Boys Say Go: 7" and 12"

There's an old cliche that says you mustn't judge a book by its cover. Likewise, you often shouldn't judge a band by their name. This, however, is NOT one of those cases. Boys Say Go sound exactly like a band named after an early DM song should sound like. Their music is bouncy electro-pop that is infectious as hell, if sometimes a bit cheesy. You may remember them from the Hit The Floor comp I posted a few years back.
 Their 1984 debut 7", Joey and Maria, is almost impossible to find (I have seen only one copy for sale in about 12 years). The A-side reminds me of Tone Set's "Living in Another Land", both stylistically and thematically. Love is Dangerous is a perfect counterpart to the A-side, with its gurgling synths and imminently catchy songwriting.
Their 12", Humanity, is from the following year, by which time they had adopted a more well-produced electro sound. Despite being their last release, it sounds a bit more dated than their 7", but that might just be a result of my preference for the more lo-fi sound of their debut. Still, Humanity is a fun track, and Holy War is actually a great synthpop dancefloor smash with just a touch of With Sympathy-era Ministry funkiness. The band faded into obscurity after the 12", with their records slowly trickling into the hands of synthpop fans like myself. If you want a perfect dose of well-crafted, fun synthpop, you could certainly do worse than Boys Say Go. Listen and enjoy.

Joey and Maria 7"
1984, Gender Records
A Joey and Maria
B Love is Dangerous

Humanity 12"
1985, Gender Records
A Humanity
B Holy Way (D-D-Dance Mix)

Listen to both here!

Spiff: Music At Last!

We cannot always judge a book by its cover, nor an album on its artwork. I know this from experience, as all record collectors surely do. I’ve purchased countless cheap records completely unheard, based upon their promising cover art, only to cringe when my needle hit the wax and the hideous sounds of Air Supply-esque wuss-wave spewed from the speakers. Conversely, sometimes an uninspired cover can actually hide a surprisingly excellent record. This record by Spiff is a perfect example. Although its simplistic cover looks like it may have come from a mid-80s AOR pop band from Iowa that recorded an album of soft rock jams with lyrics about how much they want to rip off your teal jumpsuit and muss up your feathered hair as they rock your body (gently, of course… they’re soft rockers, after all), in reality the record is a completely unknown, Southern Californian one-man synthpop extravaganza.

While the prospect of late-80s synthpop leaves a very sour taste in most of our mouths, let me assure you that this guy was the genuine article. It sounds as if he worshipped in the church of Vince Clarke and Paul Humphreys. While other kids in his school band were learning to play Stars and Stripes Forever, he was trying to convince the music teacher that the composition sorely lacked a Jupiter 8 solo. And while other kids recited the US Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school, he probably sang Just Can’t Get Enough.

Truly, there is not a dud on this album. The only criticism I really have is that it is not a very dynamic record – most songs are about the same BPM and sound vaguely similar to one another, and the same drum fill is used on almost every song. Of course, given the choice between listening to a slightly redundant late-80s record heavily influenced by Speak and Spell, or a third-rate Quiet Riot clone singing their last remaining brain cells out, I certainly prefer the former. And there are songs that stand out from the rest here – Phon is eminently danceable, with silly lyrics and samples of telephones ringing. Follow Me has an absolutely killer bassline and is prefect for any synthpop dance club (especially since most of the lyrics simply say “get up, get up, get up and dance”).

The more I listen to this record, the more I appreciate the mysterious Spiff's completely earnest take on a style of music that was certainly passé when he released it. He was 10 years too late to enjoy any sort of renown with this record, and at least 10 years too early to take advantage of any sort of early-synthpop resurgence. In a way, I suppose he was one of the very first people to revive this style of electro-pop, albeit at the worst time possible (commercially, at least). At the beginning of “Clauge”, he declares “In the late 70s, no-one understood… there was a new age dawning. And this is what it sounded like” just before a barrage of (kind of cheesy) analog-sounding electronics smacks your ears. With this statement, you know that Spiff is trying desperately to recapture the sound of a bygone era. And I’ll be damned if he doesn’t succeed wonderfully.

Spiff: Music at Last EP

1989, self-released

Spiff is on the way to re-releasing his music digitally! Check out this page for more info. 

Various Artists: Commercial Music Vol. 2

I have not been posting as much as I’d like to, having been busy with work and exploring my new home city, but here is a compilation I have been working on with various odds and ends and rarities. Most of these songs and artists are underappreciated or virtually unknown, and many have never been widely shared. I consciously made this compilation an exercise in “wave around the world”. Included are artists from the US, Brazil, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Belgium, the UK, and more. Most are from the 80s, but a handful are from the 90s and 2000s. Enjoy!

The first track is Verdun by Addie Brik (UK, 1984). It’s a downtempo and slightly synthy Siouxsie-esque song. While it doesn’t develop as much as I would like, it has good atmospheric and is a good intro to the comp.

Proxies (Greece, 1982) released an amazing debut LP that recalled Cold War Night Life era Rational Youth. They followed it with a stylistic change toward a more pop-oriented direction on their second LP. This song, the awkwardly-titled Don't Throw Babies (To The Spartans At Kaiadas),is from that second LP, and while it is quite cheesy (admittedly a characteristic of their debut as well), it’s a pretty good synthpop track.

Soviet (NYC, 2000) were unfairly lumped with all the NY electroclash bands during the brief few months that genre was legitimate, but they really were a pure, earnest synthpop band. If they came out now, they would probably be classified as a minimal synth band. They released a couple CDs; this song is a very minimalistic demo version of their song Marbleyzed.

Nohumaneye (UK, 1981) self released one 7” and have been pretty much completely unknown for the past 30 years or so. I happened to find this in a tiny record store in Istanbul, of all places. This song, The Owners Lose A Package, is good lo-fi and synth-heavy new wave that borders on punk with its slightly off-key and shout-y vocals.

Strafe Fur Rebellion (Germany, 1983) has been shared before, but this song off their debut 7”,Mosche Bildt Njet, is a bit hard to find, and is completely unlike their abstract instrumental NDW that they’re more known for. Instead, this song basically sounds like DAF if they were a four-piece band with no electronics. It’s highly rhythmic, repetitive, with tinny jagged stabs of guitars and almost militaristic chanting.

The next song is a completely unknown track by a band called Dancing Bears (Scotland, 1987). The band was from the UK and self-released this 7”, and that may be their only recorded output. This song, Got to Get Out of Here, is a real gem - especially for those of us who love early 80s Scottish post punk. This is a very Josef K-sounding burst of energy

I shared Pinkie Maclure’s previous LP a while back. This track, Garden Of Delights, is taken from her Favourite LP (1995, UK). It finds her still using loads of electronics, but equips her with a new percussive backbone that recalls Krautrock bands like Can or Neu!. Her vocals are a bit more ethereal on this song, which recalls many of the trip-hop and electronic bands at the time (most notably Portishead and Laika).

Akira S + Charlie C (Brazil, 1989) follow with a song called Tokei, a short, synthy dark pop track. Akira S was huge in the underground Brazilian post punk and synthpop scene, and was behind many of the bands on the excellent Nao Wave and Sexual Life of the Savages compilations from a few years ago.

Scatterbrains (Netherlands, 1983) released an ridiculously sought-after mini-LP and disappeared. I have only heard a few songs on the mLP, and this is probably my favorite. Totally amateur and raw analogue synthpop – if anyone has a rip of their full record I’d love to hear it…

Trans Millenia Consort (San Francisco, 1984) is sometimes cited as the first-ever dark ambient band. While that claim may be disputable, there is no arguing this ominously-titled song’s (Blood Celebrants) absolutely haunting atmosphere that recalls a long foggy drive to a haunted house teetering atop a precarious precipice. Oh yeah, and the SF-based woman behind this band was completely BLIND.

Dequina + Zaba (Brazil, 1991) provide a wonderful downtempo (almost ambient) electronic song called Preposicoes, with nearly indecipherable hushed female vocals and layers of restrained percussion and effects.

48 Chairs (UK, 1982) were one of the many UK DIY bands that have been comped on the Messthetics and Homework series. Relentless is taken from their sole (and exceedingly rare) LP, is full of whirling electronics, tinny metronomic drum machines, blasts of sax, and repetitive vocals.

Navastrau (Chicago, 1980) follow up with a totally art-damaged and dark-as-hell post punk song from their self-released 7”, called Looking from an Airplane. A tinny rhythm box holds the beat for layers of synths, out-of-tune guitars, and almost electronic-sounding saxes. The female vocalist sounds simultaneously blasé and paranoid.

MaGita (Germany, 1984) follow with a burst of visceral German post punk. Originally the vocalist and violinist for Abwarts, she released a 12” from which this song, Jones, is culled. This track is replete with blazing guitars, shouted vocals, and a rhythm section that sounds like it’s in a state of repeated collapse

The Aeffect (Florida, 2002) may have been part of the “hipster synthpop” underground scene of the late 90s and early aughts, but like the best bands and albums of that genre – Antarctica, “Danse Macabre” by The Faint – they actually were legitimately good. This song, Burning in the Bed on Fire, is a fast-paced song with intense but simplistic synthesizer lines that recall early OMD or the “Some Bizarre” version of Depeche Mode’s Photographic.

Bedtime for Bonzo (Belgium, 1984) played jokey post punk and dark electro. Some people may be familiar with this controversial track, but it still remains a bit unknown so I figured I’d share it again. It’s called The Bloody Violation of Mickey Mouse’s Virginity on 59^th Street. …and that is LITERALLY what this song is about.

Braizen Boiz (US, 1983) had a pretty dumb name (you’d expect them to sound like a hip hop version of Menudo or something), but they did leave their mark on the synthpop underground with this track, Beware. They only released one 12” which featured 3 mixes of the song (this is my favorite, the Space Version). Most copies were destroyed in a flood (isn’t that always the case?) so it’s hard to come across these days.

Maxx Mann (NYC, 1981) self-released one 12” that was an earnest combination of bathhouse disco and synthpop. This song, Like a Killer (True Love Is Always True) is loaded with tinny electronics and disco basslines, with Maxx Mann’s expressive vocals. Of all the people on this comp, he probably went on to the most fame, becoming a broadway actor of some reknown, as well as the singer of the hugely popular Trans Siberian Orchestra.

Kim Ki O (Istanbul, 2008) could be your new favorite synth band. This Turkish girl duo makes some gorgeous synth music that fits right along such contemporaries as Sixth June and Kindest Lines. They have an EP that was recently released on Enfant Terrible; this song I Don’t Relate, is found on one of their earlier self-released demo cd-rs.

Courage of Lassie (Canada, 1986) released several neofolk albums in the 80s and 90s. I’m not a huge fan of most of their work, but this track, Hiroshima, is full of glistening synths and wistful keyboard lines. It’s almost nostalgic-sounding, and I figure it’s a decent way to round out the comp…

Click here to listen...

The Cut: Shadow Talks LP

Here is a record from a pretty obscure Norwegian band called The Cut. Aside from being comped on one of the New Wave Complex cd-rs, and more recently the excellent Maskindans double-CD, this band has remained largely unknown. Perhaps they would have found more mass appeal if they were from the UK or even the US, but instead they were relegated to being "big in Scandinavia" which regrettably did not grant them much reknown, nor does it sound as impressive as being "big in Japan".

Their music, however, will certainly appeal to almost any fan of new wave or synthpop. They combine jerky guitars and some great new wave riffs, washes of synths and electronics and the perfect amount of blasse vocals. They sound like they take their cues from their British counterparts, most notably Gary Numan and Tubeway Army, as well as the eccentricities of the Neue Deutsche Welle scene (one standout song is actually sung in German), with vocals that sometimes recall David Byrne.

This is an album that hits you over and over and over with excellent tracks - from the bouncy "The Crowd" with deceptively macabre lyrics about death, misery, and burning flesh, to the dark new wave synths of the German-sung In Dieser Stadt. It's surprising that such a great album (that was issued twice, on two different labels, and later on CD) STILL has not received much recognition. I can't recommend this one highly enough - if you liked their contribution to the Maskindans CDs, or if a cross between Gary Numan and Surplus Stock appeals to you, then you need to check this record out.

The Cut: Shadow Talks LP

1982, Ultraphone Records

A1 The Crowd

A2 Disguises

A3 I Wish It Was Simple

A4 Atmospheres

A5 From Day To Day

B1 In Dieser Stadt

B2 Television

B3 Supernatural Conspiracy

B4 Break It

B5 This Time

Click here to listen!

Steve Braun's Universe: Out to Play 7"

Before the advent of the analog synthesizer and drum machine, one-man bands tended to almost exclusively be found firmly in folk-rock territory; just a man or a woman and a guitar, vocals, and the occasional harmonica. Synths helped to change that, though, as one person could record an entire album using the vast array of sounds and beats that were programmed on their new devices. Entire albums could be recorded using just a few synthesizers - from the completely raw DIY aesthetic of Transparent Illusion to the tuneful minimalist synthpop of John Foxx.

Steve Braun was one such one-man band. He self-released this 7" on his own Universe Records in 1982 as a demo to send around to labels and record companies, never really distributing more than a few hundred copies. He played virtually everything on this record, which is nearly exclusively electronic (except for a short sax interlude and live drums on side B). Musically, his songs are extremely redolent of early Gary Numan (although his vocals are more similar to Philip Oakley of Human League). If Braun and Numan did not know each other before this 7" was released, this record certainly caught Gary's ear, as the synthpop star and Braun later joined forces to create Numa Records. Braun even released a 12" on that label some years later.

If decidedly lo-fi and minimal one-man synthpop is at all appealing to you, then you'll want to check out this obscurity!

Steve Braun's Universe: Out To Play 7"

1982, Universe Records

A1 Out to Play

B1 Red Light Districts

Click here to listen...

DADA Dascography

It's great to have friends who are interested in collecting the same music as you. There's an instant comaraderie; they enlighten you to new music that you're bound to love but have yet to hear, and let's admit it - the conversations about recent records you've found, while they may not seem to amount to more than pissing contests, are extremely engaging. Especially when shouted to each other in a divey club after several drinks.

So when I ran into Frank (nee Frankie Teardrop of the always-excellent Systems of Romance blog) at a record store a mere week after living in New York, I was excited and a tad apprehensive. My initial reaction was purely instictual: I saw a couple records in his hands and I wanted to know WHAT records he found. Were they records I could have found first?!? After this thought passed through my mind in a flash (we both found nothing of interest at the shop), we talked about New York, music, record stores - the general music nerd conversation topics. He had just returned from upstate and we decided to visit a record store he had not been to for a while (and which I, being new to the region, had never even heard of). Neither of us were disappointed. I found inexpensive copies of the No Name 12" and the Computer Haben Herzschmerz by REK - the latter of which I had been looking for for quite a while. He found a couple goodies as well, and I even found a couple for him that I already had (the Lilac Dreams EP from Gothic Girls and the Loveland 12").

But there was one record in particular that I found that looked particularly promising, from a band called Dada. Neither of us had seen it before. I listened to the B side and was a little impressed, and listened to only a second or two of the A side. I put it in a pile of "maybe" records. I had a bunch of records I wanted to listen to, and there was only one record player in the store, so I wanted to be quick. Frankie asked to listen to the Dada record after I was done, and after a few moments he said "if you don't want this, I do".

Which piqued my interest a bit. I listened to the A side again. This time I listened all the way through. How had I not noticed this before? The song, Age of Confusion, was one of the best underground late-80s synthpop songs I had heard. Ever. Long and epic, repetitive but not boring, with a steady danceable beat, layers of warm and cold and wailing synths, an amazing synth refrain, great vocals and lyrics, and New Order-ish guitars (and a title that fused two New Order song names), Age of Confusion was just a flat-out great song. I filed the record in my "buy" pile immediately.

Frank took note of the record and found it right away on eBay for dirt cheap. Since that time, either he or I have played it at the Wierd party almost every week, to a packed dancefloor. The record can still be found very easily online. Sometimes the greatest unknown hits are not rare - they're just plain... well, unknown.

Included in this post - a shared effort by both Frank and myself - is the Age of Confusion 12" from 1987, and their later 4-song EP.

Age of Confusion 12"

1987, A Major recording Label

A Age Of Confusion

B Pursuits Of Happiness

Right Men tell Lies 12"

1988, A Major Recording Label

A1 Discussing Missile Size

A2 As The Sun Races By

B1 Separate Ways

B2 The World They Left Behind

Find both here

Human Being Men: Selftitled 12"

Here is a record that I used to have many years ago, but traded away for another gem. Hence, I do not have a photo of the record (it was not issued with a cover anyway). This was a 1981 self-released 12" from a San Francisco duo called Human Being Men. The music ranges quite a bit, and there are a couple duds and a couple true gems. MSP-1 is an okay bouncy instrumental song, but the sax overkill kinda ruins it. Ronnie is probably best ignored, coming across like... ugh... a cheerful Huey Lewis knockoff.

However, don't despair! Human Dub is a standout, a pure instrumental electro-pop workout that reminds me very much of the first 12" from fellow SF minimal synth guru Mrs. Higginbottom. Take Me Back is also a great track, on which the duo seems to throw virtually every early-80s synthesizer sound in a blender and come out with a tasty synthpop smoothie (except for those damn saxes they insist on using in a couple parts).

Human Being Men 12"

1981, self-released

Human Dub

MSP-1 (Falling 5)

Ronnie

Take Me Back

Click here to download this record!

I SHOOK HANDS: Someday I'll Be Gone 12"

Okay, shameless plug: I have a bunch of records currently on eBay (and will be listing hundreds more for the next couple months), including this one. And that's probably the last time I'll mention that. But I know that people will probably want to hear this. This is a self-released, self-produced, one-man band called I Shook Hands (a sticker on the back credits "Manny" as the sole member of the group, and gives his phone number). There is no year of release, although I'd guess it's some time around 1986-1988 or so. The music is similar to mid-80s Depeche Mode, Information Society, Experimental Products, Red Flag, et al. It's pure danceable elctro bliss, especially on the track "That's Just the Way", which has a repetitive but killer synth line. The singer's vocals are oddly lispy, and the lyrics are a little silly (he rhymes "day" with "day" three lines in a row), but who cares when the music is so damn catchy and good?

Click here to download this record!
I Shook Hands: Someday I'll Be Gone 12"
198?, ISH Records
A: Someday I'll Be Gone
B: That's Just the Way

Can't you take a hint?

Several years ago, Mutant Sounds posted the excellent electro-pop/minimal synth compilation Subtle Hints In the past few years, with the growing popularity of this genre, this LP has gone more-or-less under the radar. It's time for it to be rediscovered. Every song is electronic-based. There are several classics on this album, from the dark synthpop of the ridiculously named Squid Diddly to the experimental electronics of Art Interface to the charming lo-fi synthpop of the wonderfully-named New Vices for the Jaded to the darkwave of My Pierrot Dolls. Download this if you don't yet have it. Enjoy.

The Wonders of Science: Record of the Same Name EP

Down from the southern end of the SF Bay Area (San Jose, a city which is actually larger in population than SF, but which nonetheless plays second fiddle to its world-reknown northern relative) comes this wonderful synthpop group, Wonders of Science. They released a 7" and this 12" EP. You can read about the 7" on one of the members' blogs here.
This group was reduced to a duo for this self-released 1983 EP, and they were a pretty early adopter of the classic Roland 808 drum machine. They were pretty much the only band of their kind in San Jose, and played all around the Bay Area for a few years before finally going their separate ways. Michael Dresbach became a priest (whose blog is linked to above) and now lives in Panama. Matt still lives in the Bay Area.

The 7" was uploaded on the excellent and amazingly prolific BX-59cppw blog, so get that too!

The Wonders of Science: Record of the Same Name EP
1983, Wonders of Science Records
Reconsidering Our Love
Let's Start a Rumour
Kleptomania
Call It Off

Click here to download this record!

Paul Nova: Trees Without Leaves LP, Fantasy & Feeling 12", Julie Ann 7"

Since it's been a while since I posted, and since this may be my only post for June, I'll include a nice "bonus" upload here. I think that a lot of people are very curious about this mysterious UK solo act, after seeing his stuff fetch hundreds on eBay. I know I was, and finally got these songs from a very generous member of minimal-wave.org. As one-half of the underground synth duo Bizarre Unit, Paul Nova was making minimal electro-pop for his entire short career. His later singles (especially Fantasy and Feeling) had a more commercial synthpop sound, but were still excellent releases. This is basically his entire discography (he had a 7" with Famous Boys/Trees Without Leaves, but both those songs appear on his LP.) If anybody has the Bizarre Unit stuff to share, I would be very happy!

Paul Nova: Julie Ann 7"
1982, Echibit One Records
A Julie-Ann
B Video Age

Paul Nova: Trees Without Leaves LP
1984, Exhibit One Records
A1 Lovers In Paris
A2 You Could Be Good
A3 Home Sweet Home
A4 Trees Without Leaves
B1 You Are
B2 Famous Boys
B3 Love You Madly
B4 Broken Rose

Paul Nova: Fantasy and Feeling 12" EP
1985, Exhibit One Records
A1 Fantasy
A2 Letter Of Love
B1 The Feeling
B2 Summer Breeze

Download everything here!

MC²: Selftitled LP

It seems like there is an endless supply of German new wave bands. There was a huge
underground tape culture, and many blogs (most notably Mutant Sounds) have posted countless
NDW tapes and private releases. Personally, it's a genre that's hit-or-miss. There's almost always an element of silliness and quikiness in German new wave. Some releases are quirky and fun, and sometimes the silliness is detrimental, to the point of just being stupid.
Fortunately, this album falls square in the former - almost every song is a bouncy classic, with loads and loads of synths, choppy guitars, and German vocals that I can't understand. This is up there with Palais Schaumburg, Croox, Malaria!, Zero Zero, 1.Futurologischer Congress and others who combined their silliness with a bit of gloom and loads of straight- ahead electro-pop.

MC²: Selftitled LP

1982, Gulp Records

A1 Stadt Aus Stahl

A2 Gen-X

A3 Keimfrei

A4 E = MC²

A5 Kleine Königinnen

B1 007

B2 Erde

B3 Ufos

B4 Schutzlos

B5 Du Willst Nur Mich

Click here to download this album!

PRIMARY COLORS: Fact and Fiction EP

Here is an EP from a Boston, MA band that I have seen on eBay a couple times a year; it always fetches a modest price, but I have never seen it shared before. In my opinion, it is completely underrated, and chock-full of great synthpop that's slightly melancholy, not overly poppy, with a perfect amount of electronics and a touch of gloom. Two synth players, a bassist and a drummer (no guitars) are a perfect combination for synthpop. Fact and Fiction is a great pure synthpop track, and Original Sin should drive the fans of darker minimal synth carzy. Anyway, in summary: download this. It's great.

Primary Colors: Fact and Fiction EP

1982 Urban Noise Records

A1 Fact and Fiction

A2 Notorious

B1 Small World

B2 Original Sin

B3 Fiction (Reprise)

CLick here to download this record!

Frederick M: Following Directions mLP

I remember when I used to see this EP quite a bit, usually in the dollar bin. In the past few years, it has become more and more scarce, only coming up once in a while on eBay. I figured that some people would probably be interested in hearing it. It's a wonderful and melodic synthpop mini-LP. Almost every song here is a gem. Time and Pain and Following Directions are both upbeat and catchy without being too commercial, and my favorite song, We Go In Threes, is slightly dark and melodic and makes this record a must-have, even if it is a bit cheesy at times. If you like Rational Youth, Scarlet Architect, early Depeche Mode, Starter, etc, you should appreciate this. I cannot find any information on this Frederick M from Virginia, although the songs are all credited to an F. M. Quayle... And a search for "Frederick M Quayle" turns up a 72-year-old Republican senator from Virginia. Is there any chance that these two people are one and the same? Could Frederick M really have been the hippest 47-year-old Republican Senator-to-be when he released this in 1984? All emails to Frederick M Quayle have gone unanswered...

Frederick M: Following Directions mLP
1984, Oak Springs Records
A1 Time and Pain
A2 Following Directions
A3 They Don't Know
B1 We Go In Threes
B2 Nothing to Fear
B3 Bolero

Click here to download this record!