The Cravats - DCL

As my good old friend The Thing On The Doorstep posted the Babymen 12", I decided to post some more music from The Cravats family.
First comes the 'The Land Of The Giants' 12", a really hard to find record on Reflex Records. Musicwise it goes more in the direction of The Very Things. 'The Shroud Of New York Chapter 2' sounds like you're listening to some musical song with Frank Sinatra! These tracks have just recently been rereleased on a 'best of' double CD on Overground. I already ripped this 12" before I realized this. So I encourage you to buy the double CD. It has some unreleased live tracks on it.
The second record is from DCL Locomotive, another alias for Shend and co. Here you get a great version of 'King Midas In Reverse' from The Hollies.
I also included two extra tracks from DCL. The first one was released as bonus flexi that came with the 'The Colossal Tunes Out' LP of The Cravats. The second one came as bonus flexi with the 'The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes' LP of The Very Things. Not really songs but some serious spoken word tape collage.
Visit The Cravats website here.

The Cravats - The Land Of The Giants 12" (Reflex Records-RE 10-1986)
1. The Land Of The Giants
2. The Shroud Of New York Chapter 2
3. Execute His Will
4. The Shroud Of New York Chapter 1

DCL Locomotive - King Midas In Reverse 12" (Reflex Records-RE 4-1984)
1. King Midas In Reverse
2. The Kings Broadcast
3. The Last Black Tile
4. Kmir Test Five

Extra Tracks
1. Dadacravats Laboratory Series No. 1
2. Dadacravats Laboratory Series No. 2

Cravats-DCL

Pure Pop For Now People

I added an interesting link for those who collect vinyl. Joachim Gaertner of Get Happy Records and the band S/T collects all info on defunct independent labels. This book is called 'They Could Have Been Bigger Than EMI'. The first edition is almost sold out but he is completing the second edition which will probably be out early 2007. He also runs a site (see sidebar) that has already lots of entries but is not that updated from the book. As a regular contributor I strongly recommend to visit the site. Anyone is free to help Joachim to fill in the missing gaps, label logo scans or labels you think are missing (labels must be defunct!). So for those interested in music from the late 70's till now, check it out! Music ranges from punk, wave, experimental, garage, neo-sixties,psychedelic, postrock, hardcore, guitarpop and everything in between.

Ritual

Ritual started in 1979 and were one of the first goth punk bands but never got the same recognition as Sex Gang Children or Southern Death Cult. Many compare them to Theatre Of Hate as the band also had a sax player. Prior to the 7", Ritual released a six track demotape.They also recorded tracks for an LP called 'Songs For A Dead King' but was never released.
The band fell apart as drummer Ray Mondo and guitarplayer Jamie Stewart were asked to join Death Cult. Ray Mondo later switched the drummer seat with Nigel Preston (ex-Theatre Of Hate) to play in the last line up of the (early) Sex Gang Children.
Vocalist Errol Blythe and bassplayer Mark Bond joined Spon (ex-UK Decay) to form In Excelsis (of which I will post some records of in the future).

Mind Disease 7" (Red Flame-RF 712-1982)
1. Mind Disease
2. Nine

Kangaroo Court 12" (Red Flame-RF 1217-1983)
1. Brides
2. Conscripts
3. Questioning The Shadow

Ritual

Esquisses

I was intrigued by this record because Steven Brown of Tuxedomoon plays alto sax on 3 tracks. I managed to buy a copy and I was really surprized. People who like Tuxedomoon will probably like this one too although it has a more melancholical feel.
Mike Shelter and SPY were the main members of this band. I even don't know from where they were but the record was released on a Belgian label that also released records of La Muerte, Nightfall In Camp, Snowy Red and the Scientists.
Any more info on Esquisses more than welcome.

Esquisses LP (Soundworks-SW 12005-1984)
1. No Sin
2. First Things First I
3. F. Th. F. II
4. Glaze Your Eyes
5. Second Voice
6. F. Th. F. III
7. Last Time

Esquisses

Esquisses (FLAC)

Splat!

Anyone remembers the Ron Johnson label? The label was run by Dave Parsons who was also the singer for Splat!. Here you have the complete output of the band, except for one track on the 'First After Epiphany' comp. LP.
Ron Johnson was one of the more interesting labels out of the UK(Nottingham) but after 7 years, collapsed 'cos of it's financial situation. John Peel played a lot of the bands on this label on his show.

Yeah The Dum Dum 7" (RON 1-1983)
1. Yeah The Dum Dum
2. Bookface
3. Biggles Bloodbath

Bloom 12" (RON 2-1984)
1. Bloom
2. Taxi
3. Morbius 4
4. A foolish Crawl

Splat!

Fade To Black - Corridors Of Gender MLP

Gloomy postpunk band from San Francisco.
Don't have much info on the band myself but I could find some on the net.
Trouserpress describes the music as powerful, dramatic drone psychedelia.Drummer Gil Ray later played for Game Theory and Loud Family.
Singer Bradley construct his lyrics from mythologies as ancient as the Fisher King and Ophelia, and as current as William S. Burroughs's warcry 'Towers Open Fire!' from 'Naked Lunch' (from an NY Times article written by Robert Palmer for Pop Life in 1985).

Corridors Of Gender MLP (CD Presents-CD026-1984)
1. Black Box
2. Forward From Hell
3. Towers Open Fire
4. Soundtrack
5. Cinema Blue

Fade To Black

The Wild Flowers

The Wild Flowers were from Wolverhampton, UK. This was their first LP.
Guitarist and songwriter Dave Newton left the band after this record to start The Mighty Lemon Drops.
The best comparison would be Echo & The Bunnymen.
The Wild Flowers released more records but I never heard them.
'Melt Like Ice' was released as a 7" on Future Records(FS 11) and 'Things Have Changed' as 7" on Reflex(RE 2).

The Joy Of It All LP (Reflex Records-LEX 2-1984)
1. Melt Like Ice
2. Beggar Man
3. The Promised Land
4. After All These Years
5. Dark Times
6. The Joy Of It All
7. Bamboo
8. Hold The Torch
9. Things Have Changed
10. From The Sky

The Wild Flowers

Shock Headed Peters - 12"s

Well, here the first post.
As Are Friends Electric already posted the 'Not Born Beautiful' LP, I want to make my contribution by posting the first two 12"s.
I, Bloodbrother Be 12" (El Benelux,ELT 1)
1. I, Bloodbrother Be
2. Truth Has come
3. Katabolism
4. Hate On Sight

The title track was praised for it's jazzy feel and overtly gay lyrics.

The Kissing Of Gods 12" (El Benelux,EL 3T)
1. The Kissing Of Gods
2. Heartbreak Hotel
3. Always Be Waiting
4. Mr. Very Big

The title track taken from the 'Not Born Beautiful' LP.This 12" has a doomy heavy rock version of the Elvis song.

Shock Headed Peters

Hello

Yes, another music blog. I will post some out of print vinyl from my own collection dedicated to the 80's. Most of the records are not reissued until now.
All posts ripped from vinyl in 192 or 256 bitrate.
All files will include big scans of the front sleeve.
Hope you enjoy the music.