FLOWERS IN THE DUSTBIN

South London genre bending anarcho/art/goth punk circa 1982/3.  FLOWERS IN THE DUSTBIN seem to have lived on another plane(t), and the result on this demo is disjointed, awkward, out of tune and engaging dark punk.  There's a lengthy interview/history courtesy of Lance Hahn (from one of his many anarcho punk profiles in Maximum Rocknroll) that covers the band's past in great depth, and from that article you can hit the band's download page and enjoy their entire catalog (might I suggest starting with the brilliant Freaks Run Wild In The Disco?  yes, I might).  "All Fool's Day" appears on their 1985 Mortarhate EP in a much cleaner version, but for me, the out of time and out of tune approach to this demo is most excellwent.  In terms of influences, bassist Chas says: "Between the first SEX GANG CHILDREN album in 1983 and THE FALL's Bend Sinister in 1986, the only contemporary music that excited me was ours and the only contemporary band I listened to was the COCTEAU TWINS (THE DOORS I remember as being a band we all liked?)." And the singer's response: "I think we all liked the COCTEAUs, I hated THE FALL."

ALWAYS ANOTHER DOOR

WANT ON THOUGHT

Rudimentary 80s punk/metal crossover from the UK.  Seven tracks from WANT ON THOUGHT, but the track "Missile Of Peace" is really enough to make the whole demo worthwhile...mid tempo punks shits played by a band that seems like they want to be metal, they just haven't quite figured out how to not be punks yet (in that sense, they remind me a lot of FUNEROT, who I just saw in Olympia). DRI cover to finish off the demo, in case there was any question as to their motivations and inspirations.

ED BISHOP

I'm still on tour with LAUDANUM and BLACK GANION, drop by The Relax Bar in West Hollywood or The Boulevard in Boyle Heights Saturday and say hello.  Daily posts will resume on Monday.  Cheers...

INTENSIFIED

For years I was baffled by the punks' seemingly collective interest in ska and reggae, and then something just clicked. I'm still not a total fan, and certainly nothing approaching an expert, but I've amassed a few records, and I certainly enjoy putting them on from time to time (people still keep telling me that if only I smoked weed, all would become clear...in music and in life, but I digress...).  It shouldn't come as a surprise that in amongst a heap of tapes from an old UK punk were a few ska cassettes, mostly compilations like this one, titled Intensified.  The subtitle, Original Ska: 1962-66, pretty much explains it,  and here is 45 minutes of killer first wave jams to satisfy my self imposed friday compilation obligation.  Skank your week goodbye with the likes of TOMMY COOK, ROLAND ALPHONSO, STRANGER COLE and loads more.

INTENSIFIED

Also, I'm going on a short tour again...leaving in about 10 minutes in fact.  I'll be driving for Oakland's LAUDANUM and BLACK GANION from Nagoya, Japan, and both will be delivering heavy blows to cities up and down the west coast.  Stop by and say hello if you are in the area (or if we will be in yours), and expect another post around Thanksgiving day. Cheers...

PERDITION

Someone mentioned this New York band in a comment on the NERVESKADE post, and I was reminded that I hadn't listened to this bad boy in quite a while.  So I listened to it.  It's still noisy as shit. 6 tracks of rehearsal room recorded raw punk chaos from PERDITION...enough said.

There's Only Freedom In Death

SMILES

Bristol's SMILES fall right in line with CONVULSIONS among bands that have came out of the shadows of the past and knocked me right out of my seat.  These four simple songs are shoved right down your throat; up yer arse UK punk..."Junkie" is such a brilliant burner that it's worth the whole tape (unfortunately the song cuts off before its natural end...ordinarily I might have left it off the post, but the song is too fucking good).  This might be a tired statement by now on Terminal Escape, but I don't know anything at all about this band, so any information would be appreciated.  I have two tapes from 1985 and a pretty rough 50 minute rehearsal demo...all great stuff, but this demo takes the prize.  Enjoy!

SMILES

FALSE SECURITY

I was tempted to fuck with the band's song order and start of this tape with the second track, "Blockaded," because it has one of the best guitar intros ever...so simple, and so perfect.  But I can't justify distorting someone else's vision, so you get the tracks in their intended sequence, and prepare to have your face pummeled by FALSE SECURITY, a short lived hardcore band from Brooklyn.  The hollow menacing bass intro to "Closed Circle" brings to mind NEGATIVE APPROACH more than any of the dozens of bands who've tried to make a career based on aping Detroit's finest, and the frantic vocals in "Their Dark Places" sound frightened and urgent.  Hollow, menacing, frightened, urgent...all adjectives that should be used to describe hardcore.  Think midwest hardcore, think 80s rust belt depression, and that's the feeling that FALSE SECURITY dish out...well written and well delivered songs that never made it to vinyl.

FALSE SECURITY

NABAT

NABAT were a relatively prolific Italian skinhead band through about 1985, with a handful of EPs and several comp appearances under their belts.  I first heard them on the Skins E Punks=T.N.T. compilation EP along with RAPPRESAGLIA and DIOXINA (the latter has a live set on the other side of this cassette that I will post eventually) and thought they stole the comp.  This live set from 1983 is pretty ripping, save the hideously long pauses between songs (which I have edited for your listening pleasure, because I am a nice fucking guy), and there is something overly endearing about listeing to a bunch of skinheads shout Oi! this and Oi! that, and then wrap up the evening with a very polite sounding "Ciao!"

NABAT live in Cesena, Italy