Archive for the post-punk Category

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Landscape of Sound- Live Forever 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, abecedarians, drowning pool, LA, landscape of sound, los angeles, new wave, post-punk on July 23, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a rather obscure new wave/post-punk tinged single from the West Coast.  Los Angeles to be exact.  While this is the only known release by Landscape of Sound (released in 1983), the band has direct ties to like-minded post-punk band Drowning Pool, who formed soon after this 7” was released.  Before the band would become Drowning Pool (who put out some rather excellent and delightfully easy to find LPs in the mid-80s), this single served as a respectable point of entry for Brett Smith and Adam Elesh.  The project evolved from a basic partnership to include other Los Angeles area musicians.  According to the Drowning Pool biography, the band came together while hanging out at Pier Records (managed by Chris Maneke of Abecedarians, covered here in the past).  Maneke would also produce several Drowning Pool recordings.

The real gem on this 7” is the b-side, a rickety, but excellent post-punk track with jangly chorus-heavy guitar and those synth strings we all know and love. Definitely a winner if I’ve ever heard one…  The a-side is a little more new wave, reminiscent of the UK synth scene, but with a more organic touch.  There’s still a similar vibe running through it, so it’s not a night and day sort of affair.  Either way, it’s an excellent single that deserves a listen or twenty, so without any further ado…

Landscape of Sound- Live Forever 7”
1. Live Forever
2. On the Edge

*download it here*

5 Comments »

Madame Edwarda- Illuminé K7

Posted in 1980s, 1986, goth, goth-rock, japan, japanese, post-punk on June 2, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Happy Monday, folks!  Here’s a generous donation of a very special Japanese cassette, courtesy of Elias, who runs an excellent Facebook page on the Japanese goth movement.  Until now, I hadn’t heard much about Madame Edwarda, just some passing familiarity with the name, but I’m psyched to offer this release from 1986.  Fans of Japanese post-punk/goth bands such as G-Schmitt and D-Day should find lots to love here.

This is one of five releases from Madame Edwarda, a four piece band who, even at first glance, seemed very influenced by The Damned, Bauhaus, etc.  The band formed in 1980 and took their name from a Georges Bataille’s novel of the same name. Their earlier releases are more straightforward goth-rock affairs, while this cassette combines those influences with an experimental, almost neo-classical approach (see also In the Nursery for a suitable reference point).  There are several killer goth tunes here, including “Honey,” “La Nuit,” and “Marionette,” while other tracks are a bit more esoteric, mixing carnival-esque melodies, synth choir patches, and what sounds like cellos from time to time (though may very well be synth patches as well).  All in all, it’s an incredibly interesting listen from front to back.

The cassette box itself is a rather curious affair, with a larger box and book with rather intricate designs inspired by Aubrey Beardsley and Art Nouveau designs, which more or less sets the stage for the aural treats on this tape.

Ps- for anyone looking to hear their other releases, Elias has provided me a few links to share as well… They aren’t his own, nor mine, but if anyone would like to hear more and can’t find them elsewhere, please leave a note and I’ll upload them soon.  That said, you can still get a copy of the Lorelei 12” from the band’s official site.  With that in mind, here’s the information for this excellent cassette, with embedded English translations courtesy of Elias as well!

Madame Edwarda- Illuminé K7
1. 混声合唱 (Mixed Choir)
2. Carnival
3. 夜間飛行 (Night Flight)
4. 夜想曲～ノクターン～ (Nocturne)
5. 幻惑 (Enchanting)
6. 回転木馬～メリーゴーラウンド～ (Carousel～Merry-Go-Round～)
7. 青い悪魔 (Blue Devil)
8. 大観覧車 (Ferris Wheel)
9. サーカス (Circus)
10. 恋歌～ロマンス～ (Love Song～Romance～)
11. Le Château
12. Honey
13. コクトーの剣 (Sword of Cocteau)
14. Marionette
15. La Nuit
16. 夢想 (Reverie)
17. Emeralde

*download it here*

3 Comments »

Crux Ansata- I Feel the Atmosphere 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1990, crux ansata, darkwave, endraum, german, goth, goth-rock, neutral project, post-punk on May 22, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Happy world goth day, everyone!  Figured I’d chime in and celebrate with an updated version of one of my favorite darkwave/goth classics, the lone 12” from Germany’s Crux Ansata.  You may have seen this one on Dreams and Voices in the past, but here’s a fresh rip I made of the record early last year.  The opening epic, “Remembrances” is one of my favorite cold, gloomy tracks, perfect for this rainy, foggy day in NYC and beyond.

This record was released in 1989, and while it’s their only release, both members were active in other bands.  Both Hovi Miskovics and Roman Rütten continued in Endraum after this 12”, and also released one song as A Foamy Project In Neutral Days, a supergroup of sorts with Neutral Project.  You can find the one track they recorded together on the infamous Supercherie compilation from 1991.

Crux Ansata- I Feel the Atmosphere 12”
1. Remembrance
2. No Time For Lies
3. Imprinted In My Mind
4. This Night of Memories

*download it here*

Stay tuned over the next few weeks for some more dancefloor-ready 12”s, some unheard discoveries, even more new and improved rips of old classics, and one of these days, a new VA comp. coming down the pipeline!

5 Comments »

Asmodi Bizarr- Sunsierra LP+12”

Posted in 1980s, 1986, asmodi bizarr, cathedral of tears, german, Glenn Matlock, goth-rock, post-punk on May 15, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Asmodi+Bizarr+ab1

A few notes of housekeeping before today’s post— I’ve re-ripped and reuploaded a few things, mainly upgrading bitrates of Epitaphe, De Press, Boytronic, and Bushido from a while back.  I’ve also re-ripped a few more things that I’m slowly working through, so there should be a few more of these upgrades to come, as well as a lot of new, unheard stuff that I can’t wait to share with you…

Here we have Asmodi Bizarr’s classic Sunsierra LP, a landmark in female fronted post-punk in the veins of Xmal Deutschland, Stimmen Der Stille, Cry of the Innocent, etc.   The band hailed from Düsseldorf, Germany and released three albums and one demo 7” (would love to hear this!) before calling it a day in the early 90s.   Members of the band also recorded a 7” compilation track under the name Aspirin.  Fortunately, the band can be found on Facebook, and has since reunited to play shows in 2011 and 2014, respectively.  They’re playing this year’s Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival, so I hope those headed out that way can check them out and report back!

This is their first LP, released in 1986 as an LP+12” package, featuring two of the band’s best songs as the bonus LP cuts.  Some of you may have seen this posted elsewhere, but this particular copy is freshly ripped and cleaned up for maximum listening enjoyment.  To those who haven’t heard it yet, it’s one of my all time favorites.  Either way, hope you enjoy it!

Asmodi Bizarr- Sunsierra LP+12”
1. Spin the Wheel
2. Liebeslied
3. The Bride
4. Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte
5. Memories
6. The Dreamvision Song
–
7. Traumland
8. Grüne Augen
9. Dorian

*download it here*

9 Comments »

Azile- La Sainte 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1988, azile, coldwave, france, french, lyon, post-punk on April 29, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

It’s been a dog’s age, ladies and gents- or at least it feels like it’s been some time since my last post.  Life’s been a bit crazy here, but all is well, and I’m hoping to resume regular activity here soon.  With that in mind, here’s a new acquisition originally introduced to me by the always astute Stéphane B. of coldwave.fr.  Olivier, the singer and guitarist of the band was kind enough to send me a copy and to lend his permission to share the single here with you all.

This is the lone release by Azile, a French coldwave band from Lyon, home of some of the best bands of the era, including Gestalt, L’Enfance Éternelle, Opéra De Nuit, etc.  The latter is actually an excellent touchstone, as I find some sonic similarities between the A-side of this single and ODN tracks such as “Inviation” and “Karen Lloyd.”   It’s a short blast of excellent coldwave that I’m glad exists in this world, no matter how obscure.  The flip is no slouch either, combining acoustic guitar and churning synth stabs.

This 7” was self-funded and self-released by the band in 1988, though Olivier mentioned that the band recorded a few more tracks around the same time.  I hope to be able to share those with you soon, but in the meantime, here’s the details for this excellent single.

Azile- La Sainte 7”
1. La Sainte
2. L’Homme Qui Tombe

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Hymn- Coming Home & Too Many Lies K7s

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1984, coldwave, hymn, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk on April 2, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a generous donation of two rare cassette releases from Hymn, a French coldwave band who released a more well known 12” on Nova Express in 1984.  These two cassettes were recorded shortly before that record, the first of which was self-released in 1983, while the other appeared on Autoproduit a few months before the 12”.  While the band’s trademark Joy Division influence can still be heard here, the instrumentation is more on the minimal synth side of the spectrum, with the classic TR606 providing the backbone to the gloomy, Ian Curtis-esque vocals.  I believe the band was originally a trio, and added a drummer just before recording the 12”.

That said, don’t let the sparse instrumentation and the shorter track length fool you, these tracks are still as cold as ever, and there are just enough guitars in the mix to make things interesting.  Without any further adieu, here’s the info for these two gems:

hymn--coming-home

Hymn- Coming Home K7 (1983)
1. Danger
2. Die For You
3. I Guess
4. I Am The Absolute
5. Shock Of The Dates
6. Comin’ Home
7. Nos Pieds et Nos Têtes

hymn--too-many-lies

Hymn- Too Many Lies K7 (1984)
1. Never Show Me
2. Too Many Lies
3. I Can
4. Give Me
5. Like In My Dreams
6. Surch Me
7. Hymn
8. Hope I Dream
9. Lost World

*download both tapes here*

10 Comments »

Move- Move K7

Posted in 1980s, 1985, demo, goth, goth-rock, italian, move, post-punk on March 28, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Sorry for the huge delay in posting, ladies and gents.  That said, good things come to those who wait, and I have quite a few obscurities to share to make up for my disappearance.  First up we have a previously unheard Move demo tape from 1985, ripped by a good friend in Italy.  This tape precedes the Move out Sight cassette and the self-titled LP by a year and change and features a handful of otherwise unreleased songs from the Move catalog, as well as a few that appear elsewhere over the years.

I believe this tape completes the Move discography, though I also have been sent a live performance from S.P.S.P., which featured some members from Move.  The tracklisting is unknown, but the band also performed a few Move songs in the set.  I don’t generally go for live tapes, but I hope to post that sometime down the line for anyone who’s interested.  In the meantime, here’s the info for this cassette:

move

Move- Move K7
1. Speeding Speed/Sweet Move
2. Kronstadt
3. Ragazzo Di Strada
4. Re Sole
5. Salto Nel Vuoto
6. When I’m With Myself
7. Lacrime & Sangue
8. Romano
9. F.L.C.T.
10. Lo Scoglio

*download it here*

6 Comments »

Twelfthnight- Masque 7” + Demo Cassettes

Posted in 1980s, 1983, bell hollow, deathrock, goth, goth-rock, Greg Fasolino, Joe Kasher, Joe Truck, New York, new york city, post-punk, Redex, Scarecrow, The Brain Eaters, US on December 19, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

The holiday season is soon upon us, and I’m going to put the wrap on another excellent year with a gift from my bandmate, Greg Fasolino, who some of you may also be familiar with from Bell Hollow and The Naked and the Dead.

Anyone who knows Greg is aware of his vast archiving skills, complete with photos, setlists, friendships, and a collection that most of us would kill to own.  That said, the stories about this particular band date back to his time in the Naked and the Dead, a female fronted deathrock band from NYC who released one acclaimed demo before splitting.  The band reformed in the early 2000s with a different singer and have released archival material as well as sprinkled reissues of the demo across several compilations.  During his years as an underground musician, journalist, and all around music superfan, he befriended fellow musicians Joe Kasher (aka Joe Truck) and Andrew Cushen, who were both luminaries of the 1980s NYC underground as well.

It’s this musical partnership that is responsible for the tracks we’re posting today, but first a little backstory.  Cushen was originally involved in a band called Redex, who only released two demos in the early 1980s.  We’ll get to those another time, perhaps!  After Redex split, Cushen met Kasher and decided to form a new project, heavily influenced by the UK post-punk bands that were gaining momentum at the time.  They recorded two demos as well, one before releasing this 7” on Gash for Cash records in 1983, and one shortly afterwards.   As I understand it, Kasher and Cushen played every instrument you hear on these recordings, but recruited members to perform a few live shows.

The band quickly dissolved but the partnership continued as Cushen and Kasher drafted drummer Ronaldo Gonzalez (later of Swans) and Beth Balousek on vocals to form Scarecrow.  This band performed several shows under this name, and recorded one three song demo with a few live tracks, but as fate would have it, the band would also split as quick as they formed.  Kasher and Cushen then formed Chop Shop with Rebecca Korbet (later of Pussy Galore, King Missle) and Steve DiBenedetto, who also released a demo and recorded an unreleased album in 1985.  Meanwhile, Kasher and Cushen lent their expertise to Fasolino, co-producing the Naked and the Dead demo.  Greg also tells me that Cushen played e-bow on “Cassandra,” teaching him a skill that has become one of Greg’s signature sounds since.  Kasher also released a 7” with his next project, the Brain Eaters, in 1986.  Before Brain Eaters, Kasher and Fasolino played together briefly in a band called Burning Rome, who never recorded anything.  Everything’s incestuous!

Which brings us to today.  Kasher is still involved in the underground scene, and is currently playing as The Burning Ritual, who released their debut EP and are currently playing in the New York City area.  Kasher also collected several of these underground New York projects, including the Naked and the Dead, Scarecrow, The Children’s Zoo (featuring bassist Chris Bollman also of N&tD and Bell Hollow), and others for a compilation called Dark New York (Gotham City’s Post-Punk, Goth, and Deathrock Bands 1983-1988) Vol. 1, one of my favorite releases from last year.  We can only hope a volume 2 is in store in 2014!

Anyway, back to Twelfthnight.  I have here for you both demos (minus the 7” tracks, which I’ve been told are identical to the 7” pressings), and a fresh rip of the 7” from Greg’s collection.  You MAY recall seeing the flip-side to this on an early SOR compilation, erroneously credited to Twelfth Night (sorry!).  I’ve been curious to hear more about this band ever since, and while I’ve known Greg for ages, I had no idea that the missing pieces of this puzzle lay this close to home.

With that in mind, I’m very pleased to bring things full circle after all these years!  Thanks to Greg, Joe, and Andrew for their efforts both here and elsewhere!   Happy holidays and see you guys in 2014!

Twelfthnight- Masque 7”
1. Masque
2. Tree Soldiers

Twelfthnight- Demo #1
1. Silent Spring
2. It Must Have Been Minutes

Twelfthnight- Demo #2
1. All Soul’s Day
2. Sanctuary
3. Premonition

BONUS:
1. Visions of These (Rehearsal 1983 – 17th Street, New York, NY)

*download all three here*

2 Comments »

Atrocity- Because 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, denmark, post-punk on December 10, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

A-2468652-1319537665

For those who prefer something a little more visceral than our last post, here’s a complete 180 for you.  A slice of post-punk bliss from Denmark, a very scarce 7” from 1985 on Hub Records (Kalishnikov). One could point to the Factory Records roster for direct inspiration, as those kind of buzzing synths call Martin Hannett and co. to mind. Very possible that the band name is a nod to Joy Division by way of J.G. Ballard as well.

Little else is known about these guys, but bassist Bjarne Hansen has some scattered production/engineering credits over the years.

Atrocity- Because 7”
1. Because
2. Scene
3. Love Song
4. Part of the Crowd

*download it here*

8 Comments »

Various Artists- Treviso Underground Vol. 1: Nuovo Rock/Wave

Posted in 1980s, coldwave, italian, post-punk on November 27, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s an amazing Italian cassette compilation from 1988, generously ripped by Carlo. This is the first in a two part series of homebrew tape compilations from the 80s featuring bands from the Treviso region of Northern Italy. This edition focuses on new wave and post-punk bands, while the second volume caters more towards experimental and ambient bands. You can get the second volume here.

I was originally drawn to this cassette via Wax Heroes and Scent Merci, two excellent post-punk bands that only have a handful of releases between them.  However, the entire compilation is awesome, with the exception of the Nicotine Spyral Surfers songs, which aren’t bad if you prefer things on the more garage-y side. However, the true standout to me is Inside Loneliness, a band who truly invokes the cold Cure-esque vibes of Seventeen Seconds as well as other bands of that ilk.  I can’t get enough of “It’s Over Again,” (which builds to the same simple, but perfect chord progression as The Chameleons’ “Second Skin”), while their second track here is no slouch, either.  Inside Loneliness also contributed more tracks (including an alternate version of “It’s Over Again” that lacks the synth intro) to the Opere Senze Ombre compilation, which features the German Shadowplay, Opera Multi Steel, and the Venus Fly Trap. As you can see, that compilation wasn’t as ethnocentric as this one is, but is still worth hearing and can be found here.

As for the rest of the bands here, Domus Tedii plays a darker, organ driven style of post-punk, while Em’s Dream all but sounds like Robert Smith singing.  In fact, Marathon’s contribution is also reminiscent of the Cure’s Head On the Door/Kiss Me period (see above), with the trademark keyboard flute sounds and sad, yet boisterous melody.  Turbe Psichiche Di Origine Dolosa are the most punk-inspired of the bands, with backing vocals that are both anthemic as well as slightly Byrds-esque.  Aside from Inside Loneliness, my other favorite track on this compilation comes from Lacrima Christi, with some great cold sounds and solid atmosphere.  I’m not sure if this is the same band that appears on a 1991 compilation, but I’d love to hear more from them either way.

R-4002427-1351963938-6694

Various Artists- Treviso Underground Vol. 1: Nuovo Rock/Wave
1. Miky Mouse- Wax Heroes
2. Wake Me Up Wizard!- Wax Heroes
3. It’s Over Again- Inside Loneliness
4. Trees Out of My Way- Inside Loneliness
5. School Days II- Scent Merci
6. The Bright Moonlight- Scent Merci
7. You Make Me Fly (So High)- Nicotine Spyral Surfers
8. Are You Surprised?- Nicotine Spyral Surfers
9. Non Presenza- Domus Tedii
10. Rachele- Lacrima Christi
11. Bloodless (Not Buried)- Em’s Dream
12. Sun of the Awning- Marathon
13. Questo E’ Il Tuo Giorno- Turbe Psichiche Di Origine Dolosa

*download it here*

 

Thanks again, Carlo!

3 Comments »

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