Boston New Wave-Punk

Slow Children - "Pseudo Girl" b/w "Going to Germany" & "Oriental Bondage" is indeed a rare find. This 7" is from the Boston area, dated 1981 on the Varulven label. What do I know about this band? Absolutely nothing. Tried to do a little online sleuthing, and only found this 7" listed on a page that has a really extensive, thorough listing of every punk-related record that came out in the Boston area in the late 70's-80's. Found no information to go with it. Any you might have is welcome. I got this little record (kinda scratched and a slight warp) for next to nothing, so I'm not complaining. One little skip at the beginning of the second song, doesn't ruin it for me.



What's it actually sound like? It's weird, kinda artsy New-Wave/Garage/Punk/...? Sounds in the vein of early XTC, Gang of Four, Ian Dury....somewhere between them, maybe, haha. They desperately wanted to be from Great Britain. Honestly, the sound is fairly convincing and it's really not a bad little 7". This one will be a regular spin for me at certain gigs, and will be on mixes for driving long distances.



Download it from the link and give it a listen for yourself. Couldn't find anywhere to download or buy it, so good luck!



http://www.mediafire.com/?ynnzlwyxtny

British Soul

Watson T Browne and The Explosive - "Gimme Some" b/w "Home is Where the Heart Lies" is a British-pressed and recorded soul 45 on the President label. I honestly don't know a whole lot about it except it says it's produced by Eddy Grant. I can't really find much info about about Watson or the President label, although I did see a President label discography, and it includes a ton of great American soul 45's, some Equals 45's, and other British artists I'd never heard of. The Equals 45's tip me off that the Eddy Grant you're thinking of (yeah, Electric Avenue) is the same guy who produced this 45. It also has a similar rock 'n soul sound to what the Equals were doing. "Gimme Some" is a mid-tempo mover with passionate vocals and lyrics that you could probably guess without ever hearing the song. The b-side is a mellow ballad that leaves some passion to be desired, in my opinion. What I love about this 45 is how British it sounds. It's clearly trying its hardest to sound like good American southern soul, but it's got a certail sterility about it that just reeks of England. The vocals are a bit too forward in the mix for my liking, and the rhythm section doesn't play "behind" enough to give it the swagger that American soul had. It's interesting, and "Gimme Some" is certainly danceable. Download and hear it for yourself, then look for a copy somewhere!

http://www.mediafire.com/?tnn3zwimrhw

Jean Wells' Sweet Soul

Jean Wells - "Can't You Feel It" b/w "Sit Down And Cry" is a beautiful 45 on the NY-based Calla label from the late 60's ('67 or '68). Wells was a Florida-born singer who made records in Philly before doing her finest work for Calla in the late 60's. She's got some tunes that are prized by the Northern Soul cats, and she's not particularly well-known overall. When I saw this 45, I only bought it because I love a lot of stuff on Calla, and the song titles sounded like soul. I'd never heard of Ms. Wells. Well, the record went beyond my expectations. "Can't You Feel It" is an up-tempo mover with the hand-drumming and percussion that makes purple-heart-popping Anglophiles dance in ways they didn't know they could. It's a fairly passionate tune, but the ballad side, "Sit Down and Cry", is the one that gets me. Wells' voice is just totally convincing, and her timing is fantastic. She comes into lines just late enough to really make you believe, and keep you waiting for the next note to be emphatically sung. Love this 45, so download it below and buy it from somewhere.

http://www.mediafire.com/?enf5zzwj41z

Magazine - Shot By Both Sides

Magazine - "Shot By Both Sides" b/w "My Mind Ain't So Open" was Magazine's very first single, and I proudly own it. This 7" was recorded BEFORE the band had a keyboard player, so it's got a much rawer sound, with less glossy production and....well.....no keyboards. Now, this is tough for me, because I admittedly LOVE the polished, keyboard-heavy sound of the first LP, Real Life. So, obviously, this version of the classic song is different from the LP version that is more well-known to anyone who didn't hear this song on the radio in the UK when it came out. It's a more "punk" sound, and the b-side (which didn't make it on Real Life), "My Mind Ain't So Open", is definitely a fairly traditional "punk" song, more than the artsy, New-Wave-anticipating sound of the songs on the LP. It's a straight-ahead 2 minute rocker with 2 or 3 chords total. LOVE it. Devoto's voice was awesome. This band was awesome. Enjoy my rip of my very clean copy, then get a copy for yourself:

http://www.mediafire.com/?n0jjmmgdyna

The Weirdos - Destroy All Music

The Weirdos - Destroy All Music on the Bomp label from 1977 is probably my favorite REAL early LA punk 7". I found this SUPER clean copy of this record for really cheap at a record store REAL close to where I'm working now. This is just quintessential 1977 American punk, with the perfect amount of posturing-without-really-trying-because-it's-new attitude and snarl. Songs are short, not all that serious, and very fun to listen to. Don't know what more to say, really, because this one should pretty much explain itself. Great punk 7", download:

http://www.mediafire.com/?2txynmwl51m

Instrumental Early Reggae

Jo Jo Bennett & Mudie's All-Stars - "Snowbird" b/w "Change the Tide" is the 45 I have for you today. Jo Jo is an Alpha Boys School alum, as so many of Jamaica's greatest musicians have been. He is known for his fine trumpet work, and I suppose his biggest "hit" was "Leaving Rome" on Trojan records in the UK, or maybe "Lecture Me", which I believe went on to become the oft-versioned "Lecturer" riddim that dancehall artists still use to this day. He moved to Canada, as so many of his fellow-Jamaicans did and still do. This 45 was one of his awesome recordings for Mudie's "Moodisc" label. My copy has most of the info scratched out, so it took some hunting and figuring out on my part just to find a name for the A-side. Turns out it's an instrumental, cooled-out early reggae version of Anne Murray's 1970 country hit "Snowbird"! That dates the recording of this to about that year.



I have to say, this instrumental version of Snowbird KILLS the original Anne Murray version (not surprising, I guess). It gives it such a nice melancholy vibe, with the lilting melody played PERFECTLY "behind" the rhythm. You'll see what I mean when you listen to it, it's lovely. "Change the Tide" to me sounds like a slighty-reggae-fied version of the "I Dream of Jeannie" theme song (written by Hugo Montenegro). I love it. Weird percussion, yelled vocal breaks, and the funky rhythm make this tune worth a listen. The only thing "reggae" about this track seems to be the organ and guitar hits. Check it out by downloading below:


http://www.mediafire.com/?enlzjq5lqdd

My Favorite NJHC 7", right now, at least

Vision - Undiscovered is currently my favorite New Jersey Hardcore punk 7" EP ever, but that is subject to change depending on my mood or where I'm hanging out or what color I'm wearing or whatever. It's just a brilliant debut 7" from one of New Jersey's all-time best hardcore bands. This is on the melodic side. Definitely not the tough guy metal-tinged stuff, and also not the goofy-but-blistering AOD/Bedlam kinda stuff. It's awesome late 80's NJ hardcore punk that has influenced a lot of bands since. "Falling Apart" is one of my favorite NJHC songs EVER. Awesome melody, with vocals that are just the right mix of yelling/spitting words at you with venom, and actually sort of singing. At very least, we're not talking gutteral grunts and deep-throated screams. You can hear and understand every lyric (something my grandparents would say, but seriously, it rules). I have just been on a total mid-late 80's melodic hardcore kick recently with all of the DC stuff from that period dominating my listening. Then I picked up this 7" and remembered how fucking awesome it was, and why I loved seeing this band live so much. First hardcore band I ever saw, and they've never gotten old in my eyes. Still awesome. Support this band and buy actual, better-sounding versions of the songs from this EP on the "One and the Same" CD. For now, download this mediocre-sounding rip of the original 7".

http://www.mediafire.com/?z0hjqoywjit