Wild Swans - The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years

The Wild Swans - The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years

Okay, not a download this one, but a link to where to get it as it's all new and shiny and deserves huge wads of cash thrown at it.

The Wild Swans are one of those bands that could have, should have...but didn't. They never quite captured the promise of that first single, and how could they? How do you follow something like *that*. But they tried, by gawd they tried. Came close a few times as well. And now we have a new album, twenty years or so after the last. And Paul Simpson nailed it, no longer tilting at windmills but slaying dragons and being home in time for tea.

I remember being very ill a few years back (I'm thankfully in rude health nowadays). The details aren't important but I was basically living in a (actual, large) cupboard and stricken mute. It was annoyingly serious and quite frankly I'd bottomed out. Saying that this band saved my life is possibly an exaggeration but they bloody well helped. Revolutionary Spirit gave me a kick up the arse that gave me my fight back. And fight I did. Saw them live last Friday, and it really was rather special. The Wild Swans....festoon them with riches.

BUY IT HERE

Zwischenfall - Sandy Eyes

Zwischenfall - Sandy Eyes

A single on the always beguiling Les Disques Du Crépuscule label from 1984, very stylish 'synth pop'...which is selling it short a bit I think. Certainly very slick, but with heart. The b-side (Flucht) seems to pop up on various minimal compilations a fair bit. This is the rerecorded version with female vocals.

And yes, I've been away for *ages*, apologies. Updates at some point soonish, unless it's later. Ish.

The Model - Various

The Model - Various

Kraftwerk's "The Model" is probably their best known song, and it has been covered by various bands to an insane degree. Here's a collection of ten of the slightly less known ones, featuring Snakefinger (who might have been the first to cover it, though Hikashu might be in with a shot here, who's also included), Aviador Dro, Nullsleep's 8-bit version, Messer Chups surf rock attack and many, many more....

The Blue Orchids - Peel Session - 17/04/1982

The Blue Orchids - Peel Session - 17/04/1982

Recorded after their stint as Nico's backing band, the second Peel Session from the Blue Orchids and they've come a long, long way from their first. Part of the Blue Orchids charm was based on their ramshackle nature on records, but they've really tightened up here without losing anything. No Looking Back here has never sounded more epic. We got a further EP in 82 (Agents of Change) and then the Blue Orchids were no more. Well, this version of the band at least. There was, thankfully, more to come....

Just noticed in the comments that Martin Bramah has a new band with a new album, which you can get HERE

And yes, I do really need to check my comments more often.

Hunters & Collectors - The Fireman's Curse

Hunters & Collectors - The Fireman's Curse

Their second album and weirdest effort, this Conny Plank-produced record is roundly dismissed by the group, although that's not so surprising considering how they morphed into a pub rock outfit after 1986. It follows in the vein of the industrial art-funk of their debut but features added eccentricity and messiness coupled with often jarring vocals and lyrics from Mark Seymour. It's a little Birthday Party-tinged – not surprisingly, Seymour used to be a roadie for them – and perhaps there's some pretense to it, but it doesn't sound like much else out there aside from then-percussionist Greg Perano's later offshoot group The Deadly Hume (and maybe 2x45-era Cabaret Voltaire or early Shriekback if you really want to stretch it). Certainly it's miles better than their streamlined pub rock material and these days I find myself listening to it even more than The Jaws of Life or their self-titled album, even though I think both of those are better records. "Curse," "Sway," "Judas Sheep" and "Eggheart" are worth a listen at least.

Zero Zero - Irrenanstalt

Zero Zero - Irrenanstalt

A 7" Single from 1982 (don't have a scan of it, so there's a picture of the 12" instead), Zero Zero were led by Gerald Klepka, formerly of the Munich Orchestra. A-side is pretty good NDW, but the b-side (Glasherz)...ah, the b-side. First came across it as part of the New Wave Returns tapes back in the day, stainless steal ice wave of the finest kind.


Been massively busy of late, so updates are back to being on and off again. Hoping to get a couple more posters soonish, so things should pick up again round about then.

American Music Club - Over and Done

American Music Club - Over and Done

This isn't the version of this single that brims with live performances; this North American promo includes the title cut (the weakest thing on this single, actually) and two far more impressive and winningly-titled B-sides. I'm not sure what "The Amyl Nitrate Dreams of Pat Robertson" (shouldn't that be amyl NITRITE?) has to do with the homophobic evangelical prick from The 700 Club, but it's a weird little spoken-word number reminiscent of Tom Waits and perhaps even Jandek. "In My Role As the Most Hated Singer in the Local Underground Music Scene" is the best selection here, a driving little number about a frontman driven to murder.