Archive for the new wave Category

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Sequins and Spandex Part VIII

Posted in 1980s, disco, hi nrg, italian, italo, italo disco, mixes, new wave, sequins and spandex, space disco, synth, wave on September 18, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

I meant to post this at the beginning of summer 2012, and put it off for some reason or another. Though the season is coming to a close here in New York, I figured the longer I waited, the more I’d keep pushing it back, so better late than never…

For those unfamiliar with this series, I have a semi-closeted love of Italo disco- a cult Italian-centric genre of music (though the influence can be heard all over Europe in the mid-1980s) with shameless hooks, catchy vocal lines, and drum machines/synths that push the gear to their robotic limits. As with any dance craze (see also: new beat & freestyle) the same law of diminishing returns holds true: for every truly great italo gem there’s a ton of terrible or overblown ones that flooded the market, so with these compilations, I attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. I generally steer towards the darker italo, things that sound right at home in a John Carpenter flick or alongside the more club-friendly minimal synth tracks (and file right in line with some of the things I post here), and obviously, the less overtly corny the songs are, the better, though that’s not to say I don’t like a little sprinkle of cheese here and there.

So this is my eight installment of the series, the rest which can be found HERE. Some major favorites in this installment, including another Sensitive track, the Disaster’s KILLER “Oh My God This Sound,” Ein-St-Ein’s mid-tempo romp through sleazy Italian streets, and Moskow’s epic “Come Back.”   I may say this every time, but this may be my favorite installment of the series…

Sequins and Spandex Part VIII
1. Nineteen Ninety Three- Lama
2. Pendulum- Smiles
3. Oh My God This Sound- Disasters
4. Varsavia- Ein-st-ein
5. Don’t Be Afraid- Some Bizarre
6. Give Me- Sensitive
7. Red For Love- Grant Miller
8. A Love Again- Savage
9. Rise Up (For My Love) (Club Mix)- Yvonne Kay
10. Dreamland (Extended Vocal Version)- Mark
11. She’s Gone Away- Jimy K
12. Come Back- Moskow
13. Grace- Three Of You

*download it here* (updated 6.12.18)

I have a special 7” to post next that somewhat duplicates one of the artists on this compilation, so if this is your bag, stay tuned for more sleazy, sweaty nightmusic next week…

13 Comments »

Luxus- Smiling Daughters 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, luxus, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, ohio, synth, US with tags on May 21, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a 7” recommended highly by a few collectors out there.  This one hails from 1982 and features a dirgey, drum heavy minimal synth sound very similar to Pink Industry (with vocals that sound like a pitched down/drugged out Bowie or John Foxx) on the a-side.  The B-side is a little more new wave-y by definition, but still a great listen.  Fans of Fallout Club may like this one as well.

This is the band’s second single on Stork Records.   I only have the A-side of that at 128, but if someone has this one and can rip both sides, feel free to chime in!  EDIT: Soul brotha Nick over at Crispy Nuggets just exhumed the first 7”, so head on over there to grab it.

Chuck from the band chimed in recently and had this to say about this excellent slice of synth goodness:

Recorded in a basement on a Dokordor Open Reel 4 track on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. I know this because I played bass, some keys, and audio manipulations. Smiling Daughters took months to record, I’m So Confused(I’m A Mess) took a weekend.

You heard it from the source, kids!

Luxus- Bent to Scale 7”
1. Smiling Daughters
2. I’m So Confused (I’m In A Mess)

*download it here*

7 Comments »

Harumi Shimada- Yakō Shōnen 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, after the sludge, harumi shimada, japan, japanese, masahiro sugawara, minimal, minimal synth, new wave on March 27, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Another quick and dirty post here, an excellent 7” from Japan, released in 1984 via Forecast Records. According to the discogs entry, this 7” was written by Masahiro Sugawara, who was also involved in After the Sludge.  Harumi was just one of six people who performed on this 7”, which features an excellent mid-tempo minimal synth track.  The B-side appears to be a bizarre dub version of the track which weaves in and out of coherence and descends into chaos over the course of 5 minutes.  Safe to assume that the B-side is the English translation of Yakō Shōnen.

I have plenty of excellent coldwave on the back burner, but it’s been a long time since we’ve had a bona fide minimal synth rarity, so have at it!

Harumi Shimada- Yakō Shōnen 7”
1. Yakō Shōnen
2. Midnight Boy

*download it here*

4 Comments »

The Wild Flowers- The Joy of It All LP & Blue Hollow- Stealing a Whisper LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 1986, blue hollow, coldwave, dreampop, new wave, post-punk, the wild flowers, uk, US on January 28, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Hope you’ll all indulge me for a little two-for-one post here.  While these two records are generally unrelated, they sound incredibly complementary and it’s no stretch that if you love one, you’ll probably love the other.  Also, both LPs have been posted by other blogs in the past.  I only double dip today to offer fresh rips and hopefully to turn you guys on to two excellent, if but vastly under-appreciated post-punk masterpieces from the mid-80s.

First up is the debut LP from The Wild Flowers, which you may have heard via Curious Guy’s excellent post from 2006.  There, he mentions that the band was the original outlet of guitarist David Newton, who left soon after to form the also excellent Mighty Lemon Drops.   I’m on my second copy of this LP, between DJing and home listening, so that should speak highly of this particular record, which calls the lush majesty of bands like The Chameleons, Icicle Works, The Lucy Show, Breathless, The Sound, and of course, Echo & the Bunnymen’s Heaven Up Here to mind.  You can grab their first two 7”s here.  I do have the third LP, 1988’s Sometime Soon.  It’s been a while since I’ve heard it so I don’t remember how it stacks up, but I’m very interested in hearing 1987’s Dust.

The second LP is the one and only release by Blue Hollow, who rose from the ashes of Gluons, a darker and more dissonant band from Massachusetts.  Stealing a Whisper, which was released three years later, would shed much of the cacophony and offer up a record that sits comfortably alongside The Wild Flowers on sheer strength of songwriting.  Equally lush and romantic songs and catchy hooks, clearly pulling from the same set of influences and delivering a similarly striking album…

It’s a shame that neither of these records are more well known, even in these circles, so hopefully this post brings them to a wider audience.  Enjoy!

The Wild Flowers- The Joy of it All (1984)
1. Melt Like Ice
2. Beggar Man
3. The Promised Land
4. After All These Years
5. Dark Times
6. The Joy of it All
7. Bamboo
8. Hold the Torch
9. Things Have Changed
10. From the Sky

*download it here*

 

Blue Hollow- Stealing a Whisper (1986)
1. Color of Night
2. Inhale
3. Running Down
4. Blue Hollow
5. We Fall
6. Hearts Hang Souls
7. Wildskin
8. Stranger

*download it here*

Thanks for indulging me here today… For those who are looking for something new and unheard, hang tight- as the next few posts will feature very rare cassettes, demos, and more!  Thanks to all who have sent things over in the past few weeks- it’s always appreciated!

11 Comments »

Denial- California Dreaming 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, australia, australian, denial, m squared, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, synth on January 23, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Ever since I picked up an instrument, I have wanted to record a cover of infamous 60s pop hit “California Dreaming” and expose it for the haunting dirge it really is… While I’m sure it’s not a stretch to envision a darker world painted in the Mamas and Papas hit from 1965, the idea always appealed to me.  However, looks like the job was done already, thanks to Australian synth band Denial, who issued a stark, brutal cover of the tune in 1982, backed with an excellent original rickety post-punk track…

This lone 7” was released on the infamous M Squared label, who were responsible for Xero and Scattered Order as well…  This is the only release under the name Denial, but they were previously known as Aural Indifference, who appear most prominently on The Minimal Wave Tapes vol. 2 compilation from 2012 as well as a compilation on M Squared.

Denial- California Dreaming 7”
1. California Dreaming
2. The Weathermen

*download link removed*

This 7” has been reissued as of May 2016 on A Colorful Sound. Copies can be purchased on their official site, or through Juno‘s mailorder!

8 Comments »

The Laughing Apple- The Ha Ha Hee Hee! E.P.

Posted in 1980s, 1981, alan mcgee, creation records, new wave, post-punk, primal scream, synth on October 16, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Excellent minimal post-punk 7” from 1981, as donated by the great bx-59cppw.  Most notably, The Laughing Apples were the springboard for Creation Records’ Alan McGee.  After a handful of private releases, McGee and bandmate Andrew Innes would form both Biff Bang Pow! and Revolving Paint Dream, two early Creation staples.  The label would grow to prominence with bands such as Slowdive, Adorable, and My Bloody Valentine.  Innes is also a member of Primal Scream, one of the label’s most lucrative bands.

This 7” should appeal to fans of They Must Be Russians, Marquis De Sade, and Product of Reason, not to mention McGee’s garage rock fascination.  Be sure to listen carefully, or it’ll be over before you know it!

The Laughing Apple- The Ha Ha Hee Hee! E.P.
1. Sometimes I Wish
2. Chips For Tea
3. Upstairs Downstairs
4. I’m Okay

*download it here*

2 Comments »

Days of 29- Destination D-Day 12”

Posted in 12'', 1980s, new wave, scottish, synth, synthpop, uk with tags on July 10, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another one you may have seen before on a few blogs, but freshly ripped from my own mint copy, so feel free to make your own comparisons.  Days of 29 were a UK/Scotland based quartet with an interesting press sheet and a penchant for New Order-tinged synthpop.  Feel those Peter Hook bass lines on “Destination D-Day,” a track that not only invokes the likes of “Blue Monday” and “Everything’s Gone Green,” but also bears a kinship to Secession’s classic “Touch,” Ministry’s “Effigy (I’m Not A),” & Hohokam’s “Harlequin Tears” by way of a Marc Almond sound-alike on vox.  A pretty irrefutable set of touchstones, highly recommended for fans of that big club sound.  There are two other tracks on this 12”, though while nice, don’t hold a candle to the 7-minute main attraction, a must for all self-respecting dance floors everywhere.  Hint: those of you who have hit the Wierd party in the past few years have likely heard this one blasting regularly through the fog…

Days of 29- Destination D-Day 12”
1. Destination D-Day
2. Guitars for Guns
3. Beat Squad

*download it here

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Nuvo West- Scary LP

Posted in 1980s, 1983, arizona, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, US with tags on June 26, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a rare and obscure minimal synth LP from Phoenix, Arizona, perfect for fans of Bugger West, Tone Set, Combined Minds, etc (the latter two who also hailed from Arizona). Varying degrees of DIY desert-synth magic here, my favorite track being the closing instrumental “Shades of Yesterday,” which almost feels like a synth version of Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks score… I do believe there’s a tape out there somewhere that precedes this LP, but no info about that one, sorry!

Thanks to Bx-59cppw for the donation!

Nuvo West- Scary LP
1. Theme For Alienation
2. Accidents Don’t Happen In My World
3. Dogs Have Their Days
4. Little Yellow Pills
5. Androids Love
6. Shades Of Yesterday

*download it here*

8 Comments »

Jarvon Jol- The Dustcollector 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, darkwave, new wave, New York, new york city, synth, synthpop, US on April 17, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

You may have seen this one over at Vinyl Obscurity in the past, but I’ve been playing this one out at the Wierd party for several years now with extremely positive results, so here’s a fresh rip from my own copy.  Speaking of which- for those who live nearby, be sure to check in at Home Sweet Home tomorrow night (4.18) for the US debut of UV Pop!  I’ll be on the decks with Caleb of Sacred Bones & Alessandro from Mannequin—-surely a night to remember!

An incredibly affordable synth/wave 12” from 1984, recorded and released here in New York.  The clear winner here is the title track, a dark and fast paced synth number with short stabs of guitar, a sinister refrain, and several references to London town.  The British references also carry over to the album cover, which depicts a photo of Shaftesbury Ave., the heart of London’s theatre district.  Perhaps the dustcollector is a player on the stage?

The flip is a more care-free pop tune with some shamelessly soulful female vocals in the background.  Not really my cup of tea but your mileage may vary.  However, the A-side more than does the trick for me, as this 12” never leaves my record bag.

Jarvon Jol- The Dustcollector 12”
1. The Dustcollector
2. It’s Time

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 4.9.25)

3 Comments »

Ice The Falling Rain– Lifes Illusion 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, future records, ice the falling rain, minimal synth, new wave, synthpop on March 7, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

By request, here’s a clean, fresh, and high quality rip of an old classic 7” that many of you may have heard before. If you haven’t, skip this text and download straight away. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

This 1983 single is one of the most joyous, catchy, and danceable tracks in the entire new wave spectrum. It almost makes my teeth hurt, it’s so damn infectious. It was released on Future Records, who boast pretty impressive resume, including New OrderBlitz, Rhythm and Faith, Christian Death, Two, and The Wild Flowers 7” posted just recently. No info whatsoever about the band though, aside from four first names listed on the back sleeve, though likely it’s an offshoot from members of Violators. Otherwise, just another mysterious 7” floating around in the ether…

Ice The Falling Rain– Lifes Illusion 7”
1. Lifes Illusion
2. Illusions

*download it here*

I have a few rarities kicking around here that I’m working my way through, as well as more updated rips of bona-fide classics. Expect a few never-before-blogged releases next!

8 Comments »

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