Crash Course In Science

Crash Course In Science – Cakes In The Home, Kitchen Motors (The Uncle Floyd Show, ca. 1979)

Q: “Is this Rock'n'Roll, is it?”
A: “No, absolutely NOT.”

Q: “You play toys (…) Why did you start this way as opposed to ordinary way of playing music?”
A: “We are all poor.”

Just perfect.

Necessary Evil

Necessary Evil – Normal (Live @ Albany Empire, London, 1980)

Stef Petticoat's band before turning into The Petticoats. By the way, it would be smashing to listen to that cult out of print Necessary Evil tape. Any caritative soul?

The Mo-dettes

The Mo-dettes – White Mice

Big Flame

Big Flame – Cuba!

From Hulme to heaven. Perfect shit to listen to while you dance like a possessed!

Anarka And Poppy

Anarka And Poppy were created in Preston in late 1981 by “guitarist Sean Kirtley and vocalist Jane Mason, at the tender age of seventeen, originally as just a guitar/vocals duo.”

“The punk scene was pretty big in Preston about then. We tended to stick and work with the punks that had summat to say though, rather than with the poseurs. So, a good, co-operative, little ghetto was born in the heart of Preston; full of activity, never a dull moment, everyone was welcome… the 'other' punk bands all seemed to sound and look exactly like Discharge, and that was the more popular scene, to be honest. Jackets with studs on all that; fashionable cheese cloths, bum-flaps and bondage straps; we didn't look like that, so we never got too much attention from the 'hardcore'. We didn't really care though; they could all go to hell as far as we were concerned at that time. That was our general attitude.” Sean Kirtley 

Anarka And Poppy

“As for the worst gig we ever played? That was with New Model Army and Here And Now at the Bier Keller in Blackpool. We forgot that we needed our own drum kit and New Model Army wouldn't lend us theirs. We didn't like the idea of playing with them anyway, so it was off to a strange start from the beginning. Then when the bastards wouldn't lend us their drums, it turned into a right arse of a night. Someone eventually persuaded them, but it was like, 'For Christ's sake, you pricks! They're only bloody drums!' Here And Now were a sound bunch though, and they played an excellent set.” Sean Kirtley


Anarka And Poppy – P.O.P.P.I.E.S.
By the way, any chance to listen to the Take It For Life cassette?

* * *

Excerpts and pic taken from The Day The Country Died book.

ONECHORD badges

If you like them, just drop me a line and I will send you all three for free.

Size: 25mm / 1 inch

Spain is different

What happens when you live in a country under a dictatorship during almost forty years, where all seems to be grey and boring, and society is very conservative and traditionalist – but then the dictatorship is over and a relative new freedom era begins? Try to imagine this situation being a teen. And now try to imagine you suddenly learn about Punk, Electronic music, Industrial, Goth, Synth, Psychedelia, and Two Tone Ska at the same time. Too many new sounds to discover that blow up your mind!

Well, this is the feeling I get anytime I watch these videos of late 70s and early 80s Spanish bands. They just did whatever they wanted to do and didn't care about anything or anyone. Now, let's enjoy!

Siniestro Total – Mario Derribos Arias – Europa Ejecutivos Agresivos – Mari Pili Maria Morticia & Los Decrépitos – Vamos a contar murciélagos Lavabos Iturriaga – ? Glutamato Yeyé – Todos los negritos tienen hambre y frío La Caída de la Casa Usher – Insecto vivo, insecto muerto Metal & Ca – Automáticas

Bush Tetras

Bush Tetras – Too Many Creeps (Ed Steinberg, 1982)

B Team

“Pop music by its very nature is supposed to be throwaway and disposable and I wouldn't have it any other way. It usually goes something like this – buy a 7", listen to it, fall in love with it, play it everyday for a week, put on a compilation tape, file the single and rediscover it in 5 years time.” Sean (Rough Trade)

Well, this is exactly what happened to me with this song by B Team. The difference is I didn't buy the record, instead I got Homework #104. Please, visit their website!

B Team – Caught

Less is more: Thoughts on minimal Pt. I

OK, minimal is electronics. But not only that. Minimal is the Ramones playing 3-chord songs in all their records (and not caring at all) and singing “Second verse, same as the first!”; minimal is Pink Flag by Wire (“Field Day for the Sundays” is 25 seconds long); minimal is the Urinals' Another EP and Six Minute War's More Short Songs EP; minimal is the Puritan Guitars and their love for repetition; minimal is Rondos, Tändstickorshocks and all the whole amazingly great Wormerpunk scene; minimal is the harDCore and Dischord “austerity attitude”; minimal is the back-to-basics and primitive recording techniques by Beat Happening / K Records; minimal is Young Marble Giants and Marine Girls, too. So maybe minimal is an approach, a way of doing things, an attitude, more than a music style itself.

Anyway, this post was only an excuse to share with you three topnotch minimal jewels I can't stop listening to. Honestly, “I'm Leaving” by A.B.C. is one of the best songs ever done. And now, let's spread the word: Less is more!

Guerre Froide – Demain Berlin (France, 1981)

L'Aventure Imaginaire – One More Night (Deutschland, 1980)

Absolute Body Control – I'm Leaving (Belgium, 1981)