Darkness & Jive - The Singles

Never seen a post on this Newcastle band. Darkness & Jive started in 1981 and lasted for about 7 years. It seems that the band is active again these days.
Collected here are the three singles the band released. The first two were released on wellknown indie label Red Rhino. The last one was on a small label called Floating World (only 3 releases; also 7"s of Tralala and Pasha).
Darkness & Jive also did 2 Peel sessions which can be found on CDBaby (and other download sites). Their 'lost' album 'Rebellion And Romance' can be found there as well. Personally not too fond of their later stuff.
The band had a wild, raw side as well as a more softer, tender side. 'Hooked On You' shows the softer side of the band. The other songs are way more frenetic and more my cup of decaf.
My copy of the 'Jigsaw' 7" doesn't come with a sleeve so I took those from the band's website.
Another great song 'Death In Venice' appears on the 'Better Than A Poke In The Eye' comp. 7".

Hooked On You 7" (Red Rhino-RED 21-1982)
1. Hooked On You
2. Tarzan

Furnace 7" (Red Rhino-RED 27-1983)
1. Furnace
2. Guys & Dolls

Jigsaw 7" (Floating World-FLOAT 3-1985)
1. Jigsaw
2. Victims

D&J (320)

D&J (FLAC)

Glorious Din - Leading Stolen Horses LP

Got a request to post the first album of Glorious Din. Previously posted on the dormant Fritz Die Spinne blog more than 5 years ago but the link is dead. Ripped my own copy. Worth to re-post I guess.
Really great postpunk sound on this album. Eric Cope has a similar voice as Ian Curtis.
For more info and comments of ex-members, I direct you to the original post on Fritz Die Spinne. They were talking of compiling and reissuing Glorious Din material but nothing happened yet.
An early version of 'Water From The Temple' and an unreleased elsewhere track can be found on the 'Numb Tongue No Taste' comp. tape.

Leading Stolen Horses LP (Insight-R 41585-1985)
1. Tenement Roofs
2. Pallet On The Floor
3. Arrival
4. Cello Tape
5. Sixth Pillar
6. Leading Stolen Horses
7. Water From The Temple
8. Insects

Leading Stolen Horses (320)

Leading Stolen Horses (FLAC)

Cat Wax Axe Co.

Final post for 2012. This blog will be updated on a very irregular base 'cos I lost some interest in doing this. It's over 5 years that this blog is running and I lost the initial enthusiasm already for some time.
Back to Cat Wax Axe Co.(also written as Catwax Axe Co.). They were a lot from Derby. Not much info on them I could find.
In the beginning they played some kind of punk with rockabilly influences which you can hear on their first release, the 'Waxwalk' 7" on punk label Rondelet (Anti-Pasti, Special Duties, The Fits, ...).
The '25 Gallons Of Paranoia' 12" is very different. It seems that the band listened a lot to The Birthday Party. Quite cool tunes on this one although the vocals aren't as manic as Nick Cave's one.
This 12" is the second release on Fever Records. (Track titles on side B are switched)

Waxwalk 7" (Rondelet-ROUND 17-1982)
1. Waxwalk
2. Jumbo Jet (Hey! I Want Your Crazy Wild)

25 Gallons Of Paranoia 12" (Fever Records-FEV 2-1984)
1. Down On The Killing Floor
2. Scratch
3. Old Poker Live In Pandemonium
4. Quirky Town

Catwax Axe Co (320)

Catwax Axe Co (FLAC)

Wishing you all the best for 2013!

Barton And Harry - Mulch 12"

First release on this small indie label Fever Records. Already posted the Gasrattle 12" before. Fever Records also released one of the earliest My Bloody Valentine records, the 'Geek' 12".
Never heard Barton And Harry before but got this one in very cheap and was quite surprised. Nothing groundbreaking though but they have a strong The Birthday Party influence.
Contrary to the band's name, there were three members. Barton wrote all the lyrics. Harry is Harry Stafford of the Inca Babies! Third member Daley played drums I guess. This is Barton And Harry's only release.

Mulch 12" (Fever Records-FEV 1-1984)
1. Mulch
2. Beauty
3. A Boy Called Ned

Barton And Harry - 320

Barton And Harry - FLAC

Astaron - LP / 12"

Long time no post.
Found out about this great dark new wave band from Austria through A Viable Commercial, Goutroy's blog.
Don't know why this hasn't been reissued yet.
Astaron was a female duo Angie Mörth and Martina Aichhorn. Their first release was a cassette 'Das Grauen aus Dem All / As I Start. It was presented as a split tape with Asstart which is Astaron under a different name. Second release was also a cassette 'As Time Joins In / The Slurring'. It seems that the LP is the same as this tape minus some tracks. The 12" was their last release as the band split up in 1989.
Angie Mörth alos appeared on the Angie 'Scheue Treue' 7" (1983) and also played in Viele Bunte Autos. Viele Bunte Autos did a split 7" with Karl Gott in 1982 an also appears on the 'Austreibung' comp. tape (Astaron also appear on this tape). Klanggalerie released a retrospective CD of Viele Bunte Autos in 2007.
WAV provided by bX59-cppw and converted to FLAC by yours truly.

Astaron LP (Ton Um Ton Records-TUT 1187-1987)
1. Black Galley
2. Finale - The Burning
3. Little Girl Crying
4. St. John's Fire
5. As Time Joins In
6. Torch-Light Procession
7. In An Absence
8. Sea-Blue Ladies
9. Collecting Bones
10. The Slurring / Untitled

Astaron 12" (Bugel Records-TUT 760 030-1988)
1. Lance The Ensemble
2. The Icequeen
3. Golden Carriage
4. It

Get the HQ MP3 rips from A Viable Commercial.

Astaron LP

Astaron 12"

V/A Top Hole 7" Flexi

My eternal gratitude to bX-59cppw for sending me this flexi. Never thought I would find a copy of this one.
This flexi was a freebie that came with 'Het Bestaan' (Existence) magazine. Never seen that magazine but from what I know it was art-orientated.
First band is Social Security. Quite wellknown locally. They released a few albums and singles before on major label Epic and VIP Records. Their contribution was already released as a 7". Maybe it's a different recording?
Next is Toilets, the reason why I was looking for this record. All their records have been posted on the blog before. They deliver an exclusive track.
Third and last is the Op De Koffie Band. They were from Leeuwarden and existed from 1980 and disbanded in 1986. They shortened their name to De Koffie Band later. They play a kind of jazz funk with a weird twist, with Dutch lyrics. Released a 7" and a 12" before. Gerard Groenewoud and Tilly Bui are an arts duo now, working as sculptors.
Tried my best cleaning up the flexi noise but don't expect CD-quality. This is a 1-sided flexi with 7 minutes of music on it.

V/A Top Hole 7" Flexi (Top Hole-TH 10-198?)
1. Social Security - Here I Am
2. Toilets - Words Of  Love & Passion
3. Op De Koffie Band - Braak

Top Hole - 320

Top Hole - FLAC

V/A To Sell Kerosene Door To Door 2xLP

Double album compilation on Insight Records. Compiled by Eric Cope of Glorious Din. Two tracks each of the following bands:
World Of Pooh with tracks off their 'The Land Of Thirst' album. With Barbara Manning on vocals who played in 28th Day before. Also with drummer Jay Paget of Glorious Din and later Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. Brandon Kearney also played with Caroliner and Archipelago Brewing Company.
Spahn Ranch offer two tracks off their 'Thickly Settled' album released on Insight.
Dog Food has Eric Cope and Brandon Kearney. Probably a one-off collaboration.
Beetle Leg was a project of producer Matt Walace.
Beatnigs offer two tracks of their album on Alternative Tentacles. It seems that Insight Records was involved with this release as well. Beatnigs evolved to The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy and had Michael Franti in the band.
Stiff Legged Sheep released a 7" on Smudged records before. Their contribution is exclusive.
Next is Glorious Din with two tracks off their 'Closely Watched Trains' album.
Harry's Picket Fence had three members of Glorious Din. Doug Heeschen later in garagerock band The Gargoyles.
Next two bands are Raining House and Barnacle Choir. No other releases.
Enigma was a project with Beatnigs members.
Stickdog offers one track from their first album on Smudged and a track from their second album 'Human' on Alternative Tenctacles.
Systems Collapse are next and the only songs released of them that I know of.
Caroliner Rainbow Throw Up Fantasy is better known these days as Caroliner.
Archipelago Brewing Company closes the album.

My copy doesn't include the inserts unfortunately.

For tracklisting, see Discogs.

TSKDTD A+B

TSKDTD C+D

FLAC Side A

FLAC Side B

FLAC Side C

FLAC Side D

Two - Dreaming Spires LP

The only full-length released by synthduo Two. Has some experimental tracks as well. Side B is onyl one track 'It Won't Work' that last more than 15 minutes.
Don't let the cheesy sleeve fool you. Interesting but quite hard-to-find album on Future Records.
WAV provided by bX59-cppw and converted to MP3 and FLAC by me.

Dreaming Spires LP (Future Records-FL 3-1983)
1. Picture Frame
2. Waiting
3. Regime
4. Architecture
5. Pale Yellow
6. The End
7. It Won't Work

Dreaming Spires - 320

Dreaming Spires - FLAC