WIERD Records CD-Rs / DJ Mixes

Posted in Uncategorized on September 18, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

It’s been twelve long years since NYC’s notorious and legendary WIERD Records party came to a foggy end. Those who were there still speak of the party fondly, with the utmost love and respect. Tears were shed, livers were destroyed, and so much fog juice was inhaled, I reckon we should all get our lungs checked at this point in time…

WIERD was always a very rare thing from the onset. Formed in the wake of renowned party Decadanse, it first kicked off at the Southside Lounge in Brooklyn in 2003, where artist Pieter Schoolwerth gathered with friends to share and listen to records and talk about art, philosophy, film, and more, reveling into the early morning hours. At its heart, the night was meant to bring people together to celebrate this music and to bring a level of ‘seriousness’ back to the local goth scene. As the night grew, a local scene grew around it, which included original Decadance DJs Gilles Le Guen and Glenn Maryansky, Sean McBride and Liz Wendelbo (aka Martial Canterel and Xeno & Oaklander), Minimal Wave’s Veronica Vasicka, Cheyney Thompson (Epee Du Bois/Three to Forgotten), and many more.

As the night expanded in scope and love for coldwave, minimal synth, darkwave, and obscure post-punk grew, WIERD evolved as well. In 2006, the party itself shifted into a more dance-focused night at Home Sweet Home in the Lower East Side, where every Wednesday we’d all gather in the fog-drenched basement and DJ, dance, and party into oblivion. Bands would perform at the stroke of midnight – with many projects such as Void Vision, The Soft Moon, HTRK, and Light Asylum playing their debut NYC shows. Over the course of ten years, WIERD hosted over 500 live music events and parties. Check out the invitation archive and the events list, both still intact after all these years, to check out some of the flyers and lineups for the parties…

This here blog, which kicked off in 2007 (jfc), was just as much of a loving ode to WIERD as it was a response to blog culture on the whole. I found my way to WIERD in late 2006 as an occasional attendee and found myself truly inspired by the music I was hearing. Similarly, it was at Home Sweet Home around 2007-8 where I started getting more involved in the night, eventually becoming a resident DJ for the party in 2009 while simultaneously performing with bands like Dream Affair, ChameleonsVox, Revel Hotel, The Hunt, and more. How I was able to survive the chaos every week and go to work the next day is still a total mystery to me, but here I am relatively unscathed, with a lot of fuzzy memories and firm friendships that I still cherish to date. Another mystery is how several of us were able to preserve our playlists, which are also still intact HERE for those who want a glimpse into that level of minutia.

Around the same time that the party shifted from Southside to Home Sweet Home, WIERD the record label came into existence. The label boasted a small, but carefully curated roster of bands and projects that were all in line with the party’s ethics, most of which you could find hanging at the bar or dancing in the fog into the long hours of the night. Every band on the label was an absolute treasure, and the records released on the label remain some of my all time favorites even to date. Seriously, look at this flawless roster:

Automelodi / Blacklist / Epee du Bois / Frank Alpine / Frank (Just Frank) / Kindest Lines / Led Er Est / Liz & Laszlo / Martial Canterel / Plastic Flowers / RØSENKØPF / Staccato Du Mal / Vaura / Xeno & Oaklander

In 2013, after ten years and again, over 500 parties and live events, WIERD made the conscious decision to become VR forever with a massive blowout that still is talked about to this day. Check out Phil (aka Goutroy of A Viable Commercial)’s photos of the night and Josh from Blacklist/Vaura/Azar Swan‘s excellent eulogy on what WIERD meant to him and many of us. Immediately after WIERD shuffled off this VR-coil, Home Sweet Home bartendress and photographer Nikki Sneakers kicked off Nothing Changes, which kept the spirit of WIERD alive while exploring the boundaries of industrial techno as well.

While WIERD may be no more, you can still occasionally find many of us still DJing (and hanging) in close proximity. At SELVA, you can find Liz and Lorraine DJing many similar vibes at the SHAME party with upcoming Sept. 19th guest Shawn O’Sullivan (Led Er Est) and October guest Xavier Paradis (Automelodi). Goutroy and I still try and channel the DIY spirit of the Southside days at Treasure Club (while Glenn, Jen, and Ryan of Blacklist do the same on with their own night at the same bar). You can also catch glimpses of former WIERD crew at Andi’s excellent Synthicide night, which also combines cold, dark DJ sets with live performances and has also grown into a label. Lastly (and this was certainly part of WIERD’s charm), you can still find Jasper and Joe hanging at TV Eye, where you can still hear similar sounds and catch excellent live performances. In short, we may not have one single night to rally around any more, but the love is still there in pockets of NYC’s late night scene. Of course, we can’t forget about all our comrades running sister nights, such as Justin and Marc from Something Cold and Nick with Panic Underground and Uberbahn. <3

Speaking of DJing, the real point of this Dickensian post is to share 13 (!) CD-R mixes created by Pieter Schoolwerth in WIERD’s heyday with you all. This series of DIY comps was created by Pieter and shared with many of us who were hungry for obscure synth and coldwave music, and while there are millions of excellent tracks that did not make these mixes, the ones that did show the true diversity and quality that WIERD always strived towards. While I passed my own copies of these legendary CD-Rs to an aspiring DJ after WIERD ended, I’ve re-created these (including keeping the duplicate tracks intact according to their original tracklisting) using the highest quality sources possible in an attempt to preserve some of the magic of WIERD within.

Huge thanks to Tamaryn for the excellent idea to host these here, to fellow DJ Jeralyn for sharing the tracklisting for these CD-Rs, for Hillary for a little help with the artwork, and of course, to Pieter for his blessing to upload and share these once more.

In closing, WIERD was a haven for the misfits, those who didn’t quite fit in in one way or another, for those of us who were a little out of step with the world, and shone all the more brightly for it. I miss it dearly, and in revisiting these compilations, I was brought back to a time and a place that haunts me in all the best ways. Much love to everyone I’ve met and hung out with through the years – including others I haven’t mentioned yet such as Sybil, Sam, Anarexia, Georgette, Jane, Katie, Margo, Sam kK, Kristen, and so many dozens more that I still hold dear after all these years.

With all that in mind, hope you enjoy these mixes, through and through!

*DOWNLOAD ALL 13 DISCS HERE*

Wierd Vol. 1
1. Litfiba- Transea
2. Fiat Lux- Secrets
3. The Rose Of Avalanche- Velveteen
4. Norma Loy- P. Body
5. James Ray and The Performance- Edie Sedgwick
6. Mittageisen- Neues China
7. Indians In Moscow- Indians In Moscow
8. Solid Space- Destination Moon
9. Solid Space- Tenth Planet
10. Solid Space- A Darkness In My Soul
11. Section 25- New Horizon
12. UV Pop- No Songs Tomorrow
13. UV Pop- Portrait
14. UV Pop- Sleep Don’t Talk
15. UV Pop- Psalm
16. Borghesia- Nočne Šetnje
17. Borghesia- Tako Mladi
18. The Residents- Why Didn’t I Think of That?
19. Ceramic Hello- Footsteps in the Fog

Wierd Vol. 2
1. Bill Pritchard- Black Souls Under White Skies
2. The Horatii- That’s My Girl
3. Sex Gang Children- Guy Wonder
4. 13th Chime- Cursed
5. 13th Chime- Coffin Maker
6. Norma Loy- Shiny Dream
7. The Frozen Autumn- When You Are Sad
8. Secession- Touch (Part 3)
9. Bloody Dead and Sexy- Bloody Rose
10. Christian Death- Face
11. Lowlife- From Side To Side
12. Little Nemo- Blue Years
13. The Royal Family & The Poor- I Love You (Restrained In A Moment)
14. The Legendary Pink Dots- Casting The Runes

Wierd Vol. 3
1. Flue- Passionate
2. Crux Ansata- Rememberance
3. A Wedding Anniversary- A Wedding Anniversary
4. Big Electric Cat- Orchid Dreaming
5. The Horatii- That’s My Girl
6. UV Pop- Serious
7. Red Zebra- Ultimate Stranger
8. TC Matic- With You
9. Venus In Furs- Love Lies
10. Clan Of Xymox- Stranger
11. Mecano To Life’s- Re-Union
12. Red Temple Spirits- Lost In Dreaming
13. London After Midnight- This Paradise
14. The Names- Nightshift
15. Into A Circle- Inside Out
16. Moloko +- Fields of War
17. Litfiba- La Preda

Wierd Vol. 4
1. Victrola- Maritime Tatami
2. Victrola- A Game Of Despair
3. Silent Signals- Walk On The Ladder
4. Silent Signals- Destructive Celebration
5. Opera Multi Steel- Jamais Plus
6. Repetition- A Still Reflex
7. Rosa Crux- Aglon
8. Gestalt- Deuxième Ombre
9. Gestalt- Le Sommeil Du Singe
10. Carcrash International- Mercenaries (Ready For War)
11. Procédé- D. Moments
12. Jad Wio- Cellar Dance
13. Les Provisoires- Loin De La Plage
14. Charles De Goal- Exposition
15. Parallèles De Montségur- L’islamique
16. End Of Data- Sahrah (Symphonie Inachevée)
17. Aroma Di Amore- Schoon Schip

Wierd Vol. 5
1. Sombre Septembre- Le Nez Rouge
2. Sombre Septembre- Une Lune En Hiver
3. Weimar Gesang- Chantal’s Secret
4. Weimar Gesang- Like In A Mirror
5. Die Atlantikschwimmer- Der Tunnel
6. Modern Dance- A Day’s Wait
7. Faits Divers- (This Is) A Romance
8. Autumn Cathedral- Cabaret Grey
9. Message Dernière- Nuit
10. Echo Prism- Jade Flower
11. Room Nine- Circus Floor
12. Move- Cosa Domani
13. Les Enfants De L’Ombre- La Haine
14. Opéra De Nuit- Invitation
15. Sstil- Efekt
16. Madre Del Vizio- Un Mondo Dove
17. Cérémonies- Kiss of Death
18. Réseau d’Ombres- Perska

Wierd Vol. 6- Coldwaves For Girls
1. Switchblade Symphony- Gutter Glitter
2. This Ascension- Isabella
3. Isolation Ward- Absent Heart
4. Turning Shrines- Face of Another
5. Excès Nocturne- L’Or A
6. New Buildings- Your Message
7. Candidate- Strange Girl
8. Requiem In White- Acanthus
9. Bel Canto- Dreaming Girl
10. Nine Circles- Twinkling Stars
11. Analoid- Sans Issue
12. Xmal Deutschland- Autumn
13. Vita Noctis- Alone
14. Silvia- Zuerst Ich
15. The Passions- I’m In Love With A German Filmstar
16. W.A.T.- Wax
17. Beautiful Pea Green Boat- Hammers of Islam (Remix)
18. Sunshine- Blind Release
19. Coldreams- Morning Rain

Wierd Vol. 7
1. Bal Paré- Metamorphose
2. Hysterica Passio- Alone
3. League Of Nations- Fade
4. Twilight Ritual- Closed Circuit
5. A Blaze Colour- The New Ones
6. Ceramic Hello- Footsteps in the Fog
7. Fiction Technology- In The City
8. Martin Dupont- Pure Delight
9. Snowy Red- Never Alive
10. P1/E- 49 Second Romance (Disco Mix)
11. Kirlian Camera- Breaths
12. ADN’ Ckrystall- Haschisch T’Es Pas Cap!
13. The Actor- Picture 210
14. Advanced Art- No Answers No Solutions
15. Svart Klovn- Knust Knekt
16. League Of Nation-s Systematic Eyes
17. Ende Shneafliet- Session Zeitgeist
18. Mark Lane- Tsar

Wierd Vol. 8
1. For Against- Amen Yves
2. Flue Fancy- Free
3. Opera Multi Steel- Du Son Des Cloches
4. Opera Multi Steel- Cathedrale
5. Modern Art- Still Life
6. Weimar Gesang- Like In A Mirror
7. P1/E- 49 Second Romance (7” Version)
8. Weimar Gesang- The Secret Us
9. Dark White- Dramatics
10. Gestalt- Le Sommeil Du Singe
11. Babel 17- Angels of T.V.
12. Flue- Some-Times
13. Bunnydrums- Smithson
14. Bunnydrums- Sleeping
15. Screaming For Emily- Just a Lie
16. Screaming For Emily- The Love
17. Screaming For Emily- Last Goodbye
18. Screaming For Emily- Deity
19. Phantom Limb- Deep In Mines
20. 13th Chime- Fire

Wierd Vol. 9
1. New Order- 586 (Razormaid Mix)
2. A Blaze Colour- Means to an End
3. Advanced Art- From Nothing To Nothing
4. A²- Ziellos Ohne Sinn
5. Aerial FX- Hold Me
6. Argine- Memorie (Remix)
7. Ice the Falling Rain- Lifes Illusion
8. Bene Gesserit- Mickey, Please…
9. Bérurier Noir- Le Renard
10. Machinations- Average Inadequacy (Compilation Version)
11. Fred A- Ik En Mezelf
12. Cargo Cultus- Stick At No Scruples
13. Echo West- Twilight
14. Hard Corps- Dirty
15. Geneviève Pasquier- Today the Disco
16. Haus Arafna- Für Immer
17. Lunapark- Dieser Tag
18. Kas Product- Tina Town
19. Flash Cero- Plan “X”
20. Patrick Fitzgerald- A Seven Up

Wierd Vol. 10
1. Sub Muris- Honesty (7″ Single Version)
2. Svart Klovn- Knust Knekt
3. Machinations- Average Inadequacy (7” Version)
4. Opera Multi Steel- Lunettes Solaires
5. Plus Instruments- Freundschaft
6. Zero Le Creche- Falling
7. Robert Görl- Mit Dir (Extended)
8. Portion Control- He Is A Barbarian
9. Second Decay- Basement / Movement
10. Random Factor- Broken Mirror (Italo Mix)
11. Second Glance- Shackles & Chains
12. Rotzkotz- Computamensch
13. Screaming Dead- The Night
14. Hessen, Ganz Groß!- Unter Der Achsel
15. Shark Vegas You- Hurt Me (Original Version)
16. Twice a Man- Killing Angels
17. The Two- Strassenheimer Street
18. Mittageisen- Automaten (Radio Edit)
19. Haus Arafna- After All These Years

Wierd Vol. 11
1. QEK Junior- Kurz Und Schmerzlos
2. Wermut- Media In Vita In Morte Sumus
3. Nite Lite- Young Men (Instrumental)
4. Those Attractive Magnets- Nightlife
5. Alexander Robotnick- Les Grands Voyages De L’amour
6. Moss Garten- Moderna Kvinnor
7. Tres- Smile On My Face
8. Turquoise Days- Grey Skies
9. Monuments- S.A.L.T. (Demo Version)
10. Oppenheimer Analysis- Martyr
11. Autumn- Synthesize
12. Black Fantasy- Evil Places
13. Experimental Products- Golden Hours
14. Absolute Body Control- Is There An Exit?
15. Arte Moderno- Ninette En New York
16. Linear Movement- Cytogenetic Movement
17. East Wall- Demo Track #5
18. Graham Philip D’Ancey- Sacred Heart
19. Class Info- Out Of Line

Wierd Vol. 12
1. Winter- Light Isao
2. Shiny Two Shiny- 7/4
3. Deafear- When Ever
4. Attrition- Shrinkwrap (Original Version)
5. Ensemble Pittoresque- The Art Of Being
6. Exhibit A- Rain
7. Basking Sharks- Croatia
8. Cargo Cultus- A Summer Idyl
9. Monuments- Oblivion
10. Weimar Gesang- Frail Moments
11. Lynn Bau- Poisson
12. Næste Uges TV- Hvide Flag
13. Necropolis Of Love- Done and Gone
14. Subject- I See You
15. Dominion Lies- On the Line
16. The Veil- Hoax
17. Close Cover- Hypnotized
18. Lars Falk- See My Friend Fall

Wierd Vol. 13
1. Projecto Azul- Is It Hope?
2. Jeunesse D’Ivoire- A Gift of Tears
3. Litfiba- Transea
4. Vox Rei- Fear
5. Diaframma- Effetto Notte
6. UA- Shock
7. Ziyo- Obwarowany
8. Viva!- She Wears A Shadow
9. Twelve Drummers Drumming- Heaven And Hell
10. Twelve Drummers Drumming- We’ll Be The First Ones
11. Twelve Drummers Drumming- Have You Heard It
12. Mecano- To Life’s Re-Union
13. Lunes De Hierro- Tatuaje
14. Das Geschenk- Robespierre (I Thought It Was A Good Idea At The Time)
15. Frigidaire Tango- Recall
16. Phantom Limb- Deep In Mines
17. Claustrofobia- Sombras En La Alcoba
18. Belfegore- Love

*DOWNLOAD ALL 13 DISCS HERE*

2 Comments »

Cloud Nine – Waterland Mini-LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, cloud nine, netherlands, two supply on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Last but not least, we have this excellent LP from 1985, which should be right at home for fans of Invisible Limits, Soma Holiday, Berlin, Industrie, Hard Corps, Primary Colours, and other similarly melancholy, female-fronted new wave/minimal synth projects from this era. I sought this one out and picked up a copy in Amsterdam many years ago and have adored it ever since. I especially love the juxtaposition of several dreamier tracks alongside two absolute synth bangers, making for a really complete and balanced listen, imo.

Cloud Nine were a six-piece project that stemmed from similarly-minded project Two Supply. The band would release a few singles leading up to the release of this mini-LP. The band’s tenure was cut short when songwriter and keyboardist Richard van Buuren passed away after a tragic fall. The band would regroup with two new members to contribute material to a local scene compilation before officially calling it a day.

Cloud Nine – Waterland LP (1985)
1. Blue Gardens
2. Fraction Of A Second
3. Poison
4. It Started When The Rain Came
5. Waterland
6. Wordporridge

*download it here*

Happy listening, everyone!

6 Comments »

Blue Mathue – Perfect Pictures 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, blue mathue, clockwork orange, minimal, minimal synth, norsk, norweigan, synthpop on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Jumping across the ocean for the next two posts. This one was also a HUGE DJ staple for me over a decade ago that also lived in my record bag most weeks… This 12” is three tracks of dance-driven minimal synth perfection from Norway’s first synth pop band. Most folks will be familiar with the killer “Perfect Pictures” via the absolutely essential Maskindans CD compilation that collected dozens of equally amazing tracks from the Norsk scene. The second track on this 12” also appeared on the similarly excellent Burning the Midnight Sun compilation in 1984, which also featured tracks by Svart Klovn, Popul Vuh, De Press, and the underrated Fra Lippo Lippi. The third track here is exclusive (for now), and deserves an updated rip along with the rest of them.

While this was the only release by this duo, Jan Berg would quickly form Clockwork Orange, whose track “Sensation Boys” is another stellar gem from the era, Our good friend Nick from Crispy Nuggets was kind enough to share their lone 7” many years back, so be sure to check it out if you missed it.

Moving right along, hope you enjoy!

Blue Mathue – Perfect Pictures 12” (1983)
1. Perfect Pictures
2. In Our Dream
3. The Vision

*download it here*

1 Comment »

Factual – Full Discography

Posted in 1980s, 1982, 1983, 1984, actuel, minimal, minimal synth, nashville, post-punk, US, warm dark pocket on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Moving south-east here for the second of four posts today, this one collecting the full vinyl discography by Nashville, Tennessee band Factual, whose track “Psychotic Romance” is an underrated minimal synth gem from this rare neck of the woods. That track must have appeared in the majority of my DJ sets back in NYC’s Wierd party where its driving post-punk rhythms and buzzing synths made for a regular foggy dance floor killer. I haven’t heard the track in some time, and fell in love with it (as well as the similarly excellent tracks “Your Way” and “Wire and Chrome”) all over again when re-ripping these for y’all.

This band was otherwise a four piece, and vocalist/synth player Robb Earls also played in similarly like-minded bands Actuel (whose lone album Monuments is a sublime slice of moody Factory-inspired post-punk, maybe I’ll re-post that one soon as well) as well as Warm Dark Pocket, who released one killer 12” that I also should get around to re-ripping soon… Guitarist Skot Nelson would also join caustic industrial/post-punk project Dessau after Factual’s demise.

Here are all three Factual releases, all well worth your time. Enjoy!

Factual – Your Way 7” (1982)
1. Your Way
2. Think to the Beat

Factual – Psychotic Romance 12” (1983)
1. Psychotic Romance
2. Institutions
3. Wire and Chrome
4. Standing Alone

Factual – For the Song 12” (1984)
1. For the Song
2. Psychotic Romance (Remix)

*download all three here*

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Kindergarten – Interference 12” / No. 3 EP

Posted in 12'', 1980s, 1982, 1987, minimal, minimal synth, minneapolis, new wave, post-punk, US on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Today, I intend to post at LEAST three times, perhaps even four if time allows. Hope your ears can take it!

In short, I’ve been going through my collection and re-ripping/de-clicking records that others have shared in the past in an effort to preserve the best quality and sound for these records. Back in the day, 192 was standard, and it was about hearing the music. Now that hard drive and SD card space is much less of an issue for most, it’s time to do the work to preserve these records as best as we possibly can. It’s an ongoing project that will probably take me the rest of my life to complete, but hopefully it’s helpful for folks out there.

With that in mind, let’s get things started with two records from Minnesota-based new wave/minimal synth project Kindergarten. I believe the band were a four (sometimes five) piece centering around vocalist Robert Engberg, drummer Bob Joslyn, and guitarists Chris Beaty and David Foley. Foley and Joslyn also played together in Things That Fall Down, a more experimental post-punk project. There are still some experimental synth sounds on thee band’s first release, 1982’s Interference 12”. By the time of their second release in 1987, the band evolved into a more post-punk/new wave hybrid, with a little more of a darker college radio kind of sound. They would release one more LP in 1988, which I have heard, but do not own and cannot share in a high enough bitrate. Maybe someday!

Anyway, with that in mind, I really enjoy both records here and I hope you do as well. Here’s the good stuff:

Kindergarten – Interference 12” (1982)
1. Interference
2. Auschwitz
3. God Only Knows

Kindergarten – No. 3 EP (1987)
1. Transportation
2. 10 Little Indians
3. Terri Goes Walking
4. Disco-X
5. Aquamarine

*download both here*

1 Comment »

Mumbles – Two Clouds

Posted in 1990, 1990s, drowning pool, ethereal, mumbles, post-punk on July 1, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

I think I’ve been meaning to post this album for… I dunno, five years now? How time flies…

Here we have the lone album from US-based band Mumbles, released in 1990. While Mumbles may not be a name that comes to mind immediately, the band is essentially a continuation of experimental/ethereal post-punk band Drowning Pool, whose esoteric, yet driving sound spanned four LPs and several cassette releases. Three of the four Drowning Pool members are present on this album, including members Adam Elesh and Brett Smith, who were also in Landscape of Sound, a previous project we’ve featured here before as well. New to the fold is vocalist Kelly Ray.

Either way, this is an excellent album, perfect for these hazy summer nights. It should feel right at home if you like Drowning Pool’s excellent, deeply engaging and emotive discography. It was originally released on Italian label Viva Records, who not only released several Drowning Pool releases, but who were also responsible for the excellent Viva Los Angeles compilations, which featured many like-minded “desert goth” (as I like to call it), bands. Despite being released exclusively on CD, some copies of Two Clouds, like the one I picked up, are housed in a oversized, 10”-inspired sleeve, perhaps as a nod to like-minded label Independent Project Records. Pretty cool!

Mumbles – Two Clouds
1. Blue Vishnu
2. Pipe & Dream
3. Johnny Go
4. Hearthmaker
5. Mother Harvest
6. Diamond
7. Utah Smith
8. Star Crossed
9. Lullaby Blue
10. White Out
11. Nuit Blanche
12. Two Clouds
13. American Gothic

*download it here*

2 Comments »

The New Day – Voices LP

Posted in 1980s, 1986, post-punk, US on June 18, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Something I often admit in conversation is that many of the obscure bands I champion as a DJ/blogger/overall nerd often sound remarkably similar to the bigger, more commercially successful ones. For every true original (whatever that means) there are arguably twenty other bands who tap into the same set of influences and wind up in the same ballpark. Then, of course there are bands where the influences are so strong, it’s uncanny.While my tolerance for new bands doing this is extremely low in 2025, I still have a big soft spot for bands from the 80s and 90s who wore their influences on their sleeves, especially if they’re evoking a particular band whose vocalist sports big floppy hair and copious amounts of lipstick.

With that in mind, here’s the best Cure album you may not have heard from a band from Houston, Texas. Similar to bands like The Essence, Crimson Ivy, and Silent Creatures, The New Day simply adore The Cure from top to bottom, so much so that their name even references one of the best Cure b-sides from The Head on the Door era. Not only that, but this album plays like a series of tracks from that era (as well as Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds, and Faith), full of jangly guitar, big hooks, cold synths, similar lyrical themes, and of course, that voice, complete with some yelps here and there.

This is the band’s only album, released on Morning Glory Records in 1986. Of course, you could argue that this album hits too close for comfort, but the truth of is that, for me, the songs are great and there’s some true DIY magic at play here that makes this an instant favorite. I love this album, through and through. Maybe you will as well?

The New Day – Voices LP
1. Sharp Object
2. Flames of Colours
3. The Words
4. Breathing Walls
5. That Noise
6. Scratch
7. Alone
8. Change
9. Pictures R Vague
10. The Voices

*download it here*

8 Comments »

Airstrip 1 – Complete Discography Redux

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1982, Airstrip 1, Airstrip One, uk on May 21, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Back in the old days, I posted a compilation of UK post-punk/new wave band Airstrip 1’s discography, which was collected on a rare cassette donated by a generous reader. I was never sure if this was an official cassette or a dubbed collection of the band’s tracks, but either way I’ve noticed that the cassette played at at the wrong speed over the years, which hurt the nuance and mystery of some of these tracks. I noticed primarily because I’ve played the excellent politically charged, Clash-meets-Certain Ratio jam “Longer to Live” often at NYC’s Wierd Party, and it’s one of those early-in-the-night slow burn tracks that I still play in DJ sets even to date.

Instead of attempting to fix the speed of the cassette digitally (easier said than done with drift), I’ve decided that perhaps it’s worth re-ripping whatever I have in my collection at the moment for posterity’s sake. With that in mind, here are three releases by this underrated guitar-driven band, including their debut cassette, the excellent Longer to Live EP, and the Social Fools and Satellite 7”s. While these are the only Airstrip 1 releases I own and ripped myself, I’m also including the 12” mixes of “Satellite” and “Social Fools,” which I’ve found out there in the ether and should otherwise complete the discography.

Fans of bands such as Ultravox, The Clash, The Associates, and maybe even a little early Duran Duran should dig these guys quite a bit. Definitely a little bit of that UK swagger here on display. The band started off with a rather edgy post-punk sound, quickly employing more synthesizers and horns, as was the style at the time. After their final singles, the band changed their name to Escape From New York and released two more singles, both of which can be found on Bandcamp.

With all of this in mind…

Airstrip 1 – Nothing Is Forever K7 (1981)
1. Nothing Is Forever
2. Fiction
3. Vodka Cola
4. New Messiah
5. Nothing Is Forever (Remix)*

*not listed on the cassette sleeve, included at the end but cuts out, unfortunately.

Airstrip 1 – Longer to Live 12” (1981)
1. Longer to Live
2. English Guns
3. Crime

Airstrip 1 – Satellite 7” (1982)
1. Satellite
2. All Fall Down

Airstrip 1 – Satellite 12” (1982)
1. Satellite (Slow Motion Mix)
2. All Fall Down*

*not included as this is track also on the 7”*

Airstrip 1 – Social Fools 7” (1982)
1. Social Fools
2. Social Fools (Part IV)

Airstrip 1 – Social Fools 12” (1982)
1. Social Fools (Extended Mix)
2. Social Fools (Part IV)
3. Social Fools (Poly Mix)

*download everything here*

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A Special Night – The Big Noise and the Lone Silence 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1986, A Special Night, italian, post-punk on April 29, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s…for lack of a better word…a special one. The Big Noise and the Lone Silence is the first and only release by Italian post-punk quartet A Special Night. This four-track single was released in 1986 via Cave Canem, who also released the excellent Still Life EP, the previous incarnation of Selena Moor, as well as releases by The Gift. You can expect similar sounds here – delightfully dreamy, femme-fronted post-punk in the vein of Repetition, Asmodi Bizarr, etc.

This is such a sweet spot for me, I can never get enough of this sound, personally…

A Special Night – The Big Noise and the Lone Silence 12”
1. Winter Song
2. To Find and Find
3. Kill My Love
4. The Dark

*download it here*

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Réseau d’Ombres – Abracax K7

Posted in 1980s, 1984, coldwave, france, french, post-punk, Réseau d’Ombres, synthpunk on April 24, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

As promised, here’s Abracax, the über-rare  debut 1984 studio cassette release from French coldwave/synth-punk band Réseau d’Ombres.

This is one of three cassettes the band released in 1984 to kick off their explosive career. Live cassette Ireos has been reissued by ειρκτή in 2013, while the other live cassette Eliotropium (sung primarily in English) remains to be heard, minus a track or two on Youtube. This, however, is their debut through and through – the seeds of what the band would become are already flowering into something dark and caustic. All seven tracks on this cassette were part of the band’s repertoire and appear in live form on Ireos, but it’s nice to have these studio recordings to add to the mix.

This cassette taps into early 80s cassette culture in every way – the design of the cover and additional artwork is exquisite. The tape comes housed in a plastic sleeve and comes with seven hand-printed tarot card slivers and a 7”-sized stamped orange insert. You can see additional photos of this one on Discogs.

That all said, hope y’all enjoy the music!

Réseau d’Ombres – Abracax K7
1. Mercenary
2. Passé
3. Natural Gesture
4. The Meal
5. Happy Song
6. External Life
7. Just For Fun

*download it here*

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