Archive for the post-punk Category

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The Nevermen- Monitor LP

Posted in 1980s, 1988, canadian, goth, goth-rock, goutroy, post-punk on April 3, 2022 by Frankie Teardrop

This record might tick boxes for fans of late 80s alternative. The band is The Nevermen, a four piece from Canada. This is their lone LP, which was released on Amok Records (Courage of Lassie, Psyche, Preison’s Shade) in 1988. While all the late 80s goth touchstones are here – the reverb drenched drum machines, the thick bass grooves, and the gloomy guitar, I sometimes find the vocal melodies to be somewhat close to Alice in Chains or bands from that era – even though naturally this record predates the band for a few years. Producer Michael Wojewoda provides backing vocals, which complement the main vocals with a similar kind of dual attack. I also get some early Faith No More vibes throughout with the soaring synths and bass tones.

Now don’t get me wrong folks, there are still plenty of familiar sounds here to keep all us 80s lovers interested – I also hear traces of Simple Minds, Midnight Oil, Big Country throughout this LP, if these bands ditched their stadium sounds and leaned darker overall. This record would definitely have picked up some 120 Minutes airplay if they made a video. Maybe they did?

Either way, if I haven’t scared you away with all this rawk talk, here’s the details for this LP:

The Nevermen- Monitor LP
1. Real Life
2. Across The Room
3. The Waltz
4. Waiting For Rain
5. Living In The Past
6. She’s Got Me
7. Burning
8. Cacophony And Dance (Silver Crown Cement Mix)

*download it here*

(thanks as always to Goutroy for ripping this one initially – keeping A Viable Commercial alive and well!)

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Anodyne- Anacelica 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, anodyne, post-punk, US on October 20, 2021 by Frankie Teardrop

Second post for today, ladies and gents. This one in particular may look unassuming from its white label, cover-less presentation, but contained within are two of the best DIY post-punk tracks I’ve heard in a second. This particular band hails from Alabama, and they appear to have only self-released this one single in 1985. Copies of this one can prove to be quite scarce, though maybe this post will help shed some light on this otherwise mysteriously obscure band who take their name from either a 19th century term for a painkilling breed of medicinal drugs or a term for something “inoffensive.” My guess is the reference refers to the former…

As for touchstones, you can expect some Three Imaginary Boys-esque post-punk (ie, a Buzzcocks sense of songwriting with darker overtones) though of course there might be a little bit of Bauhaus in the otherwise driving, monotone vocals. I’m reminded a bit of Here Today, a similarly influenced band who were from Baltimore. Either way, both tracks here have become favorites in recent months. Enjoy!

Anodyne- Anacelica 7”
1. Anacelica
2. The Sea

*download it here*

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Again & Again & Again – Dreams Are Never Enough / Forever 7”s

Posted in 1980s, 1982, 1983, new jersey, new wave, post-punk, US on October 20, 2021 by Frankie Teardrop

I’m going to attempt a DOUBLE post today, so bear with me, folks. Here we have two obscure 7”s from New Jersey-based post-punk band Again & Again & Again. Just you try and Google that name, I triple dog dare you…

This four piece released these two singles in 1982 and 1983 respectively. The first single has a bit of a power pop vibe for the first track, which may be appealing to some of y’all. I vastly prefer the b-side of this one overall, though your mileage may vary. The second single is my preferred offering from this band, as both tracks have that early, rickety post-punk sound I tend to go wild for in general.

Both singles were released on Public Records, who were based out of Pittsburgh, PA. In general, it’s always great to hear new US-based bands with this style/sound. With that in mind, here’s the download/rundown:

Again & Again & Again- Dreams Are Never Enough 7” (1982)
1. Dreams Are Never Enough
2. Hello Angel

Again & Again & Again- Forever 7” (1983)
1. Forever
2. A Cold Place

*download both here*

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Zon 6- Som En Tiger 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, elegi, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk, swedish, zon 6 on September 20, 2021 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve been obsessed with the title track from this 7” for many years now, and just last year decided to pick up a copy and make a fresh rip of it. Too weird to be a hit, too good to be an obscurity, this is the only single from this Swedish five piece, released in 1983 on MNW. The project is an offshoot of Elegi who released a similarly jazzy but more upbeat post-punk record in 1981.

The a-side here gives me chills, though the b-side is still quite a good listen. The a-side truly ticks all the right boxes for me: female vocals, spastic NDW-esque rhythms, bubbling percussive synths, bleating sax, and plenty of dark driving post-punk edge to keep things sounding sinister. Recommended for fans of Christiane F.,  Mona Mur, Malaria!, and the like…

Not much more to be said, so happy listening!

Zon 6- Som En Tiger 7”
1. Som En Tiger
2. Allt Nu

*download it here*

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Fotoscura- Fotoscura LP

Posted in 1980s, 1988, ethereal, fotoscura, italian, post-punk on July 21, 2021 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve always enjoyed this dreamy Italian post-punk record from 1988, and I thought y’all might, too. This is the lone LP from Fotoscura, a five-piece who were from Rome. The sounds are a mix of ethereal, melodic passages and melancholy post-punk, definitely recommended for fans of The Cure, The Essence, Lowlife and so on. I love every track on this record, some of my favorite kinds of sounds this side of the spectrum. Angel Records, the band’s label, also released a handful of neoclassical recordings as well as some Edge of the Water material. I’m also quite fond of the Selena Moor record, but I’m also a sucker for a good ethereal sound…Maybe I’ll post that one in the near future.

As for Fotoscura, there’s also a demo tape that fetches quite a pretty penny, but I haven’t heard it, sadly. Rumor has it there will be a reissue of some sorts coming, so stay tuned here (or better yet, over at the band’s Facebook page) for more details.


Fotoscura- Fotoscura LP

1. Guerra Senza Nome
2. …Nel Buio
3. Fotoscura
4. Cavaliere Del Nulla
5. 1991
6. Volo

*download it here*

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Beatrain- Change the World 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, france, french, indie, new wave, post-punk on July 13, 2021 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a French single from 1984 by Beatrain, who previously went under the name The Grave. Both tracks are sung in English, presumably to catch the ears and eyes of the UK scene. This is their only release, though the single caused enough of a splash to secure the band a spot on French 3 program “Avenue Du Rock.”

As for the sounds, both tracks are stellar bouncy post-punk tracks with a slightly rickety post-punk or early indie rock edge, a sweet spot for me that I think you will all enjoy as well. The A-side is strictly female vox, but there is some vocal interplay on the equally excellent B-side. You can check out the pantomimed performances of the tracks here and here respectively (lower quality, sadly).

Enjoy!

Beatrain- Change the World 7”
1. Change the World
2. Two Worlds “Time To Meet You”

*download it here*

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Nu-Este- From This Side of the Window 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, indie, jangle, Nu-Este, post-punk, US on June 23, 2021 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a rather excellent, if but unassuming 7” from a US-based trio called Nu-Este. I was originally turned on to this single by way of my Harrow bandmate Greg, who sold me on it as a guitar-band who sounds quite a bit like For Against, which I’m inclined to agree… Also has a bit of that early R.E.M./jangle feel, just in time for summer. I dig both tracks, but the b-side is a little more my speed overall!

This is the band’s lone single, released in 1982 on Intense Intents records, which was based in Philly. Not sure if the band was from there as well, but my guess is they’re from the area, as producer/engineer Chas Gerber also worked on Pretty Poison’s excellent Laced 12”.

Enjoy!

Nu-Este- From This Side of the Window 7”
1. From This Side of the Window
2. If You Want It

*download it here*

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Fru Aut- Fru Aut K7 & LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, 1988, goth, italian, post-punk on February 9, 2021 by Frankie Teardrop

Happy New Year, y’all! A bit of a new post here, and a bit of an update to an old post at the same time. If you visit this previous post on the incredible Italian post-punk band Fru Aut, you’ll find information about  their 1988 self-titled LP, a masterpiece of the Italian post-punk scene and a perfect listen for fans of dreamier post-punk, in the vein of things like Sad Lovers & Giants, Film Noir, Modern Eon, Xmal, Nico + Faction, etc. In the same post, there’s also an allusion to a previous 12”/cassette release from a long defunct (but wonderful) blog. So with that in mind, I thought I’d kick the year off lightly with an update of both of these releases.

If you aren’t already familiar with Fru Aut, the band was a five piece from northern Italy, more specifically Bassano del Grappa. They self-released this cassette in 1985, with a more limited 12” version appearing the same year. The LP appeared in 1988, also self-released. There was also a CD that came out in 1994, but sadly I haven’t heard it and I have an inkling it might veer more into rock territory, but if anyone could confirm or deny that, I’d gladly give it a listen! Lastly, there’s another cassette out there from the same era as these two releases I’m guessing, with very little info, no year or tracklisting to confirm if it’s exclusive material, or similar to what’s already released elsewhere… Any info on that one is even more welcome…

Even though I’ve updated the previous post, I’ll include both the LP and the cassette here to make things a little neater. With that in mind, here’s the info for both of these excellent releases:

Fru Aut- Fru Aut K7 (1985)
1. Tesò
2. Verderame
3. Sdies Nuzna Vainà
4. Glu Glu

Fru Aut- Fru Aut LP (1988)
1. Prova D’Orckestra
2. La TV Sensuale
3. Kabul
4. Bla Bla – Discorso Alla Finestra
5. Tesò
6. Indastria
7. Berber
8. Segnali
9. Freiherz
10. Superglu

*download both releases here*

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Soft As Ghosts- Mystified 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, post-punk, soft as ghosts, uk on November 13, 2020 by Frankie Teardrop

I had a little bit of extra time this week, so that means you get an extra post! Thanks to Goutroy for sending this one over some time ago. Here we have two tracks of cold, moody post-punk that reminds me a bit of mid-period Adrian Borland recordings (Heads and Hearts, etc.), especially on the A-side. Nice chunky bass, airy synth, catchy chorus, and dreamy, if but a little nasally vocal. The B-side is a bit more frantic, but no less captivating.

So it goes, there’s not much information to share about the band. This is their only release, which came out in 1983 in the UK via Rondelet Music & Records. If anyone knows more about this band, feel free to fill in the gaps in the comments! Otherwise, enjoy!

Soft As Ghosts- Mystified 7”
1. Mystified
2. Facets of Love

*download it here*

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Fourwaycross- Fill the Sky/Home/Shimmer/Pendulum

Posted in 1980s, fourwaycross, post-punk on November 12, 2020 by Frankie Teardrop

In addition to tracking down some rare records these last few months, I’ve also been working slowly at re-ripping much of the old collection, improving rips for my own posterity, and upgrading things from the back pages here as well. It’s been an ongoing labor of love these last few years, and one of the few things keeping me sane during the pandemic. With that in mind, I wanted to make a quick post and share the remaining Fourwaycross LPs that I had in my collection, minus 1989’s On the Other Hand (which is already available on CD). You can read lots more about the band and check out their debut cassette here.

Otherwise, I’ve ripped their excellent second and third albums and cleaned them up considerably, also making sure to take care with the gaps between tracks to make sure they play as intended. I’m also including a fresh rip of the amazing Shimmer 12” from 1987, and 1993’s Pendulum 10+7”, which was released after the band split the first time around, but musically predates the first cassette. Here’s the full rundown:

Fourwaycross- Fill the Sky LP (1986)
1. Climate And Weather
2. Indy
3. Apologize
4. So For You
5. Losing
6. Dirty News
7. U.S.A.
8. Trench
9. Unconcerned
10. Dream

Fourwaycross- Home LP (1986)
1. Woke
2. Magazine And Blue
3. Moment Of Pain
4. We Talk
5. Metal From Daisies
6. Eyes
7. Valleys

Fourwaycross- Shimmer 12” (1987)
1. Shimmer
2. That’s All
3. Interstate
4. Peregrine

Fourwaycross- Pendulum 10”+7” (1993)
1. Woke
2. There’s No Place
3. Halloween
4. Num
5. Faded Flowers
6. Dead Moon
7. Hungry Souls
8. Original Dream
9. Pendulum

*download it all here*

Plenty of rare and unblogged treasures coming in the next few weeks, so stay tuned and be safe out there! <3

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