Archive for the post-punk Category

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Look Back In Anger- Caprice 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, goth-rock, look back in anger, post-punk, the cult, uk on November 16, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Another zip file for you folks today… I’ve uploaded the entirety of Look Back In Anger’s Caprice, a six-track female fronted goth-rock record produced by Billy Duffy (The Cult/Theatre of Hate).

The band hails from Southampton, and formed in 1981, quickly securing gigs with like-minded acts Brilliant and Death Cult. The band released a cassette recording and an initial single early on, and made two parting recordings for small-time label Criminal Damage in 1984, the Flowers single and the Caprice mini-album/EP. The band folded soon after.

Personnel:
Mich Ebeling (vocals)
Jim Newby (guitar)
Steve Butler (keyboards)
Simon Tuffnell (bass)
Chris Pickford (drums)

Look Back In Anger- Caprice 12”
1. Grey Sky
2. Silent Partner
3. Executioner
4. Torment
5. The Dark
6. Inamorata

*download it here*

This record often appears on the net, fetching decent prices…Keep your eyes peeled for it and snap it up if and when you can…and happy weekend, kiddies!

3 Comments »

Aimless Device- Hard to Be Nice MLP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, Belgian, post-punk, synth, wave on November 14, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s band is Aimless Device, a Belgian band mixing driving synthesizers and hard-hitting post-punk. I can’t find much information on these gents, aside from a tidbit cluing in on latter-day bassist Ferre Baelen’s previous involvement in similarly styled T.C. Matic. The band’s scant (and scarce) discography consists of four EPs and repeated compilation appearances, and some of their material has since appeared on CD. The band’s final single was released in 1987, and the band folded a few years later.

I’ve uploaded the entirety of their debut, 1985’s Hard to Be Nice for your listening pleasure.

Aimless Device- Hard To Be Nice 12”
1. No Friend of Mine
2. Till the Rain Falls
3. Hyena
4. Heart of Gold
5. Waterloo Bound

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* The band’s entire discography has been reissued via OnderStroom Records. Click here for more info.

That said, I’m considering breaking format and uploading full-lengths from certain artists, depending on how little or much they released. I still may keep to a two-track preview for bands with expansive output (or current, supportable acts) but may begin uploading full length singles, EPs, and records by bands since defunct. Any reader opinions on the matter?

7 Comments »

Pre Fix- Underneathica 7”

Posted in 1981, arizona, post-punk, pre fix, san francisco, subterranean records on November 12, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s an incredibly rare treat to kick off your Monday, ladies and gentlemen. I have found scarce tidbits of information about today’s band, Tuscon, AZ’s Pre Fix. The band, whose credits consist of multi-instrumentalists Johnny Glenn and David Herbert, released but one curious and excitingly strange 45” in 1981 on San Fransciso’s Subterranean records.

Credits for the Underneathica single also include production by Tommy Tadlock, more well known for his work with Tuxedomoon. Post-Pre Fix, Johnny Glenn formed The Ballad of Johnny Glenn.

For your listening pleasure, here’s both sides of their lone single:

Pre Fix- Underneathica 7”
1. Underneathica
2. Ectomorphine

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Asylum Party- Mère LP

Posted in 1980s, 1990, asylum party, coldwave, france, post-punk on November 9, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

My very first post in Systems of Romance featured French coldwave greats Asylum Party, formed in 1985, who released a duo of solid records and a series of captivating singles before their demise.

I’m fulfilling a request for today’s post- for I’ve uploaded the entirety of their second record, Mère complete with the Ticket to Ride 7” attached as a bonus. These two tracks appear on the CD reissue, also rather hard to get ahold of. With that in mind, happy Friday, ladies and gentlemen!

Asylum Party- Mère LP
1. Pure Joy in My Heart
2. Sur La Route
3. It’s Over (Dead Folls Damin)
4. Mother
5. Pas Très Loin
6. Someone Else
7. Un Sang d’Hier
8. Madhouse Grass
9. Euphoria
10. Le Temps des Serpents
11. Inner World Is Up (Jump)
12. Ticket to Ride
13. Beside

*download it here!*

14 Comments »

Bell Hollow

Posted in 2000s, bell hollow, dreampop, nyc, post-punk, shoegaze on November 7, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop


I’m pleased to post about today’s band, NYC local dreampop favorites Bell Hollow. Fresh off the release of their debut full-length, Foxgloves, the band shall be playing their cd release party in the heart of New York next Friday, November 16th, at Don Hills.

The band’s origins date back to 2003, where like minded bassist Christopher Bollman and guitarist Greg Fasolino (both veterans of NYC deathrock outfit Naked & the Dead) formed Bell Hollow to explore and rekindle a love of all things dream-pop and post-punk. The band’s lineup was fully realised with the inclusion of singer Nick Niles in 2005 and the addition of their second drummer, Todd Karasik, in 2006.

Bell Hollow’s sound calls to the glory days of shimmering shoegaze and guitar-pop, swirling guitars, locked-in rhythms, and ethereal vocals, and the band’s influences (Kitchens of Distinction, The Sound, Sad Lovers and Giants) are built upon with solid songwriting, clever arrangements, and admirable musicianship. The band has two releases under their belt, 2006’s Sons of the Burgess Shale EP and 2007’s Foxgloves, both released under indie label five03 (also home of the likeminded and equally captivating Prids). Both releases were recorded and produced by local NYC engineer Hillary Johnson, who also fills out the quartet’s live sound with synthesizers. Acoustic guitar contributions on Foxgloves are also made by Josh Strawn, lead vocalist of fellow NYC outfit Blacklist.

For today’s downloads, I’ve uploaded one track each from Bell Hollow’s releases…the first, a favorite of mine from their debut EP and the second, the lead-off track from Foxgloves.

download Bell Hollow- ‘Secret Key’
download Bell Hollow- ‘Seven Sisters’

If you like what you hear, be sure to support these local darlings and pick up copies of their records, which are available through the iTunes music store, as well as straight from five03. Again, Bell Hollow will grace the stage on Friday, Nov. 16th at Don Hills here in New York City, so be sure to drop by if you’re in the neighborhood! For more on the band, including purchase links, I entreat you to visit the following web-hubs:

Bell Hollow on myspace
purchase Bell Hollow records via five03

4 Comments »

Bush Tetras

Posted in 1980s, 1990s, 2007, bush tetras, funk, no-wave, nyc, post-punk on November 5, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s band, Bush Tetras, formed in the heart of New York City soon after the initial wave of the punk rock explosion. A female fronted dance-groovin’ post-punk band led by vocalist Cynthia Sley and complete with jerky rhythms and dissonant guitars, Bush Tetras first hit the scene in 1980 with a series of singles and EPs. Lead guitarist Pat Place’s previous credits included co-founding James Chance’s no-wave outfit the Contortions.

The band would achieve initial club success for their ‘Too Many Creeps’ single, a roaring, fiery, and jagged tune that helped draw attention to the budding post-punk and no-wave movements. The band would tour relentlessly during their initial tenure, forming a kinship with The Clash and experimenting with more Afro-rhythms and Caribbean influences.

After recording three proper EPs (Too Many Creeps, Boom In the Night, and Rituals), the band split up in 1983 upon the release of a live cassette entitled Wild Things. A further compilation of the band’s material saw the light of day (albeit also on cassette) in 1989, and it wasn’t until 1995, a year before the initial lineup would reform, that the band saw their first proper cd release, a compilation entitled Boom in the Night, which would collect all their previous efforts. In 1996, the band would record a new record entitled Beauty Lies, picking back up briefly from where they left off. After another decade of inactivity, the band released a combination compilation/record this year, entitled Very Very Happy, which features a handful of new tracks and a series of re-recorded tunes from their past, updating these songs and recording them as they were meant to be heard. The band is currently active and playing shows in East USA, so catch them if you can!

 

For your listening pleasure (and with the blessing of the Bush Tetra’s promotions dept./label), I’ve uploaded a duo of Bush Tetras tracks: the first is the title track from their 1981 Boom In the Night EP and the second, the freshly re-recorded take on their initial breakthrough single, ‘Too Many Creeps’- plucked from 2007’s Very Very Happy.

 

download Bush Tetras- ‘Things That Go Boom in the Night’
download Bush Tetras- ‘Too Many Creeps (2007 version)’

To pick up some Bush Tetras material on CD, check out these links:
Roir Online
CD Baby dot com

2 Comments »

Neon Hearts

Posted in 1970s, british, paul raven, post-punk, punk, uk on October 29, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Just last week, influential bass player Paul Raven passed away, and today’s post pays tribute to one of his earlier bands, Neon Hearts.

A few years before Paul would co-form Killing Joke, he would join the ranks of fellow UK punk rockers to form Neon Hearts in 1977. The band would embellish upon the bare-bones punk structure, complimenting it’s furious rhythms with blaring saxophones, a precursor to the sonic experimentation that would soon birth the post-punk movement.

The band gigged regularly, saving up cash to record their first single, Regulations, released in December, 1977. After more relentless touring, the band gained a relatively large following and signed to Satril Records. However, the glory of a recording contract did little to stop the band from splitting at the seams far too soon, mostly thanks to Satril Records’ constant meddling in the band’s creative process. The band split just before their first full length, Popular Music was released in April of 1979.

I’ve uploaded both sides of their debut Regulations single for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

download Neon Hearts- ‘Regulations’
download Neon Hearts- ‘Venus’

Though the band’s records are tough to come by in their original form, Overground Records has compiled their discography (both singles and their full length) into one collection, also entitled Popular Music. Click below for a purchase link.

Purchase Popular Music from Overground Records.

2 Comments »

The Sound

Posted in 1980s, british, post-punk, the sound on October 19, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s band is a lesser post-punk classic, UK act The Sound. The band formed in 1978 as the Outsiders, switching up their name in 1979 after a quick lineup shift.

Their sound was akin to the likes of the intitial wave of post-punk, and the band toured with the likes of friends and cohorts the Chameleons, Echo & the Bunnymen, Au Pairs, and the Comsat Angels. Singer Adrian Borland’s lyrics would often ruminate on existentialist affairs and paranoid observations, while the music would mix synthesizers and horns with fast-paced rhtyhms and guitars.

Throughout their tenure, the band recorded five full length records, a few peel sessions, and a slew of EPs and singles before their split in 1987, just after a canceled European tour. Adrian would persue a solo career, but the band would never reunite, as keyboardist Colvin “Max” Mayers would pass on in 1993 and Adrian Borland would commit suicide in 1999. However, the band lives on- several reissues of the Sound’s catalog and tributes to their material have since materialized, and the band’s influence can be heard in many modern post-punk acts.

I’ve uploaded two tracks- the first from their second record, 1981’s From the Lion’s Mouth and the second a track from their 1980 debut Jeopardy.

download The Sound- ‘Fatal Flaw’
download The Sound- ‘Heartland’

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a video of the Sound performing ‘Sense of Purpose’ (From the Lion’s Mouth‘s lead-off single) on the Old Grey Whistle Test:

Even though most of the band’s material was released for the first time on CD earlier this decade, those copies are still hard to come by. Keep your eyes peeled for them!

2 Comments »

Crispy Ambulance

Posted in 1980s, 2000s, british, crispy ambulance, factory, manchester, post-punk on October 15, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop


A large group of cohorts and I just caught the NYC premier of Anton Corbijn’s Control this weekend, a biopic about the life and times of Ian Curtis. Though today’s post doesn’t feature Joy Division OR New Order, it features one of their contemporaries, fellow Manchester based Factory records outfit Crispy Ambulance, whose singer would fill in for Ian Curtis during one ill-fated night, culminating in an audience riot.

The band, formed in 1977 by Alan Hempsall and Robert Davenport, was unfairly dismissed as Joy Division knockoffs during their short recording tenure. Despite these accusations however, Crispy Ambulance had their own innovative style to add to the budding post-punk movement, and often incorporated a more minimal and dreamy sound to their compositions.

The band would flesh out their lineup and record a handful of singles in 1980 and play shows alongside the likes of prominent bands such as Killing Joke. Upon Factory’s request, the band would sign to record the full length record The Plateau Phase and a few assorted singles. Unfairly written off (along with fellow label mates Section 25, previously featured on these pages), the band would split in 1982, releasing a collection of unreleased tracks soon after.

Despite their demise, the band would reunite in 1999 to record two more records into the new millenium, and are together to this day, playing sporadic gigs in their native Manchester.

I’ve uploaded a handful of tracks…The first, a personal favorite from the 1982 record The Plateau Phase and the second, a lone 1984 single compiled on a resissued version of said album.

download Crispy Ambulance- ‘The Force and the Wisdom’
download Crispy Ambulance- ‘Sexus’

…and here’s the video for ‘The Presence’ from A Factory Video.

For more information on Crispy Ambulance, including a full discography, live mp3 downloads and more, here’s a link to their official site:

Crispy Ambulance dot com

1 Comment »

Chi-Pig

Posted in 1970s, 1980s, akron, chi pig, post-punk, wave on September 28, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve heard about these folks for some time now, and have been itching to get ahold of more material. The band is Chi-Pig, a female-fronted wave trio hailing from Akron, Ohio.

The band formed in 1977, though members Susan Schmidt and Deborah Smith had previously been involved in 60’s girl group The Poor Girls. Chi-Pig got their curious moniker from a local barbecue joint and even curiouser, would take to wearing loud, Latin-inspired outfits, a style which had nothing in common with their jerky, post-punk sound. The band would come to some prominence in the wake of the success of similar-styled outfit Devo, but without securing a proper record contract, the band folded in 1982.

Until recently, only a handful of Chi-Pig tracks had been made available on various compilations and promotional discs. However, in 2004, the band released Miami, a full-length record consisting of 1979 recordings. From what I’m gathering from their official site, the band reunited for a one off-tour to promote a documentary honoring Akron’s music scene, but it’s unclear whether or not the band is still active.

For your listening pleasure, here’s a duo of Chi-Pig tracks, both featured on various compilations:

download Chi-Pig- ‘Apu Api (Help Me)’
download Chi-Pig- ‘Ring Around the Collar’

And here’s a few handy-dandy links for more on Chi-Pig:

Purchase Miami from Cdbaby.com
Official Chi-Pig site

1 Comment »

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