Archive for July, 2012

Necropolis Of Love- In Search Of… 12” / The Graffiti 1.31.1985

Posted in 1980s, 1983, san francisco, US on July 23, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Uploading this as I just came across a copy and haven’t seen it posted out there before.  This is the final piece of the Necropolis of Love puzzle, which began with a minimal synth-tinged 7” in 1982 and ended with 1984’s The Hope, which is a seminal piece of post-punk from the West Coast scene (the guitar version of “Talk” remains a constant staple in my DJ sets).

However, this record walks a fine line between both sounds, catching the band in a transitional phase.  “Dance,” despite the surface-level title is an excellent wave track with club aspirations, the best moments being the ascending synth lines.  A different version of track also appears on The Hope 12”.  “Debutante” is a rhythm-based track that reminds me of a more dance-oriented Störung, with blaring saxophones to break up the repetitive rhythms.  “Cafetown” is the weakest song here, a jerky number with lyrics that seem to criticize California coffee-shop types.

This 12” was released in a generic sleeve- likely in small numbers, and it seems the scarcest of all the Necropolis of Love releases.  The copy I have didn’t sound that wonderful, but between the record cleaner and a little even-handed click removal, it should be a serviceable listen until a better copy presents itself .  I’ve only heard one other rip of this 12” before (overblown and tinny sounding) but it seems to have similar issues, so this is perhaps a common pressing problem.  If anyone else has a better sounding copy out there, feel free to get in touch!

As a bonus, I’ve uploaded a radio session the band performed on KSUF in 1985, featuring several unreleased tracks as well as a few familiar favorites.  This has been floating out there for some time but I don’t think it’s been blogged before either, so I’ll include it for anyone who missed it the first time around.  It seems the band has shed some more light on their time together, and there was to be an album deal with Sire records but it ultimately fell through.   Curious if some of these tracks were  being considered for the LP…

Necropolis of Love- In Search Of… 12”
1. Dance (Dance Mix)
2. Debutante
3. Cafe Town

Necropolis of Love- The Graffiti- Jan 31st 1985 (Live on KSUF)
1. KSUF Announcer Intro
2. Night Out
3. Cafe Town
4. The Tunnel
5. Alyssa
6. Heart of the Beast

*download both here*

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New Age- Livin For Now 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, new age, post-punk, synth, uk on July 20, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another New Age release, perfectly re-ripped/tagged and cleaned up by the almighty bx-59cppw. You can read more about these guys and grab their full length LP here. Both releases hail from 1982, while their debut 7” came out the year before.

The clear standout here is the closing track, dripping with synths and nervous energy, very akin to the likes of Magazine’s “The Light Pours Out of Me.” My kind of post-punk!

New Age- Livin For Now 12”
1. Livin For Now
2. Amazed
3. All I Want
4. First To Live First To Die

*download it here*

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Days of 29- Destination D-Day 12”

Posted in 12'', 1980s, new wave, scottish, synth, synthpop, uk with tags on July 10, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another one you may have seen before on a few blogs, but freshly ripped from my own mint copy, so feel free to make your own comparisons.  Days of 29 were a UK/Scotland based quartet with an interesting press sheet and a penchant for New Order-tinged synthpop.  Feel those Peter Hook bass lines on “Destination D-Day,” a track that not only invokes the likes of “Blue Monday” and “Everything’s Gone Green,” but also bears a kinship to Secession’s classic “Touch,” Ministry’s “Effigy (I’m Not A),” & Hohokam’s “Harlequin Tears” by way of a Marc Almond sound-alike on vox.  A pretty irrefutable set of touchstones, highly recommended for fans of that big club sound.  There are two other tracks on this 12”, though while nice, don’t hold a candle to the 7-minute main attraction, a must for all self-respecting dance floors everywhere.  Hint: those of you who have hit the Wierd party in the past few years have likely heard this one blasting regularly through the fog…

Days of 29- Destination D-Day 12”
1. Destination D-Day
2. Guitars for Guns
3. Beat Squad

*download it here

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Message- Dernière Nuit 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1988, coldwave, french, message, post-punk on July 1, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Arguably the best French 7”, second only to Coldreams’ classic Morning Rain, previously exhumed here. Like Coldreams, this one has also been posted in the past, but never at the greatest sound quality, as the most rare of records are hard to find in mint condition. Strangely enough, the insert here claims that 2000 of these were pressed, but very few seem to own this one, so I wonder just how many survived the 80s.

This single was released in 1988 on Krezimikroïd, a very DIY French label responsible for some other very-hard-to-find releases. More Message appear on several classic coldwave compilatioms, including the original L’Appel De La Muse (legendary), and the Esom Elion Esmaris K7. Another track appears on the Phantasm Compilation Vol. 1, which is very hard to track down. If anyone out there has this tape, please don’t hesitate to drop a line. Otherwise, here’s a crystal clear rip of this coldwave masterpiece!

Message- Dernière Nuit 7”
1. Dernière Nuit
2. The Crazy Garden

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 6.4.13)

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