Archive for the US Category

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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 »

BALTIMORE GRAB BAG: Immortal- Paradigm 12” & Mission- When Thunder Comes LP

Posted in 1980s, 1986, 1988, baltimore, goth, goth-rock, new wave, post-punk, synth, US on January 24, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve been hearing some rumblings about Mediafire as well, and though various articles claim that Mediafire won’t be changing its service plan, I’ve heard some contradictory reports and have seen some accounts deleted over the past few days. So with that in mind, I’m going to post a few things over the next few days to get them off my chest just in case something goes down between now and then. Call me paranoid, but why hoard this stuff!

Here we have two post-punk records from Baltimore, Maryland.

First up, we have an immaculate rip of Immortal’s Paradigm 12” from 1988, previously featured on the always excellent Return to the East blog. Very Danse Society/Killing Joke-esque tribal post-punk here, with plenty of ghosty hooks that make it an essential listen. Not to be confused with the Dutch band of the same name.

Immortal- Paradigm 12” (1988)
1. Scale
2. Solvent
3. Print
4. Morning

Secondly, here’s an LP that’s flown under the radar over the years, and is still rather affordable for those interested in acquiring a copy. I recently included the title track from this LP on Systems of Romance vol. 5, plucked from the 8 Essential Attitudes compilation, but I’ve since tracked down the LP of the same name, and it’s more impressive than I expected. Almost a more new wave/pop take on Bauhaus, or if that analogy doesn’t work for you, a harder-hitting version of the VHF album. You can get their first LP here, if the link is still up and running. Not to be confused with the post-Sisters of Mercy band of the same name! Apparently, the band changed its name to When Thunder Comes to avoid confusion with those guys, and are still active to date, with a more heavy sound. You can read more about that here.

Mission- When Thunder Comes LP (1986)
1. When Thunder Comes
2. Broken Promises
3. Underground
4. River
5. Long Way Back
6. Lost Religion
7. The Bell Tolls
8. We Were There
9. This Train
10. Make The Man

*download BOTH records here*

Stay tuned for more over the next few days!

9 Comments »

East Ash- Crushing A Flood

Posted in 1990, c'est la morte, east ash, goth, goth-rock, post-punk, US on November 29, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Gloomy days ahead, so here’s a post that fits the mood I’m currently rolling with at the moment. East Ash were a post-punk band from Columbia, Missouri, released on C’est La Morte records (read more here). This is the first of two albums, released in 1990 on LP and CD. Would be interested in hearing the second album, if anyone happens to have it.

The vocalist here reminds me an awful lot of David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower/Wovenhand fame. Musically, it’s a hybrid of early Modern English, Joy Division, & the shimmer of The Joshua Tree (mostly heard in “A Flood”), with a manic disco edge thrown in for good measure. Dark, gloomy, and driving, just the way I like it. This one definitely should not be missed!

East Ash- Crushing a Flood
1. Dreams
2. Australian Beaches
3. Doesn’t Know
4. Faceless
5. Wonderful Life
6. A Flood
7. Funerals
8. Milk And Honey
9. The Disease

*download it here*

11 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 »

Sport of Kings- Every Night 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1981, darkwave, post-punk, sport of kings, US on August 8, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

At long last, here’s the debut 7” from Sport of Kings, self-released by the band in 1981. I happened to stumble across it in a bin alongside the likes of Last Man In Europe, Razor Penguins, and Lung Overcoat. Needless to say, it was a good day.

This should complete the Sport of Kings discography. In case you missed them previously, you can grab the rest of their output here, here, and here. Special thanks to Fade 2 Grey for originally uploading the A-side! Otherwise, without any further ado…

Sport of Kings- Every Night 7”
1. Every Night
2. The Same Breath

*download it here*

5 Comments »

My Dad Is Dead- The Best Defense LP

Posted in 1988, indie, my dad is dead, post-punk, US on July 22, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a collection of rarities by My Dad Is Dead, a post-punk/indie project from Cleveland, Ohio. My Dad Is Dead formed in 1984 after the breakup of Riot Architecture, and since then has been primarily a solo outfit for drummer Mark Edwards. Revolving door lineups came and went over the years, and the band enjoyed some underground success as well as opening spots for bands such as Modern English and Butthole Surfers.

Edwards is still active to date, releasing MDID records well into the 2000s. Recently, Edwards put the lid on MDID and is now working under the moniker Secular Joy. A debut LP is currently in the works.

This particular collection consists of several leftovers from the band’s early career. Tracks 1, 3, and 10 were slated for a 1987 EP release, while the rest of the tracks are a combination of album sessions (recorded during the Let’s Skip the Details sessions) and home 4 track demos. The sounds here are definitely raw and guitar-driven, definitely recommended for fans of Big Black, Game Theory, Husker Du, early R.E.M., etc. Not a sound generally explored on this blog, but a cool record by a cool band that some of you may find enjoyable. It’s certainly hitting the spot during this NYC summer heat wave. Here’s the info:

My Dad Is Dead- The Best Defense
1. In The Morning
2. When The Elephants Fight, The Grass Gets Trampled
3. Anti-Socialist 2
4. For Your Trouble
5. Pile It On
6. Cut Out
7. It’s Not What You Said
8. Chopsticks
9. Hole In My Eye
10. The Best Defense

*download it here*

Note: You can get a lower bitrate recording of this release (as well as enjoy several other freebies) via the band’s website, viewable here. Lots of information and multimedia for anyone curious about the band’s history!

6 Comments »

Combined Minds- 1984 K7

Posted in 1980s, 1983, american, arizona, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, US on July 19, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

This particular cassette was also donated by Ben, and features nine tracks from Combined Minds, a minimal synth band from Maryvale, Arizona.

The band operated as a three piece and recorded two cassettes for their own Multi-Purpose Musik label, an outlet for this project as well as prior releases dating back to 1979.

Always looking towards the future, this tape was released in 1983, and the follow up was released two years later. Lots of great sounds to be had here, especially for fans of Tone Set, League of Nations, (early) Soft Cell, and the more experimental side of the minimal synth spectrum. I can’t seem to get enough of “More Knobs Than Notes” and “Shop Town,” but this entire tape is a must hear for minimal synth fans big and small. Here’s the info:

Combined Minds- 1984 K7
1. Combined Minds
2. Feel The Beat
3. More Knobs Than Notes
4. Shop Town
5. Time To Relate
6. Nocturnal Nocturne
7. Comfortable
8. If I Don’t Move, I Can’t Dance
9. Sold American

*download link removed*

Sorry for the premature post, folks. I’ve just gotten word that this release (as well as several other Multi-Purpose Musik releases) are avaialbe from Shawn Helton, a member of Combined Minds who is still active in music today. Please click THIS link to read more about Helton and his projects, and to purchase these releases!

2 Comments »

Violet Town- Violet Town K7

Posted in 1986, coldwave, darkwave, post-punk, primary records, US, utah, violet town on July 11, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a very generous donation from Ben in the form of a rare cassette release from 1986. Fans of the post-punk/coldwave sound should go ga-ga for this one, as I undoubtedly have.

At first glance as well as at first listen, this American-released K7 might suggest a few obvious touchstones. Firstly, the band’s name is naturally an allusion to a track from (in my opinion), The Church’s finest hour. Secondly, the tape was released via Primary Music, a virtually unknown label in Utah that obviously sounds like a nod to a classic Cure single (I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a self-release under the guise of a label). As if the Cure comparisons weren’t strong enough, we have the opening seconds of “Torn Inside,” which immediately recall the title track from Seventeen Seconds to mind with their warm synths and back and forth melodies.

All of this said, this is tape is awesome. While there are a mix of sounds throughout, it generally sounds as if the band is combining the aesthetics of both bands mentioned above (also think Chameleons, Mighty Lemon Drops, Grapes of Wrath etc.), very surprising given the time period and the location of the band. From what I understand (and for those who were there, feel free to correct me), early Cure and Church imports were hard to come by in the United States, all but buried by those who didn’t know to seek them out until both bands broke with their respective tour de forces. I’m sure folks had access to these records, but it wasn’t as easy as going to their local record store, especially in Utah, to find these gems. Maybe that’s just my imagination running away with me, but while there are dozens of Cure and DM influenced bands scattered throughout Europe, a US entry is very rare indeed, which makes this tape even more unexpected and interesting to me.

Ok, enough theoretical babble. Despite the obvious influences, this tape is definitely a treat to be heard, and many thanks to Ben for sending a rip my way! Here’s the information:

Violet Town- Violet Town K7
1. Torn Inside
2. Hope Is Gone
3. Mantis
4. Wrinkle In Your Eye
5. Secrets Told
6. Alice Temple
7. Two Girls
8. Deer In A Graveyard

*download it here*

6 Comments »

Hawaiian Pups- Split Second Precision 12” & Spook Opera 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, new wave, new york city, synthpop, US on June 29, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another record from Greg’s personal stash. Some unexpectedly excellent new wave to be found on this 12”. Playful and strange melodies to be found left and right, with a slightly dark edge and plenty of pop veneer to keep things grounded. My favorite track here is the sultry and moody “Trash” though “Baby Judy” attracted a fair amount of college radio attention in its heyday. It appears here in two forms, as a single mix and extended mix. That particular track kind of reminds me of Berlin Express’ “The Russians are Coming” with a little bit of Devo mixed in for good measure.

The three piece band was from New York City (hometown represent). This 1983 single (which can still be had at a reasonable price, for all aspiring collectors) was preceded by a scarce promo-only 7”, released on Halloween in 1982. I’ve included that track below as an added bonus.

Hawaiian Pups- Split Second Precision 12”
1. Infinite Roads
2. Trash
3. Young Boys
4. Baby Judy
5. Baby Judy (Extended Version)
6. Overture To Young Boys*

Hawaiian Pups- Spook Opera 7”
1. Spook Opera

*download both here*

*Tracks 5 & 6 bleed into each other, so I’ve ripped them as one long track.

7 Comments »

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