILD FLOWERS things have changed / b6 BIG TABLE patrick / b7 THE DISTRACTIONS time goes by so slow.

SEEDS II: ART

a1 PUNISHMENT OF LUXURY puppet life / a2 MARINE life in reverse / a3 CLUB TANGO f.t.n. / a4 THE NIGHTINGALES urban ospreys / a5 THE HOMOSEXUALS hearts in exile / a6 PATRIK FITZGERALD trendy / a7 THE HIGSONS conspiracy / b1 BLURT my mother was a friend of an enemy of the people / b2 THE PAST SEVEN DAYS so many others / b3 THE GO BETWEENS world weary / b4 THE SKODAS everybody thinks everybody else is dead bad / b5 FIVE OR SIX another reason / b6 THE DRAGEES shoot to kill / b7 BONE ORCHARD jack.

SEEDS III: ROCK

a1 RUDI big time / a2 NEW YORK NEW YORK roger wilson said / a3 DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS dance stance / a4 COLENSO PARADE standing up /a5 EUROPEANS europeans / a6 MARC RILEY favourite sister / a7 THE REVILLOS she's fallen in love with a monster man / b1 THE MONOCHROME SET cast a long shadow / b2 GARAGE CLASS terminal tokyo / b3 ROTE KAPELLE king mob / b4 GL*XO BABIES christine keeler / b5 FISCHER Z so long / b6 WASTED YOUTH i'll remember you / b7 CRUELLA DE VILLE drunken uncle john.

SEEDS IV: PUNK

a1 DEAD KENNEDYS holiday in cabodia / a2 PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES run like hell / a3 BUZZCOCKS love you more / a4 PUNCTURE mucky pup / a5 THE SIMPLETONES i like drugs / a6 BLITZ someone's gonna die tonight / a7 SERIOUS DRINKING hangover / b1 THE OUTCASTS the cops are comin' / b2 THE FLYS love and a molotov cocktail / b3 NOTSENSIBLES i'm in love with margaret thatcher / b4 RAPED escalator hater / b5 THE PANIK murder / b6 ABRASSIVE WHEELS the army song / b7 THE SAINTS lipstick on your collar.

SEEDS V: ELECTRIC

a1 PAUL HAIG running away / a2 THE FARMER'S BOYS more than a dream / a3 ANDREAS DORAU & DIE MARINAS fred vom jupiter / a4 THOMAS LEER letter from america / a5 TONTRIX slipping into life / a6 RICHARD BONE digital days / a7 THE GYNAECOLOGISTS the red pullover / b1 THOMAS DOLBY europa and the pirate twins / b2 EYELESS IN GAZA kodak ghosts run amok / b3 FAD GADGET saturday night special /b4 VIRNA LINDT attention stockholm / b5 CLASSIX NOUVEAUX never never comes / b6 THE PASSAGE xoyo / b7 EDWARDS VOICE falling from another high building.

SEEDS Series sampler
(17 tracks, approx time 1 hour)

CHAD'S TREE "Buckle In The Rail" ( AUS, 1986)

Debut LP of Perth outfit, CHAD'S TREE (1983-1989), members of which later appeared on THE BLACKEYED SUSANS, THE JACKSON CODE and other bands.... "BUCKLE IN THE RAIL" reflects the idiosyncracy of indie-aussie style the same lyrical way as some of the greatest names of the era do. Recommended to fans of (early) TRIFFIDS, LAUGHING CLAWNS, LOUIS TILLETT, THE APARTMENTS ("Evening visits...and stays for years")...

BUCKLE IN THE RAIL

THE BAND OF HOLY JOY " The Big Ship Sails ", 10'' mini-LP, (UK, 1986)

The Big Ship Sails... And it trully did. Just one year later, they will make their first and best LP "More Tales From The City", forerunner of which, is this fine 10'' release (Flim Flam Productions).

Big Ship Sails
(6 tracks, approx 17 min)

DIE KASTRIERTEN PHILOSOPHEN "Same titled EP" (GER,1983)

Debut EP from german band fronted by duo of MATTHIAS ARFMANN & musician and writer KATRIN ACHINGER. Under several line up changes they developed a sound of many styles ranging from post punk, experimental, psychedelic rock to hip hop, trip-pop, dub and electronic. Disbanded in 1997 with both artists following solo orbits, forming new bands, or involved in other artists' works.

DIE KASTRIERTEN PHILOSOPHEN EP

THE MAGICK HEADS "Before we go under" (NZ, 1995)

Line up:Robert Scott (guitar,bass vocals) / Jane Sinnott (vocals) / David Mitchell (guitar) / Jim Strang (drums)

Ενθύμιο από την μέση (και λίγο ώριμη) ηλικία της πάλαι ποτε περίφημης ανεξάρτητης νεοζηλανδέζικης σκηνής, τοτε που μπορεί να μην μεγαλουργούσε πια τακτικά, συνέχιζε τουλάχιστον όμως να ασκεί καίρια την πολιτική της ανακύκλωσης (προσώπων, σχημάτων, ιδεών)... αλλα και της όπως πάντα παρεϊστικης ανάμιξης, λίγο πολύ, όλων σε όλα... διατηρώντας την μνήμη του εαυτού της φρέσκια και ζωντανή.
Έκτοτε, και όσο οι παλιοσειρές επαναλαμβάνονται, εξαντλούνται και βγαίνουν στη σύνταξη, τόσο περισσότερο αναρωτιώμαστε αν οι υπό εξαφάνιση πιγκουίνοι του νησιού είναι πράγματι είδος σπανιότερο απο την λεγόμενη καλή νεοζηλανδέζικη ποπ.

BEFORE WE GO UNDER

THE BAND OF HOLY JOY "More Tales From The City" (UK,1987)

Debut LP of the top british folk pop band of late 80`s. Their sound, based on keyboards, bass, accordion, strings, horns and the melo-romantic singing of Johny Brown, is raw, passionate, sad and haunted. A kind of individual and social requiem for living in british cities. A mournful staring at the beauty, hurting and heartening.
After More Tales From The City the band left small Flim Flam label and signed Rough Trade seeking a richer and shinier producted sound, but the fresh, direct, sudden, wounded feeling of these "imperfect" songs remained finally unrepeatable.

Listen here (74mb)

"...what kind of fools stays on in angel town... "