The Dead C. ‎– "43 Sketch For A Poster" (Diabolic Root) 1987

The Dead C are Dead good ain't dey?
On their second C-30 of 1987, each member seems to be playing in isolation inside their own cardboard box. Scraping their instruments as if the definition of music was left blank in the dictionary, replaced by a description of what a song might be, written in the blood of a deaf mute.Filling the vacuum with toxic primordial gases.
Its Pol Pot Pop,a Khymer Rouge version of rock, stripped back to a single cell organism playing dead underneath the corpse of Punk Rock in the Killing Fields of Rock'n'Roll.Thats what this is. 

Tracklist:
A1 Crazy I Know
A2 3 Years
A3 Polio
B1 Retune
B2 Light My Fire
B3 3 Years
B4 Crazy I Know

DOWNLOAD these noisy poster boys of pop HERE!

The Dead C ‎– "The Dead See Perform M. Harris" (Diabolic Root) 1987

Comfortably the best band from New Zealand are, obviously, The Dead C. Roundly disliked by musicians everywhere, they perfected the art of sounding incredibly awful, which isn't as easy as it sounds.
I remember,possibly inaccurately, a Dead C member responding to a question about why their records were so badly recorded; to which he replied, "They're not,they are extremely professional and accurate recordings of what we actually sound like."
This C-30 of live rehearsals from early in 1987, is a typical scratchy improvised deconstruction of rock music into somekind of musical no-mans land,strewn with bomb craters full of dirty water,bone fragments and rusty barbed wire. The vocals are inaudible, the guitars sound like they replaced their plectrums with hacksaws,and it all sounds like they were playing in the next room.Perfect.

Tracklist:
A With Help From Max Harris
B Beyond Help From Max Harris

DOWNLOAD without help from max harris HERE!

Terrorways ‎– "Short-Haired Rock And Roll (1978-80)" 2008

Another AK:79 band, The Terrorways, were a kind of Pub Rock/Punk Covers Band hybrid.
Heavily reliant on Chuck Berry riffs, and covers of UK punk bands,(The Boys, and ATV seem favourites).They were the kind of band that, if they existed today, could make a healthy living playing at 'Old Folks Homes'.
They also have a good line in doing cover versions of cover versions;eg The Saints "lipstick on your collar" and "River deep Mountain High",The Drones "Be My Baby" and The Rezillo's doing Fleetwood Mac's "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" being prime examples of this illusive genre.
They also dabbled in writing some rather Iffy original songs too,like the title track; but its their amped up cover versions that make this a jolly good wheeze for any septagerian Punk Rock Party.
One especially likes the 100Mph version of 'Borstal Breakout', that one could even get me pogoing ?......but only when me mums gone out.

Tracklist:

1 Short Haired Rock And Roll (1980)
2 Never Been To Borstal (1979)
3 She's A Mod (1979)
4 Love Lies Limp (1980)
5 Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In (1978 Bedroom Demo)
6 Be My Baby
7 Things Go Wrong
8 Lipstick On Your Collar
9 Some Kind Of Fun
10 Why Don't You Do Me Right
11 Sick On You
12 First Time
13 Leave Off
14 Love Lies Limp
15 She's A Mod
16 Short Haired Rock And Roll
17 Get Outta My Pagoda
18 I Don't Care
19 Walk The Plank
20 Ask About You
21 Never Been To Borstal
22 River Deep Mountain High
23 Suspect Device
24 Borstal Breakout

DOWNLOAD some antipodean retirement home cabaret HERE!

The Scavengers ‎– "The Scavengers" (Action Records) 1978/2003

Also from the AK:79 album comes this posthumous album from The Scavengers, recorded in 1978.
Its that pubrock/original Punk Rock template of speeded up Chuck Berry riffs.....a style I can't get enough of. It also has that sweet whiff of those Outsider Punk groups from the arse-end of the UK, which gives it some much needed authenticity.
Things went downhill terminally for at least one member (Ronnie Recent/Brendon Perry), as he joined Dead Can Dance!!!!? As Ronnie was born in Whitechapel,London, he was probably responsible for the cockney inflections heard in the vocals.
A rather amusing addition to this album are the excerpts from a TV report on Punk Rock from the New Zealand media.Pure Gold.

Tracklist:

A1 Mysterex
A2 Born To Bullshit
A3 True Love
A4 Twentyone
A5 Brick In The Wall
B1 Money In The Bank
B2 Routine
B3 Supported By The State
B4 Violence
B5 Mysterex (Alternate Version)

DOWNLOAD you digital scavengers HERE!

Toy Love ‎– "Toy Love" (Deluxe Records ‎– Z 20008,) 1980

One of the better New Zealander New Wave groups was Toy Love(as featured on AK:79); Uk equivalents are possibly The Flys(?) I suppose,purely as a point of reference.
I like this kinda stuff, melodic and unchallenging music to prepare a meal to.New Wave/Power Pop was 1980's folk music for me.

Tracklist:

I Don't Mind
Swimming Pool
Death Rehersal
Bride Of Frankenstein
Toy Love Song
Photographs Of Naked Ladies
Bedroom
The Crunch
Ain't It Nice
Cold Meat
Don't Catch Fire
Green Walls
Pull Down The Shades
Frogs
Fast Ostrich

DOWNLOAD some love toys HERE!

Various Artists ‎– "AK•79" (Ripper Records ‎– RPR 1) 1979

When we think of 'Punk Rock', one doesn't immeadiatly think of New Zealand does one?
The 'punk' on the cover looks like he's wearing someone elses clothes,seems well nourished, and has the look of a financial advisor letting go at the weekend.
I'm sure life was a struggle in the land of the Kiwi, but it was hardly the decaying wasteland that the UK or New York was.So, better than just being angry at life because you ain't go no future, the Kiwi's were obviously in it for the music rather than anything else.
And lets face it, The Damned and The Clash weren't gonna be playing anywhere very soon, so yer average antipodean punk had to do it themselves. There was no Auckland branch of Seditionaries, so, yes, you had to sew your own zips on yer trousers, and actually buy yer Ramones biker jacket from a motor cycle shop, paid for by your well paid job in the bank.
So appeared this compilation of New Zealander Outsider Punk,crammed with plenty of rather charming Auckland punkers giving it to the man.
The New Zealand branch of family in fact moved back to the UK in 1979, and stayed with us on our cramped grey council estate. They asked me if i had any requests gift wise. I has seen a picture of The Suburban Reptiles in 'Sounds', and said 'Any NZ Punk records would be great'. Instead of the Suburban Reptiles, the youth of the family had selected something called 'The Citizen Band', which he said was 'New Wave', but sounded like something an american would have liked,and one of the blokes had a full beard!!!!?? Cousin Nigels ears were soon opened to the otherworldly joys of Public Image Limited and Throbbing Gristle,but he still retained a stubborn and unhealthy obsession with Kiss.....no-ones perfect, I have the same problem with 'A Flock Of Seagulls'.

I've included a load of bonus tracks alongside the original LP, including The Suburban Reptiles, in the File.Available for downloading below.


Tracklist:

1–The Scavengers - Mysterex
2–The Terrorways - Never Been To Borstal
3–Proud Scum - I Am A Rabbit
4–The Scavengers - True Love
5–Proud Scum - Suicide
6–The Terrorways - She's A Mod
7–The Swingers - Certain Sound
8–The Primmers - Funny Stories
9–Toy Love - Squeeze
10–The Swingers - Baby
11–The Primmers - You're Gonna Get Done
12–Toy Love - Toy Love Song

DOWNLOAD new zealands version of an AK47 HERE!

Jandek ‎– "The Place" (Corwood Industries ‎– Corwood 0772) 2003

(Said in the voice of Marvin the paranoid Android): "Oh Goody, Its Jandek Monday Again. Life? Don't talk to me about life!...Oh God I'm soooo depressed!"

Another shop window dummies album cover to twin up with the bridal version for 'The Gone Wait' from the same year.This time Jan....can I call him 'Jan'?....swaps from detuned bass back to detuned acoustic guitar.
The weapon has changed but the effect stays the same. Like being hit across the face with a wet fish loaded with steel chains. Is life really this bad?.......i'm tempted to say 'Yes', or 'worse', but i'm sick of being labelled a cynic.....so I won't.....Yeah the existential torment of being an intelligent beast is great.....really, really good fun. That Jandek oughta lighten up a bit?.... Scheeech!
I'm going out dancin' now to express my Joy, while you miserable bastards stay in your bedrooms listening to Jandek moaning about shit we'd rather forget.

Tracklist:

1 The Picture 9:25
2 The Place 7:03
3 The Highway 6:28
4 The Answer 4:31
5 The Stumble 8:55

HERE is the place to DOWNLOAD!

Various Artists - "Dunedin Double" - (Flying Nun Records ‎– DUN 1) 1982

From Dundee to Dunddin one goes effortlessy.
New Zealand was made for this kind of Proto-Indie music.Everyone looks and dresses like they should be in an Indie band. Side partings, finges,cosy sweaters,sensible slacks and suede shoes,all topped off with that popular generic face that sets them apart from the slightly inbred look that Australians have. Like that bloke from Crowded House who was in Split Enz.
This album is more of a shared effort rather than a compilation,but there's not a duff track on it. 13 prime cuts of 1982 style proto Indie,when Indie didn't even have a name.Very tuneful, with jangly guitars strumming atop the melodious cry of a angst ridden but polite geeky lead singer. They all listened a lot to later period Velvet Underground without doubt.Which is no surprise, as VU were undoubtedly the very first 'Indie' band. (Discuss).

Tracklist:

A1 –The Verlaines - Angela
A2 –The Verlaines - Crisis After Crisis
A3 –The Verlaines - You Cheat Yourself Of Everything That Moves
B1 –The Stones - Something New
B2 –The Stones - See Red
B3 –The Stones - Down And Around
B4 –The Stones - Surfs Up
C1 –The Chills - Kaleidoscope World
C2 –The Chills - Satin Doll
C3 –The Chills - (Frantic) Drift
D1 –Sneaky Feelings - Pity's Sake
D2 –Sneaky Feelings - There's A Chance
D3 –Sneaky Feelings - Backroom

DOWNLOAD from the other place from down under HERE!

The Scrotum Poles ‎– "Revelation (Expanded cd-r version)" (Rightback Records) 2009

For those of you who don't know, The Scrotum Poles claim to fame was their self-financed ep from 1980, which contained five tracks of charmingly naive sounding proto indie pop,in the style of the TV Personalities and hints of Subway Sect.
This is the expanded CD-r version with the bonus tracks released in  2009.
It comes with sleeve notes explaining everything included above if you can read them.

Tracklist:

1 Why Don't You Come Out Tonight? 3:56
2 Night Train 2:51
3 Pick The Cat's Eyes Out 3:06
4 Helicopter Honeymoon 1:45
5 Radio Tay 1:40
Bonus Tracks
6 Put An End To It All 1:37
7 On The Street Where You Live 2:23
8 Eye To Eye 2:51

DOWNLOAD this revelation HERE!

The Scrotum Poles ‎– "Auchmithie Forever" (Dulc-I-Tone ‎– TT 012) 2009

With the state of crumbling modern Britain, and the rise of this Xenophobic Brexiteer nonsense which has permanently split the UK,the opening track of this LP becomes strangely topical...... in the words of the mighty Scrotum Poles "It Just Aint Fucking Funny".
Watching the "Democratic" Football Lads Alliance marching in their tens and dozens, even less, against Islam, made me wanna vomit....as much as i wanted to laugh at the ugly wall of aging skinhead gammon provoking the Police, i'm afraid it really is NOT fucking funny!
Now i've got that off my chest, I can type about some stuff we in the UK can actually be proud of.......you guessed it,the kings of Scottish DIY, The Scrotum Poles.
They liked The TV Personalities and Subway Sect, rather than the stupider end of the market, aka future Football Lads Alliance members.
Any band who can pen a number like "Helicopter Honeymoon" can do no wrong for your faithful scribe.So to discover a vinyl release of a selection from the Poles DIY cassettes was like unpacking my Scalextrick set at Crimbo as a kiddie.....but this time the dodgy transformer works.
All I wanted for christmas as a sad excuse for an adult was a Scrotum Poles LP, and now i've got one! Much better than a Dukla Prague awaykit for me Subbuteo set.
So, we've got alternative versions of "Pick The Cats Eyes Out" and ,of course "Helicopter Honeymoon", plus many unheard proto-indie bedroom classics.

Tracklist:

A1 It Just Aint Fucking Funny
A2 Just Another Number
A3 Be No More
A4 Pick The Cats Eyes Out
A5 On The Street Where You Live
A6 This Is Love
A7 The Smile
A8 Pillars
A9 Roadrunner
A10 Apocalypse
A11 Swing Baby
B1 Helicopter Honeymoon
B2 Fast Changes
B3 You Cant Say Anything Nowadays
B4 Undivided Loyalty
B5 Circumstances
B6 Pick The Cats Eyes Out
B7 Hold Me Tight
B8 City Limits
B9 Cocaine
B10 Birthday Boy
B11 Put An End To It All

DOWNLOAD and slide down the scrotum pole HERE!

Various Artists ‎– "Messthetics #105, Scotland 1977-81" (Hyped To Death ‎– Messthetics #105) 2007

Sorry, No Deacon Blue here.
It's the Messthetics Scotland compilation innit?
Its got all the classics on here, The Fakes, The Exile,He's Dead Jim, Scrotum Poles,plus bonus tracks, plus many many more.
Not Avalable in shops.
File under UK DIY.

Tracklist:
1 –Scrotum Poles- Helicopter Honeymoon 1:42
2 –Fire Engines- New Thing In Cartons 3:39
3 –35mm Dreams- More Than This 2:15
4 –The Exile- Jubilee 77 3:03
5 –Commercials- Simon 2:18
6 –Fakes- Sylvia Clarke 2:37
7 –Metropak- You're A Rebel 3:33
8 –Tony Pilley- Waiting For The Man 2:29
9 –Visitors - Moth 2:22
10 –Article 58- Event To Come 2:41
11 –Radio Ghosts- Falling Into Darkness 2:40
12 –Rapid Dance- Hidden So Well 3:29
13 –Strutz- Break Point 4:09
14 –Metropak- Looking 3:24
15 –Vertical Smiles- New Clash Single 2:12
16 –Ettes- A Conversation 1:45
17 –Restricted Code- New Messiah 1:51
18 –Radio Ghosts- My Room 4:50
19 –Brills- Gang Of One 2:30
20 –Rhythm Method - Insight 2:20
21 –Dirty Reds- Bad Sex 2:53
22 –He's Dead Jim - Towel On The Radiator+Lampshade Lampshade 2:55
23 –Jazzateers- Blue Moon Over Hawaii 4:02
24 –Paul Reekie- Lovers 6:10
25 –35mm Dreams- Suburbia Sheikhs (First Demo) 3:11
26 –Commercials- Speeds The End (Demo) 3:16
27 –Friction - Mystery 3:59
28 –International Spys- Baby Don't Go (Demo) 2:21
29 –Restricted Code- Then There Was You (Demo) 2:00
30 –Article 58- Idol (Unreleased) 1:28
31 –Vertical Smiles- Carnal Knowledge (Radio Airthrey Demo) 3:05
32 –Cats Eyes - Guilt (Demo) 3:35
33 –Scrotum Poles- Put An End To It All (A Shot In The Dark Go Pop Session) 1:34

DOWNLOAD from the high road HERE!

Various Artists ‎– "Sad Day We Left The Croft" (Adult Entertainments ‎– ADD 1LP) 1981

"Sad Day We Left The Croft" is a compilation of punk and new wave pwer pop combo's from,of all places, the Scottish Hebridean island of Lewis, recorded in 1980 and released in 1981.

There's so little to do on Lewis, that all the bands seem to have had plenty time to rehearse the art of being 'Raw' to perfection. Also they must have had only one record to listen to, namely Stiff Little Fingers' "Inflammable Material", and maybe a couple of Buzzcocks Singles too. 

Noise Annoys could easily be mistaken for Jake Burns and crew, especially that trademark affected shouty singing.All this despite having a snare drum that sounds like its a full biscuit tin. The Rong also have that popular SLF timbre to their tracks,but not the songs.

Its not all copycat power punk stuff however, The Bruce Wayne Band, seem like a fine bunch,and The Bland had obviously managed to tune into Radio One after 10pm inbetween the storms and the fog.

Disturbingly, Addo With Mission,conspired to become Dire Straits somehow? Their track 'Ocean Of Love' is basically "Sultans Of Swing"(Part 2)!!!!!.....disturbing yes, but that quaint kinda disturbing that Dire Straits lacked enormously.

All this adds up to the best Scottish local compilation by a country mile.

Track Listing:

1.Noise Annoys: "Living (in the world today)" – 1:28
2.The Rong: "Treatment" – 3:38
3.The Bland: "River Creed" – 4:28
4.Addo: "Deep down inside" – 5:56
5.The Subjects: "Paradise" – 5:14
6.Bruce Wayne Band: "First year fear" – 2:53
7.Dirty Girls: "Love or lust?" – 1:34
8.The Rong: "Union Jack" – 2:29
9.The Bland: "Letters while travelling" – 2:43
10.Addo: "Ocean of love" – 6:07
11.The Subjects: "Coming to save you?" – 4:14
12.Bruce Wayne Band: "Nightmares" – 2:04
13.Noise Annoys: "New heroes" – 1:25

DOWNLOAD the sad way to spend an evening HERE!

Jandek ‎– "Shadow Of Leaves" (Corwood Industries ‎– Corwood 0774) 2004

To herald the return of 'Jandek Monday' ,here's the ginger bard torturing a detuned Bass for forty minutes. Naturally, overlaid with his trademark moan and doom-laden prose that reeks of apathy and pointlessness. This kind of existential honesty rarely shows its ugly head above the water.The opposite of entertainment,but very much an endless tunnel into the black truth of oblivion.
This ain't James Blunt in other words.

Tracklist:

1 Shadow Of Leaves 29:02
2 Find Me Again 6:15
3 I Give You Me 5:04

DOWNLOAD from the shadows HERE!

Various Artists - "Backlash!" (Playlist records-PLAY2) 1981

The follow up to 'Mint sauce For The Masses' was/is called "Backlash!". More Edinburgh also-rans making up the Post Punk numbers with Five more melody-free ditties from the dustbin of new wave Britain........But thats how we like it down here!
I dunno but the songs titles seem like better band names than the actual band names, and the actual band names would make better song titles?.....or have I just got them mixed up?

Tracklist:

1.Significant Zeros "Stiff Citizens"
2.Factory Poems - "Passion dance"
3.Threats "Pacivity"
4.Victims of What? "Anybodys baby"
5.End Result - "Last Chance"

DOWNLOAD before the backlash HERE!

Various Artists ‎– "Mint Sauce For The Masses" (Playlist Records ‎– Play 1) 1980

Scotland has produced atrocities of Treblinka-equaling proportions in the world of Pop Music; but for every Deacon Blue or Hue and Cry, there's at least two Josef K's or Fire Engines to redress the balance.
Popping along the M8 from Glasgow, to Edinburgh, we find another over-short band compilation, which again alludes to a cash shortage,either reflecting the economics of the region, or the legendary tightness of the Scottish race?
The music lies somewhere between the greatness of Josef K and the toe-curling awfulness of Deacon Blue. I have heard better from this fine city,but these groups were performing on the cusp of the Postcard era, where Scotland really found their own musical immortality. The groups represented here are a forgetable reflection of the accepted musics of the epoch from whence it sprung......which is not a bad thing if that epoch is 1980's Britain.
Although the hook in the Twisted Nerve toon, 'Neutral Zone', is worth the price of admission in itself?..:

"The National Front Have Got It Wrong, That's Why We Wrote This Fucking Song!"

Tracklist:

A1 –Club Of Rome - Bedroom Scenes
A2 –Club Of Rome - Classics
A3 –Flexible Response - The Shortest War
B1 –Fun City - Avalanche
B2 –Twisted Nerve - Neutral Zone
B3 –Twisted Nerve - Vertigo

DOWNLOAD this mint from its source HERE!

Various Artists ‎– "Second City Statik - A Glasgow Compilation" (Statik Records ‎– 01) 1980

Yes,so I went on an extended Holiday. Got a problem with that?
I'll talk about my excursion after I tap out a short synopsis of this mini-album compilation of Glasgow bands.
Winding our way further north in the British Isles from the last post on the subject ,on Carlisle.We find a mini-album of Glasgow talent.
Why Glasgow couldn't cobble together a full length LP of local post punk pop I dunno.....they're poor up north y'know, and tight....in both senses of the word, i.e. ,tight with the money they haven't got, and/or tight as in 'pissed' (the Uk version of the word, not pissed as in Angry).....now have we got that cleared up?....Good, so we'll begin.
Positive Noise acheived a modicum of sucess I guess, but the rest traditionally sank without trace.
Plenty...well...not plenty in this case, of raw Scottish strummy Post Punk.....it should have been an LP.

The last track is called 'The Long March', which my father was forced to do at gun point ,with no food, for a thousand kilometers during WW2......which smoothly gets us back on the subject of my Holiday, tracing the footsteps of pater after he got shot down over st.Nazaire in 1943.
Wanna see some pictures?.......what d'you mean NO?.....well no-one's forcing you are they?
Right!
Here's Zchivago laying on the very same wooden bed that mon pere slept (or not) on during his solitary confinement for a month in the Citadel(Then Nazi HQ) on Belle Isle.

Zchivago at the Nazi Sub Base in St. Nazaire, Wot he was bombing when he copped it:

The ashes of said Dead Dad, scattered with his crew in the War Cemetary at Pornic:

I could have bored you with more touristy shots, so be thankful!
However,If you wanna read the story of what happened to My daddy, Ted to you,on that fateful night and beyond? The relevant chapter is available to download HERE!....its not too long,so indulge me.

If you want the whole book click HERE!

Tracklist:

A1 –Restricted Code-The New Messiah
A2 –Positive Noise - Refugees
A3 –The Alleged - 2 Out Of 3
B1 –The Alleged - Despair
B2 –Restricted Code- Seeing Much Better (With Your Eyes)
B3 –Positive Noise - The Long March

DOWNLOAD second city statik in few seconds HERE!