Bunny & The Lakers- Numbers LP

Posted in 1970s, 1979, bunny & the lakers, canadian, experimental, krautrock, minimal, minimal synth on October 12, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s one I’ve seen shared in snippets across many different blogs, but I’m not sure if it’s ever been shared in full. Perhaps on some long, distant, since purged blog. I’ve had this kicking around on my shelves for a while now, rescued from a NYC shop otherwise known for techno, house, and hip hop (you never know!), but I was recently encouraged to take it down and re-rip it, and I’m glad I did, because it’s quickly jumped up the ranks as a autumnal favorite. Besides, the digital copy I DO have has the track names reversed, so this one is worth another look however you want to dice it.

Bunny & the Lakers performed only once, and self-released this album on LP and cassette in 1979. Only 500 records are known to exist, each of them hand-numbered. There are QUITE a few sounds explored over the course of this LP, including the krautrock dirges of Faust, pummeling experimental electronics a la Throbbing Gristle, icy piano and synth workouts  by way of Telekon, quirky synth punk sounds similarly explored by  Tone Set, and even a skittery no wave hybrid thrown in for good measure.

The album is wildly experimental and may not be to everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s definitely lots to love here. I especially love the bleak “Weekend Guests,” which features female vocals, primitive electronics, and more gorgeous stream-of consciousness piano ramblings. Closing track “Dolphin Bay” is gorgeous as well… Many of the tracks blend into each other, so I’ve tried my best to separate them. Side B is a bit more structured, but I’m a little unsure where one track ends and the next begins on side A.

Bunny & The Lakers- Numbers LP
1. Inhalation / Ventalation
2. Cops On Parade
3. Yalps From The Alps/Shrieks From The Peeks
4. Maid In Sweeden/Batlore
5. In Terms Of Germs
6. TB Farm (Kiss Me Now)
7. S.O.S.
8. Weekend Guests
9. Sandy
10. Dolphin Bay

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Nervous Germans- Summer of Love LP

Posted in 1980s, 1983, german, goth, goth-rock, nervous germans, post-punk on September 27, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Much to my bitter chagrin, there’s a heatwave in NYC at the moment, so here’s an aptly titled record for those who aren’t ready to say farewell to the summer.

Loose weather-related connections aside, I picked this LP up earlier this year and somehow tossed it in the get-rid-of pile on the same day. Fortunately, I don’t move quickly when it comes to purging, for occasions like these. Some pals were over this past weekend and we picked through the pile, dropped the needle, and were all suitably impressed with the sounds we heard from the speakers. Let’s just say that if I had a nickel for every time I snap judged something, I’d be able to afford the scarcest of minimal synth classics…

That all said, this is the second LP by this German quartet, who were able to score some cult success outside of their native country thanks to a Peel Session in 1980. Their early material flirts with some art-punk leanings, but this LP lands more squarely on the post-punk spectrum, with some new wave-esque synths added for good measure. Definite shades of early Gene Loves Jezebel and some of the percussion-heavy moments on The Cure’s Pornography (especially in penultimate track “No Will to Resist”) as well.

The LP was released in 1983 and was the last release by the band for 30 years. The band has since reunited and has released two records, both of which can be heard on streaming media services, if that’s your bag. In the interim, here’s the deets:

Nervous Germans- Summer of Love LP
1. Summer of Love
2. Water Into Wine
3. When I Look Into Your Eyes
4. European Heart
5. Unconditional Surrender
6. The End of the Affair
7. Blood and Lace
8. No Will to Resist
9. Vanishing Point

*download it here*

Brief note- The ending of “European Heart” is meant to end abruptly, as the beat continues into the dead wax!

2 Comments »

Various Artists- Subtle Hints LP

Posted in 1980s, 1983, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk, subtle hints, uk on September 14, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

This one was already featured on Mutant Sounds forever ago, but it’s due time for a new rip and a new light to shine on this excellent electronic compilation from 1983. It’s gotten quite rare and pricey over the years, but remains a legendary entry into the UK’s minimal electronics and post-punk underground. Legend has it that most of these tracks were demos, and with a handful of exceptions (Art Interface, My Pierrot Dolls, a reissue of Chain of Command, and rare 7”s by Ad Astra and Picture Book), this compilation features their only released tracks.

I’d like to thank Thomas for his time and effort in providing the amazing rip here, and thanks as well to all the folks I was in touch with who offered to rip this one as well to put it back into the world. This one is for you guys, from you guys <3.

Various Artists- Subtle Hints LP
1. Always There- Squid Diddley
2. Some Aspects- Chain Of Command
3. Always Tomorrow’s Rain- Mon Amour
4. My Pierrot Dolls- My Pierrot Dolls
5. Hidden Pleasure
6. Witchcraft- This Side Of Paradise
7. A&R- Ad Astra
8. Statue of the Night- Time Statues
9. Success- Picture Book
10. If It Happened to You- Ind-X
11- Pseudo Rich- Synchronization
12. Follow Careers in Modern Love- New Vices For The Jaded
13. Beneath the Calm- Art Interface
14. Picture In Oils- My Pierrot Dolls

*download it here*

9 Comments »

Hambi & the Dance- Heartache LP + 25 Tears a Day 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, 1984, new romantic, new wave, uk on August 17, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s one for the new romantics in the house!

I originally picked this up a while ago at the urging of a friend, but kept it on the shelf for many years. Not sure why, but I reckon some of you can relate. I recently dropped the needle and was surprised by a rather catchy pop record from 1982 that especially calls early Talk Talk to mind, with plenty of guitars for good measure. There’s a few other touchstones here, perhaps some bigger and more stadium-oriented Gene Loves Jezebel singles, mid-era Modern English, the pop perfection of The Outfield (hush, they’re great), and there’s even one track that kind of hints at a Modern Eon/Opposition sort of melancholy in the verses (#4), but it’s not terribly obvious. The final track in particular is a stunner, but I dig everything on this record from start to finish, so long as you guys can hang with something a little bigger and brighter than some of the other gems featured here.

This is the only LP from Hambi & the Dance, though a handful of singles were pulled from the record. Two singles followed, the former exclusive and the latter pulled from a second LP, which was released just as Hambi. There were quite a few big names involved in this project over the years, including ex-Adam & the Ants drummer Chris Hughes, second Frankie Goes to Hollywood vocalist Paul Rutherford, and even the Mission/Sisters of Mercy’s own Wayne Hussey (who must have been an early member, as there aren’t any credits I can find on their recorded output). Vocalist Hambi Haralambous previously worked with other members of this band in Tontrix, also notable for featuring a pre-Flock of Seagull’s Mike Score.

EDIT: Thanks to Jeffo! for sending over a rip of the exclusive 12” from 1984 as well! This one is a little more club-centric, but should also hit the spot. Without any further ado:

Hambi & the Dance- Heartache LP
1. Time After Time 4:01
2. Living In A Heartache 3:22
3. Madelaine 4:05
4. L’Image Craque 4:31
5. Spirits 4:31
6. The World 3:23
7. Dancing Inside You 4:08
8. Major Major 3:30
9. Too Late To Fly The Flag 3:30
10. Standing In The Rain

Hambi & the Dance- 25 Tears a Day 12”
1. 25 Tears a Day
2. 25 Tears a Day (Pink Version)
3. Taking My Life In Strides

*download both here*

4 Comments »

Private Blue- She’s Love 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1986, german, private blue, synth, synthpop, westside music on August 7, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Moving right along on the synthpop front, this has been a recent DJ obsession of mine. You can hear it pretty regularly at Jupiter Disco in Brooklyn, where Goutroy, Jane Koh, and I spin every first Saturday night. Come say hello if you’re ever in the area!

Shameless self-promotion aside, this track is MASSIVE. While it was released in Germany in 1986, it has a rather distinctive Italo flavor mixed with a bit of the Westside sound that the label was best known for. For those unfamiliar, Westside was responsible for Celebrate the Nun, MCL, Axodry, Moskwa TV, and the incredible Few Boys single posted here quite some time ago. These bands should definitely paint a picture of what you’re in for here.

With that in mind, here’s the details:



Private Blue- She’s Love 12”
1. She’s Love
2. Help Me Tonight (Radio-Version)
3. She’s Love (Radio-Version)

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Superdude- Face the Music 7”

Posted in 1980s, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, New York, new york city, superdude, synthpop, US on August 7, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Apologies in advance for being sparse this summer and completely missing my official ten year anniversary! With that in mind, I’d love to offer up a few posts today, starting with an excellent slice of minimal synthpop- extremely rare and incredibly catchy- just the way you all love it.

Superdude was a pseudonym for NYC-based musician John Pergamo, who wrote the track with his brother Anthony. It was released in 1983 on Ace Records, which looks to be Pergamo’s own imprint, judging from the various latter-day Superdude releases that appeared. This is Superdude’s only release in the 80s, though it looks like he kept the synthpop feel for some of his later releases, though I haven’t heard them to confirm.

That said, please enjoy this little slice of electro-pop heaven, backed with an instrumental cut of the track!

Superdude- Face the Music 7”
1. Face the Music (Vocal)
2. Face the Music (Sound Track)

*download it here*

3 Comments »

Synthetic Dreams- 7” discography

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1982, minimal synth, post-punk, synth, synthetic dreams on June 5, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s the full discography from UK post-punk/synth band Synthetic Dreams. The four piece band released two singles in 1981 and 1982, respectively. Their first release isn’t as well known as the Sulphate Suicide 7”, but is just as good (if not a little better) in my book. The first track, “Obsession,” has an excellent punchy wave sound with lots of post-punk influence. However, the B-side is the real winner here- gloomy and dirgy, dripping with buzzing analog synthesizers.

Speaking of their second 7”, I’ve decided to include someone else’s rip of it here as well for those who don’t know it, as the blog who originally uploaded it has since disappeared into the either. More of the same excellent sounds here- the A-side being a spastic near-instrumental, and the flip containing much of the same synth-heavy energy, with more vocals this time around.

Enjoy!

Synthetic Dreams- Obsession 7” (1981)
1. Obsession
2. U+500

Synthetic Dreams- Sulphate Suicide 7” (1982)
1. Sulphate Suicide
2. Voices

*download both here*

4 Comments »

Inox- Tingle Tangle LP

Posted in 1980s, 1986, inox, italian, new wave, post-punk on May 11, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a generous donation from Antonio, a reader, collector, and label owner from Italy. I was definitely interested in hearing the full length Inox album after spending more time with the Segni Dal Fiume 12”. The full length is more of the same excellent female-fronted wave with a touch of gloomy post-punk thrown in for good measure. If anything, these tracks go a bit deeper and a bit darker, which is definitely right up my alley.

This particular LP came out in 1986 and completes the Inox discography… Antonio warns us that the pressing isn’t necessarily the best, so please forgive any anomalies you may notice while listening! I’m also pretty amused that the band featured a photo of the 12” on the cover for this LP. Gotta collect ’em all, I suppose?

Not sure if I mentioned in my previous post, but this band was from Torino/Turin, a city in north western Italy that is still known for post-punk today. Other bands from the region included Carmody, Chromagain, Monuments, Deafear, and many more. For a good overview of the region, check out this amazing compilation from 2015 that highlights many of the bands from the Peidmont region.

That all said, thanks again to Antonio of White#Trash for sharing this! Hope you all enjoy.

Inox- Tingle Tangle LP
1. Tingle Tangle
2. Valvole
3. Meno 6°
4. Colorama
5. Elisir
6.  Sonecka
7.  Regina Mab

*download it here*

4 Comments »

An April March- Memory Gardens & Scarlett Bliss K7s

Posted in 1990, 1990s, 1991, an april march, canadian, dreampop, shoegaze on April 4, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

I remember the first time hearing Canadian dreampop band An April March. I was deep in my shoegaze phase in my freshman year of college, overdosing on Slowdive for the most part, posting on forums everywhere. I caught wind of this band and remember seeking out a lone mp3 of “Lava,” one of the bands early singles, on Audiogalaxy of all places… It was love at first listen. Just a few weeks later, I was digging in my college town’s record bins casually when I came across a gorgeous looking gothic cover. Sure enough, it was the Lava single, a red colored slab of perfection sitting there for a dollar, discarded among a bunch of sleeveless pop singles. I believe I posted the single in the very first year of this blog, as the obsession still ran deep.

Since then I’ve obtained all of their discography in various forms, with the exception of the elusive Scarlett Bliss demo tape from 1991, which I’ve always had my eye on. However, a kind collector by the name of Paul Evans offered to rip it for me, and included a bonus- a never before logged demo tape from 1990 called Memory Gardens, the band’s first official release. Funny enough, this is the real treat here, as the Scarlett Bliss tape features very similar (if not the same) recordings of these three tracks that would appear on 1993’s Impatiens, the band’s debut album.

However, the songs on Memory Gardens showcase a band just getting their feet wet, though the band’s trademark dark dreampop sound is still in full effect. Mostly I’m pleasantly surprised by the ample use of saxophone on this tape, a sound they abandoned after release, apparently. Saxophone player Ian would go on to play with The Dervishes, who I haven’t heard but sound like a more soul/funk band according to their discogs page.

Anywho, four of the six tracks on this cassette are exclusives, while “Gates Within Us” and “Of Leaves And Sweetness” are early versions that have since changed drastically in subsequent recordings.

Thanks again to Paul for ripping these! Hope you all enjoy them as much as I do:

An April March- Memory Gardens K7 (1990)
1. Justine
2. Misunderstanding
3. Of Leaves and Sweetness
4. Memory Gardens
5. Gates Within Us
6. Hollow House

An April March- Scarlett Bliss K7 (1991)
1. Scarlett Bliss
2. This Silence
3. Stains

*download both here*

12 Comments »

Bikini Atoll- 7” discography

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1982, british, new wave, post-punk, uk on March 10, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s the full 7” discography by UK wave/post-punk band Bikini Atoll, who takes their name from a nuclear testing site in the Marshall Islands, located in the deep Pacific Ocean territory. As for the music, you can expect a mix of gloomy and jerky melodies, stellar female vox, icy synths, and a solid discography across these six tracks. If you dig things like Altered Images, Au Pairs, The Limp, Industrie etc. this is definitely the band for you.

Sadly, I don’t know much about them, though it appears that their lineup changed between the first and second single, mostly swapping their rhythm section. The first of the three is my least favorite (though not at all bad) so this might very well explain the jump in quality with a quick personnel shift. With that in mind, here’s the info for these killer singles:

Bikini Atoll- Don’t Reduce My Heart (To Beating Meat) 7” (1981)
1. Don’t Reduce My Heart (To Beating Meat)
2. Lucy In Furs (Laissez Faire De Lucifer)

Bikini Atoll- The Wall 7” (1981)
1. The Wall
2. Russian Doll

Bikini Atoll- Tribal Radio 7” (1982)
1. Tribal Radio
2. Splinter

*download all three here*

3 Comments »

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