Oh No Not Again

ATTENTION! You will enjoy this episode--or you can't sy you really know Postpunk. there is so much great music from Germany inthe 80's, so I had to leave someone out--so there may again be a sedond part to this show. BUT--in the mean time, feast your ears on the wild and crazy sounds of Nina Hagen, Der Plan, Palais Shaumberg, X Mal Deutschland, Malaria, Einstruzende Neubauten,Propaganda, DAF and others--Fear ye not, all is forgiven. If you have not heard of anhy of these bands before--GOOD! That means I have done my job--end transmission.

WARNING!!!! VERY VERY VERY ( did I say Very? ) EXPLICIT CONTENT!!! Postpunk was more than just music--it was an attitude, it was performance art, it was TV ( dig The Young Ones ), it was Comedy ( Alexi Sayle,ABFAB,etc), it was poetry, it was books, film -- every media and method. This is all before the concept of Politically Correct reared its ugly head--beck then, people of an artistic persuasion were not afraid to tell it like it was, or should be, or could be, --or wasn't for many on the outside of the prosperous 80's. The ME decade it may have been, but it led to all the various social devolution of the 90's until today . Here we have scathing castigation from Quentin Crisp, Attilla the Stockbroker, Lydia Lunch, Wm. Burroughs, John Giorno, Laurie Anderson, ( and more ), and a mystery artist who can win you a free T-shirt if you guess who it is--anyone game?

OK, I give up--I am playing some fairly well known bands this time--but you have to have the greats in a show about the Manchester scene ( though I am leaving out the Smiths, because they are just too big)--Manchester had my favorite label, Factory records, My favorite producer ( Martin Hannett) and my favorite band ( Joy Division)--plus, a TON of other great bands. I am trying to play a few of the lesser known greats as well , like John Cooper Clarke ( now performing again), more Pauline Murray, plus Ludus, Magazine, Barry Adamson,the Fall ( probably the best known other than Joy Division ), Joy Division ( 2 songs), and A certain Ratio. Too many bands have been left out, but gotta move on to other subjects--the may someday be a Manchester Part 2, who knows? Anyone want to win a T-Shirt? Next episode, there will be another quiz where you can--stay tuned, and like the Cramps used to say, Stay Sick!

There would be no Electronic music as we know it today without Kraftwerk, but there are some other bands we take for granted that really pushed electronics to the forefront, and , many who still used guitars, but in interesting and devastating ways. Simplicity and directness are what Sheffield was all about, and ART, with a capital A. Revenge of the Nerds, indeed. This episode holds a few surprises, a quiz ( are you up for it? )along with mind altering songs from Artery, Vice Versa, The Future / The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, I'm So Hollow, In The Nursery, Comsat Angels and others.

At long last, a new episode....Everybody knows about Nick Cave and the Birthday Party coming from Australia--but what other bands came out around that time, and just after? Here in the US, we heard more about Australia at the end of the 80's with the Paisley Underground / New Psych sound ( Guano Bats, Lime Spiders, --) coming from Down Under. Australia had a TON of punk and post punk bands that we only heard a few of in the US-( like Midnight Oil and Shriekback). Check out the book Inner City Sound : Punk and Post Punk in Australia 1976 - 1985 for a more complete overview-- This episode features Bagavahd Guitars, Radio Birdman, Voight 465, Crime and the City Solution, The Laughing Clowns, The Apartments, The Church, SPK and Severed Heads.

Sorry to have taken so long with a new episode. This one features some known bands like YMO and Plastics, and some not so known ones like The Willard, Gille Love's, Sekima II, Hlmens and Yapoos. There are videos of these goups on Youtube, so you should check them out. There are many groups like P-Model ( a direct influnece on Polysics), Sandi and the Sunsets, Sheena and the Rockets and many others that I didn't have room to include. Japanese 80's music is hard to find in the US, but it is wort seeking out--get out there and search!

I have a great affection for female vocals, so here is a celebration of some of the best and rarest from the early Postpunk era. In fact I have so many groups to choose from, that this is part one of 2--This part features Toyah WIlcox, ultra rare songs from Dolly Mixture, obscure music from Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls, Danielle Dax, The Slits, and rarely heard music by Bjork's early band KUKL.