The Janitors were Andrew Denton (vocals), Craig Hope (slide guitar, keyboards), Pete Crowe (bass guitar), and Tim Stirland (drums). Denton, Hope and friend Phil Storey recorded demos in Leicester's Highfields which Yeah Yeah Noh's John Grayland brought to the attention of some indie labels. Described as "a mixture of Membranes meeting Captain Beefheart", they signed to Marc Riley's In-Tape label, releasing their debut single, 'Chicken Stew' in July 1985 (on which Hope played all of the instruments). It went on to reach the top 10 of the UK Independent Chart. In anticipation of the single's release, Denton and Hope moved to Newcastle to recruit bassist Simon Warnes, however Crowe took his place bringing along fellow art student Tim Stirland as drummer (replacing the drum machine of the first single). Second single 'Good to be King' was also an indie hit, reaching number 14. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
This EP is a classic representative of what's known in Spain as Sonido de Valencia. As its name states, it was music produced and played mostly in the Valencia zone (where at the time existed one of the biggest and wildest party scenes the world has ever known) and taking influences from EBM, new beat, synthpop, rave hardcore and all the electronic music being produced then, but adding their own flavor which usually meant epic and fast synth string melodies, altough some of them sound dated and somewhat cheesy now. These EPs, most of them released through Megabeat Records and Invisible Records, are highly sought after and regarded as true classics and collector items by many people in Spain. Listen to the A1 track ("Strange") and you'll know why, it's a really beautiful track that's great for opening or ending a set. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
The Horny Toads were originally formed in Brisbane but moved to Sydney in 1988 and over the next 2 years they played many gigs at venues such as The Lansdowne Hotel, The Journos Club and The Hopetoun Hotel. They were 5 piece 'rock' band being inspired by seminal acts Radio Birdman, Blue Öyster Cult and The MC5. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Glamorcult was formed in the early 1980’s by Canadian singer/song writer Eric Simpson as the next step of evolution from his previous experimental electronic group Drama. Several band members joined the project, in order to be able to perform live at different times. Other musicians performed on a number of the studio recordings. The bass guitar playing was performed by Robin Girard, while vocals and all other instruments were played by Eric Simpson (drums were a Roland TR-808). [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
When the Happy Mondays started to sound like bleak soundalikes of themselves, the Stone Roses wasted their time in legal battles, Primal Scream returned to retro sixties rock, and it was admitted that Inspiral Carpets never really sounded like any of the others, the Madchester Rave movement was happily buried by the music weeklies. Flowered Up's "Weekender" is often referred to as the scene's final hymn in 1992.
But just Flowered Up from London, latercomers to the scene, would have had a vision of how to develop the Madchester sound. "Weekender" could have been the start of their big time -but it shouldn't happen. 'Better Life' is the only document of what Flowered Up were working on after 1992.
It's a downtempo tune with rich, dubby production and some reggae elements, horns, well contrasted with dark, quite heavily distorted guitars and a massive slow flesh-and-blood groove. Liam Maher is in fine form (he makes Shaun Ryder sound like an opera singer in comparison). But whereas on 1991's 'A Life With Brian' the band mostly sounded like they were bored to the bone (in a good way!), on 'Better Life' the sound as if they really had something to say, while keeping things simple and effective. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
The Executive Slacks' 'You Can't Hum When You're Dead' was another obscure jewel from the early 80's. "The Bus" sounded like a fragmented funk-rock version of the industrial noise of the Swans, but mostly payed tribute to the anarchic kraut-punk of early D.A.F.. The same applied to the dysfunctional chaos of "30 Years" and the orgiastic electronic-punk of "Cinema", while the cyber psychedelia of "So Mote It Be" was revolutionary enough to label it a precursor of trip-hop. The real attraction in these tracks is the ever evolving amoebic background, as in the abstract tribal mayhem "Sexual Witchcraft", again, revolutionary enough to label it as a predecessor to Black Dice's mutant electro-punk. Unfortunately side-two followed a more traditional industrial-punk formula, but it was still pretty wild rock 'n' roll, with the deformed vocals in particular giving it a violent and demonic feel. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label:
Fundamental – SAVE 3
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country:
UK, Netherlands
Released:
1984
Style:
EBM, Darkwave, New Wave, Post-Punk, Synth Punk, Industrial
Tracklist:
A1 The Bus 3:01
A2 30 Years 3:28
A3 Cinema 2:54
A4 So Mote It Be 4:31
A5 Sexual Witchcraft 3:59
B1 Our Lady 3:30
B2 Man Of Christ 3:42
B3 I'm Coming 7:23
B4 Our Lady (Yoof Dub) 3:23
Notes:
A1 to A4 recorded Aug/Sept. 1982 Fresh Tracks.
A5 provided by Executive Slacks, recorded on a Fostex Multi-Track in Dec. 1982.
B1 to B4 recorded Jan/Feb 1984 at Secret Sound Studio N.Y.
The Decorators were a post-punk band from Acton, London, England, formed in 1980. They released two albums before splitting up in 1984. They moved to a communal residence in London and released a couple of singles before attracting interest from Island Records, a deal falling through when Island's Andrew Lauder moved on to Demon Records. The band instead signed to Red Flame Records, and expanded to a six-piece with the addition of keyboard player Pete Saunders, fresh from Dexys Midnight Runners. After the 'Strange One' single in June 1982, they released their debut album, 'Tablets', the following month, released by Virgin Records in France. This was followed in late 1983 with a second set, 'Rebel Songs'. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Playing stripped-down, loud, and fast Ramones-inspired guitar rock, The Celibate Rifles were one of the earliest Australian punk bands to emerge during the post-Radio Birdman/Saints era. Taking their cues from these Aussie bands, along with the American hard rock of The Stooges, MC5, and Blue Oyster Cult, the Rifles were led by the twin-guitar attack of Kent Steedman and Dave Morris and the deadpan baritone of vocalist Damien Lovelock. They exploded out of the gates in 1982 with a series of records (released in Australia only) fueled by high-speed guitars, wah-wah-strangulated solos, and cartoonish, tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
Playing initially for crowds of hard rock-loving surfers, it didn't take long for the Rifles to develop a following. Outside of the continent, however, they were virtually unknown. That changed in 1983 with the release of 'Quintessentially Yours', a lengthy EP that was a collection of tracks from earlier albums. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
One of the freakiest and most difficult to find Bevis Frond albums, this is a limited-edition collaboration with legendary British psychedelia figure Twink (aka, John Alder, ex-Tomorrow, Pretty Things, Pink Fairies, etc.), a drummer whose previous collaborators ranged from Syd Barrett to Hawkwind. Clearly he was a like-minded soul, and unlike most other Bevis Frond "collaborations," which end up being completely dominated by Nick Saloman's singular vision, 'Magic Eye' is definitely the work of both men. Opening with a completely over-the-top spoken introduction from Twink, the album is possibly the most purely psychedelic album Saloman has ever been involved with. The nine lengthy songs bristle with backwards effects, trippy guitar and keyboard textures, and the sort of lyrics one would expect to find in such settings. ("Flying Igloos," anyone?) Honestly, the whole thing sounds like it could have been recorded in 1969. A good-humored but not silly album, this is a most enjoyable set well worth tracking down. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Label:
Woronzow – WOO 13
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
UK
Released:
1990
Genre:
Rock
Style:
Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Jam Band
Actifed, formed in Hounslow, London, never made a great impact outside of the early 80s UK punk scene. The band, which comprised David Rogers (vocals, lead guitar), John Bristow (bass), Clinton Grace (guitar) and Stuart Hemphill (drums), were acclaimed on the London club scene of 1981, and such was their following that they appeared on the front cover of Sounds magazine the following year before they had even released any records. In retrospect, it did them few favours. By the end of the year, the same magazine had crowned them with the ‘Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’ award, as no records had been released following protracted contractual problems with the promoter John Curd. Further complications arose with the concern of the pharmaceuticals company Actifed about the use of their name by four young men with antisocial haircuts. The upshot was a crucial delay in the beginning of the band’s recording career. They finally plucked up the courage to ask original singer Weazel to leave on 1 March 1983, prior to 'Dawn Of Legion', a sprightly four-track 12-inch released on Jungle Records, which was produced by former Generation X member Tony James. They then embarked on a major UK tour and a second single, ‘Crucifixion’, followed in June 1984. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Nekrophile Rekords was an Austrian cassette label run by Michael DeWitt from 1983 to 1990. Specializing in occult/ritual industrial music (self-described as "Martial Music for the New Aeon"), Nekrophile Rekords released eight cassettes and some printed materials. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
Label:
Nekrophile Rekords – NRC03
Format:
Cassette, Compilation, C60
Country:
Austria
Released:
1983
Style:
Industrial, Experimental, Ritual Ambient
Tracklist:
A1 – Korpses Katatonik Choronzon 4:26
A2 – Coil Here To Here (Double Headed Secret) 4:22
A5 – Toy Muzik Introducing The Brides Of Christ II Part A 7:45
B1 – Stigma Diaboli La Force Pas La Joie 10:18
B2 – Hunting Lodge Learn To Will II 5:08
B3 – Mr. Vile Thumb Introducing The Brides Of Christ II Part B 4:44
B4 – Zero Kama V.V.V.V.V. 6:59
B5 – Unknown Artist Post Mortem: The Sea Of Cefalu 1:45
Notes:
"Dedicated to Perdurabo"
The first Nekrophile Rekords catalogue contains a text supplement to this release, which gives additional information, credits, and contact information:
Coil: recorded on 5.X.1983. The same track was used as a backing tape for "Violation" on the Zos Kia Berlin Atonal recording.
Korpses Katatonik: recorded in Sept. 1983 at Herbert's living room. The lyrics are taken from the ballad "Tom o' Bedlam" that Crowley used during the evokation of the demon Choronzon in the desert Sahara in 1909.
Stigma Diaboli: recorded on 23.VIII.1983 and is according to the likes of S.D. reproduced in mono.
Zero Kama: based on a Tibetan ritual, this was recorded at Herbert's living room.
Track B5 is not assigned to any artist and consists of a field recording done upon a concept and request of the label owner of Nekrophile Records.
There are two different versions of this release with very slight differences:
First release had a cover with a regular sized back flap to fit the boxes used by SONY and Philips during that time. The cover also positions the main front artwork about 2mm closer to the spine artwork. The inner flap contains three Hebrew letters (S L A) above the tracklisting and label contact address.
Second release had a cover with a smaller back flap to fit the boxes used by SONY after 1985. The Hebrew above the tracklisting is not present.
Yeah Yeah Noh are an "unpop" group formed in Leicester, England in 1983. Originally a product of the DIY post-punk era, they released two albums and five singles while still together in the 1980s, and have had two compilation albums issued since they split in 1986. Yeah Yeah Noh was formed by Derek Hammond (vocals, guitar) and John Grayland (guitar); Adrian Crossan (bass) joined them for the first single along with Graham Summers (drums). Sue Dorey (drums, vocals) was then recruited to complete the line up, debuting on the second single. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Label:
In Tape – ITTI 023
Format:
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, EP
Country:
UK
Released:
1985
Genre:
Rock
Style:
Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Tracklist:
This Side
A1 – Yeah Yeah Noh Temple Of Convenience 2:43
A2 – Yeah Yeah Noh The Time Beings 2:01
A3 – Yeah Yeah Noh Mr Hammond Is Out To Lunch 3:43
Actually a pretty good album from a noise rock standpoint. Songs like "Red as Satan" are actually pretty good and should have been recorded for a later album. But a lot of these songs are just one chord. Although this album is not Ween's best, I don't think it deserves all the hate it gets. There are some interesting ideas here, and Ween's potential is definitely more discernible here than on 'Flaming Crib Death'. It's incredibly messy and sounds like shit, but it's also pretty funny, and a crucial listen (probably no more than once) for hardcore Ween fans. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label:
Bird O’ Pray Records – BC-032
Format:
Cassette, Album
Country:
US
Released:
1987
Genre:
Rock
Style:
Alternative Rock, Lo-Fi, Noise, Punk, Hardcore, Experimental
Tracklist:
A1 Introview 1:01
A2 Talk To Me About Erica Glabb 1:08
A3 Intro/Nippy Wiffle 1:44
A4 Jelly (Part I) 1:00
A5 Boobtalk 0:30
A6 Boobs (Part I) 0:54
A7 Boobs (Part II) 0:49
A8 Go! 1:19
A9 Stresstabs 0:30
A10 Drinktalk 0:29
A11 I Drink A Lot 0:48
A12 Jessica 1:31
A13 Red As Satan 4:14
A14 Murphy Flattens His Frustrations 1:01
A15 Cowbell 0:58
A16 Ingrown Mayo 0:35
A17 Duke Of Denim 0:32
A18 Blow It Out Your Ass 0:41
A19 You Fucked Up 1:26
A20 Talkthing 1:46
B1 I Drink A Lot (Nice Version) 1:07
B2 Hey Bullfrog 0:50
B3 Smash My Head 1:31
B4 (You) Piss Me Off 0:26
B5 Justalking 1:20
B6 Blue Hair 1:06
B7 Sweetness (Parts II And II) 1:10
B8 The Refrigerator That Wouldn't Close 1:49
B9 Mindfuck 0:43
B10 Livetalk 1:16
B11 Boognish 1:07
B12 Boobs (Part III) 0:47
B13 Yolk 1:02
B14 Shnagenhausen 1:15
B15 We Seen Ween Bean 1:21
B16 Everyone's A Lesbian 0:34
B17 Yeah, Sure 1:04
B18 Oik 0:41
B19 Jelly (Part II) 1:30
B20 Outroview 2:15
Notes:
"The Refrigerator That Wouldn't Close" was recorded live from WTSR
Vocalist P.H. Mart, drummer Kevin Wilkinson, bassist Martin Cooper, and guitarists Bobby Carr and Bream were Those Naughty Lumps. The English post-punk group debuted on Zoo in 1979 with the 'Iggy Pop's Jacket' single. Another Liverpool label, Open Eye, released the four-song EP 'Down at the Zoo' in 1980. Oddly, the material had been recorded two years prior. "Iggy Pop's Jacket" made a reappearance on 'To the Shores of Lake Placid', a compilation released by Zoo in 1982 that included contributions from the Teardrop Explodes, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Big in Japan. The group apparently dissolved shortly thereafter. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Label:
Open Eye Records – OP EP 1002 Format:
Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, EP Country:
UK Released:
1980 Genre:
Rock Style:
Post-Punk
Tracklist: A1 Ice Cream A2 Down At The Zoo B1 I'm Gonna Die B2 Love Is A Reflex
Seemen
were an experimental group that originated in Austin, TX and formed by Kal Spelletich, member also of
Survival Research Laboratories. SRL was conceived of and founded by Mark Pauline in November 1978. Since its inception SRL has operated as an organization of creative technicians dedicated to re-directing the techniques, tools, and tenets of industry, science, and the military away from their typical manifestations in practicality, product or warfare. Since 1979, SRL has staged over 45 mechanized presentations in the United States and Europe. Each performance consists of a unique set of ritualized interactions between machines, robots, and special effects devices, employed in developing themes of socio-political satire. [SOURCE: DISCOGS].
Label:
Flying Squirrel Productions – none
Format:
Cassette, C90
Country:
US
Released:
1989
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Abstract, Experimental,
Industrial, Dark Ambient
Pauk was a New Wave / Post-Punk / Darkwave / Coldwave band founded in 1978, in Zavidovići (Bosnia and Herzegovina / Yugoslavia). They released one 7", 'Momak Iz Provincije / Bijeg' (1981) and one sole album, 'Mumije Lažu' (1983).
La Noche Americana were founded in Madrid around 1984 by Juan Carlos Matheu (vocals), Javier Jiménez (guitar), Ricardo Neila (guitar), Kike Cabañas (bass) and Julián Rodríguez (drums). Both Julian and Ricardo came from V2-Berlin and Julian had shared stage with Iñaki Glutamato. With a musical style in which the sound of their sharp guitars flooded the songs, La Noche Americana were influenced from bands such The Psychedelic Furs. In 1985 they recorded for Gloria Records their only official record, a MiniAlbum titled 'Que Habeis Hecho Con El Tiempo', directed by the singer Rubi and with an impeccable production of Joe Borsani. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVA OLA 80]
