The Brat - Attitudes LP

Label: Radiation Records; Year: 2023; Format: Vinyl LP

Firstly my apologies to the few regular readers I have for not having posted any new content in a while but that's how it is going to be until December due to a work related exam I am studying for. The good news though is that thanks to the two incompetent and useless political parties running and ruining our lives here in the U$ of A and the avoidance of a government shutdown this blog here gets funded for at least another forty five days. I hope everyone is enjoying the last few warm days before we shall bundle up again as I sure as hell am, and today was a perfect day to put on a recently purchased reissue I have been patiently waiting for some time. East LA's the Brat formed in 1978 when lead guitarist Rudy Medina and his guitarist-nephew Sid Medina met Teresa Covarrubias from Boyle Heights. In the highly recommended and excellent book "We Were Going To Change The World" by Stacy Russo (this will get an extensive review/interview in the near future) Teresa is featured as one of the women having been part of the '70s and '80s Southern California Punk Scene where she goes to explain that despite the widespread belief that Punk Rock was all inclusive she did not think it mirrored the experience the Brat had having felt rather marginalized and isolated from the Hollywood Punk scene on the West Side of LA. Teresa further explores: "I think the first show that we did that was a real concert was probably at Madam Wong's in '78, '79. Actually, it was kind of important. I think John Doe and Exene were there that night, and they really dug the band. I always say that I think they had a lot do to with helping us break that barrier, because I always felt there was a barrier. After Exene and John came and they met us afterwards, they really helped us try to break into the whole scene on the Westside. We opened for X many times, because they requested that we did." But not only did X help the Brat to achieve more exposure, the East Side of LA also got its own venue in the shape of the Vex as a result of Chicano muralist Willie Herron teaming up with Self-Help Graphics founder Sister Karen Boccalero concluding that the space they were using could as well be used to put on shows. The Vex became crucial to the development of the Brat and it must have been at said venue where Tito Larriva of the Plugz discovered the band and liked them so much that he offered to produce and release their 10" on his newly created Fatima Recordz back in 1980. A year later the five song EP titled "Attitude" was reissued as a 12" and thereafter it disappeared into obscurity as many great records have. Fortunately Radiation Records has decided to put out the original five songs that appeared on the first record plus eight more track recorded between 1981 and 1985 on this neatly packaged LP fittingly called "Attitudes". If you have never heard of the Brat you are in for a nice surprise if you like well crafted punk songs with a good dose of pop sentimentality. On top of that I would go as far as saying that the Brat created a unique sound by blending punk rock's energy with influences ranging from pop, new wave, and country music backed with intelligent lyrics tackling political and societal issues. After the release of "Attitude" the band was planning on releasing a further record on a Major Label, but it is to be assumed that the suited men and ladies were not fond of the band's critical lyrics hence by 1985 the band disbanded. If you want to get a taste for the Brat I suggest you listen to my personal favorite track "The Wolf", recorded in 1982 at Santa Barbara Sound, as it can only be described as an incredibly powerful and brilliant song dealing with the hypocrisy we call democracy in this country. It is without a doubt that the Brat were more than talented enough to write excellent punk songs with a pop edge, or pop songs with a punk edge, but as was the case for many of their peers it wasn't meant to happen for them. It is never too late and I can only hope that this excellent reissue reaches new fans of the band as they truly deserve more recognition. Grab a copy while they last! 

Photos borrowed from https://thebrat.net

Blue Angel - S/T LP

Label: Polydor Records; Year: 1980; Format: Vinyl LP

A few months ago when on a quick visit to New York City my wife and I went to an interesting photo exhibition called 'New York New Music 1980 - 1986' highlighting photos, flyers and other artifacts from that time period, presenting all kinds of music of different genres, including of course punk rock. But, this entry isn't about anything punk rock related but rather about Cyndi Lauper and her first band, Blue Angel. The reason I am bringing up the exhibition is that photos of Blue Angel gigs were on the wall and reminded me that I finally need to get a copy of the LP as I have been an admirer of Cyndi since the '80s. Just this past weekend I went to a garage record sale up the street from our house and guess what, for a few bucks I got a mint copy of the Blue Angel album. Recorded and released in 1980 it is very much a New York record encapsulating the mood and state of the Big Apple in said year. With a new decade on the horizon and a fresh start palpable in every possible way it truly is a positive record in the sense that the twelve songs will instantly lift your mood, which is never a bad thing. I listened to the record this morning being off from work for Juneteenth while doing my stretching exercises to help with my joint problems, and instantly felt better, okay it's a slight exaggeration folks. Truth of the matter is though that it's a great pop record, while also being a good power pop, new wave or rockabilly record as it stylistically draws from all those genres mixing them seamlessly from one song to the next. Cyndi Lauper started to sing at the age of twelve and by the time this record was released she was already twenty-seven years old, hence there were many years in between even though at some point she was told by doctors she would never be able to sing again after having damaged her vocal cords. Needless to say those doctors were wrong, very wrong...Having grown up in the pre-Beatles era it is clear that Cyndi must have been fascinated by early Rock'N'Roll as the Rockabilly influence on this record is to be heard on several tracks. But, at the same time let's not forget that Blondie and the B-52's had already released several albums by 1980 and it would be wrong not to mention that there is a vibe throughout this record closely reminiscent of those two bands. Unfortunately, or as in the case for Cyndi actually more fortunately, the band didn't last too long as they broke up after a fall out with their manager. As a result of that the band was sued for a large sum of money which forced Cyndi to pick up odd jobs at stores and such. In 1981 while singing at a New York bar she was discovered by David Wolff, who would become her manager and the rest is history. I highly recommend tracking down a copy of this, you won't regret it. Cyndi Lauper is turning 70 years old later this week - Happy Birthday! 

Cyndi Lauper with Blue Angel (Photo taken at NY New Music 1980-1986 exhibition)

Hans-A-Plast - S/T LP

Label: Re-Force Records; Year: 2005; Format: Vinyl LP

Timing is everything they say and was also the title to an album by Chris DeBurgh. But don't you worry I am not at the point in my life to review Chris DeBurgh records, at least not yet. Timing is right to review Hans-A-Plast's first LP originally released in 1979 on Lava Records. I have been meaning to pull this one from my shelves for quite some time now as the band has been mentioned so many times on my favorite German speaking podcast "Und Dann Kam Punk" that it basically begged to be reviewed. And so it happened that this week Annette Benjamin who fronted Hans-A-Plast was a guest for said podcast hence everything I wanted to ever know about the Hanover band was answered, or at least most of it (Link to podcast for German speakers at the bottom of this entry). What I found most fascinating about the interview with Annette is that she hasn't lost her wit and sense of humor one single bit. Now in her early sixties she talked about her formative years and how she ended up joining Hans-A-Plast as the last member of the original line-up. Born in Braunschweig and not far from Hanover in Northern Germany Annette had a somewhat unhappy childhood and at the sweet age of seventeen she decided to take matters into her own hands and via Amsterdam she ended up in London in 1977 where she spent several months. She was lucky enough to experience the punk rock explosion firsthand, and in early '78 she struck gold by seeing X-Ray Spex live on stage. According to Annette it was a life-changing moment in the sense that after having seen Poly Styrene on stage Annette knew what she wanted to do in her life, yep you guessed it right: she wanted to be a singer in a band. After having returned to Braunschweig fate was very much in her favor as she met Hans-A-Plast during a gig in a small venue in Hanover. Annette was singing in a different band during said gig and because Hans-A-Plast were initially a quartet with drummer Betty also taking up singing duties, the band approached Annette whether she would like to be their lead singer, and the rest is history. Things moved quickly from there onwards and in September of 1979 the band entered the studio to record their first full length. When I say that this record should be in the Top 50 of the best Punk records ever then I not only mean it, but I have reasons as to why I think so. First and foremost up to this day unfortunately too many people still think that Punk records either having been released in the UK or the United States are the non plus ultra and nothing beyond is of importance, very wrong. Secondly, punk rock took a while to develop and depending on the geographical location things might have been moving slower, but not necessarily in a less interesting way. Whereas in 1979 punk in London might have been forgotten to a degree, in Hanover that was certainly not the case. The thirteen songs on this record are all brilliant in their own way as they just scream youth and loud abrasive rock'n'roll. The three women and two men in Hans-A-Plast were simply put very gifted songwriters, capable of writing funny and edgy songs having taken clues from the '77 punk explosion as well as the more angular sounds of post-punk while backing it with socio-critical lyrics dealing with sexism or police brutality as well as issues as simple as having fuck all to do on a Friday night in 'Rock'N'Roll Freitag'. It really is not a surprise that the album sold in the thousands and was reissued as early as 1980 on Hanover's No Fun Records selling again in the thousands. The band toured extensively through Germany as well as Austria and Switzerland, and went on to release two more LPs until they split up in 1984. Spontaneously Lost Kids from Denmark came to my mind today as a comparison and I think that either band wouldn't disagree with said comparison. Do yourself a favor and get this LP, no matter which pressing. Grandiose Platte!

Link to Podcast interview with Annette (in German): https://www.audible.com/pd/Podcast/B08K56W8WJ

Visage - S/T LP

Label: Polydor (Germany); Year: 1980; Format: Vinyl LP

Back in 1980 I turned 10 years old and was too young to understand the complex and culturally interesting background of Visage and the emerging New Romantic scene. Music just grabbed me and when I liked something I liked it and I think my parents understood that as for some reason every Christmas and Birthday I would get a record as a gift. I come from quite a poor and working class immigrant family background hence I never had much as a kid, and what I did have I cherished endlessly. Visage somewhat unexpectedly landed a huge hit with "Fade To Grey" in 1980 and it was either that year or 1981 that my parents bought me their first LP. By that point I was a typical little kid loving AC/DC and Iron Maiden but somehow Visage got through to me and ever since I've always had an open mind for electronic music even though I never fully immersed myself in it. But, even more importantly and historically of importance is the fact that Visage very much came out of the punk rock scene with some rather intriguing connections. I think what some people might not realize is how much punk rock opened the doors for musicians and artists in general to pursue their own vision of what they wanted to create, which wasn't always just three chords. Scottish born musician Midge Ure (nee James Ure) for instance has been involved in bands since the early '70s and in 1975 landed a big hit with Slik's "Forever and Ever". With the booming punk scene at the door step Ure's Slik decided to go in a different direction and changed their name to P.V.C. 2 releasing a punk rock single on Zoom Records (to be reviewed in the future). In late '77 Ure moved to London and briefly joined Glen Matlock's Rich Kids. After having left Rich Kids but with a newly acquired Yamaha Synthesizer Ure along with former Rich Kid drummer Rusty Egan set out to find someone who would share their passion to create something different than punk rock, but not a million miles away. They found the right man in Steve Strange (RIP) who would become the singer and along with former members of Magazine Visage expanded the line-up in 1979. Visage's first single released on Radar Records was not successful but as mentioned above "Fade To Grey" now on Polydor got them the breakthrough and the rest is history as they say. With Steve Strange and Rusty Egan aka DJ Egan setting up the Blitz Club in London New Romantic took off and just like punk rock a few years prior transitioned from a subculture into the mainstream. Visage's first self-titled LP is at least in my opinion a milestone when it comes to electronic music, synth-pop, new wave or however you want to brand it. It's an album with a beginning, a middle and an end encouraging the listener to have a full listening experience which back then was the absolute norm as the way music is consumed has changed over the decades since. I sat down this morning with my coffee and listened to the album and couldn't tell you a weak song on it. The title track "Visage" starts you off and is the perfect track for a new decade enabling to see with the benefit of hindsight how well positioned Visage were on their path to Synth-Pop stardom. It truly was the sound of the future and for things to come, that much is for sure. Personally I love "The Dancer", an absolute cracker of an instrumental. It's a well executed album that doesn't sound outdated in 2023, forty-three years after its release, and that means something. 

The Stiffs - "Volume Control", "Goodbye My Love" and "Four Winds" Singles

Label: 1977 Records; Year: 2002; Format: 7" Single

As you will all know Punk wasn't just a London thing as some will want you to believe, but was very much happening anywhere in the UK during the initial explosion in the late '70s. The Stiffs for instance hailed from Blackburn in the North-West and formed in 1976 by two 14-year old school friends as described in my go to UK punk bible "no more heroes" by Alex Ogg (see also Wikipedia entry for the band). In July 1978 the band was ready to record some of their own songs and early versions of "Inside Out" and "Volume Control" were the results of those sessions that took place in Oldham. Personally I don't own the "Inside Out" single hence I can't have any opinion but according to the sources I have used the single was well received after their very first "Brookside Riot Squad" EP had failed to materialize the desired results. The single reviewed herein "Volume Control" was originally released in 1980 on EMI subsidiary Zonophone. Of the three singles I have this one is the clear winner with the A-Side being a really strong and well crafted '77 Punk influenced smasher backed by loud guitars and a great production. The B-Side is almost equally good with the Jam influenced Mod stomper "Nothing To Lose". Definitely a great single!

Label: 1977 Records; Year: 2002; Format: 7" Single

Tokyo based reissue label 1977 Records was also responsible for reissuing the originally in 1981 released single "Goodby My Love" backed by "Magic Roundabout" on the B-Side. The Gary Glitter cover on the A-Side really didn't need to be recorded at all and I am not just referring to Glitter here, but the music itself as well as it's just a cheesy overblown glam rock song. The B-Side on this one is in that sense better but in all fairness the band never got to the strength of songs like 'Volume Control'. As musicians they certainly made progress and were a tight-sounding unit but at least for me it lead to sounding more lame, more poppy and more mainstream oriented lacking drive and conviction. I don't know the band's entire catalogue but for me this would be the cut off as I can't see them ever getting any more interesting unless you are a die-hard Powerpop fan, which I am not. Even a tour supporting the UK Subs did not help elevating their status and in all fairness I am not surprised. Solid but that's about it. 

Label: 1977 Records; Year: 2002; Format: 7" Single

The Stiffs continued to perform and released one last single in 1985 until 1977 Records decided to release new material when the Stiffs flew over to Japan for four dates in 2002. According to Ogg's book and the band's recollection the dates went really well and the crowds loved every second of their performances. I am not surprised that the Stiffs got such a positive reaction in Japan as the fans over there tend to be loyal and just genuine. As for the two songs recorded in 2002 I can't say I have much time for them. Both songs are well played and solid, but lack any recognition or hit potential. As with many Mod/Powerpop bands the songs have a tendency for too many hooks as well as too many breaks while nothing seems to stick. Not a bad release per se but definitely nothing worthwhile. In a way it seems the band has at times tried too hard to achieve success and failed miserably, that's at least the way I see it. 

Penetration - Don't Dictate and Life's A Gamble Singles

Label: Virgin Records; Year: 1977; Format: 7" Single

When it comes to the very early UK punk bands that set Britain burning so to speak Penetration from the North-East are not mentioned often enough. Their story is a particularly interesting one and thanks to Alex Ogg's "No More Heroes" book I refreshed my memory about the early days of the band hailing from the mining village of Ferryhill in County Durham. If you were a teenager in 1976 and lived in London no matter how different the world was compared to today, chances were that you caught on to the latest music trend rather sooner than later due to the music press being so London centric. On the other hand if you lived in a small village in the North-East far removed from London things were very different and moved at a much slower pace. That's why I find bands like Penetration fascinating as they made it happen despite the geographical and cultural disadvantage. As a matter of fact Pauline Murray, the lead singer, can without doubt be described as one of the most talented and charismatic singers of the early punk days, and I am sure many would agree with that statement. It should therefore not come as a surprise that at some point Virgin Records sent the band into a studio to record demos which initially resulted in a one-off single deal in the form of the herein reviewed "Don't Dictate" b/w "Money Talks" single. Both tracks are wonderful examples of early punk rock written with a strong pop sentiment that will instantly lift your mood and put a big smile on your face. As soppy as that may sound go out there and find out for yourself should you not be familiar with this bunch. 

Label: Virgin Records; Year: 1978; Format: 7" Single

While "Don't Dictate" was recorded as a quartet with Gary Chaplin being the guitar player and main song writer things changed drastically after Gary's sudden departure in 1978. After the band gained more traction and Virgin Records extended their relationship with the band Penetration also signed a management deal with Quarry, the same company that looked after Status Quo and Rory Gallagher. Needless to say that those two acts attracted a different type of clientele and while on tour supporting Gallagher in France Penetration got bottled off stage nearly every night. According to Murray Chaplin got cold feet and felt under pressure and left the band. The band had very little time replacing him and found not just one but two guitar players in the form of Neal Floyd and Fred Purser. Without a shadow of a doubt their addition added a whole new dynamic to the song writing as the melodic and powerful yet somewhat unfinished song writing of the year passed turned into a real hit machine with "Life's A Gamble" being the best example of said progress. This is actually the band's third single, released a few months after "Firing Squad". Of course it's not the same as having seen the band in their hay day but I consider myself still lucky having witnessed Penetration live on stage in London during my period living there about fifteen years ago. Their gig at the 100 Club I still consider one of my favorite live music memories from London and rest assured that there will be more reviews of Penetration records in the future. 

V/A - 415 Music LP

Label: 415 Records; Year: 1980; Format: Vinyl LP

During lunch time I often either take a good walk or if the weather is not so great, which can be the case often here in Buffalo, I at least trudge up to the main library to check out the latest books. Such was the case last week when I stumbled upon "Kalifornia Kool Photographs 1976 - 1982" by Ruby Ray. After spending the entire lunch looking at the photos I decided to take the book out and inspect the wonderful photography of Ruby at home. A lot of the photos were either taken at the Mabuhay Gardens or in people's homes and are wonderful snapshots of a time that this world will never experience again. Everything seemed possible and the spontaneity in music and the arts seemed endless. While leafing through the book this past weekend it occurred to me that to round up this San Francisco centered weekend I should spin my copy of 415 Music, a compilation from 1980. Now, as always with compilations that document a particular scene and a particular time keep in mind that most of the time not all the bands are worth checking out but 415 Music gives you actually not just good value for your hard earned dollar but also a nice oversight as to what was going on in S.F at the time. Of course by 1980 the underground music scene was at a crossroads with the first wave of punk already gone and New Wave and Power Pop on the rise. What you get on this compilation is a bit of everything above with maybe two to three songs that can be categorized as lame New Wave and a waste of vinyl. The rest though is good, if not great Power Pop or New Wave of the sort I can definitely dig. Winners are The Readymates with "415 Music", The Mutants with "Baby's No Good", SVT "Always Come Back For More" and above all The VIPs with "She's a Put On", an incredibly catchy Synth Power Pop smasher. Overall this is well worth tracking down and if you want to dig even deeper into 415 and the Rise of New Wave in S.F. Hozac Books will sort you out with a book dedicated to said label. I should really order a copy for myself as well! As written on the back cover: 415 is the police code for disturbing the peace. Turn this record up and DO IT! 

Source for the Photos of the Mutants and the Offs: Ruby Ray - Kalifornia Kool Photographs 1978-1982 book. 

Suburban Lawns - S/T LP

Label: Superior Viaduct: Year: 2021; Format: Vinyl LP

If someone had played me this record say back in '87 when I was thrashing to bands like Rattus, E.N.T or Inferno I am one hundred percent sure I would have just shaken my head while laughing out loud by discrediting it as cheesy new wave. New Wave it certainly is but this originally in 1981 released album on I.R.S is the kind of New Wave I have over the years come to appreciate. It's edgy, angular, punky and asks a lot of questions. I love reading about the early Southern California punk scene and I must have come across Suburban Lawns on many occasions but for some reason the band never stuck with me until I was at my local record store not too long ago and the proprietor played the record over the speakers. Now this isn't the first time I am saying that but a good record store owner knows his customers so I sure as hell like that. The songs caught my attention and I asked who that was and when I was told Suburban Lawns it clicked in the sense that I have heard the name many times but it just wasn't on my radar so to speak. Suburban Lawns started out in 1978 in Long Beach, CA and according to the excellent liner notes their earliest shows were with The Reactionaries (pre-Minutemen) as well as the Alley Cats. Their first two singles were self-released and "Gidget Goes To Hell" is worth looking up on Youtube as it's not just a great song but the video itself is something else. The band played the usual Los Angeles area underground clubs and by 1981 they have caught the attention of a bigger label leading up to this LP on I.R.S. The liner notes describe the album as "quintessential Reagan-era new wave/punk" and I couldn't agree more. No song is really like the other as the vocal duties switch back and forth between the members leading to a really varied and interesting album that never gets boring. It's clear that the band was tired of the beach and technology encroaching on life in every aspect and songs like "Computer Date" amazingly foreshadow modern day society years ahead of time. I think you're getting the picture here as this isn't your happy New Wave band playing songs to please everybody but rather a group of intellectuals taking new wave in a more sophisticated, artsy and intriguing direction. One band member, Su Tissue, has supposedly vanished completely after the band fell apart in 1983 and to this day nobody seems to know where she is. This record certainly deserves to be examined over and over as it is full of interesting details, musically as well as lyrically. Highly recommended!