Based in San Francisco during the '80s, MDC trumped the Dead Kennedys by performing politically charged hardcore punk that was arguably more extreme than what got the Kennedys into trouble. Alternately known as Multi-Death Corporation, Millions of Dead Cops, or Millions of Damn Christians, the group formed in Texas in 1980 but moved to the West Coast by the time of their first release, a 1981 7" titled "John Wayne Was a Nazi." After their album debut, 1982's 'Millions of Dead Cops', the band released a 1983 EP but then was silent for several years.
MDC returned in 1986 with their second album, 'Smoke Signals', a musically mature record which didn't leaven the political content one bit. MDC aimed their sights at religion for 1987's 'This Blood's for You' -recorded as Millions of Damn Christians- and began to expand their sound on the album, using acoustic guitar and definite attempts at melody. After releasing some rare and unreleased material on 'More Dead Cops', MDC returned to their hardcore roots on 1989's 'Metal Devil Cokes'. Issued the same year, 'Elvis: In the Rheinland' consists of a 1988 show recorded in Berlin. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Cult UK duo Circuit 7, founded by Martyn Good and Andy Partington, released two singles, 'Modern Story' and the amazing 'Video Boys' and a few tracks on the legendary 'Offering of Isca' compilation between 1983 and 1985. The music falls into the minimal synth / synthpunk / new wave category while some songs can be classified as post-punk. [SOURCE: MINIMAL WAVE RECORDS]
Punk pranksters the Meatmen had one of the nastiest, most offensive senses of humor in all of hardcore -and that's saying something. Politically incorrect before the term existed, frontman Tesco Vee -the one constant in the band's lineup- kept things as gleefully stupid and tasteless as possible, cracking graphic jokes about various bodily functions while baiting women, minorities, homosexuals, rival punk bands, and handicapped children. The Meatmen's music was generally standard-issue hardcore punk, with nods to heavy metal in their latter years; much more important, however, was their sheer outrageousness, which was the real basis for their following.
Meatmen founder Tesco Vee was born Robert Vermuellen, and grew up mostly in Lansing, MI, where he discovered the music of Detroit proto-punkers like the MC5 and The Stooges. Starting in his teenage years, he published several punk fanzines, chronicling the Midwestern scene in one called Touch & Go. In 1980, he adopted the stage name Tesco Vee (the first part after his favorite record store) and teamed with brothers Rich and Greg Ramsey (bass and guitar, respectively) to form the Meatmen. Initial drummer Jim Forsey quickly gave way to Eliot Rachtman, and the Meatmen soon built a following for on-stage antics that had little to do with Vee's day job as a fourth-grade teacher.
Later in 1980, Vee teamed with Necros bassist Corey Rusk to found Touch & Go Records, which released the Meatmen's 1982 debut EP, 'Blood Sausage'. It was followed in short order by another EP, 'Crippled Children Suck'; it was later reissued as part of an LP that also included demos and outtakes. By this time, Rachtman had been replaced first by Mr. X and then by ex-Necros drummer Todd Swalla; meanwhile, Greg Ramsey had also quit to have brother Rich take over his guitar slot, at which point Mike Achtenbourg joined on bass. Vee, uninterested in the business aspects of running a record label, also ceded control of Touch & Go to Rusk, who would build it into one of the most influential indie labels of the '80s. The Meatmen's -and Touch & Go's- first full-length LP, 'We're the Meatmen...and You Suck!!', appeared in 1983, and contained both 'Blood Sausage' tracks and live versions of 'Crippled Children' material. Following its release, the first version of the Meatmen disbanded, and Vee relocated to Washington, D.C.
With help from ex-Minor Threat guitarists Lyle Preslar and Brian Baker, Vee recorded the solo EP 'Dutch Hercules' in 1984. Preslar and Baker subsequently formed the backbone of a musically potent new version of the Meatmen, which featured bassist Graham McCulloch and drummer Eric Zelzdor. Leaving Touch & Go for Homestead, this lineup released 'War of the Superbikes' in 1985. Baker subsequently left the group to start the early emo band Dag Nasty, and was replaced by Stuart Casson. Casson, in turn, left halfway through the recording of 1986's 'Rock & Roll Juggernaut' (now on Caroline), and was replaced by James Cooper; when Cooper left in 1987, Casson came right back. Also in 1987, Zelzdor departed and gave way to Mark "Gooly" Kermanj. This lineup embarked on a farewell tour in 1988, which produced the live album 'We're the Meatmen...and You Still Suck!!!'
Two years after the Meatmen's breakup, Tesco Vee emerged from retirement to form The Hate Police, which recorded several singles and an album over 1990-1993. Meanwhile, Touch & Go compiled the entirety of the Meatmen's recordings for the label on 1991's evocatively titled 'Stud Powercock: The Touch and Go Years'. In 1993, after the Hate Police disbanded, Vee teamed with a Meatmen-influenced band called True Grit to form a third version of the Meatmen, this time featuring guitarist Norman Voss, bassist Mark Davis, and drummer Mark Glass. Vee formed his own Meatking label to issue the new lineup's first effort, the limited-edition 'Toilet Slave', in 1994. The follow-up, 1995's 'Pope on a Rope', featured new drummer Rob San Pietro and landed the group support slots with the likes of Gwar and Butt Trumpet. 'War of the Superbikes, Vol. 2', released by Go Kart in 1996, featured the entirety of the original album plus a selection of new songs to fill out the CD. A final EP, 'Evil in a League with Satan', appeared in 1997 before the group broke up once again. A decade later, the Meatmen returned to the studio to begin work on 'Cover the Earth', which was released in 2009 and followed by a mammoth U.S. tour. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
An artist who skillfully navigates the line between the power pop underground and the mainstream end of alternative rock, Matthew Sweet was a master of potent pop tunes and catchy melodic hooks, but he also knew how to make his songs rock, and his inspired use of incisive guitar work gave his songs an edge that was fresh and satisfying. Sweet spent most of the '80s in the background, performing with the groups Oh-OK and Buzz of Delight, playing in Lloyd Cole's backing band, and releasing a pair of overlooked solo albums (1986's 'Inside' and 1989's 'Earth') as he honed his skills. With 1991's 'Girlfriend', Sweet enjoyed a commercial and critical breakthrough, with its near-perfect fusion of pop formalism and full-bodied rock & roll. Sweet enjoyed similar success with 1993's 'Altered Beast' and 1995's '100% Fun', while in the 2000s he devoted much of his time to more idiosyncratic projects (2003's 'Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu') and collaborations (a series of duo albums with Susanna Hoffs and an LP recorded with Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge as The Thorns). In 2017 he returned to form with 'Tomorrow Forever', a sprawling 17-song effort that clicked with critics and fans and reestablished him as a master of contemporary power pop.
Born in 1964, Sweet began playing music while he was a high school student in his native Lincoln, Nebraska. Upon his graduation in 1983, he decided to attend the University of Georgia in Athens because of its burgeoning underground music scene. Once he arrived at college, he met Lynda Stipe and joined her band, Oh-OK, in time to play on their second EP, the Mitch Easter-produced 'Furthermore What', which was released late in 1983. The following year, he and Oh-OK drummer David Pierce formed Buzz of Delight, releasing 'Sound Castles' later that year. Over the course of 1984 and 1985, Sweet cut a demo tape with producer Don Dixon. Columbia Records heard The Buzz of Delight record and the demo and offered him a contract in 1985.
Upon signing with Columbia, he relocated to New York and recorded his debut, 'Inside'. Released in 1986, 'Inside' featured Sweet playing nearly all of the instruments on the record, supported by a drum machine; the album also featured several cameos, including Chris Stamey, Fred Maher, Anton Fier, and Aimee Mann. That same year, Sweet guested on 'Blast of Silence', an album by Fier's band The Golden Palominos. Despite positive reviews, 'Inside' was ignored upon its release and Columbia dropped Sweet. In 1988, he signed with A&M Records and recorded his second album, 'Earth'. Produced by Fred Maher and released in 1989, 'Earth' again featured Sweet as a one-man band, augmented by guitarists Robert Quine (Lou Reed, Richard Hell) and Richard Lloyd (Television). The album failed to make any impact, and A&M dropped Sweet as he was working on his third album in 1990.
Over the next year, he earned money by touring as Lloyd Cole's guitarist while shopping a demo of his album to various labels, with little success. Eventually, the president of Zoo signed him upon overhearing the demo in an office. 'Girlfriend', an album largely inspired by the dissolution of his marriage, was the first album Sweet recorded with a live band, and its sound -which was powered by Lloyd and Quine- was considerably more immediate and raw than its predecessors. Upon its late 1991 release, 'Girlfriend' earned strong reviews and "Divine Intervention" became a moderate hit, but it wasn't until the spring of 1992, when the title track took off, that the album became a genuine hit. By the end of the year, 'Girlfriend' had gone gold and Sweet had moved to Los Angeles.
Sweet returned in 1993 with 'Altered Beast', recorded with producer Richard Dashut, who was best known for his work with Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Buckingham. Again featuring Quine and Lloyd, 'Altered Beast' was messier than 'Girlfriend', yet it became a sizable college radio hit on the strength of the modern rock and MTV hits "The Ugly Truth" and "Time Capsule." A stopgap EP, 'Son of Altered Beast'. arrived in the spring of 1994.
For his fifth album, Sweet recorded with a more commercial producer -Brendan O'Brien- who had previously worked with Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots. Released in the spring of 1995, '100% Fun' received Sweet's strongest reviews to date and went gold on the strength of "Sick of Myself," his first single to scrape the bottom reaches of the pop charts. Following '100% Fun', Sweet parted ways with Lloyd and Quine, but retained O'Brien for 1997's 'Blue Sky on Mars'. More new wave-inspired, the album garnered the most attention for the lead single "Where You Get Love." 'In Reverse' followed in 1999, and the best-of collection 'Time Capsule' arrived a year later. Hip-O released 'To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet' in 2002, a collection that Sweet followed up with the Japanese-only release 'Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu'.
Sweet returned to the domestic studio in 2004 for 'Living Things', followed by a collection of choice covers with ex-BanglesSusanna Hoffs called 'Under the Covers, Vol. 1' in 2006. In 2008, Sweet released 'Sunshine Lies', an all-new collection of studio material that was warmly received by both fans and critics alike, followed by 'Under the Covers, Vol. 2' (again with Hoffs) in 2009. Two years later, Sweet hit the road in celebration of 'Girlfriend's 20th anniversary, playing the album in its entirety each night. That same fall, he also released a new record, 'Modern Art'. Sweet once again teamed with Hoffs in 2013 for their third collection of covers. Released in November 2013, 'Under the Covers, Vol. 3' focused on songs from the '80s.
In June 2017, Sweet returned with 'Tomorrow Forever', his first collection of original songs in six years. May 2018 brought the release of 'Tomorrow's Daughter', a twelve-song set featuring a number of tracks that were recorded for 'Tomorrow Forever' but didn't make the final cut. Sweet's 15th studio album, 'Catspaw', arrived in January 2021 and found him playing all the instruments except for drums, which were supplied by longtime collaborator and Velvet Crush-member Ric Menck. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
After Rema-Rema split, Gary Asquith, Mick Allen, and Mark Cox formed arty post-punk outfit Mass with Danny Briottet. The quartet debuted in 1980 with the single ‘You And I’/’Cabbage’, following it up a year later with their sole album, 'Labour Of Love'. The group subsequently split into two halves: Asquith and Briottet formed Renegade Soundwave, while Allen and Cox remained with 4AD for their new project, The Wolfgang Press. [SOURCE: 4AD]
Breaking Circus was a post-punk band from the 1980s, based in Chicago and later Minneapolis, founded by guitarist and vocalist Steve Björklund.
Björklund had played guitar and sang for Chicago punk band Strike Under after a short stint in the group Terminal Beach. Breaking Circus was his next project, originally with bassist Bruce Lange and a Roland TR-606 drum machine.
Breaking Circus signed to Homestead Records for their first release, 'The Very Long Fuse EP' (1985), featuring the song "Marathon", which has been cited as "stuck in several thousand heads" and a "college-radio favorite". In 1986, Björklund moved to Minneapolis and began working with Rifle Sport bassist Pete "Flour" Conway and drummer/guitarist Todd Trainer. In 1986 the band released a song, "Driving the Dynamite Truck" on the Twin/Tone compilation 'Big Hits of Mid-America Volume Four', with a slightly different lineup having Tony Pucci of Man Sized Action in the drummer's chair.
Homestead Records released the band's 'The Ice Machine' LP with the album's credits appearing as a Monopoly-style drinking game insert.
Guitarist Phil Harder filled out the band for a national tour before Breaking Circus returned home to record another LP that was to feature four songs by Björklund, four by Conway, and four by Trainer. When the band arrived in the studio, they received word from Homestead that the label would only pay for six of the twelve songs that they had originally planned to record. All four of Björklund's songs and one by each of the other members were recorded and released as the EP 'Smokers' Paradise' in 1987. The band broke up in 1988.
Phil Harder became a music video director and went on to form the trio Big Trouble House. Pete Conway recorded four full-length solo albums as Flour for Touch and Go Records. Todd Trainer released two EPs under the name Brick Layer Cake before founding Shellac with Steve Albini and Bob Weston. Björklund released a final 7" single of solo electropop versions of songs by Naked Raygun and the UK Subs under the name Breaking Circus. He was briefly in the band Balloon Guy before moving on to work as a producer. In the 2010s Björklund returned to making music, forming the band High Value Target with his wife, Liz Björklund, and former Effigies drummer Steve Economou. The group released an EP in 2012. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Founded in 1984 in Berlin, Marquee Moon soon developed into one of the driving forces behind German gothic.
The band’s name goes back to the title of the classic debut album of the NY band Television, as well as a line from a song of The Damned.
In the very same year, Marquee Moon's debut single 'Don’t Go Out Tonight' was released, with the original singer leaving shortly afterwards
and two of the other band members taking his part. The line-up at that point was Nigel Degray (vocals/guitar), Hanzy Nischwitz (guitars), Humphy Sabothe (bass/vocals/keyboards) and Tom Petersen (drums/percussion).
The single was followed in 1985 by their first (mini) album 'Beyond The Pale', seeing them go on tour with legendary US punk rockers The Ramones shortly after the release and manifesting an ever increasing interest in the band.
In 1986 then, with the impact of the NDW ebbing away and the interest in dark music growing in Germany, Marquee Moon released their second album 'Strangers In The Monkeybiz' with the single "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow" lifted from that album, which was their most respected release and biggest success so far.
They toured with X-Mal Deutschland and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and thus managed to increase their fame.
1987 saw the release of another single, entitled "Land Of The Lonely", which was followed in 1989 by the next album, 'Future Patrol'.
Here Marquee Moon already did what was later to become a trend and brought so-called innovative bands huge success: the fusion of gothic with elements from industrial and metal music.
At the beginning of the nineties, it became quiet around the band with the members of the core line-up going their own ways.
Seemingly Marquee Moon was non-existent, and that at a time where gothic was renascent in Germany.
In 1992 though, they were present on the first CD compilation of Berlin-based underground label Dossier.
Their contribution, the track "Angst+War" received very positive feedback, which finally led to the band recording a new album on Dossier under the same title.
Again a few years passed until in 1995 the band showed new signs of life in form of a contribution to a
Sisters Of Mercy Tribute Sampler and a new MCD called 'Desert House' released on Alice In..., followed a year later by the release of a best-of compilation on the same label, entitled '1985-1996', which also contained two all-new tracks.
After ten years -and the pitch of being chronicly undervalued- Marquee Moon finally withdrew from the business in 1997.
What remains is the music of one of the trailblazers of German gothic. [SOURCE: MARQUEE MOON]
A strikingly gifted guitarist whose repertoire runs the gamut from traditionalist roots music to jagged free improvisation, with stylistic fearlessness and passion the principal unifying factors, Marc Ribot has enjoyed a successful career as an in-demand sideman as well as leading numerous recording and performing projects of his own. After making his way into New York's downtown experimental music community in the late '70s, Ribot first gained serious attention for his work with John Lurie's "fake jazz" combo the Lounge Lizards and various projects with adventurous composer John Zorn, while also performing with R&B acts. He began a longstanding association with Tom Waits in 1985, playing on his album 'Rain Dogs', and has also collaborated frequently with Elvis Costello (starting with 1989's 'Spike') and producer T-Bone Burnett. Ribot has also led projects that find him exploring jazz (The Young Philadelphians), Cuban music (Marc Ribot y los Cubanos Postizos), and experimental rock (Ceramic Dog) as well as recording solo releases, including his 2018 collection of historical protest music, 'Songs of Resistance 1948-2018'.
Ribot was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 21, 1954. He took up the guitar as a teenager, and began playing with local rock bands while in high school. As his interests in music expanded, Ribot began studying with Frantz Casseus, a Haitian composer and classical guitarist; he'd later go on to record a number of Casseus' pieces. While Ribot is left-handed, he learned to play guitar in the right-handed style, which helped to give his work a tough, gutsy sound.
In 1978, Ribot left Newark for New York City, and began making a name for himself on the downtown experimental music scene, initially as a member of the band The Realtones, and later with John Lurie's group the Lounge Lizards. Ribot also became a frequent collaborator with avant-garde composer John Zorn, while also working as a sideman with soul and R&B acts such as Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett, and Carla Thomas. In 1985, Ribot was recruited to play on Tom Waits' album 'Rain Dogs', which led to a longstanding collaboration between the songwriter and the guitarist. Ribot also became acquainted with producer T-Bone Burnett, who often brought the guitarist in for his studio projects, including sessions with Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, John Mellencamp, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Diana Krall, Elton John, and Leon Russell. Costello was especially taken with Ribot's work, inviting him to join his road band The Rude Five and to play on his albums 'Spike', 'Mighty Like a Rose', and 'Kojak Variety'.
Ribot made his recorded debut as a bandleader with his group The Rootless Cosmopolitans, who issued their debut album in 1990. Since then, he's released a variety of recordings as a solo artist (including 'Requiem for What's His Name', 'Shrek', 'Shoe String Symphonettes', and 'Exercises in Futility') and as leader of the groups Marc Ribot y los Cubanos Postizos, Ceramic Dog, and The Young Philadelphians. In 2016, Ribot collaborated with two other noted experimental guitarists, Elliott Sharp and Mary Halvorson, for the album 'Err Guitar', released in May 2017. He then reunited with his Ceramic Dog bandmates, bassist/singer Shahzad Ismaily and drummer/singer Ches Smith, for the punk-infused, politically conscious 'YRU Still Here?' In 2018, he partnered with Anti- Records for 'Songs of Resistance 1948-2018', another set of politically oriented material that included guest vocals from Tom Waits, Steve Earle, Meshell Ndegeocello, Syd Straw, and Tift Merritt, among others. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
After the split of his synth pop duo Soft Cell in 1984, Marc Almond pursued a solo career that has allowed his multi-dimensional theatrical and musical personas a freedom of expression and equanimity of exposure that his former band could not provide. Almond's strength lies not in the quality of his voice, which tends to waver around notes instead of hitting them, but in the massive force of his chameleonlike persona. He so completely inhabits songs that he becomes inseparable from them. As a solo performer, Almond has often worked in series. Between 1982 and 1987, he issued three albums with The Willing Sinners (including 'Stories of Johnny') that portrayed him as an aesthetic descendant of the Weimar Republic cabaret singers. 1988's 'The Stars We Are' marked a brief return to sophisticated dance and theatrical pop. The following year, he and Gene Pitney delivered a duet single of the latter's 1967 hit "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart." During most of the 1990s and early 21st century, Almond was a torch and musical theater singer. 1993's provocatively titled 'Absinthe (The French Album)' reveled in his obsessions with chanson and romantic excess. Between 1995 and 2000, he offered a new vision of wonderfully sleazy, emotionally (and often electronically) wrought pop on albums such as 'Fantastic Star' and 'Open All Night'. 2003's 'Heart on Snow', recorded in Moscow, was a collection of translated Russian songs. 2009's 'Orpheus in Exile: Songs of Vadim Kozin' paid tribute to the persecuted Russian singer and songwriter. 2014's 'The Tyburn Tree' with John Harle was subtitled "Dark London," while 'The Dancing Marquis' featured pop collaborations with Jarvis Cocker and Jools Holland. In 2016, the massive ten-disc career-spanning retrospective 'Trials of Eyeliner: The Anthology 1979-2016' appeared.
Before his solo career, Almond formed Marc & the Mambas, a loose congregation that featured Matt Johnson of The The and Annie Hogan. 'Untitled' (1982), the group's first album, featured covers of Lou Reed, Syd Barrett, and Jacques Brel. Throughout his career, Almond would cover the songs of Brel, which he had learned from the records of Scott Walker. Like Walker, Almond used Brel's heavily orchestrated compositions and social ruminations as a starting point, both musically and lyrically -Almond added a self-conscious element of camp with his Euro-disco and occasionally sleazy lyrics. 'Torment & Toreros' (1983), Marc & the Mambas' second album, explored this path in more detail than 'Untitled', only to an orchestral background. After its release, the group broke up.
Almond formed the backing group The Willing Sinners in 1984, releasing 'Vermin in Ermine' in 1984. He began to hit his stride with this album, which fulfilled most of his campy cabaret fantasies. 'Stories of Johnny', issued the following year, was more cohesive, spawning a British hit with the title song. Even though he maintained a cult following in England and various parts of Europe, his records were not being released in the U.S.
In 1987, Almond issued 'Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters', his first proper solo album and his bleakest work to date; a compilation, 'Singles: 1984-1987', appeared the same year. 'Stars We Are', released the following year, was a brighter, more welcoming album that revived his commercial career. In addition to a duet with Nico on "Your Kisses Burn," Almond performed a duet with Gene Pitney on Pitney's own "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," which became a number one single. 'Stars We Are' also became Almond's first album released in the U.S. since his records with Soft Cell.
Almond followed the success of 'Stars We Are' in 1990 with the pet project 'Jacques', a collection of Brel songs. That same year, he issued 'Enchanted', which was more successful than 'Jacques', yet didn't reach the heights of 'Stars We Are'. In 1991, he released 'The Tenement Symphony', and in 1993, a live album entitled 'Twelve Years of Tears', followed by a pair of records on EMI. Almond then switched over to New York independent Thirsty Ear, which reissued some of his material, and then again to Instinct with his 1999 release 'Open All Night'. Throughout the early 2000s, Almond stayed busy releasing archived live performances on both CD and DVD as well as issuing the studio efforts 'Stranger Things' (2001) and 'Heart on Snow' (2003) for yet another label, Psychobaby. Almond continued to write during this period, publishing a travel book called "In Search of the Pleasure Palace: Disreputable Travels" in 2004.
Things took a turn for the worse soon after the book came out; Almond was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in October of that year and spent the majority of the following year recovering from the incident. He resumed recording in 2006 and released an album of cover songs, 'Stardom Road', the following summer. His 2009 effort, 'Orpheus in Exile', featured the songs of Vadim Kozin, a Russian songwriter and performer active in the 1930s and '40s. A year later, the single "Nijinsky Heart" preceded the release of 'Varieté', Almond's first studio album of his own material in over ten years.
In 2011, Almond worked with composer Michael Cashmore of Current 93 on 'Feasting with Panthers', an album of musical interpretations of the singer's favorite homoerotic poems. Late in 2012, Almond began working with vanguard composer and saxophonist John Harle. He performed on the latter's 'Art Music', issued in 2013, singing three songs based on William Blake's poetry. In 2014, the pair collaborated in full on 'The Tyburn Tree: Dark London', an album of contemporary songs about the darkest sides of London's history.
When Almond released 'Varieté' in 2010, he claimed it would be his last album of original material -that there were many songs by others he wanted to sing. In 2014, producer and songwriter Chris Braide succeeded in changing his mind. The pair wrote and recorded ten songs together, pairing them with two instrumentals by Braide. The relationship resulted in 'The Velvet Trail', which was issued by Cherry Red in early 2015. The following year, Almond resumed touring in earnest and curated the release of a career-spanning ten-disc box set titled 'Trials of Eyeliner: The Anthology 1979-2016', which featured not only tracks from every album but a clutch of one-offs and plenty of rarities.
In July 2017, he was presented with an honorary doctorate in philosophy from Lancashire's Edge Hill University and delivered the year's graduation address. In August, he performed at the I Feel Love concert, a special event held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in England in 1967. The concert featured live performances of groundbreaking gay songs and readings of works by Oscar Wilde and Alan Hollinghurst, among others. Almond joined a performance lineup that included Will Young, Alison Moyet, and Tom Robinson. The same month, a pre-release single, a cover of The Young Rascals' "How Can I Be Sure," preceded his full-length 'Shadows and Reflections' in September on BMG. It included originals composed by Almond and John Harle, as well as cinematically orchestrated covers by The Yardbirds, Burt Bacharach, The Herd, The Action, Bobby Darin, Julie Driscoll, Billy Fury, and Johnny Mandel. After several years of touring on-and-off with rhythm & blues pianist Jools Holland, Almond finally teamed up with him to record an album, 'A Lovely Life to Live', in 2018.
2020 saw Almond release 'Chaos and a Dancing Star', again in collaboration with producer, songwriter, and pianist Braide. The duo started writing for the album in 2017 and had originally planned a prog rock album. During the process, the songs and direction evolved into stridently progressive pop melodies. The title informs many of the album's themes, while impermanence also asserts itself as a recurring topic. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Manchester, England's Manicured Noise formed in 1978, but the very early days of the band remain a mystery. Given their name by prime Manchester scenester Linder, the group peddled a form of spiky and angular jazz/punk. Jeff Noon, acclaimed sci-fi, cyberpunk writer ("Vurt", "Nymphomation") was an early member of the group, adding to the group's retro-futurist edge. Inspired by Television, Talking Heads, August Darnell's Machine, French Soundtracks and Disco Chic along with a nod to Northern Soul and Moroder, the band cut a singular groove. Early hours inspiration from 70’s cop and Kung-Fu soundtracks were incorporated, a good 10 years or more before Massive Attack and Portishead did the same. In doing so, Manicured Noise created a sound that’s still difficult to pin down.
Guitarist and later period frontman Steven Walsh was an ex member of The Flowers of Romance, pre-Pistols vehicle for Sid Vicious, and various members of The Slits and Banshees. Steven brought an experimental and funky ethos to the band. 'Faith' (Pre/Charisma, 1980) was acclaimed on release, its Northern backbeat acknowledging the Manchester debt. A BBC session followed. Then, nothing. 'Northern Stories 1978/80', a Manicured Noise retrospective, was released in 2006 on Caroline True Records. The album collects for the first time almost all of their recordings including their two singles for Pre/Charisma Records, a BBC session and unreleased material. [SOURCE: LOST BANDS OF THE NEW WAVE ERA]
Ausgang Verboten was a band from Malmö, Sweden, which was heavily influenced by Kraftwerk. The band was formed by 16 year old Patrik Book in 1983, and later joined by Jesper Hanning. They did a few gigs together with friends and made an 8-track demo tape, 'Entertainment,' in 1984. Ausgang Verboten re-released 'Entertainment' in 2004 as an album, in a limited number of 500 copies. One of the songs on the album, "Consumer", was also featured in the Swedish synth compilation 'Orgelvärk'. Patrik Book was usually the one who composed the music and Jesper Hanning did the vocals. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
The Disrupters were formed in late 1980.
Originally influenced by the early punk bands of the late 70s (Sex Pistols,
Ramones, The Clash, etc) the band were becoming increasingly drawn to the
anarchist scene.
Things started early for The Disrupters with Crass including an early demo
version of the song "Napalm" on their 1st 'Bullshit Detector' LP.
In 1981 the band entered Whitehouse Studios in Norwich to record their 1st
real recording session. The 3 tracks laid down that day became the 'Young
Offender' 7". The record was a surprise hit in the indie charts and far
outsold the bands expectations. This initial release began a working
relationship with Backs Records in the running of Radical Change Records, a
label dedicated to the promotion of punk/anarchist bands.
Initially The Disrupters had a few hiccups finding the right combo of band
members but from 1983-88 they settled with founder members Bangkok Steve
(Hansell) -Vocals- and Kevin Wymer -Drums- along with Paul Greener -Guitar-,
Steve Hough -Bass- and Prem Nick -spoken word tracks.
The band liked to mix actions with words and were actively involved in
various elements of direct action, sometimes ending in arrest and court
appearances.
The Disrupters called it a day in late 1988, dissalusioned with the ever
growing divide and bitching within the scene, Steve (Vocals) quit to
concentrate on other things and the rest of the band followed suit. [SOURCE: THE UNOFFICIAL DISRUPTERS WEBSITE]
The Snipers formed in late 1979 in Oxfordshire. The band compromised of Russel Bowers on vocals, Dave 'Bungi' Hounslow on guitar, Steve 'Wacker' Harris on bass and Mark Taplin on drums. They were inspired by Crass to start a band, even though none of them could play and none of them had any equipment (what they did find was crap, such as a Colombus bass, homemade guitar, half a drum set and a 15 watt practice amp). They were going to originaly be called The Sinyx, but changed it to The Snipers upon finding out that it had already been taked. Early practices were done at Russel's parents garage.
It took at least ten months of writing songs and practicing before they played their first gig at a Christmas party in the Victory Hut, a community centre from Brize Norton (a leftover hut from World War II). The Snipers then recorded their first demo in Bourten, Gloucestershire possible around 1980. They shared it with their friends and sent one to Crass. Crass pulled their track "War Song" for 'Bullshit Detector 1'. A second Demo was recorded, three of those tracks ended up on their 1981 7" 'Three Piece Suite' for Crass Records, and the other three on a compilation they were to release later on during 1982.
The 'Spirit of an Old Age Anthem' tape was released in 1982, and was the last thing the band released. They played their last gig at the Wapping Anarchy Centre with Failing Parachutes in support, a band that is included in their compilation tape. Mark eventually moved to Telford, and this led to the band becoming less active, and ultimately, their demise. They had no interest in replacing Mark, since the band was made out of friendship. [SOURCE: LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND]
Even though they couldn't really play and never released anything besides one track on 'Bullshit Detector One', The Eratics (before that they were known as The Pox, The Dogclips, The Clones and some other names) were still a part of the 'Anarcho' punk scene with their intelligent ideas and connections with Crass. Formed somewhere around 1979, The Eratics were bassist Terence 'Stringy' Castle, guitarist Martin 'Snout' Seward and drummer Kevin 'Bondage' Lester on drums while they were all in school in Waltharn Cross. After seeing the first wave of punk play around the United Kingdom including Crass, it inspired them to get up and just start a band, no matter how bad some of them were at playing instruments. They played their first gig with The Epileptics, Urban Decay and Rubella Ballet on June 15th, 1979. Stringy played bass and sang, until they were joined by Mark 'Roper' Double on vocals.
Roper played his first gig with The Eratics with The Sinyx at the Focus in Southend, a band the guys would become close friends with. At this point, Stringy was living on the streets, and moved into a squat full of hippies. The band used that squat as the 'old church' and arranged some gigs there thanks to other punks that moved in. Their second song was called 'Factory Floor' because some of the members left school at 15 and got dead end factory jobs to afford going to gigs and buying records. Their first song was called "Tablets", written by Stringy, and was about the drugs he had to take at a hospital after a car accident busted his leg. Urban Decay played that song and eventually released it as their own, but without crediting The Eratics.
By 1981, the band had still not made an official recording, but did record a track onto a regular tape recorded named "National Service" in Sount's front room for Crass's first 'Bullshit Detector'. It was all about gigs for the band, they were too busy with that to ever record anything for a release. Unfortunately, the end came that same year after a violent gig in Walthamstow. Fortunately for Bondage, he didn't turn up, so the drummer of D&V filled in on drums. While they played, a bunch of people smashed in and started wrecking the place and beating people up, so the band had to make a run for it.
Their last gig with Bondage was at the Stevenage Bowes Lyon House. However, no one really turned up, plus they felt they were playing like crap (and it was snowing). The Eratics were trying new experimental numbers, but Bondage couldn't manage to catch on because of his lack of experience on the drums. This might explain why he didn't show up at their last gig. After that last show were he didn't show up was over (from the violence), Bondage was never heard of again and the band called it a day. [SOURCE: LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND]
Icon A.D. were Anarcho punks who began life in 1979 as Icon, and as such contributed "Cancer" to the 'Bullshit Detector' compilation in 1981. The band split soon after, but guitarist Craig Sharp carried on with a new lineup as Icon A.D., releasing two fairly melodic singles for the Norwich-based Radical Change label. A third single, to be called 'Backs To The Wall', was not released until 2006, when it was included in the band's retrospective CD '...Lest We Forget'. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
A scruffy Minneapolis punk-pop band with all the melodies of their Twin Cities forebears (Hüsker Dü, The Replacements, Soul Asylum), The Magnolias formed around vocalist and guitarist John Freeman, who proved to be the only constant in the band's career. Recording for Twin/Tone, the group worked with Hüsker Dü's Grant Hart for their noisy 1986 debut, 'Concrete Pillbox'. Later albums 'For Rent' and 'Dime Store Dream' showed The Magnolias toning down the chaos and leaning closer to the pop side of punk, resulting in 1992's 'Off the Hook', their first album for Alias. After the release of an EP that same year, The Magnolias were silent until 1996, when Freeman and another batch of backers returned with 'Street Date Tuesday'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
