Sally Patience- The Triangle Man 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, electro, electronic, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, sally patience, synth, synthpop, uk on January 15, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Before we get started on new posts for 2014, may I please direct your attention to the following re-rips and reuploads:

B-Movie- Singles (new rips of Nowhere Girl, Remembrance Day, Marilyn Dreams, & the addition of A Letter From Afar 12”)
Signal Aout 42- Pleasure and Crime (new rip)
U-Bahn X- Young Hearts of Europe (new rip, new 7”’ rip, + digitally inserting Jabba the Hutt on side B)

Otherwise, sorry for slacking!  I have a bunch of new, unheard posts in the works, a new various artists compilation, as well as a few re-rips of classics from my own personal collection to keep us busy for the first part of the year.  So with that in mind, let’s kick the year off with a minimal synth classic that I believe was posted before by the great BX, but has disappeared since.  I came across a cheap, sleeveless copy of this one in a dollar bin here in NYC, played it once or twice at WIERD, and promptly forgot that I had it until recently, when reorganizing and digitizing my 7”’ collection.  This one is a tried and true killer, a bizarre electronic romp from 1984 with thick synth bass, disco strings, and eerie female vocals.  The best analogy I can think of is dystopian disco- the kind of dance music that you’d dance to in Blade Runner or Logan’s Run, for example…  The chorus is especially killer, and pays off in spades (human is so humorless- love that line).  Fans of JYL/Angela Werner should also love this one.  The b-side is equally stunning, a more unsettling synth track with a flamenco flair and backwards masked vocal samples.

This is the only single Sally Patience released, and no one knows what happened to her afterwards…  Just a brief moment, as some of the best gems tend to be.

Sally Patience- The Triangle Man 7”
1. The Triangle Man
2. Buried In My Boots

*download it here*

7 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 »

Atrocity- Because 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, denmark, post-punk on December 10, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

A-2468652-1319537665

For those who prefer something a little more visceral than our last post, here’s a complete 180 for you.  A slice of post-punk bliss from Denmark, a very scarce 7” from 1985 on Hub Records (Kalishnikov). One could point to the Factory Records roster for direct inspiration, as those kind of buzzing synths call Martin Hannett and co. to mind. Very possible that the band name is a nod to Joy Division by way of J.G. Ballard as well.

Little else is known about these guys, but bassist Bjarne Hansen has some scattered production/engineering credits over the years.

Atrocity- Because 7”
1. Because
2. Scene
3. Love Song
4. Part of the Crowd

*download it here*

8 Comments »

Peggy & the Pills- Nobody’s Bride 12”

Posted in 12'', 1985, italian, italo, italo disco, peggy & the pills, synthpop on December 4, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

It’s been a very low energy week here at SOR headquarters, so here’s something that gets my blood flowing a bit more, and hopefully will have the same effect on you.

This is a one off Italo 12” from Peggy & the Pills, recorded and released 1985.   While some Italo records fetch insane prices (some of the highest I’ve ever seen, actually), this one can still be found for a few bucks, and is worth picking up for anyone interested.   While the sound is very much in the Italo disco vein we all know and love, this song also calls the sweet, sugary, and sharp edge of bands like Strawberry Switchblade, Pink and Black, and especially Book of Love to mind.  There’s also some guitar undercurrents throughout the track, little stabs of chorus-infused strings that add an interesting element to the track.  I’m also reminded a bit of Stephin Merrit’s Future Bible Heroes project a bit, the sardonic wit of the lyrics call to mind some of the best moments from Eternal Youth, an album I used to adore (but haven’t thought about since coming across this record).

As with most Italo projects, the creators of this track had their hands in other releases.   Keyboardist Marcello Ciao was also the engineer for an early Litfiba release, while Mario Natale (arrangement) also worked with Den Harrow, Clockwork, and dozens of other Italo artists.

Peggy & the Pills- Nobody’s Bride 12”
1. Nobody’s Bride (Vocal)
2. Nobody’s Bride (Instrumental)

*download it here*

Sadly, Peggy Richardson, the wedding-dress donning diva from this 12”, passed away a few years ago, but drummer Andrea Contini has posted an excellent video honoring her life and the project.  This video appears to be the only “live” recording of Peggy & the Pills, and shows the three piece band backing Peggy in 1984, who swaps out her trademark wedding dress at the halfway mark.   Check it out below:

6 Comments »

Various Artists- Treviso Underground Vol. 1: Nuovo Rock/Wave

Posted in 1980s, coldwave, italian, post-punk on November 27, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s an amazing Italian cassette compilation from 1988, generously ripped by Carlo. This is the first in a two part series of homebrew tape compilations from the 80s featuring bands from the Treviso region of Northern Italy. This edition focuses on new wave and post-punk bands, while the second volume caters more towards experimental and ambient bands. You can get the second volume here.

I was originally drawn to this cassette via Wax Heroes and Scent Merci, two excellent post-punk bands that only have a handful of releases between them.  However, the entire compilation is awesome, with the exception of the Nicotine Spyral Surfers songs, which aren’t bad if you prefer things on the more garage-y side. However, the true standout to me is Inside Loneliness, a band who truly invokes the cold Cure-esque vibes of Seventeen Seconds as well as other bands of that ilk.  I can’t get enough of “It’s Over Again,” (which builds to the same simple, but perfect chord progression as The Chameleons’ “Second Skin”), while their second track here is no slouch, either.  Inside Loneliness also contributed more tracks (including an alternate version of “It’s Over Again” that lacks the synth intro) to the Opere Senze Ombre compilation, which features the German Shadowplay, Opera Multi Steel, and the Venus Fly Trap. As you can see, that compilation wasn’t as ethnocentric as this one is, but is still worth hearing and can be found here.

As for the rest of the bands here, Domus Tedii plays a darker, organ driven style of post-punk, while Em’s Dream all but sounds like Robert Smith singing.  In fact, Marathon’s contribution is also reminiscent of the Cure’s Head On the Door/Kiss Me period (see above), with the trademark keyboard flute sounds and sad, yet boisterous melody.  Turbe Psichiche Di Origine Dolosa are the most punk-inspired of the bands, with backing vocals that are both anthemic as well as slightly Byrds-esque.  Aside from Inside Loneliness, my other favorite track on this compilation comes from Lacrima Christi, with some great cold sounds and solid atmosphere.  I’m not sure if this is the same band that appears on a 1991 compilation, but I’d love to hear more from them either way.

R-4002427-1351963938-6694

Various Artists- Treviso Underground Vol. 1: Nuovo Rock/Wave
1. Miky Mouse- Wax Heroes
2. Wake Me Up Wizard!- Wax Heroes
3. It’s Over Again- Inside Loneliness
4. Trees Out of My Way- Inside Loneliness
5. School Days II- Scent Merci
6. The Bright Moonlight- Scent Merci
7. You Make Me Fly (So High)- Nicotine Spyral Surfers
8. Are You Surprised?- Nicotine Spyral Surfers
9. Non Presenza- Domus Tedii
10. Rachele- Lacrima Christi
11. Bloodless (Not Buried)- Em’s Dream
12. Sun of the Awning- Marathon
13. Questo E’ Il Tuo Giorno- Turbe Psichiche Di Origine Dolosa

*download it here*

 

Thanks again, Carlo!

3 Comments »

Bloody Ice- Bloody Ice 12”

Posted in 1990s, 1993, bloody ice, ebm, electro, electronic, industrial, placebo records on November 18, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Second post in one day, this one as a request from Goutroy over at A Viable Commercial, who featured one track off this scarce 12” on his latest various artists compilation.  The song “Dying in Arms” was my favorite from the compilation, and I’ve since tracked down the full 12”, which employs the same bleak industrial/ebm sounds throughout.  If you like Front Line Assembly and the Klinik, this one is definitely for you…

Bloody Ice was the moniker for German musician Eini, who co-founded Placebo Records in 1993 to release his own recordings.  The label is also responsible for the amazing New Dimension 12” (which has since disappeared from the blogosphere).  This appears to be the only Bloody Ice release, though “Dying in Arms” also appears on the Nyctalopia Compilation from the same year and an “Intro” track appears on To Be Stun, a CD compilation.  Eini was also involved with Kabelbrandt, who were even less prolific.  You can find a track of theirs on Strange Sounds Vol. 2.

According to a website run by Eini, The Bloody Ice tracks were recorded in a span of two years before being released in 1993.  At this point in time, vinyl was on the decline, and with only 300 copies pressed, this one is hard to come by.  The LP was released on Blood Red vinyl (naturally), and both sides of this 12” have different playback aspects, depending on where you drop the needle.  Side A only has the first two songs back to back, and you can only listen to the “Senses in Crossfire” and “French Girl” by placing the needle elsewhere.   Meanwhile, Side B is a double groove, so there’s a 50/50 chance of hearing either “Dying In Arms” or “Firehouse.”

The question here is, “do you feel lucky…?”

Bloody Ice- Bloody Ice 12”
1. Bloody Ice
2. Rullas Gyros
3. Senses In Crossfire
4. French Girl
5. Dying In Arms
6. Firehouse

*download it here*

2 Comments »

Quite Simple- Victims 7” & Unknown Stranger LP

Posted in 1980s, 1987, 1989, darkwave, Dutch, goth, goth-rock, post-punk on November 18, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

I have two posts today, both request from friends so I thought I’d drop both on you in one day.  This first post fulfills a request by Xerfrank for the official discography of post-punk/goth band Quite Simple, from Holland.  I’ve seen these two records go for moderate prices over the years, so they certainly warrant some more attention for those unaware of the band.

Fans of hook-driven Leeds bands such as March Violets and the Lorries should love this one, straight down to the male/female vocal dynamics and big, shameless production.   For a private pressing, the production on the LP is especially impressive, and sometimes it sounds like the LP is only a major label away from being Floodland II.

Unknown Stranger was released in 1989, while the 7” (which I prefer by a small margin) was released in 1987.  There’s also another track released on the Made In Brabant compilation in 1987, and since that collection pre-dates the LP as well, I’m assuming the recording of “Visions” from the compilation is different than what would appear two years later.  If anyone has this compilation, feel free to drop a line!   Otherwise, enjoy!

Quite Simple- Victims 7” (1987)
1. Victims
2. Light In the Dark



Quite Simple- Unknown Stranger LP (1989)
1. Unknown Stranger
2. Mistery of the Night
3. Visions
4. Age of Miracles
5. China Town
6. Curious Eyes
7. Nightmare
8. Out of the Spirit World

*download both here*

6 Comments »

Here Today- Whistle In the Yard 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, goth, here today, new wave, post-punk, vigil on November 13, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve always had a soft spot for the self-titled Vigil record, which I first heard via Hi-Fi Hillary.  The album has made the blog circuits before, and is notorious for being the first rock album to have been recorded and mixed digitally.  It was released on Chrysalis records in 1987, and while a vinyl pressing of the LP and the I Am Waiting 12” can be easily found for a few bucks (I have bought/passed out several copies among friends and DJs in the scene), the CD is much more scarce, fetching between $40-60 bucks whenever it pops up.  The album is a hybrid of catchy new wave hooks and post-punk guitars, a bit of grit beneath the gloss.   I’ve always dug it.

However, before Vigil there was Here Today, who formed in Baltimore in 1983 (see also The Mission, Immortal, and The Unknown for more flagship acts of Baltimore’s fertile post-punk scene).  They recorded just one 3-track 12” in 1983, before courting major label interest from CBS.  Without swapping band members, they changed their name to Vigil and began work on their debut record in 1984.   However, the A&R rep who signed the band departed CBS, and the band agreed to a buyout in order to sign with Chrysalis records.  This entire process took three years, and the band were soon dropped after contributing a song to the Nightmare on Elm Street 4 soundtrack, but the title track of this 12” survived the test of time, with a re-recorded version appearing on the Vigil LP.   The Here Today version of the track is leaner, meaner, and darker, and the two b-sides are exclusive to this release.  While ‘Whistle’ is still the standout, the other tracks are enjoyable.  “In the Maze” is a slow, bass driven dirge that picks up mid-way through, while “Del Centro 86/99” is a futuristic themed track that sounds like a hybrid of Devo and Bauhaus’ more spastic tracks (“Kamikaze Dive”).

Meanwhile, Vigil recorded a second album after leaving Chrysalis, which was self-released on cassette in the late 1980s.   There are plans to reissue the first Vigil album in 2014, so perhaps the second album and other assorted rarities will see the light of day.  You can find Vigil here on Facebook for any future updates.

Here Today- Whistle In the Yard 12”
1. Whistle In the Yard
2. Del Centro 86/89
3. In the Maze

*download it here*

Jo Connor has also uploaded a bunch of live Vigil clips from 1986.  Click here to check out his youtube page.  I also remember seeing an official video for the re-recorded version of “Whistle in the Yard,” but it must have been removed.  I’ll link it here if I ever come across it again!

1 Comment »

The Floor- Discography

Posted in 2000s, 2003, 2005, canadian, edmonton, post-punk, synth, the floor on November 5, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

The+Floor

A good friend of mine recently gave me some sage advice.  To paraphrase, he mentioned that it’s a crime to dig too much into the distant past, for fear of ignoring more recent bands who are making incredible music.  By doing this, it only dooms modern bands to the same fate as their forgotten predecessors.

I can’t agree more, and while I’m still on the hunt for forgotten 80s treasures (and have plenty more coming in the mail, mind you), there are quite a few bands from the turn of the century that have already fallen by the wayside in lieu of their more Pitchfork-centric peers.   While the post-punk resurgence of the mid-2000s wasn’t the true second coming we all hoped it would be, there are still several bands who managed to make some incredible music, overshadowed by bands like Interpol, The Strokes, The Rapture, etc., who dominated the scene.

I received a lot of great feedback about Branches, another band that Jason recommended and shared a rip of here, and with his advice in mind, I plan to share a handful of more recent bands that we’re both fond of.  First up is The Floor, a Canadian band who flirted with electronics, classic post-punk bass tones, and shoegaze textures, mixing those timelessly great techniques with big hooks, solid musicianship, and killer songs.  I discovered their only full length back in 2006, shortly after it was released, and it’s a seasonal favorite.  Over the years, I’ve clocked more plays on Personnel than I have any other album from that era, and know the whole record like the back of my hand.  However, I hadn’t heard anything else from them, and as like many bands from that era (including many of my own), I presume they broke up soon after.

However, Jason was able to provide a rip of the two EPs that preceded Personnel, completing the official discography.  The EPs are just as good, as one might suspect…  In general, fans of bands like The Chameleons, A Flock of Seagulls, and For Against’s December should LOVE these guys, and I hope you enjoy these records as much as I do…

The Floor- Doll (2003)
1. Catastrophe
2. Seconds Later
3. Feature 74
4. Doll
5. Warning Signs
6. Mistake to Make
7. Daffodil

The Floor- Autonomy Off/On (2003)
1. Drown Inside
2. Isolene, I
3. Automation
4. Impossible
5. Noncom
6. Blank Reaction
7. Cloud of Blinding Light

The Floor- Personnel (2005)
1. Fallout Forever
2. Someone Else
3. In the New World
4. The Guilt of Silence
5. Personnel
6. Glass Heart
7. Freeze/Frame
8. What Do You Know?
9. Occur
10. Never After
11. Alone On Your Own

*download all three here*

16 Comments »

The Chyldren- Mortis Hora

Posted in 1980s, 1987, darkwave, synth, synthpop, the chyldren, uk on October 29, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Now that blog culture has come full circle, there are very few “holy grails” left to uncover.  However, this LP has achieved near mythic status to me over the years after hearing a loose track ages ago.  I don’t even remember how I came across the track, and having it tagged improperly didn’t help much, as it took me some time to figure out that the band name was The Chyldren and not The Children.  Either way, I was always curious to hear the rest of it, and here we have it, another donation that comes courtesy of xerfrank.  Thanks again!

All talk aside, this record, like VHF and Eleven Pond before it, deserves it’s mythic status, less so based on the quality of the recording but moreso because it was never *officially* released.  Sure, there are copies of it out there, especially if you’ve got $700 to spare, but good luck finding this one in your local record store.  The story behind it is simple: band makes record, record goes to print in 1987, record does not make it past the test pressing phase.  It should be self explanatory, but in case you’re not a vinyl collector or of a younger generation, test pressings are simply copies of an album used to gauge the quality of a pressing, as anomalies, variables, and errors can be rather commonplace.  Now in my experience, there’s usually only four or five test pressings of a given record, mostly for individual band members or label personnel.  With that in mind, I’m not sure how 8 people (or more, since discogs records are never 100% accurate) came across a test pressing, but I suppose it could be possible that they pressed more of these than usual to be sold at shows or given away to friends.  Either that, or some people on discogs are theoretical collectors.  All copies of this album come complete with a (rather goofy) cover/sleeve that looks professional, but the inner label is handwritten, as shown here in photos.

Now, let’s talk a bit about the music.  You might expect this record to be a complete novelty, judging from the goofy cover, terrible font choices, and religious themed psuedonyms used by the three band members (my personal favorite is Lucifer the Cross, though your mileage may vary).  Well, it’s not.   The album is a rather good, if but a little one-dimensional synth-driven record that utlizes the same bombastic drum machine pattern and vocal melody on almost every track.  So, while the band certianly doesn’t take themselves too seriously, even on the compositional side of things, there are some nice gems to be found here, even if they all sound pretty interchangeable with each other.  The good news is that the album is rather short- 7 tracks in 25 minutes, so as long as you like the vibe, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

You know, it’s funny that I mentioned both VHF and Eleven Pond up there, as this album almost comes across like a hybrid of both records, combining the synth-heavy, toe-tapping catchiness of VHF with the darkwave/Factory records vibes of Eleven Pond.  The religious themes also remind me heavily of Eyes of God, but in all honesty, this LP sounds like a long lost, fully synth-driven cousin of Sanity Plexus, but I digress.  Check this one out for yourself.

The Chyldren- Mortis Hora LP
1. Private Crucifixion
2. Sin
3. Chase Me
4. Speed
5. Burn
6. Fade Away
7. You
8. Dope

*download it here*

7 Comments »

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