Caught In The Act - Caught In The Act 12" EP (1984)

There are different kinds of 'new wave'. The most popular was the pop-styled keyboard-driven dance type.
This New York band is new wave but it's more of the "female punk vocals, distorted rock guitar, squeaky no-wave saxophone" variety. No keyboards and nothing to dance about. Not great, but really good.

1 Caught in the Act
2 My Imagination
3 Watch Out for that Dike Ike
4 Rat Race
5 Dance with Me
6 Into the Future

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The Subterraneans - Subterranean Observation (1981)

I recently did a post about The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet and it was mentioned that this band was suspected of being the band we're all looking for.

This band and album can confidently be marked off the list. This is not it.

The Subterraneans were a punk/post punk/ experimental new wave band. This is probably their only recording and even though I really like this sort of thing I think they could have practiced just a little bit more before recording it.
It was recorded "live in the studio" which may have been why they're falling a little short in my opinion. There are some creative moments and I think they would have been great live.

1 Empires Must Fall
2 The Observer
3 Overdose of Time
4 The Kind of Love I can Afford*
5 Sweet Spider Music
6 Having Fun in the City
7 Blame
8 Good Manners and Style
9 In the Wee Small Hours

DOWNLOAD



*Discogs has this as two separate songs but there are only 9 tracks on the tape, not ten.

The Naturals

The Naturals were an Australian post-punk/new wave/pop band who had a hit with the song Devil Smile. I'm not sure that they ever released anything aside from these two singles or what the members did outside of this band.

Imagine music inspired by Nick Cave (from that era) with a vocalist inspired by Bjork (from that era).

They made a video for Devil Smile.

The Naturals - Devil Smile 7" (1985)
A - Devil Smile
B - This is the One

The Naturals - On the Alert 7" (1985)
A - On the Alert
B - Flying Mattress

DOWNLOAD

Streetcar Eyes - Time After Time EP (1983)

Non-threatening new wave on this one. Professional sounding new wave rock with occasional saxophone. I'm all for positivity but this band was a little to cheery for my taste. Is bubblegum-new wave a thing?
The song "I'm in it for the Fun" is my favorite song on the record. It has a bit of a ska influence.

This band does not have much of an internet presence so I'll tell you a bit about them:

They were formed in California in July of 1983 by three members of a band called Third Raile
*Red Jenkins - vocals and guitar
*Lane Vallier - bass and vocals
*Jim Briggs - sax and vocals

The drummer Barry "Snoop" Smith was the new addition to the lineup.  He played previously in bands Scoundrels, Rage, and The Rings.

The band formed with the intention of doing something different than the same old club sounds that were popular in L.A. and San Diego and wanted to focus more on vocal harmonies and stripped-down instrumentation and less on synthesizers.

Their biggest claim to fame is having recorded the song "The Chicago Blitz" that was used in the early 80s as the theme song for the US Football league team The Chicago Blitz.

They didn't focus too much on cover songs and had written and played over 20 original songs. It's not known if any of the songs that are not on this EP were ever recorded in a studio.

Anyone But Me
Cause and Effect
Caveat Emptor
Closer
Get Back Too
Gypsy Border
I'm in it for the Fun
It's Over
Just What Raymond Needed
Our Mirror
Red Head Blues
Reputation
Save One for Me
Springtime
Streetcar Eyes
The Next Door
Time After Time
Time in the Hand
Want You
Whispers in the Night 

The four songs on this record are:
 
1 Time After Time
2 I'm in it for the Fun
3 Whispers in the Night
4 Closer

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The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet

People have been searching for this song for a long time. It came from a cassette that was a recording of a German radio station in 1984. The cassette has a lot of songs that would have been current in 1984 so it is assumed that this song is also from 1984 but it could have been recorded in the few years before then.

(For some reason Blogger isn't letting me post the YouTube video on the blog but it's HERE)

Rolling Stone Magazine did an article about the song.

This post is not entirely about this song in particular. This post is about a German band called The Subterraneans who had a song called "Blame" that an astute investigator on Reddit discovered. Nobody has heard this song yet but the bands only release - a self-released 10-track tape called Subterranean Observation - was available for sale on Discogs. This could be the song that everybody is looking for but I'm willing to bet a few dollars that it's not the song. In fact I put my money where my mouth is and I bought the tape.

Since this is the sort of thing I appreciate anyway I will be ripping it on a 1991 Nakamichi cassette player in 320 and will post the whole tape in its entirety for your enjoyment/disappointment.

Even though I don't think it's the song.

The reason I'm saying all of this is because somebody mentioned that some asshole is probably going to buy this and hide it away from the world.
You know, like when somebody in the early 2000s bought that copy of "Ken by Request Only" from eBay and didn't share it. Bastard.

Stay tuned. 

The Bricks

The Bricks - Volume 1 EP (1979)
A1 - Rock Steady
A2 - Sartorial Song
B1 - Leisure Complex
B2 - Local Boys

The Bricks - Startrekker 7" (1980)
A - Startrekker
B - Smash and Grab



DOWNLOAD both singles

Ouida and the Numbers - Runaway 7" (1980)

This was produced by Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers.

A - Runaway
B - Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

DOWNLOAD

Click Clack

Click Clack (not to be confused with Click Click) was a Belgian new wave/synth pop band.
I first heard of them because I bought their "Ketchup" single and it was excellent. I was impressed with it and wanted to hear their other recordings. The song "Get Up" is almost on par with the Ketchup single but the rest of their stuff  kinda goes in a disco direction.
These four 7"s is everything they released with the exception of a song called "Never Got this Feeling" from a 1981 compilation called "Lof". I strongly believe that I have that compilation but I just can't find it right now. I may stumble across it and I may post it when I do find it, but I may not.

Click Clack - Gimme the Lights 7" (1981)
A - Gimme the Lights
B - Yocomototto

Click Clack - Get Up 7" (1982)
A - Get Up
B - Papa

Click Clack - Ketchup 7" (1982)
A - Ketchup
B - Theo

Click Clack - Hot Stuff 7" (1983)
A - Hot Stuff
B - Hot Stuff (instrumental)

DOWNLOAD ALL FOUR SINGLES

The Reply - All Good Things (1987)

This was a band from the US that played that punk/post-punk/power pop/mod/ska type of music. Guitar driven with noticeable keyboards. I forget where they're from - New York, or D.C., or some small island off the coast of Nebraska. Somewhere.
I remember they were known as a "ska" band but this record says otherwise. Maybe by 1987 ska wasn't in high demand so they chose to not record those songs.

From what I've heard this isn't their only release. Rumor has it that they put out a CD that includes these song with lots of other unreleased stuff. Anybody know anything about that? I've searched but found nothing except for the comment on Discogs that said the CD is for sale on Amazon. But it's not.

1 All Good Things
2 With a Purpose
3 Wake Up!
4 Work it Out 

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Lift the Lid

Rare Australian power pop

Lift the Lid - Keep Your Distance 7" (1987)
A - Keep Your Distance
B - Books 'n' Things (live)

Lift the Lid - Little by Little 7" (1988)
A - Little by Little
B - Stay with Us


DOWNLOAD BOTH 7"s

The Inserts [Australia] - Amateur Hour 7" (1980)

A - Amateur Hour
B1 - White Reggae
B2 - Bad for Me

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The Bowling Balls [Belgium]

This band started out as a joke by a journalist named Billy Bertrand. The Bowling Balls was a band in a comic called "Germain Et Nous" that Bertrand created for a music magazine called "En Attendant". The popularity of the band who had a fake manager named Peyo and gave fake interviews for music magazines convinced Billy Bertrand (who may or may not have created the name "Plastic Bertrand") to start a real band. Their music was intentionally cheesy but they really did have talent. They released four singles and recorded a music video before Billy Bertrand committed suicide in New York in 1983.

The Bowling Balls - God Save the Night Fever 7" (1979)
A - God Save the Night Fever
B - Dreadlock'N'Lol (Chinese Reggae)

The Bowling Balls - Visco Video 7" (1980)
A - Visco Video
B - When You Walk in the Room

The Bowling Balls - The Boys 7" (1981)
A - The Boys
B1 - The Girls
B2 - Goys and Burls

The Bowling Balls - You Don't Know What it's Like to be Alone in the House 7" (1981)
A - You Don't Know What it's Like to be Alone in the House
B1 - R-Dance
B2 - Oh I Miss You

Billy Bertrand's journalistic talent is evident in the song "The Girls" where each line is subliminally a girl's name. Some are obvious but others are less so. Even the lyric "I'm looking for a single girl" is clever in its context.

I don't know all of the lyrics but here's what I pieced together. I will appreciate any suggestions that help me fill in the blanks.

I always grow so weak in the knees (Denise)
When I ring ringy the bell (Isabel)
I need some kind of release (Lisa)
Pull muscles from the shell (Michelle)*
I never say (?)
When I ain't got a Penny
She'd say that I can't cheat her (Conchita)
I want her for her money (Wanda)

All around me
I see beautiful girls
They don't look at me
I'd be happy with just one girl
I'm looking for a single girl

I'll travel down to Vienna
I'll find true love in Virginia
(???? something something the fairer?")
As long as I can Priscilla
I don't care if she's a deadbeat (Debbie)
(???)
Just need some heavy petting (Betty)
(????)

All around me
I see beautiful girls
They don't look at me
I'd be happy with just one girl
I'm looking for a single girl

All day long I watch TV (Stevie)
I really love I Love Lucy
I keep on counting the days (Daisy)
Someday I'll show my true aim (Amy)
I'll drink a whole litre (Alita)
Would I die for Diana?
(????)
When I kiss and I hold her (Holga)

All around me
I see beautiful girls
They don't look at me
I'd be happy with just one girl
I'm looking for a single girl

* "Pulling Muscles from the Shell"  is from the Squeeze song that was released that same year.



Either YouTube or Blogger isn't letting me post the only video they made. It's for the song "You don't Know What it's Like to be Alone in the House" but you can see it HERE.


DOWNLOAD all four singles

Vital Organs - Radio Active 7" (1982)

A - Radio Active
B - Glastonbury

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Writz - Writz (1979)

I think I have all of the Writz singles. I'm not sure - I'll have to check. But I do have their only album. The reason I'm posting this is because band leader Steve Fairnie has been in many bands and has put out lots of music but right after Writz he started a band called Famous Names that was basically the same band members as Writz. They had two official 7" releases that I think I have but I'm not sure - I'll have to check. As you can see HERE they recorded an album that was never released. That's why I'm making this post. Here is a crappy rip of that unreleased album by the Famous Names called "Venitian Blinds".

Writz - Writz (1979)
1 Night Nurse
2 Luxury
3 Swinging with the Reptiles
4 Drive Away
5 Super Heroes
6 Movies
7 Robberoni
8 Private Lives
9 TV Times
10 Muscle Culture

Famous Names - Venetian Blinds (1981)
1 Muscle Culture II
2 Observation
3 Techno Refugee
4 Blind Girl
5 Jack's Party
6 Change
7 Venetian Blinds
8 Dance On
9 Boy
10 Pain

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The X.L. Band - Ronnie's Big Bomb 7" (1985)

Probably the only  thing released by this English mod/ska band.

A - Ronnie's Big Bomb
B - You Can't Win

Hear "Ronnie's Big Bomb"

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Slick - Father Napalm (1985)

This is a rare and highly sought-after release from a studio-only California band.

1 Father Napalm
2 Jeans to Jeans
3 Gutter Trash
4 South Blackstone Street
5 Last Rhapsody
6 A.K.M.

Listen to "Gutter Trash".

DOWNLOAD

The Pictures

The Pictures was a British band who released very little.

I first heard of them from the Unicorn Record's 7" compilation "The Phase III Mod Bands" song "My Home Town" which, for me, stood out above all of the other songs and bands in that series. I tried tracking down anything else they might have released and only found three other songs: "Down My Street" from a limited flexi they did with the band The Off Beats (I have their album as well. I'll post it if anybody gives a good-God-damn), the song "Don't Leave Me" from the compilation "Diverse...if Nothing Else" from 1986 which also included songs from The Risk and The Gents, and "Strange Thing" from the Unicorn comp "Unicorn One...Beyond Tomorrow" from 1987.

Then I struck gold when I found a copy of this tape. I have to wonder how many copies of this gem actually exists. There are only four songs and two of them were previously released. The two that I didn't already have were amazing and I must admit that I'm confused why these weren't the ones the band promoted.

Hear "Catch 22" from the demo tape.

Anyway, here is (what I believe) every song this band ever recorded:

The Pictures demo tape (1986 - or 1987)
1 Pictures
2 Down My Street
3 Catch 22
4 Don't Leave Me
 *Down My Street (from the vinyl - crackles galore, but no tape hiss - same version but this was included for comparison)
*My Home Town
* Strange Thing

DOWNLOAD

The Pin-Ups - Take One (1981)

1 Write it on the Walls
2 Can't Get Enough
3 Pin-Up
4 Confession
5 Only for Fun
6 Stranglers
7 Lies
8 Anarchy or Cake
9 Not Alone
10 The Candle
11 Snowman
12 Boys Dressed Up as Girls
13 Music for Cure
14 Lies, Too

Listen to "Write it on the Walls"

Listen to "Anarchy or Cake"

Listen to "Music for Cure"


DOWNLOAD

EMS - EMS 12" EP (1984)

This was a short-lived band from Southern California that only ever released this one EP. It has become a collectors item because it features vocalist Rebecca Hamm who went on to become a recognized visual artist and teacher.

HERE is her website.

A1 - Is it that Time Again?
A2 - Breakin' All the Rules
B1 - Having a Good Time
B2 - Not to Blame

Listen to "Not to Blame"

DOWNLOAD

8 Halbe - Feed the Krauts (1987)

Somebody told me that, based on the 'kind of music that I listen to' I would love this record.
Maybe I should have asked what 'kind' of music they think I listen to before I bought this record.
Hopefully one of you will like it.

1 Fall in Love
2 No Hiding
3 Jimmy be Free
4 Fette Weiber
5 Five Minutes
6 Semen (The Bonnie Bells of Tubingham)
7 Nachts um Halb Drei
8 Seemann
9 Gone Away
10 La La La
11 It Could be You
12 Haey You
13 Sent Me Free

Listen to "Fall in Love"

Listen to "Five Minutes"


DOWNLOAD

Sandglow Marinas - Gone to China 7" (1983)

This is a British synth group that didn't release anything else but this one single with the exception of their song "Power of TV" that was on the first Tyger Annual compilation.

"Power of TV" is, by far, my favorite song from that compilation and I had to seek out anything else they did which ends here.  Neither song on this records holds a candle to Power of TV but both are likeable new wave tunes.

I included Power of TV with this download so you can compare yourself.

[YouTube is not letting me embed right now but you can hear Power of TV HERE.]

A - Gone to China
B - Sue of Harrow
* - Power of TV

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Diatonix - Strange Place (1987)

Band from Australia.

1 Recession Time
2 Strange Place
3 Summer
4 Prisoner

Listen to "Prisoner"

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The Geekais - Nincompoop (1988)

British band that sounds at times like they were influenced by the  Dead Milkmen, The Higsons, and maybe a bit of Pigbag. It's kinda punk, kinda funky.

1 Head Hunting in Toytown
2 Finney County
3 Fool for All Seasons
4 Wicka
5 Jittery City
6 Dance of the Sperm

Listen to "Head Hunting in Toytown".

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The Reign - Fine Line 7" (1988)

These guys were from Houston, Texas. They put out this 7" that I really like, then they released a full length in the early 90s that I didn't care for.
"Fine Line" starts out with a mod beat and a saxophone that sounds a little too upbeat and happy but then the vocals come in and it just works. This sounds like the sort of thing that was popular in Australia at the time with bands like Mi Sex and V Spy V Spy.

A - Fine Line
B - Armageddon

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Pascal Boidart - Never Land 12" EP (1986)

Another California release recorded in Beverly Hills. I have no idea who Pascal Boidart is but a Google search brings up the name as a television editor in L.A.

I had this record for years and never really paid much attention to it but only recently have I gave it another spin and realized how great it actually is. Four excellent tracks of new wave rock.

1 The Land of Silence
2 The Ocean
3 Rule
4 Cocktail and a Zest of Lemon

Listen to "Cocktail and a Zest of Lemon"

DOWNLOAD

Odd Numbers - About Time (1990)

The Odd Numbers put out several albums and singles but this is their first album. Their sound has been consistent throughout their existence. They nail the mod sound when they want to but then they do those songs that sound like 50% The Jam + 50% Ramones (later era Ramones).

I don't have all of their stuff but I do have a lot of it. I'm just posting this one because I saw this on eBay:

The seller is allowing offers but there are several copies on Discogs right now for as low as $12.00.

1 Don't Bother Me
2 Little Kings and Queens
3 It Makes no Difference
4 In This World
5 She Made Me Shake
6 The Getaway
7 About Time
8 Holiday
9 Get in the Groove
10 Good as Gold
11 If I Only Had You
12 Sweet Soul Music




  DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

Shot Black & White - Life of Crime 12" (1987)

This is yet another one of those things that I bought thinking it was a ska record. Shot Black & White has a full-length album called "Understand" that was posted on Tone and Wave HERE which was entirely ska so it was natural to assume that the EP they released a year prior would also be ska, but nope, no ska at all on this one.

A - Life of Crime
B - Beautiful


DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

Wet Picnic - Balls Up EP (1982)

1 Cocktailed Sky
2 She Don't Care
3 Are You in Touch?
4 Tensions
5 He Believes

Listen to "Are You In Touch?"


DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

va You Pick One - A Michigan Sampler 7" (1984)

A1 - Angry Red Planet - Make Me Laugh
A2 - Enforcers - Rude Girl
A3 - GCMS - Burnout
B1 - The Fury - Guild of Pain
B2 - GCMS - The Group Song
B3 - Private Angst - Act Normal

DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

Vegimite Reggae

A - Too Many Years
B - Love is Gone

Trendy Ex-Hippies (1987)
1 Send it Out
2 Open the Door
3 Way Away
4 Rude Boy Rude Girl
5 For Love
6 Faces
7 Fat Girl
8 Illusions
9 I Need You
10 Latin Lover

*Stairway to Heaven

I posted the album on Tone and Wave many years ago. I knew the song Rude Boy Rude Girl so I was expecting a ska album. I was wrong. With a name like "Vegimite REGGAE" most people would assume they'd play a bit of reggae on occasion but that's not the case. Like Johnny Rivers' "L.A. Reggae" album which had no reggae at all. I was disappointed with it but I already knew what I was getting myself into when I got the single so I was less judgemental and I actually like the single quite a bit.

DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

The Pin Baskets - Fifteen Minutes with Betty Betz (1986)

This band was from the Netherlands and their ska single "30,000 Rabbits" was posted several years ago on Tone and Wave.
This album has no ska on it - just straightforward post punk/power-pop.
I included the single with this download as well as two live tracks from a compilation called "Punk Live in Brouwershoek".

1 Duchna
2 Call it Pride
3 All the Scars and Trophies
4 Instant Wisdom
5 Love is Hollow Eye
6 Ressurection
7 Never the Same
8 Fifteen Seconds with Betty Betz

A - 30,000 Rabbits
B - Glad to be Different

*Does it Matter?
*Hate and Fear


DOWNLOAD THE LP AND THE SINGLE FROM MEDIAFIRE

Ace and the Eights - Explosion 7" (1979)

This is a band from the Bay Area in California. They had two live tracks on the "Alive! Rock City" compilation but I am pretty sure this is their only studio release. I included both tracks from the compilation in this download.

A - Explosion
B - Face in the Fire
* - Dead End
* - Touch of Style

DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

Sugar Ray's Flying Fortress - Bim Bam Baby (1996)

1 All Night Long
2 Mr. Blues is coming to Town
3 Jukebox
4 We'll be Together Again
5 The Frim Fram Sauce
6 Bei Mir Bist Du Shon
7 Take the 'A' Train
8 Oh Marie
9 Bim Bam Baby
10 Don't Go, Don't Go
11 Dark Eyes
12 You Got Me Reelin' and Rockin'

DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

The Safe - Pleasure Grooves (1987)

This is a rock/new wave band and this may be the only thing they released.

This record is notable for me because it is the first record I bought with my first paycheck from my current job many years ago. It was sold on eBay as a ska record but there is no ska on here. There is a slight ska/island influence on a couple songs but only very slight.
The song "Untrue Untrue" should have been a best-selling single.

Listen to "Untrue Untrue"

1 Untrue Untrue
2 Banana Men
3 Genie
4 Father Marconi
5 The Natural
6 It's an Illusion

DOWNLOAD from Zippyshare

DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

Slapstick - When a Man Loves a Woman 7" (1981)

A - When a Man Loves a Woman
B - Move On

This is a cover of the Percy Sledge classic but it's so completely reworked that only the lyrics give it away. It's a disco/new wave version with intermittent glockenspiel and sax. Very original sound.  For fans of early Oingo Boingo and Lene Lovich.

DOWNLOAD from Mediafire

The Units - Japan 7" (1979)

A - Japan
B - I Am Sorry

Female fronted post punk/new wave. Guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. No keyboards, horns, or synth.

DOWNLOAD from Mediafire