V/A - Na Eller Aldri - Samle EP

Label: X-Port Plater; Year: 1985: Format: Vinyl 7"

I have spent most of my life in central Europe, and ever since having gotten into hardcore punk, I was always fascinated with bands from Scandinavia. But it was always groups from either Sweden, or Finland (officially not Scandinavia) that were more accessible, at least so I remember. Bands from Norway were lesser known, and there just wasn't so many around. I saw So Much Hate when they toured Europe for the first time, and that was well impressive. But before So Much Hate, there was Kafka Prosess, who are of course to be found on this classic compilation EP of Norwegian hardcore punk acts from the mid '80s. Other bands represented on here include Siste Dagers Helvete, Bannlyst, Akutt Innlegelse and three more. Speaking of Akutt Innlegelse, whom had a young fellow named Thomas Seltzer in their rows, the same Thomas who would some years later on to form Turbonegro. In my opinion only one song should not have been picked for this EP, all the other ones range from absolutely brilliant to almost brilliant, you get the picture. If you like your hardcore punk fast, loud and distorted, then this is for you. I remember reading somewhere that the reason so many of the Norwegian hardcore acts from the '80s had a more rock'n'roll guitar sound to them than say the Swedes or Fins, was down to the fact that many of the people involved in those bands had very varied tastes in music. I for one always thought that the Norwegian bands did sound quite different from their neighbors, and it certainly did them well. Shocking to see that to this day this EP has not been reissued. I wonder why, bearing in mind this is an absolute classic.

Kriminella Gitarrer - Complete Studio Recordings + Demos LP

Label: Klippan Records; Year: 1999; Format: Vinyl LP

A highly interesting release here by Kriminella Gitarrer from Klippan, a small town in Sweden. These first generation punk rockers were just kids when they managed to release three 7"s between '78 and '79, and all of them don't quite sound alike. The first one was apparently already sought after just two years after its release and was compared to the sounds of the swedish highways during rush hour. Well, I can see where the fanzine writer at the time was coming from, but I must add that the first 7" and the demo tracks on the B-Side of this collection are in parts noisy proto-hardcore, and we're talking '77 and '78 here, impressive for a group of 15 year olds from small town Sweden. It might have been the distance to bigger cities and those scenes that provided them with the ability to really build on their own sound instead of trying to sound like another band. The 2nd and 3rd 7"s, here to be found on the A-side, along the 1st one, are to a degree more melodic, musically more developed, and pop oriented, but in my opinion those are the best tracks the band has ever recorded as they are true '77 punk smashers. Apparently the band only ever played fewer than ten gigs, and this release looks like a bootleg even though it has an insert with all the info on the band and the history. While the original 7"s are impossibly hard to find and expensive, even this LP is not easy to get, and certainly not cheap. In the early 2000s a compilation CD with even more tracks surfaced, but the same problem prevails as it is hard to get a copy. A label specializing in reissuing hard to find international punk should really look into doing a proper release of this material as there are some exceptionally good songs Kriminella Gitarrer managed to crank out.

Gobblinz - S/T CD

Label: Nat Records; Year: 2006; Format: CD

This is a real mixed bag of a CD, compiling all the recorded material by UK band Gobblinz, whom were from Peterborough. Until I was given this CD by a friend of mine, I knew very little about this band, and looking at forums and groups on the net I discovered that their two original 7"s that came out in '78, and '79 respectively are sought after records. But, no worries, Nat Records also reissued those in their original artwork, and the five songs to be found on those two platters are the best this band recorded, and I mean by miles. And that's where I question a release such as this one, consisting of thirteen songs, of which two are pure disaster and could have been recorded by Queen for all we know, while the other six pass as okay, but not really worth the time. On a positive note though, and if you don't care whether you have their good songs on vinyl or CD, then the CD will save you some of your hard earned money. So, those five songs I have been mentioning, being "London", "Women in Love", "Love me too", "Communique" and "All this and more" are damn fine powerpop/punk tracks, without a single doubt. These guys came together as a band in 1975 and played in other bands before, which one can clearly hear as these people were seasoned musicians by the time they started Gobblinz, and the influences ranged from glam rock to pub rock, eventually being all incorporated into a New Wave sound. An interesting release for sure, but I would have been perfectly fine with just about half of the songs on the CD. Last but not least it might be worthwhile to mention that singer and guitar player Ian Graham went on to form The Name in late 1978, a band well known in the revival Mod scene of the late '70s. End and over.

Lime Spiders - Out of Control/Save my Soul 7"

Label: Citadel; Year: 1985; Format: Vinyl 7"

The Lime Spiders are one of the heavy weights in regard to the '60s garage punk revival that hit the 1980s and apparently Jello Biafra once referred to them as 'the best time-warp '60s garage revival band' he's ever heard. This single boasts two great songs, one original, and the other a '60s cover. 'Out of Control' is a powerful '60s garage influenced stomper, and maybe the Aussies are just the world champions at this sort of thing. Just great! On the B-Side one can hear an excellent cover version of 'Save my Soul' which was originally recorded by British Psychedelic Rockers Wimple Winch in 1966.
Highly recommended!

The Sconeheads - Larry Grayson is a Gestapo Agent EP

Label: Nailed On; Year: 1999; Format: Vinyl EP

Larry Grayson was a well known English TV presenter, famous for hosting BBC's series 'The Generation Game'. I would only assume that the Sconeheads were not particularly fond of Mr. Grayson and made a Gestapo Agent out of him. All three songs on this EP were released posthumously and were originally recorded in 1981. The title track is my personal winner on this EP as it is an excellent primitive pogo smasher with really aggressive drumming, just loving it. The other two tracks are by no means bad, and I would describe them as sing along drunken punk rock in a real DIY way. This EP will appeal to people who like bands such as The Shapes for instance. Not an absolute must, but definitely worth discovering.

Cock Sparrer - Still A Teenager At Heart EP

Label: Unknown; Year: 1994; Format: Vinyl 7"

Cock Sparrer have become a world wide phenomenon in the last fifteen to twenty years, entertaining an ever growing fan base at festivals around the world, and they must have surely made a good buck out of that. I don't think they have seen a single penny from this release though, as this obscure EP came out well before they became everybody's favorite band in the new era of Cock Sparrer. While I have never been a huge fan of 'the Sparrer' I must say that the Decca years songs do appeal to me, and this EP contains six songs including smashers like 'Sister Suzie', 'Running Riot', and especially 'Run for Cover', an unbelievably good song. The difference between the Decca year songs, and the later material is that the glam/hard rock influence in the early songs shines through, whereas later releases started to lose that edge to them and evolved into more standard Oi-Punk. That's the way I have always felt, and many of you might see it very differently. I think you ought to be a die-hard Sparrer collector to chase this EP down, but if you see it somewhere laying around for a good price, then definitely pick it up as you won't regret it.

Sex Pistols - Screen on the Green Cinema, Islington, 1976 EP

Label: Unknown; Year: 2007; Format: Vinyl 7"

An interesting little platter here from the good ole' Sex Pistols. When I put it on for the first time I was dreading that the sound quality would be so bad as with many Pistols bootlegs, but to my surprise I discovered that the three songs on this EP are actually of decent sound quality, and are taken from a gig in 1976 in north London. (Don't Give Me) No lip, an original by Dave Berry makes up for a great cover version and is one of the tracks found here, amongst 'Submission' and 'No fun'. I do believe that there is a second EP from the same gig floating around, but I am not a die-hard collector of the Pistols, and will leave that up to the Rotten Army. Not a bad boot at all if you can find it somewhere cheap.

Tozibabe - S/T EP

Label: FV Zalozba; Year: 1986; Format: Vinyl EP

This 3-piece female band hailed from Ljubljana in Slovenia, and at the time of the release of this 4-track EP it was part of Yugoslavia. Tozibabe are probably to this day one of the best hidden gems when it comes to international hardcore punk acts from the '80s, most likely due to the scarceness of this EP, but above all as a result of four outstanding gloomy hardcore punk thrashers that could not have been any better. The desperation and urgency come through in each song, and these ladies knew how to write songs with an intelligent twist to them. A few years ago this was apparently bootlegged, but I for one sure hope that a label specializing in re-releases of this sort will pick this one up soon to give it a much deserved wider audience. A true classic!

Update September 2022: In 2015 Ne! Records reissued the 7" officially. Unfortunately those copies seem to be hard to get by now. 

TZN-Xenna - Dzieci z Brudnej Ulicy/Ciemny Pokoj 7"

Label: Tonpress; Year: 1985; Format: Vinyl 7"

TZN-Xenna were one of the numerous great Polish punk/hardcore acts that people in the West only started to discover well after releases as this one here have come out. Both tracks on this single are extremely well produced and fast-paced, but not to the point where the music just becomes noise and can't be distinguished from a Boeing 747 landing. The two songs are well crafted, and have due to the fact of having been recorded behind the so called "Iron Curtain" their own character. The band hailed from the capital of Warsaw and was founded as early as 1981, meaning they were one of the earliest punk rock acts from Poland. I need to seek out more recordings by this band that are in the vein of this 7" as this stuff is truly essential.

Terri Hooley & Richard Sullivan:  Music - Mayhem - Good Vibrations

Publisher: Blackstaff Press; Year: 2010; Format: Book

I would assume that anybody reading this review with an interest in DIY labels and the history behind them will be familiar with Good Vibrations, and the man behind the label and the various stores associated with it, Terri Hooley. Richard Sullivan, who has been an avid follower of Terri's fortunes since he was a teenager visiting Good Vibrations store in Belfast is the co-author of this book, and with having said this, it seemed like the right choice was made in regard to Terri's co-laborator for this book, which is a fantastic account of Terri's life with all its highs and lows, and there has been many of them. Of course I personally loved Terri's memories of discovering the Undertones, Rudi and countless other great punk rock/powerpop acts of the Northern Ireland scene, but I especially enjoyed the beginning of the book and the stories of Terri as a young kid and teenager, growing up in Belfast, being a hippy, and standing up for what he believed in, something he has done throughout his entire life. Needless to say that he hasn't just made friends, and this book also talks about arson, the paramilitaries and their actions against Terri, the many different locations his shop was forced to take as a result of that, and so on. This is a great read, from cover to cover!

Fred Burns: Basically, Johnny Moped - The Story of Punk Rock's Great Lost Legend

Year: 2013; Format: Limited DVD

First and foremost, I am thankful to a dear friend of mine in the UK for having sent me this limited DVD release, as some of us die-hard Johnny Moped fans like myself couldn't wait until finally seeing the light of this documentary. One of the interesting facts about this movie is that the director, Fred Burns, is the son of Captain Sensible of the Damned, and up until recently Fred had no idea at all about Johnny Moped, a band that is part of his dad's musical career. Anyhow, one day before a Crystal Palace game Fred and his dad were at a pub warming up for the game, and Johnny Moped entered the scene, much to Fred's amusement, but above all curiosity. The idea to make a documentary about Johnny Moped started then and there, and the end result is stunning. The story of this band from Croydon in South London is rich in characters, failures, success, and true punk rock spirit. In my opinion Johnny Moped has always remained a somewhat unsung hero of the first generation punk rockers, but if you were lucky to have ever seen the band live, and that includes the modern days, you know exactly what I am talking about. And I was lucky enough. As a fan you will not be disappointed by this movie, as it will not only provide you with some great early, and more recent footage, but will also connect all the dots that were missing in the history of this cult band. I am not sure whether this movie will get an official DVD release, hopefully landing the band a wider fan base and appreciation of its history. I'll go as far as saying that you don't even have to have ever heard of Johnny Moped, and you'll still get a kick out of watching this touching music documentary!

Update July 2022: The documentary is currently on Netflix, but for how long I don't know. Watch it while you can! 

V/A - Teenage Shutdown "She's A Pest" CD

Label: Teenage Shutdown!; Year: 2000; Format: CD

If you were like me a few years ago, and just started to really get into '60s garage punk, then the Teenage Shutdown series is definitely a good choice to start you off with, or at least one of the better ones. The songs on this particular installment are about girls, as the title "She's a pest" wisely suggests. Granted, the lyricists haven't had the best experiences with the fairer sex at that point, and I sure hope that in all those past decades since those songs were written things have drastically improved. The 18 songs are all revved-up garage punk hits, and there isn't a single song on here I don't like, but of course some tracks stand out, such as "Your Man is gonna leave you " by the Wind from California, or "I've gotta way with Girls" by the Lavender Hour, whom hailed from Texas. I promise you that I will review more Teenage Shutdown comps in the future, and even though I have this particular volume on CD, it is of course available on fine vinyl as well. All you need to do now is get a copy for yourself!

Wild Dogs - S/T LP

Label: Shrapnel Records; Year: 1983; Format: Vinyl LP

I am by no means a metal fan, but I do remember picking up this record many years ago for a few cents at a thrift store, probably just for the hilarious front cover. A few weeks ago I gave it a spin for the very first time since picking it up, and I must confess that I was surprised myself. If there is metal I will give a chance, then it has to sound like on this record. This is raw, straight-forward, and no-bullshit traditional heavy metal, played at a decent speed and with plenty of balls. The band hailed from Portland/OR and apparently reached international recognition following their second album, which came out after this one here. The band was seen to have a pioneering role for metal music in the Pacific Northwest, and I can see why that would be. Don't be discouraged by the horrendous cover, as this might appeal not just to fans of heavy metal, but people with a general liking of loud rock music.

V/A - Vancouver Evolution EP

Label: Unknown; Year: Unknown; Format: Vinyl 7"

What we have got here is a must-have for everybody that loves early Canuck punk, or KBD punk simply because these four tracks on here are a fabulous time document of the very early Vancouver scene, including the Furies, the Skulls, the Stiffs and Victorian Pork. True fans of Canadian punk will know that the Skulls became D.O.A, and the Stiffs evolved into the Subhumans. All four tracks originally appeared on the Double-CD compilation Last Call - Vancouver Independent Music 1977 - 1988, hence my assumption is that some bootlegger just took them straight from those CDs and slapped them onto an EP, which includes a copied insert with information on the very beginnings of the Vancouver punk scene. Sure enough, an official release would have been nicer, but it is what it is, and since it's still readily available I don't see why you folks out there shouldn't own a copy of this!

Lepers - I wanna be God EP

Label: Unclean Records; Year: 1984; Format: Vinyl 7"

Very little is known about the Lepers from Colorado, except that they released three EPs between 1983 and 1984, this one here being the last one. You get to hear four strong hardcore punk numbers that vary in speed and are far from your generic fast hardcore that was prevailing in 1984. Instead you get intelligent and sarcastic songs stuck somewhere in the middle between more traditional punk rock and '80s hardcore. I have never heard the other two EPs, but should they be equally strong as this one then maybe some reissue label should slap all three on an LP. Just throwing out an idea...

Brain Death - Personal Affair EP

Label: Selfish Records; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl 7"

Brain Death were one of the few Japanese hardcore punk outfits fronted by a female. Sachi, the vocalist, did a great job on this release as she must have screamed her lungs out when recording. With song titles such as 'Funny Dancing', 'Queer in the head' or 'Convert City' you certainly also get the sort of silly song titles or lyrics lovers of japanese hardcore punk bands have learned to appreciate. One can only presume that the band sat down and looked up words in a dictionary without being capable of actually using the right verbs and so forth. Regardless, it provides many of those releases with an added portion of humor, wanted or not. As for the 8 songs on this EP produced by Satoshi from S.O.B., you will not be surprised to learn that they're all super-fast, and noisy as hell. With Satoshi being involved in the production of this record, I can't help to feel that some of the songs have a bit of a Grindcore feel to them, but the record is certainly still a typical hardcore punk release on Selfish Records. A decent release, but not a must-have by any means. A bootleg version of this does exist, but to my knowledge is quite a few years old as well.

Gudon - Howling Communication EP

Label: Selfish Records; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl 7"

Gudon were one of the many noisy hardcore punk acts forming in and around Tokyo, or any other major urban area in Japan throughout the mid-'80s. I am not aware where exactly they hailed from, but this 8-song EP was released on one of the prolific labels from Japan when it comes to this type of noise, Selfish Records. The ones amongst the readership familiar with these type of bands/releases will know exactly what to expect. If you haven't familiarized yourself with bands such as Gudon, then be aware that you'll be getting hardcore punk at its fastest and noisiest. The production on this particular record is great, something the Japanese often excelled in. The tracks are short, and clock in under two minutes. Here and there you get a bit of a Metal feel to the songs, but overall this is a solid release that will appeal to anyone into international hardcore punk from the '80s.

V/A - The Stars of Fame Records EP

Label: Kent Soul (Ace Records); Year: 2011; Format: Vinyl EP

This EP came out for RSD 2011 and contains four songs of fine Southern Soul from the mid- to late '60s. According to the liner notes none of these songs have been previously released, hence even more reason for you die-hard soul fans out there to own this limited piece of history. I am by no means an expert on soul, but I can guarantee you that I will be reviewing more records from that genre as I do like to listen to it a lot. All four songs on here are great, two of them more upbeat, whereas the other two are slow and beautiful. All of these crackers were recorded at the FAME Studios, home of the Muscle Shoals sound. I am sure someone more knowledgable could write quite a bit about this, whereas I just bought this one as I fancied it, and certainly haven't regretted my decision.

Nervous Eaters - Just Head 7"

Label: Penniman Records; Year: 1999; Format: Vinyl 7"

The Nervous Eaters from Boston, MA were one of the earliest punk'n'roll acts emerging from the 'Rat-scene' in Boston. Steve Cataldo on vocals/guitar was the main force behind this band, and originally this two-song gem was released in 1979 on Rat Records. None of the two songs are pure '77 punk, but rather a mixture of the punk-energy mixed with the raw sound of early '70s hard rock and glam rock, resulting in two hook-laden killer tracks that will blow your speakers. This is one of my favorite late '70s releases from the US, and everybody that equally loves the Real Kids or DMZ needs to have this in their collection.