LINKS UPDATED

Just a quick note to let you all know that every link has been updated. Thanks for all your kind words and the continued support. Wishing you lots of fun new discoveries in the upcoming year!
Best, Noi

BLACK CAT BONE - I Want To Be You

Boston's BLACK CAT BONE, featuring influential Denver musical artist JERI ROSSI, create a video for I Want To Be You originally recorded by her now classic Denver group YOUR FUNERAL. Next stop for Jerri was New Orleans where she scribed several novels under the name Jeri Cain Rossi."

VA – Let’s Die (LP 1985)

If it’s deathrock you want, it’s deathrock you’ll get with this gruesomely attractive compilation from cult label Mystic Records fittingly titled Let’s Die. Now if you’re from the mindset that there’s a single mold from which all deathrock springs you might find yourself a bit lost trekking through these nineteen tracks. For that matter, even though most of these bands hail from the same SoCal region that spawned original deathrockers Christian Death - which is the sole band I measure anything tagged “deathrock” against, nothing here sounds much like Christian Death at all. That said… what shall one expect from this fairly obscure, lesser-known collection of cheerless rock songs? Well, really there’s quite a bit to discover - from goth to glam, hardcore to metal, punk to postpunk… it’s a great listen for anyone who likes to dabble in a mishmash of musical styles, all the while maintaining that certain sense of darkness that’s come to be one of the main identifiable characteristics of all things "deathrock." Let's Die is a lost cult classic!

Standout tracks include: “Inside” by False Confession - heavy goth rock with dark cascading organ, menacing guitar, and vocals reminiscent of Peter Murphy; “Hellhouse” by A.W.O.L – punishing, metallic gloom punk similar to some of DI’s output; “Let’s Die” by Patrick Mata – dreary, yet funky, postpunk pow wow; “Darkest Dream” by Party Doll – melodic female-fronted goth punk, like Leningrad Sandwich flirting with Super Heroines; “Kill the Dead” by Slaughterhouse 5 – loud bass-thumping trashy horror punk; “Hives” by Burning Image – like the DEVO of deathrock, essential; “Bad Brains” by The Drab – sizzling slow-mo gloom punk. Track to avoid: “Day of the Jackal” by The Stain – reminds me of NWOBHM… and I like NWOBHM, but this is just painful.

VA – Let’s Die (LP 1985)

1. False Confession - Inside
2. Subterfuge - The Noose
3. A.W.O.L. – Hellhouse
4. Patrick Mata - Let's Die
5. Thieves Cross - Slaughter Hotel
6. Party Doll - Darkest Dream
7. The White Pigs - When Bobby Comes Back from the Grave
8. The Mess - Innocent Me
9. Ill Repute - In the Night
10. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kill the Dead
11. Burning Image – Hives
12. The Drab - Bad Brains
13. Silver Chalice – Suicide
14. Samson's Army - The Edge
15. The Stain - Day of the Jackal
16. Flower Leperds – Necrology

DOT #17

FUNERAL - Self-titled (12" EP 1981)

If you’re a collector of oldschool West Coast punk, chances are that this band is somewhere on your ever-growing wantlist. And if you enjoy high-energy, all-American punk, but have yet to hear of them, you might want to take note... Funeral are a legendary punk band from Long Beach, California featuring future/former members of the Rik L Rik band, Weirdos, and Tex and the Horseheads. The band was active during the early eighties, and, with two EPs under their belt, could be considered an integral piece of the jigsaw puzzle that has since been tagged “So Cal punk”. Members included Mike Martt - guitar/vocals (Tex and the Horseheads), Matt Dorsett - guitar, John Neff - bass, and David Thum (aka Rick Vodka, Tex and the Horseheads) - drums. Their style might be best described as straight ahead punk ‘n’ roll, with earlier material having a gritty hardcore tone, and later material maintaining a more traditional approach with just a bit of a punk pop tilt.

In 1981 the band released two recordings, the first being a 3-song 7-inch EP often called Waiting For The Bomb Blast (named after the single’s A-side), followed by a 5-song self-titled 12-inch EP. Out of the two recordings available, their second, which is where the band truly demonstrate a sound all their own, is wholeheartedly my favorite. Injected with a humble dose of working-class oomph, songs like “Ant Trap”, “Will To Live” and “Bloody Hands” convincingly embody the fighting spirit of punk all the while serving up a tasty helping of apple-pie virtues. Mike’s raspy, soulful voice does a powerful job in delivering line after line in short clean blasts; and the band’s playing is spot-on with great leads, sturdy melodies, and lots of sing-a-long choruses. It's a recipe that could rouse some serious fist pumping action from the timidest of listeners. But let me warn now, there’s one track that stands out from all the rest… and its aim is to extinguish your life. “Darkness On Your Doorstep” is a doom punk gem. Yeah, that’s right… DOOM PUNK. There’s simply no other way to put it! Uber creepy and crawly, it's slow, crushing pace and deathly lyrics could easily give Sabbath, the godfathers of all things doom, a run for their sweet green money. Sure is a pity the band didn’t explore this direction a little further... however, this one track alone is reason enough to investigate all things Funeral. Enjoy!

FUNERAL - Self-titled (12" EP 1980)

1. Ant Trap
2. Will To Live
3. Outer Edge
4. Darkness On Your Doorstep
5. Bloody Hands

DOT #16

FYI... Bomp Records have since released a collection of Funeral tunes, including both the aforementioned releases as well as live and unreleased studio material… you can get that here.

MURDER THE DISTURBED - Genetic Disruption (7" EP 1979)

If you haven’t already taken note, you should know that my favorite bands are usually those that fall somewhere between the lines – whether too abrasive to be goth, too avant-garde to be punk, or just too “too” to be classified at all – these are the bands that peak my interest and motivate me to share my findings by way of this here blog. With my primary focus being postpunk, I try to select projects that allow me to indulge my fascination with all things… let me see… how did that Christian woman from Wife Swap say it? Ahhhhh yes... darrrrrrk-sided. *lifts an evil eyebrow*

So,what does that have to do with Murder The Disturbed, you ask? Well, aside from the band’s barbaric name and dreary tunes… a whole lot. Indirectly speaking anyway. Here’s a little trivia for you… Murder The Disturbed were signed to the short-lived, London-based Small Wonder Records. This is the very same label that released the debut singles, and in effect launched the careers, of some of indie music’s most legendary acts – a list that includes genre-defining artists such as Bauhaus, The Cure, and Crass, as well as lesser known artists like Patrik Fitzgerald, Cravats, Demon Preacher, and Poison Girls. Interesting enough?

Stylistically, Murder The Disturbed fit in quite well on Small Wonder’s roster. 1979’s Genetic Disruption is as worthy a debut as any – chalked full of moody minimalistic postpunk, it has a sound so primitive you might be tricked into thinking that the band were actually some obscure krautrock sensation dowsed in proto-punk voodoo. Good stuffs.

MURDER THE DISTURBED - Genetic Disruption (7" EP 1979)

1. DNA
2. Walking Corpses
3. The Ultimate System

DOT #15

Also... there's a compilation available from Cherry Red featuring the track Walking Corpses. (You'll need to scroll down a bit to find it.)

THE FREEZE – In Colour (EP 1979)

Many of us know Gordon Sharp as the man (or woman?) behind the nightmarishly atmospheric band Cindytalk. Many of us also know him for his sublime vocal performance on This Mortal Coil’s masterful debut LP “It’ll End In Tears.” But, what many of us do not know is that shortly before these two stunning achievements Gordon fronted another band, a band fixed in UK’s booming punk movement, with a reputation for being refreshingly unpredictable and cleverly daring, this band was four-piece unit called The Freeze.


The Freeze formed in 1976 and initially consisted of Gordon Sharp (vocals), David Clancy (guitar), Keith Grant (bass), and Graeme Radin (drums). (Later line-ups would see the addition of a guitarist/saxophonist/clarinetist Tony Wallis, alternate drummer/keyboardist Neil Braidwood and alternate bassist Mike Moran.) The band was active from 1976 to 1982, gigging continuously throughout their homeland of Scotland, and supporting a wide range of acts, from the likes of Sham 69 to Echo & The Bunnymen. On stage they were quite the lively bunch - with an unusually diverse spectrum of sound, glam-punk gender-bending theatrics, and a knack for random song improvisation - it was a package that often left onlookers enthusiastically scratching their heads in astonishment.

The group had two official releases – 1979’s debut 7-inch EP In Colour, and 1980’s 7-inch single Celebration, both of which were self-financed on their own A1 label. And although The Freeze would prove that they undoubtedly had both the musical talent and vision needed to propel their name into the greater new wave market, it was their eclectic and unpredictable nature that ultimately barred them from capturing proper label interest. Not to say their wasn't any interested… John Peel noticed the band and in late 1980 invited them to do their first BBC radio session, followed by another session in 1981, both of which have yet to see any official release. By 1982 Gordon had become increasingly dissatisfied with the confines of the band’s musical format, wishing to instead give focus to more experimental song structures, a desire which eventually lead him to forge a new union with fellow core-member David Clancy, move to London and change the band’s name to Cindytalk.

“mostly, i loved being in the freeze. everybody pulled their weight and we all complimented each other. i preferred the classic line-up of course (clancy, grant, radin, sharp) but neil braidwood and mike moran were excellent too. personally i'd have been happier if we'd collectively been a bit more into the edgier punk and post punk music of the time, ultimately that was what forced me to rip it up and start again with cindytalk BUT i loved the freeze and have no real regrets with it all. including walking away from duran duran, well, especially that...” –Gordon Sharp

So here it is, two parts prickly pop punk and one part foreboding postpunk, The Freeze’s crucial debut 3-track EP In Colour. Upon pressing play we are immediately thrust into the youthful power rocker “Paranoia”, which, with its aggressive yet rhythmic framework and snotty vocals, bares a certain resemblance to material by politic punksters like Cult Maniax. This is followed up by “For JPS” which has a similar style and pace, albeit more playful, with stop n’ go progression and an arsenal of bouncy guitar chords to lighten the mood. The third and final track “Pychodalek Nightmares” is my favorite of the bunch. At nearly 6 minutes long, reverberating guitar sizzles to life as Gordon reasons with paranoid illusions in a New Romantic vocal style while distant cries of a lone violin serenade the mood into a deep, peaceful freeze.

THE FREEZE – In Colour (EP 1979)

1. Paranoia
2. For JPS
3. Psychodalek Nightmares

DOT #14

Unfortunately, I've been unable to find a copy of the band's second release. Any hands?

Update

*wipes himself clean of dirt and debris*

So... I've finally climbed free of the deep, dark orifice that swallowed me up a couple months back. Surprised? Admit it... you thought I was a total and complete flake! You believed that I had more ambition than integrity; and you were well on your way to lumping my blog in with dead blogs past. Well, I'm here to say, stop being so damn pessimistic you pessimist you! I have more for you. And you'll like it I promise. So in the great words of Annie Warbucks, tomorrow, tomorrow... I love you tomorrow... it's only a day away!
(i think i just slobbered on myself.)

Oh, and for those who requested, I've updated all my links! *smiles with big tEEth*

JERI ROSSI - I Left My Heart But I Don't Know Where (7" 1983)

If you enjoyed the Your Funeral single posted a couple months back you’re in for a exceptional treat because next up is the one and only, powerfully haunting solo recording from none other than Your Funeral vocalist/guitarist Ms. Jeri Rossi!

Recorded in 1983, this single has two tracks total, the A-side being an original song written by Jeri herself, and the flip a boldly feminized cover of the James Brown song It’s A Mans Mans Mans World. Both songs share the same spirit found in Jeri’s previous work, but the approach here is a little different, more poetic perhaps, with word and instrumentation woozily tangled together in a cacophony of mismanaged passion. For myself, the first track, I Left My Heart But I Don’t Know Where, is the easy winner of the two… a dense, dark, rhythmically bubbling brew of loud, confusing, disagreeable sounds recklessly spiked with Jeri’s wrathful tongue... within seconds the song’s contagious mood had me piled in goose-bumps and curling my upper lip in accordance. Highly recommended for fans of angry women like Lydia Lunch, Jarboe, and Bikini Kill.

I Left My Heart But I Don’t Know Where

I left my heart but I don’t know where
it’s beating on someone’s stairs
or in a dumpster where he tossed it
I wish someday to come across it…

I feel so hollow, made of tin
fingers quiver, chest sunk in
the question that comes to mind
“Why a heart is hard to find?”

Feel like a bullet in someone’s gun
he pulls the trigger, then he runs
into the banquet, pain and thunder
I’d rather be SIX FEET UNDER!

I left my heart but I don’t know where
I left my heart but I don’t know where
I left my heart but I don’t know where
I LEFT MY HEART BUT I DON’T KNOW WHERE!

JERI ROSSI - I Left My Heart But I Don't Know Where (7" 1983)

1. I Left My Heart But I Don't Know Where
2. It's a Mans Mans Mans World

DOT #13

COÏTUS INT. - Self-titled (LP, 1982)

At first glance, I recognized Coïtus Int. as a kind of ordinary, copy and paste postpunk band with nothing new or special to offer. But after further, more focused listens, I discovered that there was a greater level of artistic integrity in effect here than first realized. Like Joy Division, the base of Coitus Int.’s music is sparsely structured - featuring bass as the lead melodic instrument, jagged guitar and baritone vocals. But, it is the band’s special attention to song ornamentation that saves them from being written off as yet another JD clone, instead morphing the unit into something that approaches a stripped down, dirge-obsessed version of Bauhaus, sans the glam antics and glossy finish.

Released in 1982, Coïtus Int.’s self-titled LP is dark, depressive postpunk perfection. It’s soooo good in fact that the more I listen to it the more I want to hear it! From the low, opening rumble of the hardcore in slow-motion “Birds” to the dreary spaced-out feedback of closing track “Tourist Ghetto”, there’s just so much to savor. It’s one of those albums that’s best explored alone and without interruption as the music and voice carry the listener through the emotions of alienation and self-preservation. The vocalist takes a deep bellowing approach to his lyrics, which are never sung, but instead lazily uttered in slur - a style that matches the instrumentation well and helps to maintain the raw, depressive atmosphere. The song structures are solid and varied, with lots of playful guitar leads that bounce in and out, often building up to a nice, climatic end. Think Southern Death Cult, Joy Division, Bauhaus and you’re on the right track. The band even managed to put together an instrumental dance track… one that actually doesn’t sound like it’s missing its lyrics! And I really can’t emphasize that enough because I usually need lyrics, or at least a chorus, to keep my interest. But not here, no ma’m… I just want to dance! So do yourself a favor and check this album out… I promise you won’t be disappointed.

COÏTUS INT. - Self-titled (LP, 1982)

1. Birds
2. To Avoid The Pressure
3. The Threat
4. Shrill Screams
5. My Ideal Man
6. At The Edge Of Triumph
7. The Connection Is Obvious
8. Cat-like Movements
9. Tourist Ghetto

DOT #12

LUDDITES - The Strength Of Your Cry (EP, 1983)LUDDITES - Altered States (7-inch, 1984)

Oddly, aside from Das Kabinette, all of the bands I’ve reviewed thus far have been from the North American continent. The reason I think this odd is because an awful lot, if not the majority, of the music I listen to actually originates in Europe, and to be more specific, the United Kingdom most repeatedly. So, out of proper respect for my collection I thought it high time to grab something that just screamed British, and for this I have chosen two 45s from the not so prim and proper English band called Luddites.

Luddites’ 1983 debut EP, “The Strength of Your Cry”, shows us an enthusiastic young band successfully utilizing a wide range of familiar Brit-punk stylings from poppy postpunk to barbaric anarcho-punk to edgy goth. It’s an interesting listen for sure, being loose and dancey one moment, and then tense and chilly the next, but I can’t help but to feel slightly let down by the EP’s lack of direction or personal style. I mean I was entering one of the songs into a playlist the other day and almost found myself spelling the band’s name out J-o-y D-i-v…… ACKKK!

But wait… it would be completely absurd to judge a band on one release alone (unless they only have one release of course), so let us take a moment to soak in Luddites’ second release titled “Altered States” which is a convincing testament to the band’s true emerging spirit. With only one year of growth the band have decidedly tossed aside their hardcore leanings and chosen to give focus to the cold, gothic-tinged postpunk they had touched on earlier. Sounding like a fit of anger drowning in a pool of fresh tears, the two songs offered here will awaken inner sadness and stir up once calm nerves. And although the Joy Division influence is still apparent (is this a bad thing?), the band’s skill level has noticeably improved providing a denser, more complex listening experience and a greater understanding of just where these guys hoped to go. Too bad “Altered States” would be the band's final epitaph.

DOT #11