Category Archives: New Wave

LITTLE GIRLS-VALLEY SONGS.

Little Girls-Valley Songs. Label: Playback Records. Format: CD When sisters Caron and Michelle Maso grew up in Colorado, they were complete opposites, and had a love-hate relationship. Michelle was a cheerleader, while Caron enjoyed partying and hanging out with her friends. However, the pair became firm friends when they decided to move to Los Angeles …

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GUERRILLA GIRLS! SHE-PUNKS AND BEYOND 1975-2016.  

Guerrilla Girls! She-Punks and Beyond 1975-2016. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Eclectic describes the twenty-five tracks on Ace Records new compilation Guerrilla Girls! She-Punks and Beyond 1975-2016. This carefully curated compilation features everything from mid-seventies punk pioneers to leftfield post-punk groups, jangly female pop combos grunge bands and vigilante Riot Grrrl groups of the eighties …

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BOB STANLEY/PETE WIGGS PRESENT WINTER OF DISCONTENT.

Bob Stanley/Pete Wiggs Present Winter Of Discontent. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘27th’ January 2023. Karl Marx said that: “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.” This is true. Proof of this was the Winter of Discontent which took place between November 1978 and February 1979. For four long months strikes …

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DO IT AGAIN! THE SONGS OF BRIAN WILSON.

Do It Again! The Songs Of Brian Wilson. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD Release Date: ‘28th’ October 2022. Brian Wilson is seen by some as the closest thing music has had to a genius. Proponents of this argument cite the Beach Boys 1966 progressive, psychedelic Magnus Opus Pet Sounds. By then, he was one of …

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JON SAVAGES’S 1977-1979-SYMBOLS CLASHING EVERYWHERE.

Jon Savage’s 1977-1979-Symbols Clashing Everywhere. Label: Ace Records. Format: 2CD Set.  Jon Savage’s 1977-1979-Symbols Clashing Everywhere is the seventh instalment in the compliant series he has curated for Ace Records. This long-running series has been released to critical acclaim, and like previous volumes features a truly eclectic collection of tracks. They reflect just what music journalist Jon Savage was listening to …

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LENNY KAYE PRESENTS LIGHTNING STRIKING.

Lenny Kaye Presents Lightning Striking.  Label: Ace Records. Format: 2CD. Versatile describes musician, composer and producer Lenny Kaye. Many music fans remember him as the guitarist in the Patti Smith Group. Lenny Kaye also worked with everyone from REM and James to Suzanne Vega and Kristin Hersh right through to Soul Asylum and even poet …

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GIRLS GO POWER POP!

Girls Go Power Pop! Label: Big Beat. Format: CD.  When Pete Townsend of The Who was promoting Pictures Of Lily in 1967 he was asked how he would describe their music? He replied: “power pop is what we play.” That day, a new genre was born. However, back then, music journalists didn’t always feel the …

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CULT CLASSIC: NON BAND-NON BAND.

Cult Classic: Non Band-Non Band . In the summer of 1978, a musical revolution took place in Japan, which changed music forevermore,..punk. The Japanese punk rockers were christened Tokyo Rockers, and initially were disregarded by the mainstream music industry. Record company executives made the mistake of thinking that the Japanese punk movement was just a …

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THE NON BAND STORY

The Non Band Story. In the summer of 1978, a musical revolution took place in Japan, which changed music forevermore,..punk. The Japanese punk rockers were christened Tokyo Rockers, and initially were disregarded by the mainstream music industry. Record company executives made the mistake of thinking that the Japanese punk movement was just a passing fad, …

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BAND APART-BAND APART.

Band Apart-Band Apart. Label: Crammed Discs. French-American group Band Apart were founded in the early eighties by New York-based poet and performance artist Jayne Bliss, and Marseille-based musician and producer M.Mader and signed to Marc Hollander’s nascent Crammed discs who released the group’s critically acclaimed eponymous EP in 1981. Two years later in 1983, Band …

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MANCHESTER-A CITY UNITED IN MUSIC.

Manchester-A City United In Music. Label: Ace Records. Mention Manchester, and most people think of two things music and soccer,  and specifically God’s own team Manchester City who for too long, were perceived as the city’s second team. That wasn’t always the case and isn’t the case any more. Between 1966 and 1975, Manchester City …

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BELGIAN NUGGETS 90s-00S VOLUME 2.

Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s Volume 2. Label: Mayway Records. Release Date: “25th’ May 2018. Just six months after Mayway Records released Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s Volume 1 to widespread critical acclaim, Tony Vandenbogaerde’s label returns with the much-anticipated  followup Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s Volume 2 which will be released on the ‘25th’ of 2018. Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s Volume 2 …

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NON BAND-NON BAND.

Non Band-Non Band. Label: TAL In the summer of 1978, a musical revolution took place in Japan, which changed music forevermore,..punk. The Japanese punk rockers were christened Tokyo Rockers, and initially were disregarded by the mainstream music industry. Record company executives made the mistake of thinking that the Japanese punk movement was just a passing …

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GOOD VIBRATIONS: A RECORD SHOP, A LABEL, A SOUNDTRACK.

GOOD VIBRATIONS: A RECORD SHOP, A LABEL, A SOUNDTRACK. Late last year, a British independent film had a huge impact upon its release. That’s the critically acclaimed Good Vibrations, which was directed by Lisa Bassos D’sa and Glenn Leyburn. Good Vibrations tells the story of the life and times of Terri Hooley, a stalwart and …

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TREVOR JACKSON PRESENTS METAL DANCE 2.

TREVOR JACKSON PRESENTS METAL DANCE 2. In February 2012, Strut Records released the Trevor Jackson Presents Metal Dance. Critically acclaimed, Trevor Jackson Presents Metal Dance was a retrospective reminder of some groundbreaking music. There was no doubt about it, there would be a followup to Trevor Jackson Presents Metal Dance. Eighteen months later, Strut Records …

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MUTAZIONE-ITALIAN ELECTRONIC AND NEW WAVE UNDERGROUND 1980-1998-COMPILED BY WALLS.

MUTAZIONE-ITALIAN ELECTRONIC AND NEW WAVE UNDERGROUND 1980-1998-COMPILED BY WALLS. While Walls haven’t released an album since the blissed out, dreamy and ethereal beauty of Coracle, released in 2010, Allessio Natalizi of Walls hasn’t been taking things easy. Not at all. Instead, Alessio has been busy compiling an eclectic and compelling compilation for Strut Records. Entitled …

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UNDER THE INFLUENCE VOLUME 3-A COLLECTION OF RARE SOUL AND DISCO.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE VOLUME 3-A COLLECTION OF RARE SOUL AND DISCO. 2013 year has hardly been a vintage year for compilations. So far, I’d say it’s been a decidedly average year. The mountain of compilations released have certainly been eclectic, but have varied greatly in quality. Ranging from the good, bad and the ugly, we …

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CHANGE THE BEAT-THE CELLULOID RECORDS STORY 1979-1987.

CHANGE THE BEAT-THE CELLULOID RECORDS STORY 1979-1987. In 2012, Strut Records released Only For You: The Sound of Cajmere and Cajual Records, which paid homage to Cajmere, one of the innovators of the Chicago house scene and his label Cajual Records. This proved to be one of Strut Records’ most critically acclaimed and commercially successful …

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THE BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2012-PART 1.

THE BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2012-PART 1. It’s always at this time of year, that lists of what have been the best albums of the year are released. Not to be outdone, I’ve been compiling my lists too. So far, I’ve compiled lists of the best box sets, compilations and reissues. The one I’ve been …

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GREAT BRITISH ALBUMS.

GREAT BRITISH ALBUMS. Usually, in the run-up to Christmas, record companies find any excuse to release compilations, best of’s and box set galore. Wander through you’re local record shop, and you’ll find the umpteenth album of greatest hits from the usual suspects, including rock stars of yesteryear topping up their pension plans. Often, a similar …

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