Polyrock was an American post-punk/new wave band formed in New York City in 1978 and active until the mid-1980s. Strongly influenced by minimalism, the group was produced by the composer Philip Glass and Kurt Munkacsi. The band, led by singer/guitarist Billy Robertson (formerly of the group Model Citizens), had a keyboard-heavy, pattern-based sound strongly reminiscent of Glass's work; in fact, Glass performed on their first two albums.
Polyrock's lineup also included vocalist Catherine Oblasney, guitarist Tommy Robertson, drummer Joseph Yannece, keyboard player Lenny Aaron, and Curt Cosentino. The group signed with RCA by 1980, and delivered their debut album that same year. Another album followed in 1981 ('Changing Hearts'), but Polyrock disbanded in 1983. The band are sometimes said to have released another album in 1981 ('Electro-Romantic'), but, apparently, no such album exists. They were often compared by critics to Talking Heads, another band of the same era, though they never approached that band's fame.
In 1990, Billy Robertson and Catherine Oblasney formed the group 9 Ways to Sunday and released a self-titled album.
Robertson died in September 2018. A memorial was held September 24, 2018, at the Brooklyn Ice House bar in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, near where Robertson lived. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Pale Saints drew from a deceptively deep pool of influences and teased out distinctive traits that charmed the visionary 4AD label, and consequently listeners for whom shoegaze was a term of endearment. The English band developed their unique strain of dream pop by synthesizing elements of connected bygone movements such as West Coast psychedelia, the paisley underground, and C-86, applying avant-folk, pure pop, and the spectral post-punk advancements of their elder labelmates along the way. Their three albums of increasing scope and sprawl, namely 'The Comforts of Madness' (1990), 'In Ribbons' (1992), and 'Slow Buildings' (1994), left lasting imprints. The debut, a Top 40 U.K. hit upon release, is particularly well-regarded, and was expanded and recirculated by 4AD on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.
Named after a song by Eyeless in Gaza, Pale Saints formed in Leeds, England in 1987. The original lineup consisted of bassist and vocalist Ian Masters, drummer Chris Cooper, and guitarist Graeme Naysmith, the latter two of whom had responded to an ad Masters placed in a record shop. Early recordings appeared on micro-indie compilations across 1988 and early 1989, but it was a third demo recording that attracted 4AD label head Ivo Watts-Russell, who was spurred to catch an April 1989 gig at the Camden Falcon and signed the band (as well as support act Lush). That July, the trio, joined by The Edsel Auctioneer's Ashley Horner on second guitar, recorded a BBC session for John Peel's program. Pale Saints made their 4AD debut two months later with 'Barging Into the Presence of God'. The three-song EP was led by Watts-Russell favorite "Sight of You," a heartsick ballad showcasing Masters' chorister-like voice.
"Sight of You" reappeared on 'The Comforts of Madness', 4AD's first release the following decade, in February 1990. The album entered the U.K. album chart at number 40. An EP of four new songs, 'Half-Life', was out that October, by which point the band was a quartet with the addition of guitarist Meriel Barham, an original member of Lush strongly recommended by that band's Miki Berenyi. Barham not only contributed to Pale Saints' songwriting process but also shared lead vocal duties with Masters, heard first on the subsequent 'Flesh Balloon' EP, issued in June 1991. The Barham-fronted "Kinky Love," a cover of an obscure composition recorded most notably by Nancy Sinatra, was actually spun off separately as the A-side of a synchronous 7", and reached number 72 on the U.K. chart, 14 places higher than the preceding year's "Half-Life, Remembered." Cool but never affected or detached, Barham's voice added another dimension to the band.
A U.S. licensing deal with Warner Bros. enabled 4AD to increase Pale Saints' exposure abroad. The first product of the agreement was 'In Ribbons', a farther-ranging set with some of the band's most powerful, wraithlike, and hypnotic songs. Released in the U.K. in March 1992, it entered the homeland chart at number 61. The U.S. edition trailed behind it the following month. Dissatisfied artistically, Masters departed and began an extensive series of assorted short-term projects as part of Spoonfed Hybrid (alongside ex-A.C. Temple member Chris Trout) and ESP Summer (with Warren Defever of His Name Is Alive). The Heart Throbs' Colleen Browne effectively replaced Masters on bass, while Barham stepped to the fore. 'Slow Buildings', Pale Saints' final LP, was racked in the U.K. and U.S. in August 1994 and likewise alternated between succinct, driving pop and sprawling balladry. Following tours across Europe and the States, and a cover of Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl" (for the tribute album 'Step Right Up'), Barham left. The band officially split in 1996.
Post-Pale Saints, Barham recorded under the name 'Kuchen for Karaoke Kalk'. Cooper and Naysmith continued to perform and record together and separately in numerous bands. Browne has played with the likes of Warm Jets and White Hotel, while Masters has continued to release music under a variety of guises. In January 2020, 4AD released a remastered and expanded 30th anniversary edition of 'The Comforts of Madness', including the Peel session and an album's worth of demos. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Phil Seymour is probably best remembered for his time with The Dwight Twilley Band, who turned out some of the finest pop songs of their era, including the classic "I'm on Fire." After two albums (1976's 'Sincerely' and 1978's 'Twilley Don't Mind'), Seymour left to pursue a solo career. While waiting for a recording deal, he began recording solo sessions, as well as contributing session work for Tom Petty, 20/20, and Moon Martin. In 1980, he signed to Boardwalk Records after selling the label on a batch of demos recorded with fellow Tulsa natives 20/20. His self-titled debut was well received at the time (the single "Precious to Me" made it to number 22 on the pop charts) and has become highly revered in power pop circles as one of the landmark albums of the era. He followed in 1982 with '2', a less satisfying album both creatively and commercially. Seymour was left without a label when Boardwalk president Neil Bogart died shortly after the record's release. In 1984, he joined Carla Olson's Textones, drumming and singing on their 'Midnight Mission' album for A&M. While supporting the album, Seymour was diagnosed with lymphoma. He returned to Oklahoma, carrying on at a diminished pace and recording infrequently, until the disease took his life on August 17, 1993 in Tulsa, while he was preparing a new album. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
By demonstrating that the spirit of punk could live in traditional Irish folk music, The Pogues were one of the most radical bands of the mid-'80s. Led by Shane MacGowan, whose slurred, incomprehensible voice often disguised the sheer poetry of his songs, The Pogues were undeniably political -not only were many of their songs explicitly in favor of working-class liberalism, but the wild, careening sound of their punk-injected folk was implicitly radical. While the band was clearly radical, they also had a wickedly warped sense of humor, which was abundantly clear on their biggest hit, the fractured Christmas carol "Fairy Tale of New York." The group's first three albums -'Red Roses for Me', 'Rum Sodomy & the Lash', 'If I Should Fall from Grace with God'- were widely praised in both Britain and America, and by 1988 they had earned substantial cult followings in both countries. Yet MacGowan's darkly romantic, wasted lifestyle, which was so key to their spirit and success, ultimately proved to be their downfall. By the end of the decade, he had fallen deep into alcoholism and drug addiction, forcing the band to fire him if they wanted to survive. The Pogues carried on without him in the early '90s, playing to a slowly shrinking audience before finally disbanding in 1996.
MacGowan, an Irish punk inspired by The Clash, formed The Pogues in 1982 after playing with the London-based punk band The Nipple Erectors, a group that was later called The Nips. MacGowan met Spider Stacy in a London tube station, where Stacy was playing a tin whistle. The two began working together, drafting former Nip Jim Fearnley to play guitar. Naming themselves Pogue Mahone -a Gaelic term meaning "kiss my ass"- the trio began playing traditional Irish tunes in London pubs and streets, eventually adding Jem Finer (banjo, guitar), Andrew David Ranken (drums), and Cait O'Riordan (bass) to make it a full band. As the group developed into a sextet, they added MacGowan's original songs to their repertoire, and began earning a reputation as a wild, drunken, and exciting live act. Shortening their name to The Pogues, the group released an independent single, "Dark Streets of London," in early 1984 and supported The Clash on their summer tour. By the fall, they had signed with Stiff Records and had released their acclaimed debut 'Red Roses for Me'. The album was a critical hit, establishing The Pogues as one of the most vital, and certainly one of the most political, bands in Britain. Early in 1985, they added guitarist Philip Chevron and recorded 'Rum Sodomy & the Lash' with producer Elvis Costello. The album was an underground success and was widely praised, especially for MacGowan's songwriting -not only in the U.K., but also in the U.S., where they were becoming college radio staples. Instead of following 'Rum Sodomy & the Lash' with a new album, The Pogues took nearly a full-year hiatus from recording, releasing the 'Poguetry in Motion' EP in 1986 and appearing in Alex Cox's film "Straight to Hell" in 1987. By 1988, O'Riordan had left the band to marry Costello, and she was replaced by Darryl Hunt; banjoist Terry Woods was also added to the band. Early in 1988, they signed to Island Records and released the Steve Lillywhite-produced 'If I Should Fall from Grace with God' later that year. The album became the group's biggest hit, generating the number two U.K. single "Fairytale of New York," which featured vocalist Kirsty MacColl.
Although The Pogues were peaking in popularity, MacGowan's relentless drug and alcohol abuse was beginning to cripple the band. Although neither the 1989 hit single "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah" or 'Peace & Love' (also 1989) were noticeably affected by his excesses, MacGowan missed The Pogues' prestigious opening dates in 1988 for Bob Dylan and stalked the stage like a madman during a pivotal Saturday Night Live performance. By 1990's 'Hell's Ditch', Spider Stacy and Jem Finer began singing the bulk of The Pogues' material. Despite positive reviews, 'Hell's Ditch' was a flop, and the group wasn't able to support the record because of MacGowan's behavior. Consequently, he was asked to leave the band in 1991; three years later, he returned with a new band, The Popes. For subsequent tours, The Clash's Joe Strummer filled in as lead vocalist, but by the time the band recorded their comeback, 'Waiting for Herb', in 1993, Stacy had become the permanent vocalist. 'Waiting for Herb' was kindly reviewed, yet was also ignored, as was 1995's 'Pogue Mahone'. The following year, The Pogues announced they were disbanding after 14 years in the business. They stayed dormant for the rest of the '90s while MacGowan's work with The Popes slowly came to an end and other members sought their own creative avenues. In 2001, the group made amends with MacGowan and reunited for a short British tour. This goodwill carried through the next decade as the group continued to play short international tours and make one-off appearances eventually releasing a box set of rarities ('Just Look Them Straight in the Eye and Say....POGUE MAHONE!!') in 2008 and a live album ('The Pogues in Paris: 30th Anniversary Concert') in 2012. Just prior to the release of their career-spanning '30 Years' box set in 2013, the group's longtime guitarist Philip Chevron passed away from esophageal cancer. Chevron was the author of one of The Pogues' most revered songs, "Thousands Are Sailing," and had become a sort of unofficial spokesperson for the band in its later period. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Considered by just about everyone to be the first Latino punk bank, The Plugz came together in 1978 in Southern California. Part of the family of bands that was influenced by the Germs and played at legendary clubs like Madame Wong's and the Masque, The Plugz were led by vocalist Tito Larriva and formed their own label, Fatima, in 1979. Their debut, 'Electrify Me' (1979), which featured a ripping version of the classic "La Bamba", and the follow-up, 1981's 'Better Luck', were well received, and tracks from the latter would eventually find their way onto the soundtrack to the cult classic film "Repo Man". Although the band (Larriva, Chalo Quintana, Tony Marsico, and Barry McBride) would split in the mid-'80s, Larriva, Quintana, and Marsico resurfaced with Steven Hufsteter in tow to form the critically acclaimed rock band Cruzados. Larriva continued to supply music for movies and did some acting work, most notably as a neighbor of Pee Wee Herman on an early version of his kids' show. In 1999, Larriva released 'Santa Sangre' with his band The Psychotic Aztecs, while Chalo would go on to play with The Havalinas. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Belgium's greatest contribution to the early punk/new wave revolution, Plastic Bertrand was the persona of Roger François Jouret, a vocalist and songwriter who scored an international hit with "Ça Plane pour Moi," an irresistibly silly punk parody that became a major success in Europe and the United Kingdom, and even popped up in the lower reaches of the American pop charts. Plastic Bertrand's formula was simple and effective -upbeat melodies low on frills and heavy on hooks, accompanied by Jouret's cheerfully monotone vocals (though the voice wasn't always his own) and lyrics that poked tongue-in-cheek fun at contemporary culture. His 1978 debut album (released in Europe as 'An 1' and in North America as 'Ça Plane pour Moi') is his strongest LP, while the 2003 compilation 'King of the Divan: Best of Plastic Bertrand' collects his best-known singles and fan favorites.
Roger François Jouret was born in Brussels, Belgium on February 24, 1954. He developed a taste for rock & roll early on, and formed his first band when he was nine years old; called The Buffalo Scouts Band, the members were friends from his boy scout troop, and they played Rolling Stones covers with Jouret on drums and vocals. Several years later, he joined The Pelicans, who went from playing parties to rock clubs and occasional music festivals on the Dutch and Belgian coasts. After a brief spell working at a pirate radio station, Jouret started studying music formally, and was accepted at Brussels's Royal Conservatory of Music. In the mid-'70s, he joined a protopunk band called Hubble Bubble, contributing drums and vocals under the name Roger Junior. He appeared on their self-titled 1977 debut album, but he soon went solo after the group's manager introduced him to songwriter and producer Lou Deprijck. Deprijck had written a catchy punk knockoff and was looking for the right vocalist to record the tune. As it happened, Jouret was unavailable for the recording and Deprijck handled the vocals himself, but Jouret was brought on board to be the public face of the project, and under the name Plastic Bertrand, he was ostensibly star of "Ça Plane pour Moi."
Issued in 1977, "Ça Plane pour Moi" became an unexpected global hit, landing on charts all over Europe and in the U.K., and became only the second French-language single to crack the Pop Top 100 in the United States. (The American chart placement was especially impressive since it was competing with an English language version of the song, "Jet Boy, Jet Girl," recorded by Canadian new wave vocalist Elton Motello.) In 1978, the first Plastic Bertrand album, titled 'An 1' in Europe and 'Ça Plane pour Moi' in English-speaking territories, was released, followed by 'J'te Fais un Plan' in 1979 and 'L'album' in 1980. In the years that followed, Lou Deprijck would periodically allege that he was the lead vocalist on the first three Plastic Bertrand albums, not Jouret; after years of fervent denials, Jouret acknowledged he was not the vocalist on those recordings in a 2010 interview, though he had performed the songs well in live appearances.
Plastic Bertrand finally appeared in front of the vocal mike on his fourth album, 1981's 'Plastiquez Vos Baffles', while a 'Greatest Hits' album appeared the same year. In 1982, he left Belgium for Italy, settling in Milan and becoming the star of a television series, as well as appearing in a popular photo novel that told a story in comic book style, but with photos rather than drawings, a style known in Italy as fumetti. Bertrand collaborated with Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA and Daniel Balavoine to create "ABBAcadabra", a musical for children based on ABBA's hits. He also dabbled in acting and wrote music for the film "Astérix et la Surprise de César", based on the adventures of the French comic book hero. 'Chat Va? … Et Toi?', a dance-oriented album, came out in 1983, and in 1987, he sang Luxembourg's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, "Amour Amour." After 1989's 'Pix', Bertrand shifted his focus to songwriting and producing other artists, and 1994's 'Suite Diagonale' would be his last album of the millennium.
In the late '90s, European MTV declared Plastic Bertrand the artist who was most wanted to stage a comeback, and in 1998 the Belgian boy band Get Ready recorded a cover of Bertrand's "Stop … Ou Encore" with Bertrand on guest vocals. The single was a major hit in Belgium, and soon he was once again a regular guest on European television and a popular live attraction. An album of fresh material, 'Ultraterrestre', arrived in 2004. He got a major career boost in Japan when "Ça Plane pour Moi" was used in a popular soft drink commercial, leading to more touring in the country and increased gigging in Europe. 'Dandy Bandit' came out in 2009, and Bertrand kept up a busy schedule of live work and hosting television variety shows, though 11 years on he found time to bring out another album, 2020's 'L'expérience Humaine'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Japanese avant-garde electronic musician Phew creates experimental soundscapes woven around her distinctive vocals. Born Hiromi Moritani, the Osaka-based artist got her start in the 1970s as a founding member of the punk group Aunt Sally. They released just one album before she split to record as a solo artist. Her first output -the 'Finale' single- was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1980. A year later, her debut LP arrived. 'Phew' (Pass Records) featured guests Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit of Can and was produced by Conny Plank. 'View' was released in 1987 and a trio of efforts were issued in the '90s, including 'Songs', 'Our Likeness', and 'Himitsu no Knife'. Moritani would not release another solo album until 2010, with the critically acclaimed 'Five Finger Discount', which featured Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth, Stereolab) on bass. In 2015, Moritani released 'A New World', quickly followed by 'Jamming'. 2017 was a particularly prolific year for her. In addition to the Alrahim Wright III collaboration 'Here's a Pheww', Moritani released 'Light Sleep' and 'Voice Hardcore'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Of all the bands that burst out of Cleveland in the mid- to late-'70s punk explosion, one of the most unjustly ignored was the Pagans. Despite breaking up in 1979 (they, however, reunited several times since), these grimy bohunks played fast'n'loud piss-and-vinegar garage rock that valued alienation and, at times, extreme bad taste. Led by the honking rasp of Mike Hudson and the rapid-fire guitar of Mike "Tommy Gunn" Metoff, the Pagans never played it safe, nor did they enter the rock & roll wars wanting to win any friends. And this, ultimately, was a good thing, for like their pals the Dead Boys, their anti-star pose and carpe diem attitude meant that their best songs (and there are quite a few) sound as if they were set to auto-destruct at the tune's end. Although their don't-give-a-damn attitude lends itself more than once to some sexist japes and homophobic ranting, the Pagans ultimately didn't care who they offended. In fact, listening to any of their vintage material (1977-1979), you'd think that offending everyone was their artistic raison d'être. As Treehouse Records president Mark Trehus opines in the liner notes to the great collection 'Buried Alive', "the Pagans were as unwrought, impudent and gnarly a buncha rock'n'roll bedlamites as America's ever spewed outta its queasy underbelly." Little more need be said. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The only summation one can make of the career of English punks Penetration is, what a disappointment. In 1977, Penetration released a classic chunk of punk rock defiance titled "Don't Dictate." With Pauline Murray's impassioned vocals (sounding a bit like X-Ray Spex's Poly Styrene) leading the way, this was a blazing piece of anti-authoritarian rant: loud, snotty, and proud. Sadly, it was to be the one song they remained best noted for (assuming there are people who still remember Penetration). The problem was that they traded in barely competent but energetic bashing and thrashing for a more "mature" new wave/"punk-ish" rock sound. As a result, their debut LP, 'Moving Targets', although it has its moments, never lived up to the promise of "Don't Dictate." Still, Pauline Murray was a force to be reckoned with. Easily one of the best singers to come out of English punk rock, she made the band interesting even when the songs weren't there, the production was overwrought, and the whole enterprise was terribly uneven. It was to the surprise of no one that by 1980 she was fronting a new band, The Invisible Girls, who based on Murray's strengths became known as Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls. Still, major success eluded Murray, and she later moved into singing more elegant, mainstream pop/rock, remaining one of England's best unknown singers. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
