In The Trashcan Records
GEM010
"Australia has taken over the garage scene while the UK
fights back..."
This 1987 instrumental starts with footsteps on the sidewalk. It's one of the finest instros coming from Greece. In the background there are some vocals, though; yet hardly intelligible. On this EP, their 2nd, there's the track "Every night", that already appeared on Voxx' "Battle of the garages vol 4".
And here is Australia again, this time for The Hard-Ons, a punky garage trio from Sydney with a trashy powerpop punk anthem. "All set to go" was in the late 80s - early 90s - a classic in some alternative youth centers in and around Antwerp, Belgium. They were considered heroes, was were fellow Australians Cosmic Psychos. Released by Waterfront Records.
One of Australia's most legendary garage combos and "famous" for their 1985 debut "Tears me in two". During their short period of existence (1983-1987) these Australians became instant heroes in the Euro garage scene. Perth based label White Label Records released this B-side two years later. I was glad to see them in 2007 on stage during one of their reunion tours. First half of the song is instrumental.
Australia ruled in those days. When garage meets post punk, you can get the strangest musical sounds. One of the best examples were feedtime (with a lowercase f), also from Sydney. All of their Aberrant releases are must-haves. Sub Pop realized that and so followed "The Aberrant Years Sampler" in 2012.
In 1987-1990 Candy Del Mar played bass for The Cramps. Garage rock hero Rich Coffee of Thee Fourgiven dedicated this song to the black-haired buxotic beauty on bass. It's a Mystery Scene release, from Germany.
"Happy when it rains" is a great song, but please please please flip over that 45 and have a listen to this song. It's perfect guitar pop masked by layer upon layer of distorted guitars.
Another Australian power pop meets garare punk release, this time on Greasy Pop, a small label from Adelaide. It was their second release. In 1990 it reappeared on "A nest of vipers" on Normal Records from Germany.
Steve Albini is/was an icon. In 1987 his Big Black released this 45 featuring Cheaptrick's "He's a whore" and Kraftwerk's "The model". The amount of feedback and distortion on this version is so enormous, it's amazing that one can still sing the melody and understand the lyrics. Released on the seminal Touch And Go Records from Chicago.
Debut 45 from these Berlin boys on Twang! Records. Leaders of the band were Vic Count aka Matthias Gumz and Rick Zontar. From 1985 to 1989 they released three 45s and two albums. Poppy psych-garage that didn't sell at all, unfortunately.
This is the promotional flexi-disc with a slightly different version of "Mother Shipton" from the forthcoming EP on Rouska. Industrial gothic postpunk from Leeds, UK.
And now to San Diego, California, for the second 45 by this fantastic band featuring Mike Stax on bass. This Scorpions tune gets an awesome treatment on Australia's best garage label, Kavern7 Records.
After the split of the band into The Mission and The Sisterhood, Andrew Eldritch reformed The Sisters Of Mercy with ex-Gun Club Patricia Morrison and topped the indie charts with the slightly poppier sounding "This corrosion". This flipside, however, is a bit darker and is a perfect link between the old and the new sounds.
"Orgone accumulator" is a Farfisa organ and fuzz guitar drenched psychedelic garage treasure well hidden as B-side of "Love missile F1-11", the Sigue Sigue Sputnik indie hit, issued on the Chapter 22 label. This is not what Pop Will Eat Itself normally sounds like.
No introduction needed for this fantastic band from London. They kept on experimenting with sounds, song arrangements and soundscapes combined with a punky attitude. Although they never equalled their debut "Pink flag", this 1987 Mute release is worth picking up. Since it worked for the dancers on the dance floor in the late 80s, why then ignoring this great example of UK indie music.
A Beatboy was J.P. Van, known for his Boom! Records label. He was not the "garage guy" most people think he was. After considering himself as the first garage band after the 60s, he released the album series "JP Van presents The 2nd Belgian beat boom", which has hardly anything to do with "real" garage rock. When he finally discovered what all garage lovers already had known for ages, he left the guitar scene and "rediscovered" world music. Nevertheless, this song is a wonderful, cheesy tune, but no, it's not garage nor beat. Released on Waterloo Sunset Records.
From 1981 to 1987 this combo was the most famous rockabilly band in Belgium. After several releases on Soundwork they disbanded after releasing this 45 for the French label Accord. Their version of Iggy Pop's "Lust for life" is incredible.
