Human League- Dare

Human League started in the late 70's, then collapsed with all of the band members pissing off to other musical endeavors. Phillip Oakey stayed behind with the band name as company. In a bewildering act he recruited two teenage girls to the band. In doing so the unthinkable occurred.... Human League were on top of the world, they also became one of the main forerunners in 80's synth-pop.
Yes, this is the album that contains "Don't you want me", a track that is on every 80's compilation  known to man (that singular fact is pretty fucking irritating actually), also its the bands first and last massive hit single. Annoyingly, that particular song is generally what people remember the band by. "Oh, yeah they're that band that do that don't-you-want-me-song, did they do any other songs?" Yes... yes they fucking do have other songs. What the fuck is wrong with you anyway?
Dare is an awesome land mark album for pop music in general. Its also the first closest thing to Kraftwerk that has come out of the U.K, actually just think Kraftwerk with well written lyrics with two thirds of the band female.
The primitive Korg synthesizer tone is legendary and each and every layer of note progressions have had a lot of thought put into them. Stand out tracks would include the very chaotic "Sound of the Crowd", the brilliantly catchy "Love Action", "Do or Die", "Things That Dreams Are Made Of" and the very moody and depressing "Seconds".

All in a fucking cool ass album. Get it in your ears immediately. That is if you know what is good for you.

P.S These cats are super stylish.

Suicide- Suicide

It is one in the morning, and I'm three quarters through Suicides first offering... I am shitting myself self right about now. The stark minimalism gives way for feelings of drastic unease, claustrophobia even.
A little while ago I was over whelmed with paranoia, I thought somebody was in the back yard... its windy outside... lots of noises about. I'm fucking scared.
The album is over ridden with a fantastic amount of dread and Alan Vega's freaky vocals and storytelling elevate the infinitely unpleasant atmosphere.
The primitive electronic drums and keyboard tones are the main components of what makes up the songs on this album. Despite the technology used (and even more so the era in which it was produced; 1977), this album is still remarkably fresh sounding.
My favorite track on the album would have to "Frankie Tear Drop", its a song which snow balls into a ferocious mess of screaming and strange atmospheric echo. Its a massive eleven minute epic. The shrieks become the most discerning part of the song as the protagonist (a highly strung out guy named Frankie) wipes out his wife and kid then shoots him self in the face.
All in all, this is an album to be heard. I will have to listen to what other stuff Suicide have done, as this is my introduction to them. I think I'm in love. You will also fall in love. Check it out.

Check it the fuck out already!!

Leonard Cohen- Songs of Love and Hate

This is the kind of album you put on at three in the morning with candles, listening to it in the semi-darkness, lying down on the floor amongst the clutter and junk that litters your lonely bedroom.  
Songs of Love and Hate delivers just what its name implies, a selection of songs that signify longing, hatred, reflections of love lost, brutal pessimism and blind optimism. It is not for people who are weak of heart.
I am not going divulge much further on the subject of the album as I love it on a level that makes it impossible to elaborate upon with the use of the English language.
The song writing here far surpasses what any other song writer (dead or alive) you care to mention could come up with. Period.
Leonard Cohen is the ultimate tortured artist and this is his impossibly perfect master piece. It is something that will be eternally breath taking and simultaneously heart wrenching. Immerse your self into the darkest heart of them all: Leonard Cohen.

The Cramps- Smell of Female

This is my favorite Cramps album, its probably the best live album ever made. Their set includes some oldies and mostly new songs (the oldies only feature in a special edition print of the album). Lux Interiors stage presence is ever evident in these recordings, his shrieks and howls always send a shiver of pure joy down my spine.
There is an awesome cover of "Faster Pussy Cat" featuring a hilarious introduction by Lux which in total sums up the movie from which the song was derived; "If you like to see beautiful women driving fast sports cars, breaking jocklatory(sic) type, he men mens spines..." (the film is "Faster Pussy Cat Kill, Kill" an excellent Russ Meyer film from the late 60's).
Smell of Female is a rollicking fun time, "The most exultant potentate of love" contains the coolest surf riff ever invented accompanied by a lot of bad ass hissing distortion (like most cramps songs).
"Call of the Wighat" contains a hilarious road trip narrative which entertains such images as Lux Interior riding his horse to Hollywood escaping from his abusive mother, whilst wearing snake skin pants. FUCKING HELL COOL.
"Good Taste" is an ode to women... with good taste, perhaps even cross dressers (as Lux was). Maybe even just Ivy Lee Rorschach (cramps lead guitarist and Lux's wife), she totally has good taste. She is the most beautiful woman to ever brandish a guitar in all existence.
"Nothing But a Gore Hound" perfectly encapsulates bands love for 50's B-grade schlock horror movies, my favorite line in the song would have to be; "I don't know about art, but I know what I like."
In short, this album is the ducks dick all the way. Don't be a square, man. Get this album, otherwise you'd die never knowing the pleasures this album can deliver. PLEASURE AVALANCHE.

Here are The Cramps in all of their fucked up glory. Enjoy thoroughly.

The Birthday Party- The John Peel Sessions

Okay... So this isn't an album as such but a collection of revamped Birthday Party songs recorded even better than they sound on the albums that they appear. The production is clean and raw dirty at the same time. In my opinion their songs have always sounded better live (listened to obviously on their live recordings and witnessed on the fantastic Pleasure Heads Must Burn DVD) the peel sessions deliver just that; a live sound recorded professionally with all the disdain and hatred for human kind intact and in most cases intensified.
"Pleasure Avalanche" on The Bad Seed E.P sounds awesome BUT in the peel sessions it sounds SUPER fucking EAR-BLEEDING-AWESOME. "Cry" on Prayers On Fire sounds a little bit drab BUT (again) in the peel sessions it sounds SUPER fucking EAR-BLEEDING-AWESOME.
This collection is radical and should be heard by all, even those CREATURES that dislike The Birthday Party's agitated disturbing noise direct from the pits of despair and suffering. This is pure POST PUNK. 100% non-tampered with, POST PUNK. I'll do a review on "Junkyard" one of these days... so watch out for it.

This is a promotional video that was made for "Deep In The Woods" that appears on the Peel Sessions as well as the Mutiny sessions. Dark as a motherfuck, man.

The Gun Club- Fire Of Love

Jeffry Lee Pierce was at one stage the president of the Blondie fan club, then one day Debbie Harry was all like "Jeffry Lee Pierce, you should start a MOTHERFUCKING BAND". I'm paraphrasing of course, but the story was some what similar.
The Gun Club was formed not long after and started out under Blondie's wing opening their gigs and stuff like that. The band were cited as one the first bands, if not THE first band to successfully fuse blues roots with punk, in my opinion that in itself is an astonishing feat.
"Fire Of Love" is a real bad ass album that will beat you up and rape you in a deep southern swamp leaving you to wallow, whilst it runs off through a cane field, moonshine in a lidded jar, laughing a grotty toothless laugh into the night.
The lyrical content all revolves around classic blues narratives (slavery, lust, revenge, etc.), exaggerated and darkened to a black very much like dogs guts. "Jack on fire", "Sex Beat", "Fire Spirit", "Black Train" are all stand out songs on this album. Actually the entire album is timeless. The fusion of roots and punk make it impossible to pin point the era it was recorded, it is remarkably original.

Get this album or rot in hell. Lots of love, XXX.

Here is a video of The Gun Club playing at The Hacienda in 1983, the line up is different to the one that recorded Fire Of Love. "Fire Spirit" is a bad ass song. Enjoy.

Jim Carroll Band- I Write Your Name

Jim Carroll is a multi-talented cat. The poet turned author decided to take the next logical step; punk band vocalist/lyricist. Its no wonder that Carroll's prose was so easily transposed into lyrics.
"I write your name" was the bands 3rd (and last) album and the most exuberantly produced, not to say that's a bad thing. This album leans more on the New-Wave genre than the bands previous raw punk offerings, with the exception of a couple of the later album tracks.
"Voices" is the albums stand out track, its a lightning speed, frantic insight into the world of several people with degenerative schizophrenia. Its sadly the bands first and last flirt with synthesizer rock, sad in the respect that it sounds so fucking good. "Sweet Jane" is a knock-out (not to mention faithful) cover of The Velvet Underground, its a great 80's revamp of the classic. Carroll's singing voice was pretty much on the mark as he is practically a dead ringer (vocally) with Lou Reed. "Freddy's Store" is simply straight-laced-no-fucking-around rock n roll.
Unfortunately Jim Carroll's musical career has come and gone largely unnoticed. The Jim Carroll Band is another under appreciated band that should be celebrated. I recommend this to everyone who has ears.

Also, here is the band playing a bare essentials version of "voices". RIP Jim Carroll.