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Archive for the 1985 Category

Peggy & the Pills- Nobody’s Bride 12”

Posted in 12'', 1985, italian, italo, italo disco, peggy & the pills, synthpop on December 4, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

It’s been a very low energy week here at SOR headquarters, so here’s something that gets my blood flowing a bit more, and hopefully will have the same effect on you.

This is a one off Italo 12” from Peggy & the Pills, recorded and released 1985. While some Italo records fetch insane prices (some of the highest I’ve ever seen, actually), this one can still be found for a few bucks, and is worth picking up for anyone interested. While the sound is very much in the Italo disco vein we all know and love, this song also calls the sweet, sugary, and sharp edge of bands like Strawberry Switchblade, Pink and Black, and especially Book of Love to mind. There’s also some guitar undercurrents throughout the track, little stabs of chorus-infused strings that add an interesting element to the track. I’m also reminded a bit of Stephin Merrit’s Future Bible Heroes project a bit, the sardonic wit of the lyrics call to mind some of the best moments from Eternal Youth, an album I used to adore (but haven’t thought about since coming across this record).

As with most Italo projects, the creators of this track had their hands in other releases. Keyboardist Marcello Ciao was also the engineer for an early Litfiba release, while Mario Natale (arrangement) also worked with Den Harrow, Clockwork, and dozens of other Italo artists.

Peggy & the Pills- Nobody’s Bride 12”
1. Nobody’s Bride (Vocal)
2. Nobody’s Bride (Instrumental)

*download it here*

Sadly, Peggy Richardson, the wedding-dress donning diva from this 12”, passed away a few years ago, but drummer Andrea Contini has posted an excellent video honoring her life and the project. This video appears to be the only “live” recording of Peggy & the Pills, and shows the three piece band backing Peggy in 1984, who swaps out her trademark wedding dress at the halfway mark. Check it out below:

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Vietnam- Vietnam LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, coldwave, new zealand, post-punk, vietnam on October 22, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

(Photo credit: Neil Monkhouse)

Sorry for the delay, it’s been a very busy time at SOR headquarters so I’ve been slacking a little bit. Plus, it’s Fall in New York, so I’m trying to make the most of being outside before hibernating for the winter. Anywho, here’s a post lovingly ripped and donated by xerfrank, a fellow friend and passionate collector from Spain. You may have seen this back on Vinyl Obscurity a few years ago, but I believe the post was taken down immediately by some Mediafire bots looking for the latest Rhianna record, long before his blog disappeared into the either as well. I also included the “best” track from this record on my last v/a compilation, so some of you may be interested in hearing the rest of it. While ‘Victory’ reigns as my favorite track on this record, I enjoy this one as a whole.

There’s little to be found about Vietnam, yet another extremely difficult band name to Google, but I do know that they existed for a short period of time as part of New Zealand’s post-punk movement and released this record in 1985 on Jayrem Records, a catch-all label for local artists. There’s the pre-requisite Joy Division influence present in the vocals (fans of De Press, The Opposition, Stranger to Stranger, and Dropopop should enjoy this one especially) but the music jumps from moody post-punk and flirts occasionally with jangle-pop progressions and dreamy, Cure-esque melodies. “China Tonight” is an excellent moody instrumental track with a descending synth/piano melody. “Behind the Paintings” is as gloomy, yet driving political anthem, a general theme in the lyrics that hints at a slight U2 influence, who were at the peak of their fire-y political leaning at that point in time. Honestly, with a name like Vietnam and with artwork like this, it’s safe to assume that the lyrics have a little more spark to them.

EDIT 6/30/14: I’ve since been in touch with Adrian Workman, the band’s bassist and synth player, who has shared some tales about the band’s inception and current whereabouts:

Four lads from the same High School in working-class town called Wainuiomata (pronounced Y-noo-ee-o-ma-ta , a suburb of Wellington, NZ). We started writing/playing together in my parents garage and drove the neighborhood insane over a period of time. New Zealand in 1982 mirrored Thatchers UK; an ultra conservative government, poor economy and civil unrest. Wellington (the nations capital) was a volatile mix of public servants, politicians, university students ,and skinheads. The messages of the Punk and Post-Punk era emanating from the UK resonated strongly in the Wellington music scene and local musical acts discovered their own version of the genre.

The legal drinking age was 20 years old, yet we performed in pubs, clubs and community halls from as young as 16 years, somehow avoiding detection from the authorities.

Vietnam was definitely a coming together of 4 very different people that shared a common malaise; suburban isolation in a depressed and oppressed society in the early 1990’s. We were a weird combination of cultural/ethnic diversity, (unusual in that musical era), and ironically we all achieved well in school and sports…being working class was a badge of honour for us and we strongly resisted being pigeon-holed into societal roles. Vietnam was a head-fuck for many people because, I believe, we delivered more than was expected of us given our collective backgrounds. We almost dethroned a significant corporate rock band in the national ‘Battle of the Bands’ comp, leaving them crapping their collective duds after we performed a kick-ass set, including a Vietnam version of ‘Echo Beach’ and just missing the final cut. Anyways…this show got us attention from the right people.

It was a pretty intense music scene from memory. Vietnam was a square peg in that scene, mainly due to the stigma associated from the suburb we came from. We played a lot of shows,( including the Aerial Railway stage at ‘Sweetwaters’, an annual 3 day Music festival, (just think Woodstock meets Lollapallooza). Supported some good acts of the era and made our EP in late 1984 (released in 1985). Radio with Pictures TVNZ picked up ‘Victory’ and the video was made at the cost of taxpayers monies. Shortly after the release I migrated to Sydney, Australia (18 yrs old) in mid 1985, Pete Dransfield followed about a year later. After several attempts to reincarnate a version of the band under different monikers we went our separate ways in 1988, and Pete returned to NZ.

Pete released some material in the late 1990’s under the name ‘The Thorn Field’ , became a semi-professional boxer, and continues to work in the live music scene in NZ in a technical capacity.

Shane went on to have a stellar career as a national spokesperson for indigenous programs relating to smoking cessation (Go Bro!). Leon has continued to perform political rap in various line-ups.

I joined Sydney Band ‘The Bhagavad Guitars’ in late 1988, and stayed with them until 1992. Releasing several recordings in this time on the Red Eye Label, including the belated release of an album produced by Toney Cohen (of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds fame) in 1995 (Lead vox ‘No News’). We almost made it to the States, but the band imploded exactly at the critical moment:(

I was also a founding member with ‘The Verys’ in the grunge era of the 1990’s, releasing the EP ‘That’s A Moray’ in 1993. Ran my own record label briefly and ventured into twisted world music with Bonepeople in the late 1990s. Recently recorded a reformation album with The Bhagavad Guitars in 2011 called ‘Unfamiliar Places’ (Lead vox ‘Autumn’). Check out my name on ‘Discogs’ website for refs. and/or reverbnation ‘Bhagavad Guitars’.

Vietnam- Vietnam LP
1. Broken Doll
2. China Tonight
3. Behind the Paintings
4. Another Day
5. Victory

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – please visit B.F.E. records (website/bandcamp) for a reissue of this LP with some bonus tracks!

There’s also a video for “Victory” (!). Feels like it’s been ages since we had one of those:

Thanks again to xerfrank for ripping this one! I have some mail arriving over the next few weeks that may interest some of you looking for something a little seedier/synthier. In the meanwhile, I picked up some rad stuff in Canada, one record in particular that deserves a re-posting ASAP. I also have another post lined up from xerfrank’s expansive archives, as well as more from Klumpa’s collection to come in the near future. Also, perhaps some modern surprises as this year winds down to a close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a completely unreleated note, might I bring your attention to THIS? I have a new project that you all may enjoy, and we just released a limited edition cassette (!) on fellow Brooklyn-based label Function Operate. I reckon a few of you may enjoy it, and we’ll have plenty more news soon. If you want to check in on us, we can be found HERE.

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The Beloved- Demos & Peel Sessions 1983-85

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1984, 1985, post-punk, synth, the beloved on August 28, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

I’m pretty new to The Beloved, having been turned on to their early singles/Where It Is compilation LP late last year. I had originally heard their later material, generally more dance/club friendly affair in the vein of Cause & Effect, Anything Box, etc. While the UK band (now a duo) has enjoyed tons of success since embracing the electronic club scene, the Cure-loving post-punk kid in me was very surprised and excited to hear that the band’s earliest material had more in common with B-Movie, The Chameleons, Modern Eon, and other emotive post-punk bands from the turn of the decade. Sure, there were still synths around every corner, but the keyboards were more focused on mood and atmosphere, leaving the sparse hooks to the vocals, guitars, and bass. Songs like ‘Saints Become Us,’ ‘In Trouble and Shame,’ and ‘Slow Drowning’ (oh god, ESPECIALLY ‘Slow Drowning‘) quickly became all-time favorites, and moody Wierd barn-burners in the last few months of the party’s existence.

These tracks here predate even the earliest singles, and employ the same early post-punk vibes heard on the singles that followed two years later. The demos were recorded in 1983/1984, and the peel sessions were recorded in 1985, just before the release of their first singles. Only two tracks from the Peel Sessions would appear on various singles, the aforementioned ‘Trouble and Shame’ and the excellent ‘A Hundred Words.’ ‘The Flame’ appears as both a Peel cut as well as a demo, while the rest of these tracks are new- two of which were recorded as The Journey Through, as the band was known until guitarist Guy Gausden joined. My favorite of the entire lot is easily ‘Privacy (Sometimes),’ which features the same sort of arpeggiated gloom explored in ‘Slow Drowning’– perhaps the track evolved from this early demo, but either way, I love that song so much it’s great to hear something that lives in the same world…

All of these tracks (and more spanning the band’s career) were originally made available on The Beloved’s website, where you can also hear newer material and read up on the band over the years. So with that in mind, please excuse the bitrate. I normally handle my own rips and give you guys the best quality possible these days, but in light of what’s available, I feel these tracks deserve to be heard regardless, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

The Beloved- Demos 1983-1984
1. The Flame
2. A Search
3. The Last Detail
4. Privacy (Sometimes)

*tracks 1-2 recorded as The Journey Through (though I have them tagged here as The Beloved for easy organisation)

The Beloved- Peel Session Jan. 1985
1. The Flame
2. A Hundred Words
3. Idyll
4. A Beautiful Waste of Time

The Beloved- Peel Session Oct. 1985
1. So Seldom Solemn
2. In Trouble and Shame
3. Jospehine
4. Up A Tree

*download everything here*

6 Comments »

Mickeranno- Mickeranno LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, experimental, italian, mickeranno, post-punk on April 30, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another LP on donation from Ondanera, deep from the heart of Italy. This LP is the lone release from Mickeranno, an artist from Catania, a town in Sicily (Sicilian pride!). As I understand it, Jacopo Leone was the primary musician for this release, with a few collaborators providing drums, trumpet, and other touches. Recorded in Northern Italy in the Emilia Romagna region, the album didn’t break out past its native country when it was released in 1985, so hopefully it can find new life here.

Fans of bands like Felt, Dif Juz, or the Durutti Column will love this one, as it’s a quiet, understated affair, with subtle electronic/dark synth flourishes against a mostly acoustic backdrop. A really haunting record from a very humble and quiet area in Italy. The standout track is easily the gloomy “Da Un’altra Parte” (From Another Part) but this a really interesting listen, front to back. Hope you enjoy it!

Mickeranno- Mickeranno LP
1. Decisioni
2. Solo Voci
3. Boh
4. Dai Vetri
5. D.D.
6. E Per Un Paio Di Giorni
7. Uscirò Ogni Sera
8. Fotocopiandoti
9. Nel Buio
10. Da Un’Altra Parte
11. Che Si Tratti Di Me?
12. Boh (Versione 2)

*download it here*

PS- I removed the link for La Valse for now… I’m expecting a copy of the 7” in the mail. Once it arrives, I’ll make a new rip and let you all know so you can update your digital files. Hang tight, and thanks as always for the support.

9 Comments »

Marte in Ariete- Demo K7 +bonus

Posted in 1985, coldwave, italian, marte in ariete, post-punk on March 10, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve always had a soft spot for rare Italian wave. Most of my favorites in this genre hail from France, but Italy is a very close second in my heart as far as quality and quantity is concerned. With that in mind, I have a bunch of rare Italian releases to post, a new undertaking that will take quite some time to properly document. Of course, other posts will come in between as warranted (so many things in the queue!), but fans of Italian wave should definitely check back over the coming months for a lot of great unearthed material.

First up, we have a demo tape from 1985 ripped by Fabrizio. The five piece band is named Marte in Ariete (click here for a list of members) and hailed from La Spezia, a town near the border of France. With that in mind, the tracks here employ a very French coldwave sort of sound, but in the Italian tradition and language. Cold synths, excellent guitar work, the kind of quality you can expect from the genre. The band would contribute two further tracks (including a lyrically reworked version of “Confusione” that’s sung in English with nearly identical music) to the C.O.D.E. compilation from 1985, which features more of the bands that will be posted here in the future. I believe Venus+On has posted the full compilation, but since I can’t seem to ping that blog at the moment, I’ve included the two Marte in Ariete songs from that compilation as well, which completes the band’s discography. Check back here for a link for the full comp. once the blog resumes!

Just one catch with this demo–the final track has a series of errors where the tape was blank and cuts off abruptly, so I’ve cut those bits and faded the track out around the 5:00 mark to save you guys the frustration of having several blank spaces and an abrupt ending to an otherwise great song. It seems like the song had another minute or two to go, so it’s an unfortunate loss. If anyone happens to have a copy of this incredibly rare gem, please feel free to rectify this for us with a fresh rip! No photo for this one either, so use your imagination and otherwise, hope you guys enjoy this incredibly rare Italian obscurity!

Marte in Ariete- Demo K7 (1985)
1. Confusione
2. Nostalgia
3. Ultimi Fuochi
4. Petali Neri

Bonus tracks from C.O.D.E. (1985)
5. Abuse
6. The Final Scene

*download it here*

6 Comments »

Résistance- Résistance K7

Posted in 1980s, 1985, coldwave, post-punk, resistance on September 7, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Coldwave fans rejoice! Here we have an incredibly rare and generous donation of the first Résistance release, an extremely limited K7 from 1985- only 200 copies which are known to exist.

The tape predates Between Two Lights by a year and features an exclusive set of recordings. A few of the songs would go on to appear elsewhere- “On Your Body/Clinch” was re-recorded for the excellent Passage Du Trou Marin K7, and both “Out of the Body” and “Chain” appear as part of a live set on the Between Two Lights reissue on Infrastiton. The CD reissue of 8 also features the Passage tracks as well as “Decline”- recorded as an appendage to both but which appears here separately. It seems like they enjoyed revisiting these songs a few times over the years, fleshing them out from their earlier counterparts with heavier percussive sounds and bells. There’s a fair share of exclusive tracks here too, so hope you enjoy!

Résistance- Résistance K7
1. Between 2 Lights
2. Chain
3. Mainland
4. Studio Du Meix
5. Out Of The Body
6. Clinch T
7. Decline
8. M L

*download it here*

3 Comments »

Lè Travo- Erring and Errant LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, Belgian, coldwave, darkwave, Lè Travo, post-punk on March 9, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Absolutely essential Belgian coldwave from 1985, originally posted by my good friend bx-59cppw and until now, was missing the last track. Thanks to BX for the final piece of the puzzle!

This is the band’s second release, which appeared just one year after an equally excellent split with Fred Angst. Grab that one over at A Viable Commercial. Lè Travo’s tracks on that split were produced by Luc Van Acker of Arbeid Adelt!, Thrill Kill Kult, Revolting Cocks fame.

As for this LP, very little is known, though an insert pegs the band as the brainchild of Patrick Bollen, with two session musicians contributing to three tracks and a female vocalist on backup here and there. Pretty amazing that just one man can create some of the best coldwave of the era. If I had to make a short list of essential records that are in desperate need of a reissue, this would be near the very top (*hint hint*). Don’t miss out!

Lè Travo- Erring and Errant LP
1. Arapaki
2. Something New
3. Hips
4. Guernica
5. Heyday
6. Amarcord
7. E La Nave Va

*download link removed* – reissued on Dark Entries Records!

4 Comments »

Luxembourg- La Cible 7”

Posted in 1985, coldwave, french, luxembourg, post-punk on December 8, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Fresh from the heart of France, here’s a joyous and upbeat coldwave single (an oxymoron, perhaps?) from 1985. This limited edition single is the band’s only release, a private press with little-to-no information out there in the ether. The b-side is what really does it for me here, as it reminds me quite a bit of The Sound’s “Sense of Purpose,” with a lighter touch.

I could make a rather educated guess about which city this band was from, but that would be all too easy, wouldn’t it? About as easy as clicking the link below and downloading this little treasure!

Luxembourg- La Cible 7”
1. La Cible
2. Le Secret De L’ombre

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 6.4.13)

3 Comments »

David Kane Retrospective (Nullstadt, Decay of Western Civilization, Demo K7)

Posted in 1980s, 1985, 1988, alien registration, celibates, david kane, decay of western civilization, minimal synth, new wave, nullstadt, synth on July 5, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

If there’s one synth whiz that the US can claim and attest to, it’s the prolific David Kane. The name should be familiar with astute followers of this blog and others, for he’s had his hands in many killer projects over the years. Most famously, he’s partially responsible for the Trek with Quintronic material and the Celibates LP, both worth picking up if you haven’t heard them already.

So last on the slab from Greg’s personal stash comes a series of David Kane rarities which should please fans of the man as well as fans of forgotten new wave gems. Lots to digest here, but plenty to enjoy. Up first we have the Decay of Western Civilization 12”, a rather affordable and quirky piece of beat-heavy synthpop with Eastern culture references. Two versions each of these instrumental tracks. It was released in 1987 (though I believe the back sleeve says copyright 1986, so pardon the discrepancy on the mp3s). At the time, Kane was also moonlighting as a member of Electroman as well as lending his hands to various projects, which we’ll touch on soon. Here’s the details for this release:

Decay of Western Civilization- Baby Doe Rules 12” (1986/7)
1. Baby Doe Rules
2. Baby Doe Rules (Uncut Version)
3. Moo Goo Guy Moo Goo Gal
4. Remix Drumless

The next LP is a full length from Kane’s full time band, Nullstadt. It seems this one just recently appeared on the Willfully Obscure blog. (sorry for the double post, man!). I do agree with his assessment of this LP. The closest touchstone would be Japan’s Tin Drum LP, though it’s tough to get a fair shake on this record. There’s the occasional Eastern influence on this LP as well, tying it to the Decay 12”.

You can read more about Nullstadt here, on a page chronicling the band’s 2007 reunion (which included Celibates member Kent Weber, a frequent collaborator of Kane’s even to date). Lots of fun facts about the band, including hints at other material that has yet to see the light of day. A very cool account! One thing I’m slightly confused about though, is the year of origin on this one. On a comprehensive David Kane site, we see that this LP came out in 1985, yet the stamp on the sleeve claims 1988. Perhaps it was recorded during the band’s tenure and released post-mortem? Maybe there are more unreleased tracks to be heard! Well anyway, here’s the info on this one:

Nullstadt- Flesh (1988)
1. Manifesto
2. A Similar Crisis
3. Steinland
4. War Time
5. Walking On Unstable Ground
6. Reincarnation
7. Voices Out of Sight
8. China

Last but not least we have the real creme de la creme of this post, a demo tape consisting of early, unfinished Kane compositions. Many of these pieces would become Electroman and Alien Registration songs once completed, and many would never see the light of day. If I recall correctly from a conversation Greg and I had in person, many of these recordings were written on the fly, as Kane was giving synthesizer lessons to aspiring musicians in upstate NY. My understanding is that the students would learn and play over the previously existing backing tracks, making the student the real creator of the lead synth lines with Kane supplying the backdrop. Either way, plenty of music to be had here, as both sides of the tape span the full 45 minute allotment.

Many of the pieces here appear more than once in slightly different forms, while several span ten minutes in length. There are no tracklistings to be found here on this tape, just great unheard proto-compositions that should feel right at home for fans of the minimal synth/experimental/wave genre. DEFINITELY be sure to grab this one, if you check out any of these releases.

David Kane- Home Demos K7
(no tracklisting available)

*download it ALL here*

Hope you enjoy this post and again, many thanks to Greg for loaning out these prized gems (as well as the extra photo inclusions here) for all of us to enjoy!

5 Comments »

End of Data REDUX

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 1985, coldwave, end of data, france, minimal synth, post-punk, synth on May 25, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Sorry for the delay, folks. Expecting a few goodies that haven’t arrived in the mail yet. Will get to ripping those and posting them ASAP. In the interim, I’ve been digging back through the vinyl collection and making improved rips of some of the albums I’ve posted in the past, and figured I’d share the improved fidelity with all of you.

What better band to start with, then End of Data. I’ve had mixed results with every copy I’ve come across. Quality issues, a few glaring skips, etc. However, I’ve come across great sounding copies of both LPs, so with better source material come greater results. Of course, there’s still minor crackle and a pop or two that just wouldn’t scrub out, but that’s what we love about vinyl, isn’t it?

These are two bona-fide classics, two all time favorites from France and beyond. I listen to these albums just about every week, no small feat for me! In case you missed these the first time around, you can read all about them here and here. Hope you all enjoy the improvements!

End of Data- Sahrah LP (1984)
1. End Of Data I & II
2. If I’m Not A Killer
3. Follow Me And So
4. Like A Succession I & II
5. Trottodaf
6. Sahrah / Symphonie Inachevée

*download it here*

End of Data- Dans Votre Monde LP (1985)
1. Dans Votre Monde
2. Movie Drama
3. Quetzalcoatl
4. Symphonie
5. La Rive Asiatique
6. Atttrra (Vers Le Miroir)
7. Venice
8. D.M.C.

*download it here*

EDIT: to the 21 people who downloaded Dans Votre Monde when this post first appeared, please download the LP again— track 3 had an error in bouncing that has been rectified. Sorry for the trouble!

7 Comments »

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