Archive for the deathrock Category

The Smoking Mirror- EP 12”

Posted in 1988, deathrock, goth, goth-rock, post-punk, the smoking mirror on July 17, 2019 by Frankie Teardrop

Keep forgetting about this record, which I originally borrowed from Goutroy for a rip and then picked up my own copy shortly thereafter. Thanks to Saul for the request/reminder in my last post!

Here we have an excellent slice of 1988 goth from the UK, right from the era of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and March Violets. It’s actually a pretty fair blend of the two bands, in simplest form – the churn and energy of early Lorries (by way of pounding drum patterns and guitar textures of “Beating My Head” or “Monkeys on Juice”) vs the dual male/female vocals of the Violets. Either way, this EP features four excellent tracks of UK goth, a welcome addition for any fans of the genre.

The band is a three peace, and as far as wax is concerned, this is their only release. They were likely from Birmingham, as their label, Sonic Death Records, was stationed there.  There apparently is a demo tape floating around in the ether somewhere, though I can’t seem to find any information about it online outside of a mere mention on their discogs entry. It appears as if the band were planning on a US tour in 1989, though not sure if that ever came to pass before the band called it quits. Aside from the regular lyric/iinfo insert, here’s also apparently an extra 16 page insert with more info and color photographs, but my copy did not come with it, so I can’t offer much else for y’all, other than the download.

With that in mind, here’s the rundown:

The Smoking Mirror- EP 12”
1. Siren Girl
2. Dead Man’s Shirt
3. Prostitute
4. Acid Filth

*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 »

Psi Com- Worktape 1 and Demos

Posted in 1980s, 1984, alternative, deathrock, goth, goth-rock, jane's addiction, LA, los angeles, mazzy star, perry farrell, post-punk, psi com, red temple spirits, US on August 12, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

psi com group 2

Before there was Jane’s Addiction, there was Psi Com, a post-punk/deathrock band fronted by Perry Farrell.  The band released one demo tape and one 12” (re-released on CD and 10” in the mid-90s) in 1985.  The band began in 1983, when Perry answered an ad from guitarist Vince Duran looking for a drummer, as his fledgling band was primarily using a drum machine.  Instead, Farrell took over as vocalist, adding Rich Evac on bass, Aaron Sherer on drums, and Mariska Lassius on keyboards.  This was the lineup for their demo tape that was eventually sold at shows in 1984 with elaborate packaging reminiscent of Independent Project Records releases.  The photo above depics the lineup for these recordings.  Soon after the demo was released, Lassius and Evac left the band, replaced by bassist Kelly Wheeler for their 12” sessions.

Based heavily in the psychedelic roots of Pink Floyd as well as the UK post-punk movement, Psi Com’s sound was much more in line with Savage Republic, The Ex, and Bauhaus than the horror punk sound that was developing on the West Coast.   If anything, Psi Com was a vessel for the Red Temple Spirits sound moreso than the hedonistic excesses of Jane’s Addiction, though both bands continued exploring their psychedelic influences and alternative leanings.  Even Perry Farrell’s trademark wail is downplayed on these recordings, though there’s no mistaking it during certain key passages.

Psi Com broke up suddenly in 1985, after gaining a heavy local following.  Legend has it that Eric Avery, bassist for Jane’s Addiction, was drafted as a new bassist for Psi Com, changing direction as Stephen Perkins and Dave Navarro joined.  Bassist Kelly Wheeler played briefly with Dino Paredes of Red Temple Spirits, and Aaron Sherer eventually retired from music after playing drums on several tracks from Mazzy Star’s excellent Among My Swan LP.

Here we have a fan circulated collection of demos and additional tracks, including the debut Worktape cassette as well a series of studio recordings and instrumentals that originally appeared on a Jane’s Addiction bootleg CD from 1991.  While the 12” has received a fair amount of attention as Farrell’s pre-Jane’s vessel, these demos are still rather obscure, and definitely worth hearing even if you’re not a fan of what came next. 

psi com worktape art

Psi Com- Worktape 1 and Demos
1. Hopeful
2. Them
3. Psi Com Theme
4. 14th Floor
5. Cat
6. Karuna
7. 14th Floor (Instrumental)
8. Cat (Instrumental)
9. Karuna (Instrumental)

*download it here*

5 Comments »

Rule of Thirds- Demo K7

Posted in 2000s, 2012, australia, deathrock, goth, goth-rock, post-punk, rule of thirds on March 26, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Keeping with the cassette theme, here’s a demo from a new band from Adelaide, Australia, who were gracious enough to send me the tape and their blessing to post the mp3s for you all to enjoy. This one is so fresh, it’s barely three months old!

There seems to be a very modern interest in the deathrock/batcave sound, with all the young bands cropping up with strong demos and limited releases. While the sound seemed to creep back in as early as the turn of the century thanks to the folks at Drop Dead, it’s taken this long for it to finally break out into more public consciousness, and there seem to be dozens of new bands (Anasazi, Winter Severity Index, Population, Bellicose Minds, Pleasure Leftists, etc.) eager to inherit the throne. It makes me yearn for a forgotten era, having been in a deathrock band many moons ago, wishing for a few more peers out there in the ether. Sadly, many of the bands from that time period have long since faded away, with the exception of Entertainment, who are gearing up to release a new LP on Disaro sometime this year.

Ok, so I got on a little bittersweet tangent there, sorry about that. Back to the post at hand.

Taking their name from either a classic Death In June album, a guideline for photography, OR a basic military strategy (all three invoke some excellent imagery) Rule of Thirds explore the classic deathrock sound a la Skeletal Family, Christian Death, Corpus Delecti, Move, Dance Macabre, and others in that vein. A mix of incisive guitars and a confident and smoldering female vocal are the ingredients for success here, and the organ-esque synths (a must for me when it comes to this style of music) stand out with a sense of melody and the rhythm section is top notch, hitting that perfect blend of composure and rawness that works best in this style. A little taste of early Siouxsie can be heard on “Northanger Abbey,” which invokes “Playground Twist” with it’s unified grooves and gloomy atmosphere. My favorite track is the leadoff “No More Moon,” which adds some male vocals to the mix and is ripe for guitar-driven club nights. Really great stuff here, both a mix of uptempo and slow burn tracks, so thanks to Celeste and the band for sending it my way! Hope you all enjoy it!

Rule of Thirds- Demo K7
1. No More Moon
2. Total Disappointment
3. Mother/Master
4. Stuck
5. Northanger Abbey

*download it here*

While the band has graciously offered the mp3s here for free, you can get a copy of the tape via Major Crimes Records.

4 Comments »

Twenty Four Hour World- Twenty Four Hour World K7

Posted in 1980s, 1986, coldwave, deathrock, goth, goth-rock, post-punk, US on October 19, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a rare US cassette for all you goth and post-punk lovers out there. Released in 1986, this is the only known offering from Twenty Four Hour World. Great gloomy sounds perfect for a rainy day, and very reminiscent of Joy Division and early Modern English with a little bit of nasty deathrock mixed in for good measure. Really chaotic, visceral stuff here, not for the faint of heart!

Twenty Four Hour World- Twenty Four Hour World K7
1. Love Comes Down
2. Talk To Me
3. Miracle
4. Hot
5. Sound Of Impact
6. Ball & Chain
7. Drink
8. Trinity
9. Wonderful Life
10. The Big Boys

*download it here*

12 Comments »

The Plague- Naraka LP

Posted in 1980s, 1987, deathrock, goth-rock, New York, post-punk on June 25, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Now here’s something for all you deathrock/post-punk kids. Up on the slab is the lone LP from NY’s very own The Plague, self-released in 1987. With tracks titles such as “Vampyre” and “Suicide Queen,” you can expect some witchy female vocals, thrashy guitar riffs, and other such gothic sounds, which should be right at home for fans of the genre.

The Plague- Naraka LP
1. Naraka
2. Vampyre
3. Murder
4. Suicide Queen
5. Empress
6. Never Die
7. Paradise of Pain

*download it here*

9 Comments »

Entertainment- Gender CD

Posted in 2008, coldwave, darkwave, deathrock, Entertainment, georgia, post-punk, US on March 22, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

I have a handful of synth/coldwave updates to keep you kids salivating throughout the week, but first things first, I have a newer LP from a fantastic underground artist to whet your appetite. Uploaded with permission of the band, here’s Entertainment’s debut LP in its crisp, intense glory.

I’ve been honored to share the stage with these boys in the past, and am pleased today to bring you a digital upload of the 2008 CD, currently out of print last I’ve heard. A handful of copies of the CD can still be found on Amazon, but you can get your hands on a limited edition remastered LP via Duchess Archive by clicking here. Otherwise, astute listeners can expect buzzing synths, unforgivable rhythms, and incisive vocals, coming at you from Athens, Georgia. You can read a little more about the record on Post-Punk dot com (click on “reviews” and scroll down for initial take on this hard-hitting latter day classic). Otherwise, here’s the information:

Entertainment- Gender
1. Romance in a Rain
2. Swing Movements
3. A Seduction Walks
4. Patroness
5. New Joys
6. The Nervous Walk
7. Confusion of Senses
8. Flesh

*download it here*

Stay tuned for LPs by Feu Ma Mere and Bugger West to follow in the next few days!

9 Comments »

Screams For Tina- Strobelight Funeral 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1986, 1990s, 2000s, deathrock, LA, los angeles, post-punk, reformed, screams for tina, US on April 23, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a horse of a different color compared to the usual sounds posted here as of late. Screams For Tina formed in Los Angeles in 1985, a twisted, dark post-punk band consisting of four like-minded members. They released one 12” mini-album (uploaded below) just a year after their formation, generating a bit of college buzz with their heavy, glam-infused brand of twisted, dark rock. The band toured for four years straight, playing with the likes of Human Drama, Ex-Voto, and various other players in the late eighties post-punk scene.

However, the original lineup of Screams for Tina split in 1990, but while various members departed, others quickly joined the ranks and the band soldiered on, attracting the attention of Cleopatra records, who released a full-length record in 1993. The band split once more in 1997, however, significant re-exposure and the continued friendship of members Warren Mansfield and Billy Budd led to a reformation of Screams For Tina in 2007. They are currently working on a full length record! In the interim, give a spin to the record that started it all, 1986’s Strobelight Funeral 12”. Fun fact: This particular record inspired Strobelight Records, home to Frank the Baptist, the reformed Pink Turns Blue, Black Ice, and The Last Days of Jesus, to name a few

Screams For Tina- Strobelight Funeral 12”
1. Nightmare
2. Fool’s Gold
3. Simple Addictions
4. Future Of Romance
5. Strobelight Funeral

*download it here*

The reformed Screams For Tina has a new website up, with t-shirts available for purchase. If you’re a fan of the shirt, nab one and support the band’s reactivation! Keep your eyes peeled for a new record in the works.

Screams For Tina dot com

2 Comments »

Inca Babies- Evil Hour

Posted in 1980s, 1987, blues, deathrock, inca babies, manchester, post-punk, uk on June 4, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s something a little more explosive and guitar oriented than the usual fare. Today’s post features UK post-punk act Inca Babies, who formed between 1982-83 in the industrialized neighborhoods of Manchester. The band took several cues from the likes of the Birthday Party, the Cramps, and the Gun Club, influences which the Inca Babies proudly wear on their sleeve.

As the UK music scene shifted away from the initial wave of post-punkers into a more synth based dance direction (especially in Manchester with the rise of New Order and the Happy Mondays), the Inca Babies soldiered on for four years total, releasing four records and several 12” singles and EPs. The band split in 1987, and in 2006, a collection of favorites hand picked by the band was released on Cherry Red Records.

Uploaded below is their final LP Evil Hour, released in January of 1987, a few months before the band split. The details:

Inca Babies- Evil Hour
1. Evil Hour
2. Long Uphill Trek
3. Partisans River
4. A Madmans Demise
5. Bad Hombre
6. Artillery Switchback
7. Two Rails To Nowhere
8. Volts
9. Burning Town
10. Young Blood

*download it here*

For more info on Inca Babies, including an official discography and an image gallery, click below. Also linked below is a link to purchase the band’s retrospective, Plutonium via Cherry Red Records.

Inca Babies homepage
Cherry Red

4 Comments »

Zero Le Crêche- Falling 12/7” and Last Year’s Wife 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 1985, batcave, deathrock, post-punk, uk, zero le creche on January 16, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop


Today’s band is Zero Le Creche, a UK-based post-punk/deathrock outfit whose sound bridged a gap between the catchy drawl of Psychedelic Furs and the atmosphere of Bauhaus. The band appeared during the legendary Batcave era in the Britian’s early 80s scene and released only two singles during their tenure, each with a different singer (the second does resemble the Furs’ Richard Butler a fair amount.) They disbanded lickety-split, and for ages these two singles became sparse and cherished classics. However, there’s recently been rumors of a potential reunion, and the band is releasing both these singles and various outtakes on CD in the very near future.

I’ve uploaded both 1984’s Last Year’s Wife 12” and 1985’s Falling 12” for your listening pleasure. There also exists a 7” version of Last Year’s Wife with a slightly different recording of the title track, so I’ve included that too, to complete their original discography.

Details:

Zero Le Crêche- Last Year’s Wife 12” (1984)
1. Last Year’s Wife (12” version)
2. Women Say
3. Fall to Dust

Zero Le Crêche- Falling 12” (1985)
1. Falling
2. Beyond Westworld
3. Terminal Tracks

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* While the band’s website seems to have gone belly up, CD copies of their material are available via Cd Universe. You know what to do.

You can nab a CD-R version of various tracks through the band’s website, though as mentioned above, a proper collection should appear shortly. Here’s the band’s home page, for curious parties:

Zero Le Crêche dot com

8 Comments »