LOOK WHAT I COULD FIND vol 30
"Killer tunes" - 16 epitaphs from long forgotten weirdos

 

In The Trashcan Records       GEM030
"The life of the mortician is like collecting old 45s... it's hard to find clues and the dead tell no tales..."

1. kill your baby - chaos uk

"Four minute warning" is their best known song. On that same debute EP "Burning Britain" you'll find "Kill your baby", which reminds me of "City baby attacked by rats" by GBH, also from 1982. Excellent 80s punk by this Bristol band. A killer release on Riot City.

9. video killed the radio star - bruce woolley & the camera club

The Buggles became known worldwide thanks to MTV who played their version of "Video killed the radio stars" as starting song in 1980. Few seem to remember that the original song is from 1979 by Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club with a young Thomas Dolby on keyboards. MTV killed the radio stars.

2. justifiable homicide - dave goodman & friends

Red vinyl release from 1978 on The Label. We all know Goodman for his production work with the UK Subs, Vibrators, Maniacs, The Cannibals and of course The SexPistols. I don't know whether this justifies homicide, but he's also the guy behind the Ex Pistols project.

10. death of a guru - sawdust caesars

500 copies have been pressed in 1998 by Rocket Recordings from Bristol. A different version of this Stooges-like garage rock tune can be found on their album "Psychedelic concentration camp". Iggy Pop was their guru, but not dead yet.

3. dead men tell no tales - d.o.a.

One of the world's oldest punk rock bands, formed in 1978 in Vancouver, Canada. In 1993 they recorded this song for Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles.

11. dead boyfriend - the monarchs

Trashy garage sound from a Michigan combo with a female singer who just has killed her boyfriend, it seems.  They're called America's ungarage swank kings and queen. A 1992 Bulb Records release.

4. cop killer - body count

A 1992 live version of one of rock's most controversial songs ever, "Cop Killer", written by Ice-T. Body Count never agreed to this single release, but I must say that the six-minutes long version is too important to be ignored. In my young years I played this song when the police entered to close the venue because of loud music complaints.

12. circus of death - the human league

The only really interesting Human League 45 is the first one, a synthesizer tune recorded in 1978 in the midst of the punk craze, a circus of death. As B-side of the well known "Being boiled" this dark synthpop tune has remained under the radar for too long.

5. city of the dead - the clash

Such a shame it was only the B-side of "Complete comtrol", a 1977 single on CBS, written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. It's not safe in the city of the dead.

13. walking through a cemetery - the monsters

Swedish release by a Swiss band that delivered one of the 90s scariest Halloween tunes, one you wouldn't dare to listen to when you're walking through a cemetery. They go beyond that line drawn by The Cramps in 1980. A 1995 Subway Star release.

6. better off dead - la peste

One of the first punk rock bands from Boston, when DMZ was already active there. In 1978 they released this single on Black Records. Was this really their only single? I know there's a live album and a sampler. I'd like to see more 45s by these fantastic US punks from Massachusetts. Some bands are better off dead, but not these guys.

14. dead girl - the new christs

Double-7" on Citadel, one of Australia's best garage labels. In 1987 they were one of the best known bands of OZ Garageland.

7. the knife - long tall ernie & the shakers

Nobody likes this band; why should you? It was a Dutch 70s rock'n'roll outfit from Arnhem. Still this creepy B-side of "Big fat mamma" is too good to be ignored. I assume it was named after Henk "Hank the knife" who left the band in those days to start his own band. A 1973 release on Cardinal Records.

15. razorblades - sanity assassins

Started as a hardcore punk band in Connecticut with a deep love for garage punk. Thirteen years earlier The Kids were singing "Razorblades for sale". That's why Dionysus Records released this 45 in 1991.

8. r.i.p. - alien sex fiend

Double A-sided red wax release on Anagram in 1984 as one of their fiercest recordings ever, certainly this "blue crumb truck" version. Perfect for Halloween parties at any graveyard.

16. the mortician - the boss martians

Many death rides end with a visit of the mortician. The Boss Martians were a terrific US instrumental band, who released this 1995 recording on Roto-Flex.