Devo - Something for everybody (2010)

Style: Post Punk, New Wave.
Similar Artists: Thomas Dolby, Soft Cell.
Recording year: Warner Bros, 2010.

Coming in way above their previous effort, 1990’s Smooth Noodle Maps, Something for Everybody is the album Devo's fans had craved for 28 long years, or maybe 29, if you fall on the sour side of the iffy Oh, No! It's Devo. The synthetic, compressed, and punchy production -- courtesy of producer and Bird & the Bee member Greg Kurstin -- is a modern take on the sound of 1981’s New Traditionalists, and if you judge by hooks, this is right in line with their 1980 breakthrough, Freedom of Choice, although there’s certainly no “Whip It”-sized megahit here. Instead, there’s the opening “Fresh!” a herky-jerky, infectious number with lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh stuttering as if he just created New Wave’s “My Generation.” The wicked highlight “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” (“They’ll hunt you down/And tase you bro/For playing with the rules”) is the album’s other key track, thanks to Mothersbaugh’s perfect framing of de-evolution’s give (hybrid cars) and take, take, take (Beltway snipers, overzealous cops, etc.). Both highlights are co-produced by Santigold who, like Kurstin, checks her ego at the door, allowing the five spud boys to sound like a functioning band. The twangy guitars of Bob 1 are perfectly balanced with the synths and electronic percussion from new member Josh Freese, while Mothersbaugh’s ironic downers are complemented by co-frontman Jerry Casale’s more snide and silly songs, and the two attempts to re-create the sarcastic grandeur of their masterpiece “Beautiful World” -- with “Later Is Now” and “No Place Like Home” -- come pretty darn close. While some will complain that the satirical social commentary just isn’t as razor-sharp, and that the wild, primal nerdiness of their first two efforts is long gone, the purposeful Something for Everybody is proudly not a nostalgia trip and is, instead, filled with age-appropriate subversion, right up to its ironic title. "Something for Veteran Fans" is more like it with "Something Surprisingly Vital" being an even better choice.

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Joy Division - Best Of

Genere: Rock/Pop.
Style: Post Punk, Indie, Alternative.
Similar artists: Public Image Ltd, Bauhaus, Throbbing Gistle
Recording year : Rhino, 2008.

Formed in the wake of the punk explosion in England, Joy Division became the first band in the post-punk movement by later emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression, pointing ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the '80s. Though the group's raw initial sides fit the bill for any punk band, Joy Division later incorporated synthesizers (taboo in the low-tech world of '70s punk) and more haunting melodies, emphasized by the isolated, tortured lyrics of its lead vocalist, Ian Curtis. While the British punk movement shocked the world during the late '70s, Joy Division's quiet storm of musical restraint and emotive power proved to be just as important to independent music in the 1980s.

The band was founded in early 1977, soon after the Sex Pistols had made their first appearance in Manchester. Guitarist Bernard Albrecht (b. Bernard Dicken, January 4, 1956) and bassist Peter Hook (b. February 13, 1956) had met while at the show and later formed a band called the Stiff Kittens; after placing an ad through a Manchester record store, they added vocalist Ian Curtis (b. July 15, 1956) and drummer Steve Brotherdale. Renamed Warsaw (from David Bowie's "Warszawa"), the band made its live debut the following May, supporting the Buzzcocks and Penetration at Manchester's Electric Circus. After the recording of several demos, Brotherdale quit the group in August 1977, prompting the hire of Stephen Morris (b. October 28, 1957). A name change to Joy Division in late 1977 -- necessitated by the punk band Warsaw Pakt -- was inspired by Karol Cetinsky's World War II novel The House of Dolls. (In the book, the term "joy division" was used as slang for concentration camp units wherein female inmates were forced to prostitute themselves for the enjoyment of Nazi soldiers.)

Playing frequently in the north country during early 1978, the quartet gained the respect of several influential figures: Rob Gretton, a Manchester club DJ who became the group's manager; Tony Wilson, a TV/print journalist and owner of the Factory Records label; and Derek Branwood, a record executive with RCA Northwest, who recorded sessions in May 1978, for what was planned to be Joy Division's self-titled debut LP. Though several songs bounded with punk energy, the rest of the album showed at an early age the band's later trademarks: Curtis' themes of post-industrial restlessness and emotional despair, Hook's droning bass lines, and the jagged guitar riffs of Albrecht.

The Best of Joy Division is a 14-track, 55-minute grab bag of scattered tracks from the band's discography. It is impossible to call these the best, or even the highlights, when the band recorded no obvious lowlights and (only in a relative sense) a handful of midlights. Not including alternate mixes or demos that have floated out in various forms, Joy Division recorded short of 50 songs, none of which would be completely unjustifiable on a single-disc summary. Beyond the no-brainers "Love Will Tear Us Apart," "She's Lost Control," "Transmission," and "Atmosphere," the program doesn't lean in any one direction, pulling fairly evenly from the two proper albums while offering seven tracks that were compiled originally for Substance. It is kind of strange, however, that the somewhat slight instrumental "Incubation" was chosen over "Atrocity Exhibition" and "A Means to an End," and that there is nothing from An Ideal for Living (the band's first release, a four-track EP), especially when there were 25 minutes of available space on the disc. While this is one of many ways to become acquainted with a body of work that adds up to some of the most tense, precise, and powerful rock music made, the best solution is to get as much as possible at once and submit.

During late 1979, Joy Division's manic live show gained many converts, partly due to rumors of Curtis' ill health. An epilepsy sufferer, he was prone to breakdowns and seizures while on stage -- it soon grew difficult to distinguish the fits from his usual on-stage jerkiness and manic behavior. As the live dates continued and the new decade approached, Curtis grew weaker and more prone to seizures. After a short rest over the Christmas holiday, Joy Division embarked on a European tour during January, though several dates were cancelled because of Curtis. The group began recording its second LP after the tour ended (again with Hannett), and released "Love Will Tear Us Apart" in April. The single was again praised but failed to move beyond the independent charts. After one gig in early May, the members of Joy Division were given two weeks of rest before beginning the group's first U.S. tour. Two days before the scheduled flight, however, Curtis was found dead in his home, the victim of a self-inflicted hanging.

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PIL - Commercial Zone (Limited Edition)

Genere: Pop/Rock.

Style: Post Punk, Alternative, Noise Rock.

Similar artists: Dif Juz, Joy Division, Virgin Prunes.

Recording year: PIL, 1984.

Public Image Ltd. (PiL) were originally a quartet led by singer John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten, born January 31, 1956) and guitarist Keith Levene, who had been a member of the Clash in one of its early lineups. The band was filled out by bassist Jah Wobble (John Wordle) and drummer Jim Walker. It was formed in the wake of the 1978 breakup of Lydon's former group, the Sex Pistols. For the most part, it devoted itself to droning, slow-tempo, bass-heavy noise rock, overlaid by Lydon's distinctive, vituperative rant. The group's debut single, "Public Image," was more of an uptempo pop/rock song, however, and it hit the U.K. Top Ten upon its release in October 1978. The group itself debuted on Christmas Day, shortly after the release of its first album, Public Image. Neither the single nor the album was released in the U.S.

Commercial Zone was the album Public Image Limited were finishing when Keith Levene left the group. John Lydon's new lineup of PiL later returned to the studio and rerecorded several of the tracks here on This Is What You Want...This Is what You Get, replacing two songs with newer material. Meanwhile, Levene was basically left to press Commercial Zone himself. The two albums are strikingly different. While This Is What You Want is more produced, with eccentric horn arrangements and pseudo-ethnic drumming, Commercial Zone is Spartan by comparison, with more of a focus on straight-forward guitar work than on previous PiL albums. The two songs not available on This Is What You Want, "Bad Night" and "Blue Water," are not of much consequence, while much of the other material here sounds half-realized, especially in the vocal department. Only "The Slab," the original version of "The Order of Death," offers something as musically rewarding as on This Is What You Want. However tempting it is to laud Commercial Zone for Levene's sake, like many lost albums it just doesn't live up to its reputation.

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Gang Of Four - Peel Sessions

Genere: Rock/Pop.

Style: Post Punk, New Wave.

Similar Artists: The Clash, Band Of Susans, Scritti Politti.

Recording Year: Dutch East India Trading, 1990.

In later years, some bandmembers claimed that the best Gang of Four album of all was, in fact, this collection of three separate sessions from 1979 and 1981. It's little surprise why -- recorded with brisk, blunt immediacy, Peel Sessions is both a showcase for the band's sheer power and amazing transformation of funk and punk for its own virulent ends, with all three sessions featuring the full original lineup. Good production from Bob Sargeant, who produced all tracks except the last three, helps immensely, while there's no track repetition at all. A gripping version of "I Found That Essence Rare" begins the collection, Andy Gill's guitar slashing like a vicious weapon and Jon King's vocals getting even more wired and intense as the song continues. As for the Dave Allen/Hugo Burnham rhythm section, it sounds like it could beat down walls. From there, Peel Sessions serves up one highlight after another. Also from the first session, "Return the Gift" builds to a powerful climax, King's plaintive call "Please send me evenings and weekends" echoing into the distance, while "At Home's He's a Tourist" is stripped-down aggression at its finest. On the second session, "Natural's Not in It" is the standout, featuring some of Burnham's best drumming ever, while Gill's clipped riff gets a deservedly strong performance. King's singing sends everything over the top, while his work on "Ether" is equally strong, balanced between collapsing quaver, simmering outrage, and smooth passion (consider his delivery of the final "white noise in a white room" in the midsong break). His occasional melodica, as heard on "Not Great Men," adds to the performances nicely. As for the last session, the murky, dislocated performance of "History's Bunk" makes for a fascinating, weird listen, while "To Hell With Poverty" tops things off with some brutal disco.

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X Mal Deutschland - Tocsin

Genere: Pop/Rock

Style: Post Punk, Darkwave.

Similar Artists: Last Dance, A Split Second, Siouxsie and The Banshees.

Original Recording Year: Nesak International, 1984.

Sounding like howling witches burning at the stake, the ghoulish shrieks of Xmal Deutschland's 1982 debut single "Incubus Succubus" immediately won the approval of goth rock connoisseurs. The German band wasn't able to maintain its black-clad sound, selling out to pop before the inevitable breakup, but Xmal Deutschland competed with Siouxsie & the Banshees for goth royalty. Xmal Deutschland was formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1980 by Anja Huwe (vocals), Manuela Rickers (guitar), Rita Simon (bass), Fiona Sangster (keyboards), and Caro May (drums). Originally an all-girl lineup, Xmal Deutschland added a male when Simon was replaced by bassist Wolfgang Ellerbrock.

In November 1982, Xmal Deutschland opened for Cocteau Twins in England, and the group caught the attention of the Twins' label, 4AD Records. The band was signed to the label and released their first LP, Fetisch, a year later. Fetisch hit number three on the U.K. independent charts. Xmal Deutschland headlined a U.K. tour in 1983 and recorded a live session for renowned British DJ John Peel. Percussionist Manuela Zwingman quit the group, and Peter Bellendir became the band's new drummer. The similarly gloomy Tocsin followed in 1984. On 1987's Viva, Xmal Deutschland hit their creative peak, puncturing their doom rock sound with the eerie hooks of "Matador" and "Sickle Moon." However, Xmal Deutschland's Halloween days were over by 1989's Devils. Despite its ominous title, the group cheered up, dropped the German lyrics for English, and lost all of their credibility. They disbanded soon thereafter.

Xmal Deutschland's second full-length album is a creative high point, a Teutonic marriage of Siouxsie & the Banshees' inviting Goth-pop and the majestic sonic spaces of the Cocteau Twins. Less offputtingly bleak than the quartet's earlier records, but without the unfortunate candy coating of the albums that followed, these 11 songs are precariously balanced between neo-psychedelic pop in the traditional 4AD style — the opening "Mondlicht" would not sound out of place on a TMC album — and the more aggressive, artsy sound of their first EPs. The former is clearly winning; "Incubus Succubus II," a much glossier remake of the song that first garnered U.K. attention for the group, features a less tortured (but still German-language) vocal from Anja Huwe over a smooth, throbbing pulse that trades in the spiky scrappiness of the original for a clean, but not antiseptic thrust. The clash of styles actually works quite well, giving Tocsin a palpable creative tension that adds a frisson of intensity to what might otherwise be just another collection of Goth-pop tunes.

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Virgin Prunes - Heresie

Genere: Rock / Pop

Style: Post Punk, New Wave, Alternative.

Similar Artists: Fad Gadget, PIL, Bauhaus.

Original Recording Year: Mute, 1982.

One of the more adventurous and avant-garde acts to rise out of the punk era, the Virgin Prunes formed in Dublin, Ireland in mid-1977. The group was led by the theatrical singer/songwriter Gavin Friday (born Fionan Hanvey in 1959), who as a teen fell in with a group of like-minded individuals who dubbed themselves the Lypton Village. While some of the social club's members, including a pair of youths named Paul Hewson and David Evans -- later known as Bono and the Edge -- went on to form the superstar group U2, the remaining members founded the less-commercial Virgin Prunes, taking their name from the local slang for so-called "outsiders" and "freaks," a recurring lyrical theme.

Originally comprised of Friday, vocalists Guggi (born Derek Rowen) and Dave-id (David Watson), bassist Strongman (Trevor Rowen), drummer Pod (Anthony Murphy) and guitarist Dik (Richard Evans, the Edge's brother), the Virgin Prunes baffled audiences at their outrageous first concerts, which borrowed more from the approach of performance art than the traditions of rock music. After gaining a cult audience, they issued their first single, the independently-produced "Twenty Tens," which earned them a deal with the Rough Trade label. After the departure of Pod (replaced by Haa Lacka Binttii), the Virgin Prunes released A Different Kind of Beauty, a sprawling, ambitious project made up of four interlocking chapters, released separately on the seven-inch, ten-inch, 12-inch and cassette formats.

Mary D'Nellon took over the drumming chores in time to record 1982's ...If I Die, I Die, a difficult work produced by Wire's Colin Newman which was released simultaneously with the box set Heresie, a performance-art piece which mixed studio and live recordings. In 1984 both Guggi and Dik, disenchanted with the music business, left the Virgin Prunes, prompting D'Nellon to take up the guitar and allowing Pod to return to the fold. The band then set about recording the album Sons Find Devils, which went unreleased.

When the Virgin Prunes resurfaced with 1986's The Moon Looked Down and Laughed, their music had gone through another stylistic change into melodic, ballad-driven pop, signifying Friday's increased fascination with cabaret music. He ultimately left the group in November; the liner notes of the 1987 live release The Hidden Lie contained a short statement confirming the band's break-up.

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Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes

Genere: Post Punk, New Wave, Alternative

Similar Artists: Television, Talking Heads, They Might Be Giants

Recording Year: Slash, 1983.

The textbook American cult band of the 1980s, the Violent Femmes captured the essence of teen angst with remarkable precision; raw and jittery, the trio's music found little commercial success but nonetheless emerged as the soundtrack for the lives of troubled adolescents the world over. The group formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the early '80s, and comprised singer/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie and percussionist Victor DeLorenzo; Ritchie originated the band's oxymoronic name, adopting the word "femme" from the Milwaukee area's slang for wimps. After being discovered by the Pretenders' James Honeyman-Scott, the Violent Femmes signed to Slash and issued their self-titled 1983 debut, a melodic folk-punk collection which struck an obvious chord with young listeners who felt a strong connection to bitter, frustrated songs like "Blister in the Sun," "Kiss Off" and "Add It Up." Though never a chart hit, the album remained a rite of passage for succeeding generations of teen outsiders, and after close to a decade in release, it finally achieved platinum status.

With 1984's Hallowed Ground, Gano's lyrics began to reflect his devout Baptist upbringing, while the Femmes' music approached more traditional folk and country structures. Produced by Talking Heads' Jerry Harrison, 1986's The Blind Leading the Naked advanced towards a more mainstream sound; a cover of the T. Rex chestnut "Children of the Revolution" even became a minor hit. After the record's release, the Femmes temporarily disbanded: Gano recorded a self-titled 1987 album with his gospel side project the Mercy Seat, while Ritchie issued a series of solo LPs including 1987's The Blend and 1989's Sonic Temple & Court of Babylon for SST. (I See a Noise appeared on Dali Records in 1990.) In 1989, the group resurfaced with 3, and followed in 1991 with Why Do Birds Sing?, which featured the Femmes' deconstructionist cover of Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"

This first Violent Femmes production is one of the most distinctive records of the early alternative movement and an enduring cult classic, Violent Femmes weds the geeky, child-man persona of Jonathan Richman and the tense, jittery, hyperactive feel of new wave in an unlikely context: raw, amateurish acoustic folk-rock. The music also owes something to the Modern Lovers' minimalism, but powered by Brian Ritchie's busy acoustic bass riffing and the urgency and wild abandon of punk rock, the Femmes forged a sound all their own. Still, the main reason Violent Femmes became the preferred soundtrack for the lives of many an angst-ridden teenager is lead singer and songwriter Gordon Gano. Naive and childish one minute, bitterly frustrated and rebellious the next, Gano's vocals perfectly captured the contradictions of adolescence and the difficulties of making the transition to adulthood. Clever lyrical flourishes didn't hurt either; while "Blister In the Sun" has deservedly become a standard, "Kiss Off"'s chant-along "count-up" section, "Add It Up"'s escalating "Why can't I get just one..." couplets, and "Gimme the Car"'s profanity-obscuring guitar bends ensured that Gano's intensely vulnerable confessions of despair and maladjustment came off as catchy and humorous as well. Even if the songwriting slips a bit on occasion, Gano's personality keeps the music engaging and compelling without overindulging in his seemingly willful naiveté. For the remainder of their career, the group would only approach this level in isolated moments.

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Aviador Dro - Vano Temporal

Genere: Post Punk, Electronic

Similar Artists: Gary Numan, Devo, Kraftwerk

Recording Year: Lollpop, 1999 .

In 1977, a group of friends from Madrid's Santamarca Institute decided to form a punk rock band called Alex y los Drugos, later turning into techno pop in a new project known as Holoplástico, which changed its name to Aviador Dro soon after. They were part of the Movida Madrileña.

In 1980, La Chica de Plexiglás and La Visión became the group's first records, followed by Programa en Espiral and Alas Sobre el Mundo. Two years later, the band founded its own label, called Discos Radiactivos Organizados (DRO). After issuing 1983's double album Síntesis, Aviador Dro started touring around Spain, soon having the opportunity to open for Stranglers and David Bowie. In the year 2000, Cosmos Records released a tribute called Aviador Dro Re: Programado Robots Para los Atomos, featuring Aviador Dro's originals, performed by Ford Proco, Spunky, Calígula 2000, and Panoptica, among others.

In 1982 they created Dro, a Spanish independent label.








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Devo - Greatest Misses

Genere: New Wave, Post Punk, Synth Pop.

Similar Artists: Softcell, Eurythmics, Thomas Dolby.

Recording Year: Warner Bros., 1990.

Formed in Akron, OH, in 1972 by Kent State art students Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo took its name from their concept of "de-evolution" -- the idea that instead of evolving, mankind has actually regressed, as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society. Their music echoed this view of society as rigid, repressive, and mechanical, with appropriate touches -- jerky, robotic rhythms; an obsession with technology and electronics (the group was among the first non-prog rock bands to make the synthesizer a core element); often atonal melodies and chord progressions -- all of which were filtered through the perspectives of geeky misfits. Devo became a cult sensation, helped in part by their concurrent emphasis on highly stylized visuals, and briefly broke through to the mainstream with the smash single "Whip It," whose accompanying video was made a staple by the fledgling MTV network. Sometimes resembling a less forbidding version of the Residents, Devo's simple, basic electronic pop sound proved very influential, but it was also somewhat limited, and as other bands began expanding on the group's ideas, Devo seemed unable to keep pace. After a series of largely uninteresting albums, the band called it quits early in the '90s, and Casale and Mothersbaugh concentrated on other projects.

Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh both attended art school at Kent State University at the outset of the 1970s. With friend Bob Lewis, who joined an early version of Devo and later became their manager, the theory of de-evolution was developed with the aid of a book entitled The Beginning Was the End: Knowledge Can Be Eaten, which held that mankind had evolved from mutant, brain-eating apes. The trio adapted the theory to fit their view of American society as a rigid, dichotomized instrument of repression which ensured that its members behaved like clones, marching through life with mechanical, assembly-line precision and no tolerance for ambiguity. The whole concept was treated as an elaborate joke until Casale witnessed the infamous National Guard killings of student protesters at the university; suddenly there seemed to be a legitimate point to be made. The first incarnation of Devo was formed in earnest in 1972, with Casale (bass), Mark Mothersbaugh (vocals), and Mark's brothers Bob (lead guitar) and Jim, who played homemade electronic drums. Jerry's brother Bob joined as an additional guitarist, and Jim left the band to be replaced by Alan Myers. The group honed its sound and approach for several years (a period chronicled on Rykodisc's Hardcore compilations of home recordings), releasing a few singles on its own Booji Boy label and inventing more bizarre concepts: Mothersbaugh dressed in a baby-faced mask as Booji Boy (pronounced "boogie boy"), a symbol of infantile regression; there were recurring images of the potato as a lowly vegetable without individuality; the band's costumes presented them as identical clones with processed hair; and all sorts of sonic experiments were performed on records, using real and homemade synthesizers as well as toys, space heaters, toasters, and other objects. Devo's big break came with its score for the short film The Truth About De-Evolution, which won a prize at the 1976 Ann Arbor Film Festival; when the film was seen by David Bowie and Iggy Pop, they were impressed enough to secure the group a contract with Warner Bros.

While 1979's Duty Now for the Future was another strong effort, the band broke through to the mainstream with 1980's Freedom of Choice, which contained the gold-selling single "Whip It" and represented a peak in their sometimes erratic songwriting. The video for "Whip It" became an MTV smash, juxtaposing the band's low-budget futuristic look against a down-home farm setting and hints of S&M. However, Devo's commercial success proved to be short-lived. 1981's New Traditionalists was darker and more serious, not what the public wanted from a band widely perceived as a novelty act, and Devo somehow seemed to be running out of new ideas. Problems plagued the band as well: Bob Lewis successfully sued for theft of intellectual property after a tape of Mothersbaugh was found acknowledging Lewis' role in creating de-evolution philosophy, and the sessions for 1982's Oh, No! It's Devo were marred by an ill-considered attempt to use poetry written by would-be Ronald Reagan assassin John Hinckley, Jr. as lyrical material.

This compilation, released concurrently with Greatest Hits, collects some of the band's stranger experiments, early album tracks, and a few rarities, such as the Booji Boy releases of "Be Stiff" and "Mechanical Man" (both available on the Hardcore compilations) and a U.K. B-side, "Penetration in the Centerfold." It does serve as a good supplement to the Greatest Hits collection, even if it is a bit haphazard, but listeners who want more than one Devo disc are advised to go ahead and purchase the first three albums rather than these two compilations -- it's a better way to appreciate their achievements, and it's more entertaining.

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Gang Of Four - Another day, Another Dollar (EP)

Genere: Post Punk, New Wave

Similar Artists: The Clash, Band Of Susans, Scritti Politti

Recording Year: Warner Bros., 1982

Formed in 1977 by Leeds University students Jon King (vocals), Andy Gill (guitar), Dave Allen (bass), and Hugo Burnham (drums), Gang of Four (along with the Fall, Mekons, and Liliput) produced some of the most exhilarating and lasting music of the early English post-punk era of 1978-1983. Fueled by the fury of punk rock and radical political theory, Gang of Four successfully welded the two in an inspired display of polemics and music that addressed the vagaries of life in the modern world (including love and romance) as matters of political inquiry. Despite the fact that this sounds rife with the potential for being long on rhetoric and short on groove, such was not the case. What made Gang of Four's polemical clang'n'roll so compelling was that it worked as harsh, bracing, and ultimately liberating rock & roll. With Allen and Burnham combining as a formidable and frequently very funky rhythm section, Gill didn't play guitar as much as emit thick wads of semi-tuneful distortion, while King "sang" in a dry, declamatory fashion similar to that of the Fall's Mark E. Smith. The rhythms were stripped down and jagged; at times Gill would dispense with guitar solos entirely and "play" non-solos, which were (surprise!) silence. Song titles sounded like the titles of radical political essays: "At Home He's a Tourist," "Damaged Goods," "It's Her Factory," "Love Like Anthrax," "To Hell With Poverty," all of it openly challenging the audience's preconceived notions about rock music, performance, the cult of celebrity, and the nature of politics. And in doing so, GOF conveyed rage, confusion, and loss of identity as well as any band of its time.

After three consecutive sensational albums, as well as a handful of EPs and singles, Allen left in 1982 to form the more danceable and less overtly political Shriekback, while Gill, King, and Burnham recorded the misguided "radical soul/R&B" record Hard with veteran American producers Ron and Howard Albert (who'd previously worked with Stephen Stills' Manassas and Firefall). A near total disaster, Hard signalled that the end was nigh. Gill and King, who by this point had final say-so on the band's musical and political direction, sacked Burnham, and the now "Gang of Two" released a so-so live album (At the Palace) and called it quits in 1984. But legends die hard, and Gang of Four experienced a mini-renaissance in the early '90s with the release of two excellent collections (A Brief History of the Twentieth Century and The Peel Sessions Album).

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Psychedelic Furs - Greatest Hits

Género /Gender: Alternative Rock, Post Punk, New Wave

Artistas similares / Similar Artist: New Order, The Mighty Lemon Drops, Simple Minds

Año de grabación / Recording year: Legacy, 2001.

Aparecieron en la escena punk británica en 1977. En origen, el grupo estaba formado por Richard Butler, Tim Butler (hermano del anterior), Duncan Kilburn (saxofón) y Roger Morris (guitarra). En 1979 se añadirían Vince Ely, a la batería, y John Ashton.

El punk proscribía el rock psicodélico, pero los "Furs", huyendo de las limitaciones, no lo descartaron. El resultado fue una música que se acercaba más al pop que al punk, una combinación de guitarras canturreantes y saxofón, con una intensa y equilibrada sección rítmica, y el complemento de la singular voz, unas veces cálida y otras desgarrada, del líder de la banda, cantante y responsable de las letras, Richard Butler. Su música fue calificada por un avispado crítico inglés como "beautiful chaos" ('hermoso caos').

En su primer disco se observa grandemente influido por David Bowie.

La banda se separó a principios de los 90. Años más tarde los hermanos Butler fundaron el grupo Love Spit Love.


They appeared in the British punk scene in 1977. In origin, the group was formed by Richard Butler, Tim Butler (brother of the previous one), Duncan Kilburn (sax) and Roger Morris (guitar). In 1979 they added Vince Ely, to the drums, and John Ashton.

The punk prohibited the psychedelic rock, but " Furs" , fleeing from the limitations, they did not discard it. The result was a music that approached more to pop than to punk, a combination of guitars and sax, with an intense and balanced rythmical section, and the complement of a singular voice, sometimes warm and others heartbraking, of the leader of the band, singer and person in charge of the letters, Richard Butler. His music was described by English critical like " beautiful chaos".

In its first production it is observed greatly influenced by David Bowie.

Years later the Butler brothers founded the group Love Spit Love.



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Killing Joke

Género: Alternative Rock, Post Punk

Artistas similares: The Birthay Party, Bauhaus, The Fall

Año de grabación: EG Records, 1980

Killing Joke es una banda post punk originaria del Reino Unido formada en 1979 en Notting Hill, Londres. Es considerada una banda inovadora y muy influyente, principalmente para bandas nacidas en los 80's y 90's como Nirvana, Ministry, NIN, Soundgarden, entre otros. También son considerados por muchos una referencia muy importante en la creación del movimiento de música industrial, principalmente por el sonido desarrollado en sus primeros dos discos.

Los integrantes que han permanecido siempre en la banda desde su formación, y que se pueden considerar pilares de la misma, son el cantante y teclista Jaz Coleman y el guitarrista Geordie Walker; los bajistas han variado pero la base siempre -en diferentes épocas- han sido tanto el bajista original Youth (Martin Glover) como Paul Raven. Su música se caracteriza por el sonido hipnótico y metálico-armónico de las guitarras; por los ritmos pesados, tribales y bailables, así como por el sonido de fondo oscuro y a veces gótico de los teclados; todo esto abrazando la emotiva voz de Jaz Coleman, que va de suave y meláncólica hasta puntos de brutal intensidad.

El disco que te presentamos en FOH en esta ocasión, es el título homónimo del álbum debut de la banda inglesa lanzado en agosto de 1980 por la compañía EG Records. Es considerado un clásico del post punk y mencionado por algunos especialistas como pilar de la que en un futuro sería la música industrial. Esto debido a que en esta producción, aun cuando es muy rítmica y digerible, la estructura de la mayoría de los temas son composiciones con una base ambiental compuesta principalmente por sintizadores análogos que emulan en cierta forma sonidos de máquinas; estos sonidos sirven como plataforma para un compendio de canciones que, por su misma estructura (sonidos de guitarra, ritmos de batería y bajo) remiten inmediatamente a una maquinaria que funciona a la perfección.

Este disco es de los más representativos de la banda y el que mostró su capacidad de crear música auténtica y completamente innovadora, definitivamente adelantada a su época.

Sin más, disfruten de este gran álbum.


Killing Joke is an original post punk band of the United Kingdom, formed in 1979 in Notting Hill, London. Is considered an innovating and very influential band, mainly for bands born in 80' s and 90' s like Nirvana, Ministry, NIN, Soundgarden, among others. Also they are considered by many like a very important reference in the creation of the movement of industrial music, mainly by the sound developed in his first two discs.

The members that have always remained in the band since their formation, and which pillars of the same can be considered, are the singer and keyboard playerJaz Coleman and the guitarist Geordie Walker; the bassists have varied but the base have been always Martin Glover and Paul Raven. Its music characterizes by the hypnotic sound and metalist-overtone of the guitars; by the heavy rates, tribal and dance, as well as by the dark and sometimes gothic basic sound of the keyboards; all this embracing the touching voice of Jaz Coleman, that goes of smooth and melancholic until points of brutal intensity.

The disc that we presented to you this time in FOH, is the homonymous title of the debut album recorded in August of 1980 by EG Record. A post punk classic and mentioned by some specialists like pounding of whom in the future it would be the industrial music. Even though it's very rythmical and digerible, the structure of the majority of the subjects is compositions with a compound environmental base mainly by analogous synthetizers that emulate in certain form sounds of machines; these sounds are the platform for a compendium of songs that, by their same structure (guitar sounds, battery rates and under) send to a machinery immediately that works perfectly. This record is the most representative of the band and the one that showed to create authentic and completely innovating music, definitively a true advanced to its time.

No more to say, they enjoy this great album.





Fields of Haze.

Danse Society - Seduction The Society Collection

Género: Post Punk, Goth rock

Artistas similares: X mal Deutchsland, Theatre of Hate, UK Decay

Año de grabación: Anaagram, 2001


Danse Society fue un grupo de post punk formado en Barnsley, Inglaterra en 1981. Dirigido por Steve Rawlings (voz), Paul Nash (guitarra), Lundon Scarfe (teclados), Tim Wright (bajo) y Paul Gilmartin (batería).

En 1980 grabaron su primera producción de 12", 'Clock' en su propia compañía de discos -Society Records-. Su disco más conocido fué 'Heaven is waiting' realizado en diciembre de 1983 por -Arista Records-, en el cuál hacen un cover de la canción de los Rolling Stones -2000 light years from home- .

En esa época alternaron con grupos como Public Image Ltd., Joy Division y Cabaret Voltaire.

En 1987 el grupo se separa, tras 3 LP's en su haber.

Esta producción recopila los temas más conocidos del grupo.

Aunque no tiene la gran producción, es una buen disco para aquellos que quieren escuchar otra faceta del punk rock.



Danse Society was a of post punk group formed in Barnsley, England in 1981. Directed by Steve Rawlings (voice), Paul Nash (guitar), Lundon Scarfe (keyboards), Tim Wright (bass) and Paul Gilmartin (drums).

In 1980 they recorded his first production of 12" , ' Clock' in its own record company - Society Records-. Their most known produccion was ' Heaven is waiting' realised in December of 1983 by - Arista Records-, in which they made a cover of the Rolling Stones song -2000 light years from home-.

At that time they alternated with groups like Public Image Ltd., Joy Division and Cabaret Voltaire.

In 1987 the group broke up after 3 LP' s in its career.

This production compiles the most well-known themes of the group.

Although it does not have the great production, is a good record for those who want to listen another face of the punk rock.

Descarga

Fields Of Haze.

Joy Division - An Ideal For Living

Género: Post punk

Artistas similares: Public Image ltd, Bauhaus, Throbbing Gristle

Joy Division fue una banda de post punk inglesa, formada en 1976 en Manchester.

Aunque tuvieron un éxito moderado en su carrera, y lanzaron sólo dos álbumes de estudio, Joy Division han sido aclamados desde entonces como uno de los más innovadores, evocativos e influyentes grupos de su tiempo.

Joy Division fueron etiquetados por mucha gente como una banda oscura y depresiva, debido a lo inhóspito de su música y al suicidio de Ian Curtis. Sin embargo, los restantes miembros de la banda y la gente que conocieron lo han negado siempre. Sus integrantes fueron: Ian Curtis, Voz; Bernard Sumner, guitarra y teclado; Peter Hook, bajo y Terry Mason, batería (en un primer momento, por que después de una serie de cambios quedaría como baterista de la banda Stephen Morris).

Sus influencias van desde el proto-punk: The Velvet Underground, The Stooges; el punk: Sex Pistols e incluso el glam: David Bowie. Todas estas bandas bordeando más siempre un ámbito alternativo. Se podría decir que Joy Division tomó de estas bandas un poco y lo mezcló en un estilo que sólo pocos han podido interpretar: el post-punk. Del proto-punk tomó su excentricidad y lírica. Del punk tomó la fuerza escénica y musical. En su etapa final también incorporaron la influencia de bandas electrónicas pioneras como Kraftwerk.

Debido a que carecía de confianza en sus capacidades como batería, Mason abandonó el grupo el día anterior a la primera presentación en el Electric Circus, para transformarse en el representante del grupo. Para la ocasión, fue reemplazado por Tony Tabac. Momentos antes de aquella presentación junto a Buzzcocks y a Penetration, en mayo de 1977, el grupo cambió su nombre a 'Warsaw', en homenaje a la canción de Bowie e Eno 'Warszawa'. Cinco semanas después, tras seis presentaciones, Tabac fue reemplazado por el baterísta del grupo punk Panik, Steve Brotherdale. Grabaron The Warsaw Demo en julio de 1977.

El grupo permaneció activo por 3 años y 3 Lp's (en conjunción con Warsaw), hasta que en mayo de 1980 Ian Curtis tras escuchar el disco de The Idiot de Iggy Pop y escribir una nota póstuma a su esposa se ahorcó en la cocina de su casa.

John Bush de Allmusic dice que Joy Division "se convirtió en la primera banda del movimiento post-punk en enfatizar no la cólera y la energía, sino el estado de ánimo y la palabra, dando pie al advenimiento de la melancólica música alternativa de los 80".

Este es el primer EP del grupo.

Joy Division - An ideal for living

Fields Of Haze.