Killed By Death Records

What could be better then to do a split post with Erichs Good Bad Music For Bad, Bad Times! on a split 7inch. Since Erich like Picnic Boys he takes on the ungratefull task of posting them.

One of the most wellknown and most sought after swedish HC records.
And for once there’s some substance in the hype. It’s from 1981 wich means it’s temporary with US stuff second it got members from one of the best swedish punk band Massmedia who’s Dass jazz is HC to my ears and that was released in 1979.

Mats Nilsson one of the Nilsson brothers studied in Linkoping our hometown at the time of this release. He also run a student radio program in 1981 and he’s responsible for turning me on to Discharge and Teen Idles. I visited him a couple of times at his small student apartment and bought some records and tapes from him. A very nice guy! He also sold me the Huvudtvatt/Picnic Boys and it have been one of my swedish favourites since.

Mats later moved to Stockhom and we lost contact. Anyone knows what he’s doing nowadays? Fun connections: Ola Fagerberg who first played bass in Kurt i kuvos and later sang on the split they did with Huvudtvatt/Headcleaners joined our old band Raped Teenagers in 1985. Yeah yeah! Here’s an email from Huw(vocals) writing to the 7inchpunk guys.

Country: Sweden
Year: 1981
Label: Massproduktion
Format: 7″
Songs:
Huvudtvatt - Smutsig byk.mp3
Huvudtvatt - Huvudtvatt.mp3
Huvudtvatt - Manglad.mp3
Huvudtvatt - Torktumlaren.mp3
Huvudtvatt - Stryk.mp3
Huvudtvatt - Ren logn.mp3
Picnic Boys - En jakt pa svar available at: goodbadmusic.blogspot.com
Picnic Boys - I dag och i morgon available at: goodbadmusic.blogspot.com

It’s hard to pick a single winner of the early Wire 7inches. But if I have too I’ll pick this and Outdoor Minor. For some strange reason this 1978 release seems to be the tuffest to find of them all especially with sleeve. How come?

So why do I put up songs with such a known band as Wire? Cause in my opinion Wire is criminally underrated among the big masses of punk consumers.

Remember this kids: there was a time when each and every band strived to sound unique and Wire is a good example of that era. Listen and learn.

Country: UK
Year: 1978
Label: Harvest
Format: 7″
Songs:
Dot Dash
Options R.mp3

Tommy Erdelyi aka Tommy Ramone produced this incredible great a-side punk/powerpop classic. Wasting Time is a very typical 1979 powerpop smasher while All The Sounds Of Fear could’ve been good but since the vocals are a bit out of tune it just dosen’t work. For punk it could add that extra touch but for a powerpop band? Nah!

“Bas’s guitar parts were played on John Entwistle’s (The Who bassist) black Gibson Les Paul, through two (yes, TWO) Marshall 100watt stacks, both on FULL power, whilst the bass and drums were stripped to a raw minimum. This ‘Ramonisation’ of the Strangeways sound…”

Country: UK
Year: 1979
Label: Real
Format: 7″
Songs:
Wasting Time.mp3
All The Sounds Of Fear

From Sundsvall the home of Massmedia, Vacum etc but suprisingly not released by the famous Massproduktion label. Formed by the Brodin brothers(vocals and drums) togheter with Peter(bas) the singer from The Same whos Kuken i styret was posted before.

The title song is a slow creppy number that I’ve learned to like but it’s Andra behov the get’s my head roling. All in all this is the best effort from Brand barn who released two 7inches and one LP.

Brodde was one the best lyricist among the swedish punk bands and he’ve also said some classic things like: “Demokratin är så dogmatiskt odemokratisk. Dom måste ju sparka in demokratin i skallen på folk“. Learn swedish goddamit!

One of the things I liked most is the incredible ugly guitarist Svensk. Where are all the ugly people in bands now? I hate good looking people it’s not punk.

Country: Sweden
Year: 1980
Lable: Rip
Format: 7″
Songs:
Branda barn.mp3
Andra behov.mp3
Vanner jag hade glomt.mp3

Prejudice as I am I think it’s not that common to have two blacks in a powerpop band? As the thing with Bad Brains, four blacks playing manic punk. The Heat where from New York and besides this released an LP on MCA. Instant Love is as pure and as wimpy as only really good powerpop can be. Fuck Punk Rock and its hate and violence slogans we need some love man! Instant love!
Country: USA
Year: 1979
Label: Hot Stuff
Format: 7″
Songs:
Instant Love.mp3
High School Sweater

Mackt tags was along with Spy tags the most frequent graffiti in Linkoping in the late 70’s and early 80’s. At least in my neighbourhood.

Mackt was better live then captured here. But I still love this lo fi recording alot. Axelsson the guitarist later went on to Njurmannen who where one of the most influential industry bands here. Auwa the bass player played bass for The Flakes between 2001-2003.

ON-Birds is a mystery band that I’ve later got to know included Jan Gradvall who now is a quiet famous rock journalist here in Sweden and where responsible for Linkopings first(?) punk fanzine Jorvars Gosskor who released this 7inch and a compilation tape called Arnes korvbar.

Stand out tracks: Mat av plast, En kristen larare, Hasse Mattson and Pompeji.

Country: Sweden
Year: 1980
Lable: Jorvars gosskor
Format: 7″
Songs:
Mackt - Mat av plast.mp3
Mackt - Pappa.mp3
Mackt - En kristen larare.mp3
Mackt - Klicken.mp3
Mackt - Hasse Mattson.mp3
ON-Birds - Pompeji.mp3
ON-Birds - Stada.mp3
ON-Birds - Olle satt i kvarnen
ON-Birds - Rostig

Second band out that sent us a super duper punk rock record. Hydrostatic Heart is as catchy as it gets combining a blistering beat with an infectious melody and great vocals. Brilliant! Losing My Head is right behind and Acid Reflex tops it off with a jerky beat which makes this record stand out from many bands around. Sure one of my current favourites along with germanys Dean Dirg.

Hey Bob Burnsters I need more! Bob Burns And The Breakups on the net.

By this from Plastic Idol Records.

Country: USA
Year: 2006
Label: Plastic Idol
Format: 7″
Songs:
Hydrostatic Heart.mp3
Losing My Head.mp3
Acid Reflex.mp3

This is the band I’m in so I let other people speak for us.

Todd from Razorcake:”…It’s something I imagine Rodney Bigenheimer losing his shit over in the early ’80s that would stand the test of time today. I’d place this right at peak top of this hard-to-conquer-genre.”.

Josh Ruthledge at Now Wave:”Swedens Flakes obviously know what far too many bands don’t know: if you’re gonna play POP, you’re gonna need GREAT SONGS! It’s not enough to merely play tuneful, melodic music. You need that all-important HIT—the kind of super-catchy smash that gets stuck in people’s heads, lodging itself so deep inside the brain that not even the world’s top neurosurgeon could get it out of there. Those of us who love good pop know what it’s like to get hooked by a song like that. But you don’t hear that kind of tune every day. It takes talent, skill, and good old-fashioned craft to cook up the perfect pop song.“.

The list of great reviews could go on and on but I stop here. 500 copies on clear vinyl and hand numbered lyric sheet.

Country: Sweden
Year: 2004
Label: Black Juju/Evergreen Terrace
Format: 7″
Songs:
She’s So Natural.mp3
Aquired Taste.mp3
Straight Jacket.mp3

This mind blowing 7inch have been posted at 7inchpunk.com. But since the files posted dosen’t make the songs justice I have to post my own rip. Alot more fuzzy and creamy here.

“Playing gigs with the Dead Kennedys, DOA, Pinball machine, Mutants, and so forth at the legendary Mabuhay Gardens, around the San Francisco Bay area, and up and down the coast helped establish the VKTMS sound and style. Shows with the Sweep, Johnny Thunders and other godfathers toughened the music even more. VKTMS also became the ritual sacrificial offering for many touring acts (Stranglers, Roky Erikson, 999, Killing Joke, Wall of Voodoo, Bush Tetras, Fear, Psychedelic Furs, Delta 5, and many others) when they is on drugs through town.”

Country: USA
Year: 1980
Label: 415
Format: 7″
Songs:
100% White Girl.mp3
No Long Good-Byes.mp3

A hooky rock riff blended with a jerky arrangement makes me boop my head. This could go so wrong but it dosen’t. Add to that a nice saxophone and we have a winner. “Founded in Atlanta in 1978, The Swimming Pool Q’s were among the first generation of Georgia’s celebrated New Wave bands that included THE B-52’s, THE BRAINS, PYLON and R.E.M.”

Country: USA
Year: 1979
Label: Chlorinated
Format: 7″
Songs:
Rat Bait.mp3
The A-Bomb Woke Me Up