Chelsea Wolfe, “Apocalyptica” (PenduSound, 2012)Kooky freak-folk stuff by a singer with a strong voice, mastery of a range of tripped-out personas, and a sporadic rock edge that keeps the weirdness-in-the-woods mood from turning too morbid.Try 4, 57/12/12
Roy Wood, “Boulders” (United Artists, 1973)Solo after the first ELO LP, the Move’s mastermind lets loose a set of twisted, wandering post-Sgt.Pepper’s art-pop that echoes kaleidoscopically in your head.Try 1/ 4, 2/ 16/18/18
X-Ray Spex, “The Anthology” (Sanctuary, 2001; originally recorded 1977-78)X-Ray Spex occupied the apex of UK punk. A hyper-abrasive guitar/beat grind and Poly Styrene’s maelstrom-howling vocals contrasted against scary-smart lyrics that critiqued consumerism from the inside and a quirky sense of pop melody that recalled the mid-60s while anticipating/influencing the early 80s. Disc 2 features gloriously […]
X-Ray Spex, “Live At The Roxy Club” (Receiver, 1991; original recording 1977)At the venue that was ground zero for the UK punk explosion, here’s the short-lived original line-up of the Spex, with Lora Logic on sax. The lurid, glaring sing-song glee of the band’s indelible tunes of modern alienation-as-fun (or vice versa) are here brought […]
X, “Aspirations” (Ugly Pop reissue, 2014; origina release 1979)Not the X from L.A., but the Australian one, and in their own way just as great (and influential). Rumbling drums, bass rubbery and immense like the bassist was using live boa constrictors for strings, guitar crashing through in brilliant shards, all in service of punk rock […]
Young Canadians, “No Escape” (Sudden Death, 2005; original recordings 1978-1980)A pioneering Varr Couver punk band, this trio recalls the best of early L.A. punk, fast and light-footed, with surf-style beats, weird trebly guitar blare, snotty vocals and catchy tunes with disaffected/dystopian lyrics. Try 2, 4, 5, 7, 8. 9. 17.4/19/13
Young Magic, “Still Life” (Car Park, 2016)Third album from this minimal electro-pop duo finds them seamlessly blending Indonesian and tropicalia textures, giving the music a nice thundershower-in-the-heart-of-the-city vibe.Try 1, 811/10/16
Youth of Today, “Can’t Close My Eyes” (Revelation; original release 1986)Debut from these NYCers, as much of an opening shot for the second (third?) wave of SE harcore as Minor Threat or SSD’s debuts were for the first. Ultra-minimalist, caroming fury that’s as abstract and brutal as Pink Flag, though lyrical concerns here tend less […]
Zapp, “All The Greatest Hits” (Reprise, 1993; original release 1980-93)Zapp were pioneers of gearing ‘70s funk up for the electro ‘80s. The low end is as fluid, muscular and swinging as (big influence here) funkadelic, but the textures have a cool, alien, robotic feel, accentuated by Roger’s vocoder-processed warbling.Try 1, 5, 6, 126/9/11
VKTMS, “VKTMS” (Broken Rekids, 1997; originally released 1978-1980)Female-fronted San Fran punk, like their contemporaries, the Avengers, but darker and more comic, with disorienting postpunk twists. This captures a certain experience of urban dislocation and decay, and makes it sound like fun.Try 1, 5, 6, 7, 97/19/12