Reptiles At Dawn – After The Plague [2x7''] (1987, New Rose Records)

 

Released in 1987 by the French label New Rose Records, the double 7-inch 'After The Plague' captured Reptiles At Dawn at a point where the band had fully emerged from the shadow of their earlier incarnation, The Henchmen. Although the musicians were originally from New Zealand, they had relocated to Sydney in search of wider opportunities and adopted the new name after discovering that another Australian group was already using The Henchmen. The lineup revolved around vocalist Tony Collins and guitarist Anthony Norman, both veterans of Auckland's underground scene through The Henchmen and, before that, the influential proto-punk outfit Dum Dum Boys. Their sound carried those roots forward, blending raw garage rock, proto-punk and hard-edged rock with a strong debt to The Stooges and the explosive energy of early Australian bands such as The Saints. 

'After The Plague' followed the band's debut album 'Naked In The Wilderness' and the 'Zenith / Borderline Ring' single, expanding on the heavy, guitar-driven approach they had been developing since leaving New Zealand. Issued as a four-song double EP rather than a conventional single, the release reflected the band's preference for extended, uncompromising material over radio-friendly formats. The songs combined thick, distorted guitars, hypnotic rhythms and Tony Collins' forceful vocals, creating a dark, swaggering sound that sat somewhere between late-'60s Detroit rock and the more aggressive edge of 1980s underground rock. Contemporary reviews compared the band to The Stooges while also noting traces of early Australian punk, highlighting the record's relentless, hypnotic feel. 

The release also marked another step in the band's relationship with New Rose Records, a label that had become an important home for garage rock, punk, roots rock and alternative artists during the 1980s. Founded in Paris in 1980, New Rose built its reputation by issuing records from American and European underground acts alongside reissues of influential rock and punk recordings. For a New Zealand-born band operating out of Sydney, securing a deal with New Rose meant reaching a much larger European audience at a time when independent labels were creating international networks for underground music.

 
The late 1980s were a productive period for Reptiles At Dawn. After 'After The Plague', the group continued working with New Rose and travelled to Europe, eventually recording the album 'Dressed In Flesh' in Paris with French drummer Gurvan Guellec joining the lineup. The band's career took them from Auckland to Sydney, London and continental Europe, reflecting the increasingly international path followed by many independent rock bands of the era as they relied on small labels, touring and word of mouth rather than mainstream commercial exposure. 

 

Label: New Rose Records – NEW 88 

Format: 2 x Vinyl, 7", Gatefold Sleeve 

Country: France 

Released: 1987 

Style: Garage Rock, Goth Rock 

 

Tracklist: 

A Walk Along The Danger 3:32 

B Penetrate The Night 5:05 

C Repulsive Glory 4:24 

D Under My Skin 3:14 

 

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Plain Characters – I Am A [7''] (1977, Rouge)

 

Plain Characters emerged from the first wave of the British post-punk underground, bringing together vocalist Colin Tucker, guitarist Paul Johnstone, bassist John Hyde and drummer Tim Broughton. Formed in the UK during the late 1970s, the band mixed the nervous energy of punk with the sharper edges and melodic ideas that were beginning to shape the new wave movement. Their sound balanced angular guitars, driving rhythms and an understated sense of atmosphere, placing them somewhere between the DIY punk scene and the more experimental direction many independent bands were taking after 1977. Some of the members would later be connected with The Gadgets, another band that explored similar territory in the years that followed. 

"I Am A" was the group's debut single, backed with "Very Peculiar Julia" and issued on Rouge Records. Although the labels carry a 1977 copyright date, the exact commercial release date has long been debated among collectors, with some sources suggesting it may not have reached wider circulation until early 1979. Either way, the record captures that fascinating transition period when British punk was already branching out into something more adventurous, with bands experimenting beyond the raw three-chord template while still keeping the directness and urgency of the original movement.

 
Rouge Records was a short-lived imprint linked to the De Wolfe music publishing company rather than a conventional independent label. Only a handful of singles appeared on Rouge, making its catalogue surprisingly obscure and highly collectible. 'I Am A' is generally regarded as the label's earliest and best-known release, complete with its distinctive fold-out picture sleeve. The unusual connection between a music library publisher and an emerging post-punk band gives the single an interesting place in the history of late-1970s British independent records.

 
Plain Characters continued recording after the Rouge release, setting up their own DIY imprint, Final Solution Records, for the 1979 single 'Man In The Railings' before eventually releasing the album 'Invisible Yearnings' in 1981. Those later recordings expanded on the ideas first heard on 'I Am A', moving further into moody post-punk while retaining the crisp guitar work and melodic songwriting that had already begun to define the band's style on this early single. 

 

Label: Rouge – RMS/PC 1 

Format: Vinyl, 7", Single 

Country: UK 

Released: 1977 

Style: Post-Punk, New Wave, Art Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

A I Am A 3:44 

B Very Peculiar Julia 3:26 

 

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The Orson Family – Bugles, Guitars, Amphetamines [LP] (1985, Criminal Damage Records)

 

The Orson Family's 'Bugles, Guitars, Amphetamines' arrived in 1985 on the independent British label Criminal Damage Records, capturing the band's raw stage sound at a time when the UK underground was overflowing with bands mixing rockabilly, punk, goth and garage rock. Rather than polishing their material in the studio, the album documented the group's energetic live performances, where frantic guitars, pounding rhythms and dramatic vocals gave their songs a darker edge than many of their psychobilly contemporaries. 

Despite the name, The Orson Family was not actually a family. The band came together in England around 1982 and revolved around vocalists and guitarists Vernon, Ruby and John Orson, backed by Vincent on bass and David O. on drums, who was also known as Brewster. Vernon and Ruby were a couple, engaged but never married, and the lineup was later expanded with trumpet player Kevin, better known by the nickname Elmer. Their unusual blend of psychobilly, straight rock 'n' roll and gothic rock set them apart from the growing wave of bands emerging from the British underground during the early 1980s. 

Their influences reflected that broad musical approach. The band drew inspiration from classic rock 'n' roll artists such as Hank Williams, Link Wray, Bunker Hill, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, while also taking cues from Lou Reed, The Jam and The Cramps. Those references came together in a sound that mixed twanging guitars, driving rhythms, dark melodies and occasional brass arrangements without losing its raw, punk-influenced energy. 

Before 'Bugles, Guitars, Amphetamines', The Orson Family had already built a small but interesting catalogue. They debuted with a self-released three-track EP, followed by the six-track mini-LP 'The River of Desire' and the 12-inch 'No-One Waits Forever'. The live album became another snapshot of the band's brief career before they returned with the single 'The Sweetest Embrace', recorded after original vocalist Skully had left, or been dismissed from, the group. 

Criminal Damage Records was a small independent label closely associated with Britain's alternative underground during the first half of the 1980s. Its catalogue included punk, psychobilly and garage-oriented releases, making it a natural home for a band like The Orson Family, whose music comfortably crossed genre boundaries while remaining firmly rooted in the DIY spirit of the era. The label helped preserve recordings from groups operating well outside the mainstream, documenting a scene where live performances and limited-press vinyl releases were often the main way bands reached their audience. 

 

Label: Criminal Damage Records – CRI-LP-127 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: UK 

Released: 1985 

Style: Rockabilly, Garage Rock 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Crawdad Hole 

A2 You Shake My Soul 

A3 Nowhere Train 

A4 River Of Desire 

A5 Deliverance 

B1 No One Waits Forever 

B2 Big Red Gretsch 

B3 Rockin Daddy 

B4 Rockin Fool 

B5 Girl Can't Dance 

 

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Naif – Atlas [2xLP] (1982, Filobus Records)

By the beginning of the 1980s, Barcelona had become a fertile meeting point for musicians working far outside the boundaries of conventional rock or jazz. Among the most active figures on that scene was Víctor Nubla, a restless composer, clarinetist and conceptual artist whose work would become closely associated with the city's experimental underground. Together with bassist and multi-instrumentalist Enric Cervera, he launched Naif, a collaborative project that brought together musicians from different backgrounds to explore free improvisation, contemporary composition, folk influences and surreal humor without worrying about stylistic labels. 

 
Released in 1982 by Filobus Records, 'Atlas' perfectly captures that adventurous spirit. Filobus was a small independent Barcelona label that specialized in experimental and avant-garde music, giving artists complete freedom to pursue ideas that fell well outside the commercial mainstream. At a time when Spain's independent scene was rapidly expanding after the political transition, the label became an important outlet for adventurous recordings that blended improvisation, electronics, jazz, contemporary classical music and sound experimentation. 

 
Although Naif revolved around Víctor Nubla and Enric Cervera, 'Atlas' was very much a collective effort. Nubla contributed clarinets, cornet, organ, paidophon, synthesizer, dulzaina, whistle and vocals, while Cervera played double bass, electric piano, synthesizer, percussion, whistle and vocals. Guitarist Albert Giménez was another key figure throughout the sessions, joined by a wide circle of collaborators including Foguete on percussion and vocals, Néstor Munt on trumpet and flugelhorn, Queca Hosta on vocals, Oriol Pons de Vall on alto saxophone, Juan José Ordinas on guitar, Claudio Zulián on piano and the intriguingly credited "spectral pianist" Conrad Setó. Together they created an album that constantly shifts in mood and instrumentation, with each musician adding another layer to its remarkably rich sound.

 
Spread across two LPs, 'Atlas' runs for roughly eighty-five minutes and is built around four extended compositions, each occupying an entire side of vinyl. Rather than presenting variations on a single idea, every piece explores its own musical territory. The opening side is the most approachable, weaving together contemporary chamber music, jazz, acoustic textures and electronic touches before gradually drifting into more abstract territory. From there the record becomes increasingly unpredictable, moving through minimalist passages, unsettling synthesizer textures, sparse percussion, buzzing brass, free-flowing saxophone improvisations and unexpected vocal interludes. Another side dives headfirst into a dense collision of fuzz guitar, trumpet, Hammond organ, percussion and uncompromising free jazz, while the closing piece slowly dissolves into looser, almost weightless structures where electronics and ethereal female vocals emerge from the increasingly spacious arrangements. 

 
Over the years, 'Atlas' has earned a reputation among collectors and fans of experimental music as one of the hidden gems of Spain's avant-garde scene, with some listeners even describing it as one of the most provocative albums of the 1980s. That reputation comes from its refusal to settle into a single style. Instead, it embraces constant change, inviting the listener through an ever-shifting landscape where contemporary composition, improvisation, electronics, folk instruments and free jazz all coexist without clear boundaries. It remains a remarkable document of Barcelona's creative underground at a time when musicians were discovering just how far they could push their ideas. 

 

 

Label: Filobus Records – FD 11 28 

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered 

Country: Spain 

Released: Oct 9, 1982 

Style: Jazz Fusion, Prog Rock, Experimental, Avant-garde Jazz, Free Improvisation, ECM Style Jazz

 

Tracklist: 

Cara Fina 

A1 Cristall 3:24 

A2 Paisatje Urba 8:33 

A3 Preludi Europeu 0:39 

A4 Dos Ciclistas 1:28 

A5 El Camp De Les Cireres 8:04 

Cara Dura 

B1 Cristall N° 2 5:29 

B2 Pirri 6:30 

B3 Nuovo Cante (At The Sanatorium) 4:58 

B4 El Mandalin 3:31 

CarAmba 

C1 Tema Lent 1:48 

C2 El Somni Dels Despertadors 1:25 

C3 Mediterrànea (La Musa Dispersica) 5:21 

C4 Al Oeste Del Eden 0:32 

C5 Un Espejo Azul 10:54 

C6 Enigmatica Providencia 0:16 

En Cara Gràcies 

D Work Zone 18:19 

 

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Mortimer – Profesión / Travoltini [7''] (1979, Chapa Discos)

By the time Mortimer released the 7" 'Profesión / Travoltini' in 1979, the Barcelona underground was still finding its identity. Just a couple of years earlier, the city's emerging alternative rock scene was built around only a handful of names: La Banda Trapera del Río, Basura, Peligro and Mortimer. It was a difficult period for independent bands, with very few opportunities to record or play regularly. In the end, only La Banda Trapera del Río managed to establish a lasting career, while the rest disappeared almost as quickly as they had appeared, leaving behind only a handful of recordings.

 
Mortimer were a power trio made up of Xavier Dalmau on guitar and vocals, Josep Llobera on bass and Iñaki Ferreter on drums. Although they were frequently grouped with the first wave of Spanish punk, their sound leaned much more toward tough, streetwise rock. There were traces of British pub rock and hard rock running through their songs, resulting in a gritty, direct style that perfectly reflected the rough neighborhoods of late-1970s Barcelona. They weren't punk in the strict musical sense, but in the years immediately following Franco's dictatorship, attitude often mattered more than labels. Their confrontational live shows and rebellious image were enough to make them part of the same movement in the eyes of audiences and the music press. 

 
That perception was reinforced by their record company. Mortimer had originally been signed by Belter, which was eager to capitalize on the growing interest in punk and presented the band as part of that new wave of dangerous, antisocial rock groups. When 'Profesión / Travoltini' appeared on Chapa Discos in 1979, it found a more natural home. Founded by producer Vicente "Mariscal" Romero and distributed through Zafiro, Chapa had become Spain's leading label for hard rock and heavy music, releasing records by artists who sat outside the mainstream but had a strong following among rock fans. 

 
The single captures both sides of Mortimer's personality. "Profesión" delivers raw, no-frills rock driven by crunchy guitars and an energetic rhythm section, while "Travoltini" reveals the band's sense of humor and willingness to poke fun at contemporary trends, all without losing their rough-edged character. The performances feel spontaneous and full of swagger, preserving the same street-level intensity that had made the trio stand out on Barcelona stages a couple of years before. 

 
Although Mortimer split up soon after and never recorded a full-length album, 'Profesión / Travoltini' remains an important document from the earliest days of Barcelona's underground rock explosion. It stands as a reminder of a brief but exciting period when the lines between punk, hard rock and pub rock were still blurred, and when attitude, energy and a healthy disregard for convention counted for far more than fitting neatly into a musical category.

 

 

Label: Chapa Discos – H-33023 

Format: Vinyl, 7", Single 

Country: Spain 

Released: 1979 

Style: Punk Rock, Prog Rock, New Wave, Rockabilly 

 

Tracklist: 

A Profesión 3:55 

B Travoltini 3:22 

 

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Lawrence & The Comfortable Society – Sleeper [7''] (1986, Not On Label)

 

'Sleeper' was the only known single by Lawrence & The Comfortable Society, a short-lived British independent band that left behind just this self-released 7-inch in 1986 before disappearing from the scene. Backed with "Headache" on the B-side, the record is a fine example of the DIY spirit that flourished across the UK during the mid-1980s, when countless groups pressed their own singles in small quantities and relied on local gigs, independent record shops and fanzines to get their music heard. As a result, original copies have become genuinely scarce and are now sought after by collectors of obscure British indie releases. 

The music sits comfortably alongside the jangly guitar pop and understated alternative rock that were beginning to emerge outside the mainstream. Rather than chasing polished production or chart ambitions, Lawrence & The Comfortable Society opted for a direct, unpretentious sound built around melodic guitars, thoughtful songwriting and an intimate vocal style. There's a homemade charm to the record that captures the atmosphere of independent British music before the explosion of the C86 scene and the wider indie-pop movement.

 

 

Label: Not On Label (Lawrence & The Comfortable Society Self-released) – LC-1 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single 

Country: UK 

Released: 1986 

Style: Indie Pop, Jangle Pop 

 

Tracklist: 

A Sleeper 

B Heartache 

 

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