Archive for the 1980 Category

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Units- Digital Stimulation LP

Posted in 1980, 1980s, minimal, synth, synthpunk, Units, wave on January 5, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

I originally touched on San Francisco synthpunk legends Units back in July 2006, so let’s flesh that post out a little bit with their lone full length release, 1980’s Digital Stimulation, which features a rerecorded version of ‘Warm Moving Bodies.’ The original version can be nabbed from the 2006 overview post, alongside a more detailed profile of the band. Otherwise, here’s the info proper:

1. High Pressure Days
2. Digital Stimulation
3. Warm Moving Bodies
4. Go
5. Mission
6. Cannibals
7. Bugboy
8. Tight Fit
9. Passion Or Patterns
10. Town By The River
11. Cowboy

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – reissued via Furturismo!

14 Comments »

Family Fodder- Monkey Banana Kitchen LP

Posted in 1980, 1980s, art-punk, british, family fodder, synthpunk, uk on August 14, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a fun little gem for you folks today… Below lies the first album by Family Fodder, an idiosyncratic London-based synth band active from 1979-1983 (though they officially formed in 1975). The four piece act consisted of Media Fodder and her three brothers Tod, Rod, and God, obviously a clever lot of pseudonyms, as their discogs.com page reveals a sizeable lot of collaborative members, far more than four, with Alig Pearce being the only consistant member.

Family Fodder released two full lengths and several quirky 7” singles to a sizable cult following. Their fellowship with experimental post-punk act This Heat also helped bring the band to a bit of underground prominence.

Their music was generally playful, a hint of dub and reggae mixed with absurd, blissful pop, with synthpunk and sometimes experimental instrumentation. Most of the lyrics were also sung in French, courtesy of original vocalist Dominique Levillain, a combination rumored to be of some significant influence over Stereolab. Over the years, the band reformed several times over, recording and releasing sporadically since their initial demise in 1983. A handful of greatest hits collections have also appeared over the years, attempting to collect the band’s initial singles and best moments.

I’ve uploaded their first proper LP, 1980’s Monkey Banana Kitchen, which features ‘Savior Faire,’ an infectious little tune I can’t get enough of these days. Here’s the details and download information for the LP:

Family Fodder- Monkey Banana Kitchen LP
1. Darling
2. Symbols
3. Savoir Faire
4. Cold Wars
5. Monkey
6. Wrong
7. Organ Grinder
8. Love Song
9. Bass Adds Bass
10. Philosophy
11. Cerf Volant
12. Banana

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – reissued in 2014 on LP and CD!

The only in-print Family Fodder disc seems to be one of the more recent compilations, a 42 track anthology that seems to include several of the band’s hits, including alternate versions and more recent recordings. A definite must-have for fans of the band! Here’s a link to purchase the collection, entitled More Great Hits!

purchase More Great Hits! via amazon.com:

Seems to be a myspace page available as well…Is it official? I can’t tell you at the moment due to work-related securities, but take a peek and decide for yourselves:

Family Fodder on myspace.com

4 Comments »

Moderne- Moderne LP

Posted in 1980, 1980s, coldwave, french, minimal, new wave on June 19, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Today calls for a little French electro-pop/minimal wave/whatever tag you want to put on these guys. It’s hard to classify, as some songs are cheery as sin, while there’s a hint of ice cold electronics throughout.

The band is Moderne, a French four piece formed in a town just south of Paris in 1979. Moderne released but two albums and a few 7”s, but each record featured a different vocalist. This is the first of the pair, a 1980 self-titled affair.

Moderne split soon after their second album L’Espionne Aimait La Musique was released, but have enjoyed some cult success with “Switched on Bach,” a single pulled from their swan song, also featured on 2004’s So Young But So Cold compilation.

Without any further ado, here’s the info for Moderne’s first record:

Moderne- Moderne LP
1. Indicatif
2. Séduction
3. Histoire Ordinaire
4. Electronique
5. Vers l’Est
6. Rock’n Roll Stars
7. Sans Signalement

*download link removed*

Minimal Wave, the fantastic NYC-based label known for collecting and reissuing obscure synth and wave gems has just recently released a double LP/CD, which contains both of Moderne’s groundbreaking records! Click here to nab your copy while the getting is good!

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Xex- Group:Xex LP

Posted in 1970s, 1980, 1980s, american, experimental, minimal, new jersey, wave, xex on May 19, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a request of sorts for a classic minimal synthpop gem. Xex were a more experimental wave band, formed in South River, New Jersey. They were a mysterious affair, releasing one record in 1980 and disappearing soon after. The band “began” as a high school kazoo trio. Member Waw Pierogi’s interest in science led to several unique delay and echo experiments in the early years, most of which were employed on the band’s debut. However, though outfit had little musical technique, their trials and experiments yielded several songs, and after their first performance, the original trio of Waw, Thumbalina Gugielmo, and Alex Zander brought in two of their friends/fans to round out the lineup. Thus, after several experiments and debates, Xex was officially born in 1978.

The band spent the next two years constructing several tracks utilizing minimal synth techniques, semi-conventional song structures, and male and female vocal experiments. Due to the nature of their project and the band’s limited abilities, live shows were often inconsistent and humanistic, and often featured performance art and video accompianments.

The original pressing of Group:Xex sold little over a thousand copies. Soon after its release, additional members David Anderson and Jon-Boy Diode departed as Xex completed work on a second record, which due to limited funding and a since-deteriorated master tape, has not yet seen the light of day, and may never will. The original trio continued to work together along with new member Cookie Ruggerio (who previous involvement with the band was limited to walking a stuffed cat during a performance of “Kitty”). Only a few tracks have surfaced, and mid 80s performances of the band did not include Waw Pierogi.

In 2004, cult interest in the band culminated in a proper reissue of Group:Xex, complete with several demo cuts from the band’s original sessions. Just a year before, Alex Zander passed away from a heart attack.

Here’s the information for the CD release of Group:Xex.

Xex- Group:Xex (reissue)
1. Fashion Hurts
2. You Think
3. Snga
4. Rome On $5 A Day
5. Party
6. Saint Vitus’ Dance
7. Svetlana
8. Don’t Blame Me
9. Holland Tunnel
10. Kitty
11. Cops
12. Delta Five
13. Fashion Hurts (Demo)
14. Svetlana (Demo)
15. Saint Vitus’ Dance (Demo)
16. Cops (Demo)
17. You Think (Demo)
18. Snga (Demo)

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED- see below for official purchasing options*

This is one of the few available records I’ve posted as of late, so if you dig on these tracks, be sure to trash these mp3s post-haste and pick yourself up a copy of the cd reissue, which comes complete with extensive liner notes and further information about the band. Click below to order a copy!

Purchase Group:Xex from smackshire.com
further info and chronology

————-

ATTENTION, dear readers- you can now get a remastered copy of this LP via the always excellent DARK ENTRIES label, an awesome reissue label based out of the west coast. Click here for more info!

2 Comments »

I’m So Hollow- discography REDUX

Posted in 1980, 1980s, 1981, british, post-punk, sheffield scene on May 15, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

For today’s post, I’ve uploaded the entire discography for Sheffield post-punk band I’m So Hollow, which is admittedly not a whole lot. The four piece band formed in 1978 and only lasted three years, splitting up after recording one 7” single and one full length record. The band wet their feet opening up for the likes of Clock DVA, and have since developed a bit of a cult following due to their involvement in the Sheffield music scene, their peers including the Human League and Artery, among others. I’m So Hollow also managed to cut a John Peel session before disbanding. One exclusive song, also included below, has been compiled several times over since the band’s demise and appears on both Hicks From the Sticks and Future Shock– both identical compilations released by two different labels.

I’m So Hollow- Dreams to Fill the Vacuum 7” (1980)
1. Dreams To Fill The Vacuum
2. Distraction

I’m So Hollow- Emotion/Sound/Motion LP (1981)
1. Entrance
2. Which Way..?
3. Unbroken Line
4. Touch
5. Collisions
6. Excitement = Change
7. The Triangular Hour
8. Emotion / Sound / Motion
9. Nosferatu/Distraction

Various Artists: Hicks In the Sticks Compilation (1980)
13. I Don’t Know

*download them here* (LP RE-RERIPPED 6.4.13 —  7” RE-RIPPED 6.24.15)

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a live performance of ‘Touch’ taken from the Made In Sheffield DVD:

Lastly, a request for the peanut gallery: if anyone has a recording of the I’m So Hollow Peel Session, please send it my way! Pretty please with cherries?

24 Comments »

Radio Free Europe- Laughoncue LP

Posted in 1980, 1980s, experimental, minimal, synthpunk, US on January 9, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you today with Radio Free Europe’s lone LP, Laughoncue. Though a synthpunk/minimal wave band in theory, this US-based act has more in common with the strange art-experimentations of Bene Gesserit or Throbbing Gristle than say, The Screamers or Units, but all the same, this record is an interesting and captivating release.

Little is known about the band, as their discography begins with a few 7” singles in 1979, and ends with this record, released in 1980. If anyone has any further information about the band, feel free to pass it on!

Details:

Radio Free Europe- Laughoncue LP
1. Shock Corridor
2. It Likes You
3. Suggested Re-entry
4. Occupation of France
5. Fulda Gap
6. Adada
7. Falling Million Years
8. Whore of Babylon
9. A Couple Screams
10. Time between Seconds
11. Heart of the Matter

*download it here*

5 Comments »

Silicon Teens- Music For Parties LP

Posted in 1980, 1980s, daniel miller, minimal, synth, the normal, uk on January 7, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s artist is Silicon Teens, a fictional UK outfit spearheaded by the infamous Daniel Miller, head of independent wave label Mute Records. After two releases under The Normal (both the famous ‘Warm Leatherette’ 7” and an experimental live recording with Robert Rental), Miller took to his synths to record a series of updated (and somewhat campy) 50s/60s rock n’roll tunes (alongside two originals), adopting a false ‘teen’ band to handle any budding press. Fad Gadget’s Frank Tovey would act as lead vocalist during interviews as the remainder of the ‘band’ was portrayed by various actors, however, every note and vocal take was recorded by Miller himself.

Though one track from the Silicon Teens’ lone release appeared on the soundtrack for Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, the 1980 record had little impact or chart success, and rumour claims that Mute would sign Depeche Mode soon after blowing the lid off the project in attempts to successfully market a true teen wave act.

Details:

Silicon Teens- Music For Parties LP
1. Memphis, Tennessee
2. Yesterday Man
3. Doo-Wah-Diddy-Diddy
4. T.V. Playtime
5. You Really Got Me
6. Chip N’ Roll
7. Do You Love Me?
8. Let’s Dance
9. Oh Boy
10. Sweet Little Sixteen
11. State of Shock (Pt. 2)
12. Just Like Eddie
13. Red River Rock
14. Judy In Disguise
15. Let’s Dance
16. Sun Flight

*download it here*

…and for your viewing pleasure, here’s the promotional video for ‘Memphis, Tennessee,’ feat. Fad Gadget’s Frank Tovey as the leader of the band:

8 Comments »

Rema-Rema- Wheel In the Roses EP

Posted in 1980, 1980s, 4ad, adam and the ants, experimental, mass, post-punk, psychic tv, rema-rema, uk, wolfgang press on December 31, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop


Many pardons for the brief break. Many thanks to friends and readers for their support and encouragement this year! For the last post of 2007, I’ve uploaded an old favorite, a more experimental yet classic EP by UK outfit Rema-Rema.

Rema-Rema was a short lived 4AD outfit whose lone EP (4AD’s 5th release) served as a post-punk/experimental classic, and kicked off the careers of several other seminal acts. The band consisted of Marco Pirroni (ex-original Banshee), Gary Asquith, Mick Allen, Mark Cox, and Max. Wheel In the Roses appeared in 1980, a four track EP with one side’s worth of studio tracks and another consisting of live material.

Rema-Rema quickly disbanded, and most of the band’s members found success shortly. Marco Pirroni would join up with Adam & the Ants, Max would become a full time member of Psychic Tv under the name Dorothy, and Asquith, Allen, and Cox would form heavy-handed 4AD act Mass. Upon Mass’ demise, Cox and Allen would form the legendary Wolfgang Press, who became a signature post-punk act throughout the 80s and early 90s. Meanwhile, This Mortal Coil (4AD head Ivo-Watts Russel’s pet project) would recreate ‘Fond Affections’ for their debut record It’ll End in Tears, which featured several contributions by Rema-Rema’s original lineup. Big Black would also cover ‘Rema-Rema’, further cementing the band’s original impact.

Details:

Rema-Rema- Wheel in the Roses EP
1. Feedback Song
2. Rema-Rema
3. Instrumental
4. Fond Affections

DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED- Click here to purchase mp3/FLAC via the 4AD webstore.

7 Comments »

Pink Military- Blood & Lipstick 12”/Did You See Her? 7”

Posted in 1979, 1980, 1980s, big in japan, pink military, post-punk, punk on November 29, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s band rose from the ashes of short lived and seminal anarcho-punk band Big In Japan. Following their breakup in 1978, vocalist Jayne Casey formed post-punk outfit Pink Military.

Originally named Pink Military Stand Alone, the outfit focused on dance rhythms under a somewhat thrashy and hypnotic post-punk aesthetic. The band’s output consists of a few lone 12” releases and one full length record, 1980’s Do Animals Believe in God?. Though the core members of the group were Jayne Casey and guitar/keyboardist Nicky Cool, the band would revolve through a few different lineups before disbanding shortly after their full length saw the light of day. Jayne would continue on with another string of collaborators under the name Pink Industry, which was much more of a minimal electro project.

For your listening pleasure, I’ve uploaded two single releases…Both the 1979 Blood & Lipstick 12” and the slightly later Did You See Her? 7”.

Details:

Blood & Lipstick 12” (1979)
1. Spellbound
2. Blood and Lipstick
3. Clowntown
4. I Cry

Did You See Her? 7”: (1980)
1. Did You See Her?
2. Every Day

*download both here*

3 Comments »

Shox- No Turning Back 7”

Posted in 1980, 1980s, 4ad, british, shox, synth, wave on November 2, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Sorry for the delay, ladies and gents…I’ve had computer trouble for a few days, and as of this morning (fingers crossed) I’ve gotten things back up and running, with only a few gigs of music completely lost. That said, here’s a quick Friday treat.

Shox were a British wave trio comprising Mike Atkinson, Jacqui Brookes and John Peters. They released only two tracks in 1980, comprising one of the first four Axis 7” singles, just before the label rechristened itself as 4AD that same year.

Jacqui Brookes would go on to sing for both Siam and Intro after this single, releasing a solo LP as well. Not at all sure what happened to the remaining Shox members after this lone recording appearance…

Shox- No Turning Back 7”
1. No Turning Back
2. Lying There

*download it now*

These two tracks can also be purchased digitally via this link to 4AD’s homepage:

Shox on 4AD dot com

Stay tuned next week for more resumed activity (*fingers crossed*), including an album request, a post on NYC locals Bell Hollow, and a bit of new material from the legendary Bush Tetras!

5 Comments »

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