Perfect Vision: Tongues Out mLP

Okay, I just want to say this right away: If anyone has anything else from Perfect Vision (especially their demo tape release), I would be eternally grateful if you would share it. Now that that's out of the way, I just want to give a quick intro to this UK band. They were one of the many excellent bands on the Backs label (Venus in Furs, Testcard F, Gee Mr Tracy, Gothic Girls, etc). They played bouncy, somewhat dark electro - in my mind, a perfect mix of electronics and guitar-based post punk. Some of these songs are truly ahead of their time, and this record has aged better than 99% of records from the mid-80s. Hole in the Soul is a great danceable guitar-based track, and the next song Scratch & Howl comes out of the gates with an immediate electro beat that gets darker and darker. THe throbbing electronic "Engines" should please the minimal synth fans, and "Kick" has one hell of a great danceable synth line... Just download this one already!

Perfect Vision: Tongues Out mLP

1985, Backs Records

Tracks:

A1 Hole In The Soul

A2 Scratch & Howl

A3 Engines

B1 Kick

B2 Impossible Blue

B3 Damnation

B4 ...Like Engines

Click here to download this mLP!

The Stills: Chorus of Blows EP

Here is a 12" EP from a band called The Stills. This is not the current band The Stills; this band was from the UK and the EP was released back in 1982. I can't find too much info on these guys. The drummer, Pol Burton, was later the drummer for Tranvision Vamp, but I can't find much info beyond that. This is good solid post-punk influenced by Joy Division and early New Order.  

The Stills: Chorus of Blows EP 

1982 Open Door Music.

Tracks:

1. CHorus of Blows

2. Sould Survivor

3. Clinical

CLick here to download this 12"!

President Reagan is Clever: From This to That EP

I don't know why I haven't shared this one yet. It's a great new wave EP from a band called President Reagan is Clever. Not too much info to be found... They were from the UK, released this one record on the Hyena label in 1986, and then disappeared. Any other info (or other releases) would be appreciated! This is great synth-heavy new wave/post punk. A classic!

President Reagan is Clever: From This to That EP

1986 Hyena Records

Tracks:

A1 This Game

A2 Lock Stock & Barrel

A3 Four Walls

B1 Ostrich

B2 The Wheel

Download this EP here!

Parchment Prayer & Infant Bonds of Joy links fixed

Due to popular demand, I've reuploaded the Parchment Prayer LP and demo tape. Both can be found in one convenient .zip folder here.
I also re-uploaded the Infant Bonds of Joy album here.

European Toys has been re-upped here - thanks to SowhatX for the upload! 

Capital Punishment (ie Ben Stiller's old band) has been reuploaded as well. Find it here. Thanks to Monkey Flinging Poo for the re-up!

More re-uploads will come soon. Please let me know in the comments section if you have any you want in particular. I'll also post more new rips soon...

Frederick M: Following Directions mLP

I remember when I used to see this EP quite a bit, usually in the dollar bin. In the past few years, it has become more and more scarce, only coming up once in a while on eBay. I figured that some people would probably be interested in hearing it. It's a wonderful and melodic synthpop mini-LP. Almost every song here is a gem. Time and Pain and Following Directions are both upbeat and catchy without being too commercial, and my favorite song, We Go In Threes, is slightly dark and melodic and makes this record a must-have, even if it is a bit cheesy at times. If you like Rational Youth, Scarlet Architect, early Depeche Mode, Starter, etc, you should appreciate this. I cannot find any information on this Frederick M from Virginia, although the songs are all credited to an F. M. Quayle... And a search for "Frederick M Quayle" turns up a 72-year-old Republican senator from Virginia. Is there any chance that these two people are one and the same? Could Frederick M really have been the hippest 47-year-old Republican Senator-to-be when he released this in 1984? All emails to Frederick M Quayle have gone unanswered...

Frederick M: Following Directions mLP
1984, Oak Springs Records
A1 Time and Pain
A2 Following Directions
A3 They Don't Know
B1 We Go In Threes
B2 Nothing to Fear
B3 Bolero

Click here to download this record!

Various Artists: Second Strike LP

By request from a couple people, here is the rare "Second Strike" LP from Turnabout Tapes. True to its name, this was mainly a tape label, but they released a couple records, including this rarity. It's the follow-up to a tape called The First Strike, which was the first release the label put out. This record was released in 1988 and limited to 867 copies (because 868 copies would have been simply too many). The music ranges from experimental to new wave, electronic, minimal wave, and industrial. The Oltre La Morte and Gundel tracks are my favorite songs here. This is very much in the vein of records that get posted to the Mutant Sounds blog, so if you're a fan of the music they share, you should appreciate this too.

Various Artists: Second Strike LP
1988, Turnabout Tapes

A1 Children Hospital Research Foundation - High Altitude Low Opening (Methodith Epithcopal God Damned Ith)
A2 Spalanzanis Töchter - Ass-ass-in
A3 Oltre La Morte - Aria Azure
A4 Seventh Day - New Wave 4'30
A5 Dino Oon - Grutinas' Ricecake
A6 Eiterschlangen - Ulmer Höh'
B1 Konrad Kraft - Don't Walk On The 5th Avenue It Could Be A Hamburger
B2 Work-Shy Brothers - In The Eye Of A Hurricane
B3 Gundel - Warum Ein Herz Zerbricht
B4 Phase Pervers - Hingabe (Janina T.)
B5 Alimentaire S.A. - Daily Dependence
B6 Temps Perdu? - Seele Spricht
B7 Spalanzanis Töchter - Ihr Kopf

Click here to download this record!

The Pop on Trial: Timemachine EP

Here is something a bit different. Rather than something in the synthpop, minimal wave, or post-punk vein, this is a late-80s shoegaze record from San Francisco. A totally fuzzed-out, noisy, reverbed shoegaze gem that any fan will probably love. Sure, they wear their influences on their sleeve (Jesus and Mary Chain, House of Love, et al...), but the record is so good that I forgive them. It's dark, sometimes melodic, and often beautiful. The song Time Machine is a wonderfully infectious single, and Better This Way is a dense, effected wall of noise. Since shoegaze is finally back in vogue with the reformation of bands like My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, Swervedriver, and new bands like A Place to Bury Strangers, Ceremony, Shocking Pinks, The Raveonettes, etc, maybe now this release will get the appreciation it deserves, albeit 20 years too late.

The Pop On Trial: Timemachine EP
1989, Soon Records
A1 She's a Time Machine
A2 Bumble Bee
B1 Something Special
B2 Wintertime
B3 Better This Way

Click here to download this record!

Benelux Bound...

A slight deviation here... I will be traveling with a friend to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg in March (from the 10th to the 31st). We don't have an itinerary yet, so we want to find some fun stuff to do. We're researching possible things to do right now, but can always use other suggestions. Does anyone who reads this know of any:
* Good shows in any of those countries during that time? Anything goth, synthpop, indie, etc... I'm probably going to see Echo West on Mar 28 in Arnhem.
* Good record stores to check out?
* Parties, clubs, etc - post punk, new wave, minimal wave, goth, electro, indie... anything is good!
* Other suggestions or places to check out?

Thanks for any help!

Sky's Above: Only I 12"

Here is an obscure and rare 12" from a Danish band called Sky's Above. I acquired this in a trade several years ago and forgot I had it until recently. There are two synthpop/minimal wave songs here. Both are very melodic, although brevity was obviously not this band's strong point, as each song is 8+ minutes. Still, I suppose you get your money's worth that way.

Sky's Above: Only I 12"
1985, Not Just for Dancing Records

1. Only I
2. Heart Touch

Click here to download the record!

Evening in Torpor LP

Here is the only LP released by the minimal synth band Evening in Torpor. It was released in 1988 but was actually recorded in 1981 by several college students, including Matalie Merchant and Rob Buck from 10,000 Maniacs. Don't let that sway you from checking this album out - it actually has some truly excellent minimal electronic and new wave songs on it! Because I'm lazy, I'm just going to paste the Wikipedia entry:

"Evening in Torpor was a student-project that Natalie Merchant and Rob Buck from the band 10,000 Maniacs were involved with around the time that 10,000 Maniacs was beginning. All of the songs were written by Albert Garzon. Natalie contributed vocals to "Daffodils," "Mother's Family Ring," "Crumble Down," and "Bathroom Tile Dance," while Rob contributed guitar to "Rectangles," "Daffodils," "Mother's Family Ring," The Playground," Crumble Down," and "Bathroom Tile Dance." The other tracks on the album ("les Cendriers" and "Defense Rap Trip") included no future Maniacs. The song "les Cendriers," which translates from French as "ashtrays" is the only reference to the name of the makeshift band.

The record was released by Community 3, or simply Comm3, in 1988 and taken off the market under a paid agreement with 10,000 Maniacs."

Evening In Torpor LP, 1988, Comm3 Records
Tracks:

1. "Rectangles"
2. "Daffodils"
3. "les Cendriers"
4. "Mother's Family Ring"
5. "The Playground"
6. "Crumble Down"
7. "Defense Rap Trip"
8. "Bathroom Tile Dance"

Download the album here!

Bisca LP re-uploaded

I've had several requests to re-upload the excellent Bisca LP that I posted last year. Find it here.
Enjoy!