Children's Hour ‎– Flesh [12''] (1983, Flying Nun)

The 'Flesh' EP is the most substantial release to come from Children's Hour, and if you're used to Fiona McDonald-era Headless Chickens, you may have a tough time believing this is essentially an early version of the same band. It's a visceral, dark post-punk experience quite clearly drawing on the faster, angrier side of Joy Division. "Caroline's Dream" is undeniably the band's defining song. Central is a pounding bassline, augmented by sharp aggressive guitar and a fantastic vocal performance that booms and carries the song to an intense conclusion. The rest of the tracks are a bit of a step down, but still good stuff, driven by an intense rhythm section. Lyrics are dark, bleak, and sarcastic and sung in exactly the way they demand, sometimes with shades of vitriol and venom, as in "Go Slow". Amongst all this is something of a catchiness; "I Know Where She Lies" by all rights should be considered over-long by one or two minutes, but the band have sufficient capacity to engage the listener. "Slaughterhouse" brings in some industrial stylings that are married to cynical post-punk anger in a way that is simultaneously uncomfortable and riveting. Of all the tracks, it most clearly points towards what the Headless Chickens would do. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

Label: Flying Nun Records ‎– C60 

Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM 

Country: New Zealand 

Released: 1983 

Style: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Goth Rock

Tracklist:

A1 Carolines Dream 3:07 

A2 Go Slow 3:50 

A3 I Know Where She Lies 5:38 

B1 Slaughter House 4:06 

B2 Looking For The Sun 5:53 

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Black Snakes ‎– Crawl [LP] (1988, Radium 226.05)

Black Snakes was a punk blues and garage punk band formed in 1986 in New York and disbanded in 1988. Members were Darin Lin Wood (guitar, '68 Comeback, Blacktop, Fireworks, Jackknife, Red Devils); Richard Kern (guitar), American photographer and filmmaker, born in 1954 in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina and based in New York City; Jack Natz (vocals, bass, Cop Shoot Cop, Excop, Lubricated Goat, Red Expendables); and Patrick Blank (drums), first drummer for US punk band The Undead. His intense drumming style defined the early sound of the band. Sadly, Patrick died in a diving accident in the Dominican Republic in 2001. Jim Thirlwell mixed the album under the name Bubba Kowalski. Lots of feedback and howling vocals. 

Label: Radium 226.05 ‎– RA 035 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: Sweden 

Released: 1988 

Style: Art Rock, Punk, Avantgarde, Punk Blues, Garage Punk

Tracklist:

A1 Rear View Mirror 

A2 The Hanging Of John Daniel Lee 

A3 Black Snake 

A4 Same Old Shit 

B1 Ride 

B2 Ain't That A Shame 

B3 Three Tongues 

B4 Ain't No Sunshine 

B5 Train

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Afterhours ‎– All The Good Children Go To Hell [LP] (1988, Toast)

Afterhours is an Italian indie rock band formed in Milan in the second half of the eighties. Together with Marlene Kuntz they are considered the standard-bearers of Italian alternative rock. They were officially born in 1986 from an idea of Manuel Agnelli. The first line-up included Paolo Cantù (previously guitarist of the industrial group Tasaday, then member of Six Minute War Madness and A Short Apnea) on guitar, Lorenzo Olgiati on bass, Alessandro Pelizzari on drums, then replaced by Max Donna. The band made its debut with the 'My Bit Boy' 7'' in 1987, followed a year later by the LP 'All the Good Children Go to Hell', both produced and distributed by Toast Records. The main musical influences of the group are The Velvet Underground and Television. The album, entirely written by Agnelli, was presented in Turin at the beginning of July with a concert at the Pellerina Park, held together with two fellow groups of the label, Statuto and Powerillusi. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

Label: Toast – TDLP 860 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Mini-Album

Country: Italy 

Released: 1988 

Style: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock

Tracklist:

A1 Midnight Booze 6:00 

A2 Green River 3:45 

A3 Indipendent Houses 4:10 

B1 Pulse In My Blood 3:10 

B2 Billie Serenade 5:40 

B3 The Lie Of The World 8:00 

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2 Foot Flame ‎– Ultra Drowning [LP] (1997, Matador)

This album is actually a lot more user-friendly than the Mecca Normal albums still extremely far from being radio friendly. Jean Smith sort of manages to follow very little in the way of patterns vocally. She sort of sing/speaks parts while wailing and cracking her voice on high notes overtop. Then a few minutes later she's hooked through some sort of strange voicebox thing and you can't understand what she's saying. She tells stories, mutters incoherently, and wails about things but for whatever reason it's fascinating. Musically it doesn't tend to follow much of a pattern either. You almost feel like someone is hooked to an effects pedal and they are just feeling around the area using various notes. Other times a rhythmic drum beat joins in the fun... not that it's necessarily following suit either. It's very charismatic and it's the unpredictibility of the music that makes it so enticing and offputting all at once. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

Label: Matador ‎– OLE 209-1 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: US 

Released: 1997 

Style: Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Noise Rock

Tracklist:

A1 Sample Stars 1:29 

A2 Resin Box 6:01 

A3 Peacock Coal 4:55 

A4 I Think You're The Weird One 2:18 

A5 Everwilling 4:50 

B1 Pipeline To Vertigo 4:17 

B2 Ultra Drowning 2:04 

B3 Salt Doubt 5:04 

B4 The Dance Alone 5:10 

B5 Lunar Intuition 2:04 

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Various ‎– The Wonderful World Of Glass Volume One [LP] (1981, Glass Records)

Glass Records was a British independent record label which operated from 1981 to 1990, and was resurrected in 2015. Early releases focused on artists from Northampton (Religious Overdose, Where's Lisse and The Jazz Butcher), and the Midlands (Bron Area and In Embrace). The label released several records by artists having later associations with other London-based indies: Creation Records (The Jazz Butcher and Nikki Sudden & The Jacobites); Fire Records (Spacemen 3 and The Perfect Disaster). Glass's mainstay acts were The Pastels, In Embrace and The Jazz Butcher. The label also issued material by Bauhaus member David J, and American punk band The Replacements, and the influential Liverpool Ur-grunge Walkingseeds. Founder David Barker went on to work for Fire Records, creating the Paperhouse label, taking the Walkingseeds with him, and releasing the first Teenage Fanclub album, then moving to Creation Records for two years. 

Glass Records returned in 2015 as Glass Redux, reissuing some of its catalogue, unreleased material, rarities and new material from associated and former artists on the label. With the exception of 3 LPs for Record Store Day 2018, all these releases are on CD. In 2016, Glass launched the Glass Miniature download only imprint. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

Label: Glass Records (2) ‎– Glass010, Glass Records (2) ‎– GLASS 010 

Series: The Wonderful World Of Glass – Volume One 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation 

Country: UK 

Released: 1981 

Style: Industrial, Abstract, New Wave, Minimal, Synth-pop, Experimental, Minimal Wave, Post-Punk

Tracklist:

A1 – Schleimer K She's Gone 

A2 – Bron Area You Would Be Amazed 

A3 – Ciaran Harte Johnny Doesn't Need Much 

A4 – The Legendary Pink Dots Defeated 

A5 – Marine Girls Flying Over Russia 

A6 – Peter Becker During Half Sleep 

A7 – Kevin Harrison Blinded By Hypnotism 

A8 – Lemon Kittens What The Cat Brought In 

B1 – Where's Lisse? Red Light 

B2 – The Tonix Sex Junk 

B3 – English Subtitles Water 

B4 – Martyn Bates Nascent Fragrance Of Skin 

B5 – 3 Way Dance Praise The Flames 

B6 – No More Hypnotised 

B7 – Clinical Noise Venus Comes 

B8 – Religious Overdose Blow The Back Off It 

B9 – Richard Formby Your Name You're Strange 

Notes:

Side A: 

Track A1 © Merlin Music 1981. 

Track A2 © Illuminating Music 1981. An Ambivalent Scale Recording 1981. 

Track A3 © to 7 Cherry Red Music Ltd. 1981. Produced alone in his room, autumn 1980. 

Track A5 produced in his shed. 

Track A6 engineered at DNA Studio. An Ambivalent Scale Recording 1981. Pete Becker is one half of Eyeless In Gaza. 

Track A7 > An Ambivalent Scale Recording 1981. 

Track A8 © Copyright Control 1981. Recorded at Tanglewood aug. 81. 

Side B: 

Track B1, B2, B5, B7 to B9 © Cherry Red Music Ltd. 1981. 

Track B3 © Subsongs 1981. 

Track B4 © Oval Music 1981. Engineered at DNA Studio. An Ambivalent Scale Recording 1981. Martyn Bates is one half of Eyeless In Gaza. 

Track B6 © Illuminating Music 1981. 

Track B8 © Copyright Control 1981. Produced somewhere in Leeds. Richard is a founder member of Religious Overdose. 

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Zombies ‎– La Muralla China [LP] (1981, RCA Victor)

This second album of the Zombies put an end to their career as a group and Bernardo Bonezzi would begin his solo adventures. This is the typical album of the Spanish New Wave movement, which despite including songs like "La Muralla China" did not have the same impact as their previous album. In this album Bonezzi gives rise to even more unbridled rhythms, exciting and carefree, with a more polished touch if possible that the one made in 'Extraños Juegos'. Worlds finished with indescribable metaphors with the sinister touch that characterized them, mystery and shadows with destinies as lost as disconcerting are perfectly reflected in "Crimen" or "El Cuadro". Almost ironic references to the title of his first album and the fact that Bonezzi gave his songs a touch as surreal as real, which makes both albums essential, because life is a game full of mystery. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

Label: RCA Victor ‎– PL-35630 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: Spain 

Released: 1981 

Style: Synth-pop, New Wave 

Tracklist:

A1 La Estatua 2:58 

A2 Ngwane'Ngaa (El Mundo Perdido) 2:58 

A3 La Muralla China 2:54 

A4 Aa'Ibo-oo 3:25 

A5 Crimen 5:12 

B1 La Máscara Del Chac 4:00 

B2 El Cuadro 4:41 

B3 La Vuelta De Apolo 4:02 

B4 Intriga Submarina 2:24 

B5 Me Quiero 1:57 

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Yximalloo ‎– Techno Shrine Choir [CD] (1994, Sakura wrechords)

Yximalloo is Naofumi Ishimaru alone, but he drafts a loose ensemble of players, including the core of Shigeo Ootake and Takashi Korgo (who appear on all discs), as collaborator-executors. All of his releases are on his own label, and none have seen a distributor yet (which is why you very rarely find his CDs in stores). Ishimaru works like a Japanese Jandek without the angst, like the Boredoms minus the bombast. Spiritual kin to early artpunk and especially the LAFMS, he revels in mock-ethnic music and nonsense. Lo-fi, sweet and primitive, he uses ancient drum machines, hand percussion, and electronic droplet noises, sometimes set to melodies gathered from some imaginary South Sea island where the traditional instrument is seemingly an old '80s synth. Handclaps and chanting abound, but Yximalloo has also been painted as a Japanese Half Japanese -Jad Fair himself has collaborated with Ishimaru and draws the covers several releases (gorgeous dayglo and glow-in-the-dark covers in iridescent plastic cases). [SOURCE: YXIMALLOO] 

Label: Sakura wrechords ‎– C-09 

Format: CD, Compilation 

Country: Japan 

Released: 1994 

Style: Experimental, Minimal, Synth-pop, Tribal, Abstract, Lo-Fi, Avant-Folk, Minimal Wave, Tribal Ambient, Tape Music

Tracklist:

1 Za Happy Madness Flom Za Planet 0:48 

2 A-E-A-E-A 4:55 

3 Catholic Ghetto #23 2:31 

4 Too-Doo Bong 2:19 

5 Needle Anesthesia 3:19 

6 Kudalumping/Back In The U.S.S.R. 1:56 

7 Khaki Men 2:13 

8 Sa'i'Min 1:14 

9 The Desk, Smile! #2 3:14 

10 Dead Soldier With Red Lipstick #9 3:45 

11 Creeper Do Multiprise Wis 4 Dimention-Ly In Za Forest 5:48 

12 Opposite Roochoo Caliculation Of A Formula 1:47 

13 Tranced 1:06 

14 Meat Than Missile! 2:00 

15 Every Shrine Has Wasshoy 3:02 

16 Tea Dance 1:32 

17 The 8th Month 1:37 

18 Voice From The 99 1:45 

19 Tori #18 3:55 

20 Reproduction 1:41 

21 Kimigayo 0:39 

22 Dead Soldier With Red Lipstick #12 3:49 

23 E-Chin 3:54 

24 Brother Of Pipes 2:29 

25 100 Colors Tribe 2:27 

26 Throbbing Heart 6:37 

Notes:

©1984 Sakura wrechords. 

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XXOO ‎– How Will I Know [7''] (1982, Press Records)

XXOO, also known as We Are They Who Ache With Amorous Love was a Half Japanese short-lived related band formed by David Fair (Drums, Bass), brother of Jad Fair, John Dreyfuss (Percussion [Chimes, Wood Block]), Mark Jickling (Guitar, Bass), and Jad Fair (Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Bass). Jad Fair is a pioneering musician and a world-famous outsider artist. He is best known as the co-founder and front man for the band Half Japanese. His recording credits include collaborations with Moe Tucker, Daniel Johnston, Kramer, Yo La Tengo and Teenage Fanclub. Jad's artwork is featured on a few of these collaborative efforts and on most of the Half Japanese recordings. His paintings and paper cuttings have been exhibited in Glasgow, New York, Melbourne, Toronto, Berlin, Brighton, Austin, and San Francisco. 

Label: Press Records ‎– P 1002 

Format: Vinyl, 7" 

Country: US 

Released: 1982 

Style: Lo-Fi, Experimental, Indie Rock, Experimental Rock

Tracklist:

A How Will I Know 

B1 That's What They Say 

B2 Tracks Of My Tears 

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Whipping Boy – Crow [7''] (1986, CFY Records)

Whipping Boy was an American hardcore punk, psychedelic, and experimental-metal band from Palo Alto, California. The band was created in 1981 by lead singer Eugene Robinson and guitarist Steve Ballinger, students from Stanford University. Their sound featured lightning-fast melodies, tight, chunky rhythms, and violently incoherent vocals. After several further lineup changes and a 7" record of a live-in-the-studio recording at radio station KFJC entitled 'Crow', the band went on hiatus in 1989. Incendiary front man and lyricist Eugene Robinson, drummer Dan Adams, and guitarist Niko Wenner have shifted their focus to the avant-garde noise-rock band Oxbow. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

Label: CFY Records ‎– CFY 009 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Light Gray 

Country: US 

Released: 1986 

Style: Alternative Rock, Garage Rock, Punk 

Tracklist:

A X-press Trains 

B Cat O' Nine Tails 

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Vox Dei ‎– De Profundis [LP] (1983, Do Production)

Vox Dei was a French coldwave band active in the 80', formed in 1979 in Paris and disbanded in 1981. Members were Jacques Bucchi (guitar), Guy Brochard (bass), Luigi Brochard (drums), François Deshaye (vocals) and Jano (keyboards). They only released one LP, 'De Profundis', in 1983. There's not a weak track on here. Innovative synths, a Gallic Ian Curtis on vocal duties, strong and measured tribal drumming, angular guitars... [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

Label: Do Production ‎– none 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Censored Cover 

Country: France 

Released: 1983 

Style: New Wave, Coldwave, Post-Punk

Tracklist:

A1 Escadrille 43 

A2 Connu De Personne 

A3 Le Démon 

A4 Lord's Mélancolie 

B1 Vortex Androgyne 

B2 Requiem 

B3 Q.H.S. 

B4 Terroriste 

B5 Tokyo Boy 

Notes:

The back cover lists an extra track that doesn't actually appear on the record; "Belle". 

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Under Two Flags ‎– Masks - The Day After Dub [12''] (1984, Situation Two)

Short-lived goth-rock/post-punk band responsible for two EPs and a handful of live shows. Believe it or not, they even opened for The Clash. OK, it was the rotted corpse that was 'Cut The Crap'-era Clash, but The Clash nevertheless. This 12''  works the non-bat-worshipping style of goth of bands like Theatre Of Hate, but with a touch of the anthemy posturing of an Alarm or New Model Army. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

 

Label: Situation Two ‎– SIT 32 T 

Format: Vinyl, 12" 

Country: UK 

Released: 1984 

Style: New Wave, Post-Punk, Goth Rock

Tracklist:

A1 The Day After Dub 5:13 

B1 Masks 3:45 

B2 Early Sunday Morning 3:30 

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Tontrix ‎– Shell Shocked And Slipping Into Life.. [7''] (1979, Townton Records)

Tontrix formed in 1978 featuring Hambi Haralambous on vocals (later Victims of Romance, Hambi and The Dance), Steve Lovell on guitar (later of Hollycaust, Hambi and The Dance, Blitz Brotherss, Julian Cope), Mike Score on bass (later A Flock of Seagulls), Bobby Carr on keyboards (ex Those Naughty Lumps, later Moderates, Surreal Estate), Chris Hughes on drums (later of Hambi and The Dance, Adam and The Ants), who replaced Ian Johnston. The band had only one official release in 1979, the 7" single called 'Shell Shocked and Slipping Into Life'. Another track was included in the ‘Street to Street’ compilation namely "Screen Love" (a.k.a. "Clear on Radar"). The band played many gigs across North West and by late 1979 Tontrix members went their separate ways. [SOURCE: DISCOGS] 

Label: Townton Records ‎– 1 TON, Townton Records ‎– 1 TRICK 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM 

Country: UK 

Released: 1979 

Style: Post-Punk, Pop Rock, New Wave

Tracklist:

A Slipping Into Life 3:55 

AA Shellshocked 4:20 

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Shark Vegas ‎– You Hurt Me [12''] (1984, Totenkopf)

Founding members, Mark Reeder and Alistair Gray decided to change their bands name and image after they gained two new members, Leo Walter and Helmut Wittler (previously from "popper" band Soif de la Vie) a few weeks before a New Order tour of Europe in early 1984. They recorded one single 'You Hurt Me' which was released on Factory Records (FAC 111) and on the Toten Hosen's label Totenkopf (TOT 11) in Germany. The demo for this single was originally recorded at Harris Johns studio in Berlin and these rough tapes were eventually taken to Cologne to Conny Plank studio, to be mixed and co-produced by New Order's Bernard Sumner during the few off days during their tour. However, the Cologne recording session was a complete fiasco. The studio engineer had suffered a serious back problem a few days before and had to lie in front of the mixing desk on a specially constructed bed. In-between screams of agony, he shouted his engineering instructions to Bernard. Feeling the need for a update for the B-side, Mark, Alistair and Bernard then went to England and remixed the track (it became "You Hurt Me... But Now Your Flesh Lies Rotting In Hell") for the Factory version of the single for the UK release. Bernard played some additional guitar and A Certain Ratio's Donald Johnson added some backing vocals. Mark asked his friend Mark Farrow to design the artwork for both English and German versions of this single and they remain today as two examples of his earliest record sleeve designs. Although this single went virtually unnoticed in the UK, it became very popular throughout the indie clubs and gay-disco's of the USA and it gave the band a cult following. [SOURCE: DISCOGS] 

Label: Totenkopf ‎– TOT 11 

Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM 

Country: Germany 

Released: 1984 

Style: Electro, Synth-pop, Alternative 

Tracklist:

A You Hurt Me 5:58 

B1 You Hurt Me For The First Time 6:32 

B2 You Hurt Me For The Last Time 5:55 

Notes:

This is the original version that later got licensed in part for the Factory (FAC 111) release. 

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Robert Rich ‎– Inner Landscapes [CD] (1999, Hypnos, Soundscape)

The 74 minutes of music on Robert Rich's 'Inner Landscapes' were culled and cut from over two hours of live concert material. The work that became 'Inner Landscapes' was taken from a live and wholly improvised set performed in 1985. This recording is full and diverse with its synth drones, flute sounds, and Rich's lap steel. It is a fine recording of recycled music, and one that is both complimentary and insightful. This is a must-have recording for fans of Robert Rich and any fan of early new age/space music circa the mid-'80s. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Label: Hypnos ‎– hyp1915, Soundscape ‎– hyp1915 

Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered 

Country: US, UK 

Released: 1999 

Style: Ambient, Experimental, Field Recording, Drone, Dark Ambient, Tribal Ambient

Tracklist:

1 Part 1 13:22 

2 Part 2 11:20 

3 Part 3 8:14 

4 Part 4 13:25 

5 Part 5 7:09 

6 Part 6 2:21 

7 Part 7 9:21 

8 Part 8 8:43 

Notes:

Recorded live on 9 March 1985, Berkeley, California. 

First released in 1988, with different edits on Audion/Auricle UK (AMC029). 

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