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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*

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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*

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October 8- October 8 LP

Posted in 1980s, 1987, indie, jangle, post-punk, US on August 4, 2023 by Frankie Teardrop

Sorry for the delay, folks. Hope everyone’s having a lovely summer (or winter, if you’re in a different hemisphere!). Here’s a recent favorite, chock full of summertime jangle pop/indie rock vibes. This LP was released in 1987 on the E Pluribus Unim imprint. The band was a four (sometimes five) piece from Dallas, Texas, and this is their only LP, and what a humdinger it is… Dreamy, melodic guitars reminiscent of early R.E.M, Grapes of Wrath, Winter Hours,  Ups and Downs, etc. – heavier on the jangly side, but just gloomy enough to catch my interest. Amy Farrington provides vocals on a few tracks and serves as an excellent ethereal counterpoint to Bruce Gregory Dickenson’s more grounded vocals. Dickenson would join power pop band Pop Poppins shortly after recording this LP.

Hope y’all enjoy this LP as much as I do… I can’t seem to get enough of it lately.

October 8- October 8 LP
1. Capitalism
2. Tomorrow’s World
3. The Love I Want
4. A Place To Go
5. Corrupt Means
6. Killing Time

*download it here*

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Pitch Black – Suspiria/Renee 12”

Posted in 1990, Claude Raines, darkwave, ebm, New York, pitch black, synthpop, US on February 3, 2023 by Frankie Teardrop

Can’t stop/won’t stop!

Keeping with the theme of the last post, this single is a perfect compliment, featuring a series of dancefloor-friendly remixes of darkwave tracks, also released in 1990. Our friend Goutroy turned me on to this one some weeks ago, tipping me off that this NY-based trio consisted of three members of Red Violet Red, who, which you may recall, also shared a key member with Eleven Pond. The remaining members, bassist Jerry Dellapietra, guitarist Lyle Wells (RIP), and vocalist/synth player/programmer Cedric Herrera (who also formed this project after recording with Claude Raines) and recorded two killer darkwave songs that at their core, sound similar to their previous project, but run through a very dance culture filter. There’s quite a bit of acid/new beat influence, as well as nods to hip-hop, freestyle, and house music, but the vocals and songs themselves cut deep with dark energy that make this single a true hybrid success.

A quick note that there’s a hidden remix of “Suspiria” buried on the “Renee” side of the 12”, which is unlisted on the record itself. I’ve labeled it simply with the name of the track, but if anyone knows the title of this mix, feel free to leave a comment!

Otherwise, hope you enjoy!

Pitch Black – Suspiria/Renee 12”
1. Suspiria (College Radio Edit)
2. Suspiria (12″ Mix)
3. Suspiria (Hip Hop Remix)
4. Renee (College Radio Edit)
5. Renee (Acid Dance Remix)
6. Suspiria*
7. Renee (Stringapella)

*download it here*

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Tanz Waffen – Big Strong Man 12”

Posted in 1990, austin, darkwave, synth, synthpop, tanz waffen, US, zyx on February 3, 2023 by Frankie Teardrop

Happy belated new year, folks! I’ve been struggling to find time to keep this thing going, but I still have a huge backlog of things I’ve been digitizing in my spare time, so it’s time I kick back into gear here, I suppose. Let’s see if I can get two posts done today!

The first: a big big synth pop single from 1990 on ZYX Records. The project: Tanz Waffen, which translates to Dance Weapons. Despite their German name, the band hailed from Austin, Texas, and consisted of Jeff Campbell of The Secret Six and vocalist Nanz Campbell. After releasing this one single, the duo would join forces with like-minded Austin EBM project Mark of Kane to form Voodoo Dali, who released one cassette in 1991.

As for this single, the clear dance floor filler here is “Big Strong Man,” which appears in extended and 7” form. However, the third track, “Memories of Voices,” is a moodier, more esoteric track that showcases Nanz Campbell’s vocals and features some darkwave guitar throughout. The A-side certainly has Celebrate the Nun-esque vibes, while the flip reminds me a bit of Six Sed Red or Soma Holiday. Either way, the single is an absolute banger, and as with most of the ZYX catalog, is worth picking up!

Tanz Waffen – Big Strong Man 12”
1. Big Strong Man (Wild Boys Remix)
2. Big Strong Man (Wild Boys 7” Remix)
3. Memories of Voices

*download it here*

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Crashing Plastic – Gretchen 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1989, goth, synth, synthpunk, US on December 8, 2022 by Frankie Teardrop

Thanks to Goutroy as always for turning me on to this one and making the original rip. A Viable Romance!

Here we have three icy guitar-wave tracks from Crashing Plastic, self-released in 1989. There’s a touch of deathrock/synthpunk flavor in both Gwen Alyson’s vocals and synth melodies and Chris Daya’s musicianship, with razor-sharp guitars, punchy drum programming, and synths galore to round out their sound. I’m reminded of the early Pretty Poison releases, before they went freestyle. This tracks in a sense, as this duo also appears to be from Philadelphia, PA. As always, if anyone has anything more to share about this band, please do.

Otherwise, hope y’all enjoy!

Crashing Plastic – Gretchen 12”.
1. Gretchen
2. Time Tunnel
3. Take Me Away

*download it here*

 

 

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Dream 286 – Scars 7”

Posted in 1983, new wave, ohio, post-punk, US on October 4, 2022 by Frankie Teardrop

Happy to share this one-off 7” from 1983 by Dream 286 – fresh off the needle and into your eardrums.  This four-piece band hails from Cincinnati, Ohio and has an excellent dark new wave/post-punk sound that I can never get enough of. On paper, the band reminds me quite a bit of UK-based punk band Action Pact!, but with more synthesizers in tow. Otherwise, from what I can tell, the band was fairly active throughout the midwest, playing a slew of shows throughout the area, including a prominent gig opening for Factual, whose track “Psychotic Romance” is worth hearing for those unfamiliar. Sadly, these three tracks are all that were released to the general public, but I hope there’s some more material floating around out there somewhere…

After Dream 286 called it a day, bassist Randy Cheek would also play in local band The Libertines (not the UK revival band) with drummer Joe Hamm. Cheek would go on to form indie rock stalwarts Ass Ponys, while synth player Doug Hallet remained a fixture in the scene, also performing with Latex Theatre, Danse Macabre, Ubu Roi, and Tesla Coil. He is currently active in The Science of Deduction. Vocalist/guitarist Janette Pierce Davis also performed with Latex Theatre.

Without any further ado, here’s the single:

Dream 286 – Scars 7”
1. Scars
2. End of the World
3. I Don’t Believe

*download it here*

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The Myst- Nothing Can Stop Me 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1987, new wave, ohio, the myst, US on March 6, 2022 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a very rare new wave-infused 7” from the US, one that’s been under-the-radar for me for some time now. I finally decided to spring for a copy just to quell my curiosity. The Myst were a trio from Ohio, and this is the only recording that I’m aware of. A single, lone 7” from 1987, when hair metal ruled the world.

Now, the original Discogs listing (since changed) is a bit misleading, as I wouldn’t really call this post-punk OR coldwave (especially by the American definition), though it’s not a completely unrelated genre trying to pass off as dark synth, which is a thing I’ve seen far too much out there (hint hint, sellers). That said, I’d say there’s a lot more of a new wave and light indie rock/jangle/power-pop flavor here, which is certainly a vibe I can hang with all the same. Some R.E.M. touchstones, though obviously not mysterious or esoteric as their earlier material. Both tracks could have appeared on a late 80s film soundtrack, especially the first song, with its uplifting chorus (get the girl, get the job, nothing can stop me, yeah!). I slightly prefer the b-side, myself. In general, I’m here for those guitar tones, and both tracks deliver in spades here. This might fit nicely in a playlist with The Psalms 7”.

After releasing this single, The Myst were never heard from again. Perhaps one of their members developed the popular 90s point-and-click computer game? 🤔 Bad jokes and associations aside, here’s the deets for this single. Let me know what you make of it!

The Myst- Nothing Can Stop Me 7”
1. Nothing Can Stop Me
2. Shattered Dreams

*download it here*

 

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Anodyne- Anacelica 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, anodyne, post-punk, US on October 20, 2021 by Frankie Teardrop

Second post for today, ladies and gents. This one in particular may look unassuming from its white label, cover-less presentation, but contained within are two of the best DIY post-punk tracks I’ve heard in a second. This particular band hails from Alabama, and they appear to have only self-released this one single in 1985. Copies of this one can prove to be quite scarce, though maybe this post will help shed some light on this otherwise mysteriously obscure band who take their name from either a 19th century term for a painkilling breed of medicinal drugs or a term for something “inoffensive.” My guess is the reference refers to the former…

As for touchstones, you can expect some Three Imaginary Boys-esque post-punk (ie, a Buzzcocks sense of songwriting with darker overtones) though of course there might be a little bit of Bauhaus in the otherwise driving, monotone vocals. I’m reminded a bit of Here Today, a similarly influenced band who were from Baltimore. Either way, both tracks here have become favorites in recent months. Enjoy!

Anodyne- Anacelica 7”
1. Anacelica
2. The Sea

*download it here*

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