The Greatest Post-Punk Bands You Never Heard

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A few weeks ago before I wrote a piece with this title I talked about doing a poll. I almost forgot! I did my best not to include anything that might dominate. Despite being shut out of both ILM 80s polls, I think the Chameleons are too well known, as are bands like Associates, Comsat Angels and The Sound. You can hear 13 of the bands in a mix I made linked from the top image found here. Maybe some others can be heard on Spotify? I'm not sure, as I don't subscribe.

Due to the limit to 50, these weren't included: Doll By Doll, Kevin Hewick, The Lotus Eaters, Metal Urbain, Monoton, Necropolis Of Love, Pink Industry, The Prefects, The Scientists, Skids, Spherical Objects and Theoretical Girls.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Pylon 11
Liliput/Kleenex 11
Desperate Bicycles 4
Essential Logic 4
Josef K 3
The Stockholm Monsters 3
For Against 3
The Embarrassment 3
Virgin Prunes 3
Delta 5 3
The Blue Orchids 3
Modern Eon 2
Sad Lovers and Giants 2
The Lines 2
Breathless 2
Section 25 2
Pauline Murray & The Invisible Girls 2
Scars 1
The Nightingales 1
Opposition 1
Wild Swans 1
Y Pants 1
Trisomie 21 1
The Wake 1
Social Climbers 1
New Musik 1
Human Switchboard 1
And Also The Trees 1
Maximum Joy 1
Ludus 1
Fire Engines 1
Lives Of Angels 1
Happy Refugees 0
Glaxo Babies 0
Diagram Brothers 0
The Visitors 0
Wah! 0
Crispy Ambulance 0
Asylum Party 0
The Names 0
Sort Sol 0
The Sleepers 0
Ike Yard 0
Second Layer 0
The Individuals 0
Lowlife 0
Pink Military 0
The Passage 0
Nyam Nyam 0
TV21 0


Fastnbulbous, Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:29 (eleven years ago) link

Haven't heard enough of these to make any proper comparison, but I do like The Nightingales.

Say Bo to a (Fizzles), Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:32 (eleven years ago) link

Never heard of is right!

Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:34 (eleven years ago) link

Kleenex were amazing.

Tullamorte Tullamore (ShariVari), Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:35 (eleven years ago) link

Quite a few of these I have heard, but equally quite a few I haven't. My gut instinct is saying Kleenex but I'm going to mull it over a little before voting.

xpost to SV, ha.

emil.y, Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:35 (eleven years ago) link

Oh crap, just saw the Fire Engines are in there too. And all of the 'D' bands are great.

emil.y, Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:37 (eleven years ago) link

Kleenex and Delta 5 stand out to me.

Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:40 (eleven years ago) link

Weren't The Virgin Prunes extremely goth?

Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:41 (eleven years ago) link

I guess Kleenex has a big fanbase. Most of their stuff that you hear on the reissues was recorded as Liliput. Virgin Prunes might have influence goth, but they were much more. If I Die, I Die was produced by Wire's Colin Newman and was pretty adventurous.

There's some really excellent stuff here. Well over 90% of these have been reissued and are in print. I came up with the list from my own playlist of FLAC files ripped from CDs and MP3s.

One example, The Sleepers - (Superior Viaduct, 1981) was reissued on vinyl on November 27 last year, and comes with a digital download card. A really great band from San Francisco.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51O4Jl+sR4L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Fastnbulbous, Sunday, 27 January 2013 17:50 (eleven years ago) link

Ludus discography is messy quality-wise but the Pickpocket cassette EP is one of favourite discoveries of the past few years, really hoping someone will reissue it on vinyl at some point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmYGDROw68g

( X '____' )/ (zappi), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:01 (eleven years ago) link

It's a very tight race between Liliput/Kleenex and Essential Logic for me. I love them both soooo much.

Merry Poppage (Old Lunch), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:03 (eleven years ago) link

Essential Logic is Lora Logic, right? I keep bringing her solo single to mind but can't think of any group songs off the top of my head.

emil.y, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:05 (eleven years ago) link

I also have a lot of affection for the Passage, tbh. Or at least that industrial-funk sounding record I have (lame terminology on my part, I suppose, but the first description I could think of that seemed right... would also go for some of the other Factory bands, I guess).

emil.y, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:09 (eleven years ago) link

Catch-22: you can only vote for someone where the title doesn't apply. For me, that narrows the list (give or take a stray song) to Delta 5, Essential Logic, Human Switchboard, Liliput, Pauline Murray, and Pylon. Liliput, easily--I think there's a chance they'll dominate this.

clemenza, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:10 (eleven years ago) link

The Stockholm Monsters

contrarian, zing thyself (cajunsunday), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:11 (eleven years ago) link

always liked and also the trees - maps on her wrists and arms
kneejerk response = LiliPUT over human switchboard and then pylon

making plans for nyquil (outdoor_miner), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:15 (eleven years ago) link

I was turned on to Ludus and The Passage via Simon Reynold's book. The latter are in my mix.

You don't have to vote right away. Why not find out about some of these and vote later in the week? Especially those who only know one or a few bands on the list I encourage to give some more of them a listen before voting!

Mix: 13 Bands, 54 Songs, 453.5 MB, 4:23:59. Just click on this image on my site:
http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/post-punk.png

Fastnbulbous, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:16 (eleven years ago) link

I have LPs, EPs, and/or CDs (often career retrospectives) by these:

Delta 5
The Embarrassment
Essential Logic
Fire Engines
Human Switchboard
The Individuals
Liliput/Kleenex
Pauline Murray & The Invisible Girls
New Musik
The Nightingales
Pink Military
Pylon
Virgin Prunes

Also, of ones you said you left out: Doll By Doll, Metal Urbain, The Prefects, The Scientists, Skids, Theoretical Girls.

Have heard several others too (didn't like the Social Climbers collection I heard last year at all, fwiw.)

Voting Essential Logic, though a few others come close.

xhuxk, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:16 (eleven years ago) link

I think the most "well-known" Essential Logic song is Aerosol Burns, their first single.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AcUkQ5oUR8

Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:17 (eleven years ago) link

Blue Orchids <3<3<3 Also really like Pylon, Ike Yard and Trisomie 21

a la recherche du tempbans perdu (NickB), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:18 (eleven years ago) link

YOU YOU YOU YOOOO

emil.y, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:19 (eleven years ago) link

at first i was thinking: 4.5 hours of music to d/l and listen to?! you have got to be kidding. but reading your blog post got me kinda excited at the chance to hear all this stuff in one place. hanx!

making plans for nyquil (outdoor_miner), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:26 (eleven years ago) link

Got to admit it's odd to see New Musik in this list as they were never really considered post-punk here in the UK. I may end up voting for them, or the Factory bands, or The Blue Orchids. Tough choice.

Rob M Revisited, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:27 (eleven years ago) link

Ones I have never heard:

And Also The Trees
Asylum Party
Breathless
Crispy Ambulance
For Against
Happy Refugees
Human Switchboard
The Individuals
Lives Of Angels
Lowlife
The Names
New Musik
Nyam Nyam
Opposition
Sad Lovers and Giants
The Sleepers
Social Climbers
Sort Sol
Trisomie 21

Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:27 (eleven years ago) link

Yeah, looks like Liliput and Essential Logic are just as well known as, say Au Pairs. Oh well. Anyone who haven't heard the 1981 albums by Modern Eon and Opposition should at least check out those songs in the mix.

Fastnbulbous, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:28 (eleven years ago) link

I would've voted Monoton, if it was the Monoton who did the monotonprodukt releases!

As it is, Kleenex and Pylon are my favourites of those listed, but since those are two of the biggest names on the list and I haven't heard many of the others, I may not be qualified to vote (apart from living up to the thread title).

a panda, Malmö (a passing spacecadet), Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:38 (eleven years ago) link

odd to see New Musik in this list as they were never really considered post-punk here in the UK

Not in the States either, I don't think. They were basically a mid-level early synth-pop band, with at least one album and a 10-inch EP (a "nu-disk") on a major label. "Straight Lines" may have even got a little AOR airplay. It never would've occurred to me to call them post-punk.

xhuxk, Sunday, 27 January 2013 18:58 (eleven years ago) link

Can't vote for the ones I've never heard (unless I'm missing something?) but will rep hard for Josef K. But also love Pylon, that first Virgin Prunes, like Crispy Ambulance and Stockholm Monsters. A lot on there I've never heard or heard of!

Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:05 (eleven years ago) link

xp At the time, though, guess New Musik just would've been classified as "new wave." But not a particularly uncommercial kind. (New Trouser Press Record Guide, 1985: "'Straight Lines' -- preceding Gary Numan's 'Cars' -- nearly crossed over from the dance clubs to the mass market as an import.")

xhuxk, Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:05 (eleven years ago) link

Virgin Prunes has to be one of the better known acts on this list. I've kind of forgotten what they sound like, however.

_Rudipherous_, Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:11 (eleven years ago) link

boycotting because no scientists

a sock of regals (Edward III), Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:17 (eleven years ago) link

"you never heard" say you wrote something, presuming your audience never heard any of 'em so you're telling 'em now. Fine, but since can only vote for one, voted for Essential Logic just because they're alphabetically ahead of my other faves on here, Human Switchboard, Kleenex Liliput, and Pylon. Prob Delta 5 and some others as well, but I'm most familiar with the aforementioned groups, thanks to excellent, extensive reissues. Perfect Sound Forever's Jason Gross instigated both the EL and KL comps, plus the Delta 5 I haven't heard. All of these bands occasionally veer into arty blurs, but most of the time they cut a sharp set of (frequently female) profiles.

dow, Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:27 (eleven years ago) link

Would have been a tossup between Scientists and Desperate Bicycles, but
Pylon were pretty well-mentioned at least during the Athens Inside/Out era. I vaguely recall not especially disliking them.

Mike Dixn, Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:33 (eleven years ago) link

The Pylon reissues are great, got all the singles-only added. too. Oh yeah, and those Individuals reissues a few years back were mostly better for their bonus tracks; "Fields" is still my fave track, Janet Wygal wailing from the trail, "I walk by your house"--amen, sister!

dow, Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:35 (eleven years ago) link

The Ike Yard collection is awesome too.

Mike Dixn, Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:36 (eleven years ago) link

Just got a live set with Blue Orchids backing Nico in '82 from Dime last week. Sounds like a good set but I'm not sure how great the sound is.

Stevolende, Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:38 (eleven years ago) link

Please, please: go listen to Feeding the Flame by Sad Lovers & Giants!

Clarke B., Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:45 (eleven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSK1lYHH_Ks

Clarke B., Sunday, 27 January 2013 19:46 (eleven years ago) link

Yeah, part of the point of this is to encourage people to hear some of these bands for the first time before voting. Some can't be bothered which is fine. But it's 2013, so anyone who's interested and motivated should have easy access to any and all the bands.

On New Musik's From A to B (Straight Lines) (1980), they seemed to me just as much Factory/Joy Division acolytes as new wave synth poppers, but I probably shouldn't have included them, oh well.

Fastnbulbous, Sunday, 27 January 2013 20:09 (eleven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTX83ekglM&feature=youtu.be

Fastnbulbous, Sunday, 27 January 2013 20:19 (eleven years ago) link

There's something about the Desperate Bicycles' "Smokescreen" that touches an Anglophiliac nerve like nothing else from the period. You have to go back to the '60s.

timellison, Sunday, 27 January 2013 20:28 (eleven years ago) link

THere was also a Delta 5 live set upped to Dime earlier today. Been several post-punk things from around '82 put up over the last couple of days.

Stevolende, Sunday, 27 January 2013 20:41 (eleven years ago) link

the answer to any poll with pylon is pylon

Z S, Sunday, 27 January 2013 20:43 (eleven years ago) link

Now that I think about it more - obviously, there's '70s/'80s Anglophilia as well. But "Smokescreen" is like skiffle or something. It's also the song that makes me think, "This is the punk band who could write songs as good as Neil Innes or someone."

timellison, Sunday, 27 January 2013 20:46 (eleven years ago) link

the wake aren't the greatest of all time or anything but they're basically the original wild nothing

Z S, Sunday, 27 January 2013 21:02 (eleven years ago) link

My knowledge of this list is spotty at best but Josef K's Sorry For Laughing is great. Someone here alerted me to New Musik's '24 hours from culture' as a proto house tune. Sounds like a Nu Groove b-side.. Will check some more out of this list.. great thread.

mmmm, Sunday, 27 January 2013 21:20 (eleven years ago) link

it was new musik that had a hit in the uk with living by numbers right? thats the only song of theirs i think i've ever heard, so in my head they're in the same sort of slightly wacky synthpop ballpark as landscape, and even maybe m or the buggles

a la recherche du tempbans perdu (NickB), Sunday, 27 January 2013 21:30 (eleven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=creUlGjTJms

lives of angels came up on a similar thread the other day and they turned out to be a nice find. reminded me a bit of the clean or the bats or someone in places but with a nice android drum machine sound going on too

a la recherche du tempbans perdu (NickB), Sunday, 27 January 2013 21:39 (eleven years ago) link

I picked up the digital release of the newish Ike Yard remix 12" featuring Regis and Monoton the other week but had never knowingly heard Ike Yard themselves until tonight. Pretty neat minimal electronic stuff, right up my alley. Thank you thread!

a panda, Malmö (a passing spacecadet), Sunday, 27 January 2013 21:49 (eleven years ago) link

I was the only person to vote for The Fire Engines? You people are crazy. The correct answer to this poll was probably Big Flame though.

Oblique Strategies, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 01:56 (eleven years ago) link

Quickie list of some lesser-known Australian post punk bands with at least one LP-length release. Obviously, there start to be tons more excellent bands if you just go 7" or cassette; the LP standard is a tough one, but it's a place to start.

Laughing Clowns, Makers of the Dead Travel Fast, Moodists, Primitive Calculators, Severed Heads, Slugfuckers/Rhythmx Chymx, SPK, Sunday Painters, Systematics, Tactics, Voigt/465

And for New Zealand you get something like

Bilders, Gordons, Paul Luker/Phantom Forth/This is Heaven. Nocturnal Projections, Pin Group, Playthings, Victor Dimisich Band

But with NZ, you really feel the LP restriction and then have to fudge a bit. Nocturnal Projections, for example, had a strong cd's worth of material, but spread out over two tapes, a single, two 12"S, and some comp stuff. Plus the unreleased stuff that showed up on the cd.

In their honor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duOQMantKVw

Michael Train, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 03:36 (eleven years ago) link

Gets more fun if you go singles, as ever....

From NZ, 1981 7". Shoes this High

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm3F1papWgI

Michael Train, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 03:40 (eleven years ago) link

Tracklisting of upcoming 80s uk indie compilation, which picks up still in post-punk territory and follows that thread into C86/jangle/Ron Johnson and other indie territories:

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Acute Records shared Scared To Get Happy's status.
5 hours ago
A UK 80s Nuggets featuring The Lines and The Fire Engines!
* STOP PRESS - SCARED TO GET HAPPY TRACK LISTING *

Well, it's taken a while... feels like forever... and maybe it'll change... still a few tracks we want... but... here it is. Bit of room at the end for stragglers. Otherwise... it's done!

Disc 1:
1. THE WILD SWANS Revolutionary Spirit
2. GIRLS AT OUR BEST Getting Nowhere Fast
3. THE PALE FOUNTAINS (There’s Always) Something On My Mind
4. JOSEF K The Missionary
5. THE MONOCHROME SET Jet Set Junta
6. THE BLUE ORCHIDS Dumb Magician
7. THE MARINE GIRLS Don’t Come Back
8. THE FIRE ENGINES Candy Skin
9. DOLLY MIXTURE Everything And More
10. SCARS All About You
11. THE NIGHTINGALES Paraffin Brain
12. FARMERS BOYS I Think I Need Help
13. JANE It’s A Fine Day
14. PREFAB SPROUT Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone)
15. WEEKEND Summerdays
16. THE LINES Nerve Pylon
17. FANTASTIC SOMETHING If She Doesn’t Smile It’ll Rain
18. THE HIGSONS The Lost And The Lonely
19. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL Feeling Dizzy *
20. BLACK Human Features
21. STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE Trees And Flowers
22. THE DAINTEES Roll On Summertime
23. NICK NICELY 49 Cigars
24. TRIXIE’S BIG RED MOTORBIKE Norman And Narcissus
25. THE CHERRY BOYS Kardomah Café
26. AZTEC CAMERA Oblivious

Disc 2:
1. HURRAH The Sun Shines Here
2. THE PASTELS I Wonder Why
3. PULP Everybody’s Problem
4. GRAB GRAB THE HADDOCK I'm Used Now
5. FRIENDS AGAIN Honey At The Core (Moonboot Version)
6. THE BLUEBELLS Callander Green
7. LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken (Indie Version)
8. IN EMBRACE This Brilliant Evening
9. MICRODISNEY Dolly
10. THE WOODENTOPS Plenty
11. THE JAZZ BUTCHER Southern Mark Smith
12. THE JASMINE MINKS Where The Traffic Goes
13. THE JUNE BRIDES Every Conversation (Single Version)
14. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM In The Afternoon
15. THE SHOP ASSISTANTS All Day Long
16. BIFF BANG POW! The Chocolate Elephant Man
17. JAMES Hymn From A Village
18. THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN Just Like Honey (Demo Oct ‘84)
19. THE LOFT Up The Hill And Down The Slope
20. THAT PETROL EMOTION Keen
21. YEAH YEAH NOH Temple Of Convenience
22. THE WEDDING PRESENT Go Out And Get ‘Em Boy
23. THE BODINES God Bless
24. WE'VE GOT A FUZZBOX AND WE’RE GONNA USE IT XX Sex (Demo)
25. McCARTHY Red Sleeping Beauty
26. THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS Something Happens

Disc 3:
1. PRIMAL SCREAM Velocity Girl
2. THE PRIMITIVES Thru The Flowers
3. THE BMX BANDITS Sad
4. MIGHTY MIGHTY Is There Anyone Out There?
5. THE SOUP DRAGONS Fair's Fair
6. THE WOLFHOUNDS Cut The Cake
7. THE CHESTERFIELDS Completely And Utterly
8. THE SERVANTS Transparent
9. THE CLOSE LOBSTERS What Is There To Smile About (Demo)
10. POP WILL EAT ITSELF Sick Little Girl
11. THE RAZORCUTS Big Pink Cake
12. THE WEATHER PROPHETS Almost Prayed
13. JAMIE WEDNESDAY Vote For Love
14. TALULAH GOSH Beatnik Boy
15. THE DENTISTS She Dazzled Me With Basil
16. THE RAILWAY CHILDREN A Gentle Sound
17. THE GROOVE FARM Baby Blue Marine
18. JESSE GARON & THE DESPERADOES The Rain Fell Down
19. ROSEMARY’S CHILDREN (Whatever Happened To) Alice?
20. THE WONDER STUFF A Wonderful Day
21. THIS POISON! Engine Failure
22. THE BRILLIANT CORNERS Delilah Sands
23. 14 ICED BEARS Balloon Song
24. THE HEART THROBS Toy
25. THE ROSEHIPS Room In Your Heart
26. KING OF LUXEMBOURG A Picture Of Dorian Gray

Disc 4:
1. HOUSE OF LOVE Shine On
2. THE DARLING BUDS Shame On You (Native Single Version)
3. THE POOH STICKS Indiepop Ain’t Noise Pollution
4. THE BACHELOR PAD The Albums Of Jack
5. THE SHAMEN Something About You
6. GOL GAPPAS Albert Parker
7. HANGMAN'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS Love Is Blue
8. WHIRL Heaven Forbid
9. THE BOY HAIRDRESSERS Tidalwave
10. THE FLATMATES Shimmer
11. APPLE BOUTIQUE Love Resistance
12. LAUGH Take Your Time Yeah!
13. GROOVY LITTLE NUMBERS You Make My Head Explode
14. THE WALTONES She Looks Right Through Me
15. YEAH JAZZ Sharon
16. THE CLOUDS Tranquil
17. THE RAW HERBS She’s A Nurse But She's Alright
18. THE SIDDELEYS My Favourite Wet Wednesday Afternoon
19. RODNEY ALLEN Circle Line
20. THE CORN DOLLIES Be Small Again
21. THE HEPBURNS The World Is
22. BUBBLEGUM SPLASH One Of Those Things
23. THE McTELLS Jesse Man Rae
24. THE CHARLOTTES Are You Happy Now?
25. ANOTHER SUNNY DAY I’m In Love With A Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist
26. THE LA's Son Of A Gun (Demo)

Disc 5:
1. THE STONE ROSES The Hardest Thing In The World
2. THE INSPIRAL CARPETS Keep The Circle Around
3. THE SEA URCHINS Solace
4. CUD Only (A Prawn In Whitby)
5. THE POPGUNS Landslide
6. EAST VILLAGE Strawberry Window
7. THE FANATICS Suburban Love Songs
8. THE MILLTOWN BROTHERS Roses
9. THE ORCHIDS I’ve Got A Habit
10. BRADFORD Skin Storm
11. THE CLAIM Picking Up The Bitter Little Pieces
12. THE POPPYHEADS Pictures You Weave
13. THE SUN AND THE MOON Adam’s Song (Pour Fenella)
14. THE DESERT WOLVES Speak To Me Rochelle
15. THE GOLDEN DAWN My Secret World
16. BLOW UP Forever Holiday
17. KOROVA MILK BAR Do It Again
18. AVO-8 Big Car
19. THE RAIN Dry The Rain
20. THE BOO RADLEYS Catweazle
21. THE SEERS Sun Is In The Sky
22. THE TELESCOPES Perfect Needle
23. THE VASELINES Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam

dan selzer, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 04:53 (eleven years ago) link

hah, sorry I copied part of the Acute facebook page...I had posted this info there so I went there to copy it, and now you can see that at some point while operating as Acute Records I "liked" Broadcast and Sexual Objects (post-post-Fire Engines!)

dan selzer, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 04:54 (eleven years ago) link

Oh yeah, the Servants. The Sun a Small Star is lovely

Dr X O'Skeleton, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 18:34 (eleven years ago) link

housecleaning

love the diachronic/internoise/island-of-misfit-death-disco slant of the thread, so I’m gonna run w/that f/a minute and add Colin Newman’s new-to-me melted-genre nod Troisieme from lol ’80. could prob. go in this threadbut it’s such a sweet mess of proto-techno stomp, martial guitar + drums from the ghost of Swans future, rinky piano plonking, sax lost in reverb, Fripp-ish guitar, and pop vox w/ hints of Bowie damage that it snaps in here w/out effort, so w/e:

http://youtu.be/fNEkicBxe2o

― Hellhouse, Tuesday, February 5, 2013 10:40 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

unprepared guitar (Edward III), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 19:00 (eleven years ago) link

Even though I have at least half of that material, I'm still really excited for that indie nuggets box!

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 19:02 (eleven years ago) link

ha I didn't even see that The Lines were on this list. definitely would have voted for them.

ron paulstretch (crüt), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 19:04 (eleven years ago) link

I just ordered all 10 volumes of "The Indie Scene: The History Of British Independent Music" covering 1977-1986. I've had MP3s of these for years but meant to get the CDs, this thread inspired me to do so. I'm a sucker for great compilations!

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 7 February 2013 04:04 (eleven years ago) link

Just posted a photobooth photo of The Lines dug up by drummer Nick Cash (also of Fad Gadget and PragVEC!) up on the Acute facebook page. I suggest joining it, even though facebook won't show you the page unless I pay to "promote" it.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Acute-Records/304608789347

dan selzer, Thursday, 7 February 2013 05:06 (eleven years ago) link

I just ordered all 10 volumes of "The Indie Scene: The History Of British Independent Music" covering 1977-1986...

Where the heck did you find that?

Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 7 February 2013 18:49 (eleven years ago) link

The first 5 were on AmazonUK and the last 5 were on discogs.com - all were between $10 and $20.

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 7 February 2013 18:57 (eleven years ago) link

Thanks for the FB link, I've just 'liked' your record label Dan.

Talking obscure post punk - I've always loved "China's eternal" by The Tights since I heard it on the "Business Unusual" compilation. It's got a similar mood to "Chairs missing" era Wire. Did they issue anything else, and has the song appeared on cd?

Rob M Revisited, Thursday, 7 February 2013 19:06 (eleven years ago) link

The Tights! Brilliant call Rob. They released 3 singles on Cherry Red, all of which are on the 8cd singles box that came out a few years back. And they're all good tracks.

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 7 February 2013 19:10 (eleven years ago) link

I thought they only did one single. I'll have to look into that Cherry Red singles set.

Rob M Revisited, Thursday, 7 February 2013 19:16 (eleven years ago) link

Just found the track listing in another thread. That's my kind of boxed set - Felt, Monochrome Set, Marine Girls, Joe Crow, Passage, Eyeless in Gaza., Hybrid Kids.. Ok, let's see if it's on Amazon... Thanks!

Rob M Revisited, Thursday, 7 February 2013 19:27 (eleven years ago) link

There were three? I only know two, the more post-punk Howard Hughes / china and the more punk Bad Hearts, which has three songs, all very catchy. Of there's a third, send it my way.

Michael Train, Thursday, 7 February 2013 19:41 (eleven years ago) link

I just sold The Indie Scene 1982 on discogs for £10 - seems those CDs are pretty sought after.

Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 7 February 2013 19:53 (eleven years ago) link

My mistake, just 2 singles from The Tights covering 5 songs, all great.

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 7 February 2013 19:59 (eleven years ago) link

On the "I'll give you my heart" box set, they talk about having a reunion and making a new album for Cherry Red. Did they ever get to do this?

(i.e. The Tights)

Mark G, Friday, 8 February 2013 09:07 (eleven years ago) link

Those in Chicago might like to know that Reckless has a used copy of the Kill Rock Stars double CD reissue of poll co-winners Liliput for just $6.99. You already probably know but you can call and put it on hold or transfer from the Broadway store to downtown or Wicker Park.

Fastnbulbous, Sunday, 10 February 2013 02:13 (eleven years ago) link

The Flexible funding campaign for Post-Punk magazine ends Feb 27. $15 gets you their first issue plus a CD comp, $30 an issue + backer t-shirt and $75 a year sub + t-shirt, not much more than it would normally cost for getting a UK sub in the US anyway. I might do the amount where they post a profile and my top 5 post-punk albums.

http://www.indiegogo.com/post-punk

Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 23:39 (eleven years ago) link

Dangit, I missed the deadline, got swamped at work and spaced. Looks like they didn't make it unfortunately. I just saw this comment on my site from Feb 7 from a Rob Cioffi:

Nice work, brilliant for the uninitiated!

A few things to add -

Sad Lovers And Giants: continue to stage a few shows per year and have been readying a new LP. They have self-released a new single in recent years (Himalaya/Happiness Is Fragile) and have included several new songs in their current set-lists. Singer Garce self-released his first solo EP in 2012. Tony McGuinness (guitars) is 1/3 of progressive trance global heavyweight Above & Beyond. The band is very active on Facebook and have a rabid, loyal following world-wide.

Modern Eon: I actually emailed LTM label head James Nice about releasing Fiction Tales for the very first time on CD (the only CD releases have been two widely circulated bootlegs, one Fiction Tales Plus , the other Peel Sessions & Live). The label investigated this and passed. Cherry Red may end up issuing this sometime down the road.

Breathless: hailed by Jack Rabid in the pages of Big Takeover, and ended up in several best of lists there.

Asylum Party: released 2 LPs, both were reissued as The Grey Years Vol. 1 (2-CD set) and The Grey Years Vol. 2 (2-CD set), both bolstered with singles, non-LP tracks and demos. Both sets can be ordered direct from their label, infrastition.com, and via Discogs.

And Also The Trees: several compilations can be great entry points. The best that is still in print is 1980-2005 but the best is From Horizon To Horizon (Singles 1983-92), which is long out of print.

Lowlife: their final LP, Gush, remains out of print. LTM will not be reissuing due to lack of bonus material.

Opposition: their entire back catalogue, remastered in digital form, is available from their website, http://www.theopposition.fr/ To my knowledge, these are unlikely to receive a physical release.

The following band should also be considered for this article:

Abecedarians

This brilliant Los Angeles post-punk band released their first single on the legendary Factory label and has opened for New Order when they toured Southern California. Their sound is similar to The Chameleons, etc and until 2012, their entire back catalogue remained out of print. Their magnificent debut album, Eureka, was finally released on CD via Pylon Records and can be ordered here http://pylonrecords.com/ in a several different formats.

Their are plans to reissue final LP, Resin, as well.

Despite their demos collection being released on the famed indie label, IPR, they never received recognition for their musical legacy and thus were the hidden jewel in the deepest of deep post-punk collections.

If you love any of the above bands, you must check them out...you will not be disappointed!

Those Asylum Party reissues are tempting, but are possibly more than $30USD each with shipping! Ugh. I was excited about the Opposition site but it looks like it's just streaming. They need to get their post-punk asses on Bandcamp. Abecedarians is interesting, though the only way to get the bonus CD of songs from their 1985-86 era is to buy the vinyl, which is a load of crap.

Fastnbulbous, Friday, 1 March 2013 17:39 (eleven years ago) link

How can you tell what's on those Abecadarian releases? I have the IPR vinyl but never really dug it. All I want is Smiling Monarchs on vinyl.

dan selzer, Friday, 1 March 2013 18:06 (eleven years ago) link

forget it, I see the tracklisting on discogs

dan selzer, Friday, 1 March 2013 18:07 (eleven years ago) link

this stuff come with downloads? It's criminal if labels put out vinyl and not include a download code.

dan selzer, Friday, 1 March 2013 18:08 (eleven years ago) link

The Dark Entries and Medical Records releases are without downloads, unless I've been missing something. Extra work...

Speaking of Dark Entries, the reissue of The Thing from the Crypt compilation LP is very fine. Grab one. The Fall of Saigon 12" has its moments.

Michael Train, Friday, 1 March 2013 21:48 (eleven years ago) link

we'll have to talk to those folks. what are they doing without downloads.

dan selzer, Friday, 1 March 2013 22:38 (eleven years ago) link

FFS, offer a CD option of "The Thing From The Crypt"! Didn't it have a sequel too?

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 2 March 2013 01:06 (eleven years ago) link

I support not releasing CDs. Gotta have downloads though! Ill bring it up at our next meeting.

dan selzer, Saturday, 2 March 2013 01:19 (eleven years ago) link

Another Thing from the Crypt. Bands not quite as iconic, but still a good record. Don't think anyone will be reissuing it. Mutant Sounds had it up at one point, I think.

Michael Train, Saturday, 2 March 2013 01:26 (eleven years ago) link

one month passes...

Posted this the other day in the Australian Post Punk thread, but that may be too narrow a demographic....

For my money, the greatest post-punk band that nobody's ever heard is a group from Wollongong Australia called the Sunday Painters. Three singles, two LPs, cassettes, and comp tracks. At work on a reissue, but thought I'd put a song on on Sound Cloud since Monday marked the thirty-year anniversary of one of their high points: the Sedition Festival, a three-day showcase of 22 bands, as well as assorted video artists, at the Trade Union Club. $10 for the lot….Other bands included the Scientists, Wet Taxi, Celibate Rifles. The Same, and Severed Heads.

The Painters played the opening night. Three and a half songs have survived from their set; two of which made it onto the Sedition—Go Broke cassette. This one, “In My Dreams,” did not, though it’s a monster, reworked into drum-machine form from its origins as a practice-room kraut jam outtake that made up the b-side of the band’s second single (Painting By Numbers, 1980, 250 copies). Like X covering PIL, with a New Order keyboard flourish.

Please feel free to share, to download, to play.

https://soundcloud.com/michael-train/in-my-dreams

Michael Train, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 02:52 (ten years ago) link

Taught myself to play "Smokescreen" by the Desperate Bicycles and it only underscored how unusual it is. The guy sings straight through for three and a half minutes or however long it is and there are eight verses.

timellison, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 03:26 (ten years ago) link

hey, thanks, that's pretty awesome! xpost

the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 03:28 (ten years ago) link

Thought I'd try it as a video (well, at least a photo montage):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NTISSJPyLw

Michael Train, Sunday, 28 April 2013 20:46 (ten years ago) link

Cool. I'm really proud of the iMovie Ken Burns video montage I made for Disco Zombies and Happy Refugees.

dan selzer, Sunday, 28 April 2013 21:08 (ten years ago) link

Crazy what you can do within ten minutes of opening iMovie for the first time, but wow do I now have respect for real video editors....

Michael Train, Sunday, 28 April 2013 21:22 (ten years ago) link

eight months pass...

One year anniversary, here's a Spotify playlist finally! None of the early And Also The Trees, The Sound or Comsat Angels, but a good sampling of most of what I wrote about.

http://open.spotify.com/user/1212496385/playlist/3RkhJjuRHTIamrXejVwa9H
spotify:user:1212496385:playlist:3RkhJjuRHTIamrXejVwa9H

50 Minute And Also The Trees documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgp8gwgjTPs&list=PL6B10D8ECB2D36111

90 Minute live show recorded September 28, 2013 at La Cave à Musique in Mâcon, Burgundy, France:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iOivHqNgpQ&list=FLvS7HOg0xXDKPhctmMyG1Qw

Fastnbulbous, Saturday, 18 January 2014 17:59 (ten years ago) link

Documentary embedded (I hope?):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgp8gwgjTPs&list=PL6B10D8ECB2D36111&feature=share

Fastnbulbous, Saturday, 18 January 2014 18:03 (ten years ago) link

eleven months pass...

Tiny Desk Unit has never been mentioned on ILM? I stumbled across this video today and remembered the name, probably from New York Rocker. This kind of art/dance/drone/skronk would have been like catnip to me when this was new, but I'm finding it only mildly interesting in 2014. Great that these Hurrah videos are out there, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHHwKO9NvgU

The Thelonius Monk of nu-ki? (Dan Peterson), Monday, 22 December 2014 22:09 (nine years ago) link

Nice to see this topic active again. Reminds me that we've finally made some real headway with our Sunday Painters reissues. (The Painters were a Wollongong, Australia art punk band most active from 1980-86, putting out records on their own Terminal Records in minuscule runs.) We'll be collecting the band's three singles on one LP (see the link below), out in January, then doing the two albums by the end of spring. Each with digital downloads and bonus tracks drawn from live cassettes and a radio appearance. Punk, industrial, pop, prog, and experimental, sometimes all at once. A Cab-Voltaire take on "Rebel Rebel." The Homosexuals with a drum machine. And so on.

Out on Whats Your Rupture. Home also to the Tronics and Parquet Courts.

http://whatsyourrupture.bigcartel.com/product/sunday-painters-in-my-dreams-lp-pre-order

Michael Train, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 05:02 (nine years ago) link

So we now have hard copies of the Sunday Painters singles collection. Should start to show up in stores soon. Very exciting. There'll also be digital downloads from all the usual places. For those of you in Australia, your best bets will be R.I.P. Society/Repressed Records in Sydney, or Music Farmer's in Wollongong, though there may well be some other spots, too. By May we're hoping to get the band's two albums out.

Michael Train, Saturday, 3 January 2015 01:49 (nine years ago) link

Sounds great, let me know when they become available on CD or reasonably priced lossless.

Fastnbulbous, Saturday, 3 January 2015 16:57 (nine years ago) link

Speaking of unheard post-punk bands (who have been heard with the help of Michael Train and myself!)...Happy Refugees are following up our reissue from a couple of years ago with a self-released newly recorded album, some new songs, some vintage unrecorded songs. Great stuff. A bit less edge than the old stuff, a bit more mature, but what do you expect? Great website here: http://www.happyrefugees.com/

dan selzer, Saturday, 3 January 2015 17:39 (nine years ago) link

been getting into the deep freeze mice reissue a bit, anyone else a fan?

don't ask me why i posted this (electricsound), Saturday, 3 January 2015 22:09 (nine years ago) link

No plans for any CDs, but I'll look into the possibilities for lossless. Still not sure what sites will have the record, so I'm not sure if it will be up on any that offer lossless. If I learn of one, I'll post it here. That said, it takes a superior set of ears and equipment to tell the difference between lossless and 320 kbps coding these days. I listen with mastering-quality AKG headphones and Focal monitors and can only occasionally notice the difference, and then only in direct A/B comparisons on a high decay.

Michael Train, Sunday, 4 January 2015 06:41 (nine years ago) link

I think most, if not all episodes of New Wave Theatre are on YouTube which feature a bunch of mysterious post-punk bands. (as well as other genres)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA70OzHvxP4

MaresNest, Sunday, 4 January 2015 11:06 (nine years ago) link

three weeks pass...

You can stream all the Sunday Painters singles here:

http://noisey.vice.com/en_au/blog/stream-the-of-the-sunday-painters-early-80s-diy-punk

Michael Train, Sunday, 25 January 2015 01:32 (nine years ago) link

four months pass...

here's some post-punk / diy spam. it's out in july. michael train did the audio restoration, there's an introduction written by dan selzer and i compiled it, so should be fairly ILM friendly spam.

Now That's What I Call DIY (Cult classics from the Post-Punk era 1978/82) - https://soundcloud.com/optimo-music/various-now-thats-what-i-call

stirmonster, Tuesday, 26 May 2015 22:17 (eight years ago) link


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