La Broma De Ssatán

La Broma de Ssatán is a punk band from Madrid, Spain. The band's name is also sometimes spelled, perhaps by mistake, as La Broma de Satán (with a single 'S'), and abbreviated (at least on the back cover of their first album) as B-SS. They have a long musical career, starting in 1980 with the outbreak of punk and the beginnings of the “movida madrileña”. 

 

In 1982 Gabi, their original drummer, left the group (due to military service) and Pepino took his place, with whom they recorded their first album, a 12” EP, which was released at the end of the year. One of the seven songs included was the celebrated "Baila Pogo Sobre Un Nazi". In 1985, after the death of Pepino, they ended up splitting up, leaving a live album that would never be released. 

 

After the separation, vocalist Fernando Alonso left the music. Goma (guitar) and Ixma (bass) continued playing in different groups, usually together. They formed part of El Beso Negro along with Pollo (Larsen, Commando 9mm) and Jordi Vila (Loquillo y los Trogloditas) in the early 1990s. In 2001, Ixma formed 4Teen Killers with people from groups like La UVI (Guillermo), Plouck and Pin Ups (Paquita) or Frisbees (César and Paco). 

 

In 2000, the label Potencial Hardcore publishes a re-release of their first EP. After the great acceptance received, Ixma and Goma (guitar) incorporate the drummer Jordi Vila and another guitarist, Tony (from Mosquito Pick and Carbonas), and decide to give concerts again. That same year they are chosen to play as a backing band for Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls) on his spanish tour. This culminates with the recording of a live album in March 2001 in Gruta 77, which would be published by Desobediencia in 2003, when they celebrate their 25 years. In 2004 they participate in the album 'Homenaje a Espasmódicos y a la Memoria de Kike Kruel', edited by Potencial Hardcore, with a new drummer, Jota. In 2006 was released a live EP with three songs, by Bazofia Records, two of the songs unreleased and recorded in April 1982 in the discotheque JR with the original line-up of the band (Fernando, Goma, Ixma and Gabi). They also announced the forthcoming release on vinyl of the recording of four tracks in 1982 in the TVE studios with Carlos Tena and a new album with new songs by the group. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]

 

KGB

KGB formed in Granada (Spain) in July 1982 by José Cristóbal Sabío (vocals), Francisco Cara (vocals and bass), José Ángel Ruiz (guitar) and Ernesto “Eric” Jiménez (drums), all between fifteen and sixteen years old. The group was a continuation of the European punk of the late 70's and showed an dark aesthetic close to bands as Echo & The Bunnymen or Jesus & Mary Chain, although during their first months they tried to emulate pioneering bands as Sex Pistols or The Clash. 

 

 In this way, they emerged in the wake of other Granada punk-rock groups like TNT or 091, more veteran and skilled with their musical instruments. Shortly after forming the band and traveling to Madrid to show some demos to Servando Carballar (at that time in charge of DRO) they managed to participate with two songs ("Agradable Sorpresa Con Una Japonesa" and "Maroto") in the compilation album 'Punk? Qué Punk' released by the independent record label. That experience led DRO to release a single in 1982 and the songs chosen were "Treblinka" and "Luftwaffe". Some of these tracks were also included on various compilation or retrospective albums later released by DRO. 

 

In 1983, DRO included them in the program of the Rock-Ola venue in a concert in which they shared stage with Nick Fury, 091, Angeles Caidos, Alphaville and Aviador Dro. Their lyrics recreated tortuous atmospheres and decrepit aesthetics very common in the most advanced groups of that time, also declaring themselves fans of British bands like Joy Division, Killing Joke, The Cure or Siouxie & The Banshees, defining their music as “neo punk”. In their last period they included keyboards and a drum machine in their line-up, thus drifting towards a more sophisticated sound but with the same tormented vocation. 

 

Like so many other groups of the same wave, they disappeared with the arrival of the "authentic sound", being literally devoured by bands that, during the mid-eighties, buried the references to the Kremlin and Berlin under new nods to Memphis and Route 66. After the dissolution of KGB, Eric Jiménez was the founding drummer of Lagartija Nick, another of the great from Granada. Paco Cara joined forces with Paco Chica, José Ángel Tejero and Celestino Picazo to form 400 Golpes at the end of the decade.

 

In 2016 the specialized label Vomito PunkRock Records released an LP with songs from the two demos that KGB recorded in 1982 titled 'Granada 82'. It also includes a fanzine with the history of the band. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVAOLA80]

 

Interterror

Interterror (sometimes written as Interterrör) was a Valencian punk music group from the 1980s. They had a great success during the first years of that decade, thanks to the song “Adiós Lili Marleen”. Interterror formed in 1980 by teenagers, being their first stable formation Willy (vocals), Víctor “Acnex” (drums), Paco (bass, composer and founder) and Miguel (guitar). Their influences were the first British punk bands. They released a demo with four songs: “Los Héroes Están Cansados”, “Antisocial”, “IRA” and “Suicídate”. 

 

In 1983 'Vivos O Muertos' was reelased, a bootleg cassette recording of a concert at the Sala Zeleste in Barcelona. They got a contract and that same year they released their first official recording, the single “Adiós Lili Marleen”. The single was a success, being distributed in large stores, and the print run of 1,500 copies sold out quickly, becoming a coveted collector's item.

 

In 1984, differences between Paco and the rest of the band caused the former to leave the band to form La Resistencia. Before Paco left, they recorded a series of songs for an album that remained unreleased. Paco was replaced by Guillermo, and in 1985 'Interterror' was released, with the two songs from their single and tracks that had been recorded by Paco the previous year. The album was another success, but the group ended up disbanding months later. Like “Adiós Lili Marleen” it is a hard-to-find collector's album.

 

Despite the momentary success they enjoyed, Interterror fell into oblivion once they disbanded. It was not until the 2000s that small record labels turned their attention to the group's work. Thus, in 2001 the compilation on CD 'Los Héroes Están Cansados' (with their demo and two live performances) was released by the Zaragozan label Bazofia Records; in 2002 'Sublevación' (compilation with the album and 'Vivos O Muertos') and in 2004 “Adiós Lili Marleen” and 'Interterror' were re-released on vinyl by Radikal 1977 Records. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

 

Familia Real

Familia Real formed in Tenerife (Canary Islands) around 1980 with Arturo (vocals), Domi Delgado (guitar), Pistol (drums) and Silver (bass). Their previous experienceis rather scarce; Silver only mentions the time he spent playing the electric guitar that his parents had given him when he was 13 years old and the band he formed with Pistol: RIP. They had their first show at the Láser pub, where Arturo sang, although he soon left the band, leaving the microphone to Silver.After leaving Familia Real, Arturo and Domi playes on a short-lived project, Taco & The Bunny-Tex. 

 

Silver suggested the name for the group, inspired by the news that said that Johnny Rotten was considering the possibility of forming a new band called Son of the Royal Family. Many bass players passed through the band. One of them was Endika Zulueta, born in San Sebastian but who arrived in Tenerife at the age of 17. He joined the band at the invitation of Silver, who saw him walking around the city wearing a Sex Pistols t-shirt and a spiked wristband. The singer asked him if he knew how to play bass, and Endika, who was then playing in Edipos Despiertos, replied that he had no idea how to do it. 

 

It was not until the entrance of Eduardo Bercedo -Edui- that the band participated in a battle of the bands celebrated at the Lennon discotheque in the fall of 1982. They won the contest and five hundred copies of the 7" 'Destruye / Depresion' (Canary, 1982) were released, four hundred of which were for the band and the remaining hundred were distributed in contests organized by the local newspaper El Día. Familia Real also participated in the TVE program in the Canary Islands "Acetato Futuro", along with Comic and Moral Femenina. After Silver left for Madrid without telling his bandmates, the band disbanded in 1983. [SOURCE: BASE DE DATOS DE GRUPOS Y SOLISTAS CANARIOS]

 

Espasmodicos

Espasmódicos was a punk band formed in Madrid in the early 1981. They were influenced, above all, by the first wave of punk and hardcore punk from the United States, as well as, to a lesser extent, by the English punk of the late seventies.The career of Espasmódicos was short but intense (they disbanded in 1983). They recorded just ten songs spread over two EPs and a compilation, the seminal 'Punk, Qué? Punk' released in 1983 by DRO. Despite the scarcity of their recordings and the few concerts they played (barely a dozen, including two appearances on Spanish Television), Espasmódicos are, to this day, one of the most important and influential groups of the first wave of punk in Spain.

 

 

José Mota, Enrique Arnal and César Sánchez, three friends from the Madrid neighborhood of Malasaña, decided to form a punk band after listening to “Holiday in Cambodia”, the second single by Dead Kennedys. After changing their names (José became J. Siemens, Enrique became Kike Kruel and César became CSG71) and drawing lots for the instruments they would play, the line-up was defined: J. Siemens on guitar, Kike as singer and CSG71 on bass. Soon they started rehearsing (sharing venues with bands like Zoquillos, Glutamato Ye-Yé or Ramoncín) and looking for a drummer. 

 

The first drummer of Espasmódicos was Carlos Torero, who joined the band in 1981. The band's influences broadened with the signing of Carlos. While the first three were into hard rock, hardcore punk (Dead Kennedys, MDC, Circle Jerks, Black Flag) and the first wave of punk (Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks), Carlos was a follower of new wave and jazz-rock bands. Their first recording appeared in early 1982, in the form of a 7” EP entitled 'Recomendado Para Molestar A Su Vecino'. The EP consisted of three songs: “Enciendes Tu Motor”, “Ni Eficiencia Ni Progreso” and “Están Deseando Que Te Pongas A Temblar”. The EP had a hard and compact sound, thus showing the band's fondness, mentioned above, for American hardcore bands. For the first song they counted on the saxophone of Karlox (then member of Polansky Y El Ardor), in an intervention unusual in the punk of the time. [SOURCE: LAST.FM] 

Vulpess

Vulpes (aka Las VulpeSS) was the first Spanish all-female punk rock band, formed in Barakaldo (Greater Bilbao, Basque Country) in the summer of 1982. They became famous the following year when they appeared on TV programme Caja de Ritmos, performing their song "Me Gusta Ser una Zorra" ("I Like Being a Slut"). The song is a cover of The Stooges song "I Wanna Be Your Dog" with adapted Spanish lyrics. Many viewers complained about their performance, which was broadcast at noon on a Saturday, and a media scandal and court case ensued. The court case (a complaint filed by the public prosecutor's office) was dismissed by a judge in 1986. To capitalise on the attention, the song was recorded and released as a single by Dos Rombos records, which went on to sell 12000 copies. However, legal difficulties created problems for the group on their promotional tour. The band dissolved in 1983 although they reformed briefly in 1985 to play some gigs. Drummer Lupe Vázquez died in 1993. The remaining Vulpes reformed for a concert in 2005. An album of rerecordings, 'Me Gusta Ser', was released in 2006.[SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

 

The Philisteins

The Philisteins formed in Hobart in 1985 as a garage punk band with a line-up of Scott Harrison on bass guitar; Aydn Hibberd on guitar, vocals and harmonica; Guy Lucas on guitar, vocals and organ; and Charlie Shackloth on drums. Originally, they performed as The Cheesemongers until Shackloth was replaced on drums by Konrad Park in 1986. Their influences were 1960s R&B bands from the United Kingdom and American garage punk groups.

 
The new name was supplied by a friend, Stewart Tabert, who recalled "I was listening to The Damned's 'The Black Album' and my mother came in and said 'Will you shut up, you Philistine!' ... and I thought that's not a bad moniker for the band". Early in 1987 the group issued their debut album, 'Reverberations', as a cassette. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, their "raucous blend of punk/ R&B/psychedelia was soundly despised outside a small cult following". Lucas described 'Reverberations', "I don't like it at all...it sucks. Me and Stewart drank much of the proceeds before we left the state".

 
In June 1987 they relocated to Adelaide and signed with local label, Greasy Pop Records. By that time Mark Coombes had replaced Park on drums. Soon after Harrison was replaced on bass guitar by Ian Wettenhall and Coombes left with Nick Bruer joining on drums. From April to June 1988, they recorded an eight-track mini album, 'Bloody Convicts', with Doug Thomas producing, which was issued in December. The album provided a cover version of US band The Lollipop Shoppe's "You Must Be a Witch". McFarlane described 'Bloody Convict '​s' sound as "neatly between 1970s punk and 1960s psychedelia, with plenty of guitar riffs to the fore". By the time of its release Bruer had been replaced by Stewart Tabert on drums. It appeared in the US market on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label.

 
In May 1989 they recorded another EP with Thomas producing, 'Some Kind of Philisteins'. A month later they returned to Hobart and by November they were based in Sydney. The six-track EP had appeared in that month, which McFarlane found to have a "more punkish edge". A four-track version, 'Some Kind', was issued by Sympathy for the Record Industry into the US market. Three of its tracks came from the Australian EP and a new track, "Trains to Disaster", had been recorded in Melbourne in June. After staying in Sydney for a year the group moved to Melbourne where they signed to the local Dog Meat label. In November 1990 they recorded their full-length album, 'Lifestyles of the Wretched and Forgettable', with Colin Freeman producing. It was released in November of the next year. 

In 1992 The Philisteins disbanded, with Lucas, Tabert and Wettenhall forming a garage rock group, The Freeloaders. That same year Hibberd was a founding member of Powder Monkeys. In December 2007 Off the Hip label issued a 2× CD compilation album 'The Philisteins, A Savage Affection: 1986–1992'. The first disc contains all tracks from 'Bloody Convicts', 'Some Kind' and various cover versions; the second disc contains all tracks from 'Lifestyles of the Wretched and Forgettable' and additional tracks from a 1989 demo/rehearsal tape. I-94 Bar music website's reviewer described their work as "stellar brand of psychedelic garage punk" and felt the first disc to be better with "songs that are rock solid and Guy Lucas' talent as a vocalist and distinctive guitar player is well evident". [SOURCE: HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC FROM 1960 UNTIL 2000]

 

The Some Loves

The Someloves were an alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia which formed in 1986. They were led by Dom Mariani (also a member of The Stems), on guitar and lead vocals; and Darryl Mather (ex-The Lime Spiders) on lead guitar. The group's sole album, 'Something or Other', was released in April 1990 and reached the Top 100 on the ARIA Albums Chart. They were noted for their 1980s power-pop underground style. Various personal issues and problems with the idea of touring led to the group disbanding by the end of 1990. 

 

Mariani had met Mather in 1984 when Mather went to Perth to recuperate from what was thought to be leukaemia and saw The Stems playing at the Old Melbourne Hotel. During The Stems first trip/tour of Sydney in 1985 Mariani and The Stems drummer, Gary Chambers, stayed four months in a house on Terminus Street in Petersham that Darryl shared with Bill Gibson (who had just formed The Eastern Dark). 

 

For the first recording session, Gary Chambers was on drums and on bass was Christian Houllemare, a musician from France, who had played in a French band, Bad Brains. The tracks were mixed a few months later by Alan Thorne at Trafalgar and quickly picked up by John Needham at Citadel Records.

 

The single "It's My Time" was released in 1986 as The Someloves, a name that Mather coined that came from a Real Kids' song, "Some Love Like Yours". A second Someloves single began to take shape in 1987. In September 1987 Mariani went to Sydney to remix what was to be The Stems' final single, "Sad Girl". Mariani was staying with one of Mather's friends when they did The Someloves' recording of "Know You Now". Mather sent the tapes to Perth, where Mariani, amid the post-Stems tumult, finished the vocals in early 1988. 

 

Mather had plans for the second single and sent it to Mitch Easter (who Mather admired through his band Let's Active and his work with other bands like The dBs), with a request that he mix The Someloves single. "Know You Now" was released in 1988 on Mushroom Records. In 1989 Mushroom allocated a budget of $60,000 for the album. The bulk of the album was recorded in Perth at Planet Studios in 1989. 

 

The Someloves debut album, 'Something or Other', was released in 1990. 'Something or Other' is widely considered one of the essential power-pop recordings and is highly regarded among power pop collectors. Its re-release in 2006 as a two-CD compilation, 'Don't Talk About Us: The Real Pop Recordings of the Someloves 1985–89', includes a critical review of Mariani and Mather's inter-related stories, substantial interviews and a bonus disc of non-album singles and remixes. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

 

Decline Of The Reptiles

Decline Of The Reptiles were born on the sweaty inner-city pub circuit in 1982, with Gary Munro on drums, Dean Coulter on guitar, Bruce Tatham on keyboards, Phil Kerney on bass, Bruce Tindale on guitar and Mark Roxburgh on vocals. The band spawned a single ''What I Feel / Flesh'' one mini album 'The Hammer Speaks' and the EP, 'Too Much Armour, Not Enough Brains' before going into hibernation five years later. They played at venues like the Bondi Hotel, Leichardt Hotel, the Trade Union Club and the Mosman Hotel. The inclusion of their song ''Don’t Look Down'' on the first 'Do The Pop!' retrospective collection prompted a re-group in 2009 with a re-tooled rhythm section. A year of constant gigging followed before the Reptiles recorded their debut long-player, '13 Songs For The Rodeo Grrls'. Sounding like the blues-rock bastard offspring of The Stooges, The Doors and the Stones, this is an album that’s stunning in both its broad musical vision and sonic intensity. [SOURCE: HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC FROM 1960 UNTIL 2000]

 

Minuteman

Minuteman were a 1980s Sydney garage band whose only release was a 7" single: ''Voodoo Slaves / I Wanna Be Your Minuteman'' in 1982 produced by Rob Younger (ex-Radio Birdman). Guitarist John Needham set up Citadel Records to release "Voodoo Slaves" "because no one would put it out". The single was also released in France on the Sonics label. The band disbanded after that single, but Citadel went on to release records by Radio Birdman, The New Christs, Died Pretty, The Screaming Tribesmen to name but a few. Bassist Clyde Bramley would go on and join the Hoodoo Gurus. [SOURCE: HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC FROM 1960 UNTIL 2000]

 

Sunnyboys

Sunnyboys successfully combined the new wave energy of the early 80s with the guitar sounds of the 60s. They came on to the Sydney scene in 1980, with a softer sound, a refreshing change from the heavy rock sound that dominated Sydney at the time. They were popular in New South Wales, but were unable to match this elsewhere with only three singles making the lower reaches of the Australian charts, perhaps owing to their inconsistent live performances. By their third album the band had lost its way, and went to the UK to re-assess their career. There they produced a strong album which did not do well, and so they disbanded in 1984. Jeremy Oxley re-formed the group in 1987, with Peter Hiencenberg (drums), Nick Freedman (guitar) and Phil Smith (bass), and completed one album. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Fun Things

The Fun Things earliest beginnings started in the mid 1970s with Brad Shepherd and John Hartley meeting each other to practice at their homes. According to Brad Shepherd, they used to practice Zeppelin and Sabbath and Deep Purple songs in Hartley's rumpus room, or at his place. He lived at The Gap, which is in the western suburbs of Brisbane and Hartley lived at Tarragindi, which is South. They were 14 at the time so they would get their mothers to drive them to each other's place and practice on Sunday afternoons. They did that for a couple of years until Shepherd started reading in RAM (Rock Australia Magazine) about Radio Birdman. 

The Fun Things existed between 1979 to 1980, however, they were previously known as The Aliens in Brisbane during 1978. Coincidentally, there was another band called The Aliens from Adelaide at the same time. This other band were considered more new wave orientated. The Brisbane punk rock Aliens members featured Brad Shepherd on guitar and vocals, bassist John Hartley, and Murray Shepherd on drums but dissolved to form The Phantom Agents for a phase without Hartley. 

After The Phantom Agents, the original Aliens reformed as The Fun Things with The Phantom Agents guitarist Graeme Beavis. This outfit rapidly gained a strong local following, which was due to their tight and energetic live shows. The Fun Things were still teenagers but managed to record a self-titled EP in 1980. In 2000 the EP was re-released on Pennimann Records from Spain. Some of the tracks in the past had been subject to bootlegging from outside Australia. 

The band split in 1980 at the time of their EP release, which was followed by Brad Shepherd joining The 31st, an alternative rock outfit from Brisbane. Later on, he joined The Hitmen, then The Hoodoo Gurus. Murray Shepherd and Hartley went to form The Screaming Tribesmen in 1981 with Mick Medew and Ronnie Peno from The 31st. Graeme Beavis went on join The Apartments in 1984. [SOURCE: HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC FROM 1960 UNTIL 2000]

 

The Passengers

The Passengers appeared in Sydney following the demise of Radio Birdman. Among the many bands who blazed bright in the post-apocalyptic era at the turn of the decade, The Passengers stood alone. Their music was compelling and different, and their following was fanatically dedicated. The Passengers were born from the Sydney inner city punk culture in 1979. They were the first band released by Phantom Records recording ''Face With No Name / Girlfriend's Boyfriend''. Taking their name from an Iggy Pop song, the band was fronted by Angie Pepper, and also included former Survivor and future New Christ Jim Dickson on bass, with Jeff Sullivan (later of The Flaming Hands) on guitar and Steve Harris on keyboards. Pepper's vocals and the sixties girl-group nature of the lyrics made an instant comparison to Blondie inevitable, but Harris's electric piano sound was substantially different from Blondie's approach. Unfortunately, the band was short lived, and they disbanded at the end of 1980. In 1990 French label Revenge Records released an album full of unreleased demos titled 'The Passengers with Angie Pepper'. [SOURCE: HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC FROM 1960 UNTIL 2000]

 

The Visitors

The Visitors were an Australian rock band formed in 1978 after the breakup of popular punk rock band Radio Birdman. The songs were written by Deniz Tek but unlike many other Tek bands, Tek did not sing vocals in The Visitors. Instead the vocals were sung by long-time friend of the band Mark Sisto. The addition of Sisto's vocal alongside a predominantly ex-Birdman lineup, created what many [who?] believed as the next generation of Birdman, with a vocal which mirrored that of The Doors. They played only 12 shows in the Sydney area starting in late 1978 and continuing into August 1979. 

In 1978, when Deniz Tek and Rob Younger returned from the United States to Australia, their band Radio Birdman had taken heavy losses on the British tour which resulted in the dissolution of the band. Tek and Younger expected to reconstitute the band in Australia, but the damage done on the British tour was too great to repair. Ron Keely had already quit, Warwick Gilbert had said nothing but was expected to leave. What they didn't expect was Chris Masuak informing them, upon their return, that he would no longer play in the band, choosing instead to join the band The Hitmen. Tek and Younger had decided that the days of Radio Birdman were over, as they felt there was no longer a critical mass of dedicated original members to work with. Younger stayed in Sydney where he formed the band The Other Side, whilst Tek relocated to Newcastle to finish his medical internship. He didn't play for about 6 months until the pain of withdrawal became too great and he began to collaborate with Mark Sisto, the old Birdman master of ceremonies and bodyguard who had remained loyal even after being unceremoniously ejected from the British tour a year earlier. 

It was from an intense desire to play that the energy came to form The Visitors, the same desire fuelled the live performances and recording of the album. From 1978 to 1979 The Visitors were Deniz Tek on guitar, Mark Sisto on vocals, Ron Keeley on drums, Pip Hoyle on keyboards and Steve Harris on bass. Their style was a dark mixture. The band being 3/5ths Birdman, including the chief songwriter, was almost like the next phase of Radio Birdman had that band continued on. At the same time, the sound of the band was more like the early Birdman days with the single guitar plus keyboard format. There was much more technical ability this time around. The music was hard and heavy, while maintaining a melodic sense unusual in those immediate post-punk days. The band was crushingly loud, the guitar stage setup being two 100 watt Marshall Super Lead heads pushed through 16 twelve inch speakers. This in small clubs! But with the top end rolled off and compression applied, the overall effect was survivable for the audience. Sisto brought a strong Doors influence. Visually they were striking, combining black clothing and shades with various dada/surrealist accoutrements. 

The band reformed for two shows in Newcastle and Sydney December 2005 with a new rhythm section of Art and Steve Godoy (bass and drums respectively.) The pair were members of California punk band the Exploding Fucks Dolls and The Golden Breed, a power trio headed by Deniz Tek. A new line-up convened in February 2008 and supported The Hitmen in Sydney and touring US band the BellRays in Brisbane. Tek, Sisto and Hoyle remained at the core with Andy Newman on bass and Nik Rieth on drums (ex-Celibate Rifles, Deniz Tek Group, Radio Birdman and Tumbleweed.) The band added sax player Jack Shanley as a new member. A mini tour of Wollongong, Sydney and Melbourne took place in August and September 2008 to coincide with the re-issue of their album on the Citadel label. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]

The Hitmen

The Hitmen were originally an outgrowth of Radio Birdman, with most of its membership passing through the ranks of what was originally a party band. Their all-enduring member was frontman Johnny Kannis, whose Greek-Australian lineage didn’t preclude him from being a descendant of the Dictators’ Handsome Dick Manitoba and Elvis Presley. He leaned his stagecraft as Radio Birdman’s Master of Ceremonies and one-half of their back-up singers The Glutonics. The other constant in all but one post-Birdman Hitmen line-up was Chris “Klondike” Masuak, a Canadian-born teenage schoolmate of Kannis and close spiritual guitar kin of James Williamson and Ross the Boss. 

Johnny and The Hitmen became The Hitmen soon after Birdman collapsed in on itself, reaching well beyond the radiitonal inner-Sydney haunts and staking a claim for the hearts, minds and dancing shoes of suburbia. With high-energy music breaking out all over Australia, The Hitmen became big business, signing to a major label and becoming part of “the industry”. Just the sort of behaviour to burn bridges with fickle inner-city fair-weather friends. Carrying themselves with a swagger born of near fanatical self-belief and arrogantly brushing aside any detractor or musical pretenders deemed to be not up to the mark, The Hitmen were impossible to ignore. 

Shifting line-ups and a music business that didn’t know what to do with their derivative but always entertaining stock-in-trade meant The Hitmen never quite broke through to the big time. They were a band that packed ‘em in live but their albums ('The Hitmen', 'It Is What It Is' and 'Moronic Inferno' in the studio, 'Tora Tora DTK' live) never did the proportionate numbers in sales. Nevertheless, scores of beer and testosterone-fuelled Aussie youths grew up with the hard rock soundtrack that The Hitmen provided ringing in their ears, and discovered some fine music in the deal. 

A near fatal car accident in 1983 all but buried Johnny Kannis and the band in the process, but for more than a decade, off-and-on, The Hitmen carried a torch for hi-energy fun. Kannis’ injuries hampered his on-stage activities to the extent that he mostly moved into band management. A farewell tour and the occasional re-emergence (with the appendage “DTK” to the band name, to avoid an overseas copyright clash) kept things simmering into the mid-’90s, when Kannis’ move interstate took the wind out of the sails. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]

 

Johnny Kannis

Johnny Kannis is one of Australia's most powerful rock voices with an impressive and influential catalogue of material. Starting his career as backup singer for the iconic Radio Birdman, Kannis left to form The Hitmen -originally called Johnny & The Hitmen. The Hitmen, and subsequently The Hitmen DTK, produced some of Australia's most powerful, yet melodic rock tracks and Johnny Kannis was front row and centre. He has had a numerous solo projects as Johnny Kannis, and Johnny Kannis Explosion. [SOURCE: LANEWAY MUSIC]

 

The Psycho-Surgeons

The Psycho Surgeons, later known as Lipstick Killers, were an early Australian punk band, playing in Sydney during the mid-1970s. They supported Radio Birdman on many occasions and inherited their mantle as Sydney's most prominent punk act. They played the first and last shows of the legendary Oxford Funhouse. At the latter, singer Paul Gearside was attacked by a group of Hell's Angels and consequently left the band after the show. The group recruited Paul Tillman, singer of Filth to take over, and they changed their name to Lipstick Killers (after a New York Dolls album of the same name). The band moved to Los Angeles to further their career, but broke up after a frustrating 12 months in the USA. The group had one release as The Psycho Surgeons, a seven inch, 45 rpm vinyl single. The a-side was "Wild Weekend," and the b-side was "Horizontal Action." A fanzine from Chicago adopted the latter title as an homage. As Lipstick Killers, they released "Hindu Gods of Love" (a-side)/"Shakedown USA". There were two posthumous Lipstick Killers releases: the live album 'Mesmerizer' (recorded at one of their few US shows) on Citadel Records, and the single "Sockman"/"Pensioner Pie" on Vynil Records. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]

 

Angel Corpus Christi

Angel Corpus Christi (a.k.a. Andrea Ross) is a San Francisco singer/accordionist who began releasing vintage-sounding pop albums in the '80s. Her husband Rich Stim, a frequent musical co-conspirator, first became an important figure in avant/fringe rock in the mid-'70s with MX-80. In 1984, Angel Corpus Christi debuted with an album of NYC-related covers (by the Ramones, Lou Reed, etc.) called, fittingly, 'I Love New York'. 'Wake Up & Cry', which primarily consisted of originals, emerged the following year. 'Accordion Pop Vol. 1', a collection of accordion covers, came out in 1989. That same year saw the release of her first CD effort, 'The '80s', a collection that included both retrospective tracks and new material. Re-emerging in 1995, Angel found herself on a mainstream label, Almo Sounds. That year she released the immensely catchy and fully realized 'White Courtesy Phone'. Craig Leon played keyboards and produced, while Almo head Herb Alpert added some guest trumpet to "Lazy." Legendary session percussionist/drummer Hal Blaine also shows up on the effort. Corpus Christi has also added accordion to the Spiritualized album 'Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space' and collaborated with Luna's Dean Wareham on a cover of Serge Gainesbourg's "Je T'aime (I Wanna Boogie With You)." [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Ben Vaughn

Retro-rocker Ben Vaughn attracted attention for his faithful re-creations of pre-Beatles rock & roll, pop, and roots music, all of which were filtered through his quirky sense of humor. Vaughn is a musical omnivore, and his work runs the gamut from engaging upbeat rock (1985's 'The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn' and 1987's 'Beautiful Thing') and glossy instrumental retro-pop (1995's 'Instrumental Stylings' and 2006's 'Designs in Music') to futuristic rockabilly (1996's 'Cubist Blues', a collaboration with Alan Vega and Alex Chilton), Tex-Mex rock & roll (2014's 'Texas Road Trip'), and spare acoustic performances (2018's 'Imitation Wood Grain & Other Folk Songs'). The common threads that unite his work are his love of a catchy melody, deep respect for talented instrumentalists, a sense of humor that doesn't drown out human emotions, and a freewheeling willingness to experiment. 

Born in New Jersey, Ben Vaughn grew up in Philadelphia and joined his first band in 1980, playing drums in the local punk band The Sickidz. Two years later, roots rockers The Morells recorded his composition "The Man Who Has Everything" on their acclaimed 'Shake and Push' album. Vaughn began playing around Philadelphia with a band dubbed The Ben Vaughn Combo, gradually branching out into other parts of the Northeast. His first album, 'The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn', was released in 1986 on the U.K. imprint Making Waves and shortly thereafter was licensed for American release by Restless Records. It received enthusiastic reviews, and Marshall Crenshaw covered Vaughn's "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" on his 'Downtown' album. Vaughn's second LP, 'Beautiful Thing', appeared in 1987, again to positive response, and he signed a permanent deal with Restless; after its release, the Combo elected to disband, and Vaughn became a true solo artist. 'Blows Your Mind' was released in 1988, and its 1990 follow-up, 'Dressed in Black', featured guest appearances by Crenshaw, John Hiatt, the Violent Femmes' Gordon Gano, Alex Chilton, and country duo Foster & Lloyd.

 

 

In the meantime, Vaughn's interest in musical history led to some side gigs as a compiler and producer. He helped assemble retrospective releases from the Johnny Otis and Joe South catalogs and produced albums by cult legends Charlie Feathers and Arthur Alexander, among others. He also scored two documentary films, "Favorite Mopar" (about muscle cars) and "Wild Girls Go Go Rama", and spent some time in Nashville writing songs with Rodney Crowell and Bill Lloyd. In the meantime, Restless issued the compilation 'Mood Swings' in 1992. Vaughn's next recording was a covers album, 'Mono USA', which appeared on Bar/None in 1994. He followed it in 1995 with 'Instrumental Stylings', an eclectic album that incorporated bits of his film scores, and a collaborative effort with Kim Fowley dubbed 'Kings of Saturday Night'. 

Thanks in part to 'Instrumental Stylings', he was tapped to compose the surf-style theme song for the TV sitcom "Third Rock from the Sun" and wound up winning a composer's award from BMI for it. Most of the music from 'Instrumental Stylings' was ultimately featured on the show at one time or another. Vaughn went on to serve as music director for "That '70s Show" as well and returned with a new album in 1997. 'Rambler 65' was recorded on an eight-track studio set up in Vaughn's vintage car of the same name. He returned in 2006 with 'Designs in Music', a collection of film themes for movies that exist only in Vaughn's imagination.

 
The archival collection 'The Prehistoric Ben Vaughn' followed in 2007, and that same year, he released three volumes of 'Vaughn Sings Vaughn', a series in which he recorded new interpretations of songs from his back catalog along with a smattering of new material. In 2014, he headed west with 'Texas Road Trip', a collection of original tunes recorded with a band of Lone Star legends, including Augie Meyers of The Sir Douglas Quintet. In 2018, Vaughn pared his music down to the bone with the album 'Imitation Wood Grain & Other Folk Songs', in which the songwriter was accompanied only by his own acoustic guitar. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]