Here’s a rare US entry to the new wave scene with a 2 track 7” from 1985. A complete obscurity, with nothing to be found on the internet or elsewhere. The a-side is a great guitar driven track with a few great synth hooks in tow. Almost sounds as if R.E.M. ditched the American underground and went for a more European aesthetic. It also kind of reminds me of the VHF LP, for those who enjoyed that particularly rare gem. A little gloom, but catchy all the same.
The b-side is far less interesting to me, with a more happy-go-lucky melody that recalls The Kinks, but different strokes for different folks. I’ll leave it for you all to decide.
The Instigators- We Don’t Know What We Want 7”
1. We Don’t Know What We Want
2. Electric Blanket
Here’s the full 12” discography of DADA, another new wave band from New York City. Contained within are both of their releases, both which walk a fine line between catchy minimal synth and bouncy synthpop.
The first 12” was discovered whilst record shopping with Goutroy, who recently relocated to NYC via San Francisco. I randomly ran into him at a lesser record store, after a rather unceremonious trip home. A little solo shopping therapy turned into an afternoon of bin-hopping around the village. Sometimes I shop with the intention of looking for things I know, love, and plan to DJ. Other times, an interesting cover or title catches my attention, which is how I find most of the records posted here. However, this record was plucked out by Goutroy at one of my favorite shops in the East Village, a place that keeps odd hours and specializes in new wave. After one brief listen (he had placed this record in the “maybe” pile), I quickly became obsessed (perhaps annoyingly so) with his purchase, and quickly hunted down a copy of my own, and we’ve both been spinning it regularly at the Wierd party since. Camaraderie at its finest! That’s not to say there wasn’t a bit of competitive edge between us that day, as there tends to be when two underground music collectors hunt in the same shop at the same time. I feel like I paid more attention to what he had in his stack as opposed to the bins in front of me. He found R.E.K.’s excellent 12” (found here at Crispy Nuggets) and I seethed with jealousy. That said, we both found each other some excellent gems, and both walked away with some hefty purchases that day. The rest, you can say, was nerd history.
I was able to snag the second 12” online for a relatively cheap price, and while I prefer the first release overall (especially the amazing a-side), the two sound very similar. Not surprising, given that they were released only one year apart. The band seemed to have a sense of humor, from their vocal delivery, lyrical content, and even the record label (presumably self-released under “A Major Recording Label,” whose only releases are these two records). The band members even all shared the same last name, though they may very well be brothers. Slight tongue-in-cheek humor aside, these tracks are perfectly suited for a dancefloor, and are some of my favorite obscure gems.
Speaking of that sense of collector camaraderie, you can also find this same post over at Goutroy’s awesome Viable Commercial blog, back up and running after a brief hiatus! Same rips, two blogs, at the SAME TIME for maximum listening pleasure! Here’s the info:
DADA- Age of Confusion 12” (1987)
1. Age of Confusion
2. Pursuits of Happiness
DADA- Right Men Tell Lies 12” (1988)
1. Discussing Missile Size
2. As the Sun Races By
3. Separate Ways****
4. The World They Left Behind
You may have seen this one over at Capa Nostra Syndicate, but not sure what’s up with the rip there, as it’s pretty unlistenable. What we have here is some pretty solid new wave from hometown NYC, with a slight commercial edge to some of the tracks. Some of the songs fall a little flat for me, but some are unexpected synthpop killers. I’ll let you all decide which tracks are which, but either way, this one’s definitely worth a listen or two.
Here’s the info for this 1983 release:
Velveteen- After Hours 12”
1. Nightline
2. Combo Boys
3. Nothing to Do
4. Wild Rain
5. Preoccupied
6. Get Wild
Here’s another oddball minimal synth gem I’ve had sitting in the upload queue for some time now. A rare entry from the United States, Ohio to be exact, dating back to 1985. You have two mixes of the catchy and quirky single here, backed with a more atmospheric track on the flip. I personally prefer the b-side, but especially enjoy the duality of this release.
You can hear more from the band on a 2007 CD reissue, which features some unreleased gems and “The Fall.” This release was prompted by several inquiries from fans and collectors over the years. Read more about the band’s history (complete with a comprensive bio and gear-list) here, and be sure to pick up a copy of Time Capsule by clicking here!
Perfect Jewish Couple- Ménage À Trois 7”
1. Step Back (Extended Version)
2. Step Back
3. The Fall
Been meaning to post this one for a while, but finally got around to ripping it. Random purchase, made a few months ago for a few dollars, based on the year (1988) and the cover artwork (Francis Bacon!), and found it to be pleasant enough to rip and share with you all. Here we have the lone LP by a band called Minutes After…, a melodic darkwave/post-punk band from Philadelphia.
The closest touchstone I have for the band is a sadly defunct NYC band called Bell Hollow, who were in turn influenced by the likes of For Against, The Chameleons, and Sad Lovers and Giants. A few piano chords thrown in for good measure, as well as soaring vocals on every track. It’s a solid record for fans of the more dreamy/ethereal/wistful side of post-punk, especially the first (and best) Tears for Fears record, Sad Lovers and Gaints, and the second Fra Lippo Lippi record (a must listen).
Here’s the information:
Minutes After…- Minutes After… LP
1. Cracks Of Dawn
2. White Ceiling
3. Raining On Earth
4. Cradle To Crypt
5. Her ~ A Dream Without Sleep
6. The View From The Park
This one, while potentially well known inside this circle, is a recent favorite of mine, and while the majority of their work appears elsewhere in the blogosphere, I haven’t seen this 12” around.
The Arms of Someone New (primarily a collaborative project between Mel Eberle and Steve Jones, also involved with Area) formed in Champaign, Illinois in 1983, releasing their first 7” the following year. At first, their sound had a biting, synth-driven edge to it, which eventually gave way to the growing ethereal scene into the late 1980s. I happen to dig the majority of their recordings in both spectrums, but this one falls more on the biting, danceable side of the band’s catalog. We have two remixes of the single here (both drastically different from the version that appeared on their 1984 12”), with two slower, but no less stellar tracks taking up the b-side. Here’s the breakdown:
The Arms of Someone New- Every Seventh Wave 12”
1. Every Seventh Wave (Intermix)
2. Every Seventh Wave (Album Mix)
3. The Sense of an Ending
4. Everything at Once
You may have seen this one over at Mutant Sounds in the past, but here’s a rather clean and fresh rip of this classic minimal synth LP by Steven Grandell, self-releaed in 1984. A little more experimental than most minimal synth recordings, complete with jerky rhythms, strange instrumentation (violins, xylophones, etc.), and detached vocals, but still quite catchy in the end.
A few copies of the LP were once sale via Venus DeMars, but I do believe they’ve since sold out. Currently, the artist is releasing music as Venus DeMars and All the Pretty Horses, which you can check out here. Here’s the info for this LP:
Steven Grandell- Animal Angst LP
1. Burn My Eyes
2. There’s Got To Be Something
3. Confession Of An Innocent
4. Lead
5. Fear
6. Isn’t It Time
7. Flight At The End
8. Great Big Earth
9. I Am Human
10. Radio Sleep
Moving right along, here we have a 12” by Cathedral of Tears, a US-based darkwave band with a danceable edge. This is the band’s only record, released in 1984 on Enigma Records, which was generally known for dark, sleazy punk (The Cramps, Dead Milkmen, TSOL etc.).
Though the record does flirt around with a more new wave sound, the project was primarily an outlet for Jack Grisham, of TSOL, which explains the ‘odd man out’ style of this record. Either way, expect some good darkwave grooves here.
Also, I believe there were several muscians involved with the project, including Mike Patton (Adolescents/Middle Class) on bass. I’ve stumbled upon some choice words about this 12” from Jack himself:
“This is one of those mistakes you make that you can’t take back. My dad died, I was going through a lot of shit…I stole the tapes. We had a record…we wrote a bunch of new songs, went in the studio & I stole the tapes. Our record company had said, ‘There’s no song here that will get radio play,’ & I was like ‘Bullshit, there is.’ So I stole the tapes from the record company, took it to the radio station, & they were playing our song (Black Emotion) while I was driving away. (laughs) & it turned out to be the number four requested song on the station that year. With no record out. & then Enigma finally put it out. They finally put it out, but it was too late. I had already done the damage by the time it came out.”
Neat, though I must disagree that this record is a mistake! Don’t take my word for it, though- here’s the info for 12”.
Cathedral of Tears- Cathedral of Tears 12”
1. Trap
2. A Situation Of…
3. Calm Storm
4. Black Emotion
5. Ballet
6. Whisper From The Deadland
Last but not least, we have the second 12” by Calculated X- released in 1983. Taking over where their first 12” (uploaded here, for those who missed it) left off, there’s more of the same infectious new wave/post-punk grooves present here, with a slightly poppier edge. Let’s dive right into this one, shall we?
Calculated X- Some Change/No Change 12”
1. Some Change No Change
2. Cool The Water
3. You Will Know Us
4. Don’t Look At You
Don’t forget- there is a CD-reissue of all these tracks available on X-Tracked records. You can grab a copy here, which I highly recommend if you enjoy these two 12” records as much as I do! There’s a few bonus tracks and live cuts as an extra incentive, so be sure to nab it while the getting is good!
Just found a sealed (!) copy of this killer 12” for super cheap, so figured I’d share it for you all. I can’t seem to find a ton of information about Troubled Gardens, but expect some heavy bass grooves, Chameleons-esque guitars, and driving post-punk vibes from this US band. Three of the songs here are vocal ragers, while the other three are more dub-inspired jams.
This 12” was released in 1985 by Fountain of Youth records, home to bands like The Crippled Pilgrims, Government Issue, and The Velvet Monkeys. This is one of their final releases. Here’s the information:
Troubled Gardens- Eden Revisited 12”
1. Voice Carryovers
2. Incredible Changing Dub
3. Silent City
4. Domination Dub
5. Hour Of The Sun
6. Spy Dub
*download link removed* – purchase this & Troubled Gardens’ instrumental cassette HERE and HERE, respectively.
Systems of Romance was created in mid-2007 to serve as a dumping grounds for all great things coldwave, minimal synth, post-punk, synthpunk, industrial, synthpop, and various other combinations of these styles. Feel free to make requests, noodle around, and discuss all you like...
Otherwise, this blog is dedicated to showcasing material that has long since been out of print. If you are aware of any of these items being readily available from the artist or label, or take issue with these tracks being uploaded, please let me know so I can amend the post or remove the links.
