Hello there! This time we're off to the magical world of post punk, the bleak and dangerous mixture of thatcherite England (plus some N.Y.), musical vision and drugs aplenty. So many fantastic bands and artists came from this era, not so many survived. Here's a few fine examples of that time and place.
We start off with A Certain Ratio, the phenomenal funk-punk-whatnot band from Manchester, England. Their records were released on the now legendary Factory records.
A Certain Ratio - Oceans
A Certain Ratio - Choir
John Cooper Clarke's "Evidently Chickentown" proverbially blew my head off when I first heard it on The Sopranos episode's end credits. It's a haunting piece of music and poetry that just won't leave you alone. In other words, it's a bloody revelation!
John Cooper Clarke - Evidently Chickentown
A little detour to New York City, where Liquid Liquid made a handsome racket that falls nicely into our category of the day. The first tune, "Cavern" is probably most famous for lending its bass line to a certain rap hit of the early eighties, but it's a great song in its own right, too.
Liquid Liquid - Cavern
Liquid Liquid - Dig We Must
Section 25 came from Blackpool, England and released three albums on Factory records. This tune is from their debut album Always Now.
Section 25 - Dirty Disco
And the award for the most amusing band name goes to... Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, a New York band with the shrieking, insane Lydia Lunch as a front woman. A select quote: "I would be humiliated if I found out that anything I did actually became a commercial success". And so it was.
Teenage Jesus & The Jerks - Baby Doll
In my opinion, you can't get much more English than The Fall, fronted by the original and singular Mark E. Smith. This here is a sample from their superb debut from 1979, Live at the Witch Trials.
The Fall - Crap Rap/Like To Blow
The Pop Group hailed from Bristol, England and released a couple of excellent albums of dissonant, dislocated music that sounds just right to me today.
The Pop Group - Words Disobey Me
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