Black Sea- An Early Fall LP

Posted in 1990, 1990s, Black Sea, goth-rock, post-punk, rough trade on September 20, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

THREE new posts to kick off this new week, so bear with me, folks! The first hails from Black Sea, a US-based four piece post-punk band who releaed just one (appropriately titled) LP in 1990. The band formed in New Jersey and had a sound comparable with early Cure, The Lucy Show, The Church, etc. with a slightly harder edge. The LP was released on a small label, the local No. 6 Records, but distributed by Rough Trade, which no doubt earned the band a small cult following.  Wonder if they ever ran into Screaming For Emily, as both bands share similar sounds and hail from the same state…

Various sources allude to another released track, on a C’est La Morte compilation, but I can’t seem to confirm it for sure. Feel free to drop a line if anyone has any further information on these guys. That said, here’s the info for the LP:

Black Sea- An Early Fall LP
1. Washed Away
2. Immigrant Song
3. Hope
4. Mix
5. Killing Time
6. Darkest Days
7. Empty Fields
8. The River Runs Red

*download it here* (CD Rip uploaded 7.21.21)

Track 2 is indeed a cover of the infamous Led Zeppelin track, but with a fresh new take! Enjoy, and stay tuned for more goodies! I have a bunch of new stuff in this vein (more guitar-driven) so coldwave/post-punk fans, rejoice!

9 Comments »

Fatidic Seconde- Le Drakkar (Sidonie) 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, fatidic seconde, france, french, minimal synth, new wave, synth, synthpop on September 16, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Been dying to hear this one for quite some time, so a million thanks to bx59cppw for finally tracking it down. Killer French new wave hear, one of the best singles of the era, hailing from 1985. Both tracks are unstoppable, though the b-side has a more romantic edge.

The band released three more singles before disbanding in 1988. You can get the equally captivating Métropolis 7” over at Dreams and Voices. Without any further ado, here’s the info for this one:

Fatidic Seconde- Le Drakkar (Sidonie) 7”
1. Le Drakkar (Sidonie)
2. Le Chemin D’Un Rêve

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 6.3.13)

Still have tons of goodies coming up, so expect a flurry of posts over the next few days!

5 Comments »

Figures on a Beach- Swimming 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, figures on a beach, future bible heroes, new romantic, new wave, synth, synthpop on September 8, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s the debut 12” by new wave/new romantic band Figures on a Beach, released in 1983. A little more poppy than I usually go for, but there’s tons of great hooks and melodies here, especially in the title track.

The band formed in Michigan (relocating to Boston) and released three LPs and a handful of singles before splitting in 1991. Their tracks are generally cult staples of the era, and can still be heard in some clubs to date. After splitting, Chris Ewen went on to play with Stephin Merrit in the Future Bible Heroes project, a more new wave offshoot of The Magnetic Fields. Ewan provided the new wave/disco backdrop for the band.

Though I do enjoy the majority of the band’s discography (including the Don Was-produced track- “Breathless“), this 12” is by far my favorite. Here’s the information:

Figures on a Beach- Swimming 12”
1. Swimming
2. Feel Like Glass
3. Decay
4. Everything But Heaven

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Candidate- Side By Side LP

Posted in 1980s, 1987, candidate, french, minimal synth, synth, synthpop on September 5, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s the lone LP by French synthsters Candidate, released in 1987. There’s very little to be found about this two piece (though they have a website).  There are a few other releases of theirs kicking around, including a split K7 and a split 7” with Gangrène. Would love to hear them, should anyone out there have a copy kicking around!

Otherwise, you can expect some killer minimal synth grooves, with a little bit of edgy guitar thrown in for good measure. a nice mix of tension and melody here, best for fans of Pink Industry, Kas Product, Strawberry Switchblade, etc. Here’s the info:

Candidate- Side By Side LP
1. Strange Girl
2. Starway
3. On The Ice
4. Subterrateen
5. On//Off
6. Last Day
7. The Wound

*download it here* (re-ripped 2015)

3 Comments »

Vibø- One To Many 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, Belgian, coldwave, minimal synth, post-punk, Vibø on September 5, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s something I’ve seen kicking around a few wantlists, and rightfully so. Killer minimal synth meets dark post-punk guitarwave tracks here from this Belgian band. This is their only release, though I’m sure most have heard of this band via the Tribute to Some Bizarre series. They remind me quite a bit of bands like Siglo XX and the previously uploaded Bildenzone LP.

Not much more to be said about this one, so if anyone else has any information to share, please do! P.S.- the grammatical error in the title seems to be intentional.

Vibø- One To Many 12”
1. Clinical Death
2. The Game
3. Clinical Death (Proloog)
4. Machine
5. World Is Ours
6. Grandma

*download it here* (re-ripped 5.5.2021)

10 Comments »

X-Quadrat- X-Quadrat 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, german, minimal synth, NDW, post-punk, x-quadrat on September 2, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Almost forgot I had this one kicking around. Thanks to bx59cppw for the nudge! This is a classic German 12”, released in 1982. Four tracks of synth weirdness here. Post-punk rhythms, fast minimal synth arpeggiations, and a very NDW approach to things, all wrapped up in four short, but incredibly sweet tracks. The Tonträger 58 Hagen label also released the Kein Mensch 7”, a similarly great release.

Not much more to be said about this one, so let’s get to the good stuff:

X-Quadrat- X-Quadrat 12”
1. Kauf Dir Die Freiheit
2. Immer Und Ewig
3. Der Digitaltanz
4. Information

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Corruption

Posted in Uncategorized on August 29, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Pardon the technical difficulties- it seems as if both the Troubled Gardens and the Chrisma files were corrupt at some point. Troubled Gardens was reuploaded immediately on Friday, so track 1 (“Voice Carryovers”) should now be intact. The Chrisma discography issue has just been brought to my attention today, and it has been reuploaded. With 200+ downloads before a single complaint, I’m surprised no one mentioned it sooner!

Hopefully, the problem has been rectified- but do chime in and let me know if not.

3 Comments »

Troubled Gardens- Eden Revisited 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, coldwave, post-punk, Troubled Gardens, US on August 27, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Just found a sealed (!) copy of this killer 12” for super cheap, so figured I’d share it for you all. I can’t seem to find a ton of information about Troubled Gardens, but expect some heavy bass grooves, Chameleons-esque guitars, and driving post-punk vibes from this US band. Three of the songs here are vocal ragers, while the other three are more dub-inspired jams.

This 12” was released in 1985 by Fountain of Youth records, home to bands like The Crippled Pilgrims, Government Issue, and The Velvet Monkeys. This is one of their final releases. Here’s the information:

Troubled Gardens- Eden Revisited 12”
1. Voice Carryovers
2. Incredible Changing Dub
3. Silent City
4. Domination Dub
5. Hour Of The Sun
6. Spy Dub

*download link removed* – purchase this & Troubled Gardens’ instrumental cassette HERE and HERE, respectively.

10 Comments »

Chrisma- Discography

Posted in 1970s, 1980s, Chrisma, italian, Krisma, minimal synth, synth, synthpop, synthpunk, vangelis on August 27, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s one of two posts lined up to get you through the weekend. First, we have what I believe to be the complete discography of Italian band Chrisma, a synthpunk outfit active in the late 1970s. The band combined a Marlene Dietrich kind of vibe with krautrock, Chrome-esque guitar lines, disco rhythms, and primitive synthesizers for a futuristic and incredibly eclectic sound. Very ahead of their time, as far as I’m concerned, especially when you hear the drastic jump in styles between the first 7” and the debut LP.

The band takes its name from combining the first names of members Christina Moser and Maurizio Arcieri. Their earliest recordings were made in Vangelis’ home studio, which more than likely explains their futuristic sound. There’s even a rumor kicking around that Vangelis himself performed on Chinese Restaurant, but he is not listed in the album credits.

While the band was formed in Italy, they sang the majority of their songs in English, which helped earn the band a few fans stateside. You can still hear “Black Silk Stockings” (IMO, the band’s best track) in various clubs to date. In 1980, the band changed their name to Krisma and took a more synthpop turn, releasing five LPs and a slew of singles. Perhaps I’ll cover them someday in the future, but otherwise, here’s the full Chrisma output- two LPs and two 7” records. I didn’t include a few of the other 7”s, as the band would double up on album cuts for b-sides. Here’s the rundown:

Chrisma- Amore 7” (1976)
1. Amore
2. Sweet Baby Sue

Chrisma- Chinese Restaurant LP (1977)
1. Thank You
2. Black Silk Stocking
3. Lola
4. C-Rock
5. What For
6. Wanderlust
7. Lycee
8. Mandoia
9. Thank You

Chrisma- U 12” (1977)
1. U Part I
2. U Part II

Chrisma- Hibernation LP (1979)
1. Calling
2. Aurora B.
3. Rush ’79
4. Hibernated Nazi
5. Gott Gott Electron
6. We R.
7. So You Don’t
8. Lover
9. Vera Platz

*download all four here*

In case you’re not sold on downloading this discography, peep a performance of “Black Silk Stocking/Lola” here, complete with a latter day interview with the band, for those fluent in Italian. Awesome.

If you dig on these records, feel free to purchase the excellent reissues from Medical Records!

16 Comments »

Home Service- Discography

Posted in 1970s, 1980s, david motion, home service, minimal synth, post-punk, strawberry switchblade, synth, synthpop on August 15, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Hey kids, I’m back! Got a few treats lined up over the next few days, but first we have the entire discography from UK band Home Service.

There’s an unfortunate discrepancy in the band’s discogs bio, which claims they have roots in the UK folk rock scene, but I believe there may have been more than one band masquerading with that name. However, a little digging has revealed that this particular project consists of only two members, David Motion and David Fraser. Many may be more familiar with David Motion’s work as both a film/jingle composer and the producer for Strawberry Switchblade from 1984-1991. Behind the scenes, he was responsible for some of the band’s best tracks, including “Since Yesterday” and “Little River.”

That said, Home Service’s own music was a bit of a curious anomaly in the new wave spectrum. The band mostly toys with a more quirky sound, seen more famously in bands like Units, Tone Set, Silicon Teens, and Devo. Their first two singles were released on Motion’s own Crystal Groove records, while their final 12” was picked up by Situation Two/Beggar’s Banquet. There’s a definite progression in style between the three singles (starting with more guitars and changing over to a mostly synth-based sound), all unified by the band’s unique voice. My favorite tracks across the three are “Wake-Up!,” “The New Age Elite Corps” and “O.M.F.I.L.,” respectively!

Here’s the breakdown.

Home Service- Wake-Up! 7” (1979)
1. Wake-Up!
2. Foreplay
3. Automatic Daydream

Home Service- Thin Hours 7” (1980)
1. Thin Hours
2. The New Age Elite Corps

Home Service- Only Men Fall In Love 12” (1981)
1. Only Men Fall In Love
2. O.M.F.I.L.
3. Only Men Fall In Love (Special Club Version)

*download it all here* (RE-RIPPED 10.9.7)

For curious parties, check out a lengthy interview with David Motion here!

2 Comments »

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