V/A - T-Bird Party! A Swangin' Slew of Greasy R&B - 1957-64

Label: Lido (Official?); Year: 1995; Format: Vinyl LP

Not too long ago I took a short bus trip to a relatively new record store in the suburbs of Buffalo, NY and returned home with a nice haul of interesting records, one of them being the compilation reviewed today. First and foremost though I learned that T-Bird is a colloquial for Fort Thunderbird, a personal luxury card entering the market in 1955. Considering the fact that the songs contained on this LP are all from 1957 through 1964 my guess is that a T-Bird Party would involve a drive-in restaurant where people gathered around their cars and fast food being served by girls on roller skates. It would also make sense that people attending those parties came up with ideas to start bands, after all it was the beginning of the Rock'N'Roll era and excitement was in the air. Unfortunately as with many of these compilations there is absolutely zero information provided about the artists featured, which is a big shame as this record seriously kicks ass and is still widely available on vinyl as well as on all streaming platforms. I really don't know whether Lido was actually a real record label, and I seriously doubt it. Regardless, the little information I have been able to find, mainly through discogs, is all I have and it will have to do. "A Swangin' Slew of Greasy R&B" actually describes all the songs fairly accurately as each one of them will take you on a wild trip to a time that in my imagination must have been much more exciting in many ways as the modern world we know and live in was just starting to take shape and music was part of that whole evolution. By the Mid-50s Rhythm and Blues has contributed to the development of Rock'N'Roll and the seventeen songs on this record highlight how exciting it must have been to be part of such an incredibly important period in our more recent history. Some of my favorite tracks to be found on this platter are 'Chewing Gum' by Danny Brown, 'The Kangaroo' by Charles Sheffield or 'The Chase' by Davey Jones. If you are interested in finding out how modern music has evolved over time, do yourself a favor and pick up this record or many others in this vein as they will not only enrich you musically but also culturally when it comes to the rich and vast history of African-American artists.

Sozz - Patrol Car and Law N' Order Singles

Label: Farmer Records; Year: 1979; Format: 7" Single

It's about time to pump some life into this blog, and since the sun has come out here in Buffalo for the first time in some time today my mood is a little better after having suffered through too many grey days when it becomes just too hard to do anything besides going to work. Back in the late '70s punk rock reached the most peculiar places on earth by infecting the local youth with a virus that would have long lasting effects on music and society in general. Switzerland, a beautiful and peaceful country in the middle of Europe, and the country where I lived most of my life, gave the world some wonderful early punk rock 7"s that are sought after around the world. Many of the early Swiss punk acts came from Zurich, but there were some notable exceptions, and Sozz is most certainly one of them. Out of the ashes of No Fun, founded in 1978, came a quartet which consisted of three brothers (Andreas, Ernest and Stefan Maeschi) and hailed from the small village of Bueren an der Aare in the Kanton of Bern. In April of 1979 the band entered the Sunrise Studios in Kirchberg where many early Swiss punk records were recorded resulting in the 'Patrol Car' single with 'Lurch Gang' being the other track. I don't think the first single is as good as the second one, but Patrol Car is a cracking song and provides a hint as to what direction the band was going to take. Influenced heavily by the Clash it is a melodic yet hard stomping song with lyrics depicting problems of urban nature and far removed from the idyllic views of village life, yet unsurprisingly appealing to a bunch of punk rockers literally lost in Heidi-Land. Lurch Gang on the other hand is the weakest song to be found on either of the two singles, but despite sounding disjointed it maintains high levels of that certain charme of late '70s rudimentary punk rock. 

Sozz band photo (Source: Patrol Car 7" fold out cover)

Label: Farmer Records; Year: 1980; Format: 7" Single

Just like with the first single Sozz self-released their second singe on their own Farmer Records after entering the studio in January of 1980. While 'Patrol Car' pre-shadowed the potential the band had, the two tracks on this single are both smashers. 'Law N' Order' is by far my favorite Sozz track and a perfect '77 punk cracker, again not shy of a heavy Clash influence. If melodic and anthemic punk rock is your thing, you will want to hear this song as well as 'All the cops in the streets' on the flipside. I really wish I could write more about Sozz as they are often somewhat forgotten when it comes to early Swiss punk history. Over the years I've gotten to know one of the three brothers, bass player Buzz, to a lesser degree. In the early '90s he opened up a small record shop in Zurich selling mostly punk vinyl and also vintage clothes and I was lucky to find some really great records there but was never able to strike up much of a conversation with the proprietor. It is a shame as I am pretty certain that Sozz were approached to participate in the making of Lurker Grand's great book on early Swiss punk - Hot Love, but turned down not just that, but also subsequent interest in reissuing these two rare examples of great early Swiss punk. You can find their songs on Youtube and if I am not mistaken some of the songs have made it onto some KBD comps, but don't quote me on that. I was lucky in the sense that a friend of mine gifted me these two records years ago, but the hope remains that one day a reissue of sorts will become reality. I should note that out of the ashes of Sozz came Last Romance and especially Hungry For What, a band that gained more international recognitinon and will be reviewed on this blog in the future. Members of Sozz also ended up in Sophisticated Boom Boom and nurtured and released records by the all-female band Chin Chin.

Old gig poster and other Sozz related material. Source: Hot Love (Swiss Punk & Wave 1976-80); Book by Lurker Grand and many others

Varaus - 1/2 LP

Label: Larmattacke Records; Year: 2022; Format: Vinyl LP

What better way is there to spend the afternoon reviving this somewhat dormant blog of mine while the wind is blasting arctic air at god knows how many miles per hour in god forsaken Buffalo, NY. And thanks to Tangerine Orange Herbal Tea made by Zinger the whole experience reached another level by not only keeping me warm but reminding me that I am a somewhat old fart sipping on tea while sat in a recliner. But, let's go back to the year 1997 while I was traveling in sunny California and walked into a record store called Vinyl Fetish in Hollywood, Los Angeles. There, to my big surprise, I came across a copy of the 2nd pressing of the original self-released Varaus 1/2 LP from 1983, and you wouldn't believe it that I paid somewhere close to forty dollars only. Yep, no kidding. I imagine it was one of the owners who rang up my lucky ass while saying: "I know this is super rare and I could ask for much more, but who in the hell would buy it?" Well, I did, but about ten years later in dire need for cash I sold it on eBay to somebody in Australia if I am not mistaken, and the chap definitely shelled out much more than what I had paid. It just goes to show you how much '80s Finnish Hardcore Punk has grown in popularity over the years, and rightfully so, even though Instagram and Facebook definitely play a big role, but so be it. Hence I consider myself pretty lucky again to be an owner of this 2022 reissue as even this one is hard to come by nowadays proving that it's just one of those records that will always be hard to come by not because it's so great, but because it is so hard to get. But, on to the record itself, which again was self-released by the band back in 1982 (1st pressing). Unfortunately there is very little to nothing to be found about Varaus on the intranet so the only information I gathered is from Discogs where I learned that the band hailed from the town of Hyryla, somewhere quite south in Suomi-Finland. The fact that the original first two pressings fetch such incredible amounts of money does irritate me somewhat as musically speaking this is not one of the classic great Finnish Hardcore records, at least not in my opinion. Fact is that the band in the spirit of the time must have thought that the songs were good enough to press onto vinyl even though in all fairness it does sound like a practice tape and nothing more. That doesn't mean it's horrible, but the band definitely lacked in tightness and song-writing, which they made up for a lot in spirit. Don't get me wrong as I do think it's an excellent document from a forgotten time when guys and girls in spiked leather jackets tramped to gigs in terrible weather to trash out to bands like Varaus, hence if you like rudimentary Discharge style Finnish Hardcore you will dig this, just don't expect the heights of records by better known compatriots of Varaus. I was sad to learn that two members of Varaus, Hande Pussinen and Jone Vaarala, are no longer with us hence may they rest in peace. 

Insert from the Larmattacke repress (probably same as the original) and a band photo stolen from the band's discogs page. 

Interterror - Sublevacion LP

Label: Tonto Records; Year: 2001; Format: Vinyl LP

About time I do another entry as summer is dragging along and is soon coming to an end, which quite frankly I don't mind. For fans of international punk rock like myself I have a nugget in form of Interterror, a band that probably not too many out there will be familiar with and definitely deserving of wider recognition. It's a real shame I don't understand Spanish as the Sublevacion LP from 2001 comes with a 16-page booklet containing a lengthy interview with bassist Xavi Garcia, also known as "El Enano Infiltrado" (the infiltrated dwarf), the founding member of Valencia's punk rockers Interterror. So, in that sense I had to look elsewhere for information about the band as the info sheet in English that came with the LP is only about 500 words long. Through Discogs I was directed to a Spanish blog where one can find a pretty detailed band history, again in Spanish only (link at the end of this entry). I was under the impression that in this day and age it's easy to translate just about anything but apparently not until I eventually copied the text into an email enabling me to translate it through Google translator. Not that I am overly impressed with the translation but it is something and better than nothing. Interterror formed as early as 1980 but things didn't really starting to take shape until late in 1981 when Xavi was able to add Victor on drums, Guillermo on vocals and Miguel on guitar. The band recorded their 1st demo in 1982 containing four songs that would eventually be reissued a few years ago on Radikal 1977 Records. Side A on this LP contains the entire 1982 master tape which led to the release of Interterror's 12" back in 1985, a record that was quite well received in Spain at the time, well at least in punk circles. Side B on this LP contains the entire live set recorded at Club Zeleste in Barcelona on June 30th of 1983. This specific LP was made possible through the detective work of David at Tonto Records who after several years of searching was finally able to establish contact with Xavi. Through Xavi the band's producer Toni Pep Rodrigues Selles was brought into the fold as well and the archival work began leading eventually to this release back in 2001. If I am not mistaken this was the first reissue of Interterror's material so the subsequent reissues that have come out since then were most likely all the result of an increased interest in the band considering that this LP was also released in Mexico on CD. And in all fairness it should come as no surprise that after all those years Interterror is getting some international recognition for the songs they recorded decades ago. Did I tell you I love Spanish Punk? As with a lot of early '80s bands from Spain Interterror's sound can best be described as aggressive yet melodic straight forward punk rock carried by a singer full of conviction, a loud and dominant bass sound, and last but not least an irresistible guitar sound reminiscent of bands like Cockney Rejects, D.O.A or Argentina's Los Violadores. Tracks like "Problemas de estado" or "1984, el fin del mundo ya esta aqui" are just two examples why Interterror's songs should be heard by more people outside the Spanish speaking world. To be honest the live recording on the flip side isn't the greatest, but it's not bad either. More importantly it's of great historic value as the band rarely played outside of their hometown of Valencia and the band members themselves didn't even have a copy of the tape from back in the day. As is common these days Interterror's music can be found on several music platforms on the intranet, so do yourself a favor and discover this lost gem of a band from the golden era of punk rock. For all you vinyl freaks get your hands on anything you can find! Adios Lili Marleen!

Link to the band's history in Spanish: http://no80s-gruposnacionales.blogspot.com/2008/08/interterror.html

V/A - The End of an Era (The Best of Rot Records) 2-LP

Label: Rot Records; Year: 1988; Format: Vinyl 2-LP

Rot Records was started in late '83 by members of Mansfield band Riot Squad and my assumption is that first and foremost the goal was to release their own music as the first three Rot Releases were Riot Squad EP's, all classics in my opinion. The label went on to release an array of interesting and diverse releases from bands such as Paranoia (see blog entry for review of their LP), Resistance 77, Varukers, English Dogs etc.. In my opinion Rot Records sought out the bands that were maybe being ignored by labels such as No Future or Riot City but were equally good as the bands on said labels. In that sense Rot Records filled a gap and had quite a few of their releases played on Radio One, such as in the case of East London Act Animal Farm who were scheduled to support New Model Army on their tour only for it to be canceled last minute. The label was also in the right place at the right time to pick up the highly talented English Dogs and releasing their excellent "To The Ends Of The Earth" 12" but ultimately losing the band to Under One Flag Records. It is needless to say that Rot Records had a good run and released a slew of under appreciated minor indie hits, but by 1988 it was all over with and the label came to an end. I remember vividly that it was in that year when I picked up my copy of this 32 track Double LP at Jama Rico Records in Zurich, Switzerland. As you can see on the photo of the back cover I even marked which tracks I liked more or less, but that was in 1988 when I was first and foremost into faster hardcore punk stuff. Yesterday I sat down to listen to all four sides and loved each and every track leading me to the conclusion that Rot's catalogue has aged rather well. While thirty five years ago for the most part I enjoyed bands like Riot Squad, Varukers, Oi Polloi, Rattus et al yesterday I made a mental note to myself that I must dig deeper into the catalogues of bands such as Reality from East Anglia, Butcher from posh coastal town Bournemouth, Picture Frame Seduction, Cult Maniax as well as above mentioned Animal Farm. Said bands have all a unique style on their own and deserve more attention in the wider sense. The truth of the matter is that most of the Rot releases have become very collectible and expensive to buy but some of the material has been reissued. I am always shocked to see the prices on Discogs and for how much these records go for, it's pure insanity. I suppose that over the decades more and more people all over the world have caught up to these records pushing up prices. My guess is that many of you folks out there don't mind streaming music and I am pretty sure you can find this Double-LP online as I highly recommend it if you are not so familiar with Rot's catalogue. Whether you like UK82 punk, more melodic '77 punk inspired '80s punk rock or Metal influenced hardcore punk you'll find plenty of it on this collection. Last but not least I think Rot Records should be more in the conversation when recollecting early '80s UK punk history as they sure as hell released some forgotten gems. Cheers!

Schund - S/T LP

Label: Hoehnie Records; Year: 2003; Format: Vinyl LP

Fans of worldwide KBD Punk will most likely be familiar with Schund from Vienna, Austria, a band that existed for just a brief period of time and managed to self-release an EP in 1982, limited to just 500 copies. There weren't too many punk rock acts from Austria, and years ago I reviewed "Es Chaos is die Botschaft! on this blog, a great compilation of early Austrian punk and hardcore punk. Before I sat down to listen to this LP tonight I read a lengthy interview with Schund's singer Doris over the weekend and discovered some highly interesting facts about the band and the history of early '80s punk in Vienna (link to the interview in German at the end of this entry). I for instance didn't know that Doris was actually not from Vienna, but instead hailed from Braunschweig in Germany. Doris was into music at an early age and at some point heard about this new wild trend from England called punk rock. In 1979 she got to visit London through a chapter of the Youth Red Cross which organized a bus trip to England's capital. Doris really wanted to see punks in real life and through a funny coincidence at the hotel where she and her group were staying she met Kodak, a punk from Vienna who was also visiting London buying punk records and clothes to bring back to Austria. The two of them became eventually a couple and after Kodak had visited Doris in Braunschweig Doris picked up and left for Vienna after she finished school. Her and Kodak lived with his parents for a little while before finding a home at GaGa, an alternative centre on Vienna's Gassergasse 1, maybe comparable to Copenhagen's Christiana. There she met Bobby, Stefan and Harry who have been jamming for some time and were looking for a female singer. Doris was in their opinion perfect as she spoke high German without a Vienne's dialect.

Reproduction of 'Das Kleine Massenblatt', an independent Publication from Vienna. This particular issue deals with the history of GaGa. 

After having hooked up with the three guys at GaGa Schund was born and kicked off with full steam. Musically the band was influenced by Slime from Germany as per Doris but to be honest it is hard to define Schund's sound as it is definitely not '77 Punk but neither Hardcore Punk. Back in the early '80s, and especially in more remote scenes such as Vienna, bands still developed their own sound and in that sense I'd say Schund stood out to a degree but were unfortunately never able to record properly in a studio. The four songs off of their EP and six other songs that are on the "Studio-Side" on this LP were all recorded by Kodak in the band's rehearsal room and mixed at his home. While the sound quality is not great by any means there is a charm to these songs that one cannot resist. The lyrics are very typical for the time period and for bands from German speaking countries dealing with police oppression, weekend punks, beer & pogo and generally speaking shoving everything up the lame society's ass. The "Live-Side" is interesingly enough almost better than the Studio side with eight tracks having been recorded at the Popodrom in 1982 where Schund participated at a band contest. The story goes that during Schund's fifteen minutes of fame some chairs and table flew in their direction and that the soundman was freaking out wanting to stop the band immediately from playing. Apparently a lot of people did like their set and most likely also some of the excitement as the band came in 3rd place. If crude and raw early '80s punk is your thing you will love this record despite the somewhat rudimentary sound quality. The songs could have only have been recorded during a very intense and unique period in our history and Vienna is amongst the cities that have changed drastically since then. Schund are part of Vienna's cultural past as much as Falco in my opinion, hence do yourself a favor and track down a copy of this LP if you can. Es wurschtln es!

Interview with Doris in German Part 1: http://www.hoehnie-records.de/extra/schund/index.htm

Interview with Doris in German Part 2: http://www.hoehnie-records.de/extra/schund/index2.htm

Hated - 4 Song EP and Pressure/Stereotyped 7" Single Reissues

Label: Meat House Productions; Year: 2021; Format: 45RPM 7" EP

If you are like me and love the early Southern California sound of bands like T.S.O.L, Agent Orange, Adolescents, Shattered Faith et al then you are in for a treat with Hated who hailed from Huntington Beach and released three 7"s in the very early '80s. As it goes with those records they cost in the hundreds and are collector items and unfortunately not to be heard by the vast majority of us punk record nerds. Luckily Meat House Productions has finally made these gems available again for everyone to be able to buy for a few bucks and that's just what the world needed. I sure as hell have come across Hated, but whether it was this Hated or another one, I really don't recall. The band really doesn't get much mentioned in all the books and documentaries on Southern California punk history that are out there now while they really should be up there with the likes I name dropped earlier on. Originally released on the band's own Stress Records in 1982 the four songs are nothing short of superb and had they been produced better and especially louder the record would be even better as it already is. Angst-ridden vocals combined with the typical surf music influenced punk guitar sound of Southern California and an equally aggressive yet melodic bass and drum sound are all the ingredients a perfect record needs and they are to be found in abundance on all four songs. My personal favorite is "Enemy", but in all fairness I could pick any of them. Brilliant EP!

Label: Meat House Productions; Year: 2021; Format: 45RPM Single

I don't know which of these two records came out first in 1982 but just like the 4 Song EP this two song single containing 'Pressure' and 'Stereotyped' is an absolute scorcher. Interestingly across the front cover from left to right the letters read in German "ich kann ihn nicht leiden", meaning I cannot stand him. Who the band was referring to is unknown to me but considering Hated were part of the early '80s hardcore punk contingent from Huntington Beach I imagine they had lots of enemies in the general population by just looking somewhat different from the rest. Hard to think that these days just about anyone walking down the Huntington Beach pier looks somewhat punky, well slightly exaggerated but not that far off from the truth me thinks. In comparison to the 4 song EP the two songs on this single are better produced and while they are stylistically very similar I cannot help to hear a bit more of an Angry Samoans vibe in both songs. Maybe I should mention that bass player Chalmer Lumary went on to join Vandals and I am not one hundred percent sure whether another member, Joe Wood, is the same person that would go on to front the second incarnation of T.S.O.L and married Jack Grisham's sister. Maybe someone out there knows? Hopefully I can find a copy of the reissue of the band's first record from 1981 and from what I saw on the Hated official FB page a new record is to come out on Puke'N'Vomit as well. Unfortunately Hated's singer Steve Reehl aka Steve Real passed away last year, RIP. Get these reissues while they last!

Cuckoos Nest Poster and Live Shot stolen from the band's FB page.

V/A - Oi!....rare & exotica LP

Label: Teenage Rebel Records (Fun & Glory); Year: 1997; Format: Vinyl LP

I suppose it's Oi-week or something along those lines. Firstly, earlier in the week I listened to a German podcast with one of the members of the well-known band Loikaemie, and secondly I am actually going out tonight to see some Oi bands of which two are local Buffalo bands, and yes believe it or not Buffalo is starting to have somewhat of an Oi scene apparently. So in order to get myself in the mood I thought I listen to some Oi even though I don't have many records of said genre, but there are a few. The initial plan was to listen to both Volumes of Oi!...rare & exotica but to tell you the truth I can't remember ever seeing an LP packing more music onto one single piece of Vinyl than the first volume, hence I am sticking with just one. Also, I am actually not sure how this Compilation came about originally as I do recall ordering it from Germany at the time, and at the same time I also remember a friend of mine telling me that Ruediger of Teenage Rebel was behind it, but the record does not indicate such anywhere. I assume it was compiled and released by Ruediger, just not official. Regardless, there is a lot of great music to be found on here so in that sense I am glad I gave this one a spin today. In total there are twenty-two songs from equally as many countries clocking in at over fifty minutes on one LP, so make sure your fridge is well stocked with beer or whatever it is you fancy drinking. With the exception of very few acts such as Reich Orgasm from France, Kohu-63 from Finland or Zona A from Slovakia the bands contained on this record are definitely obscure and unknown, most likely even to some Die-Hard Oi freaks. Some of the stand-out tracks are by bands from South America, such as the excellent "Eternos Amigos" by Central Do Brasil (obviously from Brazil), the superb kick ass aggro contribution by Argentina's Comando Suicida with "Grito Proletario", "Lautaro Rocanrol" by Ocho Bolas from Chile or an outstanding cover version of Vice Squad's 'Last Rockers' by Antisociales from Mexico. Of course there are also standouts from Europe with Greece's Birthward '82 song being one of the best on the whole record (someone please reissue their EP from the '80s!). Stromberg Polka with "Hoffnung" were interestingly one of the earliest German Oi bands taking a strong stand against right wing attitudes, while Psychoterror from Estonia deliver a hit with "Let's Oi!". Not to forget are bands from really far away countries such as No Tag from New Zealand or Cockney Cocks from Japan. As you can see the list is long and there are only two to three songs that I think could have easily been left out, which would have helped with the sound quality I imagine which isn't bad though considering how much music was squeezed onto this. I've got to say that I am going to see if I can find some more recordings by certain bands on here as a quarter of a century after this was released lots has happened in terms of reissues by some of these really obscure acts. Stay tuned for Volume 2 down the road and keep it real! Oi!

V/A - I've Got An Attitude Problem EP

Label(s): BC Tapes & Records and Loony Tunes Records; Year: 1987; Format: 33RPM 7" EP

Back in 1987 the world seemed to be just absolutely fine. I was in the midst of discovering exciting and new sounds from around the world and bands as the ones found on this little EP ruled my little suburban world of Zurich, Switzerland. Beer, friends, gigs and thrashing in a park to the noises coming out of a cheap tape recorder was all that was needed to make me happy, that's how simple life was for a teenager like myself back then. Thirty six years later on another continent and feeling somewhat older I can still appreciate good old '80s Hardcore from Europe, which dominates this EP released as a collaboration between San Diego based BC Tapes & Records and UK label Loony Tunes Records. Seven bands from six different countries are represented and take you on a noisy ride with Side B being the winner for me. Sweden's Mob 47 actually provide two exclusive tracks for this release and as to be expected they deliver the goods in typical fashion. The real winner though are Quod Massacre from Beograd, Ex-Yugoslavia bringing you a really well crafted, melodic yet rough hardcore punk gem reminiscent of bands like HDQ or Frites Modern. Speaking of Holland Funeral Oration round off Side B with two ultra fast thrashers delivered with quality as good as Gouda cheese. Don't get me wrong, Side A is also good with Italian power horses Wretched and Raw Power pulling their weight while Boston's Psycho and UK's Satanic Malfunctions don't disappoint either. If you like myself grew up with these type of bands this will be very familiar territory for you, but should you not be as familiar with these bands pick this one up as it generally doesn't go anywhere near silly money and is a nice introduction to international '80s Hardcore Punk. 

Sperma - Zuri Punx Single and S/T 12" EP

Label: Another Swiss Label; Year: 1979; Format: 7" 45RPM Single

Some of you will know that Switzerland and in particular Zurich had a thriving and very active Punk scene back in the late '70s. As soon as the punk virus from London caught on in the land of cheese and chocolate bands and fanzines started to spring up, at first mainly in Zurich. Sperma started off as an idea in late '77 after The Clash played a gig in Zurich and then became reality in '78 as a strong bond between TNT and Sperma evolved into not just a friendship but also sharing of a practice space. Urs Steiger, the main force behind so much in the early days of Swiss Punk, started to not just manage Sperma but enabled them also to get into a studio which resulted in two sessions in March and May of 1979. Two of the March tracks ended up on the famous Zuri Punx/Bombs Single, which I have bought decades ago from an ex-Punk for little to nothing and who was happy it found a new home. The song Zuri Punx was featured on one of the first Boot Comp LPs highlighting KBD Punk from around the world, but don't ask me which one. It's a neat little song, but in my opinion much more enjoyable if you understand Schwizer Duetsch (Swiss German). The lyrics deal with the frustration of being stuck in a dead end job from Monday to Friday only to come alive Friday night and go see the local punk bands performing while dreaming of punk and anarchy. That dream doesn't last too long before it's Monday and the shit starts all over again. Probably my favorite Sperma song is the B-Side 'Bombs', an excellent upbeat bass driven cracker of a track sung in English. Should you not have this then get it, and no worries it's been reissued by the nice gentleman behind Static Shock in Berlin so you'll only have to spend the price of a beer. 

Photo of early Zurich Punx including Urs Steiger (No Fun Fanzine, Another Swiss Label), Sara (TNT), Sylvia (Mother's Ruin), Sperma etc - Source: Hot Love (Swiss Punk & Wave 1976-80); Book by Lurker Grand and many others

Label: Static Shock; Year: 2020; Format: 12" RMP EP

A long, long time ago I reviewed the three songs contained on this 12" as they are also to be found on the 1981 released "Rough Mixes from Switzerland" 10" released in Germany. And also a long time ago I was a happy owner of an original of this 12" but that's another story. Regardless I really wanted to have this one again as a 12" and the way it was originally released back in 1979 and Static Shock has done a wonderful job at doing just that including a nice little fanzine like booklet. Unlike the time I reviewed the above mentioned 10" tonight I really enjoyed listening to these three songs. If you are not too familiar with Sperma or early Swiss punk in general do know that Sperma were known for their great punky looks, but there were - at least in my opinion - musically tighter and better acts from Switzerland. Still, they certainly had their heart in the right place and recorded songs that are full of great humor and the spirit of '77. While Sperma's recorded material could be viewed as quite rudimentary, all of their early songs are nevertheless catchy and well produced three chord anthems. Sperma fizzled out by 1980 and released one more Single which is not even worth mentioning as it was an attempt to sound and look poppier and New Wave. I highly recommend getting these two European punk rock nuggets to get your appetite up for more cheese, chocolate and Swiss Punk. 

Sperma/Technycolor/Glueams Poster courtesy of "Hot Love" Swiss Punk & Wave 1976-1980 book by Lurker Grand and many others

Fuck-Ups - FU82 EP

Label: PukeN'Vomit; Year: 2023; Format: 33RPM 7" EP

About time this piece of wax has been reissued as it's only been forty years since this came out originally in 1982. According to everything I have read about the band's reputation S.F. Punks at the time were really split as to whether they liked or sincerely disliked the Fuck-Ups. In the Boulware/Tudor book "Gimme Something Better" about punk and hardcore in the Bay Area I remembered that a nice little chapter is dedicated to Bob Noxious and the Fuck-Ups which I happily revisited for this review. Back in the early '80s San Francisco and many other major cities in North America and beyond attracted young people for multiple reasons. The streets were filled with excitement, life was much cheaper than these days and one could squeeze out a living by scamming the government and pan handling during the day. The punk scenes absorbed some of those colorful characters and I mean that in a positive way. Dave Dictor of MDC claims in the above mentioned book that "The Biafra-Tim Yohannan world really didn't know what it was like to live that way." The song "White Boy" didn't sit well with the more educated and politically correct part of the S.F. punk scene and Dictor further explains; "Sometimes they have a racial attitude but it's not deep. It was like, you get jumped by people coming back from the soup kitchen or some girl gets threatened in an alley, and something get ingrained in you, this tough thing. The Food stamp workers weren't much more sympathetic - 'You're a white kid from the suburbs. Why don't you go home to your momma and finish your college and get a real job?' Dictor concludes "We had to deal with prejudice on that level". But no worries this entry is not going to end up being just about the circumstances of life on the streets in the Mission District of S.F at the time but also about the record itself. If you like your punk mean, nihilistic, pissed-off and obnoxious then this EP will definitely be up your alley. I personally love the record as amongst the six songs you'll find both, the fast and abrasive tracks as well as the slower and in a sense artier yet still very fucked up songs. It's hardcore punk the way it was meant to be and that is never a bad thing. The Fuck-Ups had three back up singers which went by the name of the Fuckettes. Two of them were originally from France and Leslie explains the main reason for becoming involved with the Fuck-Ups: "We grew up in a nice little house outside of Paris and went to a terrible nun school for 12 years. My parents uprooted us and moved us to the States when I was almost 18. We became the Fuckettes because the Fuck-Ups were playing the Sound of Music in the Tenderloin. You had to be 21 to get in the show, unless you were in the band. So we did backup vocals on one song." You may argue that some of the stuff the Fuck-Ups came up with went too far and isn't funny but so be it, punk was meant to piss people off and not to be taken so seriously. Grab a copy before you'll have to wait another forty freakin' years. 

Photo Source: 'Gimme Something Better' by Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor

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. 

Pohjasakka - Kidutusta Ja Pelkoa EP

Label: Finnish Hardcore Records; Year: 2022; Format: 12" 45 RPM EP

Pohjasakka hailed from the small town of Rauma on the West Coast of Finland and for all I know were active from 1983 - 1987. In all honesty they were a really unknown entity to me and I do like my hardcore punk from Suomi-Finland, that much is for sure and shall never change. Sami of the Finnish Hardcore label has made it his job to not just reissue rare recordings of long forgotten acts from the land of the thousand lakes, but to equally play an archival part in the restoration of tape releases in particular. Such is the case with this release as Pohjasakka entered the studio in January '86 to record these five tracks as a demo in the hope to release them later said year on vinyl, something that never came to fruition until 2022. Let me tell you one thing straight away, all five tracks are killer but the two sides vary a little bit in style and execution. The two tracks on Side A are my preferred ones as they are just simply perfect hardcore punk songs in the sense that they are nicely settled in between melodic and more straight forward aggressive and fast hardcore punk. Think of bands like Lama, Kohu-63, DOA, Toxic Reasons and such and you get the perfect picture for those two songs. On Side B the band raises the speed levels up by a notch but nonetheless the loud and carrying bass guitar and the equally aggressive drumming never veer out of control so that these three songs are probably best compared to the likes of Riistetyt or Bastards at their very best. Jari Mikkola of Aivoproteesi has done a wonderful job mastering the tape and giving these songs a new life thirty six years after its original release. Great record to have and so should you! 

AK-47 - The Badge Means You Suck LP

Label: Splattered Records; Year: 2022; Format: Vinyl LP

AK-47 from Houston, Texas are one of those bands that many of us into obscure worldwide punk rock must have discovered through a Killed By Death compilation LP. I don't recall when I heard "The Badge Means You Suck" for the first time but it certainly has been a good while hence the band has fallen off my punk radar until a well written 2021 Texas Monthly article about the band's history and their fascinating connection to police brutality and killings from the past and present subsequently revived my interest in the band (Link to article at the end of this entry). It's only fitting that just a few days ago I visited my local record shop and found a copy of the already hard to find official reissue of the band's material collected on a Full-Length. While the two songs from the originally in 1980 released 7" are the ones many of us are after on vinyl I must say that the remaining eight songs are just as intriguing and good. The true gems on this record are the six songs that the band recorded in 1981 and put up on bandcamp in 2021 as "Singularities". These six songs previously unreleased on vinyl highlight the development of the band after the demise of their original singer and are in my opinion worth every penny spent on this LP. With the addition of Penny Smith on vocal duties it is widely believed that the band really found its style and peaked during that time. Songs like "Isaacs Social Disease" or "Brain on a Pillow" to name just two of the six take the band in all kinds of musical directions without ever losing their Art-Punk roots. Mix angular post-punk with some hard rock and new wave and you get an idea as to how those six songs sound like, and trust me you will not be disappointed. Two more songs recorded actually in recent times are to be found on this wonderful record, with one of them - Trumpelstilstkin - being proof that these Texans haven't lost their art of social commentary in the modern day and age. Get a copy of this record while you can! 

Link to the Article in Texas Monthly:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/houston-punk-bands-protest-anthem-still-resonates-forty-years-after-release/

Deranged - Place Of Torment 12"

Label: Supreme Echo; Year: 2021; Format: 45RPM 12" Vinyl

Lately I've again opened my eyes and ears to Thrash Metal or Extreme Metal from the '80s after having ignored those genres for decades. Back in 85/86 like many bored teenagers stuck in suburban boredom I adored bands like Exodus, Possessed, Venom et al. but once my interest turned towards hardcore punk I lost interest in Metal all together and never looked back again. The other day I paid a visit to my favorite local underground record store and the nice proprietor behind the counter played Canada's Deranged while I was flipping through the racks filled with punk and hardcore records. Initially I wasn't too impressed but on my next visit to the store I asked for a copy as the songs kind of got stuck in my brain whether I liked it or not. Deranged hailed from Victoria, BC on Canada's West Coast and released two Demos in '88 and '89 respectively. "Place of Torment" was the second demo and now sees the light again in the form of this 12". The four songs have been remixed and mastered to the highest standard possible from the original demo and they sound absolutely bombastic as I for one would not have guessed that they were taken from a demo tape, which speaks for the band and their ambitions back in the day. As to be expected with releases from Supreme Echo much love has been poured into this release and a nice thick booklet containing an interview with the band members and old photos is included with this killer release. The songs themselves are quality Thrash/Death metal numbers reminiscent of acts like Kreator, Death or Sadus to name a few. I am no expert when it comes to '80s extreme metal but still have a good recollection of bands when I was into this sort of stuff all those decades back and highly recommend this release if no frills metal is your thing. 

V/A - Nightmare Vol, 1 EP

Label: Unknown (Unofficial Release); Year: 1997; Format: 33 RPM EP

In August of 1997 I visited Tokyo for two weeks and judging by the little flyer for Peace Punk distribution I am certain I had gotten this little introduction to Punk and Hardcore from the Philippines in Japan. Since not too long ago I reviewed the Chinese Punk Compilation EP I felt like I give this little platter a spin as it's been a while since I heard this the last time and I was in the mood to explore my horizon further when it comes to the history of hardcore punk from Asia. The Philippines should be considered as a highly intriguing and interesting place when it comes to hardcore punk due to the fact that a scene started to flourish there as early as 1981, that is according to two online sources with one of them being "A Short History of the Hardcore Punk Underground in the Philippines" on bandcamp which I can recommend if you just want to get your teeth into the subject matter. Provided this boot was released back in '97 before the internet exploded I would think that the EP really helped to spread the sound of hardcore punk from the Philippines to the point that over the years since the interest in bands from the small island must have spiked judging by some of the official reissues of bands contained on this EP. On Side A we get to hear two songs by Betrayed, initially started by four high school friends in Queens, NY in 1980, off of their originally in 1986 issued cassette on Twisted Red Cross, run by Tommy Tanchanco of Third World Chaos fame. Betrayed were equally influenced by US Hardcore and more traditional UK Punk as the two songs on this EP prove, including a great cover version of The Damned's "Love Song". On to R.D.A. with three fast and furious songs off of their 1987 cassette on Twisted Red Cross. Think of Stark Raving Mad or Impulse Manslaughter as an influence for R.D.A. while  I couldn't find any further info relating to them. On Side B we first get three songs by I.O.V. (Intoxication of Violence) which as the rest of Side B are definitely more in the UK82 vein in my opinion. Next up are Philippine Violators with just one song from their '87 cassette "At Large". Next to Third World Chaos they might very well be the best known band outside the Philippines, at least I seem to remember hearing about them over the years and the song is killer. Last but not least are Urban Bandits with one song from the originally in 1985 released "Independence Day" cassette, and in my opinion "Hoy" is the best track on this EP, just a brutally executed hardcore punk smasher that could have just as well come out of the UK, Brazil or Finland. If you find all of this interesting and would like to find out about all these bands and the diverse '80s hardcore punk scenes from the Philippines then the good news is that there are now more official reissues available with the bad news being that they are not exactly easily available outside the Philippines. I will need to dig deeper as this EP is for the most part really great and got me hungry for more. 

SPS - Jsme V Hajzlu LP

Label: Globus International; Year: 1992; Format: Vinyl LP

SPS stands for Snizena Pracovni Schopnost which in English would translate into Diminished Work Ability and the band started out in 1988 in Prague, at the time the capital of Czechoslovakia. The band consisting of three members recorded their first demo in 1989 but it wasn't until 1992 and the years after the fall of communism in former Czechoslovakia for the band to be able to release their first LP on Globus International, one of the very early independent record labels started in Prague. In the early '90s SPS also briefly featured in the British Channel 4 documentary "Punks In Prague" highlighting the increased shift of young people who were punks under communism and drifted to the right after the fall of communism. The documentary can be found on youtube and is an interesting watch if you are curious to learn about international punk scenes you might not be knowledgeable about. But on to the music on "Jsme V Hajzlu" which would translate to "We're deep in shit". One of the main reasons I do this blog is to sit down and actually listen to my records and to top it off I try to find information pertaining to the band and other musically historical facts. SPS are still going strong to this day with guitarist/singer Zdenek the only remaining original member left, and as a matter of fact they are currently playing shows in the Czech Republic in celebration of the 30th anniversary of this album, which in my opinion is one hell of a great record. If you like your punk being played straight forward with lots of drive, a heavy bass and a good production then you really need to seek out this album. There is not a single weak song to be found on this platter and while I sat in the recliner enjoying this record I tried to pin down the influences the band used to come up with the sound and the songs for this LP and I couldn't help thinking of One Way System from the UK, good German 80s punk like Canalterror or Bluttat or French bands from the Chaos En France era. What you get is really outstanding old school punk that will have you raise your fist and sing along no matter whether you speak Czech or not. According to the SPS website the album sold over thirty thousand copies when it came out highlighting how popular punk rock was for young people in the early post-communism years. Punk on! 

Early photo of Zdenek, founding member and only remaining original member left in the current line-up. Source: Official SPS Facebook page.