Lost Bands Of The New Wave Era

The Now

2007-04-05T12:26:00.001-04:00

New York, NY's, The Now were caught in the New Wave rush in 1979. They were playing the Max's Kansas City scene when they signed to Midsong International Records and hooked up with producer de jour Bobby Orlando. An album was "produced, arranged, engineered and concieved" by Mr. Orlando and sold about 200,000 records - enough to warrant a second LP which the band started to record. Then the label

Department S

2007-03-16T09:25:00.000-04:00

Formed from the ashes of faux ska band Guns For Hire, and named after a tv detective spoof, London's Department S released three singles between 1980 and 1981 including "Is Vic There? ","Going Left Right" and "I Want" on Stiff Records. The band appeared on Top of the Pops and a Smash Hits cover. They were on the brink of a break out. They recorded an album called "Sub-Stance" with producer

Baby it's Cold Outside

2007-02-06T19:34:00.000-05:00

[It's well below freezing outside today and I found myself singing "Baby Its Cold Outside" to myself so I figured I'd post the song.]Though Chicago's Pezband formed in 1971, in 1978 retail giant Record World crowned Pezband “Most Promising New Act of the Year.” Perhaps that's because they got lumped into the resurging skinny tie power pop scene of the late 70's. They released 3 full length LP's (

Brains activity on the increase

2007-01-24T14:58:00.000-05:00

[I received the following email today and decided to pass it along since I had posted about The Brains almost two years ago. Thanks for the email Richard] "The Brains, the Atlanta band that flared briefly in the 1980s with the hit “Money Changes Everything” and then flamed out, is returning, in a sense. The guys plan a one-off gig at Club 29 in Decatur on Saturday (1/27/2007) that will feature

The Headboys

2007-01-14T12:06:00.000-05:00

Edinburgh Scotland's the Headboys released an album of pop rock in 1979 on Robert Stigwood's RSO label. The first single, "The Shape of Things to Come" was a minor hit and the band planned a U.S. tour to support the album and join the New Wave craze that they reluctantly became a part of. But they soon decided that they were not ready for touring and retreated to the Scottish countryside to

Our Daughters Wedding

2006-12-14T12:26:00.000-05:00

San Francisco's Our Daughters Wedding started playing in 1977 with bass, guitar and drums but in 1978 they quit. One year later they met in New York and decided to start all over again, this time using only rhythm machines and synthesizers. "We started playing at the Hurrah! club as supporting act to James Chance and Mi-Sex. At that time people did not like us and shouted 'where the fuck are the

The Units

2006-11-22T20:22:00.000-05:00

San Francisco, California's The Units formed in 1978 and released their first EP in 1979. Through the years the band went through many lineup changes and brushes with the major labels. They signed with 415 Records in 1980 and after recording an album produced by Bill Nelson they had a falling out with the label and the record was never released. In 1983 they signed with Epic and once again

Fay Ray

2006-11-11T09:12:00.000-05:00

Bangor Wales' Fay Ray, named after photographer William Wegman's dog, debuted in 1980 with the 7" single "Family Affairs" (Surey Sound Records) and three live tracks on a 101 Live Letters compilation. They signed to Elektra/Warner Brothers and released "Contact You" in 1982. The record did not sell. A follow-up was recorded but the label pulled the plug and kept the masters. The record was not

Manicured Noise

2006-10-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

Manchester, England's Manicured Noise formed in 1978, but the very early days of the band remain a mystery. Given their name by prime Manchester scenester Linder, the group peddled a form of spiky and angular jazz/punk. Jeff Noon, acclaimed sci-fi, cyberpunk writer ("Vurt", "Nymphomation") was an early member of the group, adding to the group's retro-futurist edge. Inspired by Television, Talking

The Smirks

2006-10-15T09:04:00.000-04:00

[Editor's Note: The following post was contributed by Ian. Contributions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks Ian! - E.A.]The Smirks played their first concerts in Manchester in late 1977, but by January 1978 they were spotted at the Stiff Records talent show. The band quickly picked up a management deal, and recorded a session for the John Peel programme in April 1978.By then, they had signed up

Slow Children

2006-10-01T11:02:00.000-04:00

Originally from Los Angeles, CA the duo of Slow Children, were made up of Pal Shazar (vocals) and Andrew Chinich (vocals/guitar). They released just two albums, the self titled debut "Slow Children" (Ensign/RCA, 1981) and "Mad About Town" (Ensign/RCA, 1982) The albums featured guitar driven pop laced with intellectual lyrics. The albums were mostly produced by Jules Shear and Stephen Hague.

The Bongos

2006-09-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

While I don't consider Hoboken, NJ's The Bongos a "Lost Band" a rare upcoming concert and special edition release of "Drums Along the Hudson" compels me to write about them.I was first alerted to The Bongos reuniting to play a couple of shows by extrawack a few months ago. The band will be performing the LP "Drums Along The Hudson" in it's entirety during two shows at Joe's Pub on October 14th.

The Metronomes

2006-09-10T17:37:00.000-04:00

Melbourne, Australia's The Metronomes were founded by synth pioneers Al Webb and Andrew Picouleau sometime around 1979. They incorporated a metronome as a percussive rhythm instrument into their recordings and each member recorded separate compositions. The other member was allowed to contribute to the other members song but the originating member had the right to refuse or ignore any and all

The Three Johns

2006-08-23T14:44:00.000-04:00

Leeds, England's The Three Johns formed in 1982 and released a few singles before releasing the LP "Atom Drum Bop" (1984, Abstract Records). Their music can be described as an accessible version of post-punk with big sounding guitars and hard, repetitive dance beats. If that sounds like that other Leeds band it's not by accident. Jon Langford (who was also recording with and continues to record

The Reds

2006-08-10T10:49:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia's The Reds debuted in 1979 on A&M records. They released a self-titled LP and a 10" vinyl EP (remember those?) both produced by David Kershenbaum (Joe Jackson, Duran Duran). The EP contained a scortching cover of The Doors"Break On Through" but The Reds never managed that feat commercially and their stay with A&M ended. Next came two independent LPs, "Stronger Silence" and "Fatal

Yachts

2006-07-18T11:54:00.000-04:00

The Yachts were formed by art students in Liverpool, England in April 1977. They played their first show at Eric's in Liverpool supporting Elvis Costello which led to a contract with Stiff Records the following October. They released one single, "Suffice To Say" before they departed along with label mates Costello and Nick Lowe for the newly formed RADAR Records. They recorded their debut LP in

Tiny Desk Unit

2006-06-26T08:21:00.000-04:00

Tiny Desk Unit were a group of people that got together in the Summer of 1979 and made some music in Washington D.C. Sometimes it was good. Sometimes it wasn't. But sometimes it was really, really great. They played live at the 9:30 club. Rehearsed in the basement. Made their first live recording there. Practically lived there. Might have died there. They also recorded an independent E.P. (All of

Comsat Angels

2006-06-11T06:44:00.000-04:00

Despite releasing several albums on several major labels during the 80's, Sheffield, England's Comsat Angels can still be considered for inclusion on this site since they never garnered the success they deserved.Starting out as the Skylids, then Radio Earth, then finally settling on Comsat Angels, they released the Red Planet ep (Junta, 1979). Then came three LPs for Polydor: "Waiting for a

The Modernettes

2006-05-23T15:36:00.001-04:00

Vancouver, Canada's Modernetttes were described by critics as a cross between the Velvet Underground and the Ramones. They were regulars on the Vancouver club scene and played up and down the west coast of the U.S. They burned out quickly but not before delivering some great punk pop recordings. They debuted with the EP "Strictly Confidential" (Quintessence, 1980) quickly followed by the critical

Steve Almaas - Suicide Commandos & Beat Rodeo

2006-05-07T10:42:00.000-04:00

Minneapolis, Minnesota's Suicide Commandos formed in 1974 and are considered one of the first punk bands. In 1997, a house that they had rented was condemned and scheduled to be burned down so they wrote a song about it and filmed a video during it's incineration. The song was "Burn it Down" and the video director was legendary filmmaker Chuck Statler. Over the next two nights, the band played

The Rousers & The Thought

2006-04-22T07:19:00.000-04:00

Holland's The Rousers were formed when brothers Cocke and Jan de Jong, inspired by The Ramones and the Damned, started a band playing cover songs. Two years later they joined forces with brothers Bonne and Wieb Zigtema and bass player Rob Marienus. They combined the energy of punk and the melodies of 60's beat music and invented what they called "new beat". They released the LP "A Treat Of New

Fabulous Poodles

2006-04-08T08:59:00.000-04:00

England's The Fabulous Poodles were a quirky pub rock band formed in 1976 and after releasing two albums in the U.K. came close to breaking big in the U.S. with their stateside debut album "Mirror Stars" (Epic, 1978). They toured the states opening for Tom Petty, The Ramones and even Sha Na Na and appeared on Dick Clark's legendary American Bandstand. Their LP (released on limited edition pink

Furniture

2006-03-25T19:04:00.000-05:00

London's Furniture is best known for the hit song "Brilliant Mind" that appeared on the soundtrack to the 1987 film "Some Kind of Wonderful" but their story started long before then. They played gigs as early as 1979 when the band was all around 19 years old and issued a single, "Shaking Story" on their own label in 1981. They released a couple of albums on the Premonition label in the mid 80's

The Keys

2006-03-11T07:44:00.000-05:00

The Keys formed in London in 1979 and signed to A&M records. They recorded one album of jangly, beatlesque power pop called "The Keys Album" but it only was released in the U.K. The album was produced by Joe Jackson and contained a bunch of potential hit singles but sales didn't materialize.The Keys were:Drew Barfield – vocals, bass. Drew went on to the form Big Heat and oddly enough still plays

Bush Tetras

2006-02-23T19:58:00.000-05:00

New York, N.Y.'s all girl Bush Tetras released just three 7" singles and and a couple of cassette tapes of punky, funky, tribal dance music in the early 80's. They debuted in 1980 with "Too Many Creeps", a 3 track EP on 99 Records that became the label's biggest "hit". The song became a staple in clubs around the country and even made the Billboard dance chart.Next came "Das Ah Riot" on the

Get Smart!

2006-02-13T11:12:00.000-05:00

Get Smart! Started playing together while attending the University of Kansas in Lawrence. They honed their Mid-west version of post-punk by playing locally and recording a couple of EP's. They moved to Chicago and became mainstays on the club scene. They released two albums, "Action Reaction"(Fever, 1984) and "Swimming With Sharks" (Restless,1986 ).Get Smart! were:Marc Koch - Guitar and lead

Delta 5

2006-01-27T18:48:00.000-05:00

Leeds, England's Delta 5 came out of the same late 70's punk scene as The Mekons and Gang of Four. In fact the three bands were friends and supported each other in many ways. Delta 5 were a three-woman, two-man group and their unusual line-up featured double guitars and double basses. They released a few post-punk singles that are considered essential listening including "Mind Your Own Business",

Combo Audio

2006-01-11T17:18:00.000-05:00

Urbana, Illinois Combo Audio released the classic 80's single "Romanticide" in 1982 on Secret Records and an EP on EMI in 1983 before disappearing from the scene. When listening to the band's brand of New Romantic Synth Pop you'd think the band was from the U.K. and not America's heartland. The band was a big part of the Champaign-Urbana music scene and opened for U2 in 1982 at the University of

Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club

2006-01-02T17:35:00.000-05:00

Before The Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star" became the first video aired on MTV in 1981, Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club recorded and released the song on the only album released by the band in 1979. The song was written by Woolley along with Trevor Horn and Geoffrey Downes who went on to form the Buggles. Members of the Camera Club went on to greater things too. Keyboard player Tom Dolby

The Payola$

2005-12-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

If you're from Canada you're going to tell me the Payola$ aren't a "Lost Band". They signed to A&M in 1980 and scored hit singles with "Soldier" and the Juno award winning "Single Of The Year", "Eyes Of A Stranger" in 1983. But the success was limited to Canada. In the U.S. they had a tough time getting on the radio. Eventually they were pressured by the label to change their name and direction.

Chris Stamey - Christmas Time

2005-12-04T07:59:00.000-05:00

Chris Stamey. If you follow this site you know him. Played with dB's, Sneakers and more. Solo artist. Producer for Yo La Tengo, Whiskeytown, Alejandro Escovedo, Mayflies USA and more. In 1985 he made a Christmas album "Chris Stamey and Friends - Christmas Time" (Coyote). Friends included the dB's. In 1993 more songs were recorded with more friends (Alex Chilton, Syd Straw) and a CD was released.

APB

2005-11-23T22:20:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I don't consider some bands for this site because I feel they are too well known. Many times I am wrong. I'm sure most of you have heard Aberdeen, Scotland's APB. Then again, maybe not. They were very popular in the New York City area due to airplay on the legendary WLIR and "Screamer" status for the song "Shoot You Down". There was a lot of college radio support as well. They never got

Maximum Joy

2005-11-15T09:27:00.000-05:00

Bristol, England's Maximum Joy formed in 1979, blending funk, soul, punk, reggae and jazz into their own unique post-punk sound. They signed to the Rough Trade distributed Y records and their first single, 'Stretch' (see Silence Is A Rhythm Too) came out in 1981. In the U.S. the record was distrubuted by the legendary 99 Records. Their LP, 'Station MXJY' was released in 1982 and was produced by

Josef K

2005-10-28T13:41:00.000-04:00

Josef K formed in Edinburgh in 1978 as TV Art. In 1979 the group began playing locally joining a thriving Edinburgh scene. In 1979 they changed their name to Josef K and recorded an eight-song studio demo tape but the songs failed to generate much interest. A chance meeting with Orange Juice drummer Steven Daly lead to an alliance between the bands and they began playing out together. After Daly

Yesterday/Today - Any Trouble/Eugene Edwards

2005-10-16T08:36:00.000-04:00

Manchester, England's Any Trouble had a lot of trouble turning talent into success. With the help of exposure of the band's first single by John Peel they landed on the legendary Stiff Records. Being on Stiff led to the inevitable comparisons to labelmate Elvis Costello but success didn't follow. The first record failed commercially and Stiff suggested that leader Clive Gregson go it alone.

Cool It Reba

2005-10-08T21:05:00.000-04:00

[Editor's Note: The following post was suggested and written by Bill W. As some of you have noticed I have not been posting as often as I have in the past so contributions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks Bill! - E.A.]New York's Cool It Reba was spawned from the downtown post punk / no-wave scene in the early 1980's. They combined elements of James Brown funk, Television's guitar interplay and

Friends Again

2005-09-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

Glasgow, Scotland's Friends Again combined '60s-influenced rock with funk, R&B, and country. Forming in 1982, the band produced three singles, "Sunkissed," "Honey at the Core," and "State of Art" on Moonbot Records before signing to Mercury Records. The group released a self-titled EP in 1983 and then recorded their debut album, Trapped & Unwrapped, in 1984. The LP' sound ranged from '70s-style

Mod Fun

2005-08-30T19:21:00.000-04:00

In 1983 three highschoolers in New Jersey heard "This is the Modern World" by The Jam and Mod Fun was born. Upon graduating high school in 1984, the band moved to California & was welcomed into the Mod Scene. Mod Fun released two singles, "I Am With You" and "Mary Goes Round" (New, 1984), an EP "Hanging Round" on Making Tyme! Records which was co-produced by Ron Rimsite of 99th Floor Fanzine fame

The Tits/Minny Pops

2005-08-16T10:23:00.000-04:00

Elvis Presley died 28 years ago today. One response from Amsterdam came from Wally van Middendorp and his band the Tits. "We're So Glad Elvis Is Dead" (Plurex, 1978) was the first release on van Middendorp's Plurex label and the only release from the Tits as he soon founded Minny Pops. Named after the Korg rhythm machine called a mini pop, they debuted in 1979 with single "Kojak", which featured

Hawaiian Pups

2005-08-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

New York, NY's Hawaiian Pups never intended to get signed to a major label. While producing music of their own to use to find additional producing and engineering work, they were signed to Portrait Records and released an EP "Split Second Precision" (Portrait 1983) and a 7" single "Spook Opera". The track "Baby Judy" got a lot of attention at college radio but failed to make the commercial

The Individuals

2005-07-26T06:06:00.000-04:00

New York/New Jersey's The Individuals along with The Feelies and The Bongos were credited with originating the "Hoboken Sound". They released one EP, "Aquamarine" (Infidelity, 1981) and an LP "Fields" (Plexus, 1982) that were both produced by Gene Holder of the dB's. The Individuals broke up in 1983 but Glenn Morrow (guitars /sax/ keyboard/vocals) formed Rage to Live and then co-founded indie

The Go - "Instant Reaction"

2005-07-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

Over a year ago I wrote about the power pop band The Go from New York City. They have finally released a CD of their own on Japan's Wizzard's In Vinyl label. (Why is power pop so big in Japan?) This collection takes the rare "Instant Reaction" E.P. - the only vinyl released by the band - and adds 17 other tracks recorded by the band themselves but never released plus 2 radio spots. The CD is

Car Crash Set

2005-07-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

Auckland, New Zealand's Car Crash Set were a pioneering electronic band in the mid 80's. The band released several singles as well as one album and an EP that was remixed and produced by John Fryer of Mute Records fame. "Outsider" was the bands debut single (Reaction, 1983). The band toured extensively and opened for OMD, Shriekback and Hunters and Collectors. Car Crash Set were initially:Nigel

The Photos

2005-06-27T08:14:00.000-04:00

Worcestershire, England's Photos formed when singer Wendy Wu joined band members of the great lost punk band Satan's Rats. They released one self-titled album (Epic, 1980) and were immediately compared to Blondie, a comparison that didn't sit well with the band. They released several singles in the U.K. including "I'm So Attractive" which was added to the U.S. album release. "I'm So Attractive"

The Freshies

2005-06-17T06:11:00.000-04:00

While dropping of a batch of his Manchester, England band The Freshies records at the local Virgin record store, a cashier at the counter caught the eye of Chris Sievey and a hit was born. But there's a lot more to the band than their 1980 hit "I'm In Love With The Girl On A Certain Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk". Leader Sievey was known for devising ingenious ways to promote his band

The Suburbs

2005-06-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Minneapolis, Minnesota's The Suburbs formed in the fall of 1977. Their sound combined guitar, keyboard and brass with a funky, dancable beat and humorous lyrics. After releasing several singles, EPs and LPs on Minneapolis' legendary indie Twin/Tone Records, they became one of the first bands from the Minneapolis scene to get signed to a major by landing on PolyGram in 1983. Instead PolyGram

Snips

2005-06-01T22:24:00.000-04:00

From a great lost band of the 70's called Sharks came a great lost artist of the 80's called Snips, a.k.a. Steve Parsons. In 1978 he released an album called Video King (Jet). In 1980 Snips reunited with former Sharks legendary guitarist Chris Spedding and Be Bop Deluxe leader extraordinaire Bill Nelson to record the album La Rocca (EMI 1981). Spedding produced the album but the single "Nine

The Bureau

2005-05-25T15:13:00.000-04:00

Here's a reader suggestion from Skellies. The Bureau formed from the ashes of Dexy's Midnight Runners and included 5 members from the original Dexy's. They released only one album in 1981 on Atlantic Records and it was oddly only available in Australia and Canada.From the liner notes: "All together, looking tough and taut, meaning business, working off traditions, going for the jugular, the

The Spirit Of Sandinista

2005-05-18T16:20:00.000-04:00

While Ellen Foley is not really a great lost artist, her album, "The Spirit of St. Louis" (Epic, 1981) is a great lost album of the 80's. Most people know Ellen from the time she spent with Meatloaf in "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", but she also spent some serious time in a two year relationship with Mick Jones of the Clash. While Ellen sang "Hitsville UK" and additional vocals on "Sandinista

1 Year Anniversary

2005-05-11T09:18:00.000-04:00

Lost Bands of the New Wave Era is one year old and I have found the past year very rewarding. Readers have introduced me to great artists I had never heard before and I know that I have returned the favor. I've conversed with artists whose music has meant a lot to me. I've made new friends and got back in touch with old ones. The first band I posted was New Jersey's The Modulators and as a result

D.L. Byron

2005-05-04T07:16:00.000-04:00

New Jersey's D. L. Byron grew up listening to the sounds of the Beatles and the Byrds. These influences can be heard on his debut album, "This Day and Age" (Arista 1980). Arista's legendary Clive Davis signed Byron looking to find an American version of Elvis Costello or Graham Parker. In 1980, "Listen to the Heartbeat." was a hit single and Byron toured the U.S. opening for Bob Seger and the

The Swinging Laurels

2005-04-26T14:32:00.000-04:00

Leicester England's The Swinging Laurels reached No 1 on the U.K. independent charts with their first single "Piece of Mind" (1981 Albion). The song, a pleasant a mix of sax, voice and percussion, defined the bands sound. In 1982 they signed with WEA Records and their second single "Lonely Boy" was produced by Culture Club producer Steve Levine. The track initially featured a vocal contribution

The Colors

2005-04-19T06:45:00.000-04:00

In early 1979, Australian Robert Vickers left the band The Numbers and travelled to New York. "I went to New York, met a whole lot of people, went out to Max’s and CBGB’s. CBGB’s seemed a lot friendlier and a lot more people I liked seemed to go there more often. The night I came the Colors had played. They didn’t have a bass player so they played without one, just guitar, singer and drums. So I

TV21

2005-04-13T19:15:00.000-04:00

Edinburgh, Scotland's TV21 were always in good company during their brief time together as a band. Teardrop Explodes' Troy Tate produced their first two independent singles. The 1981 album, "A Thin Red Line," was produced by Ian Broudie of the Original Mirrors and later Lightning Seeds. Mike Scott of the Waterboys and Pete Wylie from Wah! make appearances on their lp .They toured with the

The dB's are Back!

2005-04-05T07:47:00.000-04:00

According to Pitchfork the dB's are reuniting! Since the dB's released so much great music in the early80's, I've never considered them a great lost band that never made it but if you read their detailed bio over on their homepage you'll read the story of a band that just couldn't get a break. In fact their first two albums were never released in the U.S. until after the band broke up. (They

The Fools - "Psycho Chicken"

2005-04-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

Boston's The Fools were best known for an X-rated parody of The Talking Heads "Psycho Killer," called "Psycho Chicken". In 1979 a Boston D.J. played the song and it instantly became a local hit. They were quickly signed to EMI records who released their debut album "Sold Out" in 1980. The song was not included on the album but was included as a limited edition bonus single on colored vinyl with "

Stewart Brodian - Self Made Man and More...

2005-04-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

New Jersey's Stewart Brodian is, to quote one of his album titles, a "Self Made Man". Prolific in the early 80's, Stewart released a slew of self-released singles and albums. Always topical, Stewart's songs commented on pop culture and politics with wit and cynicism. The single "I Hate The Video Games" b/w "Where Have All the Flower Children Gone?" (Mountain Records, 1982) is a prime example.

Telex - "Moskow Diskow"

2005-03-25T05:53:00.000-05:00

Telex was a Euro-disco-techno-pop trio formed in Brussels, Belgium in 1978 by keyboardist Marc Moulin, vocalist Michel Moers, and composer/synth player Dan Lacksman. Over the course of almost ten years, they released five studio albums full of joyously irreverent synth music. They recorded unique cover versions of "Twist A Saint-Tropez", "Ça Plane Pour Moi", "Dance to the Music" and "Rock Around

The Brains

2005-03-18T20:02:00.000-05:00

Speaking of Cyndi Lauper, her first solo record contains a cover The Brains "Money Changes Everything". Tom Gray, who led the Atlanta band, wrote the song and also spent some time writing additional songs with Cyndi. Later she recorded "The Faraway Nearby" for the "True Colors" LP, and "A Part Hate" for "Hatful of Stars." All Music has an excellent review of both artist's interpretations of the

Blue Angel & Cyndi Lauper

2005-03-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite bands playing the New York/New Jersey club circuit in the early 80's was Blue Angel. Their rockabilly inflected new wave touched on the music of the 50's and 60's in a way that appealed to my friends and I, but most of all the lead singer could really sing. Of course, the lead singer was Cyndi Lauper. Listening to their only album today (Polydor, 1980) brings nostalgia not for

For all you Smithereens completists...

2005-03-06T19:10:00.000-05:00

Not a "Lost band" but a great band, Pat Dinuzio and the Smithereens have released The Smithereens Mega Box Set - "511 Amazing Rare & Impossible-To-Find Tracks on 21 Incredible CDS!". Limited to just 500 box sets so order yours today. You may even win a free living room concert with Pat.

Orange Juice & Edwyn Collins

2005-03-03T05:59:00.000-05:00

I'm sure some of you know the music of Scotland's Orange Juice and even more have heard the music of the band's lead singer Edywn Collins through his solo work. Orange Juice released a lot of great music in the 80's and Edwyn Collins had a hit in the 90's with the song "A Girl Like You." He continues to make great music but unfortunately he has taken ill. Stuart Maconie of the NME, had this to

Intaferon - "Baby Pain"

2005-02-28T06:19:00.000-05:00

England's Simon. F. (Fellowes). and Simon G. (Gillham) released two singles [correction: 3 singles - see comment] in the U.K. as the band Intaferon. "Get Out of London" was a minor hit but "Baby Pain" (Chrysalis) failed to score and Intaferon never released an album. Simon F went solo and rerecorded "Baby Pain", released a few albums and still failed to breakthrough."Get Out Of London" made an

The Cretones

2005-02-21T07:26:00.000-05:00

The Cretones released two great, chimming, power pop records in the early 80's on Richard Perry's Planet records. They were filled with so many great songs that I couldn't decide which one I would post so I created the Cretones "Love Mix". I mixed three great songs from their debut album "Thin Red Line" with love in the titles - "Real Love", "Mad Love" and "Cost of Love". Too late for Valentine's

Big in The Phillippines

2005-02-13T20:29:00.000-05:00

Reading, England's Seona Dancing released just two 7" singles and 12" remixes in the U.K. in the early 80's on London Records. Neither were hits but two years later they were big in the Phillippines.According to All Music Guide: "DWRTFM in Manila started spinning a dreamy ballad called "Fade," by Medium. The song title and artist name were completely bogus, created so that their competitors

Little Girls - "How To Pick Up Girls"

2005-02-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

Los Angeles' Little Girls released a six song EP called "Thank Heaven" (PVC) in 1983. Their kewpie-doll vocals combined with power pop hooks were a hit with Rodney Bingenheimer on KROQ scoring with the "Earthquake Song" and "How To Pick Up Girls". The Little Girls and their band were Caron Maso - guitar, vocals, Michele Maso - vocals, Kip Brown - guitar,vocals, Jon Gerlach - drums, Jeff Fair -

True West and The Dream Syndicate

2005-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Out of the ashes of the Suspects, which consisted of Russ Tolman, Gavin Blair, Steve Wynn and Kendra Smith came two notable bands. Tolman and Blair formed True West while Wynn and Smith formed the Dream Syndicate. Both bands played driving, feedback-laden, psychedelic, guitar-drenched rock and were lumped into what was dubbed the "Paisley Underground" and "Big Guitar Band" movements. True West

The Feelies - "Dancing Barefoot"

2005-01-24T13:15:00.000-05:00

New Jersey's the Feelies were once dubbed "The Best Underground Band in New York." by the Village Voice. Named after Aldous Huxley's "Feelies" (virtual reality movies with a sense of touch as well as sight and hearing), from his book "Brave New World", the Feelies released their first record, "Crazy Rhythms" on the legendary Stiff records label in 1980. After splitting up and working on other

Boys Brigade - "Melody"

2005-01-17T07:15:00.000-05:00

Toronto Canada's Boys Brigade formed in 1981 playing speakeasies and underground clubs before performing on Queen Street. Their debut 1983 album was produced by Rush's Geddy Lee after their manager, who was Rush's lighting designer, introduced them. The album contained two minor hit singles, "Melody" and "The Passion Of Love". The band that featured three percussionists and even more conflicting

Dirty Looks - "They Got Me Covered"

2005-01-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

Staten Island, NY's Dirty Looks deserved so much more than they got. After releasing an inspired power pop/rock album on the infamous Stiff Records, a second release was lost to too much interference from the U.S. label. The label know-it-alls at Epic wanted a more "mainstream" sound and secretivly remixed the album much to the bands dismay. The record only came out in the U.K and the band left

Polyrock! Polyrock! Give us Polyrock!

2005-01-03T05:06:00.000-05:00

Late last year E.J. at Scenestars posted twice about Polyrock as a call for release of this incredible, influential band on CD. I am adding another voice to that plea. If you took one of Polyrock's records today, released it under another name and didn't tell anybody the music was almost 25 years old, you'd think it was a new band. That's how far ahead of time the band's music was. "Love Song" is

I Don't Do Lists.

2004-12-29T02:21:00.000-05:00

The Arcade Fire, Rilo Kiley, Sufjan Stevens, Fiery Furnaces, Joanna Newsom, Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Futureheads, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand. Got your attention? No, it's not my top ten list. I don't do lists. (Aren't you tired of the same old lists?) But I would like to help those in need in South Asia, so please give by clicking the link below. Or

Game Theory - "Christmas Moog"

2004-12-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

Scott Miller's Game Theory released several albums in the 80's that went sadly unnoticed by the public despite crtical raves. The San Francisco Bay area band's melodic and sometimes experimental pop was not demand in a world of dance music and hair metal. The now out-of-print CDs have sold for over $100 on ebay. In the early 90's Scott changed the name of the band to the Loud Family and continues

The Mysteroids (the Revillos) - "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"

2004-12-15T07:06:00.000-05:00

The Mysteroids were actually the Revillos. The Revillos formed after the breakup of the Rezillos in 1978. There were many members of the band but the core members were Eugene Reynolds and Fay Fife from the Rezillos and Rocky Rhythm from the Pork Dukes. The band thought it wouldn't be cool for the Revillos to release a Christmas single so they used the name Mysteroids. "Santa Claus Is Coming To

Blake Xolton & the Martians - "Merry Christmas"

2004-12-08T08:49:00.000-05:00

"BLAKE XOLTON IS, TO TELL IT STRAIGHT, AN UNDISPUTED UNDER-GROUND LEGEND IN HIS NATIVE LOTUS LAND OF L.A. ON THIS, THE WEST COAST PUNDITS AND SOOTHSAYERS ALL AGREE. ONCE A JEALOUSLY GUARDED MANTRA AMONG THE INTELLIGENTSIA AND ART CROWD, XOLTON'S NAME NOW SHRIEKS FROM THE FEVERED LIPS OF THE SWINGING CREEPERS WHO STORM THE BOULEVARDS AND HAUNT THE BACK ALLEYS OF HOLLYWOOD WHEN THE MOON IS FULL AND

Dreams So Real

2004-11-29T05:21:00.000-05:00

A 'Tween-Holiday Double Post Dreams So Real - "Everywhere Girl" Dreams So Real - "Red Lights (Merry Christmas)" Athens, Georgia's Dreams So Real formed in 1984 when singer-guitarist Barry Marler met bassist Trent Allen and drummer Drew Worsham in an Athens record store. "Everywhere Girl", the bands first single, is a psychedelic-pop gem that was produced by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and released on

Major Thinkers - "Avenue B."

2004-11-23T21:05:00.000-05:00

Wexford, Ireland's Pierce Turner and Larry Kirwan were childhood friends who emigrated to New York City's Lower East Side in the early 80's. Their new environs inspired them to chant "Avenue B! It's the place to be!" over tribal beats - over and over again. Their Music merged their European roots with the urgency of inner city rhythms. They were signed to Epic/Portrait records and released an EP.

Belfegore - "All That I Wanted"

2004-11-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

The delay in posting is due to the fact that I've been busy. It's also why I'm going to be brief. Belfegore was an international metal trio led by Germany's Meikel Clauss that released one indie album called "A Dog Is Born" and one major label self-titled release on Elektra. "All That I Wanted" was the track promoted to radio in America and came along with a music video that featured the band

Buzz & The Flyers - "You Crazy Gal You"

2004-11-07T11:55:00.000-05:00

Neo-rockabilly band Buzz & The Flyers formed in New York City after Buzz Wayne sold his 1960 Studebaker Lark to finance a trip from Columbus, Ohio to New York. They played rockabilly with thwaking drums from Brooklyn's Rock Roll, thumping bass from New Jersey's Pete Morgan and twangy guitar from Cleveland's Michael Gene. Buzz & The Flyers released a three song E.P. in 1980 on New York Dolls,

Bloggin' For Democracy

2004-10-31T07:02:00.000-05:00

As I was flipping through a box of old singles the picture sleeve of Faith Brother's "Country of the Blind" (Select) caught my eye. The cover by artist Conny Jude, depicts the planet earth shooting itself in the mouth. Combine this image with the song and you have a message that is still relevant today. We can't be blind during the coming U.S. presidential election. It could be one of the most

More Obscure Than Obscure - Still More Halloween Music

2004-10-28T14:27:00.000-04:00

This site was inspired by a New Wave message board posting entitle "More Obscure Than Obscure". I was going to use that as the title to this blog but what's obscure to one person is common to another. I think it would be tough to argue that San Francisco's kookie all-girl-band Inflatable Boy Clams are more obscure than obscure. They released a double 7" containing 5 songs on Subterranean Records

More Halloween Music

2004-10-23T07:24:00.000-04:00

The Comateens formed in 1980 in New York City. They played bouncy dance rock rooted in chintzy '60s Farfisa organ pop and spooky horror-movie soundtrack music. They first gained recognition in 1979 with a self-produced single that featured a stripped-down version of Bowie's "TVC 15" which they re-recorded for their first LP in 1981 on the Cachalot label. The album became an underground favorite

Ghoulish Garage

2004-10-16T07:22:00.000-04:00

Just in time for Halloween is the Pandoras spooky, surf guitar instrumental "Haunted Beach Party" (Voxx). The all-girl Pandoras formed in Hollywood, CA in 1984 and went through many line-up changes. The ensuing fights led to the forming of two bands fighting over and the original name and playing around L.A. as the Pandoras at the same time. When the dust settled a band led by Paula Pierce

This One Goes Out to George W.

2004-10-11T08:37:00.000-04:00

After watching the recent U.S. presidential debates and finally seeing "Fahrenheit 9/11", I couldn't help be reminded of the song by The Heaters called "I Don't like Your Face". While there are better Heaters songs to be found on the reissued CD, the sophomoric lyrics of this song, which if you lived in Seattle in the early 80's you couldn't avoid, are appropriate here. The Heats, first known as

The Hidden Track

2004-10-08T11:51:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted a Higsons Track. In the copy of the post, I mentioned a Robyn Hitchcock song and linked it to an mp3 of the track. 34 people discovered and download the Hitchcock track versus 391 downloads of the Higson's mp3. I realize that regular visitors may bookmark my download page and skip the blog page altogether, but I also think that many people don't even bother to

The Dynamic Hepnotics - "Funky Turban Part 13 1/2"

2004-10-03T19:30:00.003-04:00

The members of Australia's Soul/R&B/Funk band the Dynamic Hepnotics were a who's who of Australian music. Here's a list of who was in the band and the bands they played in: Original line-up: Continental Robert Susz (vocals, harmonic; Rugcutters, Humdinger Dogs, The Mighty Reapers (of Vengeance), Andrew Silver (guitar; Big Town Playboys, Wild Blue Yonder), Tim Martin (sax; Friends), Manuel Patty (

The Higsons- "I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys"

2004-09-27T19:08:00.000-04:00

The Higson's came together at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. Their first single, "I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys" was released in 1981 on the Romans in Britain label. The band was fronted by Charlie Higson who called himself "Switch" and featured Terry Edwards on guitar and brass. The band "tried to put some funk in the punk" and according to Charlie, "We were often accused

RUDI - "14 Steps"

2004-09-21T17:52:00.000-04:00

[Ed.- Here is part two with Brian Young of RUDI. Rudi were Brian Young - Vocals & Guitar, Ronnie Mathews - Vocals/Guitar, Graham Marshall - Drums, Gordon Blair - Bass and later Paul Martin - Keyboards, Vocals. Here's what Brian had to say about the song "14 Steps" and more about RUDI.] "The B-side '14 Steps' is about much the same thing (as 'Crimson') only it's just saying you only get one life

RUDI - "Crimson"

2004-09-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

[Ed.- When I research a post I try if possible to get permission from the artist to post their music. This obviously can be very difficult since many of the artists I post recorded their music over 20 years ago. If I'm lucky enough to make contact with the artist, I ask if they would like to contribute to the post. Brian Young, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the Northern Ireland punk

Demics - "New York City"

2004-09-08T14:36:00.000-04:00

Manchester, England's Keith Whittaker named his London, Ontario, Canada's band Demics after a Manchester, slang insult meaning "wanker". The band started playing in the small clubs of London after meeting in the downtown loft scene. They released an E.P. called "Talk's Cheap" which garnered some airplay on cutting edge Toronto radio station CFNY-FM with this version of "New York City". They

New Wave Doesn't Mean Shit

2004-09-04T10:35:00.000-04:00

"I have excellent news for the world. There's no such thing as New Wave. It does not exist. It's a figment of lame kinds of imagination. There was never any such thing as New Wave. It was the polite thing to say when you were trying to explain you were not into the boring old rock 'n roll but you didn't dare to say punk because you were afraid to get kicked out of the party and they wouldn't give

Corect Spelling - "Love Me Today" (12" vers.)

2004-09-02T21:30:00.000-04:00

[Ed.- I'd like to thank C.C. for submitting this post and mp3] Corect Spelling would have been considered a true one hit wonder, if only they ever charted. Their record company, CBS dropped them after their first single release. Their single "Love Me Today" was released in early 1982. It didn't make an impact in the charts and some how it got lost in the shuffle. Maybe they would have gotten

The Raybeats - "B-Gas-Rickshaw"

2004-08-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

"For all you supercharged types...decent...start your engines...you know, all that kind of stuff. Does anybody out there know what a B-Gasser is? If so, you probably get the rickshaw part." This is the liner note description of the song "B-Gas-Rickshaw" from the album "Guitar Beat" which Guitar Player magazine called "one of the ten best instrumental albums of all time". The nattily dressed

The Bloods - "Button Up"

2004-08-20T07:35:00.000-04:00

Here's a request. (Yes I take them!) It's New York City's all-girl post no-wave punk funk band The Bloods "Button Up" which was released in 1981 on the Au Pairs' EXIT label. The Bloods were led by part-time Contortionist Adele Bertei. Oddly enough this excellent single was the only release from this band other than the soundtrack for the feminist sci-fi fantasy flick "Born In Flames" which Adele

Voice Farm - "Elevate"

2004-08-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

It's time for some Techno-pop. San Francisco's Voice Farm was a duo consisting of vocalists/keyboard players Myke Reilly and Charly Brown. They released two independent singles and 3 albums."Elevate" was the b-side of their second single "Double Garage". In 1982 they released the David Khane produced "The World We Live In" album on the Optional/Systematic label. In 1984 they also appeared on

The Shivvers - "Teen Line"

2004-08-09T08:21:00.000-04:00

Once voted "Best Band in Milwaukee", Wisconsin's the Shivvers led by singer-songwriter Jill Kossoris, had their roots in 60's music. "Teen Line" is a slice of great powerpop with female lead vocals reminiscent of Bomp artists the Little Girls or Nikki & The Corvettes. The single was released on the Fliptop independent label in 1980. The Raspberries were a big influence on the Shivvers. Eric

The Nips "Happy Song"

2004-08-05T08:02:00.000-04:00

The Nips (once known as The Nipple Erectors) were a band that played in and around London and released a few singles and a live album between 1977 and 1980. Their music was hard to label since they went in many musical directions. They touched on Punk, Rockabilly, R&B, Post Punk, Avant Garde and as "Happy Song" attests, Mod. This is especially true since the single released on Test Pressing

Robert Seidler - "Christian Boy"

2004-07-30T20:33:00.000-04:00

Robert Seidler's "Christian Boy" was in heavy rotation at radio station KQAK in San Francisco in '84 and '85, placing in the top ten of the Quake's top 100 songs of '85. Robert says "Back in ‘82 we were all just coming out of the angry punk thing, trying to figure out what to do next. I had just finished a rather difficult break up with my band Mr. Clean due to some serious conflicts and betrayal

Soul Attack - "Little Lost Child"

2004-07-25T09:08:00.000-04:00

Northern New Jersey based Soul Attack played Rock infused with elements of R.E.M. Creedence and Motown. They played live with the intensity of The Clash and in their sleeveless shirts and stylish suits looked like them as well. They gigged for an all-too brief time around their home state with occasional trips across the river into New York City and released a great four song Pop/Punk EP on their

Girls At Our Best - "Fast Boyfriends"

2004-07-18T11:20:00.000-04:00

Hailing from the Leeds area, Girls At Our Best had a couple of indie hits in the U.K. in 1980, and couple more in 1981 including "Fast Boyfriends" (Happy Birthday Records). They released the "Pleasure" album containing a free "Pleasure" bag then broke up in 1982. Singer Judy Evans, the only girl in the band, has a distinctive trill that may take some getting used to but is worth the effort. D.